Title
Overview of the Final Recommendations from the Joint Engineering Study Between the City of Oregon City (City) and Clackamas River Water (CRW)
Body
RECOMMENDED ACTION (Motion):
Accept the final recommendations from the City’s consultant, Murraysmith, on the Joint Engineering Study. These recommendations provide an outline of alternatives for water service along the current periphery of Oregon City and the urban growth boundary. It also provides an agreed-upon mechanism for financial compensation for the transfer of water distribution assets associated with said growth.
BACKGROUND:
The City and CRW provide potable water to customers in the urban and rural areas south of the Clackamas River. Currently, both water providers’ customers within the Oregon City area are supplied water by the South Fork Water Board’s (SFWB’s) Water Treatment Plant on the Clackamas River. In December 2013, the City and the South Fork Water Board (SFWB) filed an appeal to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) in opposition of CRW forming a water supply commission with the Sunrise Water Authority (SWA). The City stated that the commission infringed upon the City’s expansion rights and constituted material harm to the City and SFWB. This appeal led to a series of discussions and a settlement agreement calling for this engineering study to provide direction for existing and future disputes over City annexation and withdrawal of CRW territory.
This agreed upon Joint Engineering Study attempts to understand the conflicts and goals of the two water providers and thereby develop a framework for effective annexation and withdrawal that can be applied to existing and future conflicts. It was also tasked with the development of a clear remuneration policy to encourage continued maintenance and renewal of the existing water system within potential conflict areas, and joint planning and cooperation of the two providers.
This work session will inform the Commission as to the study’s findings...
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