Briefs: Scandia delays Log House Landing action

The Scandia City Council has postponed plans to renovate a historic boat landing in late summer.

The council unanimously decided Tuesday to delay work on the Log House Landing until further research examines the accumulation of sediment in the St. Croix River. The council deferred the design plan until the Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District conducts the research.

The district will spend $10,000 for the study, said district manager Steve Kronmiller. The district has used modeling techniques to study streambank erosion in the past decade, and further examination indicates the road is generating eight tons of sediment a year, he said.

"We've looked and researched the problem for years, and every time we do we come back with a solution that contains the very same elements that the solution in front of us does," he said.

Scandia Mayor Randall Simonson said he was "pleased to see the city itself is going to be able to take a step back and let the watershed do its analysis."

In January, city officials approved a plan to replace the small boat landing with a paved, 13-foot-wide lane.

The Jon Francis Foundation, a wilderness safety education corporation, has gone into partnership with Joe's Sporting Goods, which will be a sponsor and provide a place for training.

The foundation, named after the Stillwater man who perished in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho in 2007, works to save lives and prevent injury with courses on backcountry travel.

The foundation was formed by David Francis, Jon's father, who said outdoor enthusiasts make up many of the 48,000 unsolved missing adult cases in the United States.

This year, 1,500 Woodbury residents will receive community surveys in their mailbox. Survey results help the City Council determine whether the city is meeting expectations and where improvements are needed.

The survey is conducted every other year and is sent to residents at random. Questions can be directed to Tyler Burkart, assistant to the city administrator, at tburkart@ci.woodbury.mn.us or at 651-714-3541.

The Washington County Historical Society is offering a scholarship for postsecondary education.

Applicants must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and be a member of WCHS, or have an immediate family member in the organization.

Applications must be received by April 15. The recipient will be notified by May 15.

To get an application, contact a high school counselor office or the Washington County Historical Society at 651-439-5956; send an e-mail to information@wchsmn.org, or visit www.wchsmn.org.

The Washington County Board has accepted a grant from Health Partners to support "evidence-based" home visiting in the county.

In its grant letter, Health Partners noted, "Family home visiting programs address many of the barriers to health by meeting young families in their homes and supporting them through the first year of parenting."

The program is funded primarily through permit fees with some state grant funding.

Washington County will work with the city of Hugo to improve the County Road 7-County Road 8 intersection.

The County Board approved an agreement for cost-sharing and construction of the intersection Feb. 17.

The two roads currently intersect at a 45-degree angle, making sightlines difficult for motorists, said County Engineer Wayne Sandberg. The project will realign the intersection to a 90-degree angle.

Under the cooperative agreement, Hugo will design and construct the project. The county will be responsible for all project costs of $595,132. The county's Capital Improvement Plan listed the project for construction in 2017 but the Hugo partnership allows completion in 2015, Sandberg said.