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Picnic!

“Join us for a neighborhood potluck at the Columbia Childrens Arboretum n Saturday, August 3rd from 1-3pm. The ECNA will be providing cooked rotisserie chicken, rice, beverages, plates and cutlery, and tables and tablecloths. 

Please bring a dish to share with your neighbors and learn more about what the ECNA does and who we are. The ECNA is celebrating 46 years, and there will be a cake to commemorate the occasion. 

Fun for the whole family, we will also provide a small art station for the kids and some lawn games in the grass. See you there!” 

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  Message From Commander Simon

  July 30th – Mark Your Calendars
  It is the time of year where the Police Bureau puts out the Annual Reports from each of the three Precincts. For North Precinct, that date is Tuesday July 30th.  At that presentation, Chief Day and I will give out some information from the last year (2023), discuss the current trends in the Bureau and forecast what we anticipate the remaining 2024 will look like. Would you mind sending this out to the Neighborhood Associations? I have the meeting link below, it’s on Microsoft Teams, so it’s virtual to hopefully get folks to tune in. https://www.portland.gov/police/events/2024/7/30/north-precinct-annual-report-meeting -Rob Commander Rob Simon North Precinct
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Get a seat at the table

The, soon to be formed District 2 Neighborhood Coalition Office will need a representative from the East Columbia Neighborhood.  We are looking for someone who is willing to attend a monthly meeting which may be via Zoom, and also serve on a committee.   This appointment to this Board will be for one year and may be renewed.  NECN presently meets the third (3rd) Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:00pm. 

Interested parties should respond via e mail to garymkunz@comcst.net, by 20 July 2024

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Portland Bureau of Transportation

PBOT is recruiting new members for the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC)

Sunday Parkways bikes
A crowd of people riding bikes at a Sunday Parkways event. Photo by PBOT. (July 22, 2024) Help shape the future of biking in Portland! The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is recruiting applications for seven new Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) members to serve a two-year term. The BAC is a city advisory body that advises City Council and all city bureaus (though primarily PBOT) on all biking-related matters.  The 20-member committee meets once a month (currently virtually) to review and comment on city projects, other transportation-related initiatives, and projects led by partner agencies. This is a great opportunity to gain experience in working with the city, learn more about city planning, connect with other Portlanders who are interested in biking, and give back to your community. Committee activities typically include reviewing and making recommendations on bike-related planning, projects, programs, and funding priorities. Committee members guide the conversation around these topics, provide feedback, and ask questions. “We’re looking for candidates interested in riding bicycles and working to make the city a more inclusive, accessible, and safe place to ride (and walk and take transit) for everyone. Not an expert? No problem! We’re more interested in your lived experience and having voices representing the many different communities that make Portland a great place to live,” said Ally Holmqvist, Chairperson of the BAC. “As a member, you’ll advise all city bureaus on bicycling-related matters including planning, budgeting, parking, storage, design, and construction. Your work on the BAC will support the City Council in efforts to improve bicycling throughout Portland and have impact for years to come. We hope you’ll join us.” To be eligible for the advisory committee, members must live, play, worship, go to school, work and/or do business in the City of Portland. Additionally, applicants for membership should: Have an interest in promoting bicycling for transportation, recreation, and environmental enhancement Have good communication skills for working on a committee Commit to attending one 2-3 hour meeting per month (currently scheduled for the second Tuesday evening of each month) and participating in the work of the committee. Future meetings will be virtual or hybrid, depending on the will of the committee. We want people from every part of Portland to share their voice on this committee! If you want to serve your community and help shape the future of biking in Portland, we strongly encourage you to apply. Learn more and apply today on the city’s website.  Applications are due on or before August 18, 2024. Selected members will be notified of their appointment in early to mid-September 2024, and the first meeting with new BAC members will be October 8, 2024. Please direct any questions you may have about this volunteer opportunity to PBOT’s Bicycle Coordinator, Roger Geller at roger.geller@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-7671.   ###  The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the City’s transportation system, and a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides access and mobility. Learn more at www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation The City of Portland ensures meaningful access to City programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services. To request these services contact 311 (503-823-4000), for Relay Service & TTY: 711.
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Flood Safety News: July 2024 View this email in your browser Passing the Baton for Flood Safety “Where we stand today – poised to establish a single, unified district with modern flood safety purposes and sustainable revenues – is the result of sustained effort and compromise by leaders across our region, state, and nation. It is the result of countless people’s ongoing and commitment to flood safety.”

– Ken Anderton, MCDD Board President
  The Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District is Operational!
For the past 107 years, four Drainage Districts – Multnomah County Drainage District, Peninsula Drainage District #1, Peninsula Drainage District #2, and the Sandy Drainage Improvement Company – managed the flood safety system in northern Multnomah County. 

Beginning July 1st, 2024, a single, unified agency called the Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District (UFSWQD) will take over management of this system. This consolidation will result in a more efficient governance structure and reflects the fact that the flood protection infrastructure functions as one system. This District will take a more comprehensive approach to flood safety, including expanded use of nature-based solutions to flooding, and a greater focus on preparing for climate change, improving social equity, and honoring the cultural history of flooding in the area.

Because a dry floodplain benefits the entire region, the new agency will collect operating revenue from nearly all of Multnomah County, resulting in a safer, more reliable system.

On June 7th, 2024 the Multnomah County Drainage District (MCDD) Board President formally recognized the significant contributions of the historic Districts in a letter to the UFSWQD Board of Directors.

MCDD Board President Ken Anderton symbolized the transition by passing the flood safety baton – a physical baton made of recycled pipe with the engraving “Passing the Baton for the Next Century of Service” – to UFSWQD Board President Steve Fancher.
Read the Letter Here Learn More about the UFSWQD Join the Board of Directors!
As we move forward into the next century of flood management, the Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District will be led by a new Board of Directors comprised of 5 elected positions and 4 governor-appointed positions.

Starting in January 2025, this board will lead the strategic direction of the UFSWQD – an agency well poised to take over the management of this system with a sustainable operating revenue, new responsibility areas, and a significant regional investment in capital projects made possible by the passage of Measure 26-243.

This is an exciting leadership opportunity for anyone interested in flood safety, emergency preparedness, equity, and environmental justice & conservation. The time commitment is estimated to be 6-10 hours per month, with an optional monthly stipend of $400.
  Learn more about Joining the Board Fill out the Board Member Interest Form Bike the Levees!
Join the Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District and the Columbia Slough Watershed Council on our annual Bike the Levees event!

Bike the Levees
Marine Drive to Historic Vanport


Explore the region’s flood safety infrastructure by bike, and learn about the past, present and future of flood safety! Learn  more about the planned upgrades made possible by the passage of Measure 26-243.  Hear stories from Ed Washington, a Vanport survivor, and a life-long civic leader.

When: Wednesday, July 10th from 5:15pm – 7:45pm

Route:  Slow-paced, 12-mile route. Meet near the Cascade Station MAX Stop, end near the Delta Park MAX Station


Dinner will be provided!
Register Here for Bike the Levees


District Project Updates 13th Avenue Discharge Lines Construction 


The 13th Ave Pump Station provides important drainage services for the East Columbia and Bridgeton Neighborhoods, ensuring that these areas stay dry during rain events. 

This project rehabilitates two discharge lines that allow stormwater to connect safely and efficiently from the flood protected areas to the surrounding natural waterways. Construction on this project will be completed by the end of September 2024. 

Measure 26-243 will fund additional upgrades to this pump station to increase pumping capacity and add a back-up power source. 
Gate Tower Inspection


The managed floodplain has a series of cross levees which serve to control and isolate high water in the case of a flood event. There is a section of the cross levee adjacent to NE 223rd Ave that does not meet federal safety standards. The valves that should regulate the flow of water between the Blue Lake Basin and Salmon Creek are stuck in the open position, which could lead to uncontrolled flooding if either side of the cross levee experiences flooding. 

Measure 26-243 will fund the replacement of the inoperable valve structure or “gate tower” and will repair or replace the culverts as needed based on a conditions assessment.

This summer, District staff are deploying contractors to clean and inspect the pipe. This inspection will help engineers develop a design for the rehabilitation or replacement of the pipes and the control valve structure. 
 
Improved Technology for Climate Preparedness


This past spring, our Engineering Team has successfully measured the depth of the Columbia Slough at various locations to better model how our pump stations will perform under different storm events. This will help us be better prepared for more frequent and severe storm events in a changing climate. 

  Follow the Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Our Mission: We equitably reduce flood risk and prepare for and respond to flood emergencies by maintaining levees, conveying water when necessary, and finding innovative and nature-based ways to live with more water around us while supporting community safety and the region’s economic vitality, contributing to the health of the river and watershed, planning for a more climate-resilient future, and promoting equity in all we do.

Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality DistrictCopyright © Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District, all rights reserved.
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