EPA loans $727M to Portland for water filtration plant March 05 2021
The EPA funds will be used to help pay for construction of a new water filtration plant in Boring.
Federal funds will help Portland pay for a new water filtration plant, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday, March 4.
The $727 million loan the largest to date granted via the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act will flow to the Portland Water Bureau s Bull Run Treatment Program, which will construct a water treatment plant and pipelines in Boring to remove cryptosporidium and other contaminants from the city s public drinking supply, as well as reduce corrosion of pipes and prevent lead poisoning.
Washington County adapts to life under moderate risk March 02 2021
Restaurants, fitness centers and more are allowed to up their capacity this week as COVID-19 cases continue to fall.
The coronavirus picture keeps improving in Washington County, where businesses are now being allowed to relax health and safety protocols a little further still.
Gov. Kate Brown declared Washington County, as well as neighboring Clackamas County, to be at moderate risk of COVID-19 community spread as of Friday, Feb. 26.
The move down from high risk came just two weeks after the most stringent restrictions were rolled back, following about two months during which Washington County was considered to be at an extreme risk level.
Michele Veenker: Sheriff s Levy shouldn t be considered an either/or proposal
On Feb. 25, Pamplin Media Group reported on the Clackamas County commissioners voting to support the Sheriff s Levy. In that, they quoted me. Although the quote was correct, because I was not allowed to finish my testimony, my quote was taken out of context and left the readers with the misconception that I was against the levy, when in fact I support it.
The reporter said I supported the idea of increasing bed capacity for mental illness but questioned whether the sheriff s office is the best agency to administer such services.
Gaps in oversight found in Metro affordable housing bond
Metro Auditor Brian Evans said the regional governing agency ignored some protocols for approving projects.
Metro, the regional government, disregarded some of its own procedures when selecting affordable housing projects to fund with 2018 bond money, according to a report from the Metro auditor.
Auditor Brian Evans said gaps in data collection also impeded the Affordable Housing Bond s appointed oversight committee s ability to monitor progress on some of the promises made to the public specifically that the bond would lead with racial equity and create opportunity throughout the region. It was hard to tell if the methods outlined in the bond s work plan were used to evaluate projects. Using different methods could make funding decisions less reliable and more difficult to defend, according to the 23-page report. Unclear procedures also created uncertainty about project and program reporting.