Progress has continued on Benton County’s new Mental Health Crisis Center – so much so that the Health Department will be seeking approval to make some hires at the upcoming Feb. 4 commissioner’s meeting.
In a memo from Assistant County Administrator Rick Crager, he tells the County’s Board of Commissioners the newly built facility will be completed in April or May this year.
“It is anticipated that upon completion, it will require three to four months to get staffed to the point of opening the doors for patients. There is currently a project manager in place to outline the operational plan over the next six to eight months,” according to Crager’s memo.
He also said, “In total, the Crisis Center anticipates between 25 and 30 new positions once it is fully staffed. However, those positions will be brought on in stages as the clinic gets up to its full capacity. Many of these positions will be established as part of the 2025-27 budget process, however, there will be some that need to begin prior to June 30, 2025. Because of this, those positions will need to be established in the current biennial budget.”
The Health Department is looking to begin bargaining for the professional positions – starting the process with two full two full-time equivalent management hires to help with the early planning and operationalizing of the center, according to Crager.
All the positions will be funded through a newly negotiated per-member-per-month rate. The memo says that the County’s Behavioral Health Director, Damien Sands, is currently working with the Integrated Health Network, or IHN, to finalize what the rate will be. IHN is also the coordinated care organization that serves Medicaid, or Oregon Health Plan, patients locally – it’s owned by Samaritan Health.
The request going before the commissioners at their Tuesday, Feb. 4 meeting is to approve budgeting for the hires, which the memo says would happen in March. It seems likely that the commissioners will approve.
Loan dollars for energy efficiency, seismic resilience
The commissioners will also look at creating a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program, or CPACE, in Benton County.
Let us explain. Upgrading buildings for energy efficiency and seismic resilience is dauntingly expensive, so even when a commercial property owner wants to take on those projects, they sometimes, financially, just can’t do it. What a CPACE program offers is long-term financing that is paid back over time. The idea is to make the upgrades possible, or even somewhat profitable.
The owner can get 100% financing, which can be repaid over the useful life of the improvements, which because of the long-term financing options can have positive effects on cash flow. For owners that sell the building before the financing is repaid, the CPACE lien and assessment are attached to the property and transfers to the new owner. There are protections for existing lienholders, including a right to say no.
The dollars for the projects would come from private lenders, and the County would get a 1% assessment to pay for the program – there’s proposed minimum fees of $2,500 and maximum of $15,000. But more than that, the argument goes, CPACE is an economic development tool.
By making it more affordable for building owners to make major improvements to their buildings, local building stock value is enhanced, and more jobs are created. Energy, water, and seismic upgrades create a more competitive environment for retaining and attracting new businesses by lowering energy costs and improving the structural soundness of buildings. And, upgraded buildings can generate higher property tax payments.
And importantly, it is also argued that energy upgrades typically reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
Probably, the commissioners will ultimately approve this program – if not now, then after some more development. We’ll keep you posted.
Transient lodging tax
Set as a work session item for Tuesday’s agenda, the commissioners will look at the County’s room tax revenue. The agenda isn’t calling for action, the item is information only.
Benton County’s transient lodging tax is 3%, and Benton County Chief Financial Officer Greg Munn reports that Linn’s is also 3%. But Lane charges 10% and Lincoln’s is 12%. On the other hand, Corvallis charges a 9% room tax, compared to 4.5% in Eugene.
Munn’s report cites that each 1% of room tax in Benton County equals about $330,000 in annual revenue.
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