The Josephine County Commissioners approved the purchase of six new Kaleidoscope transit shelters for the soon-to-be constructed transit hub in downtown Grants Pass at their March 1 weekly business session, held at Anne G. Basker Auditorium.
JoCo Transit Supervisor Scott Chancey said he had not yet determined whether his department would use the included benches or benches from a different vendor.
The cost of both benches and shelters from Landscape Forms will be $101,280, plus $7,500 in shipping and handling.
“These are minimalist type shelters,” Chancey described. “There’s no walls on them. They’re the exact same (shelters) that we’re using throughout the system right now.”
Chancey went on to explain that funding for these shelters comes from a different stream than funding for the transit hub as a whole.
“I got additional money from the Oregon Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division to specifically pay for passenger amenities,” the transit supervisor stated.
At about $5,000 per shelter, Chancey anticipated $30,000 to be required to pay for installation of the transit shelters.
He also elaborated as to why this purchase order has come before the board eight months before the estimated completion of the hub.
“The reason I’m bringing this so quickly is because I’m worried about supply chain issues and not having the shelters when the transit hub is finished in approximately eight months,” said Chancey.
The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the purchase order for six Kaleidoscope transit shelters.
Later in their meeting, the board held the first of two public hearings regarding their first ordinance of 2023. Ordinance 2023-001 would amend the Comprehensive Plan of Josephine County by changing the designation of a residential property on Merlin Rd., owned by VonGottsegen Trust, to a commercial property designation.
Tammy Smith, of the JoCo Planning Department, was on hand to give the commissioners the rundown on the zoning change. She explained that the JoCo Rural Planning Commission issued a decision of approval for the change following a public hearing Oct. 17, 2022.
No citizens opted to speak during the hearing, paving the way for all three commissioners to vote to advance the ordinance to a second reading March 15.