Approved Minutes - 2022-02-21
CITY OF LAKE OSWEGO
Sustainability Advisory Board Minutes
February 21, 2022
Call to Order / Roll Call
Stephanie Glazer called the February 21, 2022 meeting of the Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) to
order at 6:33 p.m. over Zoom.
Members Present: Stephanie Glazer, Jay Hamachek, Susan Mead, Mark Puhlman,
Matt Schaeffer, Kathleen Wiens, Kara Orvieto, Kim Roeland,
Anna Wallin
Members Excused/Absent: Buzz Chandler, Olivia Reinhart, Councilor Nguyen
Staff: Amanda Watson, Anthony Hooper
Public: Duke Castle, Linda Ganzini, Ginger, Carole Ockert, Cheryl
Uchida, Lee Ward, Larry Zurcher
Approval of Minutes
January meeting minutes were approved.
Public Comment
None
Regular Business
A. City Council Update
None – Councilor Nguyen was absent.
B. HB 2001 Demolition Code Work Group
Carole Ockert was a neighborhood representative on the Middle Housing Advisory Committee and is
currently part of a work group convened by the Planning Department that is looking at updates to
the demolition code in parallel to HB 2001 implementation. Carole explained the difference
between the current definitions of demolition and remodel in Lake Oswego code. Demolitions
require a $15,000 fee to the city, public notice, and hazardous materials management process that
are not required for remodels. The work group is looking at strengthening the definition of
demolition to include instances currently defined as remodels that are obviously new builds.
Deconstruction was identified as a sustainable building practice in SAB’s 2022 goals and came up in
Council goal setting discussion. The City of Portland has a deconstruction requirement for homes
built in 1940 and earlier.
The Planning Commission will be considering amendments to the definition of demolition at their
February 28 meeting; there will be a City Council work session on March 15, and public hearings in
April and May. Currently, deconstruction is not part of that conversation. Carole Ockert asked if SAB
is interested in advocating for deconstruction in this process.
City of Lake Oswego Sustainability Advisory Board Minutes
February 21, 2022
Page 2 of 3
C. LOSN Electrify LO Campaign
Linda Ganzini, Lake Oswego Sustainability Network Board member, introduced LOSN’s “Electrify LO”
project that the group will be launching in April.
As Oregon transitions to clean electricity (100% clean by 2040), electrification is key to meeting our
climate goals. We will also need to increase efficiency and reduce demand to make the transition
possible. Co-benefits to electrification includes reduced lifecycle costs, reduced air pollution.
Stephanie noted increased resilience is also a significant benefit for households with solar and
battery storage.
Electrify LO is a campaign to support LO residents to electrify their homes and vehicles through
sharing information, motivation, and removing barriers. They will be sharing information on costs
and incentives for switching to electric equipment like heat pumps. Audience is adults in Lake
Oswego who are alarmed by the climate crisis and can be activated. Kickoff starts in March. LOSN
Forum Zoom event on April 7 will be a presentation from Brian Stewart from Electrify Now.
D. Wastewater Treatment Plant Project
Deputy City Manager Anthony Hooper gave a presentation on the City’s Wastewater Treatment
Plant Project, which would build a new modern facility to replace the aging Tryon Creek Plant. Lee
Ward, Senior Project Manager from EPCOR, also helped address questions. Anthony began by
sharing an informational video giving an overview of the project before diving in to sustainability
aspects.
The new facility would be an innovative enclosed design, allowing for better odor control, as well as
solar panels on the building roof and a smaller physical, environmental, and carbon footprint. The
project team is engaged with the Energy Trust of Oregon on a solar feasibility study and to identify
energy efficiency opportunities. AquaNereda technology used in the plant produces high quality
effluent (including filtering out over 99% of microplastics) and is 50-60% more energy efficient.
Landscaping will involve low-impact native plants. Resiliency measures include a redundant feed and
backup generator.
Separately, EPCOR is working on a plan to remediate the site of the existing plant. The project team
will be doing environmental studies on current sites and the sites that will need to be acquired for
the new plant. EPCOR has done checks of the outfall into the river and found it satisfactory, and will
continue to monitor.
The City has received an EPA WIFIA award for the project, which will finance half the project with
significantly lower interest.
Biosolids from the new plant would continue to be transported for processing at City of Portland’s
Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant to be turned into a fertilizer product and
renewable natural gas. This would lead to 100% waste methane gas recovery for the new plant.
The project team is also scoping a potential biosolids facility on site on 2 – 3 acres, which would be a
future Council decision point.
SAB members asked questions about the AquaNereda technology, plans to reuse water on site and
for irrigation at LO parks (purple pipe systems), fuel options for the backup generator, hydropower
City of Lake Oswego Sustainability Advisory Board Minutes
February 21, 2022
Page 3 of 3
potential from the plant inflow/outflow, and how the plant will handle things like baby wipes and
medication in wastewater.
E. Announcements from Board and Staff
Stephanie reminded members that she and Kathleen are terming out as co-chairs, and are looking
for other members who are interested in stepping up. Co-chairs election can happen in April or May
to allow for some overlap between new and current chairs. Also reminded members to look at SAB’s
2022 action plan, consider which of the sub-tasks related to adaptation and resilience you would like
to contribute to, so we can make sure things aren’t falling through the cracks.
Kathleen shared that the upcoming LOSN newsletter will cover Council goal setting and SAB’s 2022
goals.
Reflecting on Carole Ockert’s presentation, Board members discussed sustainability benefits and
potential challenges (re: cost of housing, administrative burden for the City) to a deconstruction
requirement or incentives to encourage deconstruction rather than demolition. Anthony noted that
the topic came up during City Council goal setting and the Council was interested in having SAB
weigh in on improvements to incentives for deconstruction. The Board passed a motion to develop
and submit a memo to the Planning Commission for their February 28 meeting, recommending that
the Commission consider deconstruction as part of the work they are doing to update the
definitions of demolition and remodel.
Amanda shared that the City has launched the EcoHome LO residential sustainability certification
program; an announcement will be in the March edition of HelloLO.
Wrap Up & Adjournment
SAB members decided to hold the next meeting on Monday, March 14, because March 21 falls during
LOSD spring break. Stephanie Glazer adjourned the meeting at 8:51 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Amanda Watson
Sustainability Program Manager