Mobile Mental Health Help: The Benton County Board of Commissioners will look at whether to hire a community based mobile crisis team.
Community Based Mobile Crisis Intervention Services (CBMCIS) are provided in person, by the county, to Individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis, regardless of insurance type.
The fiscal impact derived from the hiring of a CBMC team will result in zero additional cost to Benton County due to combined state and federal funds set aside, according to April Holland Deputy Director of Public Health
“The goal of Mobile Crisis Services is to help an Individual resolve a psychiatric crisis or emergency in the most integrated setting possible, and to avoid unnecessary emergency room visits, hospitalization, inpatient psychiatric treatment, child welfare involvement, placement disruption, houselessness, involuntary commitment, and arrest or incarceration,” said Holland.
At the April 18 commissioners’ meeting, they will look at the proposal from the Benton County Health Department to hire a full-time crisis team.
City’s Local Levy Option Progresses: The City of Corvallis local levy option will now be going to the voters. Ultimately, the Corvallis City Council decided to approve ‘a straight renewal’ to the current local levy option rate, but of course, the voters will have the final say.
At their April 17 meeting, the council will look at the next step, which is to approve a ballot title for the measure going before the voters in November.
The ‘straight renewal’ that was approved by the council would maintain the current rate of $1.07 per $1,000 assessed value and maintaining 51.9 percent of the remaining revenue to be allocated to the Library Department to maintain service levels and for ongoing operations including the Corvallis Public Library open days and hours.
It would also maintain 48.1 percent of the remaining revenue to be allocated to the Parks and Recreation Department to maintain service levels and for ongoing operations including parks service and maintenance.
What the Levy Won’t Deal With is Aging Infrastructure: Some readers will recall officials ordering up a report from an outside consulting firm a few years back to assess just how big an infrastructure problem the city is facing. Answer: $225 to $255 million, and both the city council and city staff have been grappling with potential next steps ever since. Longtime observers believe the city will eventually choose to approach voters with sone sort of entirely new facilities levy in the future.
Drug Take Back: The Benton County Sheriff’s office is hosting a Drug Take Back event on April 22. Residents can safely dispose of expired or unused medications from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.
There are two drop off locations available. The routes will be well marked. You will drive up and drop your medications directly into the disposal box, according to a release from the county.
The Sherriff office at 180 NW 5th St. or the Kalapuya Building parking lot at 4500 SW Research Way, which is a new location this year. You will enter the parking lot on the west entrance from SW Research Way and follow the signs and directions of the volunteers.
This is the only Drug Take Back event the Benton County Sheriff’s Office will be sponsoring this year. For more details on the event visit https://www.co.benton.or.us/sheriff/page/special-event-2023-drug-take-back.
By Jennifer Williams
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