The Santiago Twp.Board met last Wednesday, holding both the regular February meeting, as well as the reorganizational meeting for 2021.
Current Chair Stuart Nelson was elected to again serve in the same role for 2021, while Jeff Pappenfus retained his role as vice-chair. Supervisor Dave Jehoich will continue in his duties related to the roads and bridges within the township.
Sheriff/Fire
Sergeant Andy Ochs of the Sheriff’s Office reported to the board on the 72 calls for service in January, 26 of which were traffic stops. Ochs told the board that speed issues remain the most frequent violation the deputies are witnessing within the township.
Matt Weber reported on the Becker Fire Department’s 41 calls for service in January, five of which were in the township. Station Two in Santiago was the primary response location for three medicals, one fire and one alarm call.
Fellow firefighter Dave Dahlheimer reported that the new medical service rig has been outfitted and is now in service at Station Two. The board held discussion on what to do with the former medical response unit, a 2002 GMC 3/4 ton pickup. Dahlheimer, who was recently named “Firefighter of the Year” for the department, has been checking around on the value of the truck, and the board decided that he should bring a recommendation to the March meeting after checking with Murphy Chevrolet in Foley regarding the value. From there, the board will decide upon a price and the process for selling the truck.
Park/Hall
With the recent cold temperatures there’s been little activity at the park, but the board did approve a few changes for the Township Hall.
They granted the Santiago Lions permission to hang a bulletin board at the hall, indicating important club news and business. In addition, pictures of the firefighters who call Station Two home will be displayed in the hallway.
Weber informed the board that the new washer will be installed soon, allowing the firefighters to launder their gear in Santiago rather than taking it to Station One in Becker.
In addition, the board terminated the contract with the current service company who has been doing monthly upkeep at the building. With the decrease in traffic, it was felt that the service was no longer needed. Instead the township will purchase rugs and keep a stock of paper towels, etc. on hand at the hall. Weber will coordinate these responsibilities as part of his duties at the building and the township will save the $86 per month service fee.
Budget
In preparation for next month’s annual meeting, the board reviewed its budget and made some recommendations on increases in the road and bridge fund to meet the transportation needs of the township.
In recent years, the township has had to address many culverts and also purchase and spread a large amount of gravel to keep roadways passable. With other projects, such as 67th Street, on the schedule for upgrades, the board decided to raise the fund by $9,000 to a total of $170,000. There is still a possibility that this won’t be enough to cover all of the needed roadway repairs and maintenance, but the board felt that it was the responsible amount to increase for the upcoming year. Any repairs above and beyond what they have budgeted will have to wait another year for completion.
In the last action before the board adjourned, Shelly Jehoich reported that the annual clean up day will be held on April 24. She will again apply for a SCORE grant to help offset some of the expenses associated with the day.
