Washington County briefs

County commissioners and the Minnesota Inter-County Association will host a state legislative candidate forum from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 21 in the board room at the Washington County Government Center, 14949 62nd St. N., Stillwater.

Candidates who have said they will participate are: Senate District 56, Ted Lillie and Kathy Saltzman; House District 52B, Matt Dean and Sten Hakanson; House District 56A, Julie Bunn and Jim Martin; House District 56B, Andrea Kieffer and Marsha Swails; and House District 57A, Jen Peterson and John Kriesel. Kathy Lohmer, a candidate for House District 56A, was also invited.

For more information, call Keith Carlson, the association's executive director, at 651-222-8737, or Yvonne Klinnert, public information officer for Washington County, at 651-430-6026.

Board adopts 2030 comprehensive planJust how county officials will govern Washington County over the next 20 years is spelled out in the county's 2030 comprehensive plan, which commissioners approved last week.

The plan sets broad policies and strategies to manage land use, transportation, parks, housing, natural and historic resources, and public facilities.

The Metropolitan Council forecasts that by 2030, Washington County will have nearly 129,000 more residents, an increase of 55 percent. That would mean nearly 58,000 more households. In addition, the county is projected to have 62,971 more jobs, a 93 percent increase, according to estimates.

No residents spoke at last week's public hearing on the plan.

Foster care licensing meetings scheduledThe first informational sessions for people wanting to become licensed foster care providers for adults and children will be held Monday at the Washington County Government Center, 14949 62nd St. N., Stillwater.

The county requires people who want to become foster care providers to attend an informational meeting that provides an overview of the foster care program.

Before families can be licensed, they must undergo screening that includes an extensive background check.

Meetings will be held in the LL21 Conference Room at the government center.

For anyone interested in child foster care, the sessions are 6-9 p.m. Monday and 6-9 p.m. Nov. 1.

For additional information, or to RSVP regarding adult foster care or child foster care informational meetings, call 651-430-6455.

Bids accepted for paving county roadCommissioners have accepted a bid for bituminous reclamation and paving of County Road 8 in Hugo.

The bid by Hardrives Inc. for $1.8 million was accepted at the County Board's meeting on Sept. 7. The project area is along County Road 8 (Goodview Avenue N.) to 480 feet north of County Road 7 in Hugo.

Costs will be reimbursed with state aid funds and local funds from the City of Hugo.

Household waste collections comingSatellite household hazardous waste collection sites are planned soon in northern Washington County.

Household hazardous materials will be accepted from residents of Washington, Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Businesses aren't eligible, the county said.

Neighborhood maintenance includes sweeping, flushingStreet sweeping is expected to start Monday, weather permitting. When sweepers are in the neighborhood, all vehicles and items such as portable basketball hoops should be moved from the streets so the entire street can be cleaned.

Street sweeping will take place over about five working days between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Provided the street sweeping proceeds as scheduled, hydrant flushing will begin the week of Sept. 20. Dead-end water lines, such as those in cul-de-sacs, will be flushed to ensure the hydrants are operating properly. The project is expected to take about four weeks, weather permitting.

Though flushing may occasionally discolor the water for a few minutes, it remains safe to drink, the city says. However, residents may want to check for signs of discoloration before using the water to wash clothes, particularly white clothes.