During their November meeting last week, the Clear Lake Twp. Board of Supervisors welcomed Planners Addison March and Mitch Glines from Sherburne Co. Planning and Zoning.

March and Glines began their presentation with an overview of the department and recent Clear Lake Twp. activities, sharing that the Planning and Zoning office receives over 49,000 calls annually, and since the adoption of Zoning and Building Code have issued more than 68,000 permits. In 2020 8,321 building inspections were completed. In Clear Lake Twp. this year they have worked with 54 building activities, four solid waste violations, 26 SSTS Program activities, 19 environmental, and 12 zoning activities. 

There are 29 solar gardens that have been permitted within Sherburne Co. Although there are currently no solar farms larger than 40 megawatts within the county, there are proposals to help fill the energy gap that will occur with the closure of Xcel Energy’s coal fire plant.

In department updates, March and Glines indicated the permit system is in the process of being upgraded over the next year and they hope to be nearly completely digital in the near future. With the goal of having more voluntary compliance, both low interest loans and low income grants are now offered to help property owners with failing septic systems.

Parks Update

Twp. Engineer Terrance Vander Eyk informed the board the township had been awarded a $9,000 Great River Greening grant, which will be used to plant a pollinator habitat garden at Clear Lake Twp. Park. The township will pay the remaining $1,000 of the project cost. A motion carried approving the contract. 

The section of the habitat that has already been burned will be overseeded with prairie flowers yet this fall; areas not burnt will be seeded next spring.

Supervisor Bud Stimmler explained the Clear Lake Fire Dept. had been out for a controlled burn on the east side of the park but everything was still too green, so they had been unsuccessful. Different options are being looked at with the hope that the area will be seeded yet this fall with another burn planned in the spring.

Road Report

Soil borings have been completed on 71st Street; both with similar results of peat underlying a silt and sand mix. Eyk presented an estimate from the geotechnical engineer who recommended a 4 foot subcut and then applying a geogrid. The preliminary estimate total came to $77,778, with an additional $14,280 for future surfacing.

Eyk presented a second estimate that reduced the subcut from 4 to 2 ½ feet, bringing the cost down to $55,912. He stated the project need was high priority, indicating it should be completed within two to three years.

In the meantime, the township will look at the possibility of removing the road’s bituminous material and applying two inches of class 5 gravel in the spring.

Eyk and Chairman Gary Gray will work on a three year road plan for the township.

Eyk reported that he looked into the drainage issue complaints from a Sherwood Shores 43rd Ave. property and believes it’s just the nature of that road.

Other Business

A motion carried reappointing Gray and Eyk to three year terms on the Co. Planning Commission.

The board announced they have filled their open clerk position.

The sheriff reported 103 calls for October, including 54 traffic stops, five medical, two DWIs, and one theft.

The next Clear Lake Twp. meeting will be Dec. 21 at 7 p.m.