The Washington County Board of Commissioners met June 23 in the Government Center at Stillwater, conducting much business.
Among agenda items was a resolution declaring July as Park and Recreation Month in the county.
The resolution as passed June 23 continues “Free Tuesdays,” allowing vehicles to enter Washington County Parks for free on the first non-holiday Tuesday of each month. The board also recognized Parks staff for receiving the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association Awards of Excellence. It’s the fifteenth Award of Excellence the county has received since 2018.
Park and Recreation Month highlights the value of parks and trails in Washington County. Parks play a key role in improving quality of life by supporting residents’ health and the county’s economy and environment. They help clean the air and water, protect wildlife, and preserve the natural beauty of the area. Parks also give people a place to enjoy nature, exercise, and improve their mental and emotional well-being, including those with disabilities.
Beyond health benefits, parks and recreation programs strengthen the local economy by raising property values, attracting tourism, and supporting local businesses.
Washington County Parks manages nearly 5,500 acres across eight parks, three regional trails, a conservation area, and the Historic Courthouse. In 2025, these parks welcomed around 2 million visitors.
The county also offers free park access on select days such as Earth Day, National Get Outdoors Day, and the Friday after Thanksgiving, as well as for eligible low-income residents and veterans with service-connected disabilities. For more information about Washington County Parks, events, and programs, visit WashingtonCountyMN.gov/Parks.
Also June 23, the board appointed Jonathan Pritchard to a first full term on the Community Development Block Grant advisory June 23.
Pritchard’s term starts July 1, 2026, and expires Dec. 31, 2029.
Expanding its coordinated Mental Health Response Program, the board approved an agreement to embed a county social worker in the City of Oakdale Police Department.
The agreement expands the county’s Coordinated Mental Health Response Program, which embeds social workers in law enforcement agencies throughout the county. The cost share for the Coordinated Mental Health Response position is 75 percent county-funded and 25 percent city-funded for the first year, and 50 percent county-funded and 50 percent city-funded in the second year and thereafter. The term of the agreement with the City of Oakdale is from July 1, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2027, and totals approximately $230,818.
In 2021, Washington County Community Services began partnering with law enforcement to launch the Coordinated Mental Health Response Program to address mental health-related calls. The program consists of embedded social workers, mental health detectives, and therapy dogs working together. With the addition of the Oakdale Police Department, the program includes eight social workers in six jurisdictions.
One of the goals of the program is to reduce criminal justice system involvement and create timely access to social services. The integration of social workers into emergency response reduces law enforcement patrol contacts for mental health calls and increases opportunities and the likelihood of connecting individuals to appropriate mental health and substance-use disorder services.
With the new agreement, the Coordinated Mental Health Program now includes the following six law enforcement agencies:
• Washington County Sheriff’s Office
• Woodbury Police Department
• Stillwater Police Department
• Cottage Grove Police Department
• Oak Park Heights Police Department
• Oakdale Police Department
The Coordinated Mental Health Response staff in the Washington County Sheriff’s Office serve the 21 cities and townships in the county that do not have their own police department or are contracted with the Sheriff’s Office to provide law enforcement services.
Closing out the June 23 county board update, the board approved two 1-4 day temporary on-sale liquor license applications June 23 from Washington County Agricultural Society.
The temporary on-sale liquor licenses are for the Washington County Fair from July 29, 2026, through Aug. 2, 2026, at the Washington County Fairgrounds, 12300 N. 40th St., in Baytown 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 applicant’s license fees pay for the administrative costs of the county's administration, compliance, and verification checks.