The Lebanon City Council declared a state of emergency during its Oct. 9 meeting, citing concerns over the potential impacts on the city’s water supply due to planned reservoir drawdowns by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Last year’s drawdown led to significant turbidity issues at the city’s water treatment plant. This year a state of emergency was declared to prepare for a likely issue with water quality as the drawdown commences.
City Manager Ron Whitlatch warned that the water treatment plant is not meant to handle the levels of sediment expected to enter the system as the Green Peter Reservoir is lowered to historically low levels for a second year.
“We believe this to be an emergency based on what we saw last year,” Whitlatch said.
Last year, when the reservoir was drawn down, the plant experienced water turbidity levels three times higher than it was built to manage, causing significant operational challenges. The plant is rated to handle water with turbidity levels up to 50 NTU, with a maximum of 150 NTU for short periods. The plant would normally see six to seven inches of sediment within a year, but saw two to three feet of sediment in a few months, resulting in a reduction in lifespan to the plant’s filtration membranes.
The city spent $450,000 to add additional membranes following last year’s issues, but officials say the membranes’ lifespan will be significantly reduced due to the drawdowns and high water turbidity.
“The normal lifespan of the membranes is 12 to 15 years, but this will cut that in at least half, if not more,” Whitlatch explained.
This type of membrane treatment system was originally chosen because of Lebanon’s typically clean water supply, but no one would have predicted the impacts of sediment on the system due to the Corps’ drawdowns.
The state of emergency declaration, passed unanimously by the council, grants the city flexibility in managing its budget to address the anticipated issues. It also allows Lebanon to pay for necessary employee overtime to maintain the system to continue to provide safe drinking water for residents. The declaration does not stop the Army Corps from proceeding with the drawdowns.
While the Corps’ actions are designed to support salmon migration, Whitlatch noted that the potential impact on Lebanon’s water supply hadn’t been fully considered.
“I don’t think it was taken into account what it would do to the drinking water; it was only about the salmon,” Whitlatch said, adding that the emergency declaration puts the government on notice about the city’s concerns.
Mayor Ken Jackola voiced his support for the emergency declaration, describing it as a difficult but necessary decision.
“This was not an easy conclusion to come to… it was very well thought through, and I believe it is the right path to take,” he said.
The city has created a webpage to provide updates on the water quality situation and the Corps’ activities, including water quality reports and other relevant information at LebanonOregon.gov/345/The-Citys-Response-and-Information-Relat.
Public Comments and Other City Business
During the meeting, the council also heard updates from Lebanon Downtown Association (LDA) Director Shelly Jackola. She highlighted the LDA’s efforts to promote local businesses, reporting that 16 different towns had visited the city’s downtown over the summer, with 29 events and activities hosted so far this year. The LDA has provided $140,000 in grants to downtown merchants in the past year and a half. New art installations have been completed at Strawberry Plaza, and four new businesses opened downtown in the last month. The LDA is also planning a workshop in November to help businesses improve their online presence in cooperation with Main Street America.
A proposed annexation of a 0.181-acre parcel at 785 W B St. was also unanimously approved by the council. The property is located within the city’s urban growth boundary and designated for residential mixed-density use.
Updates on Measure 110 and Drug Deflection Program
Police Chief Frank Stevenson provided updates on the implementation of House Bill 4002, which reinstated criminal penalties for drug possession, replacing key provisions of Measure 110. Since Sept. 1, individuals found with user amounts of controlled substances can now be arrested and cited into Linn County Circuit Court, where they will be directed into a deflection program.
Chief Stevenson described this as a “step in the right direction,” noting that while Lebanon doesn’t have the funds to reopen its jail, the ability to cite individuals for drug offenses represents progress. He explained that offenders will be cited and released at the scene unless they are involved in additional crimes, but the new policy forces offenders to appear in court or face failure-to-appear charges.
“The ability to cite is a win. It will get them going in the direction they need to go,” Stevenson said.
The deflection program is projected to be implemented in 2025, but is not in place yet and there is no information available about it yet.
Low Income Utility Rate Relief
The council also discussed expanding its low income utility rate relief program. Currently, about 60 customers receive a 10% discount, but the council is considering increasing that amount based on programs in comparable cities, some of which offer discounts as low as 1% to as high as 50%. Council members are moving forward with considering a 25% to 30% discount for low income residents. Councilmember Michelle Steinhebel expressed concerns about the process for verifying income, suggesting verification needs to be available in Lebanon rather than requiring residents to go to Albany for certification.
“I don’t feel comfortable saying we have this program and you have to go to Albany to get verified for it,” Steinhebel said.
Legislative Outreach and Future Plans
Whitlatch provided an update on legislative outreach efforts. He, Mayor Jackola, and other city officials attended legislative days in late September, meeting with congressmen and senators to discuss infrastructure needs, including the city’s wastewater plant and housing issues. Whitlatch described the reception as positive and announced plans to attend another legislative session in December.
“We will go and talk to anyone who will listen,” Mayor Jackola said. “We will get out there and build those bridges.”
The council also announced upcoming town halls scheduled to take place at the Lebanon Library, where residents can ask questions and receive updates on city issues.