Multnomah County updates library bond projects after auditor finds recycling reporting gaps

Multnomah County officials briefed the board on the fourth-quarter 2025 status of the Library Capital Bond Program, reporting project openings, budget changes and steps to address an auditor—s finding that the county could not verify recycling rates on four construction projects.

The finding, described by Kate Vance, deputy director for the Library Capital Bond Program, said the county relied on recycling data for Albina, Holgate, Midland and North Portland libraries "that appeared to be inaccurate and unreliable." Vance said the auditor's report, released the previous week, found that three of the four projects lost potential LEED points because of the documentation issues but that each project remains on track to achieve LEED Gold certification.

The nut graf: County staff emphasized that the recycling issue stems from industrywide challenges with construction waste tracking and that the program will pursue process improvements rather than citing immediate legal or financial penalties. "We will continue to work across departments with sustainability consultants and general contractors to identify and implement process improvements to ensure adequate reporting on future projects,"…