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Portland council appoints water‑allocation review panel as lake levels fall toward stage‑3 drought
Summary
With combined lake levels near 20.2%, the council appointed five members to a Water Allocation and Review Committee that staff said will have full authority to grant or deny variance requests during stage‑3 drought restrictions; the council recommended Charles West as chair.
Portland City Council on Monday appointed five members to a Water Allocation and Review Committee as the city prepares for escalating drought restrictions.
Deputy City Manager explained that Portland purchases water through the San Patricio Municipal Water District, which gets supplies from Corpus Christi; Corpus Christi has tied customers to its drought stages, and the deputy said combined lake levels were at about 20.2 percent over the weekend, making the city likely to enter stage‑3 drought restrictions without significant rain.
"During the stage 3 drought restrictions, it's important to have our Water Allocation Review Committee seated, so that it can hear variance requests and appeals from both individual property owners and from the city at large," the deputy said. Staff recommended appointing five members drawn from the board of adjustment — Vanessa Jana Moore, Amy Traylor, Clark Smith, Charles West and Ramiro Reyna Jr. — and recommended Charles West as chair and Vanessa Gianna Moore as vice chair.
The deputy said the committee, which last met in 2013 during more severe restrictions, would have full authority to approve or deny variance requests; if the committee denies a request, an appeal would be heard before the city council. Councilman Green moved to appoint the five board of adjustment members to the Water Allocation and Review Committee; Councilman Wilson seconded and the motion was approved.
Staff said the workload for the committee is expected to be heavier initially as residents and businesses seek exemptions, but that blanket exemptions proposed by staff could reduce meeting frequency to a few times per month after the initial surge. The committee will be responsible for issuing variances such as exemptions for automatic sprinkler systems or other water‑use activities restricted under stage‑3 rules.
The council did not provide additional conditions on the appointments during the meeting; staff said they will present any necessary blanket exemptions and the committee's operating procedures as drought conditions unfold.
