West Linn will join county sewer group

Despite citizen objections, the council votes in favor of joining an advisory committee

By Kara Hansen

The West Linn Tidings, Oct 29, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (5 Reader comments)

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Despite opposition from dozens of citizens and under threat of a possible recall election, West Linn city councilors voted 3-2 Monday to join an advisory committee that will examine wastewater treatment capacity across Clackamas County.

Mayor Patti Galle and councilor Teri Cummings opposed the committee, a proposal pushed by county commissioners as a way to address long-term capacity problems and to save money on future investments in the county’s two main sewer districts. Those include the Tri-City Service District serving West Linn, Oregon City and Gladstone, and Clackamas County Service District No. 1, which serves Happy Valley, Milwaukie and northern unincorporated areas.

Oregon City has already voted to join the new advisory group. Gladstone was set to vote later in the week.

Although the new committee’s bylaws aren’t binding and don’t mention shared financial obligations, Galle and Cummings worry the rules could be changed later, potentially leading to skyrocketing sewer rates for Tri-City customers, who pay less than Clackamas district members.

Galle said she believes the county will ultimately push for combining the sewer districts, because “regionalization of infrastructure is what has to happen for cities to grow.”

Unable to accommodate growth at Kellogg, Clackamas County Service District No. 1 has leased space at the Tri-City plant in Oregon City since 2000.

But councilor John Kovash believes it’s “better to negotiate” with other governments “rather than feel left out” of future discussions.

And, he said, “There is nothing to indicate joining this group will facilitate an otherwise avoidable rate increase.”

Clackamas County Water Environment Services Director Mike Kuenzi assured councilors that state law prohibits using money from one district to fund projects in another.

“There has not been any discussion about consolidation or about moving toward a common rate,” he added.

Even so, the council added a clause to the new committee’s bylaws that stresses individual cities’ duties to fund growth within their own jurisdictions. That language will still need to be approved by the county advisory group, but councilors Scott Burgess and Jody Carson said it clarifies that West Linn won’t pay to subsidize growth in other areas.

More than 60 people including two county commissioners packed into council chambers at city hall for the discussion, which lasted about four hours, half of it consumed by three-minute public comments.

Galle kicked off testimony time with a 12-minute question and answer session with Thelma Haggenmiller, part of a community panel discussing long-range plans in the Oak Lodge sewer district, which serves homes between Milwaukie and Gladstone.

Haggenmiller described her expertise as “knowledge by osmosis,” built up over years of debates that led to Oak Lodge keeping its aging treatment plant rather than piping effluent elsewhere.

She told the council Tri-City customers might not have to foot the bill for the Clackamas district now, but they could be asked to pay for later phases of a project expanding sewer service to developing areas.

By sticking with the existing governing structure and joining the new committee, she warned, “The citizens of West Linn will have very little say on what determines the future of your district.”

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