Safety Meeting Notes
April 2, 2025
County Commissioner D4: V. Jones-Dixon
Chair is working on the County Budget, will be sharing at the end of the month.
Following up on the Bull Run water filtration project.
Looking at how to get funds for infrastructure and how to prioritize to get funding from the Feds to address the roads, looking at the Corbett area.
Discussions:
School speed signs at the Middle School on Woodard. What assistance can the Commissioner give to get the speed reduced?:
ODOT and MultCo Roads were part of the discussion. ODOT is responsible for the school speed signs (school zone signs are in place at each end of the property, the one to the West will be pushed back to 400 feet from 100 feet to expand the zone), but there are steps necessary first that have to be done by both the school and the County.
School speed zones are meant to encourage walking and biking to the school, and Woodard road is not set up for these events.
Normally a pedestrian protection plan would be submitted prior to the development of a school, but the Corbett School District stated they would not be having any walking, biking, or drop off traffic at the Middle School. Students would be transported by bus to the location, so the district did not submit a plan, and the road does not qualify for a speed reduction for the school based on it not being set up with sidewalks and a place to safety travel by foot or bike.
There are some background forms that need to be filled out by the school to get a review started. The talk was walking the students between the Middle School and the Springdale CAPS campus, which would involve additional studies and work by ODOT regarding having a safety corridor for walking between the campuses.
This was mentioned as an eight foot wide expansion on the North side of the road (keeping the improvements to one side) and then who would be responsible for cost. Typically the work would have needed to be done with construction upgrades to the property, and would be the cost to the District. Maintenance would be done by the County. But now there isn't money in MultCo Roads budget, and its not in ODOT's budget, so finding the money would need to come from the State or Feds and the County Commissioner might be able to help with funds.
Historic Columbia River Highway work: The Larch slide area will be most likely need to be shut down for two months prior to the Fall.
The timed entry permit fee at Multnomah Falls parking lot will be staffed as there is funding, but the agencies that are trying to keep the flagger at the crosswalk are falling short of funding. If the crosswalk isn't funded there tends to be chaos with traffic, as people don't keep moving, and this impacts the flow of personal vehicles, buses, shuttles and first responders. It would be helpful if the Commissioner would assist with funding to reduce the congestion and keep traffic flowing.
Stark Street Bridge: The County is working on putting up length restrictions for the bridge and that will be included on the signs with weight limits. This has gone to engineering and we should expect to see the signs in the next couple months. This doesn't mean oversize truck drivers won't still try to take the bridge, but once it is posted law enforcement can issue tickets for violations.
Looking in to cameras for the bridge to help with ticketing of violators. Also may be able to help with ticketing of those bringing out trucks and trailers of garbage to dump in the area. There has been an increase in this behavior.
Corbett Water District: Thank you to the Commissioner for sponsoring Corbett Water District with FEMA.
Corbett Water District: A. Linden
Steve Young will be attending the Safety Meetings in the future as this may be Ana's final meeting. She has turned in her 30 day notice. Steve is a lead worker and has received training for PRV maintenance and has started working on them, with a goal of working on one a month.
CWD is gearing up for Spring maintenance. Erika Bronson presented to the Water District and gave them an Operations and Maintenance Manual that they will be adding to their existing manual. Erika did this as part of her final project to complete her bachelors degree, she is a water operations manager at Wood Village and is running for a seat on the Water Board. She is also a local in the community.
The district has been working on a GIS hydraulic model that will show how the system will respond to a heavy fire or a leak somewhere in the system. This will help with future hydrant placing and assist with showing where to prioritize work.
There has been an application submitted for a grant for hazard mitigation funding. This funding would be for replacing the Larch Mountain tank, moving it away from the slide area and breaking it down to two tanks, increasing the holding capacity from 300,000 gallons to 500,000 gallons. The tanks would stay on the Schmidt property, but would be away from the house and they would no longer be sharing an access road. Should the district get the grant the district would need to come up with $250,000 for their portion, it is a three million dollar grant. Thank you to Angie Kimpo who did a lot of work on this application. It will be three to twelve months before they know if the grant will come to the district.
Menucha: C. McHill
Easter Sunrise Service will be April 20, 2025 at 6:30. All are invited to attend.
Volunteer Day is May 10, 10-4, and all are welcome to come help. There are jobs available for those of all abilities, please contact Debbie Vasen at
hello@menucha.orgFireWise: T. Kurkinen
There will be a FireWise meeting at Menucha on April 24, 2025.
FireWise website:
https://www.corbettfirewise.org/aboutfirewise-1Emergency Management Services: L. Ledgerwood-Eberlein
EMS has been busy with exercises and training.
The agency is continuing to look at Genasys for wildfire evacuation and Multnomah County is very enthusiastic regarding the system but are still working their way through the process to get it implemented .
(
https://genasys.com/wildfires/ )
One exercise the agency is doing is terrorism training which will be in the middle of April. This will be identifying who will be able to step up and how they can support the community.
Another training was the water system exercise. Corbett Water District participated in this training which was regarding water filtration. There will be a larger community water filtration training in the future for those who would like to attend.
A disaster response training at the Airport will be in May.
They have a new Red Cross Community Coordinator.
If anyone is interested in having training done for their organization please reach out the EMS and they will be happy to meet with you.
BOEC: S. Koss
First quarter statistics are out and BOEC answered 137,826 for 911 in January, February and March. They are down to only four vacancies and that is improving their answer times for 911, with 60% of the calls being answered within 10 seconds.
BOEC currently has 85 senior dispatchers, 41 members in training who should be fully trained in one to two years, and ten people attending the training academy that started in February. There are also 15 people who have gone through background checks and are heading to psych testing for the next academy, starting in June. The intent is to over hire to keep ahead of normal staffing changes.
BOEC hosted the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials conference the first weekend in March focused on wellness and health for dispatchers. One of the lead speakers was Elisabeth Smart, who survived an abduction.
AI routing for non-emergency calls is being put out for bid, with the agency looking for three competitive bids. The first meeting with a supplier of this technology will be next Tuesday. This AI product will enable callers to be walked through the process without needing to repeat their information and provide them with the assistance they need. It is hoped to have this process in place by July.
GovWorks is another AI process that will be a keyway for police dispatch, and will also work with Fire and Medical. This product will be for quality assurance, identify training calls, and will make it easier to find calls as they can use keywords to narrow down the specific call where information is being requested. This has just been procured, its too soon to say when it will go in to effect.
Discussion:
Is BOEC coordinating with ODOT and MultCo roads with road closures? Yes, but the information has to be input by hand, so if you don't see the update please contact them to let them know.
(March Directors Report Link:
https://www.portland.gov/911/documents/directors-report-march-2025/download)
Grange: S. Grigsby & C. Mitas
The Grange will be removing all of the trees along Grange Hall Road for hazard mitigation sometime in the next couple of months. They are looking for a matching grant through the State to help with the cost as it can be expensive. County Roads said to please contact them prior to cutting and they will shut down the road for safety.
There will be a Meet the Candidates for the eight candidates running for the school board on April 27, 2025 from 2-4. This is a chance to walk to different areas set up in the Grange to talk with the candidates, not a debate forum. (Discussion: asking the two candidates running for the Water Board to attend too).
Last Monday of the month there is a Senior lunch at the Grange. This is from 11:30 to 1:30 and they serve homemade soup and bread, along with coffee and cookies. Please share out to your Senior friends. Helping Hands will be doing a free Easter Egg hunt on April 19, 2025 starting at 1 p.m. sharp!
Forest Service: L. Cary
The 100th anniversary of Multnomah Falls is this year and there will be small events to celebrate over the year rather than one large one.
Dog Mountain permits will be needed starting April 26th and required through June 15, 2025 (weekends only except for Memorial Day Monday). One fee covers everyone in the vehicle. Half of the permits will be available now on line at rec.gov, half will be released three days before each weekend. This does not guarantee a parking spot.
There is a free shuttle from Stevenson
"Columbia Area Transit (CAT) provides shuttle service from the Skamania County Fairgrounds gravel parking lot at 518 SW Rock Creek Drive in Stevenson, WA to the Dog Mountain Trailhead on weekends during the busy season. If you plan to access the trailhead via the shuttle service, they will provide you with a free daily permit for the Dog Mountain Trail System (and you do not need to purchase one through this site). Well-behaved, leashed dogs are allowed on the shuttle. Additional information about shuttle operations can be found at
https://www.ridecatbus.org/dog-mountain-shuttle/ "
https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10091444 Timed permit usage at Multnomah Falls I-84 parking lot will look similar to prior years.
Permanent seasonal employees are returning, its good to have them on board.
Campgrounds are opening May 1, 2025, they will be open for reservations starting April 2025.
Coverage at 1,000 acres is difficult with the majority of staff working out of Hood River. Maintenance of the bathrooms will be a couple times a week, but not daily. They are aware the toilets need pumped more often, and are working with Trail Keepers of Oregon to set up ambassadors with tents to maintain a presence in the area.
Corbett School District: D. Fialkiewicz
First budget meeting will be April 9, 2025. The proposed budget is on the school website. This year there is a zero ending fund balance, but they are looking to have $100,000 next year and building back up to a five to seven percent balance by 2028-2029. There is a plan in place.
The district added students this year, but will slowly decrease the number back down over the next ten years by lowering the number around 10-15 students per year. This is done with the desire to meet the request of the community.
Shout out to the Job Corp who has been doing spectacular work with the district. They have students interning in the district and its very exciting to have the coordination between the agencies.
CPAC will be doing Godspell. April 4, 5, 11, 12 at 7 p.m. April 5, 12 at 1 p.m. April 6 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors. Reserve tickets at:
cpac14info@gmail.comThere will be a whole Corbett schools event on May 3, 2025 at CAPS. There will be booths available for people to sell their product, food carts and a May pole. Contact Derek if you'd like a both at:
dfialkiewicz@corbett.k12.or.usThe Robotics Team (Cardinals Dynamics 6696) is competing at the Pacific NW District Championships this weekend. They are ranked at 22 in the region and if they qualify this weekend they could be heading to the worlds competition in Houston, TX. We'll be seeing some hard fundraising if they make it!
Springdale Job Corp: B. Schindeldecker
The Job Corp has been affected by the Federal Spending issues and there is a hiring freeze in affect, along with a stop on purchases. In addition, student enrollment is heavily impacted as background checks are frozen and they can't get new students processed in.
On March 25, 2025 there was an active shooter drill with MCSO Deputy Kaiser. The student did very well and they had the lowest casualty number with only three being documented. They are learning with each drill and are continuing to improve each time.
The center has a new contract with the Whole Foundation and are placing students for their work experience through them. They are still in need of work places for pharmacy students to get their experience.
All recreational events have been cancelled with the funding freeze, unless the event is free. If you know of any events students 16-24 would enjoy in the area, please let Brittney know and she will make arrangements to get students there (with staff chaperones). They have 77 students at this time.
Discussion: There is a play being put on by Corbett Students, if tickets were provided for students and chaperones would that be something the center would be interested in? Yes.
Sasquatch Shuttle: K. Krumpschmidt
Sasquatch Shuttle has opened a retail location at the Columbia Outlet Mall and the buses and tours will be leaving from that location. Tours will be going down the Old Scenic Highway (contingencies in place if the highway shuts down), and the Express buses will be three, double-decker buses. The changes to the Shuttle will allow them to move 3,100 people per day, with the goal of keeping individual cars off the road to reduce congestion. The shuttle will be opening earlier in the year than before, starting with a soft opening this weekend and expanding to full weeks next week, and will continue into November. The cost is $5 per person per day to ride and the trips from the Outlet will match up with Tri-Met times so you can come in from out of the area without having to drive. There are 1,100 parking spots at the Mall and there is an overflow area available if that is required.
They will be continuing to charge for parking at Multnomah Falls as this help fund the buses. The parking lot will be staffed, seven to eight personnel at a time, and they are pleased to say there were no break ins last year within the lot.
Sasquatch does not charge for tour providers, as they support tours that help reduce the congestion in the area. Studies have shown we don't have a people problem at the Falls, its a parking problem.
The flagger for the Falls crosswalk is a big issue, as its important to keep the traffic moving, not only for personal vehicles, but first responders.
Buses leave every 45 minutes and Sasquatch has partnered with some of the local restaurants for a discount on food purchases. Check the website for more information.
Discussion: Can people who take Uber out purchase tickets for the bus to get back in to town? Yes. They can purchase through Clover.
ODOT: K. Kalsch
The Larch Mountain closure area is inspected daily, and while its open right now, that could change at any time. Currently there are two lanes open, but if there is a significant change noted it will be shut down. The goal is to keep it open until the contractor is ready to come on site, and they are looking at three different repair options at this time. The last major repair was done in 2007 and if you look at the pictures you can see the gabion wall has tipped out and is giving way, with the guard rail below the road. Plans and designs are being considered with the request to have plans ready to go out for bid by mid-May. This work will be a repair, not a fix, as FLAP money is currently being directed to finishing the trail from Troutdale to Hood River.
Discussion: fixing would involve drilling down to solid material, the expanse is too wide for a viaduct, there have been issues with that area since it was built, and it would be a major closure when the fix is done. Timing shows it is faster for the fire department to go down the freeway and back up from Latourell rather than going down the curves. Bridal Veil restoration is coming along. Will be done by mid May.
West viaduct is continuing with their work. The plan was to pour the deck today but the weather isn't cooperating. Still looking to be done with the West viaduct by May 20, 2025.
East viaduct will have work going on from 5-9 a.m. during the summer, it will be shut down during the fall/winter like the West side is now.
Mitchell Point Tunnel Trail had a soft opening. You can now visit but keep in mind there are only 19 parking spaces and you will be towed if you park on the on ramp.
Budget wise no one knows what will happen at the end of this budget cycle. Regardless to what you may have seen in the paper, ODOT did not lose a million dollars. Five years ago there was money set aside for some projects and when it turned out they would be short on funding to finish the projects they were halted. ODOT made the proper notifications. We'll be waiting to hear on the budget on July 1, 2025, but until then they will be doing spring maintenance.
MCSO: Deputy Kaiser
Still no CRO in the area but the department is short of staff, once staffing levels change that may change. Right now he will be out here as much as possible.
Larch Mountain closure: Even when the road is closed a Stop Sign is a Stop Sign, do not blow through it. Some of you have found out its a heavy ticket, more will if you don't stop. Also, the place to stop is at the white line equal with the stop sign, not past it. If you need to creep out to see down the road, then come to a complete stop and then move out until you can safely see down the road.
Discussion: Speeders in town. As much as people want to believe its people from out of town, the majority of those speeding in our area are residents. Slow down, talk to your family members.
Multnomah County Roads: T. Kunter
After listening to the discussion about the stop sign running at Larch he will look at getting STOP put at the line next to the sign. There will be a one lane closure on the Stark Street Bridge on Friday, staring at 6 a.m. and going until 10 a.m. This work is weather dependent. The stripes are engineered to help buses and box trucks with turning radius. There was a trailer semi turning right on to the bridge and he stopped and talked with him, was told the driver has been coming this way for a long time and never had a problem. He gave him directions to where he needed to go based on the truckers g.p.s. and the gentleman said he would do that in the future. He also warned him he would be waiting on the other side, and if he hit the bridge there would be a different conversation.... Everything went fine.
Cameras are under consideration for the bridge, which would help with charging on bridge hits, and also help track down dumping, which is increasing. The vector team is being notified of the dumps, he is going through the garbage and finding names and addresses for those who are leaving the messes, and he'd like to thank Dave Mysinger who walks Corbett Hill regularly with his wife to pick up the trash.
New mowers will be arriving this month. These are purpose built mowers, not the John Deere tractor with attachment. These mowers have ditching attachments and will have a burrowing/snow blower motion that will put the debris next to the ditch, rather than having to haul the material out. With the DEQ regulations it can be expensive tracking and hauling the material. This mechanism can also reduce the job from six people to one, which is a benefit as he is running 25% low on staff. The money is there, but not the people. He is looking for four seasonal workers and eight permanent staff.
Roads will be doing a lot of ditching in the Gordon Creek/Trout Creek area as they need to meet PGE's requirements for their undergrounding of power. PGE will be placing their lines under the ditch so they need to establish the depth prior to line placement or they will end up with shallow ditches. PGE will also be out on Brower, but not until later.
Howard Road had potholes filled last week and in the areas that grind in place were done last Fall. They will be meeting next Wednesday to pave the grind in place areas, approximately 1,700 feet total.
As mentioned earlier the school zone signs at the Middle School are being moved back to the 400 feet on the West side.
Driveway run off has been an issue in the area, both water and gravel coming down and getting in the road. After talking with the County attorneys for clarity, residents who have this situation will be notified they need to control their run off. This will most likely involve installing a culvert. If the roads department is in the area they can do the work and then charge the cost back to the owner, or the owner may get a permit and do the work themselves. (Or hire their own contractor).
Striping will be started soon.
Discussion: Can you sweep first? Speeds for the sweeper, speeds for the painting, can't slow down the striper as it needs a consistent speed for putting down paint. Because of the lack of spraying and mowing for four years, there is a good chance miscellaneous items may be painted. (Vegetation, squirrels). For those of us who have a bit of overgrowth along the fog line, it would be good to take your broom out and sweep the debris out of the way.
NEMCCA would like to have a Community Pick Up Litter Day where residents sign up their address and then pick up the trash that has been left along their property line. NEMCCA would pick up the bags and take them to the County shop for disposal.
NEMCCA: Thank you MCSO and MultCo roads for getting the car out along Larch. Also to MultCo for getting most of the garbage out that was thrown over the hill at the gravel pull out. Happy to hear they are tracking down owner.
