Corvallis e-News | June 2024

In this issue: Run for elected office in Corvallis, take the Civic Campus survey, and more!

Filing Period Opens June 5 for Upcoming November Election

Prospective Corvallis City Council candidates can begin filing paperwork starting June 5 for the upcoming general election scheduled for November 5, 2024. All nine City Council seats will be up for election. Nomination packets outlining the process for becoming a candidate are available on the City website and in-person at City Hall, Corvallis Public Library, C3 Community Center, and Osborn Aquatic Center.

This year’s election cycle features an extended filing period to allow more time for candidates to review paperwork, collect signatures, and submit their nomination petitions. These changes were made by the City Council earlier this year to reduce barriers and encourage more people to run for office. Corvallis elected officials can also take advantage of monetary stipends that were implemented in 2022 to help defray costs associated with serving in local elected office.

Councilors are elected to two-year terms to represent the ward in which they reside. A ward map is available on the City website to help prospective candidates identify their ward. To run for office, candidates must be a registered Corvallis voter, must have lived in Corvallis for at least one year prior to the election, and must reside in the ward they’re seeking to represent.

Election Info Session on June 24

An election information session is scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday, June 24 to share additional information about the election process, including forms, deadlines, and other key milestones. The session will be held in the Madison Avenue Meeting Room, 500 SW Madison Ave. Corvallis, broadcast online via Zoom, and recorded.

More information about the upcoming November 5, 2024 general election is available online at www.corvallisoregon.gov/elections.

Civic Campus Task Force Launches Public Input Survey

The Civic Campus Community Engagement Task Force has launched a survey designed to gather input and public opinion about a proposed city facility project in downtown Corvallis. The survey will be open through the summer, with results being compiled and delivered to the City Council in the fall.

Survey (English): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/corvalliscampus

Survey (Español): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/campuscivico

The short questionnaire seeks input about the community's goals, values, and outcomes that could be addressed through improvements to the Civic Campus in downtown Corvallis. The Civic Campus includes public buildings which house many core functions such as City Hall, Municipal Court, Community Development, and the Finance Department. The buildings are located along the historic Madison Avenue corridor in downtown Corvallis.

Improvements to the Civic Campus are intended to address safety, resiliency, accessibility, and energy efficiency for these downtown buildings. Improvements to the Civic Campus are just one part of the larger citywide facilities planning project.

The community is invited to take the short survey and help inform the Civic Campus improvement process. Feedback from the survey will be evaluated by the Council alongside other technical information gathered over the last two years through needs assessments to determine the best way to address improvements to the Civic Campus in downtown Corvallis.

Tyler Avenue Bikeway Open House

Join the City of Corvallis Active Transportation and Toole Design staff for an open discussion on the design of the Tyler Avenue Neighborhood Bikeway on Tuesday, June 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Downtown Fire Station (400 NW Harrison Blvd).

Neighborhood Bikeways aim to prioritize people and provide low-stress routes for people traveling by foot or wheel, while still accommodating motor vehicle traffic and on-street parking. Learn more about Neighborhood Bikeways on the City website.

There will be no set presentation for the event — come and go as you please. We hope to see you there!

Can’t make it to the in-person event? Participate in the online Open House, starting June 12, at: www.corvallisoregon.gov/nb

Funds Available Through Downtown Corvallis Revolving Loan Program

The Corvallis-Benton County Economic Development Office is now accepting complete applications on a first come, first served basis for the Corvallis Downtown Revolving Loan Fund Program. The total program funds available are $38,500 until more funding becomes available in the future. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until all funds are expended.

Loan funds can be used for a variety of business investments, including rehabilitation, painting, window repair, interior design, electrical and plumbing upgrades, and sustainability improvements. The program rules and application are available on the Economic Development Office website.

New Fire Risk Signs Installed in Corvallis

Have you seen the new signs around town? Last month, the Corvallis Fire Department put the finishing touches on THREE brand new fire risk signs located at key points throughout our community. These are the same signs you see elsewhere in Oregon to keep the community apprised of fire risk, particularly during the hot and dry summer months.

The first sign is really something special – local teen Keaton Davis designed the sign through his high school shop program as part of his Eagle Scout project. The sign is mounted on wheels so CFD staff can move it around to different high-visibility corners near Station 1 to capture peak traffic at different times of the day. Keaton is the son of retired Corvallis Firefighter Kevin Davis, and we truly appreciate the work that went into this cool, functional sign.

The second sign was placed outside Lincoln Elementary along OR 99W / SW 3rd Street. This was a combined effort by Corvallis School District, Oregon Department of Forestry, and CFD. Corvallis CERT Program Manager Trent England designed and built the sturdy wood frames. This sign was intentionally placed in South Corvallis to promote community education about fire risk broadly in Corvallis. ODF Firefighters Rick Harris, Thomas Williams, and Ryan Schmidtgall helped CERT volunteers build the sign frames.

And the third sign was placed with the cooperation of Comcast on the corner of OR 99W and Lewisburg Avenue. Comcast staff Reid Wyse (Facilities Specialist) and Kevin Bannister (Tech Ops Supervisor) were instrumental in determining the location and working with Comcast for approval of the installation. Members of the Corvallis Rural Fire Protection District Board Bob Conder, Heidi Hagler, and Tony O’Donahue were very grateful for a new sign location to help get the fire risk word out to community members in the northern portion of our service area.

We’re excited to have these three brand-new signs deployed around Corvallis and the surrounding community. These signs were purchased using funds provided by the Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal. Big thanks to the many, many different partnerships that made this project come together!

New Bike Maps Now Available

They’re Here! Freshly Updated Corvallis Bike Maps are OUT!

Bike Month took place in May, and we celebrated by introducing our newly updated Corvallis Bicycle Map. Last updated in 2018, the new map reflects recent changes to infrastructure and revised information about cycling in Corvallis.

Download the Corvallis Bike Map by visiting our website

Physical maps are here! You can pick yours up at any of the following locations:

Corvallis Bicycle Collective
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
Corvallis Cyclery
First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op North and South Stores
Osborn Aquatic Center

Whether you are riding for fun, fitness, with family, taking essential trips to work or shopping, you are part of the movement for safer streets, connected communities, a healthier planet and of course, happier people.

South Corvallis Food Hub Grant Application Now Open

Applications are being accepted for the new South Corvallis Food Hub Grant Program. This program will solicit proposals to distribute nearly $500,000 to support the local food system in South Corvallis.

This program is designed to be accessible, and we have many partners who are willing to help folks that are interested in applying. The City appreciates our partners who helped develop this project, especially those at the City, County and LBCC Small Business Development Center who have been generous with their time and energy. Staff at the Economic Development Office are available to answer questions and assist with collaboration to ensure these limited financial resources are impactful.

Community Members Play Key Role in Benton County Wildfire Evacuation Drill

The spring may have been wet, but the long, dry summer wildfire season is right around the corner. As part of an ongoing effort for enhance emergency preparedness, Benton County and the City of Corvallis teamed up May 18 to conduct a wildfire evacuation drill. The drill served as a valuable opportunity for emergency responders and residents to practice wildfire evacuation procedures and test communication systems.

Hundreds of community members, including the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), participated, ensuring a successful drill.

The County's Temporary Evacuation Point (TEP) was the Kalapuya Building on SW Research Way, Corvallis and the City’s TEP was at the Northwest Hills Community Church on Walnut in Corvallis. The drills involved Community Emergency Response Team volunteers to ensure a coordinated and effective response and service as a valuable opportunity for residents and emergency responders to practice wildfire evacuation procedures and test communication systems. It is part of ongoing efforts to enhance emergency preparedness in Benton County.

"We are excited to partner with the City of Corvallis on this important drill," said Benton County Emergency Manager Bryan Lee, prior to the drill. "By working together, we can better prepare our community for emergencies and ensure that everyone is safe and informed."

Erin McMahon, the director of Oregon Emergency Management, was on hand from Salem for the drill. She was impressed with the high level of volunteerism displayed by the citizens and CERT.

“It has been impressive to see the whole community come together and display all the hard work that went into this response training,” said McMahon. She also pointed out that the Benton County and Corvallis emergency disaster response effort has been an organized effort from the ground up – not forced down from the state.

Dave Busby, Corvallis Fire Emergency Planning Manager, was very pleased with the results of the evacuation drill.

“It further improved the collaborative effort between the residents, the CERT volunteers, and city and county emergency personnel,” he said.

According to Busby, the drill reminded residents and emergency personnel how quickly a normal day can turn dangerous.

“You always need to be prepared to quickly evacuate, especially during wildfire season,” he said.

Busby pointed out there were three main aspects of the evacuation drill. The first was to provide community members the opportunity to walk through the process of an evacuation. The second was having the CERT volunteers work a temporary evacuation plan, and the third part was testing the Linn-Benton Emergency Alert System.

Preparation is the key to the success of handling an emergency, stated Samaritan Health Services Emergency Manager Howard Ferguson.

“The planning helps agencies to better know where and what their resources are it further improves the coordination amongst participating organizations.”

A key part of the drill was putting the recently completed Oak Creek Evacuation Route to the test. The limited-use service road (through the OSU Sheep Farm) connects NW Oak Creek Drive with NW Ponderosa Avenue, providing an alternative exit path for numerous northwest Corvallis residents in the event of a mass evacuation. The route passed with flying colors as many motorists navigated the corridor during the evacuation drill.

If you haven’t already, residents can sign up for emergency evacuation route notifications with the Linn-Benton ALERT system at https://sheriff.bentoncountyor.gov/linn-benton-alert/. After signing up for the alerts you will receive all emergency-related notifications related to your location.

Government Comment Corner at the Library!

Meet your local government officials and chat about whatever's on your mind at Government Comment Corner. Each two-hour session takes place at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave., from 10 a.m. to noon each Saturday. A rotating cast of elected leaders from Corvallis and Benton County will be available for open, honest, one-on-one conversations with anyone who wants to stop by. Bring your questions about public services, and learn more about how to volunteer and get involved!

Here's the schedule (subject to change):

Upcoming Government Comment Corner Dates
Date	Name
June 15, 2024	Briae Lewis
July 6, 2024	Tony Cadena
August 3, 2024	Charlyn Ellis

FYI: Council Three-Month Calendar

The City Council's three-month calendar is a good way to track topics and learn about upcoming business items. The three-month calendar is available on the City website.

The schedule is subject to change, so be sure to contact your City Councilor to learn more about any particular topic you see on the calendar.

What's New at the Library this Month?

Summer @ Your Library 2024

June 1-August 31

Summer reading starts June 1 for kids, teens, and adults!

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

See our summer events: corvallisbenton.librarycalendar.com

Outdoor Storytime, 10:30am Tuesdays and Thursdays in June, July and August. Storytime is moving to Central Park for the summer! Rain location: Main Meeting Room
Infant Storytime: For babies 0-1. Wednesdays at 10:30 in the Main Meeting Room.
Free Employment Help: 1st Wednesdays, 10am-noon, 2nd Floor Classroom, drop-in. Job-seekers can drop in to meet with an Employment Specialist from Worksource Oregon.
Tech Help Lab: 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday, 2nd floor Classroom, Drop in for free, basic, one-on-one tech help from a library staff member. Bring your computer or device or use one of ours.
Model Train Show: June 1 and 2, Main Meeting Room The Oregon Electric O Gaugers bring a model train show for the whole family.
Children's Concert: Jessa Campbell: June 5, 10:30, Main Meeting Room Join Jessa Campbell for a free children's concert that bridges the worlds of music and ecology.
Nerf night for Adults: June 7, 6:15-8:15. Rainbow Nerf night for adults with snacks and crafts.
Random Review: June 12, 12-1pm, Main Meeting Room. Susan Rodgers reviews Demon Copperhead: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver
Pride Storytime with Haus of Dharma: June 12, 6:00pm, Main Meeting Room. a special evening storytime celebrating Pride with drag performers from Haus of Dharma! This event is for families of all ages.
Loose Flagstone Celtic Quartet: June 15, 2-3pm, Main Meeting Room. Everyone is invited to enjoy a free afternoon of lively Celtic music!
Craft Night for Adults: Pride Crafts!: June 18, 5:30-7:00, Main Meeting Room. June craft for Adults 18+: Rainbow crafts for Pride month!
Journey Under the Sea: June 26, 1:30-2:30pm, Main Meeting Room. Children and their families are invited to join the Museum of Natural and Cultural History for hands-on science fun.
PRIDE Family Craft Night (for all ages!): June 25, 5:30-7:00, Main Meeting Room. June craft for Families: Rainbow crafts for Pride Month!
In My Library Era: Taylor Swift Party: June 29, 2-4pm, Main Meeting Room. Calling all Swifties! Grab your cardigans and join us at the Library for an Eras Party that is sure to be timeless! Teens, Tweens and all ages welcome!
Get a Library Card: Sign up for a library card and get access to all services and materials including placing holds on materials, downloadable books, audiobooks, magazines, streaming movies and more!
Home Delivery Service: Get your holds delivered to you! Delivery is available to patrons with current library cards who live within the library service district.
Library Newsletter: Want to get monthly updates, upcoming events, and other library news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our email newsletter!