During the Big Lake Twp. Board meeting last week, the board said goodbye to temporary member Scott Sanford, and Mark Hedstrom was sworn in for the first time. Dean Brenteson, who won his campaign for reelection, was also sworn-in.

BLFD Update

Just before being sworn-in, Mark Hedstrom gave a report on the Big Lake Fire Department. In November, the department had 20 calls overall, bringing the year-to-date total to 352. A few of those calls were made in response to car accidents in the township. Hedstrom wished to remind residents that the roads can be slick right away in the morning, even if there is no snow, and drivers should be careful as they are heading to work. 

COVID-19 had a large impact on the department recently, with 11 firefighters being out sick at one time. The department is working hard to make sure everyone wears their masks and that the trucks are sanitized regularly in order to prevent a similar situation. They are also using old gear whenever they can, so they can avoid a situation where they wear their newest gear but haven’t had it sanitized yet. 

Township to Vacate Section of 211th Ave.

One citizen has asked the board to vacate a section of 211th Ave. which is no longer a road. The eastern section of 211th used to connect directly to Co. Rd. 15, but now can be accessed only via Co. Rd. 79. The township still technically owns the parcel of land where the road would connect, but it has not been used as a road in quite a long time. 

A public hearing will be held on Jan. 13 at approximately 6 p.m. regarding the vacation.

Cable Ordinances

The board reviewed the cable ordinances (ordinances 1010 and 1012) as per request of Midco. Midco asked that they be allowed 30 days to bury cable, rather than the 15 that the township allowed. There was some discussion among the board members about whether that was pushing it a bit too long, but ultimately voted unanimously to allow the change. 

Midco also requested that the board allow for larger cable equipment, as their smallest cable boxes were too large, according to the township ordinance. The board complied with this request as well. 

While on the subject, board member Larry Alfords asked if the board would consider adding a “removal clause” to township language, meaning cable companies, and other companies that installed equipment in the ground under township roads, would need to remove the equipment after it became obsolete. Currently, old equipment, plumbing, and gas lines simply remain buried under the road, which can cause difficulties when doing road construction. 

A while back, there was one such incident in which the city (not the township) was doing some construction on Co. Rd. 81 and that construction was complicated by the presence of a gas line. Workers did not know whether the gas line was still in use, and could not continue their job until the owner of the line confirmed that it was, in fact, a dead line. This situation caused a big mess, with traffic being redirected around the hole in the asphalt and the work taking much longer than necessary.

The other board members were hesitant about adding such a clause, however, as they did not want to discourage companies from coming to the area to serve the residents. Board member Brenteson suggested looking into residents’ interest in adding such a clause.

Sign Inventory

The state mandates that townships take an inventory of street signs, to make sure they are still in decent condition. The township will be hiring their own engineer to take on the task, at a bid of $9,500. 

The board agreed winter was the best time for this project, as other projects are put on hold until spring. They also considered using the winter months to ask for bids for road work and repairs. The township isn’t looking to spend money right away, but hopes to have some extra time to review bids and budget for the work.

Food Shelf Distribution at Lions Park

Lately, the township has been offering the distribution of food shelf items at Lions Park. The distribution is zero-contact, with volunteers loading supplies into the trunks of cars. Anyone is welcome to come pick up food, without needing proof of residency or of need. Brenda Kimberly-Maas, town clerk, says the previous distributions have gone very well. The Lions Club is looking for volunteers to help at the next distribution on Dec. 21. The distribution will take place from 3:30 - 5 p.m.

Next Meeting

The next meeting will take place on Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. It will be the annual reorganizational meeting.