The Washington County Board of Commissioners is throwing its weight behind mental health, the opioid crisis, and infrastructure with a slew of appointments and new contracts, as per announcements from their latest meeting.
Three new faces are joining the Mental Health Advisory Council, including David Siebert, Kaonou Vue, and Christopher Thewis, each taking up roles until December 31, 2024, or 2026, as representatives for various sectors within mental health. Vue, from Cottage Grove, will serve as a Chemical Health Professional Representative, while Thewis, from Oakdale, will step in as a Residential Treatment Facility Representative, the county's official website reported.
In the fight against the opioid epidemic, a new 15-member council was set up to manage settlement funds, funneling expertise and first-hand experience into the county's strategy. "The council comprises professional experts and community members with relevant expertise in opioids, lived experience with opioids, or both," according to the county's statement. Members are expected to serve two-year stints on this pivotal council.
On the infrastructure front, the Law Enforcement Center is in for a makeover worth $164,500, authorized by the board. Updates are crucial for the center built in 1993 and last expanded in 2009. That’s to include the installation of new safety systems, as well as a facelift for building design and operating systems. According to contact Erik Jalowitz, Building Services Capital Projects Manager, the contract includes essentials like temporary construction supplies and operational necessities during the renovation.
Booze is back on the menu at local events after the board gave the nod to several liquor license applications. Celebrations like the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Food Truck Extravaganza will have the green light to serve liquor, under the watchful eye of the County’s verification checks, "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," detailed the county’s release.
Rounding off the developments, Washington County is investing in safer and more efficient roads with Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. leading the charge on the Bailey Road and Settlers Ridge Parkway improvements and HR Green, Inc. taking on the Valley Creek Road Corridor Study. Both contracts, amounting to almost $900,000, aim to ease future congestion and overhaul traffic flow with advanced planning and public engagement initiatives mentioned in the statements from Engineer III, Andrew Giesen.
