The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved accepting state funding to cover costs of managing people on probation and post-prison supervision.
Commissioners unanimously approved a $27.2 million agreement with the Oregon Department of Corrections.
The money will go to Marion County’s Community Corrections Division and last through June 2025.
Following a public meeting, the board also unanimously approved renewing ten applications for ambulance service providers to continue serving their areas.
The county designates service areas for such providers under a franchise agreement, according to the agenda item.
Commissioners unanimously approved adding $474,000 to a contract with Portland-based consulting firm Harper Houf Peterson Righellis, Inc. to provide early engineering for safety improvements along the Northeast McKay Road corridor. The area is near Champoeg State Park, between St. Paul and Donald.
Construction is intended to widen the road and add a center median with rumble strips to reduce serious collisions. The project is paid for by federal Covid relief funding.
The board also approved adding about $347,500 to a contract with construction engineering company Dowl, LLC for replacing the Little Pudding River Bridge between Salem and Mt. Angel.
The board unanimously approved or advanced other agenda items, including a contract with the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency to provide services to veterans, as well as authorizing Marion County Parks to apply for a state for planning at the fire-damaged Salmon Falls Park.
Original story below:
The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday will reconsider accepting state funding intended to cover costs of community corrections after delaying the vote by a week.
READ IT: AGENDA
Commissioners will consider a $27.2 million agreement with the Oregon Department of Corrections to last through June 2025.
Marion County’s Community Corrections Division oversees people on probation and post-prison supervision.
Commissioners unanimously approved a motion at their Sept. 20 meeting to remove the agreement from the agenda.
The board provided little information about the decision. Commissioner Danielle Bethell at the meeting only referred to “changes at the state level” that the contract needed to account for.
To participate
The commissioners meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Senator Hearing Room at 555 Court Street N.E. Anyone can attend or sign up to give public comment in-person at the meeting. The meeting is streamed live on YouTube.
Ambulance service
Commissioners will also hold a public hearing to consider renewing ten applications for ambulance service providers to continue serving their areas.
The county designates service areas for such providers under a franchise agreement, according to the agenda item.
The board will vote on the applications following the public hearing.
Road work
Commissioners will consider adding $474,000 to a contract with Portland-based consulting firm Harper Houf Peterson Righellis, Inc. to provide “preliminary engineering” for safety improvements along the Northeast McKay Road corridor, according to the agenda item.
Construction is intended to widen the road and add a center median with rumble strips, center concrete barriers or both to reduce serious collisions.
The project is paid for by federal Covid relief funding.
The board will also consider adding about $347,500 to a contract with construction engineering company Dowl, LLC for replacing the Little Pudding River Bridge between Salem and Mt. Angel.
Also on the agenda
Commissioners will consider adding $318,000 to a contract with the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency to provide services to veterans in Marion County through June 2024. No agenda item was included with additional information.
They will also consider approving a resolution authorizing Marion County Parks to apply for a county opportunity grant from the state Parks and Recreation Department for planning at Salmon Falls Park.
The park was among six that were heavily damaged during the 2020 Beachie Creek Wildfire.
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.
