Summary
Councilors directed staff to prepare a letter backing county efforts for Northwest Natural to assume the regional natural gas pipeline after county repair funds were exhausted, noting roughly 1,900 customers served and that county reserves cited in the meeting were insufficient to cover full replacement costs.
Members of the North Bend City Council discussed the future of a regional natural gas pipeline during the Jan. 13 meeting and signaled support for a letter backing the county’s effort to have Northwest Natural assume responsibility for the asset.
Council discussion described the pipeline (installed previously to serve parts of Coos County) and said the county has expended its repair funds. A staff speaker summarized the situation: the county had reached the limit of available funds to maintain the pipeline, leaving county reserves reported in the meeting at about $2,000,000, while replacement or major repair estimates discussed in the meeting were described as multiple times that amount. The staff and councilors noted regulatory hurdles and the federal oversight that applies to natural gas transmission but said having Northwest Natural accept the pipeline could stabilize operations and spread the costs across the utility’s rate base.
Councilors asked whether the council should send a letter of support; several members voiced support for Northwest Natural taking ownership if it is willing, given the county’s constrained options. The city manager/staff said they would prepare a letter of support promptly; one staff speaker said, “I’ll get that letter out tomorrow.”
The council cited potential impacts on roughly 1,900 residential customers and local employers (recorded references included Roseburg Products and Southport Lumber) if service were jeopardized. No formal action beyond the staff direction to prepare and send the letter was recorded in the meeting transcript.
