Regional COG reports grant wins, mobility‑hub planning and veterans’ service partnerships

Ryan Boat of the Cascades West Council of Governments briefed commissioners May 16 on regional activities and partnerships.

Boat outlined plans for multimodal mobility hubs at Oregon State University and Linn‑Benton Community College that will combine bus, bike‑share and coordination between multiple transit districts. He said the COG had been recognized for its grant application and that additional contract details were not yet final. Boat also described a pending loan‑loss reserve grant application with Business Oregon to support small‑business lending; he said the award is approved but the final contract amount is not yet finalized and therefore not released at the meeting.

Boat highlighted veteran services coordination, suicide‑prevention billboard efforts, and a behavioral‑health intervention pilot for veterans. He also described joint enterprise finance and HR system implementations scheduled to go live in July and later quarters, noting the change seeks efficiency for small administrative teams across member agencies.

Commissioners congratulated the COG team and discussed co‑location possibilities for staff in Corvallis and Albany. Boat agreed to provide additional contract and partner details as they become available.