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191664

Ordinance

Authorize amended and restated Intergovernmental Agreement for the Regional Water Providers Consortium (amend Contract 52523)

Passed

The City of Portland ordains:

Section 1.  The Council finds:

  1. The Regional Water Providers Consortium (Consortium) is comprised of metro area water providers collaborating to advance the planning, management, stewardship, and resilience of drinking water systems in the Portland metropolitan region.
     
  2. The City has participated as a founding member of the Consortium since December 1996 (Ordinance No. 170721).
     
  3. The City, as a Consortium member, is a signatory to the Intergovernmental Agreement that defines the terms of participation and governance for the Consortium. The Intergovernmental Agreement was first established in 1996 and was updated in July 2005 (Ordinance No. 179330).   
     
  4. The Consortium members desire to amend and restate the existing IGA to make updates regarding organizational membership and to streamline procedures.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:

  1. The Portland Water Bureau Director is authorized to execute on behalf of the City an Intergovernmental Agreement that will continue the City of Portland’s participation in the Regional Water Provider’s Consortium substantially in accordance with the attached agreement, Exhibit A. The Intergovernmental Agreement shall be approved as to form by the City Attorney.
  2. Amendments to renew the term to extend the Intergovernmental Agreement may be agreed to and executed by the Portland Water Bureau Director and are subject to approval as to form by the City Attorney’s Office.

An ordinance when passed by the Council shall be signed by the Auditor. It shall be carefully filed and preserved in the custody of the Auditor (City Charter Chapter 2 Article 1 Section 2-122)

Passed by Council

Auditor of the City of Portland
Simone Rede

Impact Statement

Purpose of Proposed Legislation and Background Information

This legislation authorizes an updated Intergovernmental Agreement among Portland and other metro area water providers to continue to participate in and constitute the Regional Water Providers Consortium.

The Regional Water Provider’s Consortium Intergovernmental Agreement (Agreement) was first developed and adopted by Portland metro area water providers in 1996 to endorse the Regional Water Supply Plan and form the Consortium. The Agreement was last updated and adopted in 2005. Since then, the organization has grown and evolved requiring updates to the Agreement. The Consortium and its member agencies have conducted a thorough review of the Consortium language contained in the Agreement. At its meeting on October 4, 2023, the Consortium Board unanimously approved updates to the Agreement with a recommendation that Consortium members’ individual board, council, or commission approve the amended and restated Agreement of the Regional Water Providers Consortium.

Portland is a current member agency and has been since the inception of the Consortium. Continued participation by Portland as a member agency requires formal approval of the updated Agreement by the Portland City Council. Commissioner Mingus Mapps is the current elected official representing Portland on the Consortium Board.

Financial and Budgetary Impacts

The Agreement will not change current financial obligations of the City, nor will it impact staffing levels. The Agreement merely enables the City to continue participating in the Consortium and does not prevent it from choosing to discontinue its participation in the future.

As a participating member, the City supports the Regional Water Providers Consortium financially through annual dues. Dues are allocated proportionately among the participating members based on water system size and population served. Portland’s dues over the last three years have averaged $342,000, which constitutes roughly 34% of the overall Consortium budget. The other members contribute the remaining 66% of annual costs for the organization. The proportionate cost split has been relatively stable over the history of the organization, as the relative sizes and populations served by participating agencies have not changed dramatically. Future costs are anticipated to rise in line with inflation subject to Consortium Board approval of annual budgets. Costs to participate in the Consortium are included in the Portland Water Bureau’s current budget and in the Bureau’s five-year financial forecast.

Community Impacts and Community Involvement

The legislation authorizes continued participation in the Regional Water Providers Consortium, a public enterprise focused on the collective needs of metro area member water providers. The Consortium operates as a completely public organization in conformance with Oregon’s open records and meetings laws. Development of the updated Agreement and its contents was disclosed and discussed at multiple Consortium Board meetings, Executive Committee meetings and staff-level technical committees. In addition, the Consortium engages interested stakeholders and community members through its website and social media channels. No public comments regarding the Agreement updates were received, but the largely technical and housekeeping nature of the updated language was not anticipated to be an issue of high interest.

The Consortium is committed to ensuring all members of the community can access critical information about their drinking water. In 2023, the Consortium worked with Community Engagement Liaisons and the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization to produce 20 how-to videos in seven languages on how to store, access, and treat water for emergencies. Videos in four more languages will be completed in 2024. The Consortium’s decades long media campaign now includes messaging in eight languages and is focused on emergency preparedness, water conservation, source water protection, and the value of water.

100% Renewable Goal

No impacts due to this legislation.

Document History

Agenda Council action
Consent Agenda
City Council
Passed to second reading
Passed to second reading March 20, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
Consent Agenda
City Council
Passed

Votes
  • Aye (5):
    • Carmen Rubio
    • Ryan
    • Rene Gonzalez
    • Mingus Mapps
    • Ted Wheeler

City department

Contact

Edward Campbell

Water Bureau Deputy Director

Requested Agenda Type

Consent

Date and Time Information

Requested Council Date
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