Comprehensive Plan Chapter 7: Public Facilitues and Services

The provision of public facilities and services is a key ingredient in the development of Clackamas County and the implementation of this Plan. All development requires a certain level of public facilities and services. The objective of this Plan element is to provide the level of public facilities and services to support the land use designations in this Plan, and to provide those facilities and services at the proper time to serve development in the most cost effective way.

This chapter addresses, in part, the requirements of the Land Conservation and Development Commission's (LCDC's) Goal 11, also known as Oregon Administrative Rule 660, Division 11. It requires planning for sanitary sewage treatment, water, storm drainage and transportation. Adequate levels of those public facilities and services must be available before urban levels of development can be built in a manner consistent with the land use designations in this Plan. (Transportation facilities and services are addressed in Chapter 5 of this Comprehensive Plan). Further detail, particularly with regard to necessary facility improvements and their costs, can be found in the County's Public Facilities Plan.

Failure to plan for public facilities properly could result in unnecessary financial costs, if the services are provided in excess of needed levels. Unnecessary environmental degradation and ultimately more financial cost could result if services are not properly designed to accommodate the anticipated level of development.

The public facilities and services policies of this Plan provide a logical framework for the timely, orderly and efficient arrangement of facilities and services required to meet the population and economic needs of this County. The following policies will be used to guide and coordinate the provision of future facilities and services with development activities in Clackamas County. Other policies that may pertain to public facilities and services are included in the Natural Resources, Transportation, and Land Use Chapters of this Plan.

Issues

Several critical issues stand out among the others when planning for the provision of new public facilities and services. These issues are:

• The type of services provided,
• The appropriate level of each service,
• The arrangement or pattern of services,
• The timing of the necessary services,
• Who should provide the services,
• Who should benefit from and pay for the necessary services,
• The differential cost of providing services in different geographic areas.

Summary of Findings and Conclusion

Sanitary Sewage Treatment

• Twenty different management agencies either collect, treat, plan or regulate existing sewage facilities serving the urban portions of Clackamas County.
• The County's approved Sewerage Facilities Master Plan is the guiding planning document for the development and operation of wastewater facilities in Clackamas County.
• Improving sewage facilities is highly capital intensive. Current rates and charges, including either user rates or system development charges, will likely need to be increased over the next twenty-year period to fund major capital improvement programs.
• All future sanitary facilities must comply with federal, state and regional water quality goals and regulations.
• Provision of sanitary facilities must be coordinated with other essential facilities and services.

Water

• At present, a sufficient supply and source of drinking water exists to serve the projected urban population needs of Clackamas County.
• The County Health Department has identified 232 public water districts serving four or more households.
• The primary sources of water are Bull Run, Clackamas River, Molalla River and groundwater. Wilsonville has recently decided to use the Willamette River as a municipal water source.
• Although the Clackamas River is an excellent source of water, there is a potential problem of "over-allocating" individual water rights relative to the available water supply.
• Many purveyors will need to expand their in-system storage capacity to meet 20-year demands. This storage is needed to meet short-term emergency fire demands in excess of transmission facility capacity and peak demand.
• Many of the smaller private purveyors have inadequate treatment systems and little storage capacity to meet 20-year demands.
• Information concerning groundwater is incomplete. At present data are incomplete on quantities of groundwater withdrawn by private users. (See Natural Resources and Energy chapter, Groundwater Section.)
• The Regional Water Providers Consortium provides a forum for water purveyors serving the urban areas of the County to discuss regional water issues, including revision of service areas. Final decisions regarding actual services will continue to be made by local service providers.

Storm Drainage

• Storm drainage basin planning is substantially complete for the urban areas of Clackamas County using a 20-year planning period, and that planning is in process for Urban Reserves.
• The County currently lacks a comprehensive stormwater system and lacks mechanisms for upgrading inadequate sections for the urban areas. The service providers are working on planning and building regional facilities for water quality and quantity.
• The County has stormwater improvement requirements that include on-site detention and provide options for regional detention and the service providers are working on water quality requirements.
• The Endangered Species Act and the listing of Steelhead and Salmon as threatened species are critical considerations in the formulation of surface water management policy.
• Implementation of any storm drainage program requires a major financial investment. Federal and state revenue sources are insufficient to support major storm drainage improvements. Local methods of finance will be more heavily relied upon to develop storm drainage improvements.

Solid Waste

• Disposal of solid waste materials is a regional problem necessitating a regional solution. Metro is the regional planning authority charged with the responsibility of overall planning, siting and management of solid waste disposal in the metropolitan area. Metro is also responsible for state-mandated recycling and recovery in the tri-county region.
• Metro has made arrangements with a private firm to construct a new landfill in Arlington, Oregon to accept the region's solid wastes.
• Solid Waste facilities in Clackamas County are the Metro South Transfer Station, Sandy Transfer Station and Mt. Hood Refuse Center, and the Canby Transfer and Recycling Station. The only mixed waste processing center in Clackamas County is KB Recycling, although other centers in adjacent Counties serve Clackamas County as well. Several yard debris processors and composting facilities are located in Clackamas County.
   

Fire and Emergency Medical

• The level of fire safety in any community depends upon several factors, including: water supply and pressure, fire station staffing, condition of transportation routes, travel times, distance between vegetation and buildings, fire agency capabilities, and housing densities.
• Nine fire districts provide fire and emergency medical services to the unincorporated portions of Clackamas County.
• An intergovernmental agreement between the fire agencies and the County establishes one Fire Code for all agencies (implemented by the Building Department and at Development Review).
• Each fire agency's response standard and its capabilities are established by its governing body and vary based on community taxpayer support.
• Automatic and mutual assistance agreements exist countywide that address routine to catastrophic incident response, and are updated on a regular basis, or as needed under the auspices of the Clackamas Fire Defense Board.

Law Enforcement

• Police services are provided by nine agencies in Clackamas County. Clackamas County's Sheriff's Department serves by far the largest geographic area including contractual patrol services to Happy Valley, Johnson City, Rivergrove, Wilsonville and Estacada.
• The Sheriff's Department operates and maintains the only County jail facility, which is located on the Red Soils complex in Oregon City.
• The County operates and maintains a radio system and dispatch facilities that provide communication services for the fire, emergency medical system, and law enforcement providers in the County. The cities of Lake Oswego and Gladstone maintain separate dispatch facilities for fire, emergency medical system, and police services. The City of Milwaukie provides its own police dispatch center.
  There is an "enhanced" 9-1-1 telephone system that serves all of Clackamas County.

Schools

• Ten separate school districts operate 105 public primary and secondary schools in Clackamas County.
• Coordination between the County Planning Division and school district administrations can be improved, particularly in reviewing new subdivisions and reviewing the location of additional school facilities. Due to state land use law, schools cannot be compensated for the impact of development, nor can the County limit development based on inadequate school capacity.

County Government

• During the past decade, Clackamas County has experienced significant population growth, resulting in expanded levels of governmental services. As a consequence, the County has leased space in a number of locations. A Master Facility and Space Consolidation Plan should be implemented by the County.
• Clackamas County, in its role of coordinator for public facilities as required by the Land Conservation and Development Commission's (LCDC's) Goal 11, has adopted a Public Facilities Plan for the North Clackamas Urban Area. It describes facilities for sanitary sewage treatment, storm drainage, public water, and transportation. It describes the existing facilities, future needs for 5-year and 20-year periods, the cost of meeting those needs, and the sources of funding expected to pay for the expansions.
   

Public Facilities

Clackamas County adopts as supporting documents to this Plan the public facilities plans titled, "Transportation Element", "Sanitary Sewerage Services", "Water Systems", and "Storm Drainage Element", including the public facility project titles contained therein. The public facility projects' locations or service areas are shown on maps contained within the above reports. Additional supporting documents are the master plans for Cow and Sieben Creeks, Kellogg/Mt. Scott Creek, and Rock and Richardson Creeks.

Public Faciliies Goals

• Maintain and improve the quality of Clackamas County's streams, lakes, waterways and groundwater.
• Provide for the location and development of sanitary sewage treatment, collection and reuse facilities to support existing and future land use development in all urban areas of the County.
• Provide for the location and development of drinking water facilities to support existing and future land development.
• Protect the quantity and quality of drinking water supplies.
• Coordinate the location and size of drinking water facilities with appropriate water purveyors.
• Minimize stormwater runoff, water pollution, siltation, soil erosion and flooding.
• Improve fish habitat and support recovery of aquatic species.
• Require adequate storm drainage, public sanitary sewer and public water service concurrent with development in areas that require these services.
• Provide a systematic control for the collection, transport, storage, separation, processing, recycling, resource recovery and disposal of solid waste.
• Minimize the impact on air, land and water quality and neighborhoods when siting sanitary landfills.

7.A Sanitary Sewage Treatment Policies

7.A.1 Recognize County responsibility for operating, planning and regulating wastewater systems as designated in the approved Sewerage Facilities Master Plan.

7.A.2 Recognize that Clackamas County Service District No. 1, Tri-City Service District, Oak Lodge Sanitary District, the Unified Sewerage Agency and the City of Portland have responsibility for operating, planning, and regulating wastewater systems as designated in the approved Sewerage Facilities Master Plan.

7.A.3 Require all agencies that provide sewer treatment and collection services in Clackamas County to be consistent with a DEQ approved Sewerage Facilities Master Plan.

7.A.4 Ensure that sewage facilities in Clackamas County are developed and maintained by the appropriate sanitary district, county service district or city.

7.A.5 Require, if necessary, provision of sanitary sewers prior to development in areas identified as "health hazards" by the State of Oregon.

7.A.6 Require sanitary sewage service agencies to coordinate extension of sanitary services with other key facilities, i.e., water, transportation, and storm drainage systems, which are necessary to serve additional lands.

7.A.7 Require the timely and orderly provision of sanitary sewers in all Immediate Urban areas except those identified as Floodplain and other hazard areas.

7.A.8 Prohibit new on-site sewage disposal systems within Urban Growth Boundaries except for:

7.A.8.1 A lot of record outside of a sewage service district, legally recorded prior to January 31, 1980; or

7.A.8.2 Parcels of ten acres or larger in Future Urban areas inside the Metro Urban Growth Boundary (UGB); or

7.A.8.3 Outside the Metro UGB on lots that conform to the minimum lot size of the zone; or

7.A.8.4 Parcels inside a sewage service district having unique topographic or other natural features that make sewer extension impractical as determined on a case by case basis by the sewer service provider.

7.A.9 Except as provided by the Oregon Revised Statutes for abandoned or diminished mill sites in "Rural" designated areas, and except as provided in OAR 660-011-0060(3), (4), (8), and (9) and consistent with Statewide Planning Goal 11, prohibit:

7.A.9.1 The establishment of new sewer systems, as defined in OAR 660-011-0060(1), outside urban growth boundaries or unincorporated communities;

7.A.9.2 The extension of sewer lines from within urban growth boundaries or unincorporated community boundaries in order to serve uses on land outside those boundaries;

7.A.9.3 The extension of sewer systems, as defined in OAR 660-011-0060(1), that currently serve land outside urban growth boundaries and unincorporated community boundaries in order to serve uses that are outside such boundaries and are not served by the system on July 28, 1998.

7.A.10 Allow sewerage systems in the Wildwood/Timberline, Zigzag Village, Rhododendron, Wemme/Welches, Government Camp and Boring Unincorporated Communities, provided such systems are not allowed to expand outside the boundaries of these communities, except as provided by the Oregon Revised Statutes for abandoned or diminished mill sites or as otherwise provided by Policies 7.A.9 or 7.A.11.

7.A.11 Allow DEQ approved sewage disposal systems in "Agricultural" and "Forest" designated areas if:

7.A.11.1 Necessary to alleviate a public health hazard or water pollution problem that has been identified by the State of Oregon.

7.A.11.2 Necessary for parks or recreation lands when consistent with the protection of forests and agriculture, or for housing necessary for the conduct of forest or agriculture related activities.

7.A.12 Coordinate the review of development applications with the appropriate sanitary sewer service provider to ensure that approval is not granted in the absence of adequate sanitary sewer facilities or a mechanism to provide them concurrently with development.

7.B Water Policies

7.B.1 Develop a Countywide program for domestic water source development.

7.B.2 Require all public water purveyors to design the extension of water facilities at levels consistent with the land use element of the Comprehensive Plan. Capacity suitable for fire protection needs to be included.

7.B.3 Require water purveyors in urban areas to coordinate the extension of water services with other key facilities, i.e., transportation, sanitary sewers, and storm drainage facilities, necessary to serve additional lands.

7.B.4 Encourage development in urban areas where adequate urban water facilities already exist.

7.B.5 Require water service purveyors to provide water services for non-urban areas at levels appropriate for non-urban use.

7.B.6 Coordinate the review of development applications with the appropriate water service provider to ensure that approval is not granted in the absence of adequate water facilities or a mechanism to provide them concurrently with development.

7.C Storm Drainage Policies

7.C.1 Require all new developments to meet the development standards of the appropriate service provider.

7.C.2 Require submission of storm drainage, water quality and erosion control plans prior to approval of all new development, and implementation of such plans.

7.C.3 Require that urban stormwater runoff be minimized by nonstructural controls, where feasible, to maintain the quality and quantity of runoff in natural drainage ways. These areas may be calculated as part of the required open space.

7.C.4 Require runoff from impervious surfaces to be collected and treated, as required by the appropriate service provider, prior to discharge to a natural drainage way capable of accepting the discharge.

7.C.5 Require control measures to minimize erosion and sedimentation during construction. The method of retention and control shall be approved by the appropriate service provider.

7.C.6 Stabilize drainage ways as necessary below drainage and culvert discharge points for a distance sufficient to minimize erosion created by the discharge.

7.C.7 Determine the responsibility for installation of storm drainage systems prior to final approval of all new developments.

7.C.8 Coordinate the review of development applications with the appropriate storm drainage service provider to ensure that approval is not granted in the absence of adequate storm drainage facilities or a mechanism to provide them concurrently with development.

7.D Solid Waste Policies

7.D.1 Coordinate with Metro in the proper siting and operation of solid waste facilities in Clackamas County.

7.D.2 Require future sanitary landfill sites to meet appropriate State and regional siting criteria and regulations.

7.D.3 Ensure that the operation of solid waste facilities and services is consistent with County Solid Waste and Waste Management Ordinances.

7.D.4 The guiding policy for waste management in the County should be based on the following priorities:

7.D.4.1 Reduce the amount of solid waste generated.

7.D.4.2 Reuse material for the purpose for which it was originally intended.

7.D.4.3 Recycle material that cannot be reused.

7.D.4.4 Compost material that cannot be reused or recycled.

7.D.4.5 Recover energy from solid waste that cannot be reused, recycled, or composted so long as the energy recovery facility preserves the quality of air, water, and land resources.

7.D.4.6 Dispose of, by landfilling, any solid waste that cannot be reused, recycled, composted or from which energy cannot be recovered.

7.E Street Lighting Policies

7.E.1 Encourage provision of street lighting for all new and existing developments inside the Urban Growth Boundary.

7.E.2 Outside urban growth boundaries, discourage installation of street lighting except in Unincorporated Communities and in subdivisions with lots of one acre or less. This policy is not intended to prevent installation of individual lights necessary for security or public safety.

Public Services

Public Services Goals

• Support a sufficient level of fire safety and prevention in all areas of the County in order to minimize the risk of fire damage to the life and property of all residents.
• Develop and maintain County law enforcement and correction services to provide safety to all County residents.
• Coordinate proposed land use actions and Plan amendments with school districts.
• Coordinate the location and size of future school sites with appropriate school districts.
• Support school facilities as focal points of community activity subject to available funding and interest.
• Locate County governmental facilities to maximize service to all County residents in the most cost efficient manner.

7.F Fire Policies

7.F.1 Facilitate coordination between fire districts and developers prior to approval of future development to insure appropriate levels of fire safety.

7.F.2 Encourage all public water purveyors to maintain a sufficient amount of water storage and pressure within the system to maintain minimum fire flow.

7.F.3 Coordinate with fire and water districts in locating fire hydrants in new development.

7.G Law Enforcement Policies

7.G.1 Encourage provision of the appropriate level of Sheriff services in urban and rural areas.

7.G.2 Review proposals for additional law enforcement and correction facilities to assure that such proposals are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and policies.

7.H Education Policies

7.H.1 Encourage maximum use of school facilities.

7.H.2 Support proposals that recommend using school facilities or portions of school facilities for senior citizen, day-care, or preschool age children activities.

7.H.3 Encourage development of portions of school property or adjacent property as neighborhood park and recreation facilities in park deficient areas.

7.H.4 Require notification to school districts of all subdivision applications.

7.H.5 Encourage the location of schools in the urban areas within a safe walking distance for students.

7.H.6 Encourage barrier free elementary school service areas, i.e., minimize service areas bisected by major arterials, highways, railroads, waterways, commercial or industrial areas.

7.H.7 Encourage junior and senior high schools to be centrally located on, or near, an arterial within its service area.

7.I County Government Policies

7.I.1 Promote consolidation of County services and facilities whenever possible.

7.I.2 Work toward developing a major centralized facility for County Government.

7.I.3 Encourage the location of Human Resource services in locations convenient to the citizens of the County.

Last Amended 10/23/21