Public Works Director Jennifer Ward told the Dallas City Council at a July 7 work session that the city’s top priority among council goals is obtaining water-rights approvals and advancing design and funding for a new dam and the James Howe Reservoir to increase local water storage.

The permit process includes a multi-agency Kaizen meeting scheduled for next Wednesday with about 35 invited stakeholders, Ward said, and the city’s engineers from Jacobs will attend. “The first is, what's, what I've learned is called a Kaizen meeting,” Ward said, naming the convening as a step to bring regulatory and habitat stakeholders together.

Ward said staff still must finish a mitigation and bypass study; she expects that study to be completed this fall. She also told the council that the city has applied for the impoundment/storage permit and is “working through that,” and that state reviewers are “often learning as they go,” so the review is likely to take time.

Councilors asked for follow-up. Councilor Shane requested an update after the Kaizen meeting, saying, “Can I ask that we get an update on that meeting after it's happened? Either at a work session or even by email. Just tell us how it went.”

Ward said the broader two-year goal cycle will cover parallel updates to the water master plan’s capital improvement program (CIP) section and to related plans such as the sewer master plan and stormwater planning. She said the water master plan CIP updates should be wrapped up before the end of the calendar year; the sewer master plan is also scheduled for completion this calendar year.

City staff noted that agencies and interested parties such as Water Watch of Oregon are participating as interested parties in the permit review and public comment processes, and that the county must provide a land-use concurrence as part of the approvals. Ward and city manager staff characterized the Kaizen meeting as recommended — not required — and intended to familiarize regulators and interested parties with project details before formal permit applications and construction-permit work.

Next steps listed by staff: hold the Kaizen meeting next Wednesday; complete the mitigation and bypass study this fall; continue the state permit review process; and update the water master plan CIP by year-end. A land-use concurrence from Polk County will also be required before later approvals.