Corvallis e-News | June 2022

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In this issue: Sign up for the watershed tour, jump into summer reading at the Library, test your home internet connection, and more.)

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New Parking Meter Rates Take Effect

Parking meter rates in Corvallis are set to increase on June 1 after more than 14 years without an adjustment. The increase will ensure that the parking program continues to function as intended and offers rates that are in alignment with similarly sized comparator cities.

(Read more: Parking Meter Rates Frequently Asked Questions)

Parking in Corvallis is managed by the City to balance the availability and convenience of public parking in neighborhoods and business districts throughout the community. The City maintains more than 600 parking meters, most in the downtown area, in the Library and Fire Station parking lots, and near the Oregon State University campus. Adjusting fee rates periodically allows the City to operate and maintain its parking program and infrastructure to ensure the availability of convenient metered parking in these areas of the community.

Starting June 1, the typical hourly rate for a metered parking spot will increase to $1 per hour. In addition, the fee for a parking citation will increase to $15 per violation.

Summer Reading Starts June 1 at the Library

Summer reading starts June 1 for kids, teens, and adults, featuring free books for participants.

You can also participate virtually through  Beanstack, a free app and website for tracking reading and activities, or you can use a paper reading log. Read and complete activities to earn badges and prizes along the way! The Beanstack app even makes it easy for families to track multiple family members in one place. Keep reading and having fun all summer long! 

Find out more and get started: cbcpl.net/summeratyourlibrary

Register on Beanstack: cbcpubliclibrary.beanstack.org

See all summer events at the Library: corvallisbenton.librarycalendar.com

Corvallis Police Department Selected to Pilot New Crisis Training Program

The Corvallis Police Department was selected as one of three law enforcement agencies nationwide to pilot a new crisis training program being developed by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. The intensive, 40-hour training program is designed to prepare police officers in their response to people experiencing crises related to behavioral health conditions, as well as intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) course took place in Corvallis at the end of May and involved law enforcement staff from the Corvallis Police Department, Albany Police Department, and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. Local agencies have been training on crisis response techniques for many years, but this new program represents a more inclusive approach to issues like substance abuse and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“Our goal here is to give officers a better understanding and recognition of mental health and disability awareness crisis communications, and to equip them with the latest de-escalation tools that they can take back to their agencies,” said Trevor Anderson, a police officer in CPD’s Community Livability Unit who helped coordinate the training. “We also want to connect law enforcement staff with resources in the community. It’s important for officers to understand that they are not an island, and there are local resources they can call on during a crisis response.”

The curriculum focused on topics such as mental health, trauma and post-traumatic stress, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders. Each module featured trainers and subject matter experts who shared the latest evolving thinking on each of these complex topics. Throughout the five-day training course, instructors and researchers encouraged attendees to provide feedback on the content and practical applicability of the training course.

“There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t have an opportunity to use these tools and techniques,” said Benton County Sheriff’s Deputy Colin Tominey, shortly after participating in a roleplay scenario that featured a series of interactions with an adult with autism.

The training also highlighted the opportunity to make meaningful improvements to the limited array of crisis resources in Corvallis and Benton County — something Tominey understands all too well.

“In law enforcement, we have two choices when responding to a person experiencing a crisis: take them to the hospital if they are sick or a danger to themselves, or take them to jail if they are committing a crime,” Tominey explained. “We need additional resources, like a drop-in crisis center and support programs, to give us that viable third option.”

The training course was developed by researchers from the University of Cincinnati and facilitated by Policy Research Associates, a consulting firm focused on behavioral health issues. Key local partners included The Arc of Benton County as well as the Benton County Health Department. Moving forward, the instructors will refine the curriculum using data and feedback gathered in Corvallis and the other two pilot sites (Pittsburgh and Rapid City, South Dakota). The eventual goal is to offer the training nationwide so that law enforcement agencies around the country can benefit from the latest approach to this critical topic.

“Bringing this new training opportunity to Corvallis was an incredible achievement,” said Corvallis Police Chief Nick Hurley. “We are excited to grow this program and help roll it out around the nation.”

For more information on the Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) pilot program, go to www.informedpoliceresponses.com/training.

Watershed Tour Set for June 15

On June 15, the community is invited for a rare opportunity that only comes along once a year: a guided tour of the Corvallis Forest, located on the lower slopes of Marys Peak. The 2,400-acre site provides about 30 percent of the city's drinking water via the Rock Creek Water Treatment Plant.

The tour offers a fantastic opportunity to get a closer look at the vast wooded mountain slopes that capture water that eventually ends up in the City's municipal water system. The Corvallis Forest is located nine miles southwest of Corvallis, on the east side of Marys Peak adjacent to the Siuslaw National Forest.

The tour will depart at 4:30 p.m. on June 15 from Corvallis City Hall and is expected to last about three hours, including travel time. Round trip transportation will be provided by the City. The tour is free, but space is limited and advance registration is required. To register, call the Corvallis Public Works Department at 541-766-6916 or email publicworks@corvallisoregon.gov .

This year's tour will focus on forest management, with visits to several different sites in the forest showcasing different aspects of the City’s management activities. The tour will take place rain or shine, and will involve walking on gravel roads, so participants should dress for the terrain and the weather.

Seeking Volunteers for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force

Help the City refine its policies related to diversity and inclusion! We're recruiting volunteers for a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force to examine city policies related to these important issues. The time commitment will probably involve monthly meetings starting this summer and likely finishing up by the end of the year. Apply on the city website and feel free to email patrick.rollens@corvallisoregon.gov with any questions.

Test Your Home Internet

Corvallis is supporting a statewide effort to gather data on internet speed, price, and availability throughout Oregon. Faster Internet Oregon is asking all Oregonians to run an internet speed test on their home computer to help them collect this information. This will help inform our local, regional, and state leaders about how to improve broadband coverage across Oregon. For more information and to take the test, click here.

Citywide Facilities Project Adopts Phasing Plan

What's the latest on the citywide facilities project? Based on the results of the facilities strategy that was adopted earlier this year, we're getting a better sense of the scope of projects that may be coming down the pipeline in the future. Don't worry — we're not going to do everything at once.

The phasing plan adopted in early June will help prioritize projects and set the table for the discussion about how to fund these important infrastructure improvements. The City’s portfolio of municipal buildings is a significant public asset that the community over time has paid for, through taxes and fees, to construct, remodel, and maintain.  Years of under-investment in City facilities resulted in facilities that are increasingly undersized, outmoded, and approaching the end of their service life.

Read more on the Investing in Corvallis Facility Needs landing page.

Neighborhood Bikeways Design Guidelines Published

The Active Transportation Group (part of the Public Works Department) has unveiled a brand-new resource to guide the development of bicycle infrastructure in the community. The Neighborhood Bikeway Design Guidelines and Best Practices handbook includes tools for creating a bicycle-friendly, safe and accessible community. The handbook outlines definitions, treatment characteristics and guidance that is being used to design our Neighborhood Bikeway network.

This guide is just the starting point for a larger discussion about planning and design for bicycles. Neighborhood Bikeways are new to our community and how they grow, connect and evolve is defined by Corvallis’ own unique context and needs. We anticipate this guide evolving over the years to accommodate the subtle changes needed to keep up with our evolving transportation network.

The Neighborhood Bikeway standards are available for download on the City’s Neighborhood Bikeway web page.

Home Energy Score Ordinance

The Climate Action Policy Advisory Board (CAAB) recently recommended that the City adopt a home energy score ordinance to help mitigate the impacts of climate change and curb emissions. This month, staff will present the home energy score ordinance to City Council. Click here to learn more about that effort and other climte-related initiatives from the City of Corvallis.

What's New at the Library this Month?

There's a lot going on at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. Check out any of the events below to learn more!

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