To help pay for the nearly $14 million replacement of the Abernethy waterline, the city of West Linn plans to ask the Oregon state Legislature for about $6 million.
West Linn has to pay to replace the waterline, which supplies all of the city’s water, as part of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s project to seismically retrofit the Abernethy Bridge.
The city appealed to voters in November to fund replacement of the Abernethy waterline, as well as two other pipes beneath the West A Street and Sunset Avenue bridges, in a $17 million bond, but West Linn residents resoundingly rejected the measure.
Consequently, the West Linn City Council in December authorized the city’s finance department to apply for a $12.5 million full faith and credit loan. Paying back the loan means the city has to defer decades of critical waterline maintenance throughout town.
To avoid some of these deferrals, the city hopes to receive financial help from the Legislature, as discussed by the City Council Tuesday, Jan. 17.
“Is there assistance available from the legislators in Salem for this situation, which we believe the Legislature partly created?” City Manager John Williams said at the meeting, referring to lawmakers’ approval of the I-205 improvement project as part of a 2017 transportation bill.
According to Williams, the city has also explored financial assistance from its federal delegates — but without much luck so far.
Most federal grants for water infrastructure, Williams explained, are targeted for underserved communities or for lead abatement. However, Williams said the city would keep asking the federal delegation for help.
In the meantime, Williams and lobbyist Doug Riggs said the state Legislature might be a more fruitful source to tap for funding.
When there is money in the budget at the end of the legislative session, Riggs said state lawmakers tend to fund requests like this. Riggs also said the circumstances around the waterline replacement make it a good case for state funding.
“There’s no way for a city the size of West Linn to budget for a $13 million one-time allocation in a limited budget,” Riggs said. “What you’re having to do is having to put all your other upgrades off. That’s not a good thing for any constituents in the state. ODOT has forced you into a situation that’s untenable.”
Interim Mayor Rory Bialostosky mentioned that costs for the waterline had more than doubled since ODOT first told the city about the need for its replacement in 2021.
Bialostosky said the city would ask for about $6 million as that would cover approximately half the waterline costs. The city will work with Riggs on the details of the request in the coming months.
