January 19, the annual Big Lake Joint Powers meeting was held. The meeting took place at Big Lake City Hall and included representatives from Big Lake City, Big Lake Twp., Orrock Twp., Big Lake School Board, and Sherburne County. Each entity presented an update on business over the past year and plans moving forward. 

Sherburne County

Bruce Messelt, county administrator, presented on behalf of the county. Sherburne County saw a rise in population of 9.8% between the 2016 and 2020 censuses. This is beneficial to the county, as new construction to house the new residents increases the tax base. That being said, the number of platted lots ready for construction is becoming small, which will limit growth moving forward. Home values rose in recent years and are expected to continue rising. 

In 2022, the county raised its tax levy by six percent, the highest it’s been raised in over a decade. Messelt maintained that this increase was not due to increased spending, but rather it is an adjustment for inflation. 

The county recently competed negotiations with the nine different labor unions associated with county employees, settling on a three year contract with each. The county aims to be seen as a choice employer, and hopes to avoid turnover. 

The county is continuing to pursue its goal of providing broadband internet to all homes within the county. Messelt said the county saw it as an embarrassment that many students had difficulties accessing the internet during school shutdowns, with many students hanging out in public spaces such as McDonald’s or the library just to complete their homework. Some students even had bus drivers, who were charged with delivering school lunches, to drop off their work for them. Offering broadband county-wide will not only benefit students, however, but will also help adults who work from home or who wish to create an online business. 

The Xcel Energy Sherco Units 1, 2, and 3 are due to be decommissioned over the next several years. These coal-burning plants make up a significant portion of the county’s taxes, and the county is investigating ways to attract new businesses to make up that gap as the Xcel Units are decommissioned. Xcel is planning a solar project in Sherburne County, and the county has just heard there will be a second solar generation project which Xcel is pursuing.

Messelt reported a fair amount of news as far as county roads are concerned. The county, in association Wright County and surrounding cities and townships, is continuing to pursue a bridge project. When asked how long the project is expected to take, County Commissioner Raeanne Danielowski replied that, ideally, the project would be completed within the decade. However, bridge projects are notoriously tedious, and Danielowski noted that a similar project in Stillwater took 64 years to complete. The Zimmerman overpass project is underway. The next planned major project, once the Zimmerman project is complete, will be the reclassification of Co. Rd. 11. Currently, more traffic travels on Co. Rd. 11 between Becker and Monticello than uses Hwy. 25 from Monticello to Big Lake. This is an issue, as the county is not equipped to manage a road with highway levels of traffic. Originally, the county hoped to negotiate with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to have the state take control of the southern stretch of Co. Rd. 11, making it a state highway, and in exchange would assume responsibility for Hwy. 25, making it a county road. The county was told this would not be possible without changing state statute. However, the state proposed instead reclassifying Co. Rd. 11 (from Hwy. 10 to Hwy. 25) as Hwy. 25 Business, and reclassifying the current 25 as Hwy. 25 Regular. In summation, MnDOT would assume responsibility for both roads. The county will be working to negotiate with MnDOT to make this happen. If it works out, Co. Rd. 11 would connect to Hwy. 10 with an overpass (similar to the intersection of Hwy. 10 and Co. Rd. 14 & 15, east of Big Lake.)

THC is a hot topic around the state with the recent legalization of THC edibles. Messelt predicted that cannabis would be fully legalized in the near future. THC edibles in schools is a concern (which Tim Truebenbach, Big Lake Schools Superintendent, confirmed.) On a related drug topic, the county was recently awarded Opiod settlement money which will be spent over the next 20 years. 

Big Lake Twp.

Supervisor Dean Brenteson of the Big Lake Town Board presented next. He noted that the tax levy was approved by township citizens at $2,265,000. 

Improvements were made to the Bailey Station Cemetery last year, including a new paint job on the cemetery fence and the addition of a second columbarium. 

The township is planning five miles of overlay projects and three miles of ultra thin overlay projects for this upcoming summer. Brenteson voiced his appreciation for the township plow drivers for doing a good job to keep the roads clear in the winter months. 

Several updates were made to the Township/Lions Park. New wood chips were placed underneath the playground equipment. Class 2 granite was added to the trails. Roofs were replaced due to hail damage. Supervisors are considering adding a pickleball court to the park, as the sport has been rising in popularity.

As part of the recent redistricting, the township went from four to three districts. 

Orrock Twp.

Supervisor Paul Ellinger gave the update for Orrock Twp. He noted that the Shores of Eagle Lake development has been filling out, leading to quite a bit of growth for Orrock. Currently, they are about half the size of Big Lake Twp. 

Orrock saw an expensive year for snow plowing, especially during the last month of the year. The road and bridge levy was $800,000, but the township spent about $921,179, the excess coming out of the general fund levy. Of that, $72,500 was spent on snow and ice control, and $802,661 was spent on road improvements. The board is working to maintain roads for as long as possible. Some of the roads near the lakes will need to be completely re-done in the future. 

Big Lake 

School Board

Superintendent Tim Truebenbach gave the presentation for Big Lake Schools. He gave an update on the progress of the improvements to the school grounds as outlined by the bond referendum. There is a link available on the school website that details the work done, the money spent, and the projects that are not yet completed for anyone who is interested to learn more about it. 

The school district is looking into redesigning the Liberty Elementary parking lot in the next few years. Currently, parents and students have difficulty navigating pickup and drop off times. With improvements being made to Co. Rd. 43 and 205th Ave., Truebenbach requested that a dialogue be opened between the school, county, and Big Lake Twp. in order to best design the parking lot and meet the needs of the students and their families. 

Truebenbach encouraged the officials gathered to reach out to him any time with questions or to schedule a meeting or tour of the schools. 

Big Lake City

City Administrator Hanna Klimmek wrapped up the presentations with an update for the city. Three new staff members joined the city last year, making Big Lake City fully staffed for the first time in years. 

The city was able to complete six years’ worth of road construction projects last year, pushing up their schedule. 

The new and improved Powell Park is ready for residents to enjoy. The reconstruction of the park received over $40,000 is funding from profits from Lake Liquors, the city-owned retail store. 

Moving forward, staff members are focusing on code revisions. 

A new K9 was expected to join the police department in the near future (since this meeting, the BLPD has announced on Facebook that the new K9 has arrived and will be going through a training program before he officially joins the department.)

The city is using ARPA funding to update their water meter system, which will more accurately read how much water residents are using. About 700 meters had already been replaced.