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Libraries, fairground, C800 towers receive funding
Earlier today, the Board of County Commissioners allocated $28,703,048 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to capital projects throughout the community.
Clackamas County has received a total of approximately $81.2 million in federal ARPA funds, to be spent by December 2026. Criteria to spend these funds is outlined by the federal government, which details how this money can be used to best recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Projects funded or supported further by this latest round of allocations include:
- Oak Lodge Library ($9,000,000) and Gladstone Library ($6,000,000): Supports the building of the new libraries to better serve the local community, with services including broadband, computer accessibility and education.
- Fairgrounds Multipurpose Facility ($4,800,000): This new venue will, in part, be used for vaccination clinics, which will improve drive-thru access and distanced settings for the public.
- Stormwater Repairs ($4,003,048): Four different areas (SE Clackamas Road, El Camino Way, Aldercrest Court, Thiessen Road) will receive money for a mixture of flood reduction efforts (for local residents) through drainage improvement and culvert replacement.
- Relocations of the county’s Hilltop and Stewart Behavioral Health Centers ($2,000,000) and the Women, Infants and Children Center ($900,000): New centers will provide better accessibility to clients. Both will be moved because of the new Clackamas County Courthouse construction.
- C800 Communications Towers ($2,000,000): Increases lifesaving radio coverage during times of emergency.
Taking these capital project allocations into account, slightly more than $12.1 million remains in federal APRA funds for the board to distribute.
While each of these projects is significant for the community and residents, the library allocations are particularly notable, as it brings these long-held construction goals closer to being achieved.
“This is a great day for Clackamas County residents,” stated Clackamas County Chair Tootie Smith. “Libraries are critical for our communities, and the $15 million we allocated to the Gladstone and Oak Lodge libraries today represents our single largest ARPA investment in any area. This showcases the board’s commitment to these communities.”
Today’s policy session can be watched at https://youtu.be/4F-UQ6AHtFk?t=745. The corresponding packet can be found at https://dochub.clackamas.us/documents/drupal/a3de9dab-4dda-46f4-9f75-5a9f439f7d34.
Clackamas County is committed to supporting our community, and residents are encouraged to track how ARPA funding is spent at www.clackamas.us/recovery.