Oregon Water Utilities Council Legislative Symposium 

The Oregon Water Utilities Council (OWUC) is pleased to present the 2013 Legislative Symposium, “Meeting Oregon’s Water Needs.”   The goal of this conference is to inform water providers throughout Oregon of water related issues that will likely be addressed during the 2013 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.

AGENDA

8:00         Registration/Continental Breakfast

9:00         Welcome & Introduction – Brad Taylor, Eugene Water & Electric Board

9:10         Legislative Agenda:  Moderator – Dan Bradley, Oak Lodge Water District
                 Oregon State Representative Vic Gilliam
                 Oregon State Representative Jules Bailey
                 Oregon State Senator Jackie Dingfelder

10:30       Legislator of the Year – Representative Vic Gilliam – Presented by Niki Iverson, OWUC Past Chair

10:40       Break

11:00       Invited Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley – WIFIA – Introduced by Todd Heidgerken, TVWD

11:30       Lunch

12:15       Richard Whitman, Governors Office – Introduced by Mark Yeager

1:00         Water User Perspectives: Moderator –Willie Tiffany, City of Hillsboro
                 April Snell, Executive Director, Oregon Water Resources Congress
                 Jeff Stone, Executive Director, Oregon Association of Nurseries
                 Katie Fast, Director of Governmental Affairs, Oregon Farm Bureau
                 Mark Landauer, Government Affairs, Special Districts Association of Oregon

2:15         State Agency Initiatives: Moderator – Mark Yeager, City of Albany
                 Phil Ward, 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

3:15         Break

3:30         Conservation Perspective: Moderator – Jason Pulley, City of Salem
                 John DeVoe, Executive Director, WaterWatch of Oregon                      
                 Leslie Bach, Director of Fresh Water Programs, The Nature Conservancy
                 Joe Furia, Senior Policy Director and General Counsel, The Freshwater Trust
                 Teresa Huntsinger, Oregon Environmental Council

4:30         Closing – Brad Taylor, Eugene Water & Electric Board

         CEU's are pending.