The Santiago Twp. Board met last Wednesday and while the agenda was short, the supervisors spent a considerable amount of time discussing a potential broadband project.

Since the passage of the Federal ARPA funding mechanism, many governmental agencies across Minnesota have entertained the idea of extending broadband high speed internet to residents in underserved areas. Sherburne County has undertaken several projects and has invited townships to participate in the project in an effort to provide coverage for more residents.

The proposal for Santiago would require the supervisors to authorize $75,000 towards the project, with the fiber optic cable being installed by Mid-Continent Communications (Midco).

While the supervisors seemed to be in favor of expanded access to the broadband, they had many questions they felt needed answers before they were willing to authorize such a large expenditure.

“It’s a situation where we are being asked to subsidize a private company, who is going to in turn charge our residents for the service,” said Chair Stuart Nelson. “We just don’t know how many people this project is going to cover.”

Nelson, along with supervisors Jeff Pappenfus and Dave Jehoich, each expressed a desire to have more information available before making a final decision.

How many residences would be covered, how many would still remain without coverage, repairs costs and responsibilities, as well as details about the coverage map were all questions expressed by the trio.

In the end, the board directed Clerk Kathy Woolard to reach out to Dan Weber from Sherburne County to ask him to be present at the next meeting to provide more details.

In addition, Nelson mused that he hopes for a good turnout at next month’s annual meeting so more citizens can offer input before the board entertains the expenditure again.

Sheriff

Sheriff Joel Brott attended the meeting to share his annual report, which indicated 867 law enforcement contacts in the township in 2021. The vast majority of the incidents were traffic related, as the statistics showed serious crime to be a low concern.  Brott reported zero assaults for the year, four narcotics related calls and three DUI cases.

Nelson indicated that the main concern of the township continues to be speed issues on Co. Rd. 11, while noting that the supervisors were appreciative of the enforcement actions of the SCSO deputies.

Brott also highlighted the county’s participation in the Crisis Intervention Co-responder initiative, as well as several accreditations his office has earned, including the jail and the dispatch center.

“The accreditations mean that we are adhering to best practices,” Brott said. “I’m proud of our staff who have worked hard to ensure that we are operating according to these established standards.”

In response to a question about narcotics activity, Brott mentioned how his office has four full-time investigators who are dedicated to the drug task force, as well as an officer each from both Elk River and Princeton.

Meanwhile, many other law enforcement agencies operate within multi-jurisdictional umbrellas where resources are spread across a larger area.

“We are more aggressive in the enforcement of narcotics related cases because we know that the safety of our residents and families is very important,” Brott said.

In Other Business, the Board:

• Learned that the 1987 water tanker for the fire department suffered from some frozen valves while on a call during a recent cold snap. The valves were repaired and the truck is again operational;

• Heard from firefighter Matt Weber about the BFD’s 54 calls in January, six of which occurred within Santiago;

• Heard from John Herbst that the permits for the work on 67th were received from Sherburne County and he is now just waiting for the Army Corps of Engineers to sign off on the project;

• Approved favorable comment for an IUP for Matt and Joyce Jacobs to operate Thomas Cabinetry, Inc., from their residence on 62nd St. Matt Jacobs has many years of experience in the industry and the new family run business will provide custom cabinetry and woodwork to area residents;

• Reminded residents that the Annual Election will take place on March 8, from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., with the incumbent Jehoich’s and long-time Clerk Woolard’s seats on the ballot. The annual meeting will follow at 8:01 p.m.