Board welcomes new patrol deputy

The Thomson Township Board of Supervisors welcomed Deputy Randy Roberts into his new role as the official deputy for Esko/Thomson townships at their meeting Thursday, May 6. Roberts was the temporary fill-in for the position after the retirement of deputy Rob Lucas this March, and he has now taken on the position full-time.

Roberts reported there were 119 calls in April. He responded to 59 of those himself, including a string of mail thefts that have taken up a bit of his time. Roberts said that the case is on track to be handled at a federal level and that community members should make sure to watch what they put in their mailboxes and secure their information.

The board was extremely pleased with the addition of Roberts to the Thomson Township community. “I could not believe how the sun, moon, and stars aligned that this community is as fortunate as it is to have you,” said supervisor Jason Paulson.

The board was also presented with a proposal for a new dog park in the Thomson Township area by community member Dawn Hallsten.

Hallsten said a dedicated space for a dog park could be beneficial to the growing community, saying that she has noticed community members using unfenced fields to help their dogs get out energy and interact with other dogs.

Board members wondered where a proposed dog park would be located and how they would fund the costs of fencing and other miscellaneous items for the park, such as benches. Hallsten proposed that the park be put next to the playground in Northridge Park, but there is a question of enough space there.

There are other potential plots of land that could be used for the dog park, such as behind Town Hall or on a tax-forfeited piece of land from the state.

The board assured Hallsten that they will discuss the dog park idea further at the next meeting, when there is more specific information available on funding and land.

In other business, the board discussed the possibility of lowering the speed limit on Kangas Road, after multiple complaints from residents.

There was briefly some confusion about the board’s ability to set speed limits or if that is a power of the state or county, but Paulson assured the board that it is not out of their control and they do have the ability to set speed limits in the township.

Some board members were concerned that changing the speed limit would not mean the new speed limit would be enforced, and that changing the speed limit on one rural road could mean changing all of them in the area.

Since there was so much discussion on this issue, vice chairperson Ruth Janke decided to allow the bigger discussion to occur at a work session.

The board also discussed finally setting up a public information session to discuss the comprehensive plan, now that Covid-19 restrictions are being lifted. A meeting date should be set by the next board of supervisors meeting, but it is expected to be after May 28.

The town offices will be open to the public again and employees will be back to work in person by May 28.

The next Thomson Township board of supervisors meeting will be held May 20. The public is still encouraged to join virtually through the township’s website, but people may also attend in person.