Marion County approves SWAT medic IGA and opioid-recovery spending; multiple consent items pass

The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 17 approved multiple items addressing public safety and behavioral-health services, including an intergovernmental agreement to place certified paramedics on the county SWAT team and opioid-recovery funding for local providers.

The board voted unanimously to approve an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Marion County Fire District 1 under which certified paramedics will train with and act on call as members of the county's special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team. Marion County Sheriff's Office representatives said the arrangement restores a practice last used in 2006 and meets National Tactical Officers Association standards for tactical emergency medical support. The IGA term runs through Dec. 31, 2029.

The board also approved a purchase order with Henry Schein Inc. using funds from a Criminal Justice Commission grant for jail-based medications for opioid use disorder. The one-time purchase price for injectable Brixadi subcutaneous medication is $153,720, and the purchase is intended to make treatment medications available quickly to people entering custody.

Separately, commissioners approved a $175,399.30 grant agreement with Fourth Dimension Recovery Center to use opioid-settlement funds to launch the Salem Teen and Family Recovery Program. County staff said the program will provide clinical adolescent and family addiction services and must report budget and activity milestones to the county during the funding year.

The board approved a consent agenda that included: an OLCC recommendation for Zinnery LLC dba Nagoya Japanese Steakhouse; an amendment to an Oregon Health Authority incoming funds IGA adding $104,840.82 for infection-prevention and immunization services (bringing that IGA to $5,970,243.62 through June 30, 2027); an incoming funds IGA with the Oregon Department of Human Services for community developmental disability services totaling $41,570,102 (retroactive to July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027); scheduling of multiple land-use ordinance hearings for Sept. 24, 2025; a property tax refund order for Ripe LLC in the amount of $56,506.77; and a $100 petty cash fund for Human Resources parking reimbursements. The consent agenda also included an information-technology contract with Carahsoft Technology Corporation not to exceed $163,369.34 for Splunk Cloud services for the county enterprise resource-planning project through Dec. 31, 2025.

Votes and procedure: Each motion reported in the meeting drew an affirmative voice vote recorded as "aye" from the commissioners. County staff noted that the Henry Schein purchase is funded through a Criminal Justice Commission jail-based medications grant and that the Fourth Dimension Recovery grant uses opioid-settlement dollars.

Officials and presenters: The sheriff's office described how embedding medics with tactical teams accelerates emergency care at critical incidents by reducing the time to stabilize injured people. Fire District Chief Kyle McMahon and sheriff's representatives said there is no fiscal exchange in the IGA; Fire District 1 will provide personnel. Commander Jacob Ramsey of the jail and county staff explained logistics and grant funding for the jail medications purchase. Kelly Wiese, the county's community services director, presented the Fourth Dimension Recovery agreement and noted required reporting and a board presentation at the end of the funding year. Representatives from Fourth Dimension Recovery described plans for adolescent and family treatment services and connections with a local recovery high school.

What passed: All the items described above were approved during the Sept. 17 meeting; no recorded dissents were noted on the audio record.