The Big Lake Joint Powers meeting is an annual meeting where Big Lake City, Big Lake Township, Orrock Township, Big Lake School Board, and Sherburne County representatives meet and discuss the news of the past year with each other municipality. 

Sherburne County

County Administrator Dan Weber reported that the county as a whole is in need of more housing lots. The county ordinance team is also reviewing the rules on short-term rentals (such as with AirBNB) and accessory dwelling units (a secondary residential building on a housing lot). 

In road news, the county is pursuing putting in an interchange at Co. Rd. 11 and Hwy. 10, so traffic would be able to cross the railroad without needing to stop for trains. The CMRP (Central Mississippi River Regional Planning Partnership) group is looking at possible locations to put a new bridge over the Mississippi River. Several potential locations lie between Big Lake and Becker. Studies are underway, and it is expected to be a five-year process. 

The Sherco power plant in Becker decommissioned Unit 2 in 2023. Unit 1 is set to be decommissioned in 2026, and Unit 3 in 2030. Solar fields are being implemented in stages. One is already completed, and two more will be completed this year. There will be four in total. Both Microsoft and Amazon have purchased land for potential use in data centers in the Becker industrial park. 

Back in November, the county found one single error in the ballot count on election night. The error occurred when a test file was sent in counting as a real ballot. The error was caught quickly, and measures were put into place to make sure the mistake could not happen again. The county was randomly selected by the state to undergo an additional audit of their ballots. This is the first time Sherburne County has been selected to participate in this program. 

Big Lake City

City Administrator Hanna Klimmek reported that the city is working on a code codification project. They have a new platform to contain the city code which should be much more user-friendly than their previous platform. They are also implementing an employee wellness program, where they offer employees online videos about fitness, nutrition, and other wellness topics. 

Officers of the Big Lake Police Department are now sporting a newly-designed patch on their uniforms. 

The city’s goals in 2025 are to: complete the water meter exchange project; establish a good policy for cannabis regulation; move forward on the city hall relocation project; and redevelop the current city hall location.

Orrock Township

Orrock Township Supervisor Anne Felber noted that Orrock has an estimated population of 4,737. Over the next couple of years, the board will be working to reclaim roads, which they expect to be a difficult process. 

Recently, the township has been in search of a new treasurer, and they intended to pick one of the candidates who applied for the position at their January meeting. 

Big Lake Township

Big Lake Township Supervisor Bruce Aubol told the assembled representatives that Big Lake Township has an estimated population of 8,519. He also reported that last year the town board approved eight miles of road maintenance for a cost of around $683,000. They have also been conducting right-of-way maintenance, clearing branches and bushes along the side of the road. 

The township-owned Lions Park has been a hotspot for local Eagle Scouts to complete their senior projects. Three were completed in the past year, all improving the park to the benefit of the patrons and wildlife who enjoy it. 

Finally, Aubol thanked Ken Warneke, who has served as the treasurer of the township for over 50 years. 

Big Lake Schools

Superintendent Tim Truebenbach started his presentation by discussing the different way the schools get funding, as compared to the levy that the city, townships, or county might place. The school district’s budget is mainly controlled by their ADMs (Average Daily Memberships). The school reports to the Department of Education how many students are in seats, and their funding from the state, and the local tax levy they set, are determined by that number. The only thing the school board can do for additional funding is to ask the voters to vote on a referendum. Everything else is set by the state directly. However, the schools have been able to increase their ADMs through their Big Lake Online courses, which has become a popular option. 

The school board has been facing some concerns regarding their funding and budget recently. The state legislature has implemented some changes which could change the funding the schools get. Recently, the legislature has made it so any workers who work nine months of the year may now collect unemployment for the other three months. The state has helped to fund this unemployment expense so far, but eventually the schools will be responsible for it, and it will cost approximately $300,000 extra per year. The compensatory formula for schools has also recently changed, which will change how much money the schools receive, and the Department of Education has not yet stated how large the change will be. On top of this, the property insurance market has increased significantly and the school’s premiums have increased 35%, and they will have to pay much more out of pocket for any damages from natural disaster in the future. 

Big Lake School Board meets will be held once a month on a Wednesday going forward. 

Finally, Truebenbach noted there are currently seats open on the curriculum advisory committee, which meets four times per year. Curriculum is reviewed and updated based on a chart. Last year, the school looked at language arts K-5 and health for grades 6-12. Board member Ashley Schabilion noted that the advisory committee ensures there is intentionality behind the curriculum being presented to students.