City staff told the St. Helens City Council on June 4 that the first phase of the Riverwalk project is complete and that the city is planning a ribbon‑cutting and a sequence of weekend events, but that a pending agreement with Portland General Electric (PGE) must be finalized before a business grant tied to a substation can proceed.

“Mark councilor Gunderson's appointment on the Columbia Learning Center board is coming due,” John (staff member) said, and then updated the council on events and project status: a series of concerts will begin the day after the meeting and continue across several weekends; the Kiwanis parade and a ribbon‑cutting for the Riverwalk first phase were scheduled later in the month; a community day and Independence Day events are also in planning. Staff said Parks punch‑list items remain, including ADA details and handrails, and that the grass and other park items are being finalized.

On the Riverwalk financing and substation work, staff said a PGE agreement is needed for the city to receive a business grant for a substation; staff reported that PGE litigation is consuming the utility’s legal resources and delaying the agreement. “So it's in their court,” John said.

Staff also warned that the city's budget reserves are at low levels for the year and described the fiscal environment as challenging. “Taking the reserves down to a low amount is gonna be really challenging on the % of our city resources,” John said, and urged support for commercial and industrial development to increase tax base over time.

Why it matters: the completion and activation of the Riverwalk affects public access and planned community events; the PGE agreement is a gating matter for related infrastructure funding; low reserves affect fiscal flexibility.

No formal council action on the PGE agreement or revenues was recorded during the work session.