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Oregon Tech asks Klamath County for $150,000 toward stadium canopy project
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Summary
Oregon Tech Foundation presented a student-designed 4,600 sq ft canopy for the university softball stadium and requested $150,000 from Klamath County; donors have pledged $300,000 and the county permit office has agreed to waive fees. The board agreed to send the request to its finance meeting for review.
Rochelle Carvalho, senior leadership gift officer for the Oregon Tech Foundation, asked Klamath County commissioners at the April 22 work session to consider providing $150,000 toward a proposed 4,600-square-foot canopy to cover the softball bleachers.
Carvalho told the board the student-initiated design aims to reduce spectator exposure to foul balls, improve comfort during inclement weather and support tourism when Oregon Tech hosts conferences and tournaments. She said the project budget is $890,000, that the county permit department will waive permit fees and that DCS waived $20,000 for design services. "We will be moving forward," Carvalho said, and left an executive summary and PowerPoint for the commissioners.
John Stillwell, who identified himself as a local resident and donor, described the safety rationale and pledged philanthropic support. "We've committed $300,000 to this project," he said. Carvalho also offered that Oregon Tech could spread a $50,000 county commitment over three years if that option helps the county budget.
Commissioners asked how much the university itself or the athletic program would contribute and whether local contractors might provide in-kind services. Commissioner Nichols said she liked the project but noted her responsibility to taxpayers: "I love this project... But I'm also responsible for the taxpayer dollars," she said, and she indicated she did not want a decision that day. Commissioner Minty said the request will be routed to the county finance director for review to determine appropriate funding sources.
The presentation included a statement that bids had come in substantially higher than the student design estimate; the transcript records a large numeric figure that appears inconsistent and will require verification from submitted bid documents. The commissioners did not take a funding vote at the meeting and asked staff to include the materials in the next finance meeting packet for further review.
