Here we go again. Spread the wealth(contracts) so everyone (consultants) is happy. Classic PWB Manifesto stuff. Another nice distraction from the real problems of PWB to take up more community time to fight. With Fish and Zsa Zsa at Parks, this is another done deal, enabling them to ask for more money because we nee more park space.

There actually is quite a bit of undeveloped space to the south and east of the pump station for at least one more expansion. Also, if you look inside the station, the building isn't completely used, and at any given time, not all the pumps are running. The "argument" about the site being surrounded by residential and commercial development is questionable, because the pump house isn't noisy. It all makes me wonder if they really even visited the site. They're bending over backwards to adopt the most complicated and expensive solution possible.

Look for more of these grandiose water projects as only Leonard /Shaff can produce. Like handing out pardons at the end of a term, Shaff's engineer buddy will greatly benefit as Shaff races to become vested in his deep 6 figure PERS package. We're broke as a city ...but we have a lot of new toys.

We just need to keep shining the light on these projects/city proposals and decisions!

Thank you Jack.

From what I last heard before and after a public meeting at the Terwilliger French School concerning whether to move or renovate the pump station in Johns Landing, is that the water bureau was going to tear down the newer, fancy public toilets at the south end of the park. These toilets cost about $300,000 about 12 years ago, then rebuilt after an arson fire.

Activist in the neighborhood expressed their opposition in taking precious park land for the water bureau. The location is right near the Willamette Park tennis courts, a picnic shelter, kids play equipment area, and the south soccer field. Oh well, parks should do everything, so why not another foreign use. With only one park that serves the South Portland neighborhood, that is really a regional park as well, what's wrong in carving up more of the park?

Jack,

If you or your readers would like more information on the project, including the alternatives we looked at, the public involvement process we used, and the $655k compensation we will be paying to Parks to be used for park improvements in Willamette Park, they can go here on our website: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/water/index.cfm?a=290703&c=39678&nocache=1

David Shaff, Administrator
Portland Water Bureau

The widely publicized PURB meeting held last Wednesday on the open reservoirs can be viewed from link below. One part consists of the official presentations. Dr. Gary Oxman stated that open reservoirs are not a threat or danger to public health and that Bull Run is a gift. The other part is public comment, unanimously in favor of keeping our Bull Run system as is....no treatment plant, no open reservoir destruction. At the end of the official presentations, one member of the PURB asked if anyone in the audience was from the City Council or representing the Mayor and City Council. Not a one was there!

http://vimeo.com/10067633

Improvements to the rest of the park won't really replace the land used by the BES, will it? I'd love to know whether the first option to rebuild at the existing location would cost more or less than $12.2 million.

Mr. Shaff, for over 18 years the neighborhood assn. had an agreement with the Parks Bureau to allow paid parking (the first in the city) in the park on the agreement that all proceeds go to park improvements within Willamette Park only (thank you, Amanda Jacobsen, Parks Committee Chairperson).

Can you provide an accounting if that has been done? In those 18 years there has hardly been one park maintenance or improvements accomplished in the park. In fact the Parks Bureau even took away garbage service for a while when the Parks Commissioner wanted to make sure a Parks Bond would pass: the typical "we have no money for maintenance" story.

The parking money is like the story that "this money is blue money and this is green and they can't be combined". But Willamette Park parking money has been pilfered, mixed to make "brown money" co-mingled into the general Parks money. Please prove otherwise.

$12.2 million?
I smell a 47 profit.

Which means plenty to donate to various campaigns.

Lee,

The only thing I can do is confirm for you when the transfer is made from the Water Bureau to the Parks Bureau. After that, you have to ask the Parks Bureau what the money is used for - but the neighborhood and park users who supported the plan expect it to be used in the park.

David Shaff

Yeah, and good luck with that. Zsa Zsa needs staff.

I smell a $7 million profit.