Vicki Grudzinski's blog

Looking Back on My Year as Public Advocate

Vicki Grudzinski — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:29:17 -0800

Another year of Public Advocacy for Commissioner Sam Adams and I am pleased to say the calls are fewer this year compared to last. Commissioner Adams empowers his staff to look for opportunities to make changes as we listen to complaints, concerns and inquires from City of Portland residents. Taking action and initiating change in the way government does business can eliminate calls from frustrated, confused and angry constituents by ensuring the next person who experiences the situation has a more positive outcome.

Last year, the majority of the calls were from citizens concerned about high water/sewer utility bills. Decisions at City Hall helped in the reduction of calls from concerned City of Portland ratepayers: Under Commissioner Adams' leadership, the Clean River Rewards program was implemented. The Clean River Rewards program allows ratepayers who contain the rain on their property to get up to a 35% discount on their stormwater bill.

Also, as a City Council member, Commissioner Adams voted to expand the City of Portland Utilities low income and crisis assistance program assisting ratepayers experiencing hardships to pay late utility charges and avoid additional fines and possibly water shutoff.

This year, party-line sewer questions and concerns were the bulk of the calls. Party-line sewers are two or more properties sharing the same sewer line. These sewer lines usually cross one or more properties to access to a City sewer line in the right of way. Since these party-line sewer connections do not meet current state plumbing regulations, property owners are required to bring their private sewer into compliance by obtaining an easement or building a new City sewer to their property for a direct connection. Portland estimates approximately 4,000 properties are currently affected.

The discovery of a partly-line sewer can be very confusing and the cost to bring a sewer line into compliance can exceed $20,000 per individual property owner. Most party-line sewers are discovered in two ways, when a private sewer line fails and causes a sewer back up on the property or when a property sale requires an evaluation of sewer service lines.

Once Commission Adams was alerted of the situation, he directed the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) to devise a programmatic solution to help facilitate the conversion of party-line sewer connections. Through Local Improvement Districts (LID)s, BES is in the process of adopting a program that systematically reviews neighborhoods, assessing the need to build sewer lines based on the presence of party-lines. The implementation of this program requires advance property owner notification by BES. The program includes a guaranteed fixed price, City loans and safety net programs to help the homeowner finance improvements.

My most challenging discussion this past year was from a homeowner who started her letter with "I am asking your assistance to help us resolve a very traumatic situation." The homeowner experienced a sewer back-up in her basement. She judiciously hired a contractor who replaced the sewer line from the house to the street only to discover the problem had originated at the street, main line sewer connection. Her private branch line that connected the property to the City sewer main had been cut. Luckily, the property owner remembered that about two years ago, City workers cut open the street to service a water line.

After researching her complaint, it was evident that City employees had accidentally cut her sewer line branch in the right of way. Unfortunately, when the City workers called to report the accident, City records identified the line as private and did not have information on what property the line served. The line was not traced to a property and consequently not repaired.

If this weren't enough, the City gave the homeowner inaccurate information on where to re-connect her new branch to the main line, causing the total cost of the project to escalate, far exceeding the property owner's expectations.

A meeting was coordinated between the staff from two Bureaus to discuss what had happened. The City agreed that the sewer line was accidentally cut and that the City should have provided more assistance in the repair process. City staff also concluded that the assistance provided was far below the level of customer service they strive to achieve. Based on the unique, multi-faceted circumstances, the City agreed to pay for the right of way costs associated with the sewer branch repair.

In this situation, the homeowner's concise records helped me unravel and understand the series of events leading to the sewer line issue identification and were the means to creating an acceptable resolution to a daunting problem. And I'm happy to report that the myriad of circumstances surrounding this homeowner's sewer back up are very rare.

BLOG: Open Letter to Community Members Regarding the St. Johns Racquet Center

Vicki Grudzinski — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:16:41 -0700

Dear St. Johns Community Members,

It is my pleasure to send this update regarding the downtown St. Johns Brownfield project.

The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) has performed environmental site assessment and cleanup at 8735 N Lombard St In downtown St. Johns. BES is also taking ownership of the property from the Portland Development Commission (PDC) in order to facilitate public involvement, issue a public Request For Proposals (RFP) and sell the site to a selected developer. To date, two public meetings have been conducted, information collected and a steering committee is being formed.

This site is adjacent to the St. Johns Racquet Center owned and operated by the City of Portland's bureau of Parks & Recreation (PP&R).

Portland Parks & Recreation is dedicated to the provision of quality open space and recreation opportunity for the people in St. Johns. The facility provides a valuable resource to the community. However, it requires facility improvements and together with operations the costs exceed current resources. To facilitate these improvements and the highest quality recreation opportunity in St. Johns, PP&R requested proposals for concessionaire operation of this facility in November 2006. No responses to the request were received. Continuing its efforts to provide St. Johns with adequate opportunity, PP& R has decided to include the St. Johns Racquet Center in the process and eventual redevelopment currently managed by BES for the adjacent brownfield property if certain guiding principles can be met.

The list of principles below outline the conditions for involvement by PP&R in this process:

The public should be involved in decision making, where appropriate and feasible, including open, public meetings that involve a diverse spectrum of individuals and ideas.
PP&R will explore the selling of the SJRC property, if there are compelling proposals which are strongly supported by the Steering Committee and the St. Johns community.
PP&R believes that recreational use for the SJRC property should be retained, however PP&R would be open to considering recreational uses other than racquet sports as well as non-recreational uses that meet other important needs, as identified by the local community.
P&R is very interested in working with BES on determining the best use for the City-owned site upon which the brownfield and SJRC sit.
PP&R will play a supportive role in BES's development of a resident/business Steering Committee and RFQ process.
The RFQ should stress addressing the needs of the tennis patrons, other recreational interests of the St. Johns community, and PP&R.
PP&R would be pleased to participate with BES and the Steering Committee on a recommendation to both bureau directors (and Commissioner's Offices, if appropriate), on the most intriguing and potentially successful RFQ concept.
PP&R will collaborate in the realization of the ultimate concept

Commissioner Sam Adams Commissioner Dan Saltzman

Attachment	Size
St Johns AdamsSaltzman.pdf	33.68 KB

BLOG: Open Letter to EPA on Green Strategies for Sewer/Stormwater Issues

Vicki Grudzinski — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:49:06 -0700

March 26, 2007

Mr. Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator
Office of Water
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460

Dear Mr. Grumbles:

I have read with interest your memo dated 5 March 2007 called Using Green Infrastructure to Protect Water Quality in Stormwater, CSO, Nonpoint Source and other Water Programs. Here in Portland, Oregon we have been putting these actions into practice for many years and heartedly congratulate your endorsement and support for this approach.

Back in 2000, the City met with Region 10 to propose our Clean River Plan that was comprised of many green infrastructure elements. This Plan was to be a major component of our CSO abatement effort, which had been underway since 1991. Ironically, EPA rejected our initiative. Instead, the Region referred Portland to the Justice Department for possible enforcement action.

On April 16th you are scheduled to attend a meeting hosted by EPA, NACWA and the NRDC where our green infrastructure activities will be highlighted and discussed. Dean Marriott, our Director of Environmental Services will be a presenter at that meeting. I hope you will have a chance to attend and learn more about how this green infrastructure works to meet regulatory requirements in a way that is superior for the environment.

I would also like to invite you to visit Portland to see firsthand our green infrastructure and meet with the public and private sector planners, designers, engineers and builders that are leading the way in this arena. I would be pleased to host a tour and event that would expose even more people to how we are approaching this innovative effort here in Portland. Feel free to have someone call my office if you would like us to arrange such an opportunity.

Sincerely,

Sam Adams

Attachment	Size
Green Infrastructure Memo from B Grumbles001.pdf	118.59 KB

Neighbors get Wild at New Columbia

Vicki Grudzinski — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 11:07:41 -0800

Written by: Lisa Libby, Watershed Community Outreach, Bureau of Environmental Services

In February the NatureHood Festival in North Portland drew more than 70 New Columbia and Portsmouth neighbors together to hear storytelling with an environmental twist, enjoy refreshments, and learn about natural resources close to home.

BES was excited to teamed up with the New Columbia Youth Council to host the NatureHood festival. City Commissioner Sam Adams welcomed neighbors and talked about the importance of community volunteers to successful restoration projects and storyteller Will Hornyak shared tales of watershed health.

Over a dozen organizations participated in the festival. The Portland Office of Transportation was on hand with bike and pedestrian resources and the Columbia Slough Watershed Council shared information on upcoming recreation and stewardship activities in the area. The Audubon Society even brought a peregrine falcon to the festival to show off!

There are lots of natural areas within easy walking and bicycling distance of the Portsmouth area, and this year the city's Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) will team up with community volunteers to make some of those areas more people and wildlife-friendly.The Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant Natural Area just north of New Columbia is a good example. It's one of six Columbia Slough watershed project sites where Environmental Services will remove invasive, non-native weeds and replace them with native plants. That will improve water quality and protect wildlife habitat. Money from the Portland Watershed Investment Fund makes these projects possible.

For more information on bicycling, canoeing, walking and other recreational opportunities in the Portsmouth Neighborhood - along with upcoming stewardship activities - call Ethan Chessin at 503-823-8225, email ethan.chessin@bes.ci.portland.or.us or visit www.columbiaslough.org.

City sewer bond ratings upgraded

Vicki Grudzinski — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 10:11:08 -0800

A city sewer bond rating upgrade and favorable interest rates will mean a break for City of Portland sewer ratepayers. This week, the city’s Bureau of Environmental Services refinanced more than $207-million of outstanding debt. That means a savings of $2.24-million annually in debt repayments through 2015.

The bond sale follows last week’s announcement that both Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s Corporation upgraded the city’s sewer bond ratings. Moody’s upgraded the city’s first lien sewer system revenue bonds from A1 to Aa3. Standard & Poor’s upgraded the bond ratings from A+ to AA.

The rating agencies cited Environmental Services’ strong management, successful completion of the West Side CSO Project, and reduced risks in the bureau’s capital program as reasons for the upgrades. The upgraded bond ratings will reduce the bureau’s borrowing costs as it implements its capital program over the next five years.

“This is great news for both our capital construction program and our sewer ratepayers,” said Sam Adams, the City Commissioner in charge of Environmental Services. “We have an aging sewer system in
Portland, and we need continued support to replace and repair older pipes and to expand the system to serve a growing population,”
Adams said.

Bond proceeds pay for capital improvements, including sewer projects to control combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The city will have spent an estimated $1.4-billion on the program when CSO construction is finished in 2011.

Portland’s sewer system serves more than 560,000 residents. Projected capital improvement program requirements through 2012 total $714 million. CSO projects account for 79% of that total.

The Bureau of Environmental Services provides city residents with Clean River programs including, water quality protection, wastewater collection and treatment, and sewer installation.

One Constituent Call Can Make a Difference

Vicki Grudzinski — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 09:05:16 -0800

Last fall, Commissioner Adams’ office received an email from a concerned constituent over the City’s practice of using green dye to locate and analyze sewer leaks. The green dye was spotted in Vermont Creek which runs through Gabriel Park.

Concern over the green dye in bodies of water throughout Portland is not new; other concerned citizens have dutifully notified the Bureau of Environmental Services' (BES) Spill Response number (503 823-7180) to report the green water, but this constituent had done his homework.

Normally, this green dye known as Flourescein, an EPA approved industry standard, is only briefly visible because the dye dilutes quickly in water and washes away. However, on this occasion, it hadn’t rained for an extended period and the dye did not thin or wash away as expected. This constituent researched the green dye solution and found that if not properly diluted, it may negatively impact aquatic life. In particular, he noted that BES’ signage specifically states, “The dye is not harmful to plants and animals.”

BES and the City’s Maintenance Bureau immediately started to review City use standards of Flourescein dye in rivers and streams. A meeting was called including key people from BES, Portland Department of Transportation (PDOT) and Bureau of Maintenance (BOM) to discuss the business practice of using the green dye for leak detention.

Amin Wahab, from BES, took the lead coordinating efforts to review the City’s procedures for use of Fluorescein near rivers and streams and to make recommendations to improve these procedures. As a result of Amin’s leadership, the City purchased a meter to measure green dye concentrations in streams and is currently testing the device. Plus, the City is changing the signage at all test sites to read “Dye test in progress.” In addition, the City is exploring the possibility of receiving smaller bottled amounts from the manufacturer to minimize the amount of dye used and still achieve the objective.

One very knowledgeable, concerned citizen took the lead and reported to Commissioner Sam Adams’ office his concerns over current City maintenance practices. Using well researched information, this constituent wanted to insure products used by the City were managed in a way that would ensure their safe use in the environment. Who says you can’t change City Hall or at least shake them up a bit?

Invasive Species

Vicki Grudzinski — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:42:47 -0800

Author: Mike Rosen

Non-native, invasive weeds are spreading through Portland's natural areas, displacing native plants and destroying wildlife habitat. In November 2005, City Commissioner Sam Adams convened a town hall meeting to begin developing a strategy to stop the spread of invasive plants.

As a result of the town hall meeting, City Council adopted the Invasive Plant Species Resolution. The Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) Watershed Division has the primary responsibility for coordinating and implementing the effort. The Watershed Division is identifying projects and resources to accomplish these objectives of the Invasive Species Resolution:

Invest in maintenance of existing natural and re-vegetated areas.
Build on existing citywide invasive species management investment.
Incorporate invasive species management into existing watershed restoration work (i.e., implementation of the Portland Watershed Management Plan).
Continue to coordinate with regional groups such as Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) and community-based organizations.
Quantify and implement a 10-year goal of invasive species reduction on city property (Reduce, Control and Eradicate).
Develop an ongoing, citywide work plan for invasive species management that integrates this work into regular operations.
Partner with federal and state agencies to develop sustainable funding.

Accomplishments to date include:

Increased Columbia Slough Watershed Investment Fund Invasive Species Control project by $40,000 to $100,000. In addition to management of invasive species on "orphan"* City property, we will expand the role of community involvement for invasive species removal on private property.
Coordination with CWMA.
Began work on the "Weed of the Month" Program and agreed to provide Watershed funds to sustain this work.
Provided $30,000 in Willamette Watershed operating funds to Stephens Creek invasive weed control as part of Lower Willamette River Riparian and Wetland Enhancement funded work.
Continued work with Stephens Creek Watershed Investment Fund team to further define work and clarify the Watershed Revegetation Program component.

Partners
• CWMA
• Portland Audubon
• Three Rivers

City's First Watershed Improvement Plans Approved

Vicki Grudzinski — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:26:17 -0800

Author: Mike Rosen

The Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) completed work on the Portland Watershed Management Plan in early 2006. With Sam recommendation, the City Council unanimously adopted the plan on March 8, 2006. Since the beginning of 2006, Environmental Services has been "gearing up and getting things done" to implement the plan.

"Gearing up" means putting together and launching a comprehensive implementation process that incorporates the talents of a diverse group of BES staff and continues the cross-bureau collaboration and extensive public involvement used to construct the plan. "Getting things done" means continuing to implement on the ground projects throughout the city as well as taking on new challenges, like the Portland Watershed Investment Fund and Invasive Species. The Portland Watershed Plan also received the Oregon Chapter 2006 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Honor Award for planning.

In spring 2006, the City Council approved Sam Portland Watershed Investment Fund request. The fund allocated $500,000 to BES to implement additional watershed projects. The BES Watershed Division identified 20 additional high priority projects and ranked them in order of importance.

BES looked for projects that would significantly improve watershed health, involve the community, and create lasting partnerships. City Council approved the top four projects for implementation.

1. Invasive Species Management in the Columbia Slough Watershed
2. Hawthorne Hostel Rainwater Demonstration Project
3. Stephens Creek/Willamette Moorings Habitat Enhancement
4. Southwest Street Stormwater Retrofit

Each of these projects is underway and BES expects to spend the $500,000 and complete this work by the end 2006-2007 fiscal year on June 30, 2007.

Weblinks

Actions for Watershed Health

ASLA Oregon

Related Documents

Framework for Integrated Management of Watershed Health

Actions for Watershed Health - 2005 Portland Watershed Management Plan

Milestones

City Council Adopts Portland Watershed Management Plan - March 8, 2006
City Council allocates $500,000 in General Funds to Portland Watershed Investment Fund - October 2006

Partners
• Watershed Science Advisory Group
• Columbia Slough Watershed Council
• Fans of Fanno, Friends of Tryon Creek

• Southwest Neighborhood Involvement
• Americorps
• Office of Neighborhood Involvement
• Friends of Trees
• SOLV
• Johnson Creek Watershed Council
• Portland Public Schools
• Metro Nature in the Neighborhoods
• OWEB

Westside "Big Pipe" Finishes On Time And Under Budget

Vicki Grudzinski — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 13:01:35 -0800

Written By: Paul Gribbon, Willamette River CSO Tunnel Program Manager

The Bureau of Environmental Services’ West Side “Big Pipe” project, a $350 million project to capture, store, and convey combined sewer overflows along the west side of the Willamette River, was completed and operational ahead of the mandated completion date of December 1, 2006.The project included a 3½-mile long, 14-foot diameter tunnel, 120 feet underground, from SW Clay Street and Naito Parkway crossing under the river at NW Nicolai Street to Swan Island. Also included was a 220-million gallon per day pump station, 160 feet below ground, on Swan Island as well as five deep shafts and 15,000 feet of additional pipelines.

When the design of the project was approximately 60% complete, a qualifications-based procurement process was begun to select the best contractor as measured against the selection criteria, including cost, experience, project approach, and plan for procuring minority, women, and emerging small businesses. The construction contract with the selected contractor, the Italian/American joint venture of Impregilo/S.A. Healy JV (IHJV), was executed in two parts, a pre-construction planning phase agreement and a construction services contract. Notice-to-Proceed for the pre-construction planning phase was issued in January 2002 and ended in August 2002. Notice-to-Proceed for the construction contract was issued on September 12, 2002 with a 47 month contract period. The project was substantially complete on September 15, 2006, well ahead of the December 1, 2006 state-mandated deadline. The original construction contract was $293,060,874 in 2002 dollars with a contingency of $14.7 million to cover risks inherent in deep underground work. During the course of the four-year contract, inflation to the cost of construction has been approximately $15 million. The contract is anticipated to be completed at approximately $305 million, which, after correcting for inflation, is under the original 2002 contract amount. In addition, approximately $26 million went to local contractors, including almost $20 million to minority, women, and emerging small businesses.

By any measure, the West Side "Big Pipe" project was a complete success. The project came in on time and on budget. The system is fully functional and the startup went smoothly. The credit for this is shared between IHJV, Environmental Services project staff, and the designer, Parsons Brinckerhoff, who were able to implement the intent of the contract by working through a number of issues during the work. This is particularly impressive when the difficult ground conditions, tunneling under downtown Portland, and the challenge of construction of the massive below-ground Swan Island Pump Station are considered. The contract style allowed Environmental Services and IHJV to adapt to issues as they arose and get beyond claims that many times bog an underground construction project down. Essentially, the reason the project succeeded was a positive attitude by all parties.

Related Documents

Community partners

Businesses for Clean Rivers
Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs
National Utility Contractors Association
Community Benefit Opportunity Project

Media Mentions

Print news articles

Milestones

Notice to Proceed to Impregilo/S.A. Healy for construction - September 12, 2002.

The northbound tunnel boring machine (Lewis) broke through to the Swan Island Pump Station in October 2004.

The southbound tunnel boring machine (Clark) broke through to the Clay St. Shaft (the end of all mining) on July 29, 2005.

Project Substantial Completion - September 15, 2006

Brownfields to Cleanfields

Vicki Grudzinski — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:33:55 -0800

Getting Contaminated Land Back into the Community

Written by: Clark Henry, Program Manager, Portland Brownfield Program

Brownsfield

Environmental Cleanup Fund
During 2006, the Portland Brownfield Program grew and gained more support than ever before. During this time, Commissioner Adams secured the first ever cleanup fund from the City of Portland General Fund. Now a $500,000 revolving fund is available to bridge the financial and technical gap that often stops the cleanup and redevelopment on brownfield properties.

Environmental Assessments
The Portland Brownfield Program continued its administration of EPA Brownfield Assessment Grants to provide environmental site assessments and technical assistance on qualified properties on Portland's east side. Assessment assistance was provided to eight properties and technical assistance provided on several more. Five more are poised for enrollment into the program.

Multnomah County Brownfield
The City of Portland completed cleanup on a Multnomah County-owned brownfield located at 1949 SE Division st. Now clean, the property will be transferred to REACH Community Development Corporation and the Portland Community Land Trust for a mixed use and mixed income development.

Downtown St. Johns Brownfield Revitalization
For the first time, the City of Portland Brownfield Program has moved toward taking ownership of a property, conducting assessments and cleanup, public involvement and a development Request For Proposals. To date, the assessments and cleanup have been completed at this former gas station in downtown St. Johns. The City will retain ownership of the site from the Portland Development Commission and is currently engaged in a public involvement process intended to create a development concept for the site that will further the goals of the St. Johns commercial and residential community. Once the RFP process is completed, the property will be sold to the selected developer. Revenue from the sale will be captured by the program used on future cleanup projects.

Groundwork PDX
The Portland Brownfield Program is a partner and steering committee member on a local community based collaborative that successfully secured a grant from the National Parks Service and Groundwork USA to establish a local Groundwork Portland Trust. The Groundwork Portland trust will be an independent non-profit organization whose mission it is to turn brownfield property or otherwise derelict land into community space, parks, gardens and more.

Related Documents

Brownfield Program web page - www.brownfield.org

Community Partners

N/NE Portland Brownfield Community Advisory Committee
Oregon Tradeswomen Inc
Oregon Sustainable Agricultural Land Trust
Organizing People Activating Leaders
Southeast Uplift
REACH Community Development Corporation
Catholic Charities
St. Vincent De Paul

Media Mentions

The Oregonian - June 8, 2006 - "Reclaiming industrial lots"
Turning triangular lot into a square deal, The Oregonian - March 16, 2006
Booster boosts himself out of St. Johns
The St. John's Sentinel:
Diamond Block Development Moves Forward
October 2006
July 2006
June 2006
Daily Journal of Commerce - June 19, 2006 - " Former gas station site in St. Johns being readied for development"
Daily Journal of Commerce -November 13, 2006 - "Contaminated, but hardly worthless"
St. Johns Review - November 17, 2006 - "Process starts on development of prime land in downtown St. Johns"
St. Johns Review - June 30, 2006 - "A fresh start for a contaminated St. Johns brownfield"
Oregonian - Business section - June 8, 2006 - "The greening of brownfields"
The Oregonian - Metro section - June 20, 2006 - "Cleanup under way at tainted St. Johns site"
The Oregonian - Metro section - July 27, 2006 - "Can St. Johns brownfield bloom into art spot?"
The Bee - July 2006 - Former drug site deeded to Southeast Uplift by U.S. Marshal service
Communities eager to play role in redevelopment, Groundwork PDX

Weblogs

Milestones

Public Media Event - June 15, 2006 - Public media event to kickoff cleanup of St. Johns Brownfield Property. Commissioner Sam Adams was joined by the directors of the Bureau of Environmental Services and Portland Development Commission and members of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Federal Environmental Protection Agency and several community members to kickoff the cleanup of this key site in downtown St. Johns.
Public Neighborhood meeting - November 1, 2006 - Commissioner Sam Adams hosted over 70 community members at James John Elementary School for a discussion and brainstorming session regarding the future reuse of this once contaminated property in the heart of St. Johns.
Commissioner Sam Adams successfully secured a $500,000 brownfield investment fund to be used for cleanup of contaminated properties citywide.
Environmental cleanup of downtown St. Johns brownfield started and was completed in the summer of 2006.
Environmental cleanup of the County owned property at 1949 Division St. was completed in the summer of 2006.
Work concluded on 4 properties in, 3 in progress and 4 more have applied for program participation, environmental assessments and possibly cleanup.

BES Public Adocate: Making City Government Work for You

Vicki Grudzinski — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:21:13 -0800

Calls and inquiries from constituents are treated with high priority in Commissioner Sam Adams' office. He continually stresses the importance of excellent individual customer service - the need to listen, respond quickly and work effectively to resolve all issues brought to his office.

I have been the Public Advocate for Commissioner Adams' office since July 2006. It has been a very busy six months. Many of the queries I receive are from frustrated citizens trying to work through a permits process or to understand a utility bill, and they see the Commissioner's office as a last resort for seeking help and understanding. At times, listening to the stories has been personally frustrating - I listen in utter disbelief at the obstacles some constituents encounter. At other times, it has been very rewarding to work with city staff to solve problems, come to a consensus and reach a compromise agreeable to all parties.

Of the constituent calls and letters I received in 2006, some were simply informational - where do I go, who can I talk to, what can I do, or why does the city do it this way? Lots of questions were easy to answer. Others were referred elsewhere in the city for expert advice and accurate answers. However, some of these inquiries required much more time and attention, involving the collaborative efforts of multiple bureaus and city staff to resolve internal issues before addressing specific citizen concerns.

Most inquiries were from City of Portland Utility customers concerned about high sewer and stormwater rates. Due, in part, to the stormwater rate increase implemented July 1, 2006 to prepare for the new Clean River Rewards Program. Clean River Rewards allows stormwater customers who contain stormwater on their property to receive as much as a 35% discount on their total stormwater management charge. We also received lots of inquires from those wondering how to apply for the discount.

A number of calls were from incensed constituents trying to navigate the permit process. One customer called with a sewer back up problem and, to his dismay, discovered he was on a party sewer. This single call instigated the creation and implementation of new citywide party sewer standards by the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) and the plumbing inspectors from the Bureau of Development Services (BDS). These new standards now require most properties to reconnect their sewer line to a single connection in the street. This process can often be very expensive and I work diligently with each customer to help them understand the rationale behind changing their connection and to find the most cost effective solution.

Usually, City of Portland residents and contractors understand the permit process and know how to obtain permits and work with the BDS to complete building projects according to City Code. But every once in a while a homeowner or contractor will be notified of a problem that will bring construction to a standstill and sometimes add thousands of additional dollars to their project. These impediments take them by surprise and, out of lack of understanding or frustration, they call Commissioner Adams for help.

Nate, a local business owner, was working on a remodel that would significantly increase the size of his building. As part of the permit process, he was asked to check the on-site sewer line to ensure that the system could handle the additional flow. He discovered that the sewer line was actually broken. As luck would have it, the damaged portion of the sewer line was in the right-of-way and not on private property, so he assumed it would be the city's responsibility to repair. He notified the city of the broken sewer line, but was then informed that the previous owner had not acquired a permit for the connection and, therefore, the city was not responsible for its maintenance. Nate was befuddled. He had not budgeted the extra $10 to $15 thousand needed to fix a sewer line and was left asking, "What do I do now?"

Through Commissioner Adams' Office, I researched City Records and talked to BES, BDS and Bureau of Maintenance (BOM) staff. Eventually, I found the records that clearly identified the sewer branch to his property had been built by BES and then worked to convince staff that the maintenance needed should be provided by the city. In time, BOM agreed to build a new branch, provided that Nate paid the on-site costs to re-connect and have it inspected. Nate was very happy with this compromise and worked with the city to obtain the appropriate permits to complete the project.

The Commissioner's Office receives several calls a year from concerned citizens who report potentially harmful situations for their neighbors, their property or the environment, in general. For example:

Joe noticed that a creek in southwest Portland was green. He discovered it was a dye used by the city to detect leaks as well as sewer and storm pipe flow. Joe did his research and questioned whether the dye was environmentally friendly enough to be used in a creek. The Commissioner's Office responded by calling together both BES and BOM managers to re-evaluate their use of this dye for leak detection. After some research, they found that, indeed, the dye was safe provided it was used in small amounts. This inquiry also prompted them to change their business practices and directed staff to use less dye whenever possible. They concluded that to use the dye near a creek in non-emergency leak and flow research, the water volume would need to be high so the dye would be diluted once it reached the creek.

Karen is a single family homeowner in outer southeast Portland. Her home is in a new housing development that uses a detention pond to manage stormwater. The facility is maintained by the City of Portland, BES. BES contracts the work to private companies to design these facilities. Karen noticed that the work had come to a standstill leaving an open fence and a very deep hole. She was worried about leaning trees and the possibility of erosion, but also, very concerned about the safety of her neighbors. Her call to the Commissioner's Office resulted in a more aggressive oversight of the project, completion of the fence, removal of unstable trees, and hillside re-vegetation to reduce possible erosion. Collaboratively, BES, Karen and Sam's Office are monitoring the continued progress.

Clyde, a prominent business owner from southeast Portland, owned property adjacent Johnson Creek. He called stating the creek bed had eroded to the point that he felt his building was in danger of falling into the creek. Commissioner Adam's Office brought this to BES where they promptly sent an engineering crew to address any possible damage to the building or the creek. The initial evaluation showed substantial erosion to the creek bed, but the BES staff concluded that the building was not in immediate danger. BES developed a plan to restore the eroded embankment and plant vegetation to help slow future erosion. Although Clyde was satisfied with the response, he felt the city was liable for damages and is currently pursuing a claim with Risk Management.

Some inquiries were generated through neighborhood visits by Commissioner Adams. Any concerns that could not be addressed at these meetings were forwarded to me.

Regarding Sam's work with Hayden Island calling for a building moratorium based on the area's unique location characteristics and access, Barb called regarding an emergency preparedness plan for Hayden Island. We connected Barb with the Planning and Mitigation Manager at the Portland Office of Emergency Management (POEM) who informed her of the plan under development. The manager provided Barb a list of scheduled meetings and invited her to participate.

After visiting a northeast business neighborhood undergoing a major sewer repair, Commissioner Adams observed an unfavorable construction sign. The construction site had a large electronic sign that was able to display three different messages with a very limited use of letters. The sign read "SEWER CONSTRUCTION AHEAD" and "EXPECT DELAYS." He asked BES to devise a more positive message to notify traffic to both be aware and careful of the construction project as well as that the businesses along the construction route were remaining open. After some thought and a creative choice of words, the BES Communication staff conceived, "ROAD WORK", "REDUCED LANES" and "OPEN FOR BUSINESS." This simple signage change was very popular with the affected local business owners and maintained the integrity of the message for oncoming traffic.

The most intriguing inquiry we received this year was from Jona, a resident of north Portland. She called on behalf of her neighbors who were looking for someone to address their concerns regarding a neighborhood business. This business was a rendering plant which sectioned large, dead animals for shipping to another rendering plant in Washington. This process permeates the area with an odor that the neighbors have dealt with for years. The more Jona disclosed the more it appeared that this wasn't simply an offensive smell, but a potential health hazard. It seemed that carcasses were routinely dumped on Friday then left outside in the sun for the weekend awaiting processing on Monday. Jona conveyed that a myriad of complaints had been lodged, but the business never admitted to the practice and that, in fact, indicated anything left out was illegally dumped and not their responsibility.

After receiving this call, I searched City Code and eventually located a smell ordinance. With this as a guide, I contacted Multnomah County to investigate. When the county visited the rendering plant, they did not encounter any illegally dumped carcasses, but warned the company that they would be held accountable for any future incidences. The county also strongly suggested that if the company was serious about stopping the illegal dumping, they should post signage indicating that it was illegal to dump during non-business hours and to install cameras to catch the culprits. The company took the county's advice and posted signage within the week. Since then, there has been no evidence of any illegal dumping. Sam has promised to follow this one very closely.

I would like to finish this Year-end Report with a personal, "Thank You," to the many city staff with whom I have had the privilege to work in resolving some of the issues. Sam's Office could not have helped the people they did without the knowledge, expertise and the genuine determination of city staff. I would also like to thank Commissioner Adams for giving me the opportunity to make a difference and pursue the potential for a positive change to the way Portland residents view city government.

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UPDATED: Yes, Wal-Mart is Eyeing Hayden Island for New Store Location: Our Fight Begins