Local government

County court earmarks funds for Bully Creek and Ontario remodel projects

VALE – The Malheur County Court has approved more than $400,000 for projects at Bully Creek Reservoir and in Ontario.

The court allocated $390,000 in Covid funds to remodel the county building at the corner of Goodfellow Street and Northeast 3rd Avenue in Ontario, behind Home Depot.

The remodeling makes way for the Malheur County Building Department to move from Nyssa to the Goodfellow building next year.

Holcomb Construction Inc. of Ontario placed the only bid on the project. Work is expected to be completed by November.

The building currently houses the Malheur County Veterans Service Office and the Malheur County Economic Development Department.

The court also approved $6,000 for design work at Bully Creek Park for new sidewalks, grills and picnic tables.

The project is a joint effort between the county and the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which will pay for the construction.

The work is necessary to bring the park into compliance with the American with Disabilities Act.

The reliability of the irrigation system at Bully Creek has been questioned by residents for several years and remains a source of frustration for Malheur County Judge Dan Joyce.

“It has been apparent for at least three years that the system needs upgraded,” he said.

However, the reservoir and park belong to the Bureau of Reclamation. Upgrades such as an irrigation system are a Bureau of Reclamation responsibility, said Joyce.

“The one project the bureau is excited about is the handicap access and that is the one they are behind so we are in second place. When they get that done, we will go back to work on the water issue,” he said.

News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE – The Malheur Enterprise delivers quality local journalism – fair and accurate. You can read it any hour, any day with a digital subscription. Read it on your phone, your Tablet, your home computer. Click subscribe – $7.50 a month.