January 2002
Annual Election and Town Meeting • Winter Continues...and so does Snowplowing
Annual Road Tour • Burn Permits Available • Annual Clean-Up Day & Recycling Info
Township Government...What is it? • Fire Arm Discharge/Use of Fire Arms in the Township
Board of Review Meeting

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ANNUAL ELECTION AND TOWN MEETING
Tuesday, March 12, 2002

All Township residents will vote at Big Lake Town Hall located in Lions Community Park, 21960 County Road 5. The polls are open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on March 12, 2002. Should there be inclement weather, the election and meeting would be postponed to March 19, 2002.

Absentee Ballots are available at the Town Clerk's Office located in Lions Community Park beginning February 8, 2002. Absentee Ballots are available during regular business hours and on Saturday, March 9, 2002 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, and extended office hours on Monday, March 11, 2002 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Pre-registration for the Annual Election closes at 5:00 p.m. on February 19, 2002. Registration is permitted at the polls on Election Day, but certain forms of identification or a registered voter in the precinct to vouch for the registrant will be required.

The Election will be held for one, three-year term for Town Board Supervisor and will fill the expiring term of Ewald Petersen.

The Annual Meeting will begin shortly after the polls close at 8:00 p.m. The Clerk will convene the meeting, which is open to all citizens of the Township 18 years and older. This meeting belongs to the citizens of the Township to recommend various needs for the Town and to set the levy for each of the Town funds. The electors will receive various reports, including those of the Treasurer and Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Discussion will be brought to the electors on issues that the Township faces currently and issues that the Board of Supervisors see in the near future. Current issues will include, but are not limited to the ongoing maintenance of Town roads, economic development, & operation of the fire department.

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ANNUAL ROAD TOUR

One of the responsibilities of the Town Board of Supervisors is to participate in an annual tour of the township roads. The purpose of the tour is to examine the condition of road surface, ditches, signs and striping if applicable.

The road tour is usually held in April, preferably after the frost is out. The tour will cover in excess of 70 miles of town road.

The annual road tour gives the town board the opportunity to review its road priorities and to determine if there should be changes in those priorities. The tour also is used to set some type of schedule for various road projects. With the investment the Township has in its road system, all efforts are made to do the maintenance needed to get the maximum use before major overlay projects are done. Road safety continues to be the township's top priority.

Again, this year during the road tour, the Board will note those properties that do not have an address sign. For those properties without a sign, arrangements may be made to have one installed and costs will be charged to the owner of record. If you do not have a sign and have not been notified by the Clerk's Office to pick up a sign, please call the Town Clerk at 263-8111 and a sign will be ordered for you. You will then be notified when the sign is ready for installation.

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BURN PERMITS AVAILABLE

Burning permits can be obtained from the Clerk's Office during regular business hours. There is no fee for the 10-day permit. Burning of piled, vegetative material can be done between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. Because of the unusually dry conditions this summer, please be aware that a burning ban could be placed at any time. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources may declare a ban based on conditions statewide or in a various region of the state. Please also remember that spring restrictions and possible burning bans will be an annual event. All residents are urged to do the majority of their burning when we have snow cover. This will minimize the danger and avoid the inconvenience of not getting the spring cleanup completed before the restriction goes into place.

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ANNUAL CLEAN-UP DAY & Recycling Information

Annual Clean-Up Day is Saturday, May 4, 2002 9 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Mark your calendars! More information to follow in the next newsletter.
Volunteers, are needed to make this a success, call 263-8111 to sign up!

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
If you have paint, solvents, pesticides, or other various household cleaners, they can be brought to the Tri-County Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off site in St. Cloud. This service is free for households (no business hazardous waste is accept).

The facility is open: Tuesdays, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Wednesday - Friday, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.; and every third Saturday of the month 8 a.m. until 12 noon. For information call: 1-800-450-6140.

BATTERY RECYCLING NOW AVAILABLE
Battery recycling for all residents is available thanks to Sherburne County Zoning Office. Although it is permissible to discard alkaline batteries in a trash container, Cadmium, lithium, and mercury containing batteries should be recycled, not thrown away. Some of the disposal sites for these types of batteries in the City of Elk River are Cub Foods, Target, Home Depot, Kemper Drug, the Elk River Recycling Station, and the atrium area of the Sherburne County Government Center.

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TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT...WHAT IS IT?

The Clerk's Office has recently received some inquiries from residents with the question
what is a township?

"Township government is a unit of government patterned after the English town meeting form of government developed to guarantee "grassroots" democratic participation. In Minnesota, townships are the rural units of government, closest to the people. Minnesota is first in the nation in the number of townships, having 1,803 organized townships, and over 9,000 town officers. Township governments presently serve approximately one-fourth of the population of Minnesota. Townships are about 36 square miles in area."

*Courtesy of the Minnesota Assoc. of Townships.

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FIRE ARM DISCHARGE/USE OF FIRE ARMS IN THE TOWNSHIP

This year, as in the past several years, the Town Board has received several calls regarding the careless and indiscriminant use of firearms in residential areas of the Township. The Township has been contact with the Sherburne County Sheriffs office to find a remedy that will halt these actions. This will be on the Annual Meeting Agenda, and will be discussed at the Annual Meeting beginning at approximately 8:10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12, 2002. There will be a report regarding what remedies may be adopted by the Town of Big Lake.

Indiscriminate use is a safety issue affecting all residents. If the Town Board continues to be confronted, it may become necessary to pass an ordinance that would result in the arrest and prosecution of violators. The Township suggests that common sense and concern for others is the surest way to retain our rights to use firearms.

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BOARD OF REVIEW MEETING

The Township Board of Review Meeting will be held in April 2002. Look for published information regarding exact date and time of this meeting in the West Sherburne Tribune in March - April 2002. This is your opportunity to question or challenge the market value placed against your property for the next tax year.

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~ TOWN of BIG LAKE ~
Street Address: 21960 Co. Rd. 5, Big Lake, MN 55309 • US Mail: P.O. Box 75, Big Lake, MN 55309
Phone: 763-263-8111 • Fax: 763-263-3660 • Contact Us

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