Falls City asks Polk County for letter backing Dayton Street pedestrian-bridge funding request

Falls City City Manager Ajfoscoli asked the Polk County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 31 for a letter of support to accompany an application to the Oregon Legislative Water Caucus, which is collecting needs-assessment submissions through the League of Oregon Cities. "I come here today to ask for a letter of support for the Oregon Legislative Water Caucus needs assessment," Ajfoscoli said, noting the caucus extended its deadline to Jan. 15.

Ajfoscoli said the Dayton Street Pedestrian Bridge — converted from vehicle traffic in the 1960s and now carrying critical water and wastewater pipelines — has deteriorated and will undergo a seismic analysis in January to determine whether repair or full replacement is required. She cautioned that cost estimates are preliminary: "We're not asking for any money. We're just asking for a letter of support to submit with the package," Ajfoscoli said, and later described initial project-range estimates from roughly $500,000 to $1.5 million while acknowledging they could be higher after an engineering review.

Commissioners pressed for clearer figures and a staged request that would make the city more competitive with other applicants. One commissioner said the current request felt too vague for a competitive legislative caucus and urged the city to "narrow that down" and provide talking points for legislators. Board members suggested asking first for design and engineering funds contingent on the seismic analysis, rather than immediately seeking full construction funding.

Ajfoscoli told the board the bridge spans about 162 feet and serves the south side of Falls City, where a failure could affect water pressure and sewer service. She also said roughly one-third of the city is currently on the wastewater system, and that past similar projects statewide had sometimes grown substantially in cost once design work was completed.

The board did not sign a letter at the meeting. Instead, commissioners asked Ajfoscoli to revise the support letter to emphasize a phased approach (design/engineering first), provide estimated design and construction costs when available, and include talking points for pitching the request to legislators. Ajfoscoli agreed to redraft the letter and circulate it to commissioners for review.