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r <br />Marion Countr~ Information <br />December 3,1997 - For Immediate Release <br />Contact: Carol Fischer or Sue McCracken <br />503-588-5212 <br />County considers changes in Courthouse Square project management <br />Commissioner Randy Franke announced today that Billy Wasson, director of corrections for <br />Marion County, is on temporary special assignment to coordinate the joint county and Salem <br />Area Transit District Courthouse Square project. The announcement came during an update on <br />Courthouse Square at the commissioners' regular board session when Franke reported that the <br />board had received General Services Director Randy Curtis' resignation as manager for the <br />project. <br />"We reluctantly concur with Randy Curtis' evaluation and recommendation that a change in <br />managers is necessary," stated Franke. "It is important to begin to restore public confidence in <br />the project." He added that, "Randy has given tremendous effort and energy to Courthouse <br />Square during the last two years. The commissioners appreciate his leadership and dedication to <br />this complicated task." Curtis will continue to assist the project as a part of a 13-member team <br />made up of county and transit elected officials and staff. <br />According to Franke, Wasson was placed in this role because of his 10 years of experience as <br />project manager in planning and development of the county's 20 acre corrections campus at 4000 <br />Aumsville Highway S.E. "Billy was responsible for construction of our 118,000-square-foot jail <br />starting in 1987," said Franke. "In the last seven years he has managed the development of a <br />new work center and administration building and has just completed a$6.9 million addition to <br />the jail." Franke said the four corrections projects had a combined construction budget of $26.9 <br />million. Wasson has been in government service for more than 30 years, the last 18 with Marion <br />County. # # # <br />