Washington County will work with Century College's solar energy department to install a project that will reduce the cost of heating water at the Lake Elmo Park Reserve campground and restroom building.
Commissioners agreed to the partnership at their Tuesday meeting.
The county received a grant of $18,000 from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the project, which was available from the state sales tax dedicated for parks.
The project involves installing solar panels and electrical connections to the existing water heating system, while retaining the current power sources as a back-up to the solar energy system.
WOODBURY
Council put brakes on speed table proposalThe Woodbury City Council decided to proceed with caution on an effort to slow speeding traffic on a neighborhood street that has frustrated both residents and city officials.
City officials have been working for three years on strategies to slow cars on Woodcrest Drive between Valley Creek Road and Ironwood Drive, Klayton Eckles, city engineer, told the council earlier this month. In response to complaints, police officers boosted speed enforcement in the area, but the problem hasn't gone away, he said.
After studying the problem, one possible solution would be to add two speed tables along that stretch of roadway, he said. That would cost about $6,000.
Speed tables are a modified speed bump with a flat surface in the center and have been shown to be an effective way to slow traffic.
