The Marion County Board of Commissioners meets Wednesday to consider approving federal pandemic relief funding, including for a long-awaited navigation center in Salem.
Commissioners will consider designating Juneteenth, a federal and state holiday traditionally celebrated June 19 as the end of slavery in the U.S., as a Marion County holiday.
The board will consider approving federal pandemic relief funding for several projects.
The city of Keizer would have $2 million approved for building two athletic fields at Keizer Rapids Park.
The city of Salem would have $3 million approved for remodeling an excising building it owns for a navigation center, intended to serve as short-term shelter for 35 to 40 people where they can stabilize for two to four months until they get into housing.
The city of Silverton would have $250,000 approved for transitional housing and homeless services.
The Marion Polk Food Share would have $750,000 approved for rebuilding the AWARE Food Bank in downtown Woodburn, which was damaged in a fire in August.
The Hope Pregnancy Clinic would have about $285,400 for Parenting Initiative, a mentoring and education program started in spring 2020 and “equips new mothers for parenthood,” the agenda item said.
Commissioners will also consider a memorandum of understanding with Marion County Public Works to realign and Northeast Lebrun Road near Woodburn and replace the existing railroad crossing.
They will consider approving a roughly $1.27 million contract with Bridgeway Recovery Services for addiction treatment, recovery, prevention and gambling services.
The board will consider adding $283,000 to extend a contract with The Pathfinder Network, which helps people impacted by the criminal justice system re-enter their communities, by a year.
They will also consider a $500,000 contract with the city of Salem to provide jail work crews and supervision.
Meeting details: The commissioners meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Senator Hearing Room at 555 Court Street N.E. Anyone can sign up to give public comment in-person at the meeting. The meeting is streamed live on YouTube.
-Ardeshir Tabrizian
