Chris Lahn
Township Administrator
Northern Township
445 Town Hall Rd NE, Bemidji, MN 56601 chris.lahn@northerntownship.com 218-751-4989
July 11, 2024
Dear Northern Township Property Owner,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to introduce myself as your new Township Administrator. Many of you may already know me from my previous roles – I served on the Joint Planning Commission for three years and, most recently, on the Northern Township Board for three years. I am excited to step into this new role and continue serving our community.
Before I share some important updates, I want to inform you that Mark Borseth, our former administrator, will be staying on in a consulting capacity to assist with our ongoing wastewater project. His expertise will be invaluable as we move forward with this significant initiative.
Wastewater Project Update
I’d like to provide a brief overview of the current status of our wastewater project:
- We plan to construct an enclosed mechanical plant on land we’re purchasing from Beltrami County oZ New Bass Road. This system will treat and disperse wastewater directly into the ground, functioning much like a very large septic system. This mechanical plant is a highly economical and beneficial option that will protect Lake Bemidji, as it will not output into the lake and will adhere to the strictest MPCA standards of treatment.
- The project will be implemented in two major phases:
a. Phase 1: From the NW boat landing around to the plant on NE side of lake. b. Phase 2: South along Lavinia and Waville roads to the southern edge of the Township border - Soil testing is scheduled to begin within the next month to determine suitable of the selected site.
- We are finalizing project plans this summer and looking to potentially begin bidding in spring of 2025.
- Currently, we have secured $6 million in federal funds. We are actively seeking additional state funding and have a pending request for federal congressional directed spending for 2025.
- We plan to hold meetings with residents in the near future to discuss project details, including schedules, construction specifics, connection fees and requirements, and project timelines. We are tentatively hoping to begin the project late 2025 with most of phase 1 complete in 2026. Phase 2 would follow in 2027 and beyond, depending on funding availability. These details are still being finalized but should become clearer in the coming months as we complete necessary data gathering.
Planning and Zoning
I want to remind everyone that planning and zoning responsibilities are now being handled by the Township. We’re seeing numerous projects throughout the area. If you need assistance with any land use or planning and zoning considerations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Our Planning Commission is set to begin work on initial ordinance updates to refine our regulations following the recent split with the JPB. Subsequently, we will focus on revamping our Comprehensive Plan to better align with current trends and our community’s goals. We welcome your feedback and ideas. Please look out for upcoming meetings where public input will be greatly appreciated to help shape our ordinances according to the community’s desires.
Road Work
I’m pleased to announce that we’ve received grant money for road work on Fairgrounds Road and Wild Plum/Beach Lane. We aim to bid both projects in the coming months, with construction planned for either this fall or next spring.
Town Hall Expansion
We are considering using the remaining ARPA funding on an addition to the Town Hall to accommodate our expanding staZing needs. The addition of 2-3 oZices will help meet current and future requirements for planning/zoning and utilities staZ.
Future Newsletters
We would like to continue to communicate regular updates with residents. To help save the township money on postage, we would request everyone to sign up for our email list available at our website. We will aim to have updates sent out quarterly via email and at least one physical mailing per year.
Contact Information
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. Our oZice has set hours of Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 12 PM, but we usually have someone available during daytime hours throughout the week.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement in our community. I look forward to working with all of you to make Northern Township an even better place to live and work.
Sincerely,
Chris Lahn
Northern Township Administrator