[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6495260,"mediaKeyId","5549043-2a5d13af08b67c0c16fa44c557f6190a","parentId",5549043,"title","County hears MassMutual whole-life benefit pitch for employees; HR to review","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",2142000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5549043-2a5d13af08b67c0c16fa44c557f6190a&start=2142&end=2142","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5549043-2a5d13af08b67c0c16fa44c557f6190a/thumbnail_2142000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6495260/Klamath-County/Oregon/County-hears-MassMutual-whole-life-benefit-pitch-for-employees-HR-to-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6495260-99de3f8faed47bc40b9bf0b2c4539e66/orig.mp4?Expires=1770496698&Signature=iqimzo0eZGYrJHy~ri6bbyeK5uBjkIkRj-OKb6yshkEU8z~qlSha4DOul4lY3iIzFJJr0ZpmG-5O-QkYq8KcPC9PWQPwp5ILojQgHc7EqXkDbHZKFnpnltRyI~tBdRRz0tRlrlW7sNbWaFgOki2WKxTtYTibLTEBiMadzzc58ENfHVl-aAeLlwLLfDQ31Uyro8KIE-urEk51dVQs0bnUct5gANKulXIx59kcFyMQB09bo8Yan9PuBPT1coktYANjs9kRIxwbE6jgPHo~J1Y~QLbMBdD7vPRq8vfEeXA4qWWenJoe6pnKB9d9DwvQ7ku94Q0RD8~xSDWVaaP8C-8CnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Klamath County","date","2025-08-07T02:27:05.093Z","article","Klamath County work-session attendees on Aug. 6 received a presentation from insurance agents regarding a MassMutual whole-life policy option for county employees. The presentation highlighted guarantee-issue amounts, cash-value accumulation and administrative considerations.

Brian Phillips introduced MassMutual representative Paul Hannett and described employee interest in life-insurance options beyond the county’s existing supplemental plans. Hannett (MassMutual) described the product as a whole-life plan with a guaranteed-issue component up to $150,000 with a single underwriting question about whether the applicant is “actively at work” and a two-year look-back for certain medical conditions for higher amounts (up to $250,000 by answering the limited medical question). He said employees could increase coverage over time (by increments up to $250,000 per year to a $1 million cap) subject to the plan’s underwriting rules.

Hannett emphasized the policy’s cash-value feature and an annual dividend (not guaranteed, but historically paid by the carrier for 155 consecutive years). He provided a worked example of cash-value accumulation and said the policy includes a chronic-care benefit allowing up to 75% of the death benefit to be advanced if the insured loses two activities of daily living.

Human Resources asked administrative questions about whether the policy would require a separate vendor setup and group-billing process. Presenters said MassMutual administration would be similar to Aflac’s voluntary payroll-deduction model but would require a separate vendor entry and a dedicated case manager; presenters said the MassMutual case manager would be based in Oregon. HR noted a 10-participant minimum and said it would evaluate premiums and administrative workload before recommending whether to offer the product to employees.

No board action was taken. Commissioners indicated the usual next step is to bring the information to a finance meeting for further review and a potential decision about offering the plan alongside existing voluntary benefits.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","8-06-2025 BOCC Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","An insurance presentation described a MassMutual whole-life product with guaranteed-issue features, portable coverage and cash-value accumulation; HR said it will evaluate administrative implications and present the item at the next finance meeting.","taxTitle","Klamath County, Oregon","taxId",52087,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6495264,"Local entrepreneurship nonprofit IDEA outlines growth, data and outreach plans",1007,1147000,2154000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5549043-2a5d13af08b67c0c16fa44c557f6190a&start=1147&end=2154","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5549043-2a5d13af08b67c0c16fa44c557f6190a/thumbnail_1147000.jpg","/articles/6495264/Klamath-County/Oregon/Local-entrepreneurship-nonprofit-IDEA-outlines-growth-data-and-outreach-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6495264-753effd506ed8a07d856d36e65bef03c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770496698&Signature=j2TdYrCXC1DZpQR3e5Hs69G9hKypOtnVnpnHMalZv9eneim8UvGVxE2xaA8~6rM8ReDXJFad1oBUc9~6~W19QC-IkcbsVSwn11FH-1kkcih5lIN0YXVhKcX3ZOl~yXYWmayYpvp7Cxrd9cuK8URoXghdb8zppOx7muuvR9t~ZSlfg07cVW9dpOeI4aMYNAlCKK9AktD84g6gSQebater2tdH9m3Y0x24f03nLx4lJCviyLZQDUZUNZ-fc-uXLAy1Wv746bCEFjXBNrLo~pzmtjJVZPAUzd8KOyC~pJMS2IfZNjjWrC6WQUFJgmiEPwFLAAep63g5MdwtourHilk6HA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Darren Rutledge briefed the Klamath County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 6 about IDEA (operating as Climate Idea in remarks), describing organizational changes, funding sources and priorities to support entrepreneurs across Klamath County.

Rutledge said the organization has operated for more than a decade, was hosted by Klamath Community College beginning in February 2016, and became an independent 501(c)(3) last year to increase organizational agility and access to funding. He said IDEA now has dedicated staff capacity — including an e-navigator — and is improving data capture through its SourceLink platform, which the organization has used for four years.

Rutledge identified two primary funding streams: a state-funded ROI grant program and private foundation funding through a program he described as growing rural Oregon. He said both funding lines are expected to have another cycle but will sunset around the same time, and IDEA is working on renewals. He said the strategic plan completed this year helped the organization prioritize previously shelved opportunities.

Planned program priorities include deeper data collection and analysis to identify what aids entrepreneur success and what gaps remain; closer integration with regional partners including the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the regional innovation hub; and work on AI-related supports for organizational and entrepreneur needs. Rutledge said IDEA will expand proactive outreach — for example, monitoring city business-license and secretary-of-state registration filings monthly to connect newly registered businesses with local resources.

Rutledge flagged capital-access continuity as important after disruptions at SCOED: he said SCOED loans are returning to the pipeline and that linkage to local lending resources is critical. He proposed closer alignment with the SBDC and other partners to offer intermediate business-education services (financial and inventory management) that sit between startup basics and advanced business-management coursework.

Commissioners and Rutledge discussed possible partnerships and continuity. One commissioner disclosed earlier skepticism about county funding for the organization but said follow-up talks had increased comfort with supporting IDEA. Commissioners encouraged IDEA to explore partnerships with the regional innovation hub and SCOED to strengthen capital access and long-term stability.

Rutledge said the organization is open to partnerships that align with IDEA’s mission and could help long-term sustainability but did not request a formal county funding decision during the work session. Commissioners invited further discussion at upcoming finance meetings.","Darren Rutledge updated commissioners on the nonprofit’s decade of work, recent shift to independent 501(c)(3) status, funding sources and priorities including data capture, AI support and expanded outreach to frontier communities.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6495267,"Klamath County weighs demolition, rebuild for former bowling-alley Hub project",1094,48000,1142000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5549043-2a5d13af08b67c0c16fa44c557f6190a&start=48&end=1142","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5549043-2a5d13af08b67c0c16fa44c557f6190a/thumbnail_48000.jpg","/articles/6495267/Klamath-County/Oregon/Klamath-County-weighs-demolition-rebuild-for-former-bowling-alley-Hub-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6495267-dd2ad82b533e1b7dd09b6b38c0079ef0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770496698&Signature=EHJHkNjIah-5z56llboIf2BPl7wdjtFo1JW0x6X7okMqyoSEFFD~IJ8xXqEL3KlT2A~ASVD4PFKJA8shdLc41C30-GZ6VfRYyP46eQg4mWOi0vBSIP83SO3KsmT8-w3CvY6xQzGb4M4zk7-RFbr4K215~pIef48Ae-mtuq0YQeVjH1zI9wrRi~7dSDFfgWOtDNC2aQ6xUWVRAYQW2aYM2FRk9CjeplJo5bk~rQicWAL~sL3eNdS2iRqG8ghJKj9jy5KxiBu1-mA~KKU9E2cu22kvoBF6RI4zEzEvpcr21XQeZdGH4lpGI4lVadrDXWuQ4IGsAb0Sb2Ocwer9hqptCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Klamath County commissioners on Aug. 6 reviewed fresh bids and technical findings for the Klamath Hub project and discussed whether to repair and retrofit the existing former Hand Scams bowling alley or to demolish it and build new.

Consultant Kelsey Randall told the Board of Commissioners that the county received abatement-and-demolition bids the prior day in response to an ITB that asked contractors for two price schemes: “select demolition” (partial) and total demolition. Randall said a full code review found the change of occupancy would trigger current seismic upgrades and require fire suppression across roughly 22,000 square feet — making a full sprinkler system considerably more cost effective than sprinkling only two tenant areas.

The consultant presented a side-by-side summary that compared estimated costs, timelines and design constraints for renovating the existing structure versus building new. Randall said demolition costs in the packet reflect the recent bids, while other numbers remain estimates and could be tightened with further study at an additional cost. “You could spend another $100,000 getting more accurate estimates,” she told the commissioners, “but I just don't know that that is something that is good stewardship when maybe we do have good enough estimates.”

Commissioners discussed the trade-offs. Commissioner Minty said full demolition would be a “definite pivot” and that the board needed time to “digest this, mull it over” before deciding whether to hold the site as an empty lot, use it temporarily as parking, or proceed toward new construction. Minty suggested bringing in a real estate agent to assess current market value for the property with and without the existing structure.

Other commissioners and staff emphasized the project partners and program goals driving the original vision — a mixed-use facility that would house OSU Extension, a local food hub (Klamath Hub/Klamath Grown), and an events center with a rentable commercial kitchen and outdoor space. One commissioner noted partners have access to separate funding streams and that the building’s program (for growers, cold storage and local-food distribution) remains an important community goal.

Staff and the consultant said the renovation option would carry constraints tied to the existing structure (seismic retrofit and partial or full sprinkler installation) that can lengthen construction schedules and increase cost uncertainty; new construction would allow more design flexibility and possibly phasing options to match tenant funding timelines. Randall also proposed a temporary reuse if the county chose full demolition: using the cleared site for fairground parking with signage indicating the “future home of the hub” while fundraising continues.

No formal motion or vote was recorded during the work session. Commissioners requested follow-up: asking staff to invite a county real estate agent for a side-by-side market-value comparison and to schedule presentations from key partners (OSU Extension and Klamath Grown/Klamath Hub) on their fundraising capacity and timelines. Randall offered to provide the full code report and the detailed ITB documents to commissioners on request.

The county purchased the property in February 2022 and produced a preliminary schematic in 2023 envisioning a multi-tenant community hub. Commissioners said they intend to forward the material to the finance meeting for further discussion and to gather additional data before making a decision.

The discussion closed with an instruction to collect additional information — market valuation, partner funding updates and more precise cost estimates — to return to the board for a future decision.","County staff and consultants presented new abatement and demolition bids for the former Hand Scams bowling alley and outlined cost, code and timeline trade-offs between retrofitting the existing building and full demolition and new construction.","actionData","errors"]

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County hears MassMutual whole-life benefit pitch for employees; HR to review

Local entrepreneurship nonprofit IDEA outlines growth, data and outreach plans

Klamath County weighs demolition, rebuild for former bowling-alley Hub project