The Red Cross has a severe shortage of blood. Below is a list of upcoming blood drive locations in Ontario, Oregon where members of the community can go to donate and help give back to the community. 

Blood Drive Schedule

This weekend, Malheur County Health Department reported that they have received their first positive COVID-19 test. Read the complete press release here. 

City Hall will remain closed to the general public through April 10, 2020. We will re-assess the situation at that time. 

Business and services will continue to be conducted at the city and the following means can be used to assist the needs of our community members. 

• Schedule an appointment or conduct business by phone.
  • Front Desk (541) 881-3201 
  • Police Records (541) 881-3237 
  • Community Development Center 
    • Building Department: (541) 881-3224 
    • Planning: (541) 881-3222 
  • Burn Permits: (541) 881-3216
• Online bill pay 
• On/Off Water Orders can be emailed to mmallea@opgcpa.com
• Utility bill drop boxes (located in the City Hall parking lot) 
• www.ontariooregon.org
  • Access City Forms
  • Access the City Directory

 
We take these measures out of an abundance of caution. The City still needs to provide the services citizens rely on such as water, wastewater, fire and police. Taking these measures will help us keep our essential services without disruption.

City Hall has received multiple complaints this week from workers who are concerned about their employer's compliance with COVID-19 workplace restrictions. 

If you have a concern or complaint, please direct them to Oregon's Occupational Safety and Health Division at this link. 

During the Ontario City Council Meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, the Council declared a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of passage, Malheur County has 0 confirmed cases of COVID-19; however, the nature of this pandemic urges us to take measures that will allow the City of Ontario to respond and recover more efficiently.

By declaring a state of emergency, the city now has access to federal and state funds to reimburse costs incurred during the emergency. The City of Ontario has taken measures in the past two weeks to keep community members and staff safe and healthy and will continue to provide services such as water, wastewater, fire, and police as we monitor the situation.

Resolution

Beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, Ontario City Hall will be closed to the general public in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes the front desk reception area and the Community Development Center. The closure will extend to Friday, March 27, 2020, at which point we will reassess the situation.  
 
Business and services will continue to be conducted at the city and the following means can be used to assist the needs of our community members. 

• Schedule an appointment or conduct business by phone.
  • Front Desk (541) 881-3201 
  • Police Records (541) 881-3237 
  • Community Development Center 
    • Building Department: (541) 881-3224 
    • Planning: (541) 881-3222 
  • Burn Permits: (541) 881-3216
• Online bill pay 
• On/Off Water Orders can be emailed to mmallea@opgcpa.com
• Utility bill drop boxes (located in the City Hall parking lot) 
• www.ontariooregon.org
  • Access City Forms
  • Access the City Directory

 
We take these measures out of an abundance of caution. The City still needs to provide the services citizens rely on such as water, wastewater, fire and police. Taking these measures will help us keep our essential services without disruption.

In a press release, Cable One announced that they "will offer additional relief measures to support families in need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Beginning today, a 15 Mbps internet plan for $10 per month is available for the next 60 days to help low income families and those most impacted from coronavirus challenges, such as seniors and college students. No documentation will be required to sign up for this plan."

To learn more, read full press release here.

Please help us keep our wastewater system working properly and avoid unnecessary service interruptions.
 
Dear neighbors, with the recent events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing a number of changes in our daily lives and it’s becoming more important than ever that we make sound decisions to prevent further issues.
 
In order to maintain our wastewater system working properly, avoid clogs, equipment damage or process upsets we are reminding everyone of the importance to only flush the appropriate waste down the toilet. As a quick reminder on how to help us protect our system, keep the following in mind:

Flush it:  Urine, feces, and toilet paper.  These are the ONLY things to flush down the toilet. Toilet paper breaks down in water. Other products do not.

Trash it: Anything else—cotton swabs, baby wipes, wet wipes (even if marked “flushable,”) AND paper towels—must be trashed as domestic waste and NOT flushed down the toilet.
 
These easy steps will help us keep the system operating properly.
 
We understand that with a lack of toilet paper supply, other products may be used in our bathrooms and we ask that you make the necessary arrangements to have trash bins in all bathrooms to capture and properly dispose of those and that you ensure everyone in your household understands this.  For our businesses, we kindly ask you also take necessary precautions to address this, including temporary posting of signs in your bathrooms.
 
Please help us spread the word so we can avoid unnecessary issues with our wastewater system, and we can avoid having one more worry to deal with.

Please be wary of scams related to COVID-19. Scammers use emails, apps, phone calls, and texts to spread misinformation.