New Trail: Benton County has agreed to back a grant application from the City of Monroe for a new connectivity path through both Monroe and parts of the county. The Monroe Regional Connectivity Path is one of several segments Monroe and Benton County have identified as important components of their respective transportation system plans.
In a release from Steve Martineko the City Administrator for the City of Monroe, the path would not only connect the rural areas outside Monroe to the city’s residential and downtown areas, but would also pass directly by the Monroe Community Library and the High School – two important resources for Monroe and the greater Monroe community.
The plans for the trail include a parallel alternative for both bicycles and pedestrians to avoid the section of highway 99W between Alpine cutoff and Monroe.
Monroe’s proposal also offers the opportunity to leverage the pathway to develop a new park; providing a central location for people to embark on cycling or hiking activities, said Martineko.
Low Income Assistance: The City of Corvallis announced some changes to the city’s low-income city fee assistance program starting in January. In a release, the city stated it will begin providing up to $45 in credit for qualifying customers.
The program is for low-income single-dwelling residential customers who pay a city services bill for their residence, and who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Oregon Health Plan (OHP), or school free lunch program.
The release defines qualifying residences as a single-dwelling residence that has one or more rooms with bathroom and kitchen facilities designed for occupancy by one family such as single-dwelling homes, detached townhouses, condominiums, zero lot-lines, etc., where the units have individual water meters.
A new application will need to be completed annually. Visit https://www.corvallisoregon.gov/finance/webform/city-services-billing-low-income-assistance-program for more details.
More Trash Talk: Trash Talks continue in Benton County with several upcoming meetings for the Solid Waste Process Workgroup, with the next scheduled on Dec. 15.
In a release from the county, the goal of the county and the workgroup is to be transparent while working with community members, key stakeholders, and other local, state, and federal partners regarding solid waste procedures throughout Benton County. Meetings are scheduled now until the beginning of 2023.
All meetings are held in person at the Kalapuya Bldg. located at 4500 SW Research Way, or online through Zoom. Learn more about the Solid Waste Process Workgroup.
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