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Harney County authorizes consultant to pursue state industrial‑site technical assistance and loan
Summary
County court authorized contractor John Legarza of Healthy Sustainable Communities to pursue a state technical‑assistance grant and an industrial‑site loan (forgivable technical assistance up to $250,000) to make county industrial parcels more marketable. The court voted to allow HSC to proceed and requested follow‑up details and timelines.
Harney County Court voted July 15 to authorize contractor John Legarza of Healthy Sustainable Communities (HSC) to pursue two state economic‑development opportunities: a forgivable technical‑assistance grant and an industrial‑site loan to prepare county‑owned industrial land for prospective employers.
Legarza told the court the technical‑assistance funding would be used for conceptual civil layouts, pad elevations and truck routing diagrams to demonstrate what building footprints and access would fit on Harney County parcels. “We recommend there’s an industrial site loan that’s up to $250,000. It’s a forgivable,” Legarza said, describing the program and the short application window.
Commissioners said the applications are time‑sensitive and asked staff to pursue the grants without committing county funds beyond administrative review. One commissioner moved and the court approved a motion authorizing Legarza and HSC to proceed with applications for both the technical‑assistance grant and the industrial‑site loan program.
Why it matters: County officials said Harney County’s industrial sites have infrastructure and highway access but need conceptual site readiness work to attract manufacturers or distribution users. Staff will return with materials showing costs, timelines and whether the state will designate the technical assistance as forgivable before the county signs any binding agreements.
Next steps: HSC will prepare application materials and coordinate with county staff. Commissioners asked for a follow‑up Zoom meeting and a timeline showing whether the state program will be forgivable before the county commits to project expenses.
