Sworn In: Benton County Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall and Commissioner Pat Malone were sworn into office by Judge Joan Demarest on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at the Benton County Circuit Court.
Malone having completed a first term was reelected for second, beating challengers in both the primary and general elections by a landslide in each instance. He said public transportation and justice system improvement are among his top priorities, “I want to represent all of our County. I think it’s important to be familiar with all parts of the county and get as much information about what the issues and concerns are, and what we are trying to achieve throughout the county.”
Van Arsdall was appointed to his position in March 2021 after his predecessor retired, and ran unopposed in this year’s Nov. 8 election. “It’s an honor and privilege to be elected as the Sheriff of Benton County, an honor I don’t take lightly,” said Van Arsdall. “I look forward to serving the next four years as your Sheriff.”
Both will serve a four-year term beginning in January.
Navigation Center: The Corvallis City Council is being asked to sign a letter of support for the Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center as it seeks dollars from the Oregon Legislature. The funding would add shelter beds.
The Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center (CDDC) has submitted a letter to both the mayor and council for support of the added services. The council will look at the letter of support at their meeting on Tuesday, January 3.
“House Bill 2006, from the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session, defined a Navigation Center as a low-barrier emergency shelter that is open 7 days per week and connects individuals and families with health services, permanent housing, and public benefits,” said Paul Bilotta, City Of Corvallis Community Development Director.
According to documents provided to the council, the 2020 point-in-time (PIT) count in Benton County showed that 140 individuals were unsheltered, and another 108 were in some form of shelter program. A local League of Women Voters report from the same year estimated that PIT counts likely represented the minimum of people experiencing homelessness in the community, and that between 800 and 1300 people experienced homelessness in 2019, with up to 600 of them being without shelter.
“A Navigation Center is similar to CDDC in its current iteration, but significantly scaled up in size and with a respite/emergency shelter component to the facility,” said Bilotta. “They have one-stop-shop access to service providers/navigators and case management, basic needs navigation, healthcare, behavioral healthcare, jobs and employment resources, and affordable housing navigation.”
The CDDC has partnered with CIDA, a Portland design firm, for next steps around vision creation, funding partnerships, construction and budget costs, site evaluation and feasibility, as well as zoning and code information.
By: Jennifer Williams
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