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County discusses accepting $20,000 Heritage Grant for courthouse bell tower; questions about match and schedule remain
Summary
Columbia County staff reported receipt of a $20,000 Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Heritage Grant for work on the courthouse bell tower. Staff and commissioners debated whether to sign the grant agreement now, noting a required local match and a project completion deadline that may require scope changes or an extension from the state.
Columbia County received formal notice of a $20,000 Heritage Grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department for work on the courthouse bell tower, county staff told the Board of Commissioners on Aug. 27. Melissa, who presented the application and award, said the grant requires a local match and that the state contract currently lists a completion date of April 30, 2026.
Why it matters: accepting the grant obligates the county to meet the grant’s reimbursement requirements and the stated completion deadline or return funds, staff cautioned. Commissioners expressed concern about the county’s ability to produce the required match and complete the work before the grant deadline.
Melissa said fundraising and county contributions remain possibilities; she also suggested community events could help raise funds tied to the bell tower project. A county official noted the grant is reimbursement-based: if the county cannot complete eligible work and provide required documentation, it may have to return funds.
Budget and scope concerns surfaced in the discussion. One commissioner cited a higher match figure as written in county materials: "The match amount is actually 327,726," a participant said during the meeting (spoken as presented in the record). Commissioners discussed options including fundraising, performing some of the work in‑house, and asking the grantor to amend the scope or extend the deadline. Melissa said she would follow up with the state about possible revisions to the project scope and timeline.
No formal vote was taken to accept or decline the grant during the meeting. The board asked staff to pursue further discussions with the state grant administrator about modifying the scope and extending the completion date if possible, and to report back to the commissioners with options before executing a grant agreement or returning funds.
The Heritage Grant award and any county decision will affect the project’s financing plan and whether the bell tower work proceeds as designed or in reduced scope. The record contains differing commissioner views on the county’s recent record with grants and the risks of accepting funds that might need to be returned if the project cannot be completed on schedule.
