South Oregon Businesses,  
We are still building our database of business owners. Feel free to share this email with your business neighbors, because we want to keep you as informed as possible.  
 
When this was bid, everything was shut down because of COVID-19. The City Council held a special meeting to award the project so that the contractor could get started while you were closed. After that had already been approved, the state announced plans to open. It just so happened that that was the day the contractor was able to get started. We have been working on this project for 3 ½ years and we feel like this will really attract more patrons downtown.  
 
I walked Oregon Street from SW 4th St. to Idaho Avenue last Thursday handing out postcards about how to sign up for alerts and to talk with you regarding the schedule. We also pushed it out on Facebook. If you want to find out the most current information about the project use this link.   Also, to be added to our list serve send an email to soregonproject@ontariooregon.org .
 
We have ordered signs to put at each intersection telling drivers which businesses are on each block. They will be ready today or tomorrow. We have also ordered some parking arrows for downtown to direct shoppers toward available parking.  

The construction didn’t start out as I expected it to. The contractor took the approach of ripping off the band aid, meaning they wanted to get in and get out. We ended up having to intervene Monday and yesterday as we heard from you. We will maintain access to all of the businesses store fronts during the entire construction process. Because of the contractor’s work surge, construction is currently running ahead of schedule.   
 
We went over the schedule this morning and I think this is good news. The contractor will be pouring concrete curbs on Friday for the intersections at 4th Avenue and 3rd Avenue. Oregon will be opened up over the weekend.   They will be pouring sidewalks on Monday and Tuesday. The sidewalks can be walked on the very next day. Following sidewalk repair, they will conduct minor stormwater repairs around 3rd and 4th Avenues. As son as that is done, they will move up to the corners of 1st and 2nd Avenues.
 
While the construction team and the City will work diligently to maintain the schedules below, please be patient if changes occur due to challenges such as inclement weather, unanticipated subsurface conditions, and further COVID 19 restrictions, etc. Please check the website for updates. 
 
Benefits for you and other businesses who had to close
Lastly, I want to tell you about a couple of helps for business owners that had to shut down. First, the City Council asked me to prepare a resolution waiving utility fees for businesses who had to close and for the time period you were closed.  
 
Second, the City started a microloan program of up to $5,000 with a 6 month grace period and then a 24-month payback at 1%. Because we had that program in place, the state allowed us to add funding from them for a matching grant. This is for businesses with less than 24 employees who did not get funding through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). So if we get approved you could get a grant equal to the loan amount. We hope to hear approvals quickly. The state wants their money spent by the end of June. So in other words, you can get the state money for free. We will provide more information.

City of Ontario, Oregon
Adam J. Brown
City Manager

During the past month, the City of Ontario’s wastewater treatment lagoon has experienced odor issues.  The odors are the result of seasonal water temperature changes that bring decomposing biosolid gases to the lagoon surface which are then dispersed by wind.   

City staff are implementing all available mitigation measures to address this issue in the near term and the City has committed funds to remove the biosolids build up later this year. Removal of the biosolids build up should solve the problem going forward. The City appreciates the patience of the community as we remedy this problem.

​For questions, please contact Public Works Director, Cliff Leeper at (541) 889-8572.

The Malheur County Building Department released the following regarding the magnitude 6.5 earthquake which occurred on March 31, 2020 northeast of Boise. The release includes information on reviewing property for damage and earthquake related resources.

​Read here.

On November 20, 2019 the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department awarded the City of Ontario with a grant for the Treasure Valley Connector Trail for $132,109. The Treasure Valley Connector will be a 10-foot wide ¾ mile long trail spanning from SW 4th Street and SW 14th Avenue to Park Boulevard and SW 9th Street. This will be Ontario’s first multi-purpose trail.

This is a City project in partnership with Treasure Valley Community College who provided the right-of-way for part of the trail on the outside of the campus. Mayor Riley Hill said “We appreciate TVCC’s partnership with the City of Ontario and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to make our community more vibrant and livable.”

See the full press release here.

The 2019 Fall Cleanup Program is scheduled to take place November 18-22, 2019! See the flyer below for full details.