Snowplowing issues, insurance issues and an annual report from the sheriff’s department were all part of Wednesday’s Santiago Twp. agenda.

 

A property owner on 175th Ave. issued a complaint to the township for part of a road and driveway that had been plowed in the past was not being done anymore. At Wednesday’s meeting, the board said the part of the road and driveway that had been plowed in the past was done so as “a favor”, and is no longer being carried out.

 

The board produced an ordinance from 2003 that identified the legalities in regards to plowing that part of a minimum maintenance road and driveway attached.

 

The board decided to have Clerk Kathy Woolard send the property owner a copy of the 13-year-old ordinance with clarifications. Chairman Stuart Nelson said the board will be prepared to further address the situation this spring at their annual meeting.

 

Building supervisor and repairman Matt Weber said the township’s insurance company through the Minnesota Association of Townships has declined coverage for the damages done to the pavillion, pole and concrete at the park due to vandalism.

 

Weber said the denial was in lieu to the fact the township’s insurance policy did not have coverage of those items on their latest policy. The cost for repairs to the pavillion was not disclosed but the costs to replace the pole and concrete came in at about $3,815.

 

Weber said he and another volunteer will take care of the repairs to the pole, concrete and pavillion and will have the insurance agent conduct a walk-through of the rest of the township’s assets to revise the policy so everything is covered.

 

Weber said all damages to the building including the garage door, blinds and electrical conduit will be covered by insurance. The broken windows at town hall have already been replaced.

 

Weber gave a report for the fire department in which he said 32 calls for service came into dispatch with 27 of those calls being medical (seven in Santiago). Weber also said there was one fire call the department responded to.

 

Weber also mentioned that someone at an earlier meeting asked about insurance coverage for the fire trucks parked in Santiago and Weber said insurances for all trucks is held by the Becker FD.

 

Weber was also awarded a raise by the board from $10 an hour to $15 an hour for all the work he has done and is doing for the township as part of building maintenance and repair.

 

Sherburne Co. Sheriff Joel Brott was in attendance and gave his annual report for Santiago Twp.

 

In the report, Brott mentioned his office received 623 calls for service in 2016, which was slightly up from 2015 (570). Brott said of the 623 calls, most were for accidents, alarms, assists, traffic offenses, tickets, complaints and medicals. The others in the serious criminal activity group included 11 burglaries, two narcotics violations, three DUIs, 14 thefts and six criminal damage to property.

 

Brott said the burglaries are up dramatically from last year as well as thefts. Narcotics are up by one over last year and DUIs remained steady.

 

Brott also mentioned his office has hired five new patrol deputies due to retirements and medical issues. Those officers are Austin Turner, Jami Neyssen, Andrew Saunier, Jacob Carpenter and Nathan Burklund.

 

A K9 (Riggs) was also added to the department.

 

• The board pointed out that the board of equalization meeting is scheduled for Mon., April 10 at 9 a.m.;

 

• The board asked Brott about the constant issue with speeders along 165th Avenue where the speed limit reduces to 30 MPH and what the board can do about it. Brott told Woolard to get in touch with Andrew Witter at the county to initiate a traffic study at that location.

 

The next Santiago Twp. Board meeting is Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.