Union County commissioners approve legislative project list

Dick Mason, The Observer, La Grande, Ore.
·4 min read

Sep. 18—LA GRANDE — The Union County Board of Commissioners approved a list Wednesday, Sept. 15, which may go a long way toward shaping the county's future.

The board OK'd a legislative priority project list for state Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, who requested the recommendations. Levy will pick at least one of the five proposed projects to seek funding for during the 2022 legislative session, which starts in February.

The projects the commissioners agreed to place on the list are not prioritized and Levy is being encouraged by the commissioners to select the project she believes has the best chance of getting funded. Her decision will be influenced by what the Legislature will be focusing on at its session, said Union County Commissioner Donna Beverage.

The five projects on the list includes a child care center that would be designed to help working parents in Union County; the building of a new justice center; renovation and expansion of the La Grande/Union County Airport; upgrade work at the Union County Fairgrounds; and the creation of a truck route that would allow truck drivers to circumvent the portion of McAlister Road that runs through a residential and school zone in Island City.

The justice center was added after the commissioners were encouraged to do so by Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen. The sheriff at earlier board meetings told the commissioners that the justice center is needed for several reasons, including a shortage of jail space. Bowen said he would like such a center to have room for a mental health facility. He said this would allow law enforcement officers in some instances to take people who are experiencing a mental health crisis to a place they could receive help rather than to jail.

Union County Commissioner Matt Scarfo said on Sept. 15 he is a strong justice center supporter and would prefer to get state funding for it. He said that without state funding, a bond likely would have to be passed by local voters. Scarfo would prefer to have a justice center built without bond funding since passage of a bond would raise local taxes.

A new justice center would likely replace the current Union County law enforcement center, which was built four decades ago.

The work at the airport would include increasing fuel storage capacity, adding a multi-use hangar for equipment, maintenance work and space to better protect helicopters. Airport work could also include adding hangars for the public.

Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes said on Sept. 9 that hangar space for helicopters would be valuable because it would mean helicopters could be kept at the airport at all times, allowing them to be in a better position to be used quickly in responding to local wildfires and medical emergencies. Anderes noted that presently when a hailstorm is forecast helicopters at the La Grande/Union County Airport have to be transported outside the area to be protected.

SRO contractThe La Grande School District's school resource officer program is set for the 2021-21 and 202-22 school years.

The Union County Board of Commissioners voted Set. 15 to approve a two-year intergovernmental agreement for the program, which has been in place at least six years. The vote came a week after the La Grande School Board also approved the agreement.

The program provides the La Grande School District with a deputy from the Union County Sheriff's Office. The deputy works throughout the academic year, visiting schools and meeting with students, faculty and staff.

The new contract calls for the school district to pay the sheriff's office $87,022 for the first year and $89,633 for the second year.

Deputy Justin Hernandez, who began serving as the La Grande School District's SRO in January, will continue in this role. Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen credits Hernandez with doing an outstanding job in La Grande's schools in part because of his personable nature.

"He can relate to just about any walk of life," said Bowen, who said Hernandez is making a lasting impact on the lives of students.

Dick Mason is a reporter with The Observer primarily covering the communities of North Powder, Imbler, Island City and Union, education, Union County veterans programs and local history. Dick joined The Observer in 1983, first working as a sports and outdoors reporter.