[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6582249,"mediaKeyId","3141529-6153d7b82e51b5f271c6471dd11906f6","parentId",3141529,"title","Klamath region leaders ask state for multimillion‑dollar water and wastewater grants","audioSeconds",5955,"startMs",1074000,"endMs",7029000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3141529-6153d7b82e51b5f271c6471dd11906f6&start=1074&end=7029","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3141529-6153d7b82e51b5f271c6471dd11906f6/thumbnail_1074000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6582249/Oregon/Klamath-region-leaders-ask-state-for-multimilliondollar-water-and-wastewater-grants","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582249-fb353fb531319690a1bee5837c16a15e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770787142&Signature=D9Hk0~Ipout~oCbSQYCpDTiUz-J--32WhM-PBZ0myjdBjN5M-KjORPJHEZOsfNb-Np-lgrnerPkO03SlfSI4StUdTLjFtvteUn7NYj~hT8IOcMplNAxUNkJu1ucxO-Pc-~uBuSqDiV3pkMFpUzBFAVJmwrYsf1vFaVPZp1rL7ypUEZyin3wWmmWfCmkKJPg2tZPMxsiHczpDdv1ezfqCuAQsNgwcGetIMkR17xPvuZLZcCGi~7UYqrOvz1altOHkyqVcpumBY9K323jr-9KRGBK3knp9Fj9Z6Kr9UVSQA70nR9HfBzZBEhrDy4LsEiA17~Zva3i8u8qZDSm-mQNylQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-04-25T00:00:00Z","article","John Ball, mayor of Shady Cove, and Council President Kathy Nuckols told the committee the city faces a municipal water crisis and asked for $5,000,000 with a $3,000,000 city match to establish a distribution framework to bring reliable municipal water to residents dependent on private wells. Ball said one community well that served 28 homes fell from 85 gallons per minute to 11, and another community of 16 homes had a well contaminated with arsenic.

Kenneth Decranz, director for South Suburban Sanitary District, said the district serves roughly 23,000 residents and must upgrade its lagoon wastewater treatment plant to meet new NPDES permit requirements. Decranz said engineers estimated the project at about $60,000,000 and requested $20,000,000 in state support to avoid steep rate increases in a disadvantaged community. Michael Koger and Joe Spindellini, South Suburban leaders, described an iterative design process and value engineering that reduced a prior estimate near $97,000,000 to about $60,000,000 after eliminating biosolids processing and other redesigns.

Jim Simmons, president of the Crescent Sanitary District board, said Crescent is over $6,000,000 in debt, has defaulted on two loans, and asked the committee for $4,000,000 to address system repairs and the needs of nearby Gilchrist, where terracotta pipes from 1939 require evaluation and replacement.

Abby McClung, president of the Klamath Falls City Council, told the committee her city's wastewater plant needs upgrades to meet state and federal water quality standards and described the potential impact on households: without state support, she said, sewer rates could nearly double from $55 to $95 per month. McClung provided pollutant reduction estimates tied to the planned upgrades, telling the committee the project would remove more than 15,000 pounds of nitrogen and 22,000 pounds of phosphorus annually and significantly reduce thermal load aligned with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service goals.

Speakers asked for targeted state grants and loans to prevent rate shocks for residents in economically distressed areas and to ensure compliance with state permits. The committee received written testimony as well; no formal appropriation action was taken at the hearing.

Ending: Multiple Klamath Basin utilities and municipalities requested state support—$20 million for South Suburban Sanitary District, $4 million for Crescent Sanitary District, and $5 million for Shady Cove (with a $3 million match)—to fund required upgrades, avoid large user rate increases, and address public health risks from failing water supplies.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee On Ways and Means 04/25/2025 5:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple Klamath Basin jurisdictions, including South Suburban Sanitation District, Crescent Sanitary District and the City of Shady Cove, asked Ways and Means for state aid to comply with permits, replace failing wells and avoid large rate hikes.","taxTitle","Ways and Means, Joint, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",18413,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6582255,"Klamath speakers press Ways and Means for community college and campus capital funding",241,668000,909000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3141529-6153d7b82e51b5f271c6471dd11906f6&start=668&end=909","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3141529-6153d7b82e51b5f271c6471dd11906f6/thumbnail_668000.jpg","/articles/6582255/Oregon/Klamath-speakers-press-Ways-and-Means-for-community-college-and-campus-capital-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582255-4c6205ea7bacfce26bdd0059ac2d5fd5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770787142&Signature=hqpgXjvGIZ-NrfXwXyIb2CdCUGC5PpfqPzRnfE8-3csrGPQ4uo794R6DZSGO0vA8f~2GP9PB3amgjr1UBArTsfBODFLYv44GUDqr8f0-nqzWb9II4P~qYgtk2fd74gS2ysQ6JQYB3-NJS88xJA5COioW6uMQVKGQM-FVdUeP~ENue3awUCx1DYcn1TR2341YG1vtu4G2iNcEhRs4ybLrwE0pqlWaZt4yuEB16Mxw~utfwEUC6U212GePGAkg0IQETmO359mKFOgx1wOKhejj5ESop2JlzBmn0wZIUZ79SjFLS3QS~tVOxvYBTDhoDvGNRQLV6wtne8GxbB9-HBd4aQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Roberto Gutierrez, president of Klamath Community College, urged members of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means to fully fund community colleges statewide and said community colleges are \"the economic engines of Oregon's higher ed system.\" He asked the committee to consider $920,000,000 requested for community colleges in the co‑chairs' budget framework. Gutierrez told the committee that community colleges serve the most underserved students in higher education and that tuition increases threaten access.

Stacy Peterson, director of KCC's cosmetology program, described rapid enrollment growth and asked the legislature for a $4,000,000 capital match to build a new, ADA‑compliant facility. Peterson said the program grew from 242 registrations in 2023 to 702 in 2024, posts an 84 percent pass rate, and currently operates in a 100‑year‑old building with inadequate plumbing, ventilation, electrical capacity and parking. She said the present facility sits in a high‑crime area and that safety and space constraints are already forcing the program to use off‑site space for licensing tests.

Daneltha Dodson, CEO of Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC), described a collaboration with KCC to develop a 14‑classroom early learning center on the KCC campus. Dodson said the proposed center would serve infants through preschool, provide curriculum and individualized plans, and function as a training site for KCC early childhood education students. She called the project a response to Klamath County's childcare shortage and asked the committee to consider capital support.

Speakers emphasized two related funding needs: ongoing operating support for community colleges and one‑time capital funding to address urgent facility constraints. Gutierrez framed the operating request as part of the systemwide budget ask; Peterson and Dodson framed their needs as local capital projects that, if unmet, would constrain program growth and student access.

The committee co‑chairs opened the public hearing and noted the budget framework seeks to \"protect core services\" while recognizing limited resources and an upcoming revenue forecast. No formal vote or committee action was taken during the hearing; speakers were delivering public testimony.

Ending: Klamath Community College officials and partner organizations requested both biennial operating investments and targeted capital dollars—$920 million systemwide for community colleges and local capital asks including a $4 million match for the cosmetology building and support for a 14‑classroom early learning center—to expand access and meet program growth. Written testimony was accepted electronically for those who did not speak.","Klamath Community College leaders and partners told the Joint Ways and Means Committee they need state funding for operating support, a new cosmetology facility, and a proposed 14‑classroom early learning center tied to KCC.","actionData","errors"]

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Klamath region leaders ask state for multimillion‑dollar water and wastewater grants

Klamath speakers press Ways and Means for community college and campus capital funding