Klamath County approves sponsorships, job‑fair support and groundwater study funding amid budget scrutiny

Klamath County commissioners approved several funding items during their Jan. 29, 2025 finance meeting, including a three‑year continuation of a longstanding Catalyze sponsorship, $15,000 annually for the Chamber of Commerce job fair, a $20,000 contract for a groundwater feasibility study with Jacobs Engineering (pending state approval), and payment of the county’s Association of Oregon Counties dues.

The county agreed to continue a historic $5,000 annual sponsorship for Oregon Tech Foundation’s Catalyze program for the next three years out of the economic development fund. Commissioners discussed, and declined to fund, the Foundation’s separate $10,000‑per‑year request for a Ready, Set, Innovate program, advising the group to pursue the county’s economic development grant program or other sponsors for that recurring cost.

County leaders also approved $15,000 per year from the economic development fund to support the Chamber of Commerce job fair. Commissioners described the event as a direct economic‑development activity that draws multiple private sponsors and provides measurable returns to the local business community.

On groundwater, the commission approved a $20,000 contract with Jacobs Engineering to finalize a feasibility study and prepare a pre‑application for a Bureau of Reclamation grant to fund a pilot project of monitoring wells and managed irrigation on fields that are geologically connected to the aquifer. The approval is contingent on further review of eligibility under the county’s domestic‑well funding rules and pending any necessary approvals from the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) or related state reviewers.

Finally, the board voted to pay Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) dues for fiscal 2025–26 in the amount presented to the board, citing the AOC’s role in providing insurance access through CIS and other county services that would be disrupted if membership lapsed.

Votes at a glance

- Oregon Tech Foundation — Motion to award a $5,000 annual sponsorship for Catalyze for three years (economic development fund): APPROVED (motion seconded; board vote: all in favor; full board present).

- Chamber job fair — Motion to provide $15,000 per year (economic development fund): APPROVED (motion seconded; board vote: all in favor; full board present).

- Groundwater feasibility study — Motion to contract Jacobs Engineering for $20,000 pending OWRD review/approval and grant eligibility: APPROVED (motion seconded; board vote: all in favor; full board present). Approval recorded as contingent on eligibility checks and any required state approvals.

- Association of Oregon Counties dues — Motion to pay AOC dues for 2025–26 from general fund nondepartmental: APPROVED (motion seconded; board vote: all in favor; full board present).

Background and context

Commissioners repeatedly flagged limited county resources and competing priorities while discussing each item. The Catalyze sponsorship was framed as a historical commitment the county has supported since the program’s early years, while the Ready, Set, Innovate request was characterized as a recurring operational cost better suited to the formal economic development grant process or alternative sponsors. On the Chamber membership question, commissioners debated whether the county should remain a dues‑paying member but agreed to support the job fair and to reconsider general‑fund membership in light of other spending priorities.

On the groundwater item, staff reported the original pilot idea began with a larger request trimmed in prior years (the meeting record notes a prior $400,000 ask pared to $200,000 for study). The approved $20,000 is to finish and finalize the feasibility study so the county can pre‑apply for federal funding; the pilot project itself was discussed as a later, larger effort that might require additional capital and matching dollars if federal funding is awarded.

What remains unresolved

Commissioners directed staff to confirm whether the domestic‑well funding rules and ARPA allocations could be used for the Jacobs study or later pilot, and to verify any match or eligibility requirements for Bureau of Reclamation or other federal grant programs. The Ready, Set, Innovate $10,000 annual request was not approved; staff and commissioners advised the Foundation to pursue grant programs or other sponsors.

Ending

The approved items were processed as motions during the Jan. 29 meeting and recorded as passed unanimously by the three commissioners present. Several approvals are contingent on further staff review of grant eligibility and state approvals, and commissioners emphasized the need to seek additional sponsors for recurring program costs rather than relying solely on county funds.