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Date:	Nov. 20, 2018
Contact:	Yvonne Klinnert, Public Information Manager
Phone:	651-430-6026, after hours 952-807-3723
E-mail:	yvonne.klinnert@co.washington.mn.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The following actions were taken at the Nov. 20, 2018, Washington County Board of Commissioners meeting at the Government Center in Stillwater, Minnesota

County Board accepts grant to fund crisis response services
The Washington County Board of Commissioners accepted an $800,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services Nov. 20 to fund the county’s crisis response services over the next two years.
The grant will pay for the delivery of crisis response services to adult and child residents of Washington County, including 24-hour telephone screening and triage, mobile crisis response teams, face-to-face crisis assessment and/or intervention, and community stabilization.
Starting Jan. 1, 2019, Washington County is moving Mental Health Crisis Response Services in-house as part of a newly-created Crisis Response Unit to provide critical safety net services.
Contact: Kathy Mickelson, Community Services Division Manager, 651-430-6532

Sheriff’s Office receives urban area security initiative grant
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office will receive $200,000 from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, as part of the 2018 Urban Area Security Initiative (USAI) grant agreement.
The County Board accepted the grant Nov. 20.
The UASI grant program assists high-threat, high-density urban areas in efforts to build and sustain the capabilities necessary to prevent, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism. The grant will fund planning, equipment, training, and exercises, and run from Jan. 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020.
Contact: Sheriff Dan Starry, 651-430-7601

County will update accounting system
The Washington County Board of Commissioners agreed to an upgrade of the county’s accounting system Nov. 20, at a cost of $342,120.
The county uses the JD Edwards Enterprise One system for its financial system software, and it needs to be upgraded to the current version.
The board approved a contract with Denovo Consulting Services to do the work.
Contact: Tabatha Hansen, Accounting and Finance Director, 651-430-6027

Clean Harbors Environmental Services will continue work at Environmental Center
Washington County will continue to contract with Clean Harbors Environmental Services to manage the operation of the county’s Environmental Center, after the County Board approved an $825,000 contract with the company Nov. 20.
The county currently contracts with Clean Harbors Environmental Services. Under the proposed 2019 contract, Clean Harbors will continue to provide staffing at the Environmental Center and remote events and provide the following services:
* receive, package, transport, and dispose of household hazardous waste;
* receive and package electronics and recyclables;
* provide site management at the Environmental Center;
* provide information to and educate citizens;
* coordinate with other vendors;
* support the public lobby and Free Product Room;
* support the small business hazardous waste collection program;
* support data management and reporting; and
* ensure regulatory compliance and safety.
The contract will have an initial three-year term, with two one-year options through Dec. 1, 2023.
In 2017, the Environmental Center served 52,281 participants, and collected 1.65 million pounds of household hazardous waste; 1.9 million pounds of electronics; and 720,000 pounds of recycling.
In addition to household hazardous waste services, Clean Harbors will also provide logistics and operations support to the county’s Emergency Preparedness program and support the Sheriff’s Office one-day drug collections.
Washington County has operated a household hazardous waste (HHW) program since 1989. From 1994 to 2009, the county operated the program at the HHW facility in Oakdale, and in September 2009 opened the Environmental Center in Woodbury. The county also conducts several one-day collection events around the county each year to provide service for residents who do not live close to the Environmental Center. 
Since the program's inception, the county has used a company listed on the state household hazardous waste management contract to provide professional hazardous waste services. By using a state-approved contractor, the county obtains market pricing and state indemnification for hazardous waste transported and disposed under the contract.
The Washington County Environmental Center, 4039 Cottage Grove Drive in Woodbury, provides residents with a free and convenient disposal option for household hazardous waste, electronics, and recyclables all year round.
It is open Tuesday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The center accepts household hazardous waste, electronics, and recyclables. The center also has a Free Product Room, in which residents may browse the shelves and take home previously-owned products such as paint, stain, automotive supplies, household cleaners, and other products. All items taken to the Environmental Center are inspected to determine if they are usable products.
Contact: Adam Frederick, Environmental Program Coordinator, 651-430-6702

County Board recognizes Adopt a Highway participants with participation milestones
The Washington County Board of Commissioners recognized volunteer Adopt a Highway groups Nov. 20 who are celebrating their 10- and 20-year anniversaries of volunteer service.
Washington County began its Adopt a Highway Program in 1991. Initially, 36 groups began collecting litter from 78 miles of county roads. The program has since grown to 120 groups collecting litter and trash along more than 260 miles of county highways.
In 2017-2018, more than 1,000 bags of trash and litter were collected. This work by volunteers saves the county taxpayers more than $80,000 in maintenance costs annually. In addition to saving the county money, the program offers volunteers the opportunity to participate in a cooperative effort to create a cleaner, more aesthetically-pleasing place in which to live.
The Adopt a Highway program also helps to give visitors a positive impression as they travel Washington County roads.
Seven of the volunteer groups are celebrating 10 years, and another two are celebrating 20 years of service in the program. The Washington County Board of Commissioners recognized the groups for their dedication and commitment to keeping county roadsides clean by presenting them with a Commissioners Award.
Those receiving recognition for 10 years of service are:
* Jackson Meadow Association, which adopted County Highway 4 (Ostrum Trail North) between 177th Street and Franklin Street;
* the Brandenburg Family, which has adopted County Highway 15 (Manning Trail) between Highway 97 and 190th Street;
* Curran Rose and Kateri Wold, who Wold represented, and who have adopted County Highway 50 (202nd Street North) between Ingersoll Avenue and Manning Avenue;
* Stillwater Future Farmers of America from Stillwater Area High School, who adopted County Highway 5 (Stillwater Boulevard North) between Highway 36 and Croixwood Boulevard;
* Belwin, represented by Katie Bloome, which has adopted County Highway 21 (St. Croix Trail) between Periwinkle Avenue and the North Frontage Road of Interstate 94;
* Christian Berberich, who adopted County Highway 22 (170th Street South) between Oakgreen Avenue and County Highway 21 (St. Croix Trail South); and
* Carpenter Nature Center, represented by two volunteers, which has adopted County Highway 21 (St. Croix Trail South) between 122nd Street and Highway 10.
Those who received recognition for 20 years of service are:
* Crossroads Collision Center, which adopted County Road 13 (Inwood Avenue) between the north ramp of Interstate 94 and 10th Street (County Highway 10); and
* St. Croix Squadron – Civil Air Patrol, which was represented by Paul Prior, which adopted County Road 15 (Manning Avenue) between Hudson Boulevard and 24th Street (County Road 15).
The work can be dangerous, and the county works to promote safety by providing vests and encouraging a work plan before arriving at the site.
Contact: Wayne Sandberg, Public Works Deputy Director and County Engineer, 651-430-4339


The Washington County Board of Commissioners honored Adopt a Highway volunteers Nov. 20. They include, first row, a volunteer from Carpenter Nature Center, Commissioner Lisa Weik, District 5, Katie Bloome with Belwin, Alan Maloney with Carpenter Nature Center, and Carol Hanson, Washington County; second row, commissioners Stan Karwoski, District 2, and Fran Miron, District 1, a volunteer with Carpenter Nature Center, Paul Prior, St. Croix Squadron-Civil Air Patrol, commissioners Gary Kriesel, District 3, and Jack Lavold, District 4, and Wayne Sandberg, Washington County.

County Board approves agreement with state over trail along I-94
The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement Nov. 20 for a limited-use permit with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) for a non-motorized recreational trail in the right-of-way of Interstate 94.
MnDOT operates a trail, within MnDOT right-of-way, on the north side of I-94 from Manning Avenue to Stagecoach Trail. The route is a combination of trails and frontage roads, and provides a good east-west trail connection for the area. The trail is in very poor condition and, under the 10-year agreement, MnDOT will continue to own the trail, and will reconstruct it in 2019. The county will maintain the trail, although it will not plow it in the winter.
This is an opportunity to link a future planned trail on Manning Avenue with the Afton-Lakeland Trail, which has just recently been reconstructed, and which is planned to be a future regional trail.
Contact: Wayne Sandberg, Public Works Deputy Director and County Engineer, 651-430-4339

County will continue to lease space in Valley Ridge Mall for license center
The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a 10-year lease agreement with Entheos Commercial Realty Nov. 20 for the Stillwater License Center in Valley Ridge Mall.
The rent will be $91,000 a year, with a 2.75 percent annual increase.
The Stillwater License Center has been in the Valley Ridge Mall for more than 20 years and is in need of improvements. A number of law changes have occurred in the way that services are delivered and the current layout of the space makes it difficult to provide a good customer experience. A number of options were considered, and renovation of the existing location was determined to be the most customer-friendly and cost-effective option. The current space lacks privacy for customers transacting business, and has insufficient waiting area. There is also a need to separate passport functions from other services.
The estimate for the improvement project is $1.15 million. Work on improvements to the center will be done during a three-week shutdown from Feb. 4 through Feb. 23, 2019, with the center reopening Feb. 25.
The licensing center has about 300 visits a day, and the workers there process 80,000 transactions each year. The center provides driver licensing, motor vehicle transactions, marriage licenses, passport applications, game and fish licenses, and all-terrain vehicle, watercraft, and snowmobile titles. The location also provides space for state driver’s license exams and road testing.
Contact: Erik Jalowitz, Building Services Capital Project Manager, 651-430-6227


County Board wishes farewell, good luck to Commissioner Lavold
The Washington County Board of Commissioners bid farewell and thank you to Commissioner Jack Lavold, District 4, Nov. 20. Lavold served as District 4 commissioner after the resignation of former commissioner Karla Bigham, until a new commissioner could be elected in early November. Commissioners Fran Miron, District 1, and Lisa Weik, District 5, wished Commissioner Lavold well, along with commissioners Gary Kriesel, District 3, and Stan Karwoski, District 2. Commissioner-elect Wayne Johnson will be sworn in Nov. 27.


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Government Center  •  14949 62nd Street North — P.O. Box 6, Stillwater, Minnesota 55082-0006
Phone:  651-430-6001  •  Fax:  651-430-6017  •  TTY:  651-430-6246
www.co.washington.mn.us
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