The Becker Twp. Board met Monday evening and worked its way through a long agenda, including a review of the township’s landlocked parcels. It is an issue that has come to the forefront of zoning ordinance work, as more and more residential development is taking place across the township and people are requesting access to the properties.
Clerk Lucinda Messman has been looking into the issue and presented a map which indicated all of the landlocked parcels within the township. As part of her research, she also noted there were several roadways discovered that had been platted in the past but never built. Some of the original paperwork dates back to the 1970’s and it appears some landowners are unaware of the existence of certain roadways and easements.
In one specific incident, a landowner currently accesses his property by using an easement through a neighbor’s property but they are now in a dispute and the landowner would like to utilize a platted but unbuilt roadway for a new access.
This led to a discussion regarding the legal definition of a roadway and also whether or not the township had accepted the roadway as legal in the past. It was noted that in the past several years, the township did install Right of Way signs in many of these areas to help identify the township easements to surrounding landowners.
According to Township Attorney Kelli Bourgeois, there can be several factors that come into play in these scenarios. More research will be done on the issue and the board will look at options in the near future.
Sheriff’s Report
Sgt. Dan Frank updated the board on the 145 calls for service in March, which included 59 traffic stops and 9 alarm security checks. In addition, Frank noted that there are quite a few fraud calls being reported to deputies, including one scam where callers ask for gift cards to be sent to an address to settle a claim. Legitimate businesses or companies will never ask for gift cards as a form of payment. Unemployment fraud also continues to be an issue and if residents experience either situation, they should not hesitate to contact the Sheriff’s Office.
CMRP
Chair Brian Kolbinger has been following the work of the CMRP and he reported that they are currently going through a bit of a restructure. The predecessor to the partnership was the Highway 25 Coalition that was seeking a new river crossing, but now the scope of the group has grown. Several participating entities are seeking clarification on the scope of the group and also appear interested in limiting its power so it does not become a governmental entity such as the Met Council or other similar planning organizations.
Kolbinger continues to serve on the committee and will report back with regular progress updates.
Roads
Supervisors Joe Danielson and Robin Boros continue to work on road issues and presented an update on 67th St., a shared roadway with Santiago Twp. Soil boring will be completed yet this spring and plans for moving forward will be implemented once that information is collected.
Fire signs were also discussed, as the township hopes to have a process to replace the current numbers with ones that also include the address. This can help clear up any confusion on which roads are which, especially when the road changes direction and is assigned a new number because of the curve. A plan for possible replacement will be reviewed at a future meeting, but for now sign contractor Jeff Peterson will remain in charge of replacing signs as needed. The project could be a significant undertaking as there are approximately 2,700 homes within the township.
The two supervisors also reported that a request for dust control on 77th street is being reviewed.
150 Years
Supervisor Luke Babler reported on plans for this summer’s 150 year celebration which will coincide with the city’s Freedom Days.
Banners have been ordered and a float will be planned for the parade. Some music options are being explored and some memorabilia celebrating the anniversary has been ordered.
Babler is also exploring how to feature the original Becker Fire Department water apparatus — a hand pulled 30 gallon tank — in the celebration. It is still located in the lobby of the Fire Department and was originally purchased in 1910.
Solar Comment
The board discussed the solar project that Xcel has proposed for a large number of acres within the township south of Highway 10.
The comment period is open and the Board has been focusing on items such as establishing roadways in the area in order to maintain access to businesses and commercial property in the same general area. There are also safety concerns on County Road 11, as well as traffic stacking issues that occur near there.
Danielson expressed his opinion that they needed to look at a comprehensive plan for the area because the PUC will have much of the final say on the project.
The board agreed that they had expected the area to be developed in an orderly fashion and it is hard to plan for someone locking down 1,200 acres all at once.
In Other Business, The Board:
• Approved the levy for 2022;
• Approved the donations as recommended from the annual meeting;
• Unanimously approved appointments for 2021 as follows: Kolbinger- Chair, Fire Board, CMRP; Wilkening- Vice Chair, Joint Planning; Babler- Weed Inspector, Fire Board; Danielson and Boros- Road Supervisors;
• Set the meeting calendar for the next 12 months which will include 2 monthly meetings in April and October because of an increased agenda;
• Held a public hearing regarding the draft franchise agreement for Midco Communications, which will be constructing and operating a cable system in the township;
• Approved a metes and bounds subdivision application from Mark and Susan Hettwer, who are splitting off a 20 acre parcel from an existing 78 acres on 97th street;
• Approved the low bids for several roadway projects, including chip sealing for Garden Grove, Georgia Circle and 127th street, as well as gravel for 127th and 67th Streets;
• Adopted the mileage reimbursement to be the same as the IRS Standard rate.
