Umatilla council moves to approve intergovernmental agreement with Port of Umatilla for PowerLine Road improvements

Council discussed a planned Phase 1 upgrade to PowerLine Road (from roughly 100 feet north of Jefferson to about 200 feet north of Pine Tree) and Madison Street improvements tied to a new school on South Hill. The city described a funding package that includes a $2,000,000 allocation from the Port of Umatilla (derived from House Bill 2017), approximately $400,000 in county transfers reserved when the city assumed county roads, developer contributions and city funds.

A councilor said the resolution before council approves an intergovernmental project agreement (IPA) with the Port of Umatilla to secure the port funds and move the project forward. "The port has committed those funds to this project," the councilor said.

Councilor Merrick moved to advance Resolution 01-2025; the motion received a second and was placed on the agenda for action. The resolution's intent is to authorize the IPA and proceed with the Phase 1 scope as budgeted using the combined funding sources.

Council discussion focused on the project scope and partnership with the port; no final construction contract details were presented at the meeting. Staff said developer and county funds had already been budgeted for the project and that further implementation details would follow under the IPA and subsequent procurement processes.

Next steps include formal consideration of the resolution and any additional action items required to execute the IPA and advance design and construction stages.