By Alex Paul
Linn County Communications

Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherry Sprenger and Will Tucker, at their June 16 meeting, learned about plans for a reading of the Declaration of Independence on the north steps of the Linn County Courthouse at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 3.

Judi Saam and Joe Esker of the Mid-Willamette Alliance of Braver Angels updated the commissioners on plans for the event.

The event is called “We Hold These Truths: A Public Reading of our Founding Document”.

Guest readers will take part in the program, expected to last about 30 minutes. Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker will welcome guests to the event.

A reading will also take place earlier in the day at 10 a.m. on the steps of the Corvallis City Hall.

Saam is co-chair of the Braver Angels Mid-Willamette Valley Alliance, which includes members from Linn and Benton counties.

Braver Angels is a national organization, whose goal, according to a hand-out, is to “bring liberals, conservatives and others together at the grassroots level — not to find centrist compromise, but to find one another as citizens.”

Braver Angels sponsors workshops, debates, campus engagement, faith-based partnerships and more.

In addition to the two readings of the Declaration of Independence on July 3, Braver Angels will also host a free public discussion about the Declaration at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, at the Fireside Room at Linn-Benton Community College.

In other business the commissioners:

• Learned there were 66 births — 32 girls and 34 boys — and 110 deaths in the county in May. There were two suicides, both males.
• Appointed Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Stanaway as the new Budget Officer, succeeding Michelle Hawkins, who served as Budget Officer for 26 years in addition to serving as the county treasurer. Hawkins plans to retire in October after 31 years with Linn County.
• Reappointed Shannon Pettner, Brandon Fountain and Nathan McIntyre to the Ambulance Service Area Advisory Committee.
• Approved spending funds on the Canal Bridge on Santiam Street in Lebanon to inspect, assess and potentially repair the bridge.
• Approved a salary adjustment from Pay Range 20 to 23 for the Supervising Health Services Addictions Specialist position.
• Approved a First-Time Youth Wage Grant with Packham Farms, Albany.
• Approved the dissolution of the Linn County Emergency Telephone Agency.
• Approved a custodial services contract for $68,547 between General Services and American Building Maintenance for custodial services at the 7th Street building and the Wheelhouse building. Approved a custodial services contract for $99,074.76 with the Willamette Vocational Resource Community for custodial services at the Willamette Health Center north and south buildings and the Mental Health building.
• Approved a personal services contract with MTSL Group of Portland, to provide credentialing services for Linn County Health Services employees who provide services which are billable to insurance providers. The contract is not to exceed $100,000.
• Approved marking the following health services accounts as uncollectible: Mental Health, $7,943.09; Alcohol & Drug Treatment Program, $18,403.57; Public Health, $1,527.67.
• Approved the transfer of $126,000 from the General Fund to Property Management, Expo Center and Parks Department, to cover year-end expenses.
• Approved transferring $9,000 from Personnel to Materials and Services for the District Attorney’s Office.
• Announced that a board meeting would not be held on Tuesday, June 30.