West Linn Approves New Water System Agreements With Lake Oswego-Tigard Partnership That Benefit West Linn

WEST LINN – On Monday, November 18, 2013, the West Linn City Council approved several agreements that will provide safe drinking water to the West Linn community for decades and help to pay for a replacement for the 100 year old Bolton Reservoir. These agreements implement conditions that were part of the land use approval for the LOT water treatment plant and the accompanying water lines,  which were approved in February 2013. The City Council approved the following agreements:

• A new Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Lake Oswego, Tigard, and the South Fork Water Board that guarantees that the agencies will provide water to the other agencies in an emergency.  This replaces an existing IGA and ensures that the new IGA cannot be terminated without the consent of all parties.  It also guarantees a minimum of four million gallons of water per day from Lake Oswego-Tigard to West Linn through 2041.

• A cooperative agreement between the Lake Oswego-Tigard Water Partnership (LOT) and the West Linn providing for LOT to construct a replacement water line in Mapleton Drive; upgrade the water intertie between Lake Oswego and West Linn; and repave Mapleton Drive and Kenthorpe Road in West Linn.

• An agreement between LOT, Oregon Recreation and Parks Department, and the City of West Linn which states that LOT will provide $90,000 for improvements to Mary S. Young Park in return for use of state parks property next to Mary S. Young Park.  West Linn will use the $90,000 for City projects.

• A franchise agreement that provides LOT with the right to use West Linn public right-of-way to locate its water transmission lines in return for a lump sum payment of $5 million to West Linn.

The West Linn City Council also approved a resolution dedicating the $5 million payment from LOT to be used for replacement of the Bolton Reservoir.  The total cost of the reservoir is estimated at $9 million with 30 percent of that cost ($2.7 million) coming from system development charges.  By utilizing the $5 million payment for this purpose, the City Council can maintain water rates at one of the lowest in the entire region. 

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