01/26/1998 - Minutes TIGARD WATER DISTRICT
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING
JANUARY 26, 1998
Members Present: Gretchen Buehner, Bev Froude, John Haunsperger, Norman
Penner, David Strauss.
Staff Present: Mike Miller, Michelle Wareing.
Visitors: None
1. Call to Order: The meeting of the Tigard Water Board of Commissioners was called
to order by Chair Norman Penner at 7:04pm.
2. Roll Call: All members were present.
3. Appointment of Chairperson: Chairman Norman Penner stated that he had been
Chair of the Tigard Water Board for a year and that it was time for a new Chair to be
appointed. Commissioner Strauss nominated Commissioner John Haunsperger.
Chairman Penner seconded the motion. Commissioner Haunsperger was unanimously
appointed Chair. Commissioner Haunsperger will assume Chair duties at the next
meeting.
Commissioner Haunsperger nominated Chairman Penner to be the alternate
representative on the Intergovernmental Water Board (IWB). Commissioner Froude
seconded the motion. Chairman Penner was unanimously appointed alternate to the
IWB.
4. Visitors Comments: No visitors were present at the meeting.
5. Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the November 24, 1997 meeting were
approved. MSP
6. Intergovernmental Water Board Update: Mike Miller stated that Murray Smith &
Associates gave an overview of the Willamette water treatment plant and siting at a
recent meeting. Montgomery Watson will be designing the plant and design how the
water will be treated. Mike stated that the meeting had been videotaped and was
available for review. Mike reported that a packet containing copies of the
transparencies that were shown at the meeting was distributed. Mike stated that the
City of Portland and Montgomery Watson had built a pilot water treatment plant on the
Willamette River at Wilsonville a few years ago. At the meeting, Montgomery Watson
discussed how microscopic organisms, pesticides and bacteria is removed from the
water. The water treatment plant processing system was tested by polluting the water
with extreme amounts of toxins. This test was done to simulate a chemical or sewage
spill. The water treatment was able to clean the excessively polluted water to the
quality level desired.
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Commissioner Buehner stated that there is a public perception regarding the Willamette
River quality. There is fear about the quality and the presentation given by Murray
Smith &Associates was too technical. Tigard Water Board members need to address
the issues such as deformed fish. Commissioner Buehner had concerns about the
presentation and how it would be presented to the public. She stated that she asked
questions at the presentation, but did not receive adequate answers.
Commissioner Strauss noted that the presentation was given by engineers and that the
public relations firm will present the information differently to the public.
Commissioner Buehner stated that the public relations people are not scientists and
that she wanted to make sure that an informative and factual package was put together.
Chairman Penner asked who will be responsible for putting the public relations package
together. Mike Miller stated that the City of Tigard will be partly responsible for the
package. Mike noted that the parties involved in the Willamette Water Supply Agency
understand and acknowledge the bad press about the Willamette and know it will be
difficult to overcome it.
Commissioner Froude stated that she did not know when the public relations would
start. She asked if people were going to get mailings at home. She stated that the
newspaper wasn't a good enough source for all the information. She asked if the Board
could send out information to the Tigard Water Board constituents. The information
would not be political or biased. She reminded everyone that the treatment plant will be
in Wilsonville and not Portland. The City of Corvallis has a treatment plant on the
Willamette. Remind people that not all of the Willamette River is polluted.
Commissioner Froude asked if there is going to be a bond measure for the treatment
plant. Mike Miller stated that there will be a revenue bond measure. Commissioner
Froude stated that the public relations campaign needed to be done right, so there is no
scandal or misperception. The public needs to be educated, so they can make an
informed voted.
Chairman Penner stated that the Board has money to spend and is willing to use the
money to inform its constituents about the treatment plant. He asked that this idea be
expressed to the City of Tigard.
Commissioner Strauss stated that all the information should come from one source, so
people don't become confused.
The Commissioners agreed that information needs to be sent out quickly and that they
were willing to pay for the mailing.
Mike Miller stated that he did not know when the public relations campaign was going to
start. Mike stated that Ed Wegner, Director of Public Works, was working on the
Willamette project. Ed is working with the water group and newspaper reporters to
disseminate accurate information.
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The Commissioners stated that they wanted to know when the public relations
campaign would start and what information was going to be sent out. The
Commissioners agreed that they needed to send out information as soon as possible to
their constituents. Chairman Penner, Commissioner Haunsperger and Commissioner
Buehner stated that they would meet with Ed Wegner to get their questions answered.
The Board will meet on February 23 to discuss the answers received from Ed Wegner
and the direction they want to take on the mailing. Commissioner Haunsperger stated
that he will call Ed and make an appointment.
7. Utility Manager's Report: Mike Miller reported that John Early, the City's Utility
Manager, resigned in December. Mike stated that he has taken on the position. Mike
noted that there is some reorganizing being done in Public Works and that the
Operations Manager position will eventually be phased out and the Water Department
will be whole again.
Mike distributed the Tigard Water District Income Statement. Mike stated that the
Commissioners could see how much money was available for them to use on the
mailing for the water treatment plant.
Mike distributed a hand out regarding service connections. There is about a 4% growth
in connections for the total area. King City has had no growth. There are currently no
plans to annex any areas in to the City, so growth should stay about the same.
Mike noted that he received a newsletter from Special Districts and that there was
information in it regarding the annual water conference. Mike stated that the Tigard
Water District budget includes money to send a delegate to the conference. None of
the Commissioners were interested in attending the conference.
Commissioner Froude asked when the budget process was going to start. Mike stated
that the City's departments had already started on their budgets. Mike stated that the
Tigard Water Board will have a budget hearing in March and second hearing in May.
Mike reported that the construction company is forming up the floor at the Menlor site.
The project is still behind because of when the bid was awarded and the weather. Mike
noted that once the floor is poured and sets, construction will go quickly.
Commissioner Strauss stated that he was impressed with the silt levels in the
Canterbury tanks that was noted in the November minutes. Mike stated that the levels
have to do with where the water comes from. Mike reported that the Lake Oswego
water goes through a filtration plant and that has an affect on the silt levels.
Commissioner Penner thanked Mike for the tour of the water facilities.
8. Non-Agenda Items: There were no non-agenda items.
9. Adjournment: The Tigard Water District Board Meeting was adjourned at 8:00pm.
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