by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Craig Gondeck was appointed chairman of Watab Township, and Todd Waytashak was chosen as a temporary board supervisor at the October Watab Township Board meeting.
Waytashak will serve in the position held by Ed Kacures Jr., who resigned in early October. That term will expire in March.
Gondeck has served on the township board for 12 years and was chairman of it for one year, six years ago.
The other members of the board are Lloyd Erdmann, supervisor; Pat Spence, clerk; and Eileen Saldana, treasurer. The township board meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month. The public is welcome to attend the meetings, which take place in Watab Town Hall at 660 75th St. NW.
Watab Township, with a population of 3,200 people and an area of 8,596 acres, is located between Rice to the north and Sauk Rapids to the south.
“This is a great township to live in,” Gondeck said. “We’re here to take care of the people.”
The biggest upcoming project is to redo all of 95th Street from Hwy. 10 to the Lakewood Shores area where there is a railroad crossing, a stretch of worn-out road that is about a mile in length. Gondeck said there will be a quiet-zone rail crossing there when the road is completed. The road project will cost about $400,000.
The township board also recently agreed to a snowplowing contract for Marson and Co. of Watab Township for a cost of $38,600 per year. There are 38 miles of road in the township, and the total miles that must be snow-plowed, back and forth, amounts to nearly 100 miles, Gondeck noted. He said he was pleased with the cost for snow-plowing as it’s about the same as the township paid 10 years ago.
Another ongoing project is to inspect sites for storm water run-off, a task mandated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to keep storm water in check. Gondeck said he inspects about 32 sites in the township.
Gondeck works full-time at the St. Cloud Correctional Facility and also operates a bicycle-repair shop from his home.
Born in Foley, Gondeck and his wife, Jana, moved to Watab Township 19 years ago and have a home along Sucker Creek Road. They have three grown daughters and seven grandchildren.
To this day, Gondeck considers his late father, Val, as his lifetime mentor. Val served nine terms on the Foley City Council.
“He is why I got into public service,” Gondeck said. “I always remember when he’d tell me a phone call from a resident is important, and you should always answer that phone as if you have a sliver in your finger and you have to take care of it.”
Gondeck’s advice to township residents is this: “Attend meetings; stay informed.”
Craig Gondeck was recently named chairman of Watab Township Town Board. He has served on the board for 12 years and was chairman for one year about six years ago. In the other years, he served as one of the board’s supervisors.
