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Committee adds third nominee and refers Portland Utility Board appointments to full council
Summary
The Committee of the Whole voted July 15 to amend and refer nominations to the Portland Utility Board, adding Rose Conan to the slate alongside Al Hague and Joe Robinson. The panel said the PUB will advise on water, sewer and stormwater oversight as the city faces major utility investments.
The Committee of the Whole on July 15 amended and referred a slate of nominees to the Portland Utility Board (PUB), adding Rose Conan as a third appointee and recommending the full council confirm the appointments.
The change came after a presentation by Amy Archer Masters, an analyst with the City Budget Office, and PUB co-chairs Kyle Chipman and Lorraine Wilson, who described the PUB’s role in ratepayer oversight, transparency and project oversight for the Water Bureau and the Bureau of Environmental Services. "Pub's purpose is to ensure accountability and transparency of rate payer funds and provide oversight of the public utilities," Chipman told the committee.
Councilor Clark moved the amendment to add Rose Conan; another member seconded and the committee approved the amendment by roll call (11 aye votes on the amendment). The subsequent motion to refer the appointments to full council carried (12 aye), with the committee recording that the appointments be recommended for acceptance.
Two nominees who spoke directly to the committee—Al Hague and Joe Robinson—described their community ties and utility experience. Hague said he was motivated by transparency and affordability concerns and cited his volunteer work with local conservation groups; Robinson described his operations role at the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant and his interest in integrating labor perspectives.
The committee’s action sends the full slate to council for final confirmation. Co-chairs and council members repeatedly emphasized that the PUB will be an important forum as the city navigates large utility projects and potential rate impacts, and asked the board to collaborate with council on outreach and clearer public reporting.
The committee also approved a clerical amendment to include an additional alternate appointee, and asked staff to coordinate next steps for onboarding and scheduling PUB working sessions with council.
