Portland Tribune – February 12, 2014

Most children who live in Milwaukie or Happy Valley have their choice of walking to at least two parks, but a couple of the poorer areas of unincorporated North Clackamas County lack neighborhood parks within a half mile.

County officials have long recognized the need for 3-4 acre parks in Jennings Lodge and Southgate especially, two areas with the lowest average incomes in the region, as well as in many other parts of the North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District. However, the district doesn’t have funding streams set aside to acquire or develop any new parks in these areas.

Gary Barth, director of the county’s parks and economic development departments, sees System Development Charges generated by development in an area as the main funding mechanism for new neighborhood parks. With little land available for new development in Southgate and Jennings Lodge, SDC funding for new parkland acquisition is likewise limited. Contrast that with Happy Valley’s Hidden Falls subdivision, where Icon Construction paid SDCs on 50 homes that essentially built a neighborhood park which became one of its marketing tools last year.

“One of our biggest challenges is maintaining an equitable system with areas growing so differently within the same district,” Barth said. “The areas west of Interstate 205 are a little bit of a challenge, so we’ve been cobbling together grants and doing what we can. Bottom line for us is not that we’re not interested in acquiring more space, but we just don’t have the funding.”

In July, a 16.6-acre parcel on the present site of the Jennings Lodge Evangelical Retreat Center became available for purchase, exciting neighbors who have long wanted a nearby park. Barth said the district would “eagerly look at the site” as a possible future park if a developer were interested in reserving three to four acres for parkland.

County Commissioner Paul Savas, pointing to a parks master plan identifying Jennings Lodge as “severely underserved” since 2004, has been pressing for quicker action on the property. Although that plan identified the need for significant new funding to meet the requirements of the community, a majority of county commissioners never directed staff to pursue that funding.

“These once in a lifetime opportunities, when they come available, we have to be better situated to take advantage of them,” Savas said. “I’ve been engaging a developer, and he’ll be visiting the property with me soon, and although he’s not necessarily interested in that property, he’ll be able to give some insight.”

With up to a $1 million matching grant from the state, Savas believes that the SDCs from this area would be enough for the county to purchase a portion of the property. He’ll be putting together a more detailed plan in the coming weeks.

Carol Mastronarde, chairwoman of the Jennings Lodge Community Planning Organization, thanked Savas and Commissioner Martha Schrader for their support of neighborhood efforts to figure out a way to buy all or part of the Evangelical Retreat Center for a community park. Mastronarde and members of the NCPRD Advisory Board have appealed to the other commissioners, but community advocates are worried that time is running out for the county to make a solid commitment to purchase all or part of the land.

“So it is left to the community to try to find a way to make a park happen in Jennings Lodge,” she said. “There probably will not be another piece of property for sale in Jennings Lodge which is so suited to public ownership and use.”

Property taxes from Jennings Lodge homeowners to NCPRD were $240,000 in 2012, and of that, $64,000 went to maintenance of existing facilities. Every household in the district, including those in Jennings Lodge, pays toward parks planning, community-wide facilities like the Trolley Trail and recreational programs, such as those based at the Milwaukie Center and the North Clackamas Aquatic Park.

Barth said that the current park-district tax rate is not sufficient to build up a capital reserve fund to acquire property or construct new capital assets. District officials do reserve funds from the annual operating budget for a “repair, replace and refurbish” fund to help maintain existing assets.

“It is not as much as it should be, but in striking a balance between current needs and future needs, it is the most we can reserve at this time at our current funding levels,” Barth said.

NCPRD’s tax base of about 54 cents per $1,000 of assessed value generates approximately $5.2 million annually, the lowest parks district tax rate, compared with Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District, $1.31; Bend Metro Parks & Recreation District, $1.46; Willamalane Parks & Recreation (Springfield), $1.9732. NCPRD’s 37 full-time employees, along with hundreds of seasonal employees and volunteers, serve 116,000 residents with 38 parks, 25 natural areas and 15 miles of trail.

As a long-term solution to the parkland shortage, Barth suggested that the district look into a foundation so that locals could donate capital funding.

“At some point in time, the parks district will have to go to the ballot to ask voters for a larger revenue stream,” Savas said.

Raymond Rendleman

http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/210464-68155-county-takes-on-inequalities-across-local-park-system

***Since this article in March of 2013 I am pleased to report that the legal challenges to the Sunrise Project have been solved. In part to the nearly completed Lawnfield re-construction project and by way of securing funds for the Tolbert Overpass.  It was a team effort that included the ODOT, JPACT, Legislators, County Commissioners, county staff, Lawnfield business owners and their attorney.

It also noteworthy that the efforts beginning in 2012 thru 2013 to advance the  I-205 bottleneck onto the Regional Transportation System Plan were also successful

I am honored to represent Clackamas County as the commissioner liaison for Transportation, though it consumed a lot of my time and effort it paid off on the July 31st when we officially broke ground on the Sunrise project

Here is the link for that too:  http://www.oregonlive.com/happy-valley/index.ssf/2013/07/clackamas_county_and_state_off.html  

– Paul Savas

Clackamas Review – March 27, 2013

In the political imbroglios that have characterized Clackamas County lately, Commissioner Paul Savas has found himself in the thick of them — a position in which he likely will remain by formally announcing his campaign for re-election in the coming months.

Savas, 56, an Oak Grove resident and business owner, is the only current commissioner who lives in the populous North Clackamas area. He won a close election in 2010, and then placed third in a bitter four-way primary campaign for the county’s chairperson position last May.

Two camps of solid opposing votes have emerged since the election of three county commissioners in November, and Savas often is the swing vote in 3-2 decisions. He sided with commissioners Jim Bernard and Martha Schader to support exiting Administrator Steve Wheeler and to fund a major repair of crumbling public housing. He has voted with new Chairman John Ludlow and Commissioner Tootie Smith to send questions to voters about Milwaukie light rail and the Columbia River Crossing project. In his first couple of years as a commissioner, Savas emphasized his goals to reduce deficit spending and debt-service costs. He tried to demonstrate the need for balanced funding between rural and urban areas, often on the losing side of 4-to-1 votes.

But Savas would like to focus on the county’s economic prosperity rather than politics.

“I just put that aside — I know it’s relevant, but the partisan bickering is really a distraction,” Savas said. “We need to get to the business of the county, and I think that’s what the citizens want and expect us to do.”

Savas measures the success of his time serving Clackamas County using his experience as an elected member of governing boards in Oak Lodge service districts. He’s not satisfied with the progress the county has made over the past few years, nor with its image.

“I want to leave organizations in a better place than when I found them,” he said. “I did that with the water and sewer districts, and that’s what compels me to move forward with my 2014 re-election campaign.”

To delve deeper into Savas’ priorities and the reasons behind his support for various initiatives, this newspaper sat down with him for an extended interview.

Question: What would it take for you to feel comfortable taking a strong stance on the CRC project as proposed?

Answer: The CRC is not our project; we have no intimate knowledge of it. Simply put, I believe in making informed decisions on projects of this magnitude. ODOT should pitch this project to us and answer our questions; they have over 10 years of history with it.

When any project is proposed, I expect an in-depth work session with the project team. After reviewing the material, the work session would include a question-and-answer period. It is customary to receive material on a Thursday and have a work session on the following Tuesday. On complex issues it is quite common to have several work sessions over a period of months. Code enforcement is just one example of that.

I typically rationalize my position whether I am in support or opposing. Should I oppose something, I often include solutions that could garner my conditional support. I realize it is easy to just say no, but that is not a responsible approach for an elected decision-maker. Too often, political motivations lead to exaggerations and disinformation. I believe government has an obligation to be informative and factual. After all, our citizens expect the truth.

Q: What’s left to do with Easton Ridge, and why do you think it is important for the county to provide quality public housing?

A: The Easton Ridge structures have some water damage and mold issues. Unfortunately, circumstances such as the recession prolonged adequate financing opportunities to repair the lemon we inherited. The good news is rent monies are expected to fully fund the repairs, and those repairs will be under way soon. I was successful in getting full board support for a performance audit of the Housing Authority of Clackamas County, forming a new advisory committee, and bringing in experts in building maintenance and repair to look over the housing inventory of the HACC.

The county does not provide public housing nor do we fund public housing, the county commissioners essentially sit on the HACC board, which owns the housing and implements the federally authorized program. If the county chose not to be in that role, another group would be.

Q: How have your views on Portland-Milwaukie light rail changed since you first ran for commissioner in 2010?

A: My position on PMLR has not changed. My financial concerns have not only been reinforced, but are more serious than I was led to believe. TriMet’s financial outlook is grave.

Q: Why do you think it’s important for voters to weigh in on the Trolley Trail with regard to light rail?

A: The language and spirit of Measure 3-401 (which passed overwhelmingly in September) requires a vote on resources used for light rail, and it just so happens that the park district is obliged to transfer resources to TriMet. The Trolley Trail property is a large part of that.

What I am concerned about now is that many citizens have high expectations that 3-401 would stop PMLR. However, if the prevailing legal opinions stand, there will be some disappointment. It is very clear now that the legal challenge initiated by TriMet will put this matter in a court where a judge will ultimately decide.

Q: What other challenges and opportunities do you see for the North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District in the future?

A: The NCPRD is facing similar financial pressures that numerous government entities face — basically expenses are outpacing revenue. The district advisory board will be exploring options that could improve their financial status, efficiencies and park facilities. We have many citizens that care deeply about our parks.

Q: What can Clackamas County focus on in the next few years to maximize local commercial and industrial potential?

A: The county must first prioritize economic development in its top tier of goals. Then we should align our land-use and transportation plans to position our employment lands to a status that will attract new business. Infrastructure is a vital component of that, and it is one of our key responsibilities. Clackamas County has a major shortage of employment land inside the urban growth boundary. Traded-sector businesses often pay above-average wages and stimulate other industries. We are now inventorying all of our employment land and seeking ways to maximize underutilized properties. We are also looking outside the urban growth boundary for typical rural industries such as our lumber mills, farming, food processing, nurseries and other suitable employment opportunities.

Q: Why do you characterize the county’s road system as failing, and how would the county readjust its priorities to address the problems?

A: Our road condition-testing program has identified the roads in jeopardy. The county must maximize every dollar we currently receive for roads.

The remaining shortfall is significant, and the commission must wrestle with ways to address it. The cost to maintain roads is far less than rebuilding a road once the roadbed deteriorates. Our last survey indicated this is a high priority with our citizens. I take that very seriously, and I believe my fellow commissioners will, too.

As the county’s representative on JPACT, transportation is a key responsibility. The Phase 1 Sunrise project is facing a legal challenge partly due to the unfunded Tolbert overpass.

We are hopeful the state can find an additional $25 million. Myself and Commissioner Schrader have been engaged in lobbying efforts for those extra dollars both in Washington D.C., and Salem. Meanwhile, ODOT has indicated the project is going forward. The Highway 212/Sunrise Corridor is home to the largest economic engine in Clackamas County.

The other major transportation issue is Interstate 205 where it bottlenecks from six lanes to four lanes. The Abernethy Bridge over the Willamette River is part of that, and we currently have rush-hour traffic congestion and frequent accidents. It is important to get this identified as a needed project and a priority. Commerce is dependent upon a functioning transportation system where freight can move efficiently.

-Raymond Rendleman

http://portlandtribune.com/cr/24-news/134750-county-compels-2014-run-for-savas

Estacada News – December 18, 2013

City, county and state officials were all smiles Wednesday, Dec. 11, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the newly constructed road on Estacada’s Industrial Campus.

The road is considered a necessary first step to attracting new industrial development to the surrounding land. The industrial campus is owned by developer Mike Park.

In a June interview with Estacada News, Park pointed out that the development of the existing Industrial Park — which also was his land — created more than 200 jobs in Estacada.

Park has long wanted to do something similar with the Industrial Campus.

He is hoping to recruit a large industrial business that deals in metals manufacturing, anodizing, or the like, and that employs people by the thousands.

It’s a goal the city of Estacada shares.

A Local Improvement District, or money loaned by the city for infrastructure to attract businesses, was approved earlier this year for the construction of the road.

“It’s a city project because the funding is through the state of Oregon and it’s a public job,” Park said in June.

Park and city leaders hope the road makes the surrounding land more attractive for prospective businesses.

In June, Elliott told the Estacada News that there are two challenges to attracting such a business: There’s no natural gas in the area and the land is not adjacent to a freeway, creating issues with the ease of transportation.

“Other than that it’s absolutely perfect,” Elliott said.

Park, the former owner of the Safari Club, purchased the land in 1988.

For a while he had a nursery, then grew Christmas trees.

But the idea to develop the land for industry purposes has been a long time in the making.

In June, City Manager Bill Elliott explained some of the hurdles that had to be cleared for that to be possible.

The first major challenge was to get the land within Estacada’s Urban Growth Boundary, which took some doing.

When Elliott became city manager four years ago, the project was still in process. And he’s “spent the whole four years working on it.”

Then the property had to be annexed into the city. That happened last year.

Once it came part of the city, the land was re-zoned for industrial development.

This was exciting for Park and city leaders because it’s one of the largest pieces of ground zoned for industrial use in Clackamas County.

The land has received Oregon’s Industrial Site Certification.

A crowd of at least 30 people, including State Sen. Alan Olsen, R-District 20; State Rep. Bill Kennemer, R-District 39; Tim McCabe, director of Business Oregon; representatives from the Estacada Fire District, Estacada police officer Bill Wetherbee; and several city and county officials gathered for the ribbon-cutting event.

Estacada Mayor Brent Dodrill had high praise for Park.

“He’s the spearhead behind all of this,” Dodrill said of Park. “Mike’s investment and risk and vision is really what’s behind all of this.”

“It’s really great to know that in an area that’s really deprived for employment, we’re doing what we’re doing here,” said Clackamas County Commissioner Paul Savas.

Park himself had few words.

“I think this is a real opportunity for this town,” he said.

http://www.pamplinmedia.com/en/30-news/204891-property-ready-for-industrial-progress

The Oregonian – December 3,  2013

One only has to attend or listen to one of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners meetings to gain an understanding that there is one particular voice that consistently has the best interest of the citizens of Clackamas County in mind when he speaks or votes.

Paul Savas is a proven leader who is now making and will continue to make Clackamas County a better place to safely live, work, play and raise our families in — all the while maintaining a stable course of cohesive prosperity for all of its citizens.

The essence of intelligence is informed opinion tempered with an open mind and expressed cogently. That is Commissioner Paul Savas. He is the man we elected to represent us and who has proven time and again who we most definitely should re-elect now.

Paul Savas will continue to move the county forward toward a goal of shared and sustainable economic prosperity in a responsible way. That is why I am voting to re-elect Paul Savas.

— Tom Weaver, Jennings Lodge

http://www.oregonlive.com/milwaukie/index.ssf/2013/12/letter_to_the_editor_clackamas.html#incart_river