Yamhill explores regional water tie-line as $20M federal construction grant is discussed
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Summary
City staff told the council Dec. 10 that they met with the COG and the EDA regarding up to a $20,000,000 construction grant to tie the water treatment plant to the Barney impound; the Council said regional coordination will continue and staff are pursuing related engineering funding.
City staff told the Yamhill City Council Dec. 10 they are pursuing regional funding to improve the city—s raw-water infrastructure and said federal and regional partners are working on potential grant applications.
Speaker 1 reported a meeting with the regional council of governments and the Economic Development Administration about a construction grant "up to $20,000,000" to build a tie line from the water treatment plant to the Barney impound and onward to Barney. The COG is expected to prepare the application and also to seek a separate $500,000 grant for regional water solutions, Speaker 1 said. "There is $1,500,000,000 in available money, and currently only $100,000,000 of it has been issued out in grants," Speaker 1 said, urging the council that this was "an amazing thing."
Councilors asked whether tie-ins to other corridors (Mac or Hillsborough) were on hold; Speaker 1 clarified the Barney work does not halt other tie-in planning and that regional coordination is ongoing. Speaker 1 described Barney as a potential untapped raw-water source that could be "huge" for Yamhill.
What happens next: the COG will continue grant preparation, staff will advance preliminary engineering (a $200,000 grant for engineering was mentioned), and council will receive updates in future meetings and work sessions as applications progress.
Note: dollar figures and project descriptions are taken from council remarks in the meeting transcript; grant application status and award are pending and not recorded in this meeting.