Milwaukie reports cooling‑center pilot, library outreach and county-led behavioral health projects

City staff updated the council on behavioral health outreach, an extended-hours cooling‑center pilot at the library, county-led stabilization services and a church-based warming shelter approved by Clackamas County.

Cooling center pilot and library outreach A city presenter said the library will operate as an extended-hours cooling center on high-heat days under a Clackamas County city‑led initiatives grant. The presenter said the grant was for $30,000 per year for two years (the contract and exact backdating terms were still in progress during the report). Staff used the extended hours on eight high-heat nights and recorded 72 total visits (an average of nine per night, with a high of about 21 on the busiest night). The presenter said staffing was provided by a mix of managers and other employees using comp time or overtime and that staff are exploring facility modifications to allow safer volunteer staffing on holiday or…