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Herb Sorensen. The man, the myth, the legend. Has moved on to a better place. This morning, surrounded by family, our dad passed away peacefully after his battle with dementia and cancer. He was 82 years old. We will share information about funeral services when details are finalized.

The Columbian Garden Club is hosting its Plant Sale on Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 10 am to 2 pm. Please note new location: Corbett Community Church, 34309 NE Mershon Road, Corbett. Directions from I-84, Exit 22 -- at top of Corbett Hill, turn right (west) onto the Historic Columbia River Highway and travel 0.9 miles. Turn right on NE Mershon Road to the Church on the right.  Free parking in designated areas. Treasures from members' gardens include: perennials, shrubs, natives, vegetables and specialty items.  Proceeds from the Sale benefit Club civic landscape projects, educational programs and a horticulture scholarship. Thanks for your support!

The Columbian Garden Club is hosting its Plant Sale on Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 10 am to 2 pm. Please note new location: Corbett Community Church, 34309 NE Mershon Road, Corbett. Directions from I-84, Exit 22 -- at top of Corbett Hill, turn right (west) onto the Historic Columbia River Highway and travel 0.9 miles. Turn right on NE Mershon Road to the Church on the right.  Free parking in designated areas. Treasures from members' gardens include: perennials, shrubs, natives, vegetables and specialty items.  Proceeds from the Sale benefit Club civic landscape projects, educational programs and a horticulture scholarship. See also attached flyer.  Thanks for your support!

[" Board gives green light to apply for federal funding to replace Stark Street Bridge"]

" Board gives green light to apply for federal funding to replace Stark Street Bridge"

NEWS RELEASE:

https://multco.us/news/news-release-board-gives-green-light-apply-federal-funding-replace-stark-street-bridge

Thank you to Jean Anne Parker for taking notes!


Hosted by: NEMCCA
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 9:30 a.m.



Agency Reports:


Corbett Fire District
• A land use permit for the Springdale station has been approved.
• The new Springdale station building will house the water tender.
• There are currently seven recruit trainees, with expected completion in October.
• Work is underway on the permit process for cisterns associated with the bond measure.


Sandy River Delta
• Continued work is in progress on interpretive trails to be implemented.
• The trails will include scannable codes to provide educational information for visitors.
• The Sheriff’s Office and Fish & Wildlife recently apprehended a poacher with a long history of poaching in the area.


Corbett Columbia River Grange
• A blood drive was scheduled for Thursday, February 5, open to interested community members.
• A Democratic forum for candidates will be held soon.
• Community members are encouraged to check the Grange website for event details.


Corbett School District
• The district recently experienced an illness outbreak on campus, resulting in multiple days of school closure.
• Extensive cleaning was completed, and the district has resumed classes with illness and absence numbers decreasing.
• Three finalists for the superintendent position will participate in a meet-and-greet on February 11.
• The district plans to hire a new superintendent by the end of February.
• The current superintendent will release a State of the District video in February.
• The district is awaiting the state revenue forecast, expected later this month.


Multnomah County Emergency Management
• The department is currently seeking outreach opportunities within the community.
• Community members aware of events, partnerships, or engagement ideas are encouraged to contact Multnomah County Emergency Management.


911 Emergency Dispatch
• Emergency call numbers are down compared to December 2024.
• Non-emergency calls increased from December 2024 to December 2025.
• The average call hold time continues to decrease.
• The center is working toward national accreditation through ProQA.
• There are currently 91 fully certified dispatchers and 113 staff taking calls.
• Seven trainees are expected to graduate in February.
• There have been zero staff separations in the past year.


Ride Connection & Transportation
• Ride Connection is nearing implementation of a twice-monthly Friday transportation service for community members traveling from Corbett to shopping areas in town.
• Planned stops in town include Wood Village and the area near 257th and Stark.
• Pickup locations in Corbett will include the Grange and the Corbett School.
• This service is a fluid process, and details may adjust as implementation progresses.
• Community members needing home pickup transportation should continue using the existing Dial-A-Ride service, which remains in operation.
• Ride Connection is seeking community feedback on preferred drop-off locations in town for riders using the twice-monthly service.
• The program hopes to utilize a 14-passenger van equipped with a wheelchair mobility device.


Oregon State Parks
• Crews are working to keep up with landslides following recent heavy rain impacts.
• There has been an increase in illegal dumping within state park areas in the community.
• Community members who encounter illegal dumping are encouraged to email or call the main office at Rooster Rock so debris and garbage can be addressed.


Corbett Water District Update
• The district has experienced multiple leaks and breaks  in recent weeks, including a significant leak along the highway between the Grange and Crestview, which has now been repaired.
• The district apologized for delays and acknowledged the impact of boil water notices on the community.
• Additional leaks occurred on Loudon and Howard, and crews are still working to replace a damaged fire hydrant.
• A board meeting will be held on February 17 at 6:00 p.m. in a hybrid format with public comment available.
o Those wishing to attend via Zoom should contact the district for the meeting link.
o Public comment submissions should be sent to the manager by 5:00 p.m. on February 17.

Bruton Backflow
• As residents prepare to restart irrigation systems after winter, community members are encouraged to reach out regarding cross-connection or backflow concerns.
• The company remains available to provide guidance, testing, and support to help ensure safe water system operation.

U.S. Forest Service Update
• The Forest Service is preparing to hire seasonal summer positions and will begin recruitment soon.
• Eagle Creek and Wahclella Falls trails are closed due to recent damage.
• The Multnomah Falls visitor center and restrooms are expected to be closed for approximately one year during upcoming maintenance, with closure timing to be posted once confirmed.
• Wahkeena Park near Multnomah Falls is currently seeking a summer site host.


Multnomah County Roads
• Crews continue responding to landslides, debris, and fallen trees resulting from recent storms, wind, and rain.
• Work is planned on asphalt improvements near Woodard and Loudon.
• The department is coordinating with the Corbett Water District to address a valley washout caused by a water main break, and a claim is being submitted.
• Approximately 50–60 tires were removed from the Corbett area, with Metro assisting in cleanup.
• In the 421 Pounder area, roadside ditching was completed to address winter ice concerns.
• Ongoing coordination with ODOT continues regarding the Stark Street Bridge and highway, focusing on mitigating impacts from large trucks and updating roadway signage design and language.
• Plans remain in progress to replace a yield sign with stop signs on Corbett Hill Road when traveling downhill.
• Wind conditions have delayed sign replacement across the Corbett area, but installation will proceed once conditions improve.
• Nielsen Road will undergo a directional name change from East Nielsen Road to Southeast Nielsen Road.
• The Grange area will have shoulder rock added to it.


ODOT
• McCord Creek Bridge replacement is underway.
• One westbound lane on I-84 will be in place for approximately two months beginning in March.
• The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail will be closed, with a shuttle available for pedestrians and cyclists between John B. Yeon and Toothrock.
• The Multnomah Falls Highway east area remains closed with ongoing work and no confirmed completion date.
• Efforts are underway to restart the Exit 31 permit process this year, dependent on budget considerations.
• Work is planned to connect the Mitchell Point and Viento Trail segments.
• Hood River County snow events were successfully managed, keeping the highway open, while crews remain prepared for potential late-winter snow.
• A landslide along the Bonneville Trail cannot currently be cleared due to lack of available budget, as cleanup falls outside the present ODOT funding scope.
________________________________________
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 10:35 a.m.
Minutes prepared by:
Jean Anne Parker

1/21/26 BOIL WATER NOTICE

Per State of Oregon’s requirements, Corbett Water District has issued a boil water notice for the following roads: 365th, 366th, Alder Meadow, Bell, Benfield, Chamberlain, Clara Smith, Corbett Hill, Crestview, Curtis, Evans, Grange Hall, Historic Columbia River Highway, Houston, Hurt, Knieriem, Lampert, Littlepage, Lucas, Marok, Mershon, Meyers Lane, Nielson, Ogden, Pounder, Rasmussen, Reed, Rohrbach, Salzman, Seidl, Smith, Springhill, Wand, Woodard due to a main break on 1/21/26. Drinking or using tap water that has not been boiled could make you sick. Our crew is working to get this resolved as soon as possible. For more information about boil water notices, please visit corbettwater.com/about-boil-water-notices Please don’t hesitate to reach out at our office at (503) 695-2284 if you need anything.

[Date: November 5, 2025]

Safety Meeting Notes
(Thank you Victoria Purvine)

Date: November 5, 2025

Multnomah County Roads: T. Kunter
Stark Street Bridge- the truck that hit the bridge didn't slow down for the turn, also didn't take it wide enough - shredded two rims and went over the wall and onto the railing.  Engineers did not find any structural damage to the wall so the new design did what it was supposed to do.  (The new design had the wall built in two segments, one with rebar and concrete, the second as a facade to make the wall look like the original wall.  The shotcrete was lost, but the structure held.) The wing wall was built to separate from the other structure and it did, pulling away as designed.

The semi was cited for three different infractions, including being overweight, a claim has been turned in to the truck company. It took three hours to lift the truck off the wall and the repair work will be done in the next one to two months.  The bridge will again be shut down for the repair work, including some repairs found by ODOT during the inspection work done the prior week that had nothing to do with the semi-truck.  (Notice will be given once contractor is in place.)
There was a lot of vitriol given to the crew while they were doing their work.  Secondary traffic accidents happen when people stop to see what is going on, stop to take pictures, stop to walk out in the road, etc.  This can be scary for those working the original accident and for others in the traffic, please keep moving.  Thank you to Deputy Kaiser for all the work he did to keep the traffic moving and protect the crew.

Work going forward between the County and ODOT is to get a weight limit of 40 feet, put in a three way stop at the bridge so traffic has to slow down before turning, put restrictions in place so truck will not be allowed to make a right hand turn on to the bridge.  The approach was not able to be changed under the emergency fund that repaired the prior damage since you can't purchase land with emergency funds.  The wall was moved out a little with the new build, but the pinch point remained the same.  
There have been fire and MCSO calls, including multiple incidents with power lines and trees down across the road and the County is not being notified.  In one case there was a semi that took out part of a barricade for a bridge and the County was not notified and the damage was left for two weeks until a crew member saw the damage when inspecting other issues.  What the County is seeing is comments on facebook pages discussing issues and the poster is saying the County has been notified. This has not been happening and Roads would like to see a review with BOEC, Fire and MCSO.

Roads has switched over to Fall maintenance, doing ditching, pothole repair, hazard tree removal, crack sealing.  Haines has been done, working on Larch Mountain.  Deverell and Gordon Creek will be worked on mid-November, Thompson Mill has asphalt repair being done on the back curves.  There have also been guard rails hit and they are working on repairing the damage that has been done.

The yield sign coming down Corbett Hill has had some issues with people not stopping for those crossing left coming up hill.  This will be addressed.
The water is coming across the road at Nielsen and the Old Scenic Highway again.  ODOT and the County will work together to get the ditch cleared.


Historical Society: M. Fruend
Good turn out at the last Sunday Open House.  There will be another Open House on the first Sunday in December from 10-3.
* New dates added. Visit https://.cpchs.org

Friends of the Sandy River Delta & 1,000 Acres: B. Adams
Forest Service fiscal year is October to September, during this past year the Friends have donated 700 hours at the Sandy River Delta.  One of the items being done is repainting of the cross walks by Dave Adams.  Department of State Lands started October 1st working on the land along the river, they have made a huge commitment down there, working every day and it is greatly appreciated.

ODOT: T. Lingley
Kent Kalsch has retired and will be missed.  
McCord Creek Bridge has I-84 down to one lane each direction and that will continue as long as the weather holds.
East Bound side of Moffett Bridge was replaced about ten years ago and they are looking at doing the same work to the West bound side in the future.  More information to come.  
Multnomah Falls Viaduct East of Multnomah Falls is closed will doing repairs. The contractor is looking to pour concrete the second week of November on the deck.  The closure is expected to last until Mid-May of 2026.  There have been parking issues during this repair work, with people parking in the lanes of traffic.  ODOT and MCSO are aware and are addressing the issue with what resources are available.

There is no funding available to address the congestion issue at Multnomah Falls next year.

Next advisory meeting is December 18, 2025.  There is a spot available for those who would be interested in serving. (Copy and paste below link)
https://oregon.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Boards/details/Historic-Columbia-River-Highway-Advisory-Committee---Board-Member_REQ-97999?q=hisotric
The plans for the pathway to go over the bridge from I-84 to the Sandy River Delta is at the procurement office.  

The Mitchell Point Gap contract has been awarded and work will start soon.  This will take approximately a year and there should be no traffic impacts.
Larch Mountain slide has been repaired and the road from Larch to the Vista House reopened the end of September.

ODOT is in the loop with the Stark Street Bridge and the new request for signage changes is on the radar.  The County intends to replace the bridge in the long run so right now everything is a temporary fix.

ODOT: R. Houston
There will be some intermittent single lane closures from Larch to the Vista House to get some base line readings for moisture on the slide area.
Guard rail repair is being done, also culvert and ditching, mostly on I-84.  
Staffing levels are low, moving into winter they will be adding three people to assist with the winter weather impacts but there will be some training required.  


Multnomah County Office of Emergency Management: L. Ledgerwood-Eberlein
County is partially activated to deal with the SNAP reduction.  Looking at mapping pantries and who can offer assistance.  
Multnomah County Commissioners meeting the following day to discuss funding to assist.  
Looking for information on local formal and informal pantries to share to those in need.

Grange: S. Grigsby
November 15 will be the annual pie contest and variety show
November 23 will be BINGO, all proceeds to the Benevolence Committee.  Gifts have been donated and its only $5 a card, you can play all night on that one card if you'd like!
The Grange donates a Benevolence Bag to those new to the area, both home buyers and renters.  Would like to know the best way to connect to those who are moving into our community.
Craftsfaire will be December 6 and 7 from 10-3 at the school.

Corbett School District: D. Fialkiewicz
The District has hired the firm of McPherson & Jacobson to facilitate the new Superintendent search.  The first meeting will be November 8 at 7p and the steps will be planned out at that meeting.
ICE activity near to other schools had the district sending out the protocol to all students.  To speak to a student there must be a court order signed by a judge.  MCSO has been turned away because they didn't have one.  
SNAP- MESD put out a food bank list, it is out on the website and in the newsletter.
No school on Veteran's Day, there will be school on Friday the 14th.  There is no breakfast for Veterans this year, the Kiwanis intend to have it back next year.

Menucha:  D. Vasen
Received a grant from PGE (thank you to the school for all your help in helping with the grant writing).  
Adding electric charging units and getting an E-transport van.  This will help get people out to Menucha.
A PeacePole has been erected on the grounds overlooking the Gorge.  This is an emotional area where you can stand and get connected to the peace of the Gorge.  There will be access during public events, and you can make an appointment to come out, but it is not open all the time as the grounds are reserved at times for private gatherings and their time needs to be respected.

Menucha sometimes has extra food and they invite the community to reach out to them at hello@menucha.org and be added to their list of those who would like to be contacted if there are supplies available.  This is not consistent but only when their is a surplus.

Corbett Water District: A. Dirks
Main line repair at Larch and Louden has been completed.  There was a seven foot section in the ten inch line that had to be replaced. The line was flushed above and below the leak. A boil water notice was issued as a precaution since the reservoirs was unable to provide enough water during the shut down due to use.  
The District is preparing for winter, getting saws on the trucks to handle down trees, heaters placed in buildings, chains for vehicles, etc.  
The District has applied for four grants, Michael Arion will be speaking to one of the grants each meeting for the next four months.  This month the System Optimization Review grant was discussed.  The $50,000 grant comes from the Bureau of Reclamation and will be used to gather information on the system and help the district prioritize capital improvements and come up with a plan to reduce leaks, provide water for fire safety and improve the systems reliability.
Come to the meetings, attend by zoom if you prefer, go to the website, come to office and talk to staff, they are looking for input on what you consider the top priorities.

Oregon Parks and Rec Department: J. Starr
Budget is struggling.  There was a change with pay equity for seasonal staff that was then applied retroactively.  There was also a COLA adjustment and all of this impacted the staffing budget.  There has also been a change that projects in the region have to be submitted and advocated for, following that the region decides priorities.  
Currently short staffed, the crews have been out clearing up storm damage, thankfully only one building was hit by a tree.
The 400 State Trail race is coming up
Fees at two of the park properties on the East side (Lewis & Clark and the Parking lot at the Vista House) have been implemented.  The passes purchased for the day at the other locations work at these two locations, also the annual pass.  Annual pass will be $25 in December for In-State and make a great gift.
This is an attempt to right the ship - day use fees have not been covering the cost of operations and the lottery dollars are down since Parks had to increase their giving from 12% to 25% of collection to the municipal park systems, which was also retroactive for the biennium.  
Winterizing is being done. Campgrounds are closed, winterizing some of the restrooms.  

Forest Service: D. Mysinger
Running on a skeleton crew without pay.  There have been a couple trees down on the trails, these have been taken care of  by crews.
The Visitor Center can not be used during the shut down so they are operating out of the restroom lobby.  Normally see 10% of the visitors, seeing a bit more in this location.

NEMCCA: V. Purvine
Christmas Tree Lighting will be held at the Corbett Fire Station on December 6, 2025 from 5-9 pm with the tree lighting happening at 5:30pm.  Again, we'll try to have a bonfire weather permitting, but a BBQ will be fired up and ready to go either way.

Multnomah County Land Use:  A. Howard

Corbett Fire Station Land Use Hearing
Staff will be recommending approval of the fire station expansion. The public hearing is scheduled to start at 9:00am on Friday, November 14th and will be held via Zoom. To review the application materials and register to attend the hearing, please visit: https://multco.us/info/36930-e-hist-columbia-river-hwy

Fee Waiver Authority
The Board passed a Resolution granting the Land Use Planning Director the authority to reduce or waive Land Use Planning fees in limited instances. Now that the Resolution is passed, the Planning Director can adopt internal procedures for applying for a fee reduction or waiver. Applications to waive or reduce fees must be in writing. Resolution attached.

Zoning Code Presentation to the Board of County Commissioners
The Zoning Code Improvement Project (ZCIP) team provided a briefing to the County Board of Commissioners. See attached slide presentation.
The project is at the end of Phase 2 - which is the culmination of engagement activities, identifying problematic code and developing proposed solutions.
Next, the project team is beginning Phase 3 - which involves drafting the proposed code amendments. There will be many more opportunities for public input throughout that process, which will continue throughout 2026.

New Staff Start on November 18th
We completed our recruitment processes and will be welcoming three new planners (two Planner 1s and one Planner 2) to the team. We are excited to fill the two vacant positions, and greatly appreciate the addition of the new position in this year's budget. We will focus on training up staff through the end of the year. New staff will help us answer questions and complete applications faster, and will create the opportunity to offer more appointments and in-person service opportunities.

In-person Appointments Now Available on Wednesday Mornings
Last week we began our return to in-person service. We now offer in-person appointments on Wednesday mornings. In-person appointments are scheduled through the same portal as our virtual and phone appointments.
A link to the appointments calendar can be found on our Contact Us page - https://multco.us/info/how-contact-land-use-planning#section-2

Upcoming Planning Commission Meetings
December 1st: The Planning Commission is scheduled to discuss concepts for amendments to the Full Compliance and Nonconforming Use provisions in the Zoning Code.

BOEC:  M. Grimm
 Call answering update
Call Statistics
We upgraded our call answering software in September and we are close to completing the merging of data from before and after the upgrade. We expect call answering data to be available next month.
Technology updates
We are working with all our fire partners, including Corbett, to update our Emergency Fire Dispatch protocol. This includes agencies determining the appropriate response for thousands of call types and customize responses to best meet the needs of their communities.  This is a huge collaborative undertaking, and we’re grateful to all our partner agencies for their input and active participation. These changes will roll out in stages beginning on November 18, 2025.  The last state is projected to be completed in Spring, 2026.
 
Quality Assurance
Staff continues their progress on accreditation level performance and recently passed their third straight month of hitting that target on Medical incidents.
 
Recruitment and Training
December Academy –
We started with 200 applicants; after several phases of interviews and a pre-employment evaluation, 10 have moved through to background check phase.
Hiring process: Application, Typing Test, CritiCall – Hands on multitasking evaluation,
First Interviews, Second Interviews, Background Checks, Psychological Evaluations
Approximately 1/4 of our staff is in some form of training (academy, call taking, police dispatch, fire/medical dispatch)
 
 

Calm, mild-mannered 58 yo gentleman wishes to live in Corbett/Springdale/E Troutdale. Many reasons for this, hoping someone out there happens to be seeking a tenant. Ideal arrangement would be a one-bedroom or studio space in a house with modicum of privacy. Considered monthly rent range $1,300 - $1,500 for starters. Responsible and respectable, always willing to pull my weight with maintenance and upkeep. Please contact Rod: rod.owre1@gmail.com

Due to the high number of spam registrations on this forum, please use the form on the following page to request registration and you can be manually added and sent the login instructions via email.

https://www.corbettoregon.com/contactus/

Sept 3, 2025

NEMCCA

Safety Meeting Notes

 

Historical Society: M Freund

Open House went very well.  Good attendance.  Lots of positive comments.

Following the Pioneer Picnic on Sept 7, 2025 the museum will be open for those who couldn't make it in August. The picnic will be starting at 11 am and lunch will be served, cost is $8.00 to give a time estimate for open hours.  The museum will be officially opening in the Spring.

 

Latourell Area:  J. Parker

The area has their own water district and recently had a break in a mainline.  This was fixed by the community, they are looking for funding for future upgrades.

The road to the East that comes in to Latourell is failing, a recent tourist to the area popped a tire and it had to be changed by a community member.  The stop signs that are supposed to be located on that road are also missing, tourists are running the stops since they are not there and recently a couple of the local children on bikes had near misses.  Replacing the stop signs has been an on-going issues with Multnomah County Roads for the past two years.

 

MultCo Land Use Planning: A. Howard

Alex joined the County as Land Use Deputy Director in April and will be joining the meetings to hear about what concerns are in our area, and give us information.

Discussion touched on the recent Zoning Code change meeting and the current full compliance practice the County has been using.  There has been a change issued in the County and going forward the practice will be to look at the request that has come in, not the entire site.
Another area touched on was ADUs that are in the area.  We know they are out here, but they are not legally allowed, what changes may occur around this topic.  That is a long term item that could take a few years, but is being reviewed.

Code Compliance is being directed by Kevin Cook, you can file a complaint at: https://multco.us/programs/code-compliance.

The County is in the process of hiring another staff member and they are looking to get through the back log.

 

Friends of the Sandy River Delta: B. Adams

The area has been packed, lots of very nice dogs out walking and exercising, if you're a dog lover, this is the place to see them.

Would like to commend the Corbett Fire Department for their quick responses to the recent fires at the Delta, the most recent being car that was burning behind the 1,000 acres road gate.  The other was the fire started when two individuals who lived in the area had a dispute and one set a fire before leaving.  The area down there is a dangerous one for fires since they can spread quickly into populated areas and there have been challenges put out by those living in the camps that have made it difficult to fight the fires.  Thank you to Corbett Fire for putting up the drone and watching to make sure the fire was put out.

A  padlock has been reinstalled on the gate.

 

MultCo Emergency Management:

R. Higgins,  L. Ledgerwood-Eberlein

The Wireless Emergency Alert Test went out to around 800,000 people in Multnomah County and around 300 people outside of the County.   The team heard back from 8,000 people saying they had gotten the alert, 324 who said they did not, a full report will come out next week on their website.

Some of what was learned from this test:  The bleed over into other counties was small, the outer areas had some gaps in coverage, (Sauvie Island had a good response from the lower elevation, but not the higher up areas,  Corbett was hit and miss which was expected due to spotty cell coverage) and there needs to be more education around phone settings.

Different phones will have a shut off on the notifications as their default setting, so people need to go in and turn the notifications on.  Also, alert overrides can be turned on so emergency alerts will go through even if the phone volume is turned down or notifications are turned off.

The FCC does not require cell carriers to send out any notifications except for Presidential Alerts.  The carriers MCEM was working worth were all very helpful and worked with the team.

In case of an emergency this would not be the only way to reach out to people, Public Alert, news outlets, etc would also be used.  Education will need to continue around the difference between a Public Alert (you register your address or up to five address to get notifications for alerts) and the WEAs, where the alert goes out to all cells in the coverage area whether you live in the area or are passing through.  Phones have different abilities and it will be up to the users to make sure they have the proper settings turned on.  One piece of information is there is a tendency for those who live in areas with a lot of Amber Alerts, the phone owners tend to turn off the alert notifications.  This was found to be one of the issues in the recent Texas weather event.  There tend to be a lot of Amber Alerts in the State and people had turned off the alert notification, also, there was an issue with getting the alert out to those who did have the notification turned on.

A red flag warning had been issued for the Mt Hood area.  PSPS zone one in the Mt Hood corridor was at enhanced power outage levels (lines would not allow a second chance to turn off the power and they would have to be visually checked before being reset) so if the power goes out expect it to stay out a little longer.

Evacuation notice packages are ready to go to MCSO for leaving on homes where evacuation levels are in place.  They will provide information regarding what level of evacuation the property is in, and information on what you may want to get prepared depending on that level.

 

MHCC Bond Oversight Committee: D. McKeel

The bond oversight committee is still being formed and there is a lot of interest, because of this there will be an application available on the college website soon.

Work is already starting on several projects, including the closure of the outdoor pool while the dome is installed.  The pool is estimated to reopen March 1, 2026.

 

Oregon Historical Society Oversight Committee: D. McKeel

The tour of the museums had to be rescheduled due to conflicts with other events.  The committee will be coming out soon to see the new museum.  The annual report will be going to the County Commissioners in Sept 2026.

https://multco.us/info/ohs-levy-oversight-committee-meetings

 

BOEC: S. Koss

Call answering: Average call answer time is 3:41; down from 7:48 in 2024

Call Statistics: 395,270 911 calls this year; 4.5% lower than last year.

Average call answer time is 25 seconds; down from 43 seconds in 2024.

151,407 Non-Emergency calls this year; 19.10% increase likely due to turning off Case Service.

Quality Assurance: We are working with all our fire partners, including Corbett, to prepare for Emergency Fire Dispatch version 8.0 update.  This includes determining the appropriate response for thousands of call types.  Implementation will roll out in stages, beginning November 1st.

Recruitment and Training

We celebrated four certifications in August: One Senior Dispatcher, two Police Dispatchers, one Call Taker

December Academy –

We started with 200 applicants; 19 have moved through to background checks

The process includes: Application, Typing Test, CritiCall, First Interviews, Second Interviews, Background Checks, Psych Evaluations

Approximately 1/3 of our staff is in some form of training (academy, call taking, police dispatch, fire dispatch)

 

District 4 County Commissioner: V. Jones-Dixon

Working on the Code changes with Land Use.  Following the transportation package at the State level.  Looking in on the pre-school for all, checking on investments and outcomes.

Discussion:  Issues with code enforcement and the impact it has on those who see others not having to follow code requirements, and those who are being hit with thousands of dollars to get into compliance.  If you're going to have codes, make sure the department is being funded to a level they can also do compliance.  If you're not going to enforce the rules, get rid of those rules.

 

Corbett School District: D. Fialkiewicz

School is in full swing with around 1,200 students in attendance.  This is 20-25 fewer students than hoped for and there is a $300,000 shortage that will impact the budget due to the lower enrollment.  This will be addressed throughout the year.

Traffic was bad this first week, and was to be expected since it was the first week of school and that is historically higher traffic, and they added 100 students to the mix.  This is getting better.

There is school on Friday since there was no school on Monday.  Watch for traffic.

The Governor's cell phone ban has the Board working on the cell phone policy, and they have until September 15, 2025 to come up with that policy so it can be on track for implementation on January 1, 2026.  The Board went with the approach that it would be easier to start the new year with the restrictions in place, rather than change it halfway through the year, so they began the year with the restrictions.  The change in the halls and on the grounds has been great to see as the students are actually looking at each other and talking, rather than just looking at their phones.

CSD purchased some land behind the Mershon's place West of the school and have cleared out the blackberries and will be turning that area into youth soccer and football fields.

Two home games are coming up (9/12, 9/19) and homecoming on October 3, 2025.

 https://www.maxpreps.com/or/corbett/corbett-cardinals/football/schedule/

The district had a leak detective company out and they found the water line leak in a T prior to the brick layout.  This has been fixed.

Discussion: Busing for the students at Latourell.  Is there any information on the bus going out to pick up or drop off the students?  This is going to be checked with Todd and information will be provided.  Also a discussion on the DQ buses, there appears to be a wait list for students coming in.  One bus has been added to the DQ run at this point.

 

CWD: S. Young

Mr. Young is the district's cross connection specialist and the district has sent Alivia (field staff) and Kelsie (office staff) to be trained on the topic.  The district is aware that they need to have someone in the office who can answer questions since the workers may not be available in a timely manner, so they are working to improve their customer service.

The District received from FEMA the full amount ($57,000) they requested to cover the cost incurred during the ice storm of 2024.

The oil tank next to the office building has been removed, the asbestos floor has also been taken out.

The workers have been busy, fixing leaks and putting in new water services.  On August 25, 2025 the UPS driver spotted a leak on Lucas and called it in, he had also spotted one on July 29, 2025 off Mershon which turned out to be an old service line that had not been fully decommissioned.  (Thank you Mark!)

New service lines or replacement lines have been installed on Knieriem, Smith, Benfield, Louden and a meter that was under water off Howard Road had a riser placed and was lifted out of the wet.

There are three slow sand filter ponds at the treatment center and they are in need of replacement sand.  A month ago the district took one pond off line to see if the remaining two could handle the water flow requirements.  There were no issues, the two remaining ponds stayed consistent at 750 gallons per minute of flow, so the district will begin replacing the sand in pond three.  Once that is done they will do the same with ponds one and two. The District treated 26 million gallons of water this past month.

(If you would like to have a tour of the treatment plant, the district is still offering tours, just call and set up a time.  503- 695-2284)


   
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There have been no after hour call outs to the District since February of 2025.

Discussion: PRV installs.  Corbett is a gravity system so the pressure coming to your house will vary based on your location in the system, how much water is being used by others, and if your home is on a rise or sitting lower on your property. The suggested psi is between 60-80, but numbers can range over 100 in our area.  A PRV may be at the meter, in the house, or both, and should be checked regularly to make sure it is working properly.  It was suggested these PRVs be changed every 4-5 years.

The District can not tell you to put one on your system, but they can strongly suggest you have one.  If you are wondering what the psi is at your house you can contact the district office.

Back flow preventers are required on some properties in the District based on if you have livestock, live on a hill, have a pool or spa, or have a situation where non-potable water may flow from your property into the water district system. This is mandated by the District and you have to have your system tested yearly and a report filed with the District.

(https://www.corbettwater.com/cross-connection-and-backflow-prevention-programs/)

 

Corbett Water District: A. Dirks

Introduction to the community as the new manager of the Corbett Water District.  He will be attending the meetings going forward.

 

MCSO: Lt Kramer, Deputy Kaiser

Department of State Lands owns the land alongside the 1,000 acre property where there has been camping and are moving closer to a date of resolution with the camps.  MCSO will be participating but are not in charge and will be in a supportive role as OSP is the primary on enforcement.  State laws will be followed on notices but no additional information is available at this time.

The situation at Lampert and Seidl is being monitored.  There are approximately 25-30 cars showing up in the evening and leaving behind a mess.  With the Vista House being closed due to the road those who gathered at the Vista House have moved to other locations.

Larch Mountain and the Old Scenic Highway stop sign.  Yes, its still a stop, even though the old highway is "closed".  Several tickets have been issued, including one where the person passed another vehicle that was stopped at the stop sign.  These are locals that are failing to stop.

Another "Mannthey" situation was starting off Woodard and that property owner was contacted and made aware they can not park trailers on the property.  A recent check shows all but one of the trailers is gone.

Speed trailers will be going out, one will be placed in Latourell to help with the recent traffic issue.

It has been noted that some parents are allowing their underage students to drive vehicles to school with no license.  Those vehicles will be towed.

 

ODOT: K. Kalsch, T. Lingley

The elephant in the room is the current funding situation the failure of HB2025 to pass during the regular session and the postponing of the next vote for another two weeks.

Right now there have been eight positions cut, leaving six people to handle the roads from Troutdale to Hood River.  This means that if funding stays at current levels, you might expect one pass of the snow plows during a storm, or no snow plowing until the storm is over, rather a closing of the roads.  This also means there won't be enough people to staff the barricades so you can expect people to go around the closed roads, possibly getting stuck or injured, requiring a first responder to go out.

If the funding bill gets passed, you will see a reduction in the cutting of maintenance stations from 17 to 13, but you will see cuts.

ODOT is short 3.4 million dollars for staffing, and the recent order by the Governor has delayed the layoff date from September 15, 2025 to October 15, 2025.

Discussion: how to talk politics without talking politics.  If the gas tax brings in $100, $50 of that immediately goes to the Counties and Cities for their projects.  The remaining $50 can go to "other projects", maybe upgrades to someone's residences, or go to homeless services, or someone may decide they are going to sue an Administration and that money has to come from somewhere, so $47 dollars of that $100 goes to those projects, leaving $3 for ODOT for maintenance on the roads.

In addition, COLA was not figured in to the budget when the costs were arrived at for needed staffing dollars, so even if the bill is passed there won't be enough money to fill the vacant positions or have enough money to do everything that is needed.

Also, there is lot of "bumping" going on.  This is what happens when people who had their maintenance stations closed but had more seniority than others who didn't have their job lost, "bumped" that person to keep their job.  This has created a lot of re-arranging of staff and morale is very poor.  To add to the bumping, others haven't waited to have their position removed and have sought jobs in other agencies or companies, and that has created more bumping as people seek a new position, or the vacancies are being left as people go.  Vacancies that have not been filled in the past are now abolished.

Work currently being done by the crews are those that will not require money, such as sweeping and cutting of brush.

Any cost over $250 has to be sent up for approval.

Salt and sand are stockpiled due to the milder winter last year so there are some supplies available.  Mag has been placed on the roads at all critical areas, in the past it was only used on hills and corners, the current funding may change the use back to corners and hills.

Federal funds are used to build or replace projects, they can not be used for maintenance.  Construction funds for existing projects are in the bank, such as the McCord Creek bridge work.  I-84 will be down to one lane East of Multnomah Falls at the McCord Creek project area.

Time use permits have ended at the I-84 parking lot at Multnomah Falls.  It is not clear where the funds for the traffic control requirements at the Falls will come from next year.

Discussion: ODOT can not increase the cost of the permit at the parking lot to help cover the traffic control.  They do not own the parking lot and the fee that is collected right now goes entirely to the vendor who handles the permits.

The Advisory Committee will be meeting virtually on September 18, 2025 from 9-12.  This will be on line only due to budget constraints.

Larch Mountain slide is still under construction.  They have finished excavation and are building back up.  This is being done in layers with drainage and soil nails, a piece that was not included in the prior repair.  This is not a permanent fix, but should hold for several years.

East Viaduct will be closing on October 1, 2025 until March 2026, the same work will be done that was done on the West Viaduct.

The pedestrian trail from I-84 to the Sandy River Delta is in the procurement process, should start construction this fall.  This is being done with Congressional funds.

They are still looking for funds to finish the final 1.3 miles of the Mitchell Point trail.  There is an estimate of 4 million for the design and 35-40 million for construction.

Discussion: the falling rocks at the Stark Street Bridge area.  The geo-hydro went out and checked the hill.  They may need to put more chain mesh up but that will need to be State funded.