By Laura Gordon
The independent review panel (IRP) set up by city council to evaluate open reservoir options has been making steady progress since February. MTNA was pleased that the council decided to revisit the decision to bury the reservoirs (something we had formally requested over a year earlier), but were disappointed that there were no stakeholders on the panel. We believed the panel needed to hear from us, the Friends of the Reservoirs, the Parks Bureau, neighbors, and others with important viewpoints and information. To their credit, the panel members have been asking good questions that go beyond the analysis of the five options to look at larger questions of future water bureau plans, water user rate increases, and consumption levels over time. The panel has been asking stakeholders for answers to some of their questions.

The MTNA has continued to push the panel for an open and inclusive process, requesting time for public comment at meetings and forums. We have supported the Friends of the Reservoirs in their efforts to provide additional and alternative information. The MTNA has encouraged the panel to weigh the effect of any option on Mt. Tabor Park, its users, and the neighborhood. We asked that the panel review copies of the Mt. Tabor master plan and the public advisory committee’s plan for what goes on top of the reservoirs (in the event that they would be buried). Both documents capture the importance of the reservoirs and the park to the city, the values of park users, and a blue-print for future use and function.

The independent review panel members have been open to our comments and suggestions. They ask the right questions and are trying to come up with an appro-priate analysis and agreement on a solution. The MTNA supports the good-faith efforts of the panel to, for the first time, take a comprehensive look at the city’s water system and recommend the next step in this process. Our goal is to support these efforts as best we can and continue to represent the views and needs of Mt. Tabor neighbors.

The IRP report is due for completion the week of May 10–14. The final meeting is scheduled for May 11, including public testimony. The panel will informally present its report to city council on June 8, to be televised by Portland Community Media. No date has yet been set for official council consider-ation of the report..