Clackamas County Monthly News

Homeless veterans shelter village opens This week, Clackamas County Commissioners will realize a long-awaited goal that helps get more homeless veterans off the streets. The Clackamas County Veterans Village: A Transitional Shelter Community for Veterans is the product of intense work and actions by not only commissioners and county staff, but dozens of partners – including nonprofits, charities, local governments and businesses.  The village, located in the Clackamas area, currently houses 15 pods. Each pod is designed for one resident, and provides a safe space to sleep and store personal items. The village has shared kitchen and bathroom/shower facilities, as well as meeting spaces, where residents will have onsite access to a number of important services that will help them become self-sufficient and eventually move into stable housing.  Click the video above for a recap of the ceremonial opening from last month. You can also watch the Facebook Live of the opening ceremony. County to celebrate 175th anniversary later this month Clackamas County is set to celebrate its 175th anniversary with a celebratory event on Oct. 25!  The agenda for the hour-long event is set to include a presentation about the history of the county from a local historian, a re-enactor performing as John McLoughlin, a recognition of all living formerly #ClackCo Commissioners, and a detailing of contents in a time capsule to be buried later in the day!  The public is invited, but RSVPs are required.  New ballot boxes installed throughout county  The Clackamas County Clerk has nearly completed installing all-new ballot boxes throughout the county. The new boxes have enhanced security, increased capacity, improved visibility, and improved accessibility!  All of the new boxes will be located outdoors, so that voters have 24-hour access to them during open election periods. Further, some boxes were geographically relocated to better serve residents. For example, one Lake Oswego ballot box was previously located just three blocks from another one. The new location is four miles away to better serve residents in that area of the city.  Watch a Facebook Live about the new boxes by clicking the image above. You can also see the Official Drop Box Sites page in the upcoming Voters Pamphlet, or the elections website, for the location of each box. New affordable housing and services fund announced #ClackCo Commissioners have established a $1.2 million Affordable Housing and Services Fund. This ongoing fund is meant to address the affordable housing crisis in our community by allowing housing and service providers to get much-needed programs off the ground. Applications for these funds will be accepted between Oct. 15 and Nov. 19. Learn more about the fund and to apply for a grant. The Great ShakeOut At 10:18 a.m. on Oct. 18, 2018, millions of people will participate in the Great ShakeOut, the world's most popular earthquake drill. This is an excellent opportunity to practice Drop, Cover and Hold On, the recommended personal protective action to take during an earthquake. Learn more by watching the video above, or by visiting our Great Shakeout webpage, where you can review tips on what to do before, during, and after an earthquake! WES breaks ground on expansion project In September, Water Environment Services held a groundbreaking ceremony for a third wastewater treatment digester at its Tri-City Water Resource Recovery Facility in Oregon City. The digester is a 1.4 million gallon tank-like structure that will expand the facility’s capacity to treat solids, which is a byproduct of waste from more than 165,000 homes and businesses in northern Clackamas County. All five County Commissioners and representatives from partner cities attended the ceremony. Construction of the new digester is scheduled to be completed by early 2021. The project will strengthen WES’ ability to protect public health, the environment and future economic growth. Watch the groundbreaking ceremony above. ‌ ‌ ‌