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)
Google Search
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.
