11/26/2001 - Minutes V
TIGARD WATER DISTRICT
BOARD OF COMMISSIONER'S MEETING
Monday, November 26, 2001
Members Present: Mary Stobbe, Bruce Stobbe, George Rhine, Norm
Penner and Beverly Froude,
Staff Present: Dennis Koellermeier and Twila Willson
Visitors Present: None
1. Call to Order
The regular meeting of the Tigard Water District Board of Commissioners was called to
order by acting chair, Commissioner George Rhine, at 7:04 p.m.
2. Roll Call and Introductions
Commissioner George Rhine called the roll. He welcomed Dennis Koellermeier,
representing the City of Tigard, to the meeting.
3. Approval of Minutes — September 24, 2001
Commissioner Beverly Froude motioned to accept the minutes as presented and
Commissioner Bruce Stobbe seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous to accept
the minutes of the September 24, 2001, Tigard Water District meeting.
4. Visitor's Comments - None
5. Intergovernmental Water Board Update
Commissioner Beverly Froude attended the November IWB meeting and reported on the
points of interest discussed at that meeting.
The Dog Park Committee requested the possible use of the Canterbury site as a dog
park. Commissioner Joyce Patten told them that there were other sites being reviewed
as possible dog park sites and dismissed the request for the time being.
Commissioner Froude told the Board of Commissioners that the Tigard Water District
has a close relationship with the Canterbury site in that the property is owned (except for
the actual John Tigard House) by the TWD. The park area where the John Tigard
Tigard Water District Minutes - 1 - November 26,2001
House sits is on a lease. The dog park issue is a volatile issue and she thought it was
important that Board Members stay on top of the issue.
The IWB also reviewed a request for consideration of a credit on a leak at the Annand
resident. The Intergovernmental Water Board voted to use the formula to give credit for
the leak.
Long term water update was the topic of discussion for most of the remainder of the IWB
meeting. The IWB reviewed the proposed criteria for the Regional Drinking Water
Supply Initiative. Commissioner Froude left the meeting with the idea that the regional
system was still a viable consideration, but according to Sunday's Oregonian article it
has been discarded.
Dennis Koellermeier explained in more detail the reasons for the abrupt change in
direction on the proposed regional agency. The project has involved the managers of
the various water agencies in the Portland metropolitan area, which started with an
invitation from the City of Portland to explore a change in the Bull Run
ownership/management structure and grew into a multi-source/multi?agency water
distribution and procurement agency. The involved water managers and staff compiled
criteria and questions that needed to be addressed in order to go to the next step.
Water advocates throughout the Portland metropolitan area criticized the process,
however, for not allowing a public process. The concept was presented to the public at
the meeting. The clear themes brought up at the public meeting by a major group of
people were that this was a conspiracy to get the Willamette River water into the
regional water system. A very strong Bull Run advocacy also became obvious. The
concept of multi-source/multi-agency was running into stiff opposition. Public opposition
was widespread. The water managers of the fourteen agencies involved concluded this
widespread opposition made it clear that to continue looking at every option as intended,
was "dead on arrival" and a revised regionalization approach needed to be considered.
Revised issues include:
• Intergovernmental agreement form, based on ORS 190 (Legislation is not required to
form the body).
• Involved agencies would buy into the new agency by designating the amount of Bull
Run water they wished to purchase from the agency.
Portland would identify their water needs and receive first options or preferred right
(Class A stock).
• Remaining entities could then buy the remaining sources from available Bull Run
water (Class B stock). Dennis stated it sounded like we would be paying the same
amount for a lesser product.
Sources still 'on the table' are the Bull Run watershed and the Portland wellfield.
Other water sources are excluded. The Willamette River will never happen.
➢ Services the agency would provide would be supply and transmission of Bull Run
and Southshore Wellfield water.
Basically this puts up back at the beginning. The Tigard Water District (TWD),
Intergovernmental Water Board (IWB) and the Tigard City Council need to decide if they
want to continue to explore this option and under what conditions. It will cost$10,000 to
continue exploring this option.
Tigard Water District Minutes - 2 - November 26,2001
A joint work session with the Tigard City Council has been scheduled for December 18,
2001. Commissioner Joyce Patton will represent Tigard at the regional negotiations.
Tigard was not able to attend the water district manager's meeting when they met to
make these conclusions. That was the day of the water main break.
The regional agency would now be looking at a single source with multi-agency
ownership. The next phase of discussions has a $10,000 fee for participation. Cost and
reliability are our main concern.
Commissioner Froude said other options are not available to Tigard. There still are no
water rights, Tigard is on the fringes with just money to offer. She added that if Portland
citizens had to vote on this issue, they would most likely vote `no'.
Dennis stated that Portland does not have a choice in spending a great deal of money
on the infrastructure for a new treatment plant (approximately $140 million). The City of
Portland cannot handle that alone. They need others to help pay for it, but it is not clear
if they will give up ownership for that help.
Joint Water Commission — Dennis reported that Tigard has started taking water (as of
November 21, 2001) at about half the cost to purchase water from Portland. Tigard
anticipates taking water from the JWC until mid-June at a daily rate of approximately
600,000 gallons.
The feasibility project to raise the Scoggins Dam is underway with a lot of public
involvement. This is anticipated to be a sixteen-month process.
Beaverton/Tigard Intertie —The least expensive way to build the intertie would be to
create an IGA to have one plan with both agencies involved working as one instead of
separately. This would save Tigard approximately $20,000 if that method is followed.
The new connection will allow Tigard to increase the quantity of water to satisfy ASR for
many years. The new connection is a 12 inch intertie connection, putting us at a higher
pressure zone and would allow us to take about 4mgd if water is available.
Commissioner Froude asked for an update on the Clean Water Services (CWS)
meeting. Dennis said that not much went on at the meeting. CWS wants the Scoggins
Dam raise to stay on the front burner. CWS needs to build on the west side. Their
motives appear genuine. He does not foresee they will take over. They have irrigation
and environmental issues with the fish.
6. Special District Best Practices— A Self-Assessment Guide for
Special Districts
7. Informational Items
• Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue letter to Board Members
• Special Districts News and Risk Management Review
No action was required on agenda items 6 or 7 (informational items).
Tigard Water District Minutes - 3 - November 26,2001
8. Non-Agenda Items
Commissioner George Rhine requested an update on two issues:
—+ main line break
—> summer peaking results
Staff distributed papers on the peaking information. Dennis reported that the peaking
was down. Conservation was a big message nationally and created great success for
us locally. Our peaking hit 11%, which was very good. The City of Tigard has many
new employees and new ground breaking is being done. There are many to take credit
for the success. We are spreading the responsibilities to many others. Mandatory
conservation requires 36-hours to get us through the process. Future predictions are
being pursued as well.
The water main break was from a 6-inch pipe (approximately 30 years old) that was at
its highest pressure peak. There were trees that had to be removed to get to the pipe.
Erosion created a huge hole where the valves were located. At 2:00'a.m. it took longer
than anticipated to assemble crews and shut down valves. Repairs are not yet
complete. Police and fire agencies were first on the scene, as is typical. Early concerns
were that the main break was caused by terrorism or vandalism, which was not the case.
There was a good deal of water lost. The repairs will include replacing approximately 40
feet of 30 year old galvanized pipe that was compromised.
9. Set next meeting date
The Board discussed the importance of attending the joint City Council/IWB meeting on
December 18 at 6:30 p.m.
January 24 is the deadline for meeting with the other fourteen agencies.
January 28, 2002, will be the next regular Tigard Water District meeting.
10. Adjournment
Commissioner Norm Penner motioned for adjournment and Commissioner Beverly
Froude seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous to adjourn the Tigard Water
District meeting at 7:59 p.m.
Tigard Water District Minutes -4- November 26, 2001