Washington County Board Meeting

Good morning. I will go ahead and call the Washington County Board of Commissioners meeting to order for May 5th. Clerk will take the role. Commissioner Miron. Here. Commissioner Karwoski. Here. Commissioner Cox. Here. Commissioner Bigham. Here. Commissioner Clausen. Here. Roll call taken, all present. Sounds good. Please join us for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right, next item on the agenda are comments from the public. I do not have any speakers cards here at the dais. Is there anyone in the audience today that would like to address the board? All right. Seeing none, the next item is approval of the agenda. Is there a motion? So moved. Second. Commissioner Cox moves to approve the agenda, seconded by Commissioner Clausen. Discussion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed say nay.

Motion carries. Next item is the consent calendar. Are there any items that members would like to pull? Motion to approve A through J as listed. Second. Moved by Commissioner Karwoski, seconded by Commissioner Miron. Clerk will take the roll. Commissioner Miron? Aye. Commissioner Karwoski? Aye. Commissioner Cox? Aye. Commissioner Clausen? Aye. Commissioner Bigham? Aye. Consent calendar passes five zero. All right. We have a lot of resolutions today, which is fantastic. First one is from accounting and finance, with the proclaiming of the month of May 2026 as Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Washington County. So, yep, and it's Bao Vang and KaYing Vang Lor. Good morning. Thank you so much for having us, Madam Chair and commissioners. My name is KaYing Vang Lor. I'm a public health nurse with Public Health and Environment. I'm currently the secretary of the Asian Alliance ERG and a member of the planning committee. And to my right, I have Bao Vang. She is an accountant principal in accounting and finance, currently is a member of our alliance and a lead for the planning committee.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Whereas in 1992, President George H. W. Bush permanently designated for commemoration the month of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and whereas Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is a month-long commemoration of the history and achievements of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders in the United States, and whereas Asian American, Native American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander communities celebrate with festivals, educational programs, and other activities that center on cultural history. Whereas here in Washington County, the Asian Alliance Employee Resource Group will host a celebration on Tuesday, May 19th with the theme of Our Stories, Our Legacy: Exploring AAPI Experiences Across Cultures and Generations. We are bringing in Kao Kalia Yang, an award-winning Hmong American author who will join to share personal community stories and reflections on culture, family, and experiences across generations. All participants will have the option to engage in the AAPI books discovery, a Japanese origami story sharing, and our story wall to share and celebrate your stories and the love for AAPI literature.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Washington County Board Commissioners does hereby proclaim the month of May 2026 to be Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and extends its appreciation to the employees of the Asian and Pacific Islander Alliance Employee Resource Group for hosting the Our Story, Our Legacy: Exploring AAPI Experiences Across Cultures and Generations event for county employees on May 19th, 2026.

Thank you very much. Commissioner Cox. Madam Chair, I move to adopt the resolution proclaiming the month of May 2026 as Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Washington County. Second. It's been moved by Commissioner Cox, seconded by Commissioner Clausen. Commissioner Cox. Thank you. Ms. Vang Lor and Ms. Vang, thank you for being here today and bringing this forward to us. I'm currently in the middle of reading "The Late Homecomer," so the book by the author that you're bringing in. I just am so encouraged by all the different cultural months that the different resource groups bring. I've been able to learn so much and read so much, and I'm just honored that I get to sit here and say yes to this resolution today. Thank you. Commissioner Clausen. Thank you so much for coming here and presenting the resolution for us. To have an author that's so award-winning is really exciting, and I'm excited to meet Ms. Yang, and also to just really hear more of the stories because I really do believe that we need to share our history, and that it really has to come from people who have those lived experiences. So I'm excited to learn more about the history and the culture. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other comment? I will just say that I really look forward to the event on the 19th as well, and also want to plug another event in Cottage Grove at Kingston Park over Memorial Weekend, is the One Family event that is just an incredible cultural event with a lot of sports and folks from all over. So we certainly appreciate that they choose Cottage Grove to host that really large event. So thank you very much. Thank you. Clerk will take the roll. Commissioner Miron? Commissioner Karwoski? Aye. Commissioner Cox? Aye. Commissioner Clausen? Aye. Commissioner Bigham? Aye. Resolution passes five zero. Thank you. Next item is from community services, and that is with Director Castillo, for a resolution to reappoint Ryan Karefeld as our county veteran service officer. Director Castillo. Good morning. Madam Chair and Commissioners, today I am pleased to bring forward the reappointment of Ryan Karefeld as Washington County Veteran Service Officer. Under Minnesota statute, each county is required to appoint a veteran service officer to coordinate the program supporting veterans in our community.

This position has specific statutory requirements, one of them being a veteran. Ryan meets those qualifications through his service with the United States Coast Guard and his continued commitment to serving veterans in our community. Ryan and his team serve more than 13,000 veterans in Washington County. Ryan has served as the Washington County Veteran Service Officer since 2014, with prior reappointments in 2018 and 2022. So this will be his fourth term. We just counted and figured that out. I am grateful for his continued leadership, stability, and thoughtful approach to his work. He truly is an example of professionalism, commitment to service, and steady leadership. I think the most recent example that I can think of this is when we did our continuity of operations planning about a month ago. I, as you are aware, called people in to do the continuity planning. Ryan and his team were the first out of 44 units. I think they completed it in under eight hours.

He was in my office the next morning saying, "We're ready to go." I think that just shows the way they approach all their work, with urgency, professionalism, and without hesitation because they truly understand the impacts that their work can potentially have, and does have, on the clients in Washington County. With that, I'll turn it over to Ryan so he can give you a brief update on some of the work of his team. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, and thank you, Jen, for those kind words and your leadership too as well. Good morning, commissioners. Before I begin, I would just like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of one of our former veteran service officers. John Larson passed away on April 19th. John enlisted in the US Army in January of 1968. He served our country in Vietnam where he was awarded a Purple Heart. I believe he was shot. John's post-Army career began in Cotton County as their veteran service officer.

In 1988, he accepted the same role right here in Stillwater, where he stayed until he retired until 2010. John supported veterans daily with dedication and compassion. I was hired back in 2014, and every month I would get a visit from John, phone calls, and he'd just randomly stop in to say hi, but I really think he just wanted to make sure the office was running correctly. So I'll miss his random check-ins and phone calls. So keep his family in your prayers, please. So as long as I'm up here, I got to just give you a quick office update. I plan on coming back in November just to give you a more thorough update about our office and for Operation Green Light. But in 2025, we had a total of 10,658 contacts. Contacts include office visits, phone calls, and emails. That's a 5% increase compared to last year, which is... Or sorry, 2024, which is pretty impressive.

Also, we submitted a total of 978 claims. That's a 14% increase from the previous year. We're just getting busier and busier. The VA has not released its benefit expenditures yet for 2025, but for 2024, Washington County veterans received a total of $83,812,922. This could not have been accomplished without my hardworking team members. Thalasik Anelius, my lead team member, who has been with us for almost 12 years, Michael Buchan, James Norton, and our recent hire, Jeff Cowell. They are all currently downstairs or at our satellite offices serving our veteran community. I can tell you they are here for the mission. We are veterans who serve veterans, and there is no more of a fulfilling job than that. The role of a veteran service officer is very challenging. The depth of knowledge that comes with this position can be very intimidating and complex. There are a lot of ups and downs, as we have a front-row seat to observe the effects of our military service on our veterans.

With that being said, it has been the most rewarding job that I've ever had. 12 years has gone by so fast, a blink of an eye if I really think about it. So thank you for your continued support and for allowing me the opportunity to serve our veteran community, and for the previous 12 years and for the next four to come. So at this time, I will stand for any questions or comments. Thank you, Ryan. Before I call on Commissioner Karwoski, I just want to say our condolences on behalf of the board for John Larson. He was a really... I remember one of my first meetings with him when I was in the legislature. And so, he's just a sweet guy, so I'm sorry for your personal loss, but condolences to his family and loved ones as well. So, Commissioner Karwoski. Thank you, Chair Bigham. To get this before us, I'll make a motion to adopt a resolution to reappoint Ryan Karefeld as the Washington County Veteran Service Officer for a four-year term effective June 3rd, 2026 start.

Second. Been moved by Commissioner Karwoski, seconded by Commissioner Miron. Commissioner Karwoski Thank you. Ryan, thank you for the brief update. Look forward to coming back at a later date for the Operation Green Light. I'm often out more and more as I get older. I'd love to share that I get more and more pride. I did not serve, but I was named after my Uncle Stan, who did not make it back from World War II. He was killed on a prisoner of war ship. But we thank all the veterans and all what they do. And I know since I've been on, entering my 10th year, I believe, on the county board, and I've called on you it seems like a few times a year because there's a veteran in need of a difficult situation. I really appreciate your leadership or your staff's leadership to really get prompt attention and make those veterans, where they get frustrated maybe with the federal process, you really ease them into it.

And I know you're working on something recently that you took off with, and I know those residents really appreciate it. So, thank you for your service. Thank you for your leadership in the department and your staff. It's really a valuable resource, and we thank all the veterans, not only in Washington County, but throughout the state and country. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner Miron. Well, with this vote, I'll say congratulations on your reappointment. I appreciate the service that you provide. And I just want to emphasize what Commissioner Karwoski was referring to. The veterans that have contacted me really feel well-served by your department, and I just appreciate hearing that and knowing that. And I know that you and your staff have a passion in serving veterans and making sure that their needs are met, and I just so much appreciate that. So, thank you, Ryan. Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner Clausen. Thank you. Thank you for coming today.

I always appreciate when you come and give us updates on how the services are going. I always am reminded of a circumstance in which I contacted you when a person who thought they could handle their own filing with the veteran services and found out that he couldn't, and he had a lot better results going through your office. And so, I'm reminded of that every time you come and I'm reminded of the story that was told to me. And sometimes when you're going and helping people who have been in traumatic fights and wars, they have injuries that create obstacles later on in life. My children's father is a disabled veteran, and he does have aftereffects that as you grow older, those injuries, they turn into sometimes even more. And so it's really important that we have your services because these are claims that can continue on through the first filing, and it might take several filings, as we know, to get the proper payments that they're owed or they were promised at the time when they were serving. And so I think what you do is so tremendously important because as we know, not everybody is treated the same, and this really does even the playing field of class warfare that's going on.

So people who are poor and maybe not understand the process, they can go through your office and help explain it to them so they are able to get those disability payments. And so I really have always been so supportive of it because I understand the operations and importance behind all of it. And so thank you for what you do every day. 12 years of handling services that seem continuous, but at times, like you said, 14% increase. That's a lot of 14% of increase in cases- In-... in just one year... in federal claims. Yep. And- In federal, and in our state... I've seen that progressively. It just keeps climbing every year. Yeah. Every year I've been here. Yep. And I'll highlight that in November, too, as well with the commission. I'm really so thankful that you care about it and that because as you said, there's a deep dive of understanding about it that you know.

And so thanks again for coming here and letting us talk about how great your services are. And my family has a long history of serving in wars, and my father is actually named after my uncle who died in World War I, too. So, we are all affected by those that have served and really have pride in our family for those that lost their lives. So, thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner Cox. Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Carufel, thank you for bringing this to us today, and congratulations on another four years. We're really lucky to have you, honestly. And your history and just your knowledge of the system really shows up in your work every day and the way that you lead your team. So thank you for your service, both in the Coast Guard and then also here at Washington County. Thank you, Commissioner. I really appreciate the opportunity. Thanks so much. Yeah, and Ryan, I think it goes without saying that 13,000 claims a year, that you're helping 13,000 veterans with the team you have.

That's a heavy caseload. And so, and as it's already been alluded to, the increase, it's just going to keep happening. And so I appreciate through my tenure here the... focus that you've had on homelessness, the focus that you've had on mental health, and just being proactive and being able to have that vision and to lead your team. I just think you are fantastic, and your team, every time they're at the St. Paul Park Legion or the Cottage Grove VFW, they get such stellar feedback. People either stop me in the community or email because of the services they receive, the attention, the compassion, and so, I just wanted to let you know, which I do anyway when I get positive feedback from them, but your whole team is fantastic. But your leadership is stellar, so thank you so much for your service to the country, but to Washington County as well. And thank you, Commissioner. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Thank you. No further discussion. The clerk will take the roll. Commissioner Miron? Aye. Commissioner Karwoski? Aye. Commissioner Cox? Aye. Commissioner Clausen? Aye. Commissioner Bigham? Aye. Resolution passes five zero. Congratulations. Thank you. Have a great day. Thank you. Thank you. You too. Next item up is for public works, and that is Andrew Giesen to talk to us about approving contract number 18201. Mr. Giesen. All right. Good morning, Madam Chair, Commissioners. My name is Andrew Giesen. I'm project manager in the public works department. And today, public works will be recommending approval of a design contract related to the County Highway 16 improvement project. So during my presentation, I will provide an overview of the project location, scope, and past work on the corridor study, discuss the project schedule, run through services the consultant would provide under this contract, discuss the selection process and how this contract will be funded, and close with a recommendation. So this project is included in the county's capital improvement plan as RB2690, and will take place along County Highway 16, also known as Valley Creek Road, from Interlocken Parkway to State Highway 95.

And this project is located within the city of Woodbury. Based on outcomes and recommendations from the corridor study, this 2028 improvement project includes resurfacing the existing roadway and trail, adding dedicated turn lanes at several key locations, widening of shoulders, constructing a new trail connection, and then rehabbing the existing storm sewer and culverts that warrant repairs along the corridor. So this project scope is clear, and the design consultant we're seeking to hire will begin moving this work forward now. So in addition to the 2028 improvement project, there are several other planned projects along this corridor. The first project includes a new traffic signal at the intersection of County Highway 16 and Eagle Creek Lane, and that project is planned for installation this fall. The second project is the completion of the new city water main along this corridor, which is actively under construction and will be completed this year. The third project is the city-led project to add a new trail, also this year, on the north side of Valley Creek Road, and that will connect the existing pedestrian underpass at Colby Lake Park, and then extend to the east to be just east of Dancing Waters Parkway.

And then the fourth project is a county-led intersection project at Valley Creek Road and Cedar Ridge Parkway, and then that project is programmed for construction in 2028 and will convert the existing intersection controlled with all-way stop signs to a roundabout. So in addition to those four other projects, the intersection of Manning and Valley Creek Road is another intersection that we are actively reviewing. This intersection is complex, and as the best long-term solution actually includes realignment of Valley Creek Road to the south, aligning with Afton's 22nd Street. That moves that current intersection away from the bottom of the steep hill. So that realignment is dependent on development in this area, and that development, it's currently anticipated to be 10 to 20 years away. So as a long-term solution is a number of years away, the study points us towards left turn restrictions as the most viable interim improvement. And that specific configuration still requires further coordination with the city of Woodbury, MnDOT, adjacent property owners, and the public.

So we are working towards agency consensus on that interim design, but we aren't quite there yet. So a lot going on in this area, and while there still are some unknowns, we feel that hiring this consultant now still makes sense. So as detailed design work for this 2028 project can and should begin, and this consultant would help us work through that Manning Valley Creek complexity, including the inter-agency coordination, landlord-owner conversations, and helping us build a case for whatever interim solution we ultimately land on. So moving on to project schedule. With board approval of this contract, final design and public outreach would begin, which prepares us to begin any necessary right of way acquisition later this year. By the end of 2027, final design and right of way acquisition would be completed, and the project bid package would be advertised for contractors to bid on. And again, construction is programmed for 2028. Consultant services for this design contract will include project coordination, public outreachCoordination with private utility companies, geotechnical evaluation, detailed drainage design, and development of a detailed project layout, cost estimating, permitting, and creation of final construction plans for contractors to bid on.

A request for proposals was posted on the county's website in January. Seven firms submitted proposals, and these proposals were reviewed on how well the firms understood the project objectives, the consultant's work plan and project approach, and the qualifications of the project team and the project team's experience delivering similar projects.

So based on the county's evaluation of proposals, HR Green was determined to provide the best fit team to provide design services for this project. This was due to HR Green's past work on the corridor study, strong understanding of the requested scope of work, past performances on both Washington County projects and similar projects for other agencies, and proposing an experienced consultant project manager and team. And the contract was negotiated in the amount of $428,079.40 for these services. So funding for the design contracts and land acquisition comes from a combination of state aid, local contributions from the City of Woodbury, and our local transportation sales tax. And with award of this final design contract, roughly 139,000 of remaining funds are available for this project, which would be carried over to the construction phase. So to close, Public Works is recommending board approval of a design contract with HR Green for the county State Aid Highway 16 improvement project. I'm happy to stand for any questions.

Sounds good. Commissioner Clausen? Yeah, I would like to just move the motion to approve the contract number 18201 with HR Green in the amount of $428,079.40 to provide final design services for the County State Highway 16 Valley Creek Road improvement project from Interlachen Parkway to State Highway 95, Manning Avenue within the City of Woodbury. I'll second that. Moved and seconded. Commissioner Clausen. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Greeson. I always call you Andrew, Mr. Greeson. Thank you for the overall presentation. Just for clarifications, I just wanted to make sure that I'm understanding what's in front of us today. So this part of the overall study had been conducted, and based on the study, we are moving forward with the designs, but that is not including the Eagle Creek. It is including Eagle Creek? Yeah, Madam Chair, Commissioner- I'm sorry. Yeah. Can you go through that again with me- Yeah... just so I'm on the same page?

So for the corridor study, there's a slate of recommendations, and those recommendations are being built in phases. And so the Eagle Creek traffic signal is being built for a separate project that's going to be constructed this year. And so this project's looking at the larger corridor and what kind of near-term improvements we can make as part of a phase one project. And just for clarifications, is the park trails that you discussed, is that a part of the $428,079.40?

Yeah. Madam Chair, Commissioner, there's two trail additions, I guess, being proposed over the next few years. One is a city-led effort that's going to be constructed this year, following the city water main project. So that's going to be on the north side of Valley Creek Road, again, connecting from the existing pedestrian tunnel near Colby Lake Park, and then extending to the east to tie into an existing trail network near Dancing Waters Parkway and Settlers Ridge. And then as part of this 2028 construction project, which would be part of this final design contract, we'd be making a trail connection also from that existing pedestrian tunnel to the west to Jewell Street. So we have two trail projects, I guess, proposed over the next few years. And that's part of this design as well. Is that what I'm hearing? Yeah. That connection from the tunnel to the west would be part of this design. Great. So we're talking from Interlachen Road all the way to Manning Avenue is going to be designed and studied, as well as the trails.

But not what's currently being worked on, which is Eagle Creek and the water pipes that are going in right now, which it looks like more is going on than what... It seems like the project's moving further than it is because everything is dug out, and people aren't sure what exactly is happening. So I just thank you for that clarification. And then part of this study is really designed to help improve traffic and lessen the accidents that are occurring at Manning on State Highway 16 and Valley Creek, as well as the accidents at Woodbury Drive and Valley Creek.

During the design phases, can I ask that we also study how to improve the traffic and the capacity Yeah, Madam Chair, commissioners, yeah, we could look at, I know there's a number of signalized intersections along here. We could look at optimizing that. I believe we have done recent corridor kind of timing of those traffic signals to optimize flows through there. But this is a very high volume corridor, so there's going to be delays as you approach those existing traffic signals. But I can take that back to our traffic team to look at optimizing those traffic signals. I think for us, in the City of Woodbury, debris and accidents are quite frequent. We see accidents that are occurring on Woodbury Drive and Valley Creek area a lot, and I just want that more thoroughly studied. I have received presentations in the past where we have more information in front of us in regards to the traffic accidents.

I recently saw an article in the Forest Lake paper that had a lot of the number of accidents and why it was so necessary to study the area. And so I'd like that to be a part of the design services because I really think that that's important for the board and for staff to see so that we really concentrate on this area. Thank you. Anything else? No. Okay. Commissioner Karwoski. Thank you, Chair Bigham. Andrew, thank you for the presentation. The improvements to Valley Creek are much needed. A significant portion of the improvements are in District 5, and it'll be a great improvement. So I'm very supportive of the project, supportive of the trails and the connection to neighborhoods. Attended several community engagement meetings, and the people were really excited about the road project, but also excited about the trails. And I know it's not part of this project, but I'm wondering how it coordinates with this project.

So in the upcoming regional trail called Creek to Croix, that'll be a trail that'll be kind of significant, wider than a standard city trail. There's talking about having stations to rest. Be quite an amazing thing. The details aren't defined yet, but the people are really ramped up about it. And I know Commissioner Clausen's well aware of this, too. What we're doing for improvements on this project that we're approving today, is it in coordination with the upcoming details of the Creek to Croix, which is Battle Creek Regional Park out to the St. Croix River? Yeah. Madam Chair, Commissioner. Yeah, so we're actively going through the long-range regional trail plan for the Creek to Croix. And so this portion of Valley Creek Road has been identified for that regional trail corridor. So, if we're going to implement a new trail that's identified along that regional trail corridor, we would construct that trail to regional trail standards, like you said, wider with maybe little flatter slopes.

So we are incorporating that, or will incorporate that as part of this final design effort. Thank you. Any other comments? Thank you, Mr. Giesen, for your presentation. It was very well done, very detailed. And it's a project in a very high-trafficked area that needs to be completed, and I think the trails will be fantastic addition in the area. No further discussion, then all in favor of approving contract number 18201 say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed say nay. Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you. The next item on the agenda is with the sheriff's office, and that is to adopt a resolution recognizing National Law Enforcement Week and National Law Enforcement Memorial Day in Washington County with Sergeant Erickson.

Good morning, Madam Chair and Commissioners. When I was asked to speak today about what the National Law Enforcement Memorial Week means to me, I spent a lot of time thinking about it. After nearly three decades in law enforcement, I realize the meaning has changed for me over time. When I began my career in 1997 with the Washington County Sheriff's Office, I was focused on learning the job, proving myself, and helping people in any way I could. Like many young officers, I thought mostly about responding to calls, catching bad guys, and making a difference one shift at a time. Over the years, I've been fortunate to serve in many different assignments within the office. I worked patrol, served as the contract officer for the City of Afton, worked as a school resource officer, became a juvenile detective, served as a SWAT negotiator, patrol sergeant, Lake Elmo contract sergeant, and now serve as the detective sergeant assigned to human trafficking.

Each assignment taught me something different about this profession and about this community. Patrol taught me unpredictability and resilience. You learn quickly that no two calls are the same. One minute you're helping somebody through the worst day of their life, and the next you are trying to calm chaos and restore order. Working as an SRO showed me the importance of relationships. Kids do not always remember what you say, but they remember whether you cared about them. It taught me that law enforcement is not just about enforcement, it's about mentorship, trust, and being present before a crisis happens. As a juvenile detective, I saw firsthand how trauma, addiction, abuse, and neglect can shape a child's future. It reinforced the importance of intervention and compassion. Serving as a SWAT negotiator taught me patience and communication. Sometimes, the greatest success in law enforcement is not force or arrest. Sometimes success is simply bringing somebody home safely. As a supervisor, I learned the weight of responsibility for people beside you.

You're no longer just responsible for your own decisions, you are responsible for helping lead others through difficult moments, critical incidents, and personal struggles that the public may never see. Today in my role investigating human trafficking, I see another side of victimization that many people in our communities do not realize exists here in Minnesota and here in our communities. Human trafficking is not something that only happens in large cities or in movies. It happens in neighborhoods that look just like ours. Victims are often vulnerable people, many times juveniles, who are manipulated, exploited, controlled, and abused by individuals who see human beings as commodities instead of people. One of the most difficult parts of this work is understanding that many victims do not initially see themselves as victims. Traffickers use fear, addiction, emotional manipulation, violence, and dependence to control them. It can take months or even years before somebody feels safe enough to ask for help or trust law enforcement.

That is why this work matters so much. Our responsibility is not just to investigate crimes, it is to protect people who are vulnerable, to pursue those who exploit others, and to work with community partners to help victims rebuild their lives. This type of work reminds me daily that law enforcement today requires more than enforcement alone. It requires empathy, persistence, collaboration, and the ability to recognize that behind every case file is a human being. National Law Enforcement Week is important because it allows us to recognize the men and women who do this work every day, often without recognition and often at great personal sacrifice. The public sees the uniform, the squad car, and the badge, but behind the badge are people who miss holidays with their families, work nights and weekends, respond to traumatic incidents, and carry experiences that stay with them long after their shift ends. Law enforcement officers witness tragedy, violence, addiction, mental health crisis, abuse, and loss regularly.

Yet despite that, they continue to show up every day because they believe in service. This week is also about remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Every name engraved on a memorial wall represents a family forever changed, a partner who never came home, children who lost a parent, and communities that lost protectors. As law enforcement officers, we understand the risk is part of the job, but the reality never becomes easy. Memorial Day within law enforcement is deeply personal because every officer understands the names on those memorials were people just like us. They had families, coworkers, plans for the future, and commitment to serve others. We owe it to them to continue serving with professionalism, integrity, and compassion. After 29 years with the Washington County Sheriff's Office, I can honestly say that what I value most is not the titles or assignments, it's the people. The deputies, dispatchers, investigators, supervisors, support staff, and community members who work together every day to make the county safer. Law enforcement has changed significantly since 1997. The challenges are different.

The expectations are different. But the core mission remains the same, protecting people, serving the community, and standing besides those who need help. I am proud to have spent my career serving Washington County. I'm proud of the work being done by the men and women of this office today. And I'm grateful to the families who support law enforcement officers, because none of us could do this job without them. To my fellow law enforcement officers, thank you for your dedication, professionalism, and sacrifices. And to the community, thank you for continued support and trust. It's an honor to serve you. At this time, I would like to read the National Law Enforcement Proclamation. Absolutely. Proclamation National Law Enforcement Week and National Law Enforcement Memorial Day. Whereas established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962 to pay special recognition to law enforcement officers and the vital contributions they make to public safety. And whereas by the enforcement of our laws, these same officers have given our country internal freedom from fear of the violence and civil disorder that is presently affecting other nations.

And whereas these officers have safeguarded the lives and property of their fellow Americans. And whereas this week is dedicated to honoring Washington County's law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. And whereas the Washington County Sheriff's Office invites the public to the historical courthouse on May 15th, 2026 at noon for their annual ceremony memorializing those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Washington County Board of Commissioners hereby proclaim the week of May 10th through May 16th, 2026 as National Law Enforcement Week, and May 15th, 2026 as National Law Enforcement Memorial Day, and extends its appreciation to all those who protect and serve in Washington County. Thank you. Thank you. Is there a motion to adopt the resolution? Madam Chair, I will move to adopt the resolution recognizing National Law Enforcement Week and National Law Enforcement Memorial Day in Washington County. Second. There's been a motion by Commissioner Cox, seconded by Commissioner Miron.

Commissioner Cox. Thank you. Madam Chair, Sergeant Erickson, thank you. It's really interesting to hear your story from SRO to Afton to Lake Elmo to all of these different communities, and now where you are today. We are lucky to have had you for 29 years and for your leadership within the department and the sheriff's office. I'm just incredibly grateful, and I look forward to being there on May 15th with you. Thank you. Commissioner Miron. Thank you. Sergeant, what a moving script, story that you shared. I'm wondering if our communications team could pick up on that and maybe submit it to some of the local papers, just to draw more attention to Law Enforcement Week and National Law Enforcement Day in Washington County. I think it just is such a moving story and it needs to be shared more broadly if we can. But thank you for being before us today, and we were expecting Sheriff Starry, and I think pleasantly surprised with the sergeant's presentation.

Commissioner Karwoski Thank you, Chair Bigham. Sergeant Erickson, thanks for the presentation. I think most of us always can get to the, it's May 15th, so it'd be next Friday. A week from Friday is the ceremony, the National Law Enforcement Memorial Day ceremony. That's always a highlight. It's very meaningful. I want to thank you for your leadership and everyone in the sheriff's office. I know we have Sheriff Starry out here and Chief Deputy Anschutz. So thank you. Thank you. Any other comments? Thank you, Sergeant, for sharing your story, and your years of service. What an example, as it's been said, from SRO all the way to sergeant. So, it's a really good example for those that want to go into law enforcement. And I just always enjoy making sure that we highlight the work that law enforcement does every year during this time, but also, as you said, honoring those that made the ultimate sacrifice, and the family, community, and team members that they leave behind. And so, I also always look forward to May 15th, and I have to say that every time Commissioner Kriesel was here, it was very sunny and nice. Last year, Commissioner Cox started, it didn't rain. I'm going to give you that.

So let's hope that the weather is very beautiful out there like it is most years to have such a wonderful ceremony that brings law enforcement from all over to Stillwater. So, thank you very much for your story. With that, we will have the clerk take the roll. Commissioner Miron. Aye. Commissioner Karwoski. Aye. Commissioner Cox. Aye. Commissioner Clausen. Aye. Commissioner Bigham. Aye. Resolution passes 5-0. Thank you. Thank you, Sergeant. Next item is general administration, and we will go with Deputy Administrator Lucke for a legislative update first.

Good morning, Madam Chair, commissioners. As mentioned, I'm Jan Lucke, deputy administrator. I'm going to provide a very brief state legislative update this morning. Much of the committee work is done with finance, capital investment, and the tax committee continuing to meet as they look to wrap up an agreement that the majority of both parties can support. As you know, a bonding or capital investment bill requires a higher threshold for passage with a 60% super majority in both the House and the Senate. The tracker is at the dais, which lists our state funding requests, our capital investment requests, and there are no changes since last week. And so we continue to be in somewhat of a wait and see mode as those legislators are working hard to find an agreement. Our state lobbyist, Margaret Vessel, has been in this wait and see mode, meeting with members of our delegation daily. She met with Senator Housley yesterday just to continue to keep our requests front and center.

Following the board meeting last Tuesday, Commissioners Cox and Miron and I went down to the Capitol with Margaret Vessel and Brendan Strickland. We were able to catch four of our members, Senators Seberger and... I'm going to blank. Seberger and Henningsen-Yeager. And then we also met with, briefly, Representatives Johnson and Buck. Other members of our delegation were not on site, so it was a quick visit. And with that, Madam Chair, we'll keep you posted. There's two weeks left, so the session ends two weeks from today. Any questions for deputy administrator? All right. Thank you. Administrator Corbid, anything? Madam Chair, just two quick items. For next week's agenda, you will notice that we will have the Childcare Provider of the Year Award presented by Community Services Department, so you will expect to have a much younger crowd in the audience next week than we typically do. And then we also have three workshops on the agenda, one on the service and license centers, one on the county's transportation sales tax, and the third one on mandates and core functions.

If you recall, I notified you that we were going to set up a series of workshops. Because those are much more like the budget presentations and workshops we're doing, staff has recommended that they be held in here and be on camera. So we will start with that workshop and then follow with the other two. So that's just a quick update on scheduling for next week. Thank you. All right. If there are no questions, we'll move into commissioner reports. Commissioner Clausen, you want to start us out? Sure. Had some meetings with staff to go over a Land and Water Legacy program. Looking for a more equitable way to disperse that program to develop lands as well. So looking more into that and how we can better serve our county with the new program. We have a Woodbury Public Safety groundbreaking on Friday, which is for the new public safety building, and so the public can attend. It's at 1:00 PM if people are interested in attending that.

There's a lot of changes going on in Woodbury right now. It's a little hard to get around as well. So, this is no different. There's not a lot of parking over at the public safety building, so come early to get a parking spot at the library. But it's going to be great to see everybody and to talk about all the changes that are happening in Woodbury. So, and that's all. Thanks. Sounds good. Commissioner Miron. Yeah. Thank you, Madam Chair. Attended the Big Marine Lake Association meeting. Alex McKinney did a presentation on the Kelly Farm acquisition to them. We had a couple of days of extensive interviews for Carnelian Marine Watershed appointments. Appreciate all of the applicants that showed an interest there. Commissioner Bingham and I attended the Recycling and Energy Board meeting. Really just identified our budget planning timeline. We made a couple of decisions related to end-of-year surplus and our program fund balance policy at that particular meeting.

And met with the board of the Veterans Rest Camp, provided them with some park updates, specifically the Bureen property that we acquired and is right next to the Vets Rest Camp, and how we might work with them to meet both their needs and some of the county's needs. Had an opportunity to visit with some Cub Scouts, Webelos, talking about my responsibilities as an elected official. Part of their training requires them to meet and visit with elected officials. And then last night, our public work staff reported on a Highway 96 study, and appeared to be really good attendance and people engaged there and with the work and the planning that's being done. I believe that was our third public meeting on that particular road study and project. So, that's all I have, Madam Chair. Thank you. Commissioner Cox. Thank you, Madam Chair. I had a robust discussion with the Public Health and Environment Team last week.

Thank you for that, Director Brummel, for putting us all in the same room together. Commissioner Miron mentioned the Watershed interviews. Thank you again for everyone's support on that and for, again, the great applicants that applied. I was able to attend AMC's Nuts, Bolts, and Boardrooms conference last week, Wednesday through Friday, and attended some vice chair/chair training, which was really helpful to just sit around the room and talk with other people in those positions. I did attend the Highway 96 study open house last night. It was really interesting to see the boards and the amount of excitement around possible trails. I still hear Maddie in my head saying, "This is not a trail project." But the communities are really looking forward to that being a possibility along that corridor. And then just this morning, the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce puts together a gathering of mayors and administrators every year. And so Bayport, Lake Elmo, Oak Park Heights, and Stillwater were there and sharing updates on their communities and just really building collaboration and unity among some of the cities here in District 3. So, thank you.

Nice. Commissioner Karwoski. Thank you, Chair. As far as formal activities, I only have a few things to report on for the past week, and as mentioned, most of us participated in the two rounds of Finished Up Yesterday, but also I think last Wednesday or whatever, the nine candidates, all talented, but that was well worth the time. A lot of good, talented interviews there. And then attended a Woodbury-area Chamber sponsored ribbon cutting of Topgolf. They actually had the ribbon cutting six months earlier, but the weather was not conducive to really having the... It's a great facility for winter golf. But yet when it's snowing and it's winter, then maybe some of the technology they use at the facility does not work. So that's a really rare exception, because who plays in the snow? But it's a great facility, Topgolf. It's a wonderful addition to Woodbury along Behlenberg Avenue. A great ribbon cutting, well turned out. Great turnout.

And then really as we do each week, had a lot of constituent tasks. We always meet with staff and a lot of communication going on. That's all I have. Thank you. Yeah, I had a busy week. I won't repeat the Watershed interviews and the Recycling and Energy Board. I attended both of those. Then also had a meeting about AAFA, which is the African American Family Preservation Act, and we're really watching how the legislature ends because the House and Senate haven't both passed a remedy that we desperately need to not have this shifted onto the counties. And part of the act is to have case reviews done and audits done, and as it currently reads, every case would have to be audited by the county. And I know thatBecause Commissioner Kriesel had been on the audit committee forever, and I'm in my second year of it, even there we do statistically relevant and a statistical valid amount of auditing. Not every single case does. And so I do think that has to be adjusted and the state needs to take over case review to have it be more consistent, and that is in the bill in the House and the Senate.

There's funding for counties for implementation, and so we're hoping that they can get that across the line and agree on a process to get it across the line. And finally on that, we had a really good meeting yesterday talking about really readiness and the training for active efforts not up to par, and we don't even have the cultural competency training available yet. And so it's going to be interesting to see how that meets the deadline. I also had an opportunity to tour Solid Ground, which is for families, where we have housing for families in need, and just a wonderful facility, and appreciate Sarah Tripple for arranging that for me, and I just really appreciate our stakeholders and our partners. I had a Red Rock Corridor meeting and really gave an update on our transit plan. I really appreciate staff putting all of that together and presenting. And also had a DCYF Intergovernmental Relations Council meeting and really heard more about what the department does.

The speed of that IAC is slow, but that's DCYF, I guess, for you. And then we had a ribbon cutting for Mi Pueblo, which is a restaurant in Cottage Grove, and what a phenomenal turnout. So just excited for the new opportunities there. All right. If there is nothing else, then we will move to board correspondence. We did receive the annual report and annual plan for Browns Creek Watershed District. And so you could take a look at that. It appears as if each commissioner received a copy. After adjournment, the board has a workshop with Public Works to review the draft findings and recommendations of the parks funding model evaluation and financial analysis. And with that, there is no further action before the board, so we are adjourned.