County offices open for business, closed to public access |
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Beginning August 30, Benton County lobbies and meeting spaces closed to public access until further notice. Lobby closures do not apply to the Community Health Centers of Benton and Linn Counties. County services continue to be available online or over the phone, and in some cases, in-person by appointment. Board of Commissioner meetings and advisory committee meetings will remain open to the public and are available online through GoToMeeting.
These service adjustments were made in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases and a rise in hospitalizations throughout the County and entire state.
On August 17, the Benton County Board of Commissioners acting in capacity as the Board of Health, passed Order #D2021-063 requiring outdoor masking when individuals are unable to physically distance in crowded settings. This was in response to the rapid rise of Delta cases and hospital case counts, and quickly followed Governor Brown’s statewide indoor mask requirement for all individuals, whether vaccinated or not. On August 24, the Governor announced a statewide outdoor mask requirement, that went into effect on August 27, to help stop the spread of the delta variant and reduce cases and hospitalizations.
Although there is limited public access to County buildings, County business operations will continue to serve the public as listed on the County website. |
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Following the Criminal Justice System Assessment public outreach in 2018, Benton County’s Justice System Improvement Program is set to host its first large virtual community meeting on Wednesday, September 8 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. The meeting marks the kickoff of the Program’s broad public engagement efforts as it prepares for a November 2022 bond measure.
Beginning late July, the County began targeted public engagement for site concepts for future justice system facilities. Early efforts included hosting small group discussions with key justice system stakeholders and community organizations.
Now, the County is broadening the public engagement opportunities to include all members of the public. In the September 8 virtual meeting, the County will present the proposed concepts for justice system facilities. From there, the County will weigh community feedback from public engagement sessions and other factors to further refine facilities site concepts before bringing site recommendations to the Board of Commissioners in mid-late October.
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Crager selected as next Benton County Chief Financial Officer
Rick Crager will serve as the next Benton County chief financial officer and Financial Services department director, beginning October 1, 2021.
Crager joins the County after over 32 years with the State of Oregon where his experiences included working in housing, education, transportation and public safety. Since 2015, Crager has served as the assistant superintendent of Finance and Information Technology for the Oregon Department of Education. Over the last 16 months, Crager has worked in partnership with Oregon’s 197 school districts to oversee and administer approximately $2 billion of increased federal and state resources designed to support schools and students in recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Benton County facility updates |
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4500 Research Way has a new name
Welcome to the Kalapuya Building!
Benton County's Equity, diversity, and inclusion coordinator worked with Board of Commissioners' staff and the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde to determine the name.
Rooms in the Kalapuya Building will also be named after community members and groups that have made historical and cultural impacts in our community.
Be on the look out for the upcoming ribbon cutting ceremony with the Benton County Board of Commissioners and the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde this fall.
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Law Enforcement Building
The $162,276 award will cover 65% of the installation cost of the 96.5kW photovoltaic system on the Law Enforcement Building. Construction began August 27, and it is expected to begin generating power by the end of the year.
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Thank you to our partners!
Once again, we hit high temperatures across the Willamette Valley in mid-August. Benton County worked with our local partners to make several cooling centers available for community members without access to cool shelters.
Thank you to our partners at the Alsea Community Library, Corvallis-Benton Library, Monroe Community Library, Philomath Fire Department, and Philomath Community Library.
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County partners on Salmon Habitat Project
Benton County Natural Areas, Parks & Events partnered with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation and Weyerhaeuser on a salmon habitat restoration project at Benton County’s Clemens Park.
The project is one of 26 sites located along Seeley Creek - a tributary of the North Fork of the Alsea River located roughly 2 miles northeast of Alsea. Seeley Creek provides habitat for many fish species and a vital spawning area for Coastal Coho Salmon.
After a historic timber harvest, streamside or “riparian” areas were not replanted with conifers. This has led to a domination of hardwoods and shrubs resulting in a lack of vital instream large wood. In 2006, ODFW identified that the creek lacks large wood, which creates deeper pools, sorts and retains gravels, and provides slow water habitats essential to salmonids, especially Coho Salmon.
The restoration project used an excavator to place large Douglas Fir logs, from nearby storm blowdown areas, into Seeley Creek. An Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Restoration Grant totaling $45,000 was awarded to the project partners to support the costs of hiring a local contractor and purchasing materials.
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Questions?
Benton County Public Information Office
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