Veterans Services Manager Dee Baley-Hyder told the Linn County Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning, Jan. 10, that county veterans would now have access to dental care thanks to a new program from the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs.
She said they would receive the same types of dental services provided through the Medicaid program administered through the Oregon Health Plan, locally InterCommunity Health Care.
Potential applicants who live in Oregon are not eligible for the Oregon Health Plan/Medicaid, are veterans as described in the ORS 408.225, and have income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level are eligible. Once eligibility is determined, veterans will need to provide discharge documentation.
Veterans must apply through the Oregon Health Plan – either online (www.oregon.gov/odva/Benefits/Pages/Dental.aspx) or by telephone at 1 (800) 832-4580 for Linn County or 1 (800) 273-0557 through Medicaid.
Baley-Hyder also reported that Veterans Services helped local veterans receive $333,779 in benefits from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022. From July 1 to Dec. 31, more than $1.25 million was recovered for local veterans.
She said the medical transportation program continues to be popular as well.
In other business, the commissioners:
— Approved the special transportation improvement fund grant applications for 2023-25: Albany Paratransit/Call-a-Ride, $50,000; Lebanon Linx, $138,821; Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments, $36,000; Oregon Mennonite Residential Services, $15,000; Sunshine Industries Unlimited, $65,000; Senior Citizens of Sweet Home– Dial-a-Bus, $50,000; Senior Citizens of Sweet Home – Linn Shuttle, $196,000; Volunteer Caregivers, $120,000. Total: $670,821.
— Approved a Linn County Sheriff’s Office request to contract with the Northwest Clinical Registry to provide temporary Registered Nursing staffing at the jail. Commissioner Sherrie Sprenger noted that attracting nursing staff wasn’t just a local issue but also a state and national problem.
— Were informed by Planning & Building Director Steve Wills of 49 land-use permits and 279 total permits issued in December. He said five permits were issued for single-family dwellings and one for a manufactured dwelling. He added that the county had waived almost $114,000 in building permits for homes in the Santiam Canyon rebuilding after the September 2020 fires.
— Gave Linn County Law Librarian Amber Boedigheimer permission to apply for a $45,000 grant from the Library Services Technology Act, to implement a “warm line” with the local Legal Aid Services program. The “warm line” would be a telephone number for tenants and landlords looking for answers about rent hikes, unpaid rent, habitability issues, property damages, etc. Pro bono attorneys from Legal Aid would operate the phone line and forward calls to the Linn County Law Library as needed.
— Approved the following money transfers: LBRIG Radio Project, $55,208; Veterans transportation, $24,021; Millersburg Intermodal, interest on loan from the Road Fund, $4,021; De-icing material for Road Department, $45,000; General Services, electric vehicle charging stations, $53,000 grant; Linn County Sheriff’s Office, COVID-19 testing reimbursement from Oregon Health Authority, $215,000.
— Were informed by Accounting Officer Bill Palmer that the county was halfway through the current fiscal year and that department budgets looked good. The general fund was only about 45% expended; the road fund was at 25.5%; the law enforcement levy was at 38% and the health department was at 32.5%. Commissioner Roger Nyquist emphasized that as budgeting season nears, department heads should be reminded of quite an influx of one-time state and federal funding over the last three years. He added that those funds would likely dry up, and that staffing and expenditures needed to reflect the new reality.
— Reappointed Kerry Johnson and Ed Perlenfein to the Linn County Fair Board.
– Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer