County staff say BUILD planning grant could fund Pumpkin Center bridge but cash match is uncertain

Umatilla County staff and outside consultants reviewed a BUILD program planning grant for a proposed new bridge at the Pumpkin Center crossing and said the county would be best positioned to serve as lead applicant.

Staff and consultants described the project as a continuation of preliminary engineering work begun two years ago and said the planning effort would include development of a management plan for the interchange. Merchant McIntyre, the consultant team that advised the county last fall, recommended the county apply as lead jurisdiction.

County staff recounted a total planning match of $735,400 discussed for the grant application. According to staff, the county has recorded roughly $100,000 of in‑kind staff time toward the project and the two nearby cities have each indicated cash contributions in the order of $100,000. That leaves a cash and/or in‑kind gap that staff said would need to be met from additional partner contributions or county sources.

Staff warned that in‑kind contributions are tracked prospectively, not retroactively, and that multi‑year planning work can consume in‑kind hours quickly. The team noted the planning phase is expected to take two to three years after an award and that some match could come from a combination of city cash, additional in‑kind hours, or county general‑fund transfers.

The project was described as a priority for at least one city partner and county staff said they would continue refining the spreadsheet of grants and deadlines to clarify which funds are reimbursement‑based and which require up‑front cash. Commissioners asked staff to provide a clearer breakdown of how much of the shortfall would be expected from the county general fund versus city cash or further in‑kind commitments.

The meeting closed the BUILD discussion with staff noting they had received support letters from state senators for the application and that next steps would include finalizing the grant documentation and matching plan before returning for commission approval.