Marion County's public health programs have cleared a national quality bar for the third time, a distinction held by only 420 local health departments across the country.

The Public Health Accreditation Board, or PHAB, granted the reaccreditation in May 2026 after a peer-reviewed assessment of the division's performance against national, evidence-based standards.

Marion County Public Health first earned PHAB accreditation in 2014, making it the first local public health authority in Oregon to do so. The division was reaccredited in 2020 and has now passed the process a third time.

The accreditation covers the division's work preventing disease and injury, responding to public health emergencies, ensuring safe food, water and environments, and promoting healthy behaviors. PHAB measures whether a health department meets benchmarks for accountability, continuous improvement, evidence-based practice and workforce strength.

Kailey Knospe, the county's Public Health Planning and Accreditation Coordinator, will present the achievement to the Marion County Board of Commissioners on July 29 at 9 a.m. in the Senator Hearing Room at 555 Court Street NE in Salem.

Also on the July 29 agenda

The board's consent calendar includes a $1,139,150 amendment to the contract with Slayden Constructors Inc. for sanitary sewer improvements on N.W. Alder Street and North 1st Avenue in Mill City.

The addition, funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, brings the contract total to $38,677,753.

Commissioners will also consider a $75,000 increase to the purchase order with Robert Half International Inc. for temporary staffing services, raising the total to $175,000. The contract runs through Sept. 11, 2026.

Carl Lund will present an action item to establish a temporary speed zone on a portion of Gates Hill Road SE during the North Fork Road Landslide Repair Project. The landslide repair has closed North Fork Road, and the speed reduction would manage traffic on the detour route.

The board will also vote on a contract of sale returning tax-foreclosed property to its prior owner, Roger A. Dinehart.

No public hearings are scheduled for the session.

How to weigh in

Residents can submit written testimony by email to [email protected]. Those who want to testify by phone must email the same address at least 24 hours before the meeting with the date, time, agenda topic, name and phone number.

Anyone needing interpreter assistance, an assistive listening device, large print materials or other accommodations should call 503-588-5212 at least 48 hours before the session. TTY: 503-588-5168.