Columbia Valley Center for Recovery to open next week; committee flags staffing, funding and cross‑county payment questions

The Columbia Valley Center for Recovery is slated to begin accepting clients May 1, with a public grand opening scheduled for next Friday, a Benton County advisory committee was told. "Next Friday is the official grand opening," said Matt Rasmussen, a representative of the county commissioner's office. Rasmussen said the project team expects to request a certificate of occupancy imminently and that most facility services are finished.

Committee members heard that a second, separate phase of recovery housing is planned and is entering permitting; the housing phase is expected to break ground in the second week of May, while a distinct congressional directed spending allocation of about $3,000,000 could fund an additional housing structure later as a separate phase. "We have the funding in place" for the first phase and are discussing how to use federal funds without delaying construction, Rasmussen said.

Staffing remains the principal operational constraint. A Comprehensive representative reported aggressive recruitment: dozens of applicants interviewed, 19 offers extended and 22 positions filled, but the pool for licensed medical staff—particularly nurses—remains limited. The representative said staffing updates will be provided to the county every other week as the provider finalizes hires and schedules.

The committee pressed how the center will handle clients from neighboring Franklin County. Rasmussen said there are no geographic access limits for services, but county tax dollars cannot be used to pay for services for residents of other counties. "We can't use Benton County tax dollars for Franklin County residents," he said. He and staff described two practical approaches if a non‑Benton resident presents: verify and bill any available pay source, or require the operator to provide charity care if no pay source exists; a separate operating agreement or intercounty arrangement would be needed to cover costs centrally.

Committee members asked whether Benton County would share a boilerplate operating agreement to speed Franklin County's review; county staff said they will share draft language and support discussions. The advisory group agreed to request regular updates from Comprehensive on cross‑county negotiations and on any formal operating‑agreement offers from Franklin County.

The committee did not take a formal vote on any motion during the center update, but it did table the minutes of the previous meeting earlier in the session. The advisory body also outlined plans for an open house and tours during the grand opening (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and a job fair scheduled for April 23 to support remaining hires.

Next steps: county staff will seek final inspection approvals (including the state fire marshal review), continue recruitment, share updated operating‑agreement drafts with Franklin County as appropriate, and supply the advisory committee with biweekly staffing reports.