The Marion County Board of Commissioners will vote on several public works contracts covering garbage hauling and improvements to the Aurora-Donald interchange at its meeting Wednesday morning.
To participate
The commissioners meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, in the Senator Hearing Room at 555 Court St. N.E. Anyone can attend or sign up to give public comment in-person at the meeting. The meeting is streamed live on YouTube.
Transportation projects
Commissioners will vote on two agreements with the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The first covers improvements to the Aurora-Donald interchange, exit 278 off Interstate 5 in north Marion County. ODOT will begin construction in the summer of 2024 and plans to reconfigure the intersection to a diverging diamond interchange and realign or improve Northeast Ehlen Road and Dolores Way.
The county does not have to pay anything, but will be responsible for future maintenance costs on the new roadways.
The second is a grant so Marion County can create a Transportation Safety Action Plan.
The county will look at crash data and analysis and hot spot locations with safety issues, and identify solutions like road projects, policies and programs to address safety issues. The plan would guide what road projects the county seeks grant money for. People can submit comments or learn more about the project online here.
The grant is around $149,800 and comes from federal money. The county would provide a minimum match of about $38,400 in the form of staff time, according to the agreement.
Garbage services
Commissioners will consider a new contract with Republic Services of Marion County for hauling waste from the North Marion County Disposal Facility to the Covanta incinerator in Brooks.
The contract runs for five years, through the end of 2028, and totals $5 million.
Commissioners will also consider a contract with Perennial Energy, LLC, to replace the existing landfill gas blower and flare system at the disposal facility. The original system was installed in 1999. The contract totals around $261,200.
Other items
-A grant agreement with the Oregon Department of Emergency Management for $216,000 to fund an infrastructure vulnerability assessment for underserved and rural areas.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
