January 03, 2003
Point and Counterpoint on Reservoir
Also in today's Tribune is a pair of commentaries on the Mt. Tabor reservoir issue. Says the paper's introduction:
But not all of Portland thinks burying the reservoirs is a good idea. A new neighborhood group, Friends of the Reservoirs, is fighting the plan, saying the decision was made last spring behind closed doors without input from citizens who treasure the historic reservoirs and the parks they embellish.
Leading off the set is a rather annoyingly-written piece by Commissioenr Dan Saltzman:
Picture yourself without running tap water. You can't wash clothes, take a shower or flush your toilet. Every coffee shop, restaurant and bar has been closed by the health department. Any industry that uses water is shut down.
Now imagine dealing with this for a week or more. Far-fetched? Perhaps. A greater chance of it occurring in Portland than almost anywhere else in America? Absolutely!
Followed by an "open up the process" piece by Tim Raphael, director of the Northwest Conseration Finance Program at the Trust for Public Land:
Is there another way? I think there is. And I am convinced the scope of the challenges facing Portland -- from salmon recovery and harbor cleanup to tackling affordable housing, transportation, sewer, water and other infrastructure improvements -- requires a new relationship between the city and its neighborhoods.
The burden is on Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who oversees the water bureau, and the rest of the City Council to recast the Open Reservoirs Replacement Project to establish a level of trust and openness that could be a model for future public involvement processes.
Included is a reminder notice for the protest event planned for this Sunday.