Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget And Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Deschutes County commissioners authorize grant acceptances, amend Sisters housing terms and approve $2.9M courthouse budget increase
Summary
At its Jan. 29 meeting the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners authorized acceptance of a recurring emergency management grant, approved an amendment increasing AMI targets for a Sisters 40‑unit project, approved a $2.9 million courthouse expansion budget increase and accepted the annual prescribed‑fire smoke/public‑health report.
Deschutes County commissioners on Jan. 29 voted to accept federal emergency management funding, revise the county’s ARPA agreement with the City of Sisters to raise income limits for a 40‑unit project, and increase the courthouse expansion budget by $2.9 million.
The board took those votes and approved the county’s annual prescribed‑fire, smoke and public‑health community response report. The actions came during a meeting that also included updates on community planning and water management initiatives.
The board authorized the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office to accept the 2024 Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG), a recurring federal program that pays for emergency management staff and operations. Nathan Garraby, emergency manager for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, told the board the award totals $104,016.91: $91,786 in federal EMPG funds and $12,230 in state funds that help satisfy the local match. Garraby said the funds support personnel time for the county’s emergency‑management work.
The board approved an amendment (document number 2025‑128) to a 2023 ARPA agreement with the City of Sisters to change the affordable units’ income targeting from 65% of area median income (AMI) to 80% AMI. Jordan Wheeler, City of Sisters city manager, and Clayton Crowhurst of Northwest Housing Alternatives described the adjustment as necessary to make financing feasible while the city and project partner preserve set‑asides: an MOU with Family Access Network will reserve roughly 5–10 units for highly rent‑burdened local households, and three units are designated for ag workers, the presenters said.
Facilities staff and the county’s construction team told the board the courthouse expansion project requires a $2,900,000 increase to the approved budget because of three categories of increased costs: unforeseen site conditions (including unsuitable soils and buried tanks discovered during demolition), schedule extension costs tied to permitting delays, and design and permitting changes identified after the GMP was developed. Facilities Director Lee Randall and contractor representatives said the increase would raise the total project budget from $43.9 million to $46.8 million and would be funded from campus improvement reserves. Project briefs provided at the meeting noted the project is roughly 22% complete and that owner contingency on remaining work will be about 4.4% after the adjustment.
The board also accepted the county’s 2024 annual report for the Prescribed Fire, Smoke and Public Health Community Response Plan. County forester Kevin Moriarty and public health regional climate coordinator Sarah Worthington summarized a year that included a multi‑agency EPA pilot burn of about 1,864 acres and larger than usual prescribed‑fire activity; staff and partner agencies said the pilot produced lessons about public communication and showed prescribed burns’ smoke impacts tended to be shorter in duration than wildfire smoke events.
The board approved each item by unanimous vote. The clerk will publish the associated resolution and amended agreement language on the county’s public records site.
