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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2016)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 Brown signs bill to pay for Capitol renovations the end of the legislative ses- sion in early March. “My staff read it and said, ‘I’m a woman, I’m not coming back in this capitol at night’ ... And it was alarming. They actually demonstrated how you can get into this building. You would not believe how easy it is to get into this building.” However, Courtney said he would not release the state police report on Capitol secu- rity problems. “Go ahead and ask for a public record,” Court- ney said. “But you’re not get- ting the report. Because I don’t want this falling into the hands of some really bad people who can use it ...” By HILLARY BORRUD Capital Bureau SALEM — The Oregon Capitol is on track to receive a $50 million renovation after Gov. Kate Brown signed leg- islation Tuesday to pay for much of the project by issu- ing bonds. The project is a win for Senate President Peter Court- ney, D-Salem, who tried unsuccessfully last year to gain passage of a $337 mil- lion overhaul of the Depres- sion-era building that would have included a seismic ret- ro¿t to help it withstand an earthquake. The scaled-down version approved by lawmakers ear- lier this month would not protect the Capitol against an earthquake, although ele- ments of the project would lay the foundation for a future seismic retro¿t. Relatively little of the proj- ect cost is related to the secu- rity upgrades Courtney cited as a top priority, after pro- testers who wanted a higher minimum wage caused at ruckus at the Capitol in Feb- ruary. During a press con- ference earlier this month, Courtney described the Cap- itol as a dangerous place for women and children due to structural problems and a lack of security. Spending authority and $30 million in bonds for the project were included in two bills that the Legislature passed in the waning days of the session early this month. The state already sank $23.8 million into the Capi- tol renovation project in order to plan the initial larger proj- ect, legislative administrator Kevin Hayden said in an inter- view earlier this month. The Legislature did not release a detailed spending plan until Feb. 29, the day before the state House voted on the leg- islation to partially pay for it. It was not clear where law- makers will get the additional $20 million to cover the proj- ect cost. Two new vaults The latest plan calls for the Schools in need Paris Achen/Pamplin Media Group The governor has signed a bill that provides for the sale of $50 million in bonds to pay for renovations to the Oregon State Capitol. ‘They actually demonstrated how you can get into this building. You would not believe how easy it is to get into this building.’ Peter Courtney Senate president state to build two new vaults under the Capitol to house electrical and mechanical equipment, including a new boiler to replace a system that failed in the fall. The vaults account for a third of the project cost and could house seismic retro¿t systems if lawmakers decide to move ahead with that plan in the future. A legisla- tive document describes each vault as “a cornerstone for the future seismic base isolation of the Capitol.” Other large-ticket items in the project range from add- ing two entrances accessi- ble to people who use walk- ers or wheelchairs — only one entrance is currently accessible — to replacing leaky skylights and caulking around all of the marble on the exterior of the building. Hayden said the state dis- covered the extent of leaks in the existing caulking and sealant around the marble three years ago, when work- ers pressure washed the building. There is also $4.9 million identi¿ed for miscellaneous “building system moderniza- tion” work that would suppos- edly be selected from the ear- lier renovation plan. Architects hired by the state estimated it would cost just $143,000 to move the Oregon State Police of¿ce from the basement to the ¿rst Àoor of the Capitol, a change that Courtney has described as a top priority to improve security. Hayden said other work, such as remodeling entrances and moving certain state of¿ces, will free up space if the state decides to imple- ment metal detectors and bag searches in the future. “But there isn’t a plan to do that immediately,” Hayden said. Security fears Courtney said the Oregon State Police recently com- pleted a report that revealed it would be simple for intruders to gain access to the building after hours, when the doors are closed to people without secu- rity badges. Courtney said the potential for outsiders to gain access to the Capitol was espe- cially worrying for women. “This report, my wife read this and said, ‘I’m not going back in the Capitol again,’” Courtney said during a press conference with reporters at The only vocal opponent of the renovation plan this year was Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, who wanted to scale the proj- ect back to add only one acces- sible entrance and move the state police of¿ce. Ferrioli said it would be bet- ter for the state to increase the amount of bond revenue avail- able to retro¿t public school buildings for earthquakes. “Colleagues, you heard earlier in this session the $175 million that was allocated to school seismic upgrades is far oversubscribed because the need is much greater than peo- ple anticipated,” Ferrioli said during a Senate Àoor speech. “So colleagues, dollars are needed. There is a wait list. Children are at risk.” Courtney also said he was concerned about the safety of school children, speci¿cally the bus loads of children who visit the Capitol. “This building is in deplor- able condition,” Courtney told reporters. “It’s a safety threat. It’s a health threat. It’s a secu- rity threat to people that come here, that work here, that visit here, and particularly to the children. And we’re not step- ping up.” The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. BOFEVDBUJPOQSPHSBNCZUIFBM[IFJNFSTBTTPDJBUJPO 5IF#BTJDT &GGFDUJWF$PNNVOJDBUJPO4USBUFHJFT Saturday, "QSJM | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Healthcare at your $POWFOJFODF "QQPJOUNFOU5JNFTǰBU8PSL'PS:PV You’ve got a million and one things to do this week. Taking care of your health does not have to mean missing other important events—like that game-winning slide into home. 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