By Alex Paul
Linn County Communications
Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker approved several requests from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, including approval of Temporary Employment Contracts and the purchase of two new vehicles, at their weekly meeting Tuesday, May 27.
Undersheriff Micah Smith brought the issues before the commissioners.
Sgt. Dusty Frenzel’s temporary employment agreement expires on June 30. The commissioners approved a one-year renewal so Sgt. Frenzel can continue as a full-time patrol sergeant.
A temporary employment contract with Sgt. David Kelley was renewed for another year. He will continue to serve as a firearms instructor.
A temporary part-time employment agreement was approved for Heidi Ferguson, who will serve as a background investigator.
The commissioners approved the purchase of a Ford F-350 pickup for the forest patrol for $56,775.12 and a Ford F-350 pickup for $53,648.15 for the animal control division. Both vehicles will be purchased through a State of Oregon Cooperative price agreement with Gresham Ford.
The commissioners approved a three-year contract renewal with 10D Tech for the Sheriff’s Office telephone system. Total cost is $108,055.35, which is built into the annual budget.
In other business, the commissioners:
- Approved sub-agreement 2025-095 with the Senior Citizens of Sweet Home Inc. dba Linn County Shuttle, to receive Capital 5339 Funding for 2025-28, not to exceed $259,250. Linn County will receive the funds and pass them on to the Senior Citizens of Sweet Home Inc., which operates the community’s bus system.
- Were asked to adjust the county’s land use setback rules for large scale poultry operations from one-mile to 1,000 feet. Eric Simon, who operates a poultry operation near Brownsville, wants to build a new facility near Scio, but met with opposition from neighbors. The commissioners previously approved the one-mile setback from neighboring homes. Simon said the rule makes siting a new facility difficult and likely will add increased expense because it will require a large amount of land to be purchased to create the buffer zone with neighbors. Simon said new facilities are necessary to replace poultry operations that are closing each year due to the retirement of farmers.
- Were provided with an update about the Muddy Creek Solar Project proposed near Harrisburg, by Troy Jones, a member of the Friends of Gap Road group, which opposes siting solar panels on property zoned Exclusive Farm Use. He said the company proposing the project was recently granted until May 2026 to submit a project application.Approved a grant agreement between Linn County and the United Way of Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties, not to exceed $250,000, from the Oregon Health Authority. United Way will distribute five $25,000 grants and three $50,000 grants for priority areas as affordable housing, quality care, behavioral health or cultural competency
- Approved a four-year contract with the local Teamsters Union No. 670 and Linn County. The contract includes a 3.5 percent Cost of Living Adjustment and one-half percent Market Adjustment for the first year. The remaining three years will include a COLA based on the Consumer Price Index with a minimum of 2 percent and a maximum of 4 percent.
- Approved amending the classification for the County Roadmaster position, from Management /Exempt Pay Range 29 to 31.
- Approved a 10-month contract with Ball Metal Beverage Container Corp. to lease Suite 3100 in the county’s Wheelhouse Building as office space for $5,000 per month. There is an option to extend the lease for two months.
- The Board of Commissioners approved an application for a Code Text amendment regarding lot-of-record dwellings. County Code is currently more restrictive than state law. The amendments align the language in County Code with the less restrictive language in state law. The amendments may permit property owners that have continuously owned vacant resource land since at least 1985 to qualify for a dwelling.