City seeks members for new North Reach River Committee

The City of Portland is seeking interested community members to serve three-year terms on the North Reach Plan Advisory Committee. The Committee will advise the City on the implementation of the River Plan/North Reach and will report annually to the Planning Commission and the City Council.

The Committee will be convened by the Office of Healthy Working Rivers.  Members will be selected by Commissioner Amanda Fritz, Commissioner in Charge of the Office of Healthy Working Rivers and by Mayor Sam Adams, Commissioner in Charge of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. The City Council will approve final Committee membership.

The Committee will be composed of 12 – 15 members. Members will be

selected to ensure a balanced, “multi-interest” group that encompasses the following interests:

• Harbor industries and economic development (including industrial property owners, the Port of Portland);
• Ecological restoration and environmental protection (including watershed health, upland and in-water habitat interests);
• Institutional Property owners (including hospitals, the University of Portland and other educational institutions)
• Riverfront communities (Linnton, St. Johns, Cathedral Park, NW Industrial Neighborhood Association)
• Employment and workforce development (including labor unions)
• Recreation (Including on-water boating, fishing, parks and trails)
• Infrastructure (including rail, road, and water transportation)
• Sustainability
• Tribal
• Fiscal accountability (e.g., members of the City’s Budget Advisory Committee)
• At-large Members (representing broad, regional perspectives)

If you are interested in being considered for a July 2010 appointment, please complete and return the Interest Form for City Board and Commission Appointments by June 11, 2010 to the Office of Neighborhood Involvement. The form can be found at: www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?c=37423 or www.portlandonline.com/river 

Committee Roles and Responsibilities

The role of the Committee is to assess implementation of the River Plan/North Reach and to assess and report on the Plan’s effectiveness over time. The Committee will advise the City and is not a decision making body.

The Committee’s purpose is to help the City assess and report on the progress of the Plan’s implementation.

The Committee’s tasks will include:

• Identifying  plan implementation issues (e.g., lack of progress in implementing action items whether due to funding or other issues; lack of clarity in code language…);
• Assessing issues in a systematic manner and providing an objective review of performance; 
• Evaluating how plan actions that prove successful can be incorporated into other river-related programs;
• Providing a forum to debrief on projects occurring in the North Reach;
• Monitoring and reporting on any appeals of River Plan/North Reach provisions;
• Assessing funding needs related to plan implementation;
• Ensuring that the plan is implemented in a coordinated manner;
• Making suggestions to the City to improve plan implementation.

The City will work with the Committee to review, and if necessary, revise performance measures to use in assessing implementation success.

For more information, please contact Ann Beier, Director, Office of Healthy Working Rivers at 503-823-5467 or ann.beier@portlandoregon.gov.