Board Accepts 3 Grants For Sheriff's Office, Recycling Programs

WASHINGTON COUNTY, MN— The Washington County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday in Stillwater. If you missed the meeting, these are the actions that a representative from Washington County said were taken.

• The board accepted a $250,000 grant to support recycling programs throughout Washington County.
• This grant comes from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
• The money for the grant comes from landfill surcharges on metropolitan landfills, and the grants are given to metropolitan counties for implementing recycling or composting programs.
• This grant will be matched by the county with money from County Environmental Charge.
• The board accepted two grants for the sheriff's office.
• The first grant is the $111,730 Emergency Management Performance Grant, which will help pay for managing local emergencies. This grant will be matched using levy dollars.
• The second grant is from Office of National Drug Control Policy for participation in the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program and will award the sheriff's office $96,530. This grant will assist the office in addressing drug trafficking in the county.
• The office also will receive an equipment upgrade for their microwave equipment, which is used in the radio towers. The last installment was in 2008 and the equipment is no longer supported by the factory.
• The board approved a labor agreement with Minnesota TEAMSTERS Public and Law Enforcement Employees Union Local No. 320 Probation Officers. This agreement states:
• Jan. 1, a zero percent general salary adjustment will be applied.
• Jan. 1, a one-time two percent lump sum of salary will be paid.
• July 9, a one-time $1,000 lump sum salary payment will be paid.
• The agreement also discusses how the county will pay for health insurance for union members.
• The board approved a contract for the county to sell fuel to the city of Oak Park Heights to use for law enforcement vehicles.
• The city will need 87 octanes of gasoline for squad cars and SUVs.
• The sheriff's office will provide up to 750 gallons of fuel per month to the city for $1.68 per gallon plus tax. Any fuel sold after this will be charged the same amount Mansfield Oil charges Washington County.
• The board approved of a project partnership and proposal submission to the state to potentially place five parcels of land around a portion of Valley Creek.
• This project would be a part of the county’s Land and Water Legacy Program.
• The county was approached by Afton landowners wanting their property to be under permanent land protection.
• This project is in the Valley Creek Corridor's high-priority protection area. It is near two conservation easements and 1,800 acres protected by Belwin Conservancy and the Minnesota Land Trust.
• A draft has also been submitted for funding that would cover 50 percent of the conservation easement. The other 50 percent would be contributed by the county.
• The board endorsed the president's proclaimation that April 2021 is Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month.
  • The board also received the Washington County Child Protection Citizen Review Panel 2020 Annual Report.
    • The panel is hosted in only five other counties in Minnesota and has citizens partner with CPS and working to keep kids safe.
  • The board also thanked and honored county employees who work to prevent child abuse.