The Oregon Transportation Commission meets today in Salem.
One of the agenda items is whether to terminate ConnectOregon funding for the Winchester Railyard.
Yesterday, officials with the OTC decided to move the agenda item out of the consent agenda in order for more discussion to be allowed.
The decision whether to pull 7.7 million from CORP was added to the agenda on Monday and was placed among nine other items that would have all been approved in one vote – with no discussion.
Media inquiries prompted the agency to separate the vote from that list.
CORP and Rail America officials were surprised to learn about the pending decision through calls from reporters in Roseburg looking for reaction. The News-Review has learned CORP plans to sue the state of Oregon in order to retain the funds to build the switching yard in Winchester. The project would alleviate some of the congestion in downtown Roseburg when long trains come into the yard, which is just south of Washington and Oak Streets. The meeting starts at 9:30am in Salem.