Emergency Management Director Corey Padron asked the board on July 16 to accept a 2024 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) subrecipient agreement, C110-2025 (subrecipient agreement number 32003378), for funds to buy Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) supplies. Padron said the county had applied for a 2024 grant and that funds were released and awarded to the City of Portland through the Oregon Office of Emergency Management; Columbia County was offered subrecipient status for the award.

Padron told commissioners the award would fund CERT supplies such as CPR training mannequins and course materials and cautioned that federal grant administration can be uncertain, so the county would submit reimbursement requests promptly as purchases are made. “As we spend that, we'll spend a couple of 2 or $3,000 at a time and you need everything for reimbursement to get that back just in case something does happen in the future,” Padron said.

The board noted the draft agreement included a single signature line and directed staff to add an authorization for the chair to sign. The board then approved acceptance of the UASI subrecipient agreement C110-2025 and authorized the chair to sign the contract.

Padron said the county plans to submit reimbursement requests frequently rather than waiting for quarterly claims so reimbursements arrive as purchases are made.