Hermiston council approves IGA to pursue federal grant for Pumpkin Center bridge design

Hermiston’s City Council unanimously approved Resolution 2406 on Feb. 9 to join Umatilla County and the city of Umatilla in seeking federal BUILD grant funding for a 30% design of a proposed Pumpkin Center bridge. City staff described the step as necessary to make a future construction grant competitive without committing partners to construction costs.

The project recommendation came from a preliminary engineering review. “The Pumpkin Center option was shown to be lower cost and to serve more traffic needs,” said Mr. Mayburn, who presented the report, saying total project cost for the Pumpkin Center alternative is about $44,000,000 compared with roughly $48,000,000 for an Elm Avenue option. He explained the 30% design level is the threshold typically required for federal construction grant applications and that the IGA does not obligate any partner to future construction funding.

Supporters on the council stressed the long history and regional implications of the plan. During public comment, resident Tamara Mabot, who lives on Zimmer Lane near Pumpkin Center, urged early outreach: “I just encourage you to think about public involvement now early in the process,” she said, noting that private-property and natural-resource impacts should be considered during design.

Council members asked staff to continue outreach and to identify additional partners and funding pathways. A motion to adopt Resolution 2406 was moved by Councilor McCarthy and seconded by Councilor Hayward; the council voted unanimously to approve the measure.

Next steps outlined by staff include applying for the BUILD grant to fund a 30% design, completing that design if funded, and later pursuing construction funding at which point any partner commitments to construction costs would be negotiated and decided by the respective governing bodies.