Water utility board approves $247.8 million 2025–2030 capital plan; solids-handling at Kellogg deferred

Sitting as the Water Environment Services (WES) Board of Directors, the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners voted 4–1 to advance the Water Environment Services 2025–2030 Capital Improvement Plan to a future business meeting for formal adoption.

The five-year plan, as presented by Greg Geist, Director of Water Environment Services, identifies roughly $247,750,000 in planned capital spending through 2030. Geist said WES serves about 200,000 residents and treats about 7,000,000,000 gallons of wastewater per year, and that the CIP is a rolling projection of what the utility intends to build and when, separate from budget and financing decisions.

The plan allocates roughly half its projects to growth-driven needs and half to replacing or rehabilitating aging infrastructure, Geist said, noting some assets are roughly 50 years old. He highlighted investments at the Kellogg treatment plant, including administrative remodels, disinfection upgrades and—later in the five‑year window—solids‑handling work intended to reduce truck traffic from the site. Geist said the ultraviolet disinfection system at Kellogg is the first installed in the state and is roughly 40 years old, making replacement a near-term priority.

Why this matters: the CIP sets the county’s near-term construction priorities for wastewater treatment and collection. While it is not itself a financing plan, the schedule and scope of projects drive future budget, reserve and debt decisions that influence rates charged to customers.

Discussion and dissent Commissioner Savas said he remained uneasy about delaying the Kellogg solids‑handling and dewatering projects, recalling a protracted permitting dispute with the City of Milwaukie that ended in 2012 and which had previously hindered upgrades at Kellogg. “For a time, the Kellogg facility was kind of on the bubble…there wasn't much maintenance going on there,” Savas said, and he said he had trouble supporting additional delay on the solids‑handling work because past assurances had been given to the city.

Geist defended the project sequencing as prioritizing the highest‑functioning needs first; he said a present‑value financial analysis showed building now or later produced similar financial results, and that sequencing was driven by functional priorities as well as cost considerations.

Next steps and procedural notes Commissioner Schroeder moved to bring the CIP forward for formal adoption at a future business meeting; the motion was seconded and passed by a 4–1 recorded vote (Director Savas — nay; Directors West, Schroeder, Fireside and Chair — aye). Geist told the board he would return with a resolution at a business meeting for formal adoption.

Clarifying details - Five‑year CIP total: $247,750,000 (presented by Greg Geist). - Service area: from Far Happy Valley to Milwaukee/South Oregon City (as described in the presentation). - Customers served: approximately 200,000 residents; annual treatment ~7,000,000,000 gallons. - Kellogg work: administrative remodels and disinfection upgrades included in the near term; major solids‑handling/dewatering projects scheduled later in the plan (pushed from earlier proposed years).

Speakers - Greg Geist — Director, Water Environment Services (government). - Jeff Stallard — Capital Program Manager, Water Environment Services (government). - Commissioner Savas — Board member / Director (government). - Commissioner West — Board member / Director (government). - Commissioner Schroeder — Board member / Director (government). - Commissioner Fireside — Board member / Director (government). - Chair Roberts / Chair — Presiding officer (government).

Actions - Kind: motion - Motion: “I move we support the Water Environment Services 2025–2030 Capital Improvement Plan” (text as spoken). - Mover: Commissioner Schroeder. - Second: not specified in transcript. - Vote record: Director Savas — nay; Director West — aye; Director Schroeder — aye; Director Fireside — aye; Chair — aye. - Outcome: approved (4–1). - Notes: Board directed staff to bring a resolution for formal adoption at a future business meeting.

Authorities - type: policy; name/description: Clackamas County cost‑recovery and board procedures (referenced_by: ["planning_and_budget"]). - type: other; name/description: statutory certification process for unpaid utility charges (described as “statutory process” used to add unpaid WES charges to property tax rolls; specific statute not specified) (referenced_by: ["delinquent_accounts_discussion"]).

Proper_names [{"name":"Clackamas County","type":"agency"},{"name":"Water Environment Services","type":"agency"},{"name":"Kellogg facility","type":"facility"},{"name":"City of Milwaukie","type":"location"},{"name":"Happy Valley","type":"location"},{"name":"Oregon City","type":"location"}]

Clarifying_details [{"category":"five_year_cip_total","detail":"five-year capital program total presented","value":"247750000","units":"USD","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Greg Geist"},{"category":"service_population","detail":"approximate number of residents served by WES","value":200000,"units":"people","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Greg Geist"},{"category":"annual_treatment_volume","detail":"annual wastewater treated","value":"7000000000","units":"gallons","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Greg Geist"},{"category":"kellogg_timeline","detail":"solids-handling/dewatering project timing pushed later in five-year plan; originally proposed earlier","value":"not specified","source_speaker":"Greg Geist"}]

Community_relevance {"geographies":["Clackamas County","Happy Valley","Milwaukie","Oregon City"],"funding_sources":[],"impact_groups":["ratepayers","residents served by WES"]}

Meeting_context {"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":7,"duration_minutes":26,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"medium","history":[{"date":"2012","note":"Permit dispute with City of Milwaukie resolved"}]}