Oregon Water Utilities Council
2015 Legislative Symposium 

The Oregon Water Utilities Council (OWUC) is pleased to present the 2015 Legislative Symposium, “Investing in  Oregon’s Long Term Water Supply.”   The goal of this conference is to inform water providers throughout Oregon of water related issues that will likely be addressed during the 2015 legislative session. We hope the perspectives of the various stakeholders will help you gain insight about what to expect from upcoming issues.

 Who Should Attend?

 Water professionals, management and elected officials who would like to hear about how upcoming issues might affect the management of their water systems.

 About Us

OWUC is a committee of the Pacific Northwest Section of the American Water Works Association (PNWS-AWWA). Made up of cities, special districts, public utility districts and private companies, the committee is dedicated to monitoring legislation as it affects water utilities in Oregon. OWUC members supply domestic water to more than 75% of the population of Oregon, and are committed to supplying safe, reliable and cost-effective domestic water supplies to the communities they serve.

 

Program Agenda

8:00          Registration/Continental Breakfast

9:00          Welcome & Introduction – Kim Swan, OWUC Chair 

9:10                Legislative Agenda 

Moderator – Suzanne Delorenzo
Oregon State Representative Cliff Bentz (Invited)
Oregon State Representative Brian Clem
Oregon State Senator Michael Dembrow
Oregon State Senator Chris Edwards (Invited)
Oregon State Senator Chuck Thomsen

 10:45         Break

11:00          Richard Whitman, Governors Office 

11:30          Lunch 

12:30          State Agency's - Leveraging our Investments in Water (Money and State Agency Resources)
 Moderator – Patrick Griffiths
Tom Byler, Director, Oregon Water Resources Department
Curt Melcher, Deputy Director, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
Katy Coba, Director, Oregon Department of Agriculture
Dick Pedersen, Director, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality 

1:30         Senate Bill 839 and Water Supply Development in Oregon (Panel)
 Moderator – Rob Annear
Jeff Stone, Executive Director, Oregon Association of Nurseries
Katie Fast, Director of Governmental Affairs, Oregon Farm Bureau
April Snell, Executive Director, Oregon Water Resources Congress
Mark Landauer, Government Affairs, Special Districts Association of Oregon
Tracy Rutten, Intergovernmental Relations Associate, League of Oregon Cities
Leslie Bach, Director of Fresh Water Programs, The Nature Conservancy
Joe Whitworth, President, The Freshwater Trust 

2:30 Break

2:45         Public/Private Partnerships - West Coast Infrastructure Exchange
Moderator - Sara Petrocine
Chris Taylor, Executive Director
Karen Williams, Oregon Public Infrastructure Council
Representative Tobias Read 

3:45          Closing – Kim Swan, OWUC Chair

Register Now!