Council Member Rick Hendrickson was absent for the August 20, 2024 meeting of the Becker City Council. Mayor Tracy Bertram and Council Members Robin Dingmann, Mike Doering, and Rebecca Olmscheid were present.
Lifesaving Award
Chief of Police Brent Baloun presented the Becker Police Department’s Life Saving Award to Officer Preston Voigt.
In front of Voigt’s family and friends who were in attendance, Baloun described the circumstances that led to the award.
“Becker Police Officer Preston Voigt on the evening of May 13 at 2:01 a.m., was dispatched to a structure fire located in the 11900 block of Grand Ave. Upon arrival, flames were clearly visible through the roof of the trailer house. Voigt was able to hear a male screaming from inside. Ultimately, he decided to make entry after some patio doors were broken into.”
“Inside,” Baloun continued, “he encountered thick black smoke and visibility was extremely poor. He located a male who was wheelchair bound toward the back of the trailer. Officer Voigt was able to maneuver the man toward the patio door at which point he hoisted the male down to some citizens who were trying to assist. He continued to look for a female resident and shortly discovered she was not on scene. He did locate the dog belonging to those parties and got it to safety. Officer Voigt received medical attention for smoke inhalation and was released.”
“According to the Sheriff’s Dispatcher, ‘Officer Voigt deserves recognition due to his excellent communication with responding personnel, as well as, saving the person inside.”
New Squad Ordered
In other business, a resolution was passed to authorize the replacement of a squad car. The new squad car will be purchased from Tenvoorde Ford for $45,909.94. The arrival of the car should be in January of 2025 and will be paid for by already budgeted CIP funds in 2025. This is in keeping with the departments normal fleet rotation schedule.
Community Center Renovations
Recreation Services Manager Bartt Gevens addressed the council to explain the current status of the community center floor that was installed in 2019. Several years after the installation, staff noticed that the floor was shifting and glue was rising to the surface, tracking throughout the building. The humidity levels in the lobby area and locker rooms were tested and exceeded the requirements for the flooring. Gevens recommended the current floor be removed, a moisture barrier be added and new flooring installed. The city council approved Gevens recommendation.
A request was also made to renovate the locker rooms at the Community Center. The main update will be in the shower areas. Group showers will be replaced with individual shower stalls, increasing privacy. New flooring will be poured and the existing ceiling will be fixed. Mirrors will be updated, new shower heads and handles installed, and benches will be added in all three locker rooms. The cost of the project will not exceed $66,526.97.
Donations Accepted
Two donations were accepted within the consent agenda. An anonymous $500 donation was given to the Police Dept. and the Becker Lions Club donated $3,500 for Snuffy’s Landing.
