June 2023                                              View as Webpage

The Benton County Fair & Rodeo has released its concert lineup and shows that are free with fair admission:

Wednesday, August 2

• 6:30 p.m. Radical Revolution
• 8:30 p.m. Radical Revolution

Friday, August 4

• 7:00 p.m. Kurt Van Meter
• 8:30 p.m. LANCO

Thursday, August 3

• 7:00 p.m. Remedy
• 8:30 p.m. Chayce Beckham

Saturday, August 5

• 7:00 p.m. Back in Black – ACDC Tribute
• 8:30 p.m. Mr Speed – Kiss Tribute

The Main Stage is sponsored by Pioneer Connect. Concerts and rodeos are free with paid admission to the fair. Seating in the outdoor venue is first come, first serve. Bring a blanket or chair and enjoy the music under the stars. Review all the details. 

Fair tickets are now on sale! Visit www.bentoncountyfair.net for up-to-date information regarding fair schedules and ticketing, or call 541-766-6521.

Bond Measure 2-140 Result

The unofficial vote count shows that Measure 2-140 will not pass. The County remains committed to addressing core issues of community safety, mental health, and homelessness.

Despite the unsuccessful outcome, the County is fortunate to have funds in place to proceed with the construction of a new courthouse and District Attorney's offices. These new facilities will not only ensure the safety of our staff in the face of seismic events but also provide much-needed additional space.

While the bond measure's defeat presents challenges, the Board of Commissioners firmly believe that it also represents an opportunity to regroup, reassess, and strategize new approaches. The Board has begun to engage community stakeholders, political leaders, and other partners to rally support for crucial endeavors.

The Board and County staff next steps include conversations with community partners to develop consensus-based approaches for reinvesting in our core facilities. We’d love to hear your thoughts about why you voted for or against the bond measure. You can provide feedback that will be collected and shared with the commissioners by emailing pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov.

Emergency Management seeks feedback for Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

Community leaders in Benton County are working with the Oregon Dept. of Land Conservation and Development to update the County’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. Natural hazard mitigation plans detail community risk for disasters and natural hazards, and potential actions to lower risk to people, property, and the local economy before the next disaster or natural hazard event happens.

All survey responses are anonymous and will not be connected to any personal information. Data from the survey will be used to inform the disaster and natural hazards planning process.

Take the survey before June 12.

OSU ROTC Cadets honor Veterans with flag raising at historic Benton County cemetery

On May 23, Oregon State University (OSU) Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine ROTC Cadets raised U.S. flags on the grave sites of those who served in our armed forces and were laid to rest at the Crystal Lake Cemetery.

View the photo album.

“I think it’s very important to remember our Veterans, they fought and died for our country and for us to be here today—so everything we can do to remember them and honor them is very important,” said Shale Paulson from Corvallis, Ore., an OSU ROTC Air Force Cadet.

Review the full article.

SW West Hills Corridor Plan open house

• WHAT: Community open house – no formal presentation, drop by anytime to view exhibits and speak with the project team.

• WHEN: June 13 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.



• WHERE: First Congregational United Church of Christ at 4515 SW West Hills Road, Corvallis

A section of SW West Hills Road from SW 53rd Street to Western Boulevard is currently owned and maintained by Benton County but is anticipated to be improved and transferred to the City of Corvallis at some point in the future. Neither the County nor City have secured funding for construction.

West Hills Road has some unique constraints that challenge installation of standard road improvements so the City and County are partnering to identify what the future urban section will look like as development occurs along the corridor.

Review the project page.

Benton County launches Fentanyl Aware Campaign

On May 9, "National Fentanyl Awareness Day", the Benton County Health Department, in partnership with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Corvallis Police Department, and the Benton County Board of Commissioners launched a new campaign to help raise community awareness about the powerful synthetic opioid, fentanyl.

The County has seen increased calls to 911, emergency room visits, and even death because of recent increases in the supply and use of fentanyl in Benton County. The campaign, modeled after Lane County’s, is aimed at counteracting these negative effects by empowering the community with knowledge, tools, and resources.

Review the full article.

"Benton County Public Podcast" Episode 2

Benton County is excited to announce episode two of its new public podcast, the "Benton County Public Podcast". This podcast is a platform for County officials and community members to engage in meaningful conversations about the issues that matter most to the residents of the County.

This month, Episode 2 features the Jackson-Frazier Wetland and work happening to maintain and preserve the wetland with Natural Resources Coordinator Adam Stebbins, and Natural Areas Parks & Events Deputy Director Jesse Ott.

CERT trainings resume

Benton County’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) recently conducted its first in-person FEMA Basic CERT course since the pandemic began and welcomed new members to the team. The training covered a range of topics from fire safety and light search and rescue to medical and psychological first aid, and rounded out with a disaster simulation exercise. Thank you to Philomath Fire & Rescue for their assistance with this training.

The weekend highlighted teamwork and community. In the event of an emergency, Benton County CERT employs the Incident Command Structure. This team has been providing the core values of teamwork, community engagement, and volunteer service throughout our community for 20 years. 

• CERT volunteers do not replace professional responders, but when a disaster strikes, they are trained to assist others in our community until professional responders are available.
• CERT volunteers may be called out to an emergency and will be asked to respond as they are available and able.

The course is geared toward adults, but are open to persons age 16 and older. Individuals under 18-years-of-age must have a signed consent from a parent or legal guardian and must be accompanied by the parent or legal guardian during the class. Once accepted into the program, participants must successfully complete the Basic CERT training program to become CERT-certified.

Benton County CERT is accepting applications for the next Skills Check. If you are interested and would like to learn more about this valuable program, send an email to cert@bentoncountyor.gov or visit the Sheriff's website to learn more.

Board of Commissioners' meeting summaries

Meeting summaries list agenda items and provide a brief description. They are not the formal meeting record and do not replace Board meeting minutes.

• View the May 2, 2023 Board meeting summary.
• View the May 16, 2023 Board meeting summary.

Visit the Board of Commissioners meeting page to find meeting links, summaries, materials, and other details.

Benton County is hiring!

Our featured position this month is: Medical Assistant (7 vacancies available)

Medical Assistants (MA's) work with health care providers to deliver primary care to clients of the Community Health Center by preparing patients for physical exams, recording health information, phlebotomy, collecting specimens, performing screening tests, and performing administrative/clerical duties related to the patient care process.

MA's work in a patient centered, team-based care delivery model serving a diverse patient population. These positions provide support to proactive patient care and care coordination. View additional vacancies.

Benton County is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring and employment practices. 

This document is available in alternative formats and languages upon request.