Kelli Neu updated the board on the retention visit to Element Arms a few weeks ago to check with how things are going at the store’s new location and she and others asked if there was anything the township can do to help them out. Becker Twp. Chairman Gary Hammer also attended the visit.

 

Neu told the board the latest version of the comprehensive plan is at the proofreaders.

 

Neu said there was heavy township representation at a recent EDA strategic plan meeting where the members talked about strengths and challenges the EDA is facing.

 

Neu said resident Sarah Angell is looking to make boundary adjustments to a piece of property she owns which will allow better access to the parcels.

 

 

Engineer Terrance VanderEyk said the culvert replacement project at 185th Ave. was completed last month and the road was re-opened Feb. 24.

 

He also said the contractor will return to the site in the spring to do sawcuts on the bituminous to finish the project. The stretch of road will also be examined during this spring’s road tour.

 

Eyk said March 18 is the date the county will be doing their bid-letting for sealcoating and reclaim projects. He said the county typically takes a day or two to review and get the results to the township on the costs.

 

Eyk said he may have to contact the board members before next month’s meeting in order to get approval on the project once the numbers come in.

 

The township is looking to spend $248,000 on reclaiming and $77,000 on sealcoating.

 

Contractor Todd Schiendzelos said he is looking at possibly purchasing a crack sealing machine if it is deemed to be a machine the county could benefit from.

 

Twp. Chair Hammer said it would be a good idea to have that kind of machine ready and available based on the numerous times they’ve crack-filled in the past.

 

 

In last week’s Citizen,  story on the Becker Twp. Annual Meeting, the amount of money dedicated to donation requests was incorrectly identified. The total general fund balance of $40,000 was not to be dedicated to donation requests, rather $15,000, which is close to the same amount dedicated to donations last year.

 

The Becker Fire Dept. Relief Assn. has requested an increase in their donation request that normally comes in at around $5,000. The increase the relief association is looking for is from $5,000 to possibly $6,000 or $7,500.

 

Hammer said he’d like to do some more research on the subject before rendering a decision on whether the board will increase their donation.

 

The Becker Fire Relief Association is a retirement fund set aside only for those in our community that have given a minimum of 10 years of service on the Becker Fire Dept. A member is vested 60% after 10 years and 100% vested after 20 years. This fund is a way to give back to those who are members and have served on the fire department. Contributions to the fund come from the State of Minnesota’s 2% tax on insurance, local municipal donations and fundraising. 

 

 

Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott gave the monthly report and gave his annual report on law enforcement activity in Becker Twp.

 

Brott said there wer a total of 2,235 law enforcement contacts in 2013 in the township which included traffic offenses, accidents, medical calls, assaults, burglaries, narcotics, DUIs, criminal sexual conduct, deaths, damage to property and other miscellaneous offenses.

 

The total calls for service were up from just over 1,600 in 2012 and about 1,300 in 2011.

 

Brott said the number of assaults totaled one, five burglaries, two narcotic calls, 11 DUIs, one criminal sexual conduct, 15 thefts, 12 criminal damage to property and one homicide.

 

Assaults have gone done drastically in the last two years, burglaries have stayed about the same as well as narcotics, DUIs have risen steadily since five were recorded two years ago, CSC has dropped, theft has dropped, CDP has dropped and the one homicide is the first in the township in many years.

 

 

• The spring road tour will commence at 7:30 a.m. on April 26;

 

• Hammer and Brian Kolbinger were appointed to be board representatives for the Becker Fire Board with Jamie Johnson being an alternate;

 

• Johnson was also appointed the Sherburne County Association of Townships representative;

 

• The board recommended Clerk Cindy Messman post the township’s snow policy to the website and also post something that informs residents where they can take unused or expired prescription drugs.

 

The next Becker Twp. board meeting is April 21 at 7 p.m.