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07/27/1998 - Packet TIGARD WATER DISTRICT BOARD of COMMISSIONERS MEETING Serving the.Unincorporated Area AGENDA Monday, July 27, 1998 7:00p.m _:. Call to Order 2. Roll Call and Introductions 3. Visitor Comments 4. Approval of June 1, 19<98 Meeting Minutes _ 5_ Intergovernmental Water Board Update 6 Utility Manager Report Non:Agenda Items 8: Commissioners Comments 9. Set Next Meeting Agenda 10: Adjournment- . Executive Session The Tigard.Water District Board may go into Executive Session under the provisions of ORS 192.660_(1) (d), (e), &(h)to discuss labor relations, real property transactions, and.current and'pending litigation iss€es: Alt discussions within this session are confidential,, therefore.nothing from this meeting may be disclosed by those present. Representatives of the nevus.. media are allowed to attend this-session, but must not disclose any information discussed during this session: 28a � . TIGARD WATER DISTRICT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING JUNE 1, 1998 Commissioner John Haunsperger called the meeting of the Tigard Water Board of Commissioners to order at 7:00 p.m. on June 1, 1998. Members Present: David Strauss, John Haunsperger, Beverly Froude,Norm Penner, Gretchen Buehner Members Absent: None Staff Present: Mike Miller 3. Approval of April 27, 1998, minutes Commissioner Strauss noted that Betty Thatcher, a new member of the Budget Committee, did attend the April 27, 1998, meeting, though she was late. Commissioner Froude moved to accept the April 27, 1998, Budget meeting minutes as corrected with the regular meeting minutes as presented. Commissioner Penner seconded the motion. All members present voting AYE, the motion passed unanimously. 4. Public Hearing- 1998/99 Proposed Budget Commissioner Haunsperger opened the public hearing on the 1998/99 proposed budget. There was no public testimony. Commissioner Strauss moved to accept the 1998/99 proposed budget as submitted by the Budget Committee. Commissioner Penner seconded the motion. All members present voting AYE, the motion passed unanimously. Commissioner Haunsperger closed the public hearing. 6. Intergovernmental Water Board (IWB)Updates Commissioner Froude reported that the IWB received two letters requesting help with water bills because of water leaks. She reviewed the situation in which a water bill was high because a large truck ran over the water meter at a residence near SW 113th and Fisher, and the meter ran all day. She mentioned that the most probable culprit was the garbage truck. She said that the Board agreed to split the $100 balance with the property manager. Commissioner Haunsperger asked if this would set a precedent. Commissioner Froude said that this was not discussed as setting a precedent, the Board intended to correct a discrepancy. In-addition, the water meter was moved further back from the street. She mentioned that Councilor Paul Hunt Tigard Water District Board - June 1, 1998 Page 1 of 4 had been adamant that, even with an adjustment policy, people had the right to come to the IWB. She stated that they would continue to look at each case individually. Commissioner Haunsperger asked for Mr. Miller's opinion. Mike Miller, Staff, commented that the City had to keep the meters in the public right-of-way, they could not go onto private property. He noted that SW 130 was a narrow street with little shoulder on which to site the meter. Commissioner Buehner suggested providing PRIDE with a map of meter locations so they could better train their drivers. Commissioner Froude reported that the studies on a long term water supply from the Willamette were continuing with no firm decision expected until December 2. She noted the purchase of two parcels of land by Wilsonville, Tigard, and the Tualatin Valley Water District (TVWD)by the end of June for the treatment plant. If these parcels were not used, the land would be resold. Commissioner Froude reported that it cost between $5000 to $6000 to mail out the newsletter to all District members. She reviewed the public relations efforts of the various jurisdictions in promoting the Willamette River as a water supply. She mentioned that Tigard would take the lead in the raw water monitoring project on the Willamette River beginning in June. Mr. Miller noted that he, Rich Sattler and Montgomery Watson would handle that project. Commissioner Froude reported on the water forum held at the high school. Mr. Miller confirmed that approximately 120 people (including staff) attended the meeting with about 30 of those being Tigard residents. Commissioner Penner said that the other 80 attendees included people from Portland and the Oregon Environmental Council. He held that it was a"set-up" meeting. Commissioner Buehner mentioned that her Letter to the Editor on this matter, which she submitted to the Oregonian, was rejected on the grounds that she was a Tigard Water District Board member, and her letter was inappropriate. The Board discussed the issue, concluding that they had as much right as the Oregon Environmental Council to have their say. Commissioner Penner commented that he saw the Oregonian article as a misleading and biased account of the meeting. Commissioner Froude noted that Tigard staff was speaking to civic and other groups to present the other side of the story. She quoted statements made by Ed Wegner, Public Works Director, at the meeting, in which he pointed out that Tigard has been getting treated and filtered water from the Clackamas River for 20 out of the past 23 years - a fundamental principle that people were not understanding. Commissioner Froude mentioned Mr. Wegner's comment that Tigard was not asking Portland or Gresham to tie into the proposed new system, therefore it was not their problem; yet they talked as though they were part of the solution. She noted another comment in which Mr. Wegner explained that today Tigard got a water"blend" of untreated water that is chloraminated water(Bull Run) as opposed to 90% Clackamas River water that they got five years ago. Mr. Miller noted that a "blend" of 50/50 or 60/40 had taste and odor problems. Commissioner Haunsperger pointed out that the build up of chlorine ammonia on the sides of pipes that have not carried it before tame off and got into the water. Tigard Water District Board -June 1, 1998 Page 2 of 4 Commissioner Froude reported that the Menlor Reservoir site was on schedule for enclosure on August 1 and completion on August 31. Mr. Miller explained the staff work scheduled to replace the failed valves in the Tiedeman water vault(at North Dakota)with butterfly valves remotely controlled by a SCADA system. The Board discussed the situation with Portland Commissioner Sten's proposal. Commissioner Buettner commented that she felt that the Oregonian article degraded the proposal. Mr. Miller mentioned Commissioner Sten's meeting with Wilsonville tonight. Commissioner Buehner noted that the City of Portland's long term policy has been to use the revenues from non-residents to fund all their capital improvements, an agenda which they were continuing to pursue. She commented that most people were not aware of this hidden agenda of Portland that lay behind their refusal to give water ownership rights to the other jurisdictions. Commissioner Froude said that she saw a philosophical decision in this situation: pay for good water from Portland or pay for not so good water from the Willamette. Commissioner Haunsperger pointed out that the hydraulics of the system would not allow Willamette River water to flow back into the Portland system, as feared by the"not in my pipes" organizations Commissioner Haunsperger reported that the water coming into the Willamette from the creek above Newberg (but below the Yamhill)was influenced by the landfill which Portland had been involved with. He pointed out that they did not know what was leeching out of the landfill and into the creek, as the landfill was abandoned and never sealed. He said that he was trying to convince Doug Delano, a well driller from Newberg, to talk with Tigard staff and the Willamette Water Supply Agency about the water in the area. Commissioner Strauss asked if the concern was that this negative water flow came into the Willamette or that it came from Portland in the first place. Commissioner Haunsperger contended that the water intake for the treatment plant should be above that creek. He suggested drilling test wells also to find out if the landfill was leaking into the creek. The Board discussed the lack of adequate and unbiased coverage of Tigard issues by the Oregonian which was the paper read by the majority of people. Commissioner Froude noted that the majority of suburban coverage went to Lake Oswego and Oregon City. She suggested inviting the managing editor of the Oregonian's Tigard office to a meeting to discuss how the paper covered Tigard in general. The Board discussed the issue of Commissioner Buehner's Letter to the Editor. Commissioner Froude spoke to at the very least getting a written account of the Oregonian's reasoning in rejecting a letter from a Board member when Letters to the Editor, by their very nature, presented a biased opinion on an issue. Commissioner Penner moved to direct Commissioner Buehner to pursue the publication of her Letter to the Editor in the Oregonian. Commissioner Froude seconded the motion. All members present voting AYE, the motion passed unanimously. ' - Tigard Water District Board - June 1, 1998 Page 3 oro 7. Operation Manager's Report Mr. Miller reported that there would be a presentation on the Willamette River water issue at the general session of the CIT Thursday night meeting. He noted this was the third breakout session on the issue also. Mr. Miller reported on water usage in May, noting that it was lower than usual because of rain (beginning at 5.9 mgd and decreasing). Mr. Miller noted the status report on the Mentor project. Mr. Miller confirmed that the next NVB meeting was scheduled for July 8 at 5:30 p.m. 8. Non-Agenda Items Commissioner Penner presented pictures of the water system in Istanbul, Turkey. He mentioned that during the time of the Roman emperor Constantine a huge water reservoir was built under the city but then forgotten as the centuries passed. He said that within the past 15 years it was rediscovered and turned into a tourist attraction. He noted that huge hollow columns in the Blue Mosque also served as water reservoirs (with a spigot at the bottom). Commissioner Strauss raised the issue of Budget Committee procedures, contending that according to the Oregon Revised Statutes, they were out of compliance with state statutes. He said that the Budget Committee was supposed to be a standing committee with rotating three year terms. The Board discussed the matter and agreed that the situation needed to be corrected. Commissioner Buehner volunteered to contact the Board attorney for the most recent information on how a special district should handle its Budget Committee. 9. Adjournment Commissioner Haunsperger adjourned the meeting at 8:00 p.m. Tigard Water District Board - June 1, 1998 Page 4 of 4