Jordan Valley gets $50K grant from Oregon Department of Transportation, $38K from American Rescue Plan Act

For ODOT’s 2022 allotment program, it received 92 applications requesting $9.032 million in funding and were able to award 53 projects totaling $5.135 million, according to a recent news release. Approved projects include work, such as replacing non-compliant curb ramps; pavement preservation; adding curb, gutters, sidewalks, bike lanes and curb ramps; and rebuilding roads to match existing curb lines while paving the full width of road, including shoulders.

Jordan Valley was awarded $50,000 and officials plan to use the funding for a city street project. Jordan Valley was the only place from Malheur County listed as a grant recipient in Region 5.

The city’s budget determines how much can feasibly requested from the state, according to City Recorder Anne Stephens. The reason for this is that typically with the grants, ODOT reimburses cities for the money. As such, the city can only apply for what officials decide it has available to work with.

“We have a small budget,” she noted.

To determine how much they apply for, city officials consider the streets that are most in need of repair. This time around, the city plans to use the funding to do an asphalt overlay and base repairs on Marshall Street from California to Iowa avenues. The area of work is in a neighborhood, Stephens explained.

Since the grants have been available, the city has applied each year, she said, noting that this is the second time it has been awarded funding. The previous grant award was also $50,000, which was used for an asphalt overlay on Youngfield Avenue.

“It will make the street safer,” Stephens said. “The kids won’t be dodging potholes, the cars won’t be dodging potholes, so it’s safer for pedestrians. We have a small, tiny town, but a lot of people walk a lot.”

Additionally, she noted, it will look better.

As it’s somewhat of a strain on the coffers to spend the money up front, Jordan Valley will request half of the funding up front from the state, which they were able to do the last time around.

When they applied for a grant and didn’t get it last year, Stephens noted that was likely OK, as “it would have really drained us.” However, this time, the amount is close to what is in the city’s investment account.

Jordan Valley will also receive a total of $38,000 in COVID-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Of that, $19,000 has been received, with the rest expected sometime after the first of the year.

The plan for now is to save that money for an eventual infrastructure need: the city’s drinking water tank, which “needs a major reline,” and will require having a temporary one moved in on a flatbed while it is switched over.

“We keep an eye on it,” Stephens said, noting that the project will be expensive.

A recent inspection of the facility came back clean, she said, adding that it was in “really good shape and they don’t suggest anything major right now.” In the meantime, the city plans to keep regularly having it inspected, and Stephens noted that the ARPA funds would be perfect toward that project.

She said Heppner had to do something like that a few years back and it cost a “couple hundred thousand back then.”

“Right now, who knows how much,” Stephens said, noting the rising cost of materials. “So we’re going to save.”