Marion County approves $34 million state recovery grant for North Santiam Canyon projects
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Summary
The Marion County Board approved a $34,066,745 state CDBG-DR subrecipient grant on Jan. 7 to fund seven wildfire recovery infrastructure projects in the North Santiam Canyon, including sewer, road and landslide stabilization work; construction is expected between 2027 and 2029.
The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 7 approved an incoming funds Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) subrecipient agreement with the state of Oregon to deliver $34,066,745 for seven wildfire recovery projects in the North Santiam Canyon.
The board voted to accept the state award, which staff said will fund projects including Detroit Avenue street rehabilitation, Bear Creek Campground reconstruction, a Mill City fire booster pump station and transmission main, downtown Gate Street and Alders Street roadway and sidewalk improvements, landslide stabilization at North Fork Park, and a major Gates wastewater collection system and interconnect pipeline to Mill City’s new wastewater treatment plant.
Why it matters: County staff and commissioners said infrastructure work is a prerequisite for housing recovery in many burned neighborhoods, where septic and lot-size constraints limit rebuilding. Matt Lohr, operations manager for the board, said the project list grew from town halls and a peer committee that began work in 2021. Brian Nicholas, Marion County Public Works director, described the Gates sewer work as the largest project and said, "A total of $34,000,000 plus change was awarded" through the peer program.
What the board approved: Commissioner Cameron moved to approve the incoming funds agreement with Oregon Housing and Community Services to provide $34,066,745 to support seven wildfire recovery projects in the North Santiam Canyon through Feb. 2, 2029; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Context and process: Staff and commissioners described a substantial amendment to the OHCS action plan that reprioritized some funds toward infrastructure after technical analysis showed some lots could not support septic systems and therefore could not accommodate housing units without sewer. Commissioner Bethel said local technical data and community input helped OHCS complete the amendment quickly and with no public comments.
Next steps and timing: Project delivery responsibilities vary by project — some will be delivered by the city of Detroit or Mill City, others by Marion County — and construction timelines cited by staff range from 2027 into 2029 depending on the project. Funding contingencies and additional contingencies were noted by staff; specific per-project contracts and procurement steps remain to be completed.
Action taken: Motion to approve the subrecipient grant (mover: Commissioner Cameron; second: recorded as second in the meeting) passed by voice vote. The board did not record individual member vote names in the minutes beyond the oral "aye" responses.
