Recommendations Summary
Thinking beyond the immediate needs of two districts
Wastewater treatment demands are running above Clackamas County Service District No.1’s (CCSD #1) ability to handle them at the Kellogg Creek Water Pollution Control Plant in Milwaukie. Both short-term and long-term investments are necessary to maintain public health and river water quality, as well as meet the requirements of an agreement with the Department of Environmental Quality.
The RiverHealth Capacity Management Program focuses on meeting CCSD #1’s short-term needs between now and 2015.
Taking a longer look over the next several decades was necessary and as a result two important milestones were reached in 2008 and early 2009.
Task Committee completes work
In June 2008, the Community Partners Wastewater Task Committee, appointed earlier in the year by the Clackamas County Board of County Commissioners (BCC), proposed a set of recommendations that could save millions of dollars in avoided system expansion costs.
Regional committee participation included representatives from the cities of Milwaukie, Damascus, Happy Valley, Oregon City, West Linn, Gladstone, Lake Oswego; the Oak Lodge Water District, a CCSD #1 ratepayer and a member of the Citizens Advisory Council.
Among other issues, the committee report concluded: “It makes good financial sense to work together. The analysis indicates that together the community can realize up to a $300 million savings over the next 20 years by working and investing together. There is broad public support and understanding of the advantages (as demonstrated by survey data) of working together.”
“Regional equity and fairness can be gained if based on clearly defined assumptions,” the committee also remarked.
One assumption in the committee report is that the region will not expand operations at the Kellogg plant. Instead, the new partnership will focus on expansion at the Tri-City Service District plant in Oregon City, and explore other options as the future regional strategy unfolds.
“This is not consolidation of the districts, it’s a remarkable agreement to share resources and cooperate for the benefit of consumers that puts 20 years of history behind us,” noted former Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader. “This long-term plan dovetails with our short-term treatment capacity expansion…”
See news release: Clackamas County Board of Commissioners react favorably to task force recommendations about long-term, cost-saving sewage treatment investments
Community Partners Intergovernmental Agreement
The Task Committee’s recommendations set in motion a series of steps that resulted in a formal, binding agreement (IGA) among the cities, service districts and the County in December 2008.
Acting as the governing board of both CCSD #1 and the Tri-City Service District, the BCC adopted the IGA that serves as the legal framework on how the Tri-City Water Pollution Control Plant in Oregon City will be expanded by CCSD #1 to meet the growing sewage-processing demands of north county.
“This agreement marks a major milestone for the County. It is the formal recognition that the longstanding discussion about how the County will meet its obligation to protect our environment has been resolved,” Commissioner Lynn Peterson said when the IGA was adopted..
See news release: Agreement cements foundation for increasing treatment capacity, meeting DEQ mandates
Next Steps
A community partners steering committee is close to recommending how the partnership will operate. Formal adoption of these operating principles is expected in early to mid 2009.
