The Becker Township Board held its monthly meeting Monday evening and heard from Engineer Wes Davis and Town Board Road Supervisor Gary Gilbert that the road work season is basically complete for the year.

Davis presented a final update on the 185th avenue project, as the board had retained funds of $31,219 from Knife River until the water pooling issues near the intersection with County Road 4 were addressed.  With the addition of a valley gutter, Davis felt the situation had been addressed and the final payment could be made.

“I think it is acceptable,” added Gilbert.  “We will do a final fix next year with the final layer of asphalt.”

The consensus was that with the regular sanding and salting carried out by the township, winter would cause no special concerns at the intersection and the board unanimously approved the final payment.

Davis also informed the board that he would be working on completing the county road certification document, which is done annually to help determine the township’s allocation of funding.

Gravel, Sign Progress

Gilbert indicated that the township started with ten failing gravel roads in the spring but that number had been cut to two after some major maintenance projects.  Recently, 77th st, 92nd st and 112th st received many tons of gravel and also had culvert maintenance completed, leaving just 107th st and 117th st as two roadways still in need of upgrades.

“Several trees have been removed from the road right of ways to open up sight lines,” added Gilbert. 

It has also been decided that with the roadways the town shares with the city, each entity will be responsible for the signage on their respective side of the roadways.

Jeff Peterson handles much of the township’s signage needs and he was present to help Gilbert update the board on the progress made with signal updates throughout the township.

They reported that there were just three street signs left to upgrade, as the others had been straightened, replaced, moved or in a few cases renamed to comply with county realignment. 

At the end of the road report, Gilbert informed the rest of the board that he would be looking to step down from the road supervisor duties next year, but wanted to ensure a smooth transition with the CIP and cost estimates.

“Gary’s done an awful lot of work and it all takes time,” commented Supervisor Brad Wilkening.  “Maybe it’s time to look at some part-time staff to help out with all these duties.”

The board agreed to look at the situation at the upcoming special budget planning meeting.

Prairie Presentation

Miranda Wagner from the Sherburne County SWCD appeared before the board to talk about the possibility of establishing native prairies in the township.

A resident had approached Wagner about the possibility of a prairie being established in the cul de sac areas of Woodberry Farms and in return she had contacted Gilbert.  He suggested she appear before the board with information so it could be a consideration moving forward for the township.

Wagner provided what she described as a “Cliff’s Notes” version of a pamphlet that outlines what is generally a three year process to establish prairie grasses and flowers.  She also utilized the Sherburne History Center as an example of a successful prairie installation.

The board had several questions, most of which related to cost sharing and ongoing maintenance and liability issues for buffer properties within the township.

Wagner commented that most prairies call for a controlled burn every 4 or 5 years, but mowing plans can also be developed.

Supervisor Luke Babler asked if parkland dedication fees could be used for these maintenance costs.  Since the County currently houses those funds, an immediate answer was not known.

The board thanked Wagner for the information but made no decisions.

In other business, the board:

• Heard from Sgt. Dan Frank of the Sheriff’s Office that the 110th avenue speed sign data indicated the average speed on the road was 24 MPH.  Frank indicated that in looking at the speeds, overall compliance was very good;

• Gave Clerk Lucinda Messman to go ahead to see if the service counter could be built and installed now and billed after the beginning of the next budget cycle.  A counter is needed to more efficiently serve residents who come into the town hall looking for help;

• Heard from supervisor Joe Danielson that the irrigation contractor will still try to install the system this fall if possible.  The rest of the landscape project is on hold until the lines and heads are installed;

• Approved job descriptions for the Clerk, Deputy Clerk, Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer so the township can comply with the new wage laws;

• Approved a transfer of $24,200 from the fines/fees fund to the road/bridge fund;

• Accepted the new contract for animal control services.  Stray dog fees were increased $5 from the last contract and now cost the township $55 each;

• Discussed the bill received from Santiago Township.  The board decided no further action was required since the agreement states all costs had to be agreed upon before the project started.