Linn County wrapping up fire hardening program
ALBANY — Linn County will wrap up its fire hardening grant program for homes affected by the 2020 wildfires in the Santiam Canyon at the end of June, Planning & Building Director Steve Wills told Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker Tuesday morning.
The program started in 2021 and has been funded by a grant from the State of Oregon, Wills said after the meeting.
Wills said homeowners can apply for financial subsidies if they use fire resistant materials when rebuilding their home or building a new home.
“For example, someone can qualify for a grant if they build a concrete deck instead of a cedar deck,” Wills said. “If they install fire-resistant windows, they can qualify. There is a list of materials that qualify.”
Non-combustible decks, balconies or porches could qualify for a $550 subsidy. A homeowner could qualify for a $2,200 subsidy by using fire-resistant roofing, or $550 for using fire-resistant windows.
Wills said that there have been 43 grants totaling $166,000 to Linn County residents.
He said a check for $3,950 was sent in May and June is the last month for the program.
Learn more by calling Linn County Planning & Building at 541-967-3816.
In other business, the commissioners:
- Discussed the need for extensive public communication about traffic flow during the July 17-19 Linn County Fair. Goldfish Farm Road south of the Fair & Expo Center is closed due to a bridge replacement project. Roadmaster Wayne Mink said there is signage in place and his staff will add electronic message boards and other traffic control devices as needed.
- Approved three-year contracts between the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and the following communities: Brownsville, Halsey, Harrisburg, Lyons, Mill City, Millersburg and Scio.
- Were informed that 45 land use permits were issued in May. There were six permits for single family dwellings and three for manufactured dwellings. There were 296 total permits issued, of which 58 required plan reviews.
- Approved a two-year agreement between the Linn County Juvenile Detention and Marion County. Linn County will provide juvenile detention beds as needed for $175 per day. Also, Benton County has contracted for four beds at a daily rate of $329.81, or $481,524 per year. Benton County will be billed $120,381 quarterly.
- Approved a contract for the 2025-2026 fiscal year with Willamette Valley Rehabilitation Center for $130,968 to provide janitorial services for several county buildings.
- Announced an Elected Officials meeting will be held at noon on Wednesday, June 11, at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center.
- Approved an update to the Personnel Policy that addresses a number of items including leave without pay, longevity pay and updates to definitions within the policy.
- Announced that no board meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 1.
Media contact: Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer, 541-967-3825 or email apaul@co.linn.or.us.
