The Marion County Board of Commissioners meets Wednesday to consider awarding federal Covid relief money to two Salem-based nonprofits.
Commissioners will consider awarding $250,000 to Liberty House for medical services to address increased child maltreatment during the pandemic.
They will consider giving another $250,000 to the Catholic Community Services Foundation for renovation of the Bob Steiner Building, which houses Catholic Community Services’ main office on Northeast Portland Road. The total remodel is expected to cost $1.36 million and finish in September 2023.
“The current proposed project will transform the (the building) from a distressed structure to a beacon of hope and healing, creating a sense of pride of place for staff who design, deliver and oversee innovative, high quality services for vulnerable populations throughout Marion-Polk County and beyond,” Catholic Community Services wrote in an application for funds.
Angie Onyewuchi, president and chief executive officer of Travel Salem, will present the nonprofit’s first quarter report for 2022-23. The report found Salem’s estimated economic impact from travel in 2021-22 was $676.3 million, more than double what the agency reported for 2020-21.
The board will consider an order establishing updated board, committee and commission appointments for Marion County commissioners, assessor, clerk, district attorney, justice of the peace, sheriff and treasurer. The board formally designates those appointments as they are updated each year.
They will also consider adding $300,000 to a contract with Dr. Kay Dieter to continue providing medical assessment and supervision of Marion County Health and Human Services’ adult mental health clients through 2023.
Commissioners will consider adding about $1.5 million to the county’s agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation for repairing the Independence Bridge. Of that money, about $1.2 million come from state and federal funding and about $310,000 from the county.
The board will hold a public hearing over a St. Paul farm’s plan to operate an educational farm experience program, a commercial activity in an area zoned for exclusive farm use. The farm making the application is Season at Red Oak Farm, 21465 Arbor Grove Rd. N.E. in St. Paul.
Commissioners first approved the project in August 2021, but the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development appealed the approval to the state Land Use Board of Appeals. The appeals board ruled the farm did not provide sufficient evidence that the program would increase the supply of agricultural workers, as the farm claimed, or that the land was primarily being used as a farm to grow crops for sale. The county’s hearings officer is recommending the commissioners approve a revised application intended to address those concerns.
Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on the proposal at 9:30 a.m.
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.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
