Corvallis e-News | July 2022

In this issue: Open Streets, new ward boundary maps, summer street resurfacing, and more.)

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New Ward Boundary Maps

The City of Corvallis has adopted a set of new ward boundary maps, capping off a once-per-decade process that adjusts the boundaries of the nine wards in the city. An interactive map displaying the new wards is available online at www.corvallisoregon.gov/mc/page/ward-boundary-maps.

The new ward maps were adopted by the City Council on June 21, following several months of discussion and deliberation. The process of creating new maps is governed by guidelines in the City Charter, focusing on preserving neighborhood groupings, seeking to create compact, regular boundaries, and containing equal populations whenever possible. The process is also informed by state laws that require maps to be free from political bias and to provide equitable voting strength for ethnic minorities or language groups.

The new ward maps were built using the latest population figures compiled in the 2020 Census, which put the city’s population at 59,093. The biggest change was to Ward 4, which had historically contained the entire campus of Oregon State University. Population growth citywide meant that the OSU campus could no longer be contained within a single ward, so small portions of Ward 4 were added to Ward 1 and Ward 2.

Although the ward maps take effect on July 5, 2022, individual residents will continue to be represented by their existing elected Councilor.

In the November 2022 election, ballots will be printed and distributed using the new ward boundaries. The relatively small number of households that are moving into a new ward will receive ballots that display candidates running for office in their new ward.

Thinking of Running for Office in Corvallis? Attend the Upcoming Election Info Session

The City is hosting an informational session for prospective candidates interested in running for local elected office in Corvallis. The hybrid session will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, July 25 at the Madison Avenue Meeting Room, 500 SW Madison Ave., and will be livestreamed online. For more information, go to www.corvallisoregon.gov/mc/page/2022-election-information-session.

Resurfacing Starts July 1 for Van Buren Avenue and Washington Avenue

The annual summer road construction season is underway in Corvallis. Resurfacing work starts July 1 on portions of Van Buren Avenue and Washington Avenue in the central downtown area and is expected to conclude by the end of September.

Work includes asphalt grinding and paving, restriping, and improvements to sidewalk ADA ramps. Blocks involved in these projects include:

• Van Buren Avenue between 17th Street and 4th Street.
• Washington Avenue between 11st Street and 2nd Street.

Typically, work will occur between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with occasional work on Saturdays as needed.

Travelers can expect periodic traffic impacts from July through September. Van Buren Avenue may be reduced to one lane of travel, and parking temporarily removed from this section of Van Buren during construction. Washington Avenue will also have parking temporarily removed during construction. 

Services such as mail delivery and garbage collection will remain available.

Corvallis Transit Service (CTS) will continue to serve these areas. Any changes to CTS stops or routes will be posted on the City’s website at www.corvallisoregon.gov/cts. Bus riders can also sign up to receive service alerts via email.

As always, this schedule is subject to change due to impacts from weather and unforeseen delays. Thank you for your patience as we make the most of our relatively short summer road construction season in Corvallis. 

Contact Josh Bjornstedt, project manager, with any questions at 541-766-6731 x 5156 or josh.bjornstedt@corvallisoregon.gov.

Open Streets Corvallis Returns — Volunteers Wanted!

Join us on Sunday, August 14, 12 – 4 PM, for a free street festival that re-imagines our most shared public spaces – streets and parks. Two miles of city streets between Arnold Park and Chintimini Park will be opened up for people to walk, bike, and roll (see this year’s route map).

Volunteers are needed! We have many 2-hour shifts to fill, including intersection superheroes, hydrators, beer garden monitors, as well as set-up and teardown teams. Volunteers get a free t-shirt, snacks, and a darn good time. Visit the volunteer sign-up page for a complete list of shifts.

This year’s event features a neighborhood bikeway demonstration along portions of Lincoln Avenue and Coolidge Way.

Local organizations and businesses will anchor Activity Hubs in each park, including bicycle-powered activities, giant-sized games, local food and drink, dance, and live music. Neighbors, community groups, and businesses are invited to host interactive activities along the route. The deadline to register an activity at a park is July 14.

For more information, visit: openstreetscorvallis.org or email Lindsey.Almarode@corvallisoregon.gov.

City Council Adopts $242 Million Budget for Fiscal Year 2023

The Corvallis City Council voted Monday to approve an annual budget totaling $242,677,700 for Fiscal Year 2023. Council’s action was the final step in the City’s annual budget process, which began in May with a series of Budget Commission meetings and included deliberations, analysis, and public input.

The new budget goes into effect on July 1, when the City of Corvallis begins its new fiscal year.

The new budget takes a cautious approach to City finances, following a tumultuous year that saw the COVID-19 pandemic lead to inflation concerns and supply shortages that impacted all sectors of the economy. As a full-service municipality, the City is not immune from inflation-driven cost increases.

“We’re entering a new fiscal year with more uncertainty on the horizon,” said City Manager Mark Shepard. “As careful stewards of community resources, it is our obligation to adopt a balanced budget that keeps costs contained as much as possible. As always, we will continually strive to find new resources to continue delivering the many high-quality services that the Corvallis community expects.”

For more information on the budget process for the City of Corvallis, go to www.corvallisoregon.gov/budget.

Online Resources for Citywide Facilities Project

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 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.

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!

Summer @ Your Library 2022:  Read Beyond the Beaten Path

• June 1-August 31

Summer reading runs through August 31 for kids, teens, and adults, featuring free books for participants.

You can also participate virtualy 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: Summer @ Your Library: https://cbcpubliclibrary.net/summeratyourlibrary/

Register on Beanstack: cbcpubliclibrary.beanstack.org

All summer events are posted online at corvallisbenton.librarycalendar.com

• Outdoor Storytime, 10:30am Tuesdays and Thursdays in June, July and August. Storytime is moving to Central Park for the summer!   
• Children’s Concert with Red Yarn:  10:30am on July 7 at Central Park  instead of Storytime.
• Comedy with Angel Ocasio:  10:30 am on July 20 at Central Park. A bilingual English/Spanish,  high energy, very funny one man variety show, for children and families
• Get a Library Card: Sign up for an All-Access e-card to 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.
• Books & More from Home:  Read ebooks, download audiobooks and magazines, or watch streaming video all from the comfort of your home with your library card!
• Library Newsletter: Want to get monthly updates, upcoming events, and other library news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our email newsletter!