Marion County To Break Ground On New Sewer System For Mill City And Gates (Photo) -06/24/25

SALEM, Ore. — The Marion and Linn County Commissioners cordially invite you to join us in celebrating the groundbreaking of the Santiam Sewer System in Mill City, Oregon.

 

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at 12:00pm, located at the Santiam Sewer site construction site (directions are below and are also included in attached pamphlet). Community leaders, elected officials, project partners, and residents are invited to attend and celebrate this incredible community asset.

 

"This sewer system really shows our commitment to the wellbeing and future prosperity of these communities of Mill City and Gates," said Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell, Chair. "This project, once completed, will both support the current needs of these communities and support them as they grow in the decades to come. I’m proud to be here and celebrate this moment.”

 

The new sewer system will provide modern wastewater collection and treatment services, replacing the aging system and improving water quality in the Santiam River.

 

To reach the site for the groundbreaking ceremony, follow these directions:

 

1.Take Highway 22 East toward Mill City.

 

2.Head south on North 1st Avenue.

 

3.Turn left onto Southeast Fairview Street.

 

Continue driving to the end of the road, which will lead you directly to the site. We kindly request that you wear comfortable shoes, as the event will take place in an active construction area.

County Commissioner Urges Legislature To Reconsider House Bill 2005 -06/17/25

SALEM, Ore. — June 17, 2025 — Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell testified yesterday before the Oregon State Legislature’s Joint Committee On Addiction and Community Safety Response, expressing frustration with House Bill 2005 and asking for a renewed focus on House Bill 2467 as the more effective path to support vulnerable individuals in the community.

 

Commissioner Bethell emphasized the urgent need for real solutions in mental health care, saying that current legislative efforts are failing to adequately address this ongoing crisis.

 

“House Bill 2005 puts two systems of work together and harms one or both,” said Commissioner Bethell. “The counties are not being heard at all in the aid and assist space.

 

“As a County Commissioner, I am responsible for vulnerable individuals in my community, and I take that work very seriously.”

 

Commissioner Bethell spoke of the recent stabbing at the Union Gospel Mission, where a man who was presumably experiencing a crisis violently attacked 12 people at the shelter.

 

“That same gentleman has over 100 pages of interactions with the City of Bend Police Department,” said Bethell. “He had already been at the state hospital for attempted murder in the past.

 

“Why he had to attempt murder in order to get help is beyond me. The fact that we're trying to smash these two things together to get to an outcome because we have a federal court order over our heads seems asinine to me at best, especially when our community has done such great work on House Bill 2467.”

 

According to Commissioner Bethell, House Bill 2005 attempts to combine two distinct systems of work, ultimately hindering progress and failing to incorporate crucial input from county leadership. She urged with the Legislature to take a step back and not rush the bill through.

 

“There is still work to be done,” said Bethell. “And I would like to be at the table to help you get there because we can do it together."

 

Watch the Full Testimony: https://youtu.be/iVrCOgoxrjM.