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Date:	March 14, 2023
Contact:	Yvonne Klinnert, Senior Communications Specialist
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 14, 2023, Washington County Board of Commissioners meeting at the Government Center in Stillwater, Minnesota.

County will receive funds for community-based mental health care
Washington County will receive $265,157 from the federal government to enhance home and community-based services for those with mental illness after the County Board accepted the grant March 14.
The money will be used to pay a dedicated adult mental health coordinator and to purchase a vehicle that will be used to help individuals access services.
The money is to be used to build community-based mental health service infrastructure that responds to the unique needs and circumstances of the community. The funding is being allocated to adult mental health initiative regions by the Minnesota Department of Human Services to enhance, expand, or strengthen the program.
The grant will be used through March 31, 2024.
Contact: Kathy Mickelson, Community Services Division Manager, 651-430-6532

County Board approves liquor license applications
The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a number of applications for on-sale, off-sale, and Sunday liquor licenses in townships March 14.
The applications are:
* For on-sale and Sunday liquor license renewals and new off-sale liquor license for StoneRidge Golf Club Inc. in West Lakeland Township.
* For an off-sale liquor license for Holiday Stationstores LLC in Denmark Township.
* For the renewal of an on-sale and Sunday liquor license for The Keystone Weddings and Events LLC in May Township.
* For the renewal of an on-sale and Sunday liquor license for VR US Holdings for Afton Alps in Denmark Township.
The county processes all liquor licenses for the townships in the county. The county reviews the liability insurance, and the Sheriff's Office, the County Attorney's Office, and the Public Health & Environment Department complete compliance/verification checks.
Those requirements have all been completed for the applications. The applicants’ license fees pay for the administrative cost of the county's administration, compliance, and verification checks.
Contact: Christine Piskura, Taxpayer Services and Election Division Manager, 651-430-8272

Sheriff’s Office receives grant from Marathon Community Investment Programs
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office will receive $20,000 from the Marathon Community Investment Programs for wellness initiatives, after the County Board accepted the grant March 14.
The grant will fund psychoeducation for Sheriff’s Office staff that allows for individual meetings with a clinician in a structured and protected way. The individual sessions will go over stressors of the job that are inherent with the risks associated with the law enforcement profession and provide resources to employees to mitigate and navigate the effects of high levels of stress.
Stress management was identified by the Sheriff’s CORE Wellness Steering Committee as being an important focus for employee wellness. Marathon Oil has partnered with the community for several initiatives and made law enforcement mental health a priority in making this grant available.
Contact: Laura Perkins, Public Information Officer, 651-430-7994

Sheriff’s Office receives donation from Montero family for Explorers, water recovery
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office will receive a donation of $8,775 from the Montero family of Mahtomedi to be used for the office’s Explorers Program and Watery Recovery Team.
The County Board accepted the donation March 14.
The donation was made in appreciation of the work and dedication the Sheriff’s Office has had in the family’s community. The donation will provide the Explorers with the opportunity to attend the 2023 Minnesota Law Enforcement Explorer’s Conference this spring in Rochester. Additionally, the competing Explorers will be outfitted with new uniforms for the event. The funding will also be used to purchase dive suits and ice rescue suits to outfit members of the Water Recovery Team.
Contact: Laura Perkins, Public Information Officer, 651-430-7994

LHB will do design work on CSAH 2 rehabilitation project
LHB will do design work on the County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 2 rehabilitation project after the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a $166,638 contract with the company March 14.
The work will be done on CSAH 2 from 19th Street Southwest to Highway 61, or Lake Street, in Forest Lake. The purpose of the project is to preserve the work done along this corridor in 2011 on approximately 2.2 miles of roadway. The improvements will include concrete pavement rehabilitation, curb and gutter repair, signing, and striping, among other work.
The design work should be complete by the end of 2023, with construction planned for 2024. The consulting firm will do the final design, environmental permitting, traffic control coordination, and business and property owner engagement, as well as bidding and construction support.
The design contract will be paid for with highway state aid funds.
Contact: Erin Clarkowski, Engineer II, 651-430-4384

Northwest Asphalt & Maintenance will perform crack sealing in county in 2023
Northwest Asphalt & Maintenance will do crack sealing on various roadways within Washington County this summer after the County Board approved a $259,521 contract with the company March 14.
The crack sealing will be done on approximately 32 miles of county roads throughout the county. Work is planned for May.
Crack sealing is maintenance that seals cracks in roads. This reduces the amount of water that can infiltrate the road base, reducing freeze-thaw damage. Reducing the freeze-thaw damage helps to slow down road degradation. Prolonging the life of the road preserves the investment in the road and extends the amount of time until the next reconstruction is needed. Crack sealing is performed annually within the county.
The county invited its non-state aid local partners, such as townships and non-state aid cities, to include local roads in the county's project to achieve the best bid price. Baytown Township and the City of St. Mary's Point asked to be included with Washington County, and they will participate in the county project. Washington County will fund 68% of the contract, St. Mary’s Point will fund 2% of the contract, and Baytown Township will fund 20% of the contract based on the scope of work. The County Board approved agreements with the township and the city at the March 14 meeting.
The county’s wheelage tax will be pay the county’s share.
Contact: Erin Clarkowski, Engineer II, 651-430-4384

County will use rescue plan money to upgrade heating, cooling at Stillwater campus
Washington County will use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to upgrade the heating and cooling systems in the county’s Government Center and Law Enforcement Center in Stillwater.
The County Board approved several contracts for the project March 14.
The county will use the ARPA money to update the heating and cooling systems that are no longer up to code, and which are past their useful lives. Updating the heating and cooling equipment will allow the county to react to pandemic conditions more efficiently and to maintain occupant comfort while using larger volumes of outside air. Modernized modular boilers and more effective chillers will allow for improved energy efficiency in all upgraded buildings.
KFI provided the design services for the project. Those companies that will provide mechanical equipment to the county for the upgrade project are:
* Midwest Mechanical Solutions, which will be paid $490,000 for chillers for the Law Enforcement Center.
* TMS Johnson, which will be paid $226,400 for chillers for the Government Center. 
* Mulcahy Co., which will be paid $360,000, for cooling towers and pumps.
* RM Cotton, which will be paid $681,565 for Law Enforcement Center and Government Center boilers. 
In addition, Burnn Boiler & Mechanical will be paid $4,248,000 for mechanical systems installation of the equipment for the upgrade.
Contact: Joe Welter, Building Services Program Manager, 651-430-6226



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Government Center | 14949 62nd Street North | P. O. Box 6 | Stillwater, MN 55082-0006
P: 651-430-6001 | F: 651-430-6017 | TTY: 651-430-6246
www.co.washington.mn.us

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