Eckles Township Notices
ECKLES TOWNSHIP – BELTRAMI COUNTY
STATE OF MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-3
RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A SUBORDINATE SERVICE DISTRICT
WHEREAS, a Petition requesting the creation of a Subordinate Service District within an area legally described on attached Exhibit A and graphically depicted on attached Exhibit B, was filed with the Township Clerk requesting the establishment of a Subordinate Service District
to help facilitate construction and financing for the improvement of Whistler Drive N.W., Wild View Drive N.W., Woodcrest Drive N.W., Winding Drive N.W., and Whisper Lane N.W. for all of the benefited residents pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Chapter 365A and other applicable statutes; and
WHEREAS, the Town Clerk reported to the Eckles Town Board of Supervisors that the required 50% of signatures had been verified and in conformity to Minnesota Statutes Chapter 365A; and
WHEREAS, a Public Hearing was held on the 30th day of June 2026 at the Eckles Community Center, 9735 Cardinal Road NW, Bemidji, Minnesota 56601 to consider the creation of a Subordinate Service District for the area legally described on attached Exhibit A and graphically depicted on attached Exhibit B; and
WHEREAS, all statutory legal requirements regarding giving notice have been satisfied; and
WHEREAS, the Eckles Township Board of Supervisors determined that the creation of a Subordinate Service District to be in the best interest of the landowners of said area.
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Eckles Township Board of Supervisors, Beltrami County, Minnesota does hereby establish a Subordinate Service District pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Chapter 365A with the following stipulations and conditions:
1. The following Subordinate Service District is created and established for the area legally described on attached Exhibit A and graphically depicted on attached Exhibit B which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. The purpose of this Subordinate Service District is to help facilitate construction and financing for the improvement of Whistler Drive N.W., Wild View Drive N.W., Woodcrest Drive N.W., Winding Drive N.W., and Whisper Lane N.W., collectively the “Roads”, for all of the benefited residents pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Chapter 365A and other applicable statutes.
3. The Subordinate Service District shall be financed as follows: The Township’s costs to improve and perform future improvements of the Roads as stated above shall be the sole responsibility of the benefiting residents within the Subordinate Service District. A property tax levied only upon the benefited users in the Subordinate Service District or a levy of a service charge against the benefited users, or a combination of a property tax and a service charge on the benefited users shall finance the capitalization, construction, operations, maintenance, and management of such services described above as follows:
A. For the initial paving of those portions of Whistler Drive N.W., Wild View Drive, N.W., Woodcrest Drive, N.W. and Winding Drive N.W. (that portion that is currently gravel and referred to hereafter as the “Initial Project”), the Township shall allocate the cost of the Initial Project as follows:
1. To those properties on Winding Drive N.W. and Whisper Lane N.W. that have driveways or will have driveways accessing that portion of Winding Drive N.W. or Whisper Lane N.W. that are currently paved, 30% of a full share of the Initial Project. These properties are identified as follows: See attached Exhibit 1.
2. To those properties on Whistler Drive N.W., Wild View Drive N.W. and Woodcrest Drive, N.W. and those properties that have driveways or will have driveways accessing that portion of Winding Drive N.W. that is currently gravel, a full share of the cost of the Initial Project. These properties are identified as follows: See attached Exhibit 2.
B. The Subordinate Service District terms are as follows:
1. A property tax of $1,951.58 levied only upon the properties on Winding Drive N.W. and Whisper Lane N.W. located within the Subordinate Service District and identified in Exhibit 1.
2. A property tax of $6,505.26 levied only upon the properties on Whistler Drive N.W., Wild View Drive N.W. and Woodcrest Drive, N.W. and those properties that have driveways or will have driveways accessing that portion of Winding Drive N.W. and identified in Exhibit 2.
3. An additional interest service charge of To Be Determined at the Prevailing Rate +1% will be charged annually to those landowners financing the levy. Receipts shall finance the capitalization, construction, operations, maintenance, and management of such services described above. Such charge(s) will be amortized over a period of five (5) years as determined by the Town Board.
C. For any future mill and overlay and/or reconstruction of such Roads within the Subordinate Service District, the Township shall allocate the cost of such projects equally among all buildable lots within this Subordinate Service District.
4. This Resolution shall be recorded against the title to all property within the Subordinate Service District as legally described on attached Exhibit A and graphically depicted on attached hereto as Exhibit B. Should the legal description on attached Exhibit A conflict with the graphic on attached Exhibit B, the graphic on attached Exhibit B shall control the boundary of the subordinate Service District.
5. The Subordinate Service District shall become effective upon passage of sixty days (60 days) from the publication of this Resolution in the Township’s official newspaper.
6. The Town Clerk shall cause this Resolution to be published and cause mailed notice to be given to residents as required by law.
Date: July 14, 2026
Exhibit A Map
Map Exhibit A
Eckles Township Comprehensive Plan
Draft Comprehensive Plan
Road Map
Development Map
Water Map
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Other important Dates:
August 11, 2026 Primary Election – Eckles Community Center
August 18, 2026 Regular Board Meeting with Zoom; https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87016100825?pwd=po42qSDcb8vlye0diKX1Vbd0NEh5MQ.1
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Welcome to Eckles Township!
Eckles Township is an approximately 34 square mile area immediately west of Bemidji, MN in southern Beltrami County. It is bounded by the Bemidji Regional Airport in the Southeast, Northern Township to the east, County Road 22 and Liberty Township on the North, Lammers Township on the West and Grant Valley Township on the south. US Highway 2 runs East/West through the lower part of the township toward Crookston and Duluth. CSAH 9 runs north/south through the eastern part of the township to CSAH 26. and State Highway 89 runs north/south through the western portion of the township to the Red Lake Nation. The City of Wilton exists in the southern portion of the Township. The Bemidji Theater, Pete’s Place West, Wells Technology, Dave Walters Homes, Frontier Homes and Knife River Materials are the primary businesses in the Township. Most are located along Hwy 2. The newly formed and developing Beltrami Area Shooting Sports Range is also located in a forested area of the Township.
Founded in the 1890’s as part of the railroad expansion in the US, it has grown from approximately 200 people to an estimated 1400 in the last 100 years. Originally relying on existing timber for lumber, the homesteaders gravitated to agriculture in the early 1900’s. By 1920, agriculture was the most important industry in the township. The poor soil and tough conditions soon forced many farmers to allow their homesteads to become tax forfeit and revert back to forest lands. The Conservation Corps began replanting forests and farming began to dwindle into what is now Eckles Township with most people in the Township working off the land on which they live, in or around Bemidji.
The name Eckles derives from a reverse spelling of the name Selke. Selke was the original name of the railroad siding that is believed to be the present location of the City of Wilton. Various sawmills were located at different times in this general vicinity to take advantage of the railroad.
Township Officials have had different responsibilities during the past 100 years but they have always retained the responsibility to maintain Township roads in winter and summer. That responsibility continues to expand in scope and complexity as individuals move from the city to live in the country and work or play in the City. The majority of the nearly fifty miles of Township maintained roads are seven ton gravel roads. Most major roads in the Township follow section lines and were located to get residents to and from their homesteads with timber or agricultural products. Road orders dating from the early 1900’s establish 66 foot wide rights-of-way along the lines. Most of these have been maintained in some fashion since that time. An extensive effort to record and recognize these roads into perpetuity was completed by Russ Gustafson in the 1990’s.
Government officials also maintain the Township Cemetery located along Highway 89, conduct elections, control beaver, insure residents have fire protection, interact and respond to actions taken by Beltrami County. Town meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month at the Eckles Community Center, 9735 Cardinal Road NW. The budget and Township priorities are determined at the annual meeting held the 2nd Tuesday of March each year. Officials are elected at that time.