The Wasco County Economic Development Commission (EDC) brought a prioritized list of “community enhancement projects” before the Wasco County Board of Commissioners Jan. 5 for review. The list detailed and prioritized significant projects from throughout the county that would benefit from the expertise and technical assistance of the Wasco County EDC, and are the product of a formal dialogue process that included communities of The Dalles, Dufur, Maupin, Mosier and unincorporated south Wasco County, meeting in Tygh Valley.
“This has been a good chance to engage with communities, learn about projects in our communities,” said Carrie Pipinich, Wasco County EDC staff. She noted 35 projects were brought forward by 22 agencies, which were then used to create the priority list.
“We look at impact, balancing projects geographically across the county, identifying priority issues identified by the Wasco County Board of Commissioners, and long-term things across the county,” said Pipinich. Priorities include childcare access, broadband connectivity and housing challenges — all of which impact economic development and business in the communities.
Ranking priorities
The following criteria were used to rank proposed projects:
• Address specific economic development challenge or opportunities: Emphasize projects that support a vibrant local economy, community sustainability, and economic competitiveness.
• Prioritization of critical infrastructure: Focus on core infrastructure with a broad definition that includes services that address community viability and vitality into the future.
• Readiness to proceed: Community is supportive of moving the project forward as shown by commitment of financial and/or human capital. The project has a feasible path forward to funding.
• Impact/timeliness of inclusion: Is the project actively seeking funding? Are their regulatory or political challenges that inclusion can support addressing? Does inclusion in the EDC ranking have an impact on the project’s strategy for moving forward this year?
Top 10
The top 10 projects include:
1. Dog River Pipeline. The Dog River Pipeline is a 3.5 mile long, 20-inch wood water supply line that has supplied the City for over 100 years. Currently more than 50% of the city’s water supply goes through the Dog River line. This pipeline is experiencing significant leakage due to deterioration and damage from trees. The city is working through final engineering and the city anticipates a funding shortfall. They are actively seeking the final resources to support this project. Sponsoring agency is City of The Dalles.
2. Deschutes Rim Health Clinic Expansion. The Deschutes Rim Clinic currently has a 2,400 square foot modular building with two exam rooms and no extra space. The new facility will create increased and flexible office space for additional services including physical and mental health. Estimated total costs for this project are $2.5 million. With funding from the state, local fundraising, and multiple foundations, there is still a need for $1 million, with $750,000 in grant resources identified for application. Sponsoring agency is White River Health District.
3. Joint Use Facility. The City of Mosier and the Mosier Fire District are partnering to develop a joint use facility that will include a City Hall, Fire Hall, and multipurpose community space in downtown Mosier on the North side of Highway 30. The building will house a fire station, city hall offices, and community meeting center. In addition to these core functions, the approximately 10,000 sf building will include a kitchen, restrooms, public works garage, storage, outdoor plaza, and parking. The estimated total project cost is $6 million and is estimated to be completed by 2023. Sponsoring agency is City of Mosier.
4. Drinking Water System Improvements. The City of Dufur does not currently have enough water resource to support their community through existing infrastructure. The city will be reviewing their Water System Master Plan to establish the next steps and solutions. To acquire adequate drinking water for community members the city will need to drill a new well, build sufficient water storage and construct a dedicated waterline to connect these assets. In addition, the city will be assessing the state of the current fresh water well and addressing what usage options are available. Sponsoring agency is City of Dufur.
5. Cascades East Interconnection and Colocation Facility. In the Northwest, major colocation points are in areas threatened by the Cascadia Subduction. This would mean that the internet would be largely inaccessible in the event of a subduction event. Q-life is developing an improved colocation facility in The Dalles where providers and emergency communications networks can meet and access scalable communication paths. Sponsoring agency is Q-Life.
6. Columbia Gorge Childcare Center (CGCC). CGCC completed a feasibility study as the first step in developing a public childcare center to help address the regional shortage and improve workforce training available to childcare providers. The feasibility study indicated that the facility would need ongoing support from local partners to create the spots necessary to help fill this gap in services. Additionally, the estimated cost to construct a childcare center at the Columbia Gorge Community College campus is $1.8 million. They have received $1 million in ARPA funds allocated by the State and anticipate seeking additional funds this year to match. Sponsoring agency is Columbia Gorge Community College.
7. Deschutes Rim Athletic Complex. Maupin is building a multi-purpose athletic facility at South Wasco County High School called the Deschutes River Athletic Complex to replace the original, egg-shaped track. The new, state-of-the art complex will include track and field facilities with an eight-lane IAAF certified track, a football field, and related spectator facilities that will accommodate a wide range of uses with opportunities for significant local impacts. The total estimated cost for the Phase 1 work is $1.3 million, with $200,000 in funding still needed. The project still needs $400,000 in funding for phase 2 and will be looking for specific donors or sponsors for additional lighting and facility work moving forward. Sponsoring agency is Maupin Area Chamber of Commerce.
8. Sorosis Park Redevelopment. After the removal of the mature pine trees at the park, Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District (NWCPRD) is planning significant improvements to the space to meet current needs and plan for the future. The project has the potential to break ground for phase 1 within 2022 which includes $1 million in funding for hard scape, irrigation, and planting. They will then conduct additional fundraising for specific elements of the plan. Sponsoring agency is NWCPRD.
9. South Wasco County Fiber Expansion. Q-Life is seeking to construct a middle mile fiber backbone that connects Maupin to Tygh Valley(including the Fairgrounds), Wamic, and Pine Hollow. A private ISP partner will finance the construction of last mile infrastructure to businesses, homes, and key community institutions. The estimated project cost is $5,894,827.00. Q-life has applied through the State of Oregon for NTIA funding and should have received notification of award or rejection sometime in November 2021. Q-life will continue to seek out other sources of funding to support the project should the NTIA elect not to award the project. Sponsoring agency is Q-Life
10. Dufur Rural Innovation (DRI) Hub. Wy’East RC&D has partnered with Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Forth, and Sustainable NW to establish the Dufur Rural Innovation (DRI) Hub. The DRI Hub will promote the use of electric farming equipment and vehicles in the area to support innovative agricultural practices. The Hub already has two electric tractors in use for testing and demonstration in Oregon. The next step for the DRI Hub is to acquire or lease space to allow the DRI Hub to interact with clients, manage their fleet, and provide educational experiences for local students. The estimated funding needed is $200,000-$500,000. Sponsoring agency is Wy-East Resource Conservation and Development.
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Commissioner Steve Kramer noted that the top priority listed, the Dog River Pipeline, may have received full funding since the priority list was created. “That is a no. 1 issue, but if they have the resources then we need to pull that and move workforce housing onto the list,” he said. “Housing, it goes hand in hand with everything we are talking about today. We really need to elevate those conversations.”
Pipinich noted she had not yet heard results regarding funding requested for the pipeline, but said if the project was fully funded additional projects would be moved up or added to the priority list in the future.
Next steps
With the Board’s unanimous consensus to move forward with the top 10 list, EDC staff will next incorporate the list into the updated Wasco County EDC Strategic Action Plan and provide it to Mid-Columbia Economic Development District for inclusion in the regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.
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