Q&A from Sept. 8 Virtual Community Meeting

The City and County have collaborated on the Justice System Improvement Program dating back to the Criminal Justice System Assessment and throughout the program’s Predesign Phase. There is an ongoing collaboration between our respective law enforcement agencies, between the County Administrator and City Manager, between elected officials, and on our Justice System Improvement Program Technical and Community Advisory Committees. In the early stages of the Predesign phase, there was a discussion between the County and City regarding housing the City’s Municipal Court in the proposed new County Courthouse. Ultimately, the proposal was dismissed; the City will manage its Municipal Court needs.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) provides space for both training and emergency operations activities. Currently, the County does not have an EOC that's sufficient in size to serve the County’s needs. When the EOC was activated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the County utilized four different facilities, moving three times.

The proposed Emergency Operations Center is approximately 10,000 square feet, and can be either a standalone facility or integrated into a new law enforcement building. Like a law enforcement building, an EOC is built to robust standards in order to withstand severe seismic or weather events. When not being used for emergency operations, it can be used for training or meeting purposes by the County, other municipalities, or by the public. The proposed EOC will include various sized/configurable meeting spaces, restroom facilities, kitchen, and support service space.

The County is fortunate to have the opportunity to seek additional funding for many County programs due to COVID relief funds.  We are seeking $1 million in American Rescue Plan funding for our Emergency Operations Center. Our Crisis Center is also receiving funding ($2.25 million to date) from the State and Federal government, in part through American Rescue Plan dollars. - Answered by Commissioner Xan Augerot during the September 8 meeting

A programmatic element of the Justice System Improvement Program is Data Evaluation and Metrics, which will measure the program’s success, ensure equitable practices, and to monitor outcomes like arrest rates.

At the same time it is important to note that Benton County’s arrest rate has been impacted by its lack of jail space. The County’s use of cite and release, rather than arrest, is 2- to 3-times what is considered the norm, based on the conclusions of CGL, who conducted the Assessment, at the outset of the Justice System Improvement Program. Data will help the County establish, monitor, and maintain an appropriate arrest rate, and to analyze and understand trends and changes.

The difference in operating costs between the west and south sites is virtually nonexistent. This is because both sites will require the adults in custody be transported to downtown Corvallis, and the drive times from either site to downtown are essentially equal.

Both sites offer good access to and from the rest of the County. The primary operations considerations are the location of the proposed new courthouse, whether co-located with the proposed correctional facility and Sheriff’s Office on the south or west site, or located downtown.

The proposed new Correctional Facility size of approximately 120 beds is based on conclusions by CGL, who conducted the Justice System Improvement Program Assessment. These conclusions were reverified in 2020 by DLR Group, the County's consultant on the Justice System Improvement Program's Predesign Phase.

The size recommendation considers various programs, many of which the County is pursuing or implementing, that reduce the number of adults in custody. It’s important to note that on average, across the nation and in Oregon, correctional facilities typically operate at no more than 80 percent capacity. This means on any given day, a 120-bed facility has no more than 96 adults in custody. In the unlikely event Benton County is extremely successful at reducing the number of adults in custody, the County is confident it could rent beds to one of the neighboring four counties.

To date, the costs have not been studied in detail. The answer depends on the number of transports per week, and that could change in a post-COVID pandemic world. A detailed study will be conducted for the Board of Commissioners’ consideration prior to making a final decision on a location for the proposed new courthouse.

The final bond measure amount has not been determined. Based on the 2020 property tax roll (the 2021 tax roll has not been finalized), if the bond were $100 million, the cost for the average Benton County property owner is about $.80 per $1,000 in assessed value. For a home with an assessed value of $350,000, the rate equates to a $280 tax increase. The rate will be updated when the 2021 tax roll is available, and again when the final bond amount is determined, sometime in 2022.

The Corvallis Fault does not intersect the site. It runs to the northwest and southwest of the site.

Traffic study counts will begin immediately following OSU’s fall term beginning, with the study completed by mid-October 2021. Whether or not the RV park is included in the study will depend on the opening date of the park.