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Resident raises concern over public input as Polk County advances regional water-permit talks
Summary
A Polk County resident urged the Board of Commissioners for a public role in a regional water-supply plan tied to a Willamette River permit; county staff described multi-jurisdictional negotiations with Monmouth and Independence and said there is currently no formal public process.
A Polk County resident told the Board of Commissioners on May 7 that she could not find clear opportunities for public input on a draft technical memo about a proposed regional water supply that uses a Willamette River permit Polk County holds.
The comment came during the meeting's public comment period, when Sally Penna of Cloud Corner Road asked whether there is a process so the proposal "isn't a wet cemented project before we even have a chance for input." A county staff member responded that there is currently no public engagement process because Polk County is in "a multijurisdictional conversation" about use of a permit the county acquired years ago on the Willamette River and is negotiating intergovernmental agreements with Monmouth and Independence.
The staff member said Dallas had initially been part of the talks but has withdrawn "at least for now," and described the effort as part…
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