LOSN Sustainability Insider

November 2021

Striving for a More Sustainable City

There is a lot to celebrate with respect to sustainability in the City of Lake Oswego. The accomplishments stretch across all aspects of city operations: transportation, energy efficiency, natural resource protection, and waste reduction.

We have a new Sustainability Program Manager, Amanda Watson (see Spotlight on Amanda below) and a dedicated volunteer advisory board to help the city continue down the path of sustainability stewardship. City Manager Martha Bennett says, “We try to look at sustainability not just with the environmental lens, but include the economic viability and social equity aspects as well. Everything is a balance of these three aspects. Public Safety for example is primarily focused on the social aspect, however includes environmental and economic aspects in its operations.”

There are some exciting sustainability opportunities coming up as well. The City is seriously considering rebuilding the Tryon Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Treatment plants are typically one of the biggest energy users in a community. This presents a wonderful opportunity to create the most sustainable plant possible. For more information about the status click here. The City has also entered an agreement with the Lake Oswego School District to build a Recreation/Aquatic Center. This presents another opportunity to build a future-focused sustainable facility.

City Sustainability Accomplishments

Over the last decade or so, the City has worked on some significant initiatives that have made our community better. We want to highlight a few of these accomplishments here. For an expanded list of actions for each of the areas: transportation, energy efficiency, natural resource protection, and waste reduction click here.

Major Accomplishments

• In May 2020, City Council adopted a Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. The Plan builds on the City’s Sustainability Action Plan for City Operations (2014) and establishes community-wide climate action goals.
• Earlier this year, City Council approved a contract for the use of electric landscaping equipment only for the City’s right of way landscaping, covering over 200 different sites.

Reduce Transportation Emissions

• Purchased 3 EVs for the City fleet, as well as several hybrids and plug-in hybrids
• Installed improved bike facilities for City staff and visitors at the new City Hall

Promote Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy

• Energy saving technologies installed at Lake Oswego Tigard Water Treatment Plant save almost 2 million kWh/year in electricity
• New City Hall was constructed to a LEED Gold standard and has been certified Gold by Clackamas County’s Leaders in Sustainability program

Protect Natural Resources

• Increased landscaping equipment inventory, replacing with electric when possible. The City has an electric large area mower in its fleet in addition to electric blowers, weed eaters and a chain saw. Also they will have an Electric Greens mower for the golf course when it reopens.
• Promoted pollinators by planting native wildflower seed in natural areas.

Reduce Waste

• Reduced food waste sent to landfill by offering curbside organics collection for commercial businesses and single family residences beginning in 2016.
• LO Library has a Library of Things collection that allows residents to check out items like small appliances, tools, musical instruments, and games, helping community members to try new things, save money, and reduce consumption of new products.

Meet our new city Sustainability Program Manager – Amanda Watson

Amanda Watson started in September as the City of Lake Oswego’s Sustainability Program Manager. In her role, she is responsible for implementing the City’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, in collaboration with other City departments and community partners. She also manages the City’s solid waste and recycling franchise with Republic Services, and serves as staff liaison to the Sustainability Advisory Board. Amanda previously worked at the City of Portland, where she served as lead on climate and sustainability policy for Mayor Wheeler. She helped to develop Portland’s Climate Emergency Declaration, which aligned the City’s emissions reduction goals with the Paris Agreement and committed to a climate justice-based approach to climate action. She also worked at the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability on a project to increase equity in the waste collection system. Amanda has a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

Amanda says, “I am excited to be working at the City of Lake Oswego and with the many engaged members of our community to build on the progress Lake Oswego has already made to become a more sustainable community and address climate change.”

The Lake Oswego Review had a great article about Amanda in October which you can read here.

Tesla Hits the Road with the Police Department

The Lake Oswego Police Department now has a Tesla. That’s great, but aren’t these cars really expensive? According to Police Chief Dale Jorgensen when he did the math it made economic sense. When you factor in that an operating an electric vehicle can save up to 70% over a gas one, it doesn’t take long for the car to pay for itself.

The Tesla is being used by the department’s detective group and has been assigned to a detective who drives the furthest distance making the savings even a little greater. For patrol work the department is converting to Ford SUV hybrids and will consider an all-electric SUV when one has been certified for routine patrol work.

The Sustainability Advisory Board Plays an Important Role for the City

The City of Lake Oswego launched its Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) in 2008. It is a volunteer citizen advisory body appointed by the City Council consisting of seven members appointed for three-year terms, two alternates for one-year terms, and two youth members appointed for one-year terms. Currently the board is co-chaired by Stephanie Glazer and Kathleen Wiens. The other members are: Buzz Chandler, Susan Mead, Mark Puhlman, Jay Hamachek, Matt Schaeffer. Alternates are Kara Orvieto and Kim Roeland. Youth are represented by Anna Wallin and Olivia Reinhart. City Councilor Rachel Verdick is the Council Liaison for the board.

The Sustainability Advisory Board’s primary objective is to promote a more sustainable community that balances the three pillars of sustainability: social equity, the economy and the environment. The SAB works with the guidance of Amanda Watson, the City’s new Sustainability Program Manager, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role. Annually the board sets goals to advance sustainability in the city.

Click here for more on the SAB Goals for 2021.

Lake Oswego’s 3rd Annual Tree Summit a Big Success

The 2021 Lake Oswego Tree Summit, Sustaining Our Urban Forest: Resilience, Responsibility and Reciprocity in a Changing Climate, was a huge success.  Dr Christine Buhl, Oregon Department of Forestry Entomologist, shared pertinent and very interesting information about the effect of a changing climate on our urban forest and answered questions from the audience.  Dr. Buhl’s talk was followed by a presentation by the City of Lake Oswego on the LO Tree canopy based on analysis of recent LiDAR data.

A video of the presentation and other information, including how to get involved, can be found on the Oswego Lake Watershed Council website. Contact Stephanie at stephanie@oswegowatershed.org if you have any questions.

LOSN November Forum: Beyond Net Zero, Restorative Buildings: the PAE Story

When:  Wednesday, November 17, 2001
Time:    6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: on Zoom

What if a building was not just sustainable but restorative, a building that put back more than it takes?

That is the goal of the Living Building Challenge, a concept introduced on 2009, where its end goal “is to encourage the creation of a regenerative built environment. The challenge is an attempt to raise the bar for building standards from doing less harm to contributing positively to the environment.”

This is an approach that goes way beyond the LEED rating system focusing not only on net zero energy but also net zero water and waste.

One of the leaders in implementing this concept is Portland based PAE Consulting Engineers. They have eleven projects designed to meet this rigorous framework. The latest is their new headquarters here in Portland, a five story building which is set to be the world’s first developer-driven Living Building.

PAE president Paul Schwer will be joined by PAE associate Karina Hershberg to tell the story of how their building was able to reach this goal while simultaneously providing a return for their investors.