Commissioners hear May health report

ALBANY — There were 47 births and 120 deaths in Linn County in May, Dr. Adam Brady told the Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning.

Of those births, 29 were girls and 18 were boys.

Dr. Brady said the use of tobacco products could be associated with 25 deaths, alcohol usage with four deaths and diabetes with 13 deaths.

There were two deaths of people who were more than 100 years old, one to heart failure and one to pancreatitis.

There were no reported suicides in May. 

There were 26 animal bites and 185 bites year-to-date compared to 144 at the same time a year ago. There were 352 total animal bites last year and the five-year average is 249.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved an Intergovernmental Agreement between Linn County and Benton County for housing inmates at the Linn County Jail. The rate is $105 per bed per day.
• Approved an amendment to an Intergovernmental Agreement between Marion County and Linn County to provide occupational therapy to patients at Linn County Mental Health. The amendment extends the agreement’s termination date from April 30,2024 to June 30, 2025 and increases the billing rate to $1,262 beginning May 1.
• Approved writing off uncollectible accounts for the following: Mental Health Services, $9,714.21; Alcohol & Drug Treatment, $5,152.47; Public Health, $205.95.
• Approved a refund of $1,090 for Hughes Excavation from the Environmental Health Department. The company accidentally submitted duplicate permit applications.
• Approved a supplemental project agreement between Linn County and the State of Oregon, Department of Transportation, for funding improvements to the South Santiam River-McDowell Creek Bridge project. This is a federally-funded project grant reimbursement up to $651,978.18 for preliminary design, right-of-way and construction to address erosion and to repair the bridge.
• Approved a supplemental project agreement between Linn County and the State of Oregon Department of Transportation to fund improvements to the Truax Creek Bridge (Clover Ridge Road) for up to $2,811,779.28. This is for preliminary design, right-of-way and construction of a new bridge.
• Approved renewal of a 20-year agreement between the Oregon Youth Authority and Linn County for the operation of the Linn Benton Juvenile Detention Center as part of the Oak Creek Youth Correctional Authority.
• Approved a Construction Excise Tax increase for Linn County properties within the Corvallis School District. The current tax for residential properties is $1 per square foot and that will increase to $1.62. The current rate for non-residential properties is 50 cents per square foot and that will increase to 82 cents. Planning & Building Director Steve Wills told the Commissioners, Linn County does not receive any of that money, nor does the county charge a handling fee for its services.
• Approved continuing a Public Hearing concerning Confined Animal Feeding Operations until 10 a.m. Thursday, June 20 and continuing a Public Hearing concerning a Comprehensive Text Amendment and Reasons Exception to Statewide Planning Goals 13 and 14 by the City of Millersburg until 10 a.m. on July 16.

Media contact: Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer, 541-967-3825 or email apaul@co.linn.or.us.