The Office of Healthy Working Rivers
Meeting Notes - Government Partners Meeting
February 24, 2009
3:30 - 5:00 PM
1120 SW 5th Ave., Room B
Portland, Oregon
Meeting Purpose:
Engage in conversation between Commissioner Amanda Fritz and our our government partners on the Office of Healthy Working Rivers (OHWR).
The OHWR was established by City Council (Ordinance 182466) on January 7, 2009. The office was established to improve inter-bureau coordination of City activities that impact the Willamette and Columbia Rivers and to ensure the continued improvement of the health of these rivers. The OHWR is in the portfolio of Commissioner Amanda Fritz.
Meeting Summary:
At this meeting, Commissioner Fritz presented her ideas for the structure and functions of the OHWR to our government partners, and sought and received feedback. The response of our government partners to the meeting content was encouraging, and indicates a strong and continued interest in river ecosystem health, good industrial jobs, and interagency communication and collaboration. Commissioner Fritz thanked everyone for taking time out of their busy schedules to participate in the conversation.
The conversation began with everyone in the room taking a few minutes to introduce themselves, their affiliation and their thoughts on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. We also received input from some of our partners on how they would like to participate as we move forward with the office.
Regular meetings and communication with our government partners on river issues will continue. Updates and additional information about future OHWR river activities will be posted to the "Coming Down the Pike" page of Commissioner Fritz's web site until a new site for the Office of Healthy Working Rivers is created.
Conversation Notes:
- The Commissioner will provide leadership and be the point person for the City on river related issues. She will hold regular work sessions with all five members of the Council.
- OHWR will be housed within the Bureau of Environmental Services on the 10th floor of the Portland Building
- Who will play what roles in the office? (Program manager, several project coordinators, interagency agreements to provide staff from home bureaus/agencies)
- What are the sources of funding? (General fund for 2 positions and sewer rate increase for additional positions, etc.)
- Who are the community and jurisdictional partners? (We're making a list and adding to it daily)
- What brings bureau officials together?
- Permits, plans, proposals, grants, projects
- Inter-bureau groups (e.g., South Waterfront)
- Issues of common interest
- Need for a single agency, citizen and technical advisory group
- What are possible important, early successes?
- Initial tasks to implement coordination
- Possible name change? (non-Orwellian?)
- Will this be a partnership with other levels of government?
- Is this office a part of implementation phases?
- No, there will be four project coordinators
- Which projects do we start with? - TBD
- What are some of the critical issues in the Columbia? - Superfund, brownfields, funding, regulatory framework
- The office will be a part of the "what if" questions.
- Avoid a backlog of Endangered Species..?
- Which improvements will require upstream modification?
- How do we involve upriver communities?
Meeting Participants:
Multnomah County Health Department
U.S. Department of Agriculture
City of Portland Parks and Recreation
City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services
Citizens and property owners
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership
East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District
U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10
Oregon Health & Sciences University
Mayor Adam’s office
U.S. Forest Service
Portland Harbor Citizen Advisory Group
Linnton Environmental Group
Oregon Department of State Lands and Superfund Cleanup
United States Stormwater Corporation
Lewis & Clark Law School NW Environmental Defense Center
Human Resources of the City of Portland
Willamette Light Brigade
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Superfund and Restoration)
Ecology and Environmental Cleanup and Planning
Commissioner Dan Saltzman’s office
Natural Areas in City, Urban Forestry
Who else should we contact?
Portland Development Commission, Oregon Department of Human Services, tribal governments, National Marine Fishery Service, Oregon Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon Economic Development, Ranchers, Oregon Department of Water Resources, Maritime Exchange, Department of Transportation, Columbia River Pilots, Homeland Security, Marine Patrol, Bonneville Power Administration, Portland State Center for Lakes and Reservoirs, Center for Columbia River History, Metro, Northwest Pulp and Paper Association, Association of Clean Water Agencies, Petroleum Pipeline, Multnomah County Bridge Operations.
Please contact Patti Howard, Policy Advisor and Liaison to the OHWR in Commissioner Fritz’s office, with any questions, issues, or ideas you have related to the rivers (Patti.Howard@ci.portland.or.us; 503.823.1120).
****************************
Meeting Notes - Community Partners Meeting
February 25, 2009
7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Development Services Building
1900 SW 4th Avenue, Room 2500A
Portland, Oregon
Meeting Purpose:
Engage in conversation between Commissioner Amanda Fritz and our community partners on the Office of Healthy Working Rivers (OHWR).
The OHWR was established by City Council (Ordinance 182466) on January 7, 2009. The office was created to improve inter-bureau coordination of City activities that impact the Willamette and Columbia Rivers and to ensure the continued improvement of the health of these rivers. The OHWR is in the portfolio of Commissioner Amanda Fritz.
Meeting Summary:
At this meeting, Commissioner Fritz presented her ideas for the structure and functions of the OHWR to our community partners, and sought and received feedback. The response of the river community to the meeting invitation and content was exciting and reflects a strong and continued interest in the Columbia and Willamette rivers. Commissioner Fritz thanked everyone for the taking time out of their busy lives to participate in the discussion.
The conversation began with everyone in the room taking a few minutes to introduce themselves and their connection to the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. The diversity of responses was fascinating and emphasizes the importance these rivers hold for so many people. Introductions were followed by an open discussion on river issues and the new office.
Regular meetings and communication with our community partners on river issues will continue. Regular updates and information about future meetings and OHWR river activities will be posted to the Coming Down the Pike page of the Commissioner's website until a new site for the Office of Healthy Working Rivers.
Conversation Notes:
- New concept for City structure - Matrix Management, not a huge or permanent bureaucracy
- Harbor responsibilities: City/Port burden, many guilty parties don’t exist anymore
- Key community partners can identify priorities
- Ideas:
- Quarterly work session in Council
- Talk to citizen boards
- Superfund site – priority!
- HarborREDI (PDC work on brownfields)
- Challenges of having people report to two bosses (e.g., BES and OHWR employees)
- Technical/Advisory Committee in one, not separate
- Close-circuit communication possibly, also web site, blog, and phone calls
- Not more meetings unless needed for face-to-face brainstorming/collaboration
- Citywide Tree Project uses citizen input
- Levels of regulation and permitting
- Layers of bureaucracy
- Streamlining meetings for City projects
- What are OHWR’s larger goals?
- 4- and 8-year action plan; this office will not go on for ever
- HarborREDI - getting a few sites into production and/or restoration/recreation
- Permitting, development, etc., coordinators
- Maybe it would benefit us to have new staff?
-
- Hiring freeze; internal recruitment except for program manager
- Harbor Master positions threatened by budget cuts. Fire department
- Could they be included in staff to save positions?
- "Salem Tomorrow" potential budget uses
- There is a future beyond recession
- "Connecting Green" by Janet Bebb
Meeting Participants represented:
- Willamette Ferry System: river transportation issues
- City of Portland Portland Parks & Recreation
- City of Portland Superfund Administrator
- SWCA Enviro. Consultants
- Neighborhood Notes
- "Liquid Assets" film about East Side Big Pipe Project
- Landan Associates (Environmental Engineering Consultants)
- Linnton Neighborhood Association
- Sierra Club
- SOLV
- City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Environmental Sustainability
- City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services Watershed Division
- Trust for Public Lands – Tribal Lands
- Linnton Residents
- Onward Oregon
- Ferry to carry bicyclists in place of Hawthorne Bridge
- 17 years on board of Rivers West; Columbia Riverkeeper
-
- Question: What will be spent by OHWR?
-
- West Hayden Island
- Steering Committee of East Hayden Island Plan
- River Public Safety Services Committee
- River Fest
-
- Willamette River Greenway (Bob Straub and Tom McCall)
- Preserve/enhance natural environment and recreation
- Replace Sellwood Bridge, Central Portland Greenway, South Waterfront, etc.
-
- Permit Consolidating Advisory Committee, Planning and Sustainability, Tree Project Advisory Committee, Neighborhood Land Use, Mid-county Future Alternatives Committee, etc.
-
- Move freight on and off Swan Island
- Of 10,000 jobs at Swan Island, about 1000 are connected to the river
-
- Green Team, Airport Futures A.G.
- Airport Master Plan; Tualatin Riverkeeper
2. Columbia Slough Watershed Council and Citywide Parks Team
3. NW Pipe Company
4. Waterfront Association of Oregon, Title XXVIII
5. Columbia River Crossings
6. Evraz OR Steel
7. Columbia Coordination Association, Watershed Advisory Group
8. Central Greenway Committee
9. Put river in center of Downtown
10. Columbia Riverkeeper
11. Fishers
12. Former elected officials
13. River Network
14. Natural Oregon
15. Portland Harbor Citizen Advisory Group
16. Houseboat owner
17. SWNI/South Watershed Resource Center
18. Tyee Yacht Club, Waterfront Organization of Oregon
19. Princeton Property Management
20. City Advisory Committees, Land Use Protection
19. NW Strategies
20. Swan Island TMA, Boise Cascade Research
21. Travel Portland
Who Else Should We Contact?
Environmental Justice, North Portland Greenway, Portland Audubon Society, Willamette Riverkeeper, yacht clubs, Columbia River Yachting Association, Skippers for Clean Oregon and Washington Waters, Oregon Trout and Bass, South Portland Neighborhood/other NAs, Sauvie Island Boosters, Oaks Park, Friends of Baltimore Woods, Rose Festival Association, 40-mile loop, rowing/Oregon clubs, Salmon Nation, Wild Salmon Center, Refugee Group, Oregon Environmental Council, Willamette Lochs, Hayden Island Business Association, Columbia River Business Association, Columbia Corridor Association, Drainage Districts, Soil and Conservation Districts, Oregon Center for Environmental Health, Green Teams, Lewis & Clark Center for Environmental Justice, Maritime Museum, Three Rivers Land Conservancy, Meier Memorial Trust, Universities
***********************************
Please contact Patti Howard, Policy Advisor and Liaison to the OHWR in Commissioner Fritz’s office, with any questions, issues, or ideas you have related to the rivers (Patti.Howard@ci.portland.or.us; 503.823.1120).
In response to who else should we contact, I suggest: Watersheds and Stormwater Advisory Committee via co-chair "Eric Strecker"estrecker at geosyntec dot com; Tryon Creek Watershed Council via "Terri Preeg Riggsby"tpriggsby at yahoo dot com, and even the Sustainable Development Commission via co-chair Justin Yuen at 888.FMYI.COM x2.
With respect to what the office needs to address, I suggest it work from a framework of meeting the converging challenges of climate change, peak oil and rapid loss of species that provide ecosystem services.