Northeast Multnomah County Community AssociationODOT: They are doing routine deicing of the roads and have completed the scheduled tree removal on I-84, these trees were being watched to see if they would recover instead of cutting in the first clearing of fire damaged trees.
Work is continuing on the Eagle Creek slide area, they have removed approximately 200 yards of mud and there have been some trail closures in relation to the sliding.
The January 23rd Congestion Meeting that was scheduled to be held at ODOT's Region 1 office may be delayed due to the government shut down. They are doing the presentation in conjunction with the Forest Service and they are not currently available. There will be more information on the project available soon on line.
Oregon State Parks: The Dabney kitchen shelter repairs are going well. The shelters will be about the size of a picnic table and will be equipped with electric so visitors can plug in a crock pot or small appliance, the shelter will also allow for some cover in inclement weather.
The Gorge Ranger position was left vacant eleven years ago but has just been filled. This will allow for a designated ranger in the Gorge and seasonal rangers will be able to assist more at the Vista House. Having a designated ranger will also bolster the coverage at the Vista House with MCSO.
As many know, there have been issues with the drainfield at the Vista House and with over 2,000,000 people visiting each year, State Parks is looking at new options to handle the bathroom situation. In the process right now is a four stall, uni-sex bathroom at the Women's Forum, which is a half a mile from the Vista House. The grassy field to the West of the forum is where the bathroom would be located, with space for bus parking in the center. Parks and ODOT are working together to move the entrance away from the corner to improve line of sight and safety and Land Use and the NSA are also working with them. The building will be site appropriate, not a CXT. Construction is estimated to be complete by May 2021.
The Vista House is getting its HVAC updated. Currently the volunteers are freezing in the winter and roasting in the summer, and the condensation on the inside of the building is running into thousands of dollars of repair. Right now the load testing has been done and the designers are working to come up with the most efficient and least noticeable solution. Right now it looks like the first parking spot off the building will be used for the exterior components with a brown fence surround to protect it and keep it from view. There is geo-thermal at the Vista House, but it was done when the building was closed during the winter and was rated to keep the building at 50 to keep pipes from freezing. The project is expected to run between $150,000-$250,000.
There will be a meeting on January 17 with SHIPO regarding Shepards Dell. The stairs are not considered safe and because they are more than 50 years old they need to make sure they meet historical standards in looks. They are three months into the expected six months review with the NSA for the steps repair.
Corbett Water District Commissioners report: The next CWD board meeting will be on January 15 at 6:30 at the fire hall. All are invited to attend. They will be addressing the recent water main break along Grange road and how to improve communication with the community. The water district serves 1,100 homes and 550 received personal phone calls. Kudos to all the hard working staff both out in the field, and those behind the desk.
Multnomah County Roads: Routine maintenance.
Sandy River Delta/ Thousand Acres: Volunteers are not currently allowed to work with the shut down because they fall under employees for workers comp.
NEMCCA: Thank you to ODOT for the repairs on the Scenic Highway, follow up on large pothole at Job Corp corner.
Multnomah County Transportation came to the recent board meeting and presented on the Capital Improvements Plan, they will also be presenting at the Planning Commission meeting on the 7th for those who would like to attend. Discussion around the mention that the Sandy River Bridge is looking to be replaced. This could be a few years off and right now there is talk about making the bridges one way. The bridges are not on truck routes, but truckers who are using personal devices are not getting that information. Some are being cited, but not all as that is a law enforcement issue, not an ODOT or MultCo. One of the truckers who was recently cited was 20,000 over posted weight. There was a truck who got stuck at Shepard's Dell this past month, he was also over hours and had to leave the truck there, he was escorted out by Citizen's Patrol once he was allowed to drive.
Brief update from MCSO who was unable to attend. Citizen's Patrol is now being managed by Deputy Kaiser, they have received several thousand dollars for equipment recently thanks to the great amount of effort from Emergency Management. This includes a hand held FLIR thermal unit to locate injured persons who may not be readily visible. The Corbett crime log will come out next week.
Citizen's Patrol: Currently they are only able to patrol during daylight hours except for special events like Fourth of July and school dances. They are looking to expand their hours to assist MCSO until all vacant positions are filled.
MultCo Emergency Management: They have two new planners coming on soon, will try to attend the next Water District meeting to offer services.
MultCo Health Code Enforcement: Rental housing inspections for unincorporated Multnomah County has fallen to their department.
There have been more recreational vehicles parked on private and public land. The parking on private land is a Land Use issue, unless there is a problem with the septic or trash accumulating, then it is Health's issue.
There are some leads on the person who has been leaving bags of fecal matter along the roads in Corbett. They are working with MCSO on this issue.
December notes are not available, I was unable to attend the meeting due to work conflict. If you have any questions please let us know, you can also reach us at :
NEMCCA@outlook.com
