The Orrock Township Board continued to define what a new agreement with the Lake Association at Ann Lake might look like going forward. 

Board Chair Anne Felber conceded during the December 17, 2025, meeting, that there were issues that needed to be decided saying, “Now that we’ve decided to terminate the agreement, we are now in the parks business.”

Felber and Board Member Paul Ellinger recently met with members of the Lake Association to begin talks on the new agreement. The general agreement would be to have the township take care of the maintenance of the area surrounding the boat landing and the association would focus on the water quality of the lake, though nothing formal has been voted on by the township board.

Maintenance for the landing has been estimated to be between $3,300-$3,500 per year, however, after speaking with attorney Bob Ruppe, a 1999 Trails and Waterways agreement with the DNR could push those costs to $5,000 per year. The DNR installed concrete and planking to the boat landing years ago.

Ellinger shared his concerns about upcoming repairs, “We need to look at the big picture. The planking is going to need to be replaced and that’s going to be expensive.”  

He continued to offer this warning, “We’re getting into an area we don’t want to get into.” 

Felber tried to keep the discussion focused on three immediate options — Keeping the park open, maintaining it year-round without snow removal in the winter, and continuing the current maintenance schedule, which includes grading the parking lot. Those three options were put into motions and passed unanimously. Further details regarding amenities would be negotiated between the township and the lake association.

Sheriff’s Report

Sergeant Alex Dehn presented his monthly report to the board. In November, the Sheriff’s office handled a total of 138 calls for service. Notable incidents included three stop arm violations. All drivers were identified and addressed. Five thefts, three of which were gas drive-offs at the Sand Dunes fuel station, were resolved through reimbursement. The person responsible for the theft of a hitch and mud flaps off a truck at a resident’s home still has not been found, and there have been no leads in the incident. 

In a separate incident, a window at the gas station was broken. A vehicle was doing donuts in the parking lot and kicked up a rock. The driver was identified and insurance information was gathered. Lastly, an abandoned motorcycle frame was found at 253rd Ave on 108th St. The motorcycle was likely stolen and dumped.

Other Business

The board approved a renewal of a cleaning contract through Options, Inc. for 2026. Cleaning services will be completed every other week at $51.50 per hour.

Security updates were approved for the Town Hall. Chris Johnson of Johnson Digital Solutions LLC, based in Zimmerman, quoted a price of $1,177. A resolution was passed authorizing the updates for $1,177 not to exceed $1,400.