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Date:	March 10, 2020
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 March 10, 2020, Washington County Board of Commissioners meeting at the Government Center in Stillwater, Minnesota

County parks welcome visitors for free to celebrate 50th anniversary of Earth Day
Washington County parks will be free to visitors Saturday, April 25, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
The County Board approved the waiver of entrance fees March 10.
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental advocacy. First designated in 1970, Earth Day will celebrate its 50-year anniversary in April. To honor this milestone, Washington County Parks designated April 25 as a free day to visit county parks without purchasing a vehicle permit.
Contact: Alex McKinney, Parks Manager, 651-430-4364

Sheriff’s Office will receive grant for training on sex-trafficking investigations
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office will receive a $322,980 grant from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to be used for sex-trafficking investigations and training.
The County Board accepted the grant March 10, which will run through Dec. 31, 2021.
The grant will fund personnel, training, equipment, travel, and program expenses for the East Metro Sex Trafficking Task Force. The funds will be used to enhance local capacity for human trafficking investigations. There is no local match required for the grant.
Contact: Sheriff Dan Starry, 651-430-6701


Sheriff’s Office will receive funds for boating equipment
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office will receive $33,596 from the state’s Federal Boating Safety Supplemental Equipment Grant, through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The County Board accepted the grant March 10, which will be used to purchase two boat motors.
Contact: Sheriff Dan Starry, 651-430-6701

Alliant Engineering will do preliminary engineering for Everton Avenue project
Alliant Engineering Inc. will do preliminary engineering for a pedestrian and safety project along Everton Avenue North in Forest Lake, after the Washington County Board of Commissioners agreed to a $399,250 contract with the company March 10.
The overall objective of the project is to improve the pavement condition and safety of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 33, or Everton Avenue North, from CSAH 32 (11th Avenue North) to CSAH 2 (Broadway Avenue). Everton Avenue North is an important north-south route connecting 11th Avenue with Broadway Avenue on the west side of Interstate 35. The Broadway Avenue Project constructed a freeway overpass over I-35 connecting this roadway with 11th Avenue. This connection is a regionally important one that has increased traffic on Everton Avenue North, resulting in the need to evaluate roadway improvements.
The project is a .75-mile corridor, which has mixed-use residential, mixed-use commercial of retail and industrial businesses, and spans two watersheds. Improvements will include safety, pavement, and drainage improvements, as well as improvements to pedestrian paths. Preliminary design, along with public engagement, will determine the final project scope, the need for right-of-way, and cost estimates. The consultant will do an intersection study at 19th Avenue, and identify needed pedestrian accommodations, along with other tasks.
The contract is funded by highway state aid and local contributions. Project construction is scheduled to begin in 2023.
Contact: Morgan Abbott, Engineer II, 651-430-4359

LinnCo will replace culvert under Stagecoach Trail in Afton
LinnCo will replace a culvert under Stagecoach Trail in Afton, after the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with the company March 10.
The project is on County State Aid Highway (CSAH 21), or Stagecoach Trail, about a half-mile mile northwest of the CSAH 21 and CSAH 18 intersection in Afton, or 600 feet north of old Putnam Road. The project will replace a nearly century old four-foot by eight-foot box culvert with a 36-inch reinforced concrete pipe. The existing guardrail will be upgraded to meet current crash standards and the shoulders over the culvert will be widened to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The project will be paid for with County Program Aid.
Contact: Allan Brandt, Engineer II, 651-430-4348

County Board approves contract with S.M. Hentges & Sons Inc. for Bailey Road project
S.M. Hentges & Sons Inc. will construct the Bailey Road project from Woodlane Drive to County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 13, after the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a $10.5 million contract with the company March 10.
The Bailey Road Woodlane Drive to CSAH 13 project will improve the safety and capacity of that roadway. A 2017 corridor study identified deficiencies and recommended projects along the corridor. This is the third project recommended by the study.
Bailey Road will be widened from two to four lanes with left- and right-turn lanes. The project will construct a roundabout at Woodlane Drive, and a traffic signal at Benjamin Drive. The project will also reconstruct the trail on the north side of the roadway and add a new trail on the south.
The roadway has a current traffic count of 9,300 vehicles a day, with a 2040 forecasted traffic count of 14,500 vehicles a day. The roadway provides access to neighborhoods, schools, churches, and businesses, and connects drivers to freeways and several north/south routes. It is also used frequently by pedestrians and bicyclists.
The project is planned to manage access and safety at Bailey Road’s intersections, and address traffic congestion during rush hour and traffic growth and development in the area. The project also provides the opportunity for improved trail connectivity and improve the pavement on the roadway.
This project is part of a three-part project to improve Bailey Road from Woodbury Drive to Interstate 494. The first portion was done last year, between Woodbury Drive and Pioneer Drive. The second two parts will be done this year.
Washington County will pay for 65 percent of the project with county highway state aid funds, with Woodbury paying for 25 percent of the project. The rest of the project will be paid for with proceeds from the wheelage tax and use of the county’s fund balance.
In addition to the construction contract, the County Board also approved cost-share and maintenance agreements with the City of Woodbury for the project.
Contact: Wayne Sandberg, Public Works Deputy Director/County Engineer, 651-430-4339

Wagenius named county auditor-treasurer
Jennifer Wagenius, Washington County deputy administrator, was appointed the county’s auditor-treasurer by the County Board March 10.
Special legislation was passed in 1997 that allowed the County Board to appoint a department head to carry out the statutory duties of the Office of County Auditor-Treasurer. In 1998, the county adopted an organizational structure under which the deputy county administrator has the overall responsibility for the statutory duties of the Office of Auditor-Treasurer.
The County Board appointed Kevin Corbid as the county auditor-treasurer in 2012, and then appointed him county administrator Jan. 28. The County Administrator appointed Jennifer Wagenius as deputy county administrator in February. 
The county administrator and deputy administrators reviewed the statutory duties of the county auditor-treasurer and determined that most of the duties are carried out by the Property Records and Taxpayer Services Department, and therefore are recommending that the deputy administrator supporting that department, who is Wagenius, be named the county's auditor-treasurer.
Contact: Yvonne Klinnert, Public Information Manager, 651-430-6026





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