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Date:	Feb. 19, 2019
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 Feb. 19, 2019, Washington County Board of Commissioners meeting at the Government Center in Stillwater, Minnesota

County Board approves labor agreement with correctional officer/911 dispatcher unit
The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a labor agreement with the Minnesota Public Employee Association (MNPEA) Correctional Officer/911 dispatcher Unit Feb. 19.
The two-year agreement began Jan. 1, 2019, and will end Dec. 31, 2020.
The agreement includes a 2.5 percent general salary adjustment at the beginning of both 2019 and 2020, and a three-week paid parental leave benefit for the birth or adoption of a child. The agreement includes adjustments to the vacation schedule for employees hired after Jan. 1, 2019, as well as an increase in the amount of employer contribution towards the cost of health insurance provided to each employee.  
The agreement includes an increase in shift differential premium pay from 85 cents an hour, to $1 an hour.
Contact: Jan Webster, Human Resources Director, 651-430-6075

County Board approves contract for work on Highway 36/Hadley Avenue interchange
Shafer Contracting Co. will build the Highway 36/Hadley Avenue interchange in Oakdale, after the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a $22.1 million contract with the company Feb. 19.
The County Board also approved cost sharing and maintenance agreements with the City of Oakdale, regarding the same project.
Washington County was awarded federal and state funds to lead the development and construction of a grade-separated interchange at the intersection of Highway 36 and County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 35, or Hadley Avenue. The project includes a tunnel underpass of the Gateway Trail at Hadley Avenue, which is being funded by the state Department of Natural Resources, through federal and state funds.
Construction bids were opened Jan. 10; six bids were received with the low bid submitted by Shafer Contracting Co.
The project is funded by federal grants, state grants, highway state aid, county funds, Minnesota Department of Transportation funds, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, funds from the City of Oakdale, and a land donation from the Mills Group.
Contact: Kevin Peterson, Engineer II, 651-430-4330

County Board adopts resolution identifying Woodbury 494 Park and Ride as terminus for Gold Line Locally Preferred Alternative 
The Washington County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution identifying Woodbury 494 Park and Ride as the terminus for the Gold Line Locally Preferred Alternative at its meeting Feb. 19. A Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) is an indicator of the transit mode and corridor alignment preferred by local governments. It is used for long range planning and federal funding applications to advance the project to design and construction. Washington County acted on the initial Gold Line LPA in October 2014. In 2015, the LPA was adopted into the Metropolitan Council's Transportation Policy Plan. 
In early 2016, the LPA was updated to include a revised route through the cities of Oakdale and Woodbury that terminated at the Woodbury Theater on Guider Drive. The route west of I-694/494 remained unchanged. An LPA for the section in Oakdale and Woodbury was adopted by the Cities of Oakdale and Woodbury in late 2016 and recommended by the Gateway Corridor Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) and the Gateway Corridor Commission. 
In 2018, as part of Gold Line project development, City of Woodbury staff worked with the Gold Line project team to identify an additional station and new terminus in Woodbury for a future Park and Ride along I-494 near the intersection of Woodlane Drive and Guider Drive. The new terminus would provide several advantages over the location at Woodbury Theater. These advantages include a unique opportunity for the city to optimize potential development and redevelopment opportunities, potential for Metro Transit to consolidate transit service (both existing express bus services and future Bus Rapid Transit service) at one convenient location for transit riders, and potential to provide future direct access to I-494 for express bus service.
The Metropolitan Council requires resolutions of support from affected cities and counties to revise a LPA in the Transportation Policy Plan. A resolution of support was adopted by the City of Woodbury on February 13, 2019, identifying the Woodbury 494 Park and Ride as the Gold Line terminus. Contact: Jan Lucke, Public Works Planning Director, 651-430-4316

County Board adopts resolution in support of Lake Elmo segment of Central Greenway Regional Trail 
The Washington County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution in support of the Lake Elmo segment of the Central Greenway Regional Trail at its Feb. 19 meeting. 
Throughout 2018, Washington County worked on producing the Central Greenway Regional Trail – Lake Elmo segment master plan amendment. The Lake Elmo Segment of the Central Greenway Regional Trail begins at the existing north-south trail at County Road 19 and Interstate 94 and ends at County Road 15 and Highway 36. The route identified in the master plan will provide a separated, off-road trail for recreation and transportation purposes that will link with adjacent local trails and other destinations, such as Lake Elmo Park Reserve, downtown Lake Elmo, and Stillwater Area High School.
When fully developed, the Central Greenway Regional Trail will provide residents of Washington County with direct access to a regional trail that connects three Washington County regional park facilities: Big Marine Park Reserve, Lake Elmo Park Reserve, and Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park.
The resolution directed the Central Greenway Regional Trail – Lake Elmo Segment Master Plan amendment be submitted to the Metropolitan Council for review and approval.
Contact: Connor Schaefer, Planner II, 651-430-4303

County Board approves agreement with MnDOT for construction, maintenance, and operation of non-motorized recreational pedestrian trail at CSAH 13 (Radio Drive)
The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) for the construction, maintenance, and operation of a non-motorized recreational pedestrian trail to be constructed with the County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 13 (Radio Drive) Pedestrian Bridge Project at its Feb. 19 meeting. 
Currently pedestrian and cyclists crossover I-94 in a developing area of Woodbury and Oakdale via a narrow section of the existing CSAH 13 (Radio Drive) bridge. This pedestrian facility does not meet current design standards for two-way trail traffic, and is not up to current Americans with Disability Act standards. A new pedestrian bridge will accommodate all trail users, and will provide the ability to re-purpose the existing trail space as a third southbound travel lane. Traffic studies indicate that this third lane will be needed in the near future.
These agreements allow Washington County to construct, maintain, and operate the proposed non-motorized recreational trail within MnDOT right-of-way and prepares the project to receive contractor bids.
Contact: Kevin Peterson, Engineer II, 651-430-4354

County Board appoints citizen volunteers to advisory committees
The Washington County Board of Commissioners appointed several citizen volunteers to advisory committees at its meeting Feb. 19. 
Dr. Lance Fang will serve as District 5 Representative on the Community Development Block Grant Committee. Karlene McComb will serve as the Washington County Historical Society Representative on the Historic Courthouse Committee. Kyle Dretsch will serve as the District 5 Representative on the Historic Courthouse Committee. Katelyn Nowak, Jordan Fry, and Cynthia Larson will serve on the Workforce Development Board. 
Contact: Alyssa Soderlund, Administrative Assistant, 651-430-6015


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Phone:  651-430-6001  •  Fax:  651-430-6017  •  TTY:  651-430-6246
www.co.washington.mn.us
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