The Santiago Twp. Board met Wednesday, August 11, and at the behest of the local Lions Club, reviewed the usage of the township park and ideas for the future use of the space.
The park currently offers two softball fields, as well as a concession stand, playground structure and horseshoe pits.
In the past, softball teams flocked to the fields and several leagues operated out of the space, but in recent years there has been little interest in the sport.
The Lions wanted input from the board as to the best uses of the space, as well as a review of maintenance and other operating costs.
Chairman Stu Nelson noted that the board could again reach out to local high schools to gauge interest in using the lighted fields for any competitions in the spring, as several had utilized it in the past.
“I’m happy with the park the way it is,” said Lions member Matt Weber. “We just wanted to bring it up and see what people think.”
The board discussed the current status of the park and settled on a recommendation of “maintaining” the property as it currently sits until the situation changes or there is a need communicated from the community. Further investments were not recommended, but the board wanted to see the property maintained so there wouldn’t be a need to start over in the future.
Sheriff/Fire
SCSO Patrol Capt. Ryan Broich appeared before the board to deliver the July calls for service, which numbered 66, as compared to 67 in 2020 and 57 in 2019 for the same reporting period.
Broich reported an emphasis on speed patrol in the area with 27 traffic stops and also noted that deputies are patrolling township roads in addition to the main county roadways.
In response to a question from a citizen, he and the board also held a discussion on bicyclists and the proper rules for their usage of roadways. While the law calls for bicycles to ride in the same direction as vehicle traffic, it was noted that sometimes people feel safer facing traffic and having the chance to avoid dangerous situations. Broich did explain that bicyclists can be addressed by law enforcement if they are not riding in a safe manner.
Weber reported on the activity of the Becker Fire Department, which had 70 calls for service in July, including 51 medical responses. Six total calls for service were received from Santiago Twp. during the reporting period.
Weber also reported on the department’s plans to check out the dry hydrant located near the old township hall that could potentially provide water from the river if there were a fire in the area. Currently, Station two has a 10,000 gallon tank on site, but Weber noted it would be quickly drained in the case of a significant fire event, such as one at CentraSota.
Because the river is at a low point due to the drought, the board felt it was a good time to try and backlash the dry hydrant and see if it could be serviceable in the future. Weber will arrange for the inspection and report back to the board in the future.
Roads
Supervisor Dave Jehoich reported to the board on the efforts in the past month on repairing and maintaining townships roadways.
Jehoich noted that 19th St. had been patched and could be seal-coated next year at a cost of approximately $3,615, which would extend the life of the road by perhaps seven to eight years.
The board agreed to put the item on the agenda for the 2022 annual meeting to gather citizen input.
Contractor John Herbst was at the meeting and discussed efforts in grading the gravel roads, as well as some shouldering work to patch washouts near the edges of some roadways. Doing the shoulder patching would keep the asphalt from chipping away due to the lack of foundation material. Herbst estimated it could take four or five loads of good, binding Class Five gravel to accomplish the work, and the board gave its approval to get the work done now so it has time to set up before winter.
Herbst and Jehoich also discussed brush cutting that needs to occur on several roadways and it will be scheduled to start in later September, when the risk of any potential Oak wilt concerns are mitigated.
