The Washington County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the Government Center in Stillwater. Among items on the meeting agenda were approval of a construction management contract for the Public Works South Shop project, reception of a FEMA grant for a remote operated vehicle, $4,000 donation for holiday Shop with a Cop, public hearing on the revised 2026 county fee schedule, purchase order for electronic monitoring equipment, and declaration of November 19 as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day in Washington County.
Starting with the Public Works South Shop project, Knutson Construction will serve as the construction management agent for the Washington County Public Works South Shop project.
The County Board of Commissioners approved a $987,935 contract Nov. 18 with Knutson Construction, which will serve as an extension of the Public Works Department, helping to guide the project from pre-construction through close-out.
Under the contract, Knutson Construction’s responsibilities will include:
• Reviewing design documents for constructibility and cost efficiency.
• Developing and maintaining the critical path project schedule.
• Coordinating bidding and procurement of trade contractors.
• Overseeing day-to-day construction activities and ensuring adherence to safety, budget, and quality standards.
• Managing cost control, change orders, and financial reporting.
• Facilitating communication between contractors, designers, and County staff.
• Supporting final inspections, occupancy planning, and turnover documentation.
The county posted a request for proposals in September and received three proposals. Knutson Construction submitted the lowest fee proposal.
The county is planning to construct a new South Shop building, which will be located south of the current South Shop maintenance facility and South Environmental Center in Woodbury.
The current South Shop, which serves as a maintenance and storage facility for Public Works equipment, was determined during a 2022 study to be outdated and in need of major repairs. The design of the space is no longer suited for the size and amount of equipment needed in the southern portion of the county. The county is moving forward with the construction of a new, modern South Shop facility that will improve equipment maintenance, cut down on operational inefficiencies, and save staff time to access equipment.
The $35 million project will be funded with county transportation sales tax and a proposed $9 million 2027 bond sale. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027 and to be completed in the summer of 2028.
In law enforcement news from Nov. 18, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received a $187,500 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to purchase a remote-operated vehicle.
The grant is from the Port Security Grant Program, which provides funding to state, local, and private sector maritime partners to support increased port-wide risk management and protect critical surface transportation infrastructure from acts of terrorism, major disasters, and other emergencies.
The funding will allow the Sheriff's Office to acquire a remotely operated submersible vehicle system to support various mission areas, such as explosive device detection and remediation, hazardous materials operations, tactical law enforcement operations, search and rescue, and surveillance and detection.
The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved the grant agreement Nov. 18. The grant term begins Sep. 1, 2025, and expires Aug. 31, 2028. The county agrees to provide $62,500 (25%) in matching funds as part of the grant agreement.
Also in law enforcement news, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received a $4,000 donation from Creative Homes in support of a holiday Shop with a Cop event.
Students are nominated by local elementary schools to participate in this event. The selected children are paired with deputies from the Sheriff's Office and officers from the Oak Park Heights Police Department to shop for gifts for their families. The participants are also provided with a Secret Santa gift selected by the deputy or officer that they are paired with. This event has been a great opportunity for the Sheriff’s Office employees and volunteers to connect with the community in a positive way.
As for county fees, the Washington County Board of Commissioners conducted a public hearing Nov. 18 to receive comments on the county’s revised fee schedule for 2026.
No members of the public spoke during the public hearing.
The fee schedule includes any updates for county fees for 2026. According to state law, county fees may be assessed:
• To record, file, certify, or provide copies of any instrument, document, or paper.
• For service provided by any county office, official, department, court, or employee.
They also must have a reasonable relation between the fee and the cost of providing the service.
Changes to the fee schedule respond to updates to state legislation and guidance from state departments that determine eligibility for services. Other fee changes were made to align the fees with the cost of processing an application or providing services.
New to the fee schedule are Electric Vehicle Charging Stations initial hook-up fees and charging rates and added fees for digital passport photos.
The County Board considered the adoption of the fee schedule for 2026 on Nov. 25.
Closing out law enforcement related news from Nov. 18, the Washington County Board approved a purchase order with Midwest Monitoring to cover expenses for GPS tracking and alcohol monitoring technologies Nov. 18.
The purchase order for $485,000 is for a term of Jan 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2026, with the option to renew. Under this agreement, Midwest Monitoring will supply dedicated staff at the Community Corrections Department offices in Stillwater, equipment, and administrative monitoring of electronic monitoring alerts.
Electronic monitoring is often applied as a condition of pretrial release, probation, or supervision to enhance oversight, support rehabilitation, and public safety. The electronic monitoring technology includes ankle-worn, tamper-resistant Global Positioning System (GPS) devices that track location and curfew compliance and portable alcohol monitor devices with facial recognition that send real-time results and support sobriety efforts.
The county is transitioning electronic monitoring to a third-party vendor to reduce the administrative burden on probation officers and allow them to increase their ability to deliver in-person client engagement, fieldwork and home visits, and rehabilitation and supervision efforts.
The purchase order was made through cooperative purchasing under Dakota County’s contract.
Last but not least from Nov. 18, the Washington County Board declared Nov. 19 as officially Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day in Washington County. The Washington County Board of Commissioners made the declaration and honored the county’s GIS staff for the impactful work they have accomplished in the community Nov. 18.
In 1999, the first Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day was held to celebrate GIS-based technologies. This year marks the 26th anniversary of GIS Day and is dedicated to showing, teaching, and inspiring others about the importance of GIS work in a wide range of businesses, including government.
Geography has played a defining role in the settlement, history, and cultural heritage of Washington County. GIS professionals work in departments throughout the county to improve operations to better serve its residents and make useful geographic information open and easily available to the public.