Clatsop County Board of Commissioners Highlights Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012 regular meeting

Jail project discussed

During a work session the board received a report from DLR Group consultants regarding the proposed expansion of the Clatsop County Jail in downtown Astoria. The county is considering seeking voter approval in May or November for a bond to fund the project.

Project Manager Bill Valdez of DLR displayed plans showing how the existing structure would be extended eastward, expanding the capacity of the jail unit on the second level from 60 to 164 beds, and providing for larger and more efficient booking and intake space and more secure vehicle entry on the ground floor. The design would also expand the medical facilities and add more units for holding inmates with mental health and other issues.

The project also includes the renovation of the Parole and Probation Division office in Warrenton to accommodate the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Division staff, who are currently headquartered in the jail facility.

Valdez said cost estimates for the project are still being finalized and will be available for the board’s Feb. 22 meeting when a further work session on the jail project is scheduled.

Highway project contract approved

The Board of Commissioners approved a $145,382 contract with Northwest Hydraulic Consultants for design and permitting for a proposed project to alleviate flooding on a stretch of U.S. Highway 101 south of Seaside. The project, tentatively proposed to go out for bid in July, would remove a berm along the Necanicum River to reduce or eliminate high water on the highway and restore wetlands on adjacent property owned by the North Coast Land Conservancy.

The board also approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation committing the agency to fund the design contract from its mitigation banking program.

EOC grant approved

The board accepted a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, provided through the Oregon Emergency Management office, to fund the new communications wing at the county’s Emergency Operations Center at Camp Rilea in Warrenton. The grant will fund 50 percent of the project cost, up to $183,913.

The communications wing will consist of a 1,050-square-foot addition on Camp Rilea’s Warrior Hall, site of the county EOC. The wing will provide a secure space for the EOC’s radio, microwave and other communications equipment.

Wetland project endorsed

The board approved a letter endorsing a project of the Columbia River Estuary Study Task Force to enhance salmon habitat at Carlson Island, in the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Reserve.