The Marion County Board of Commissioners meets Wednesday to consider approving state grant funds to encourage the reconstruction of buildings impacted by 2020 wildfires, contracts for behavioral and mental health treatment, and radio and broadband services in the Santiam Canyon.
Commissioners will consider appointing Commissioner Colm Willis, Tamra Goettsch and Christina McCollum to the Marion County Public Safety Coordinating Council. Their terms would start April 11 and end April 10, 2025.
The board will consider appointing Eric Rasor to the Marion County Local Alcohol and Drug Planning Committee for a term ending April 30, 2026.
Commissioners will also consider a $425,000 contract with Beaverton-based Scan-It, Inc. to scan deed books and account jackets and convert them to digital form.
They will consider giving a nearly $50,000 grant to nonprofit Santiam Hearts to Arts on behalf of KYAC FM Radio, the only radio station in the Santiam Canyon, to expand services to the entire North Santiam Canyon area up through Idanha. KYAC raised some funds to cover the cost of needed equipment but additional funding is needed “to finish the entire upgrade,” according to the agenda item.
The board will consider a $125,000 contract with Magellan Advisors to provide broadband consulting services for agricultural communities and Santiam Canyon residents.
They will also consider a one-year, $234,000 contract with Matthew Piehler to provide “assertive community treatment services with adult behavior health individuals,” the agenda item said.
Commissioners will consider adding around $395,000 to a contract with Dr. Kay L. Dieter to medically assess and supervise adult mental health clients of Marion County Health and Human Services through January 2023. The new contract would total around $704,000.
The board will also consider distributing around $1.58 million in legislative grant funds from the state Department of Consumer and Business Services’ Building Codes Division to property owners in Marion County to help incentivize rebuilding of structures impacted by wildfires in 2020. Property owners can receive grant money for using more fire-resistant methods when they rebuild, such as installing fire-resistant windows to protect openings or using attic ventilation devices to help keep embers out.
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
