State Appoints Oregon Task Force on Land Use Planning
Salem—Governor Ted Kulongoski, Speaker of the House Karen Minnis and Senate President Peter Courtney today announced the appointment of the 10-member Oregon Task Force on Land Use Planning, whose mission is to chart the future of the state’s 30-year-old land use planning system.
Commonly referred to as the ‘Big Look,’ the task force is the result of Senate Bill 82, in which the Legislature and the Governor called for a broad review of the state land use planning program and recommendations for any needed changes to land-use policy. The bill required members of the task force to be appointed jointly by the Governor, Senate President and Speaker and that task force members be ‘knowledgeable about Oregon’s land use system and…familiar with Oregon’s economic and employment base.’
Specifically, the task force is charged with studying and making recommendations on the:
- Oregon’s land use planning program in meeting the current and future needs of Oregonians in all parts of the state;
- Respective roles and responsibilities of state and local governments in land use planning; and
- Land use issues specific to areas inside and outside urban growth boundaries and the interface between areas inside and outside urban growth boundaries.
“I know that the President and Speaker share my confidence in these able Oregonians,” Kulongoski said of the newly appointed panel. “This Task Force will begin the process of bringing Oregonians back into touch with their land use planning system, and I’m confident that this review will help everyone focus on the new realities and new demands that have emerged in the past 30 years with respect to zoning, planning and all the related issues.”
Senate President Peter Courtney also expressed confidence in the panel. “We have selected 10 extremely knowledgeable, capable individuals to help us review and reshape Oregon’s legendary land use system so it can better meet Oregon's future needs,” Courtney said.
House Speaker Minnis also praised the group. “The ‘Big Look’ committee is an opportunity to examine Oregon’s unique land use system and assess what has worked, what hasn’t, and how to improve our system while protecting citizens’ property rights,” Minnis said. “I’m pleased that such an experienced and diverse group of Oregonians has volunteered to serve on this committee.”
Staff from the Department of Land Conservation and Development will support the task force, which is required to provide a status report to the legislature and Governor by 2007 and a final report and recommendations to the legislature and Governor no later than February 1, 2009.
Members of the Task Force include:
Ken Bailey: Vice President and Shareholder in Orchard View Farms, Inc. in The Dalles. Orchard View Farms grows, packs and ships premium fresh cherries for domestic and international sales. Ken grew up on the family farm and returned to farm after his graduation from Oregon State University with a BS in horticulture. Ken’s service on community and industry boards includes: Oregon State Board of Agriculture, Mount Hood Economic Alliance, Wasco County Economic Development Commission, Wasco County Board of Adjustment (land use board of appeals), Wasco County Fruit and Produce League, National Council of Agricultural Employers, Oregon Farm Bureau and The Food Alliance Stewardship Council.
David Bragdon: Became the Metro Council’s first regionally elected President in January 2003 after first being elected to the council in 1998. Prior to his service on the council, David spent most of his career in the private sector, primarily in the international trade and freight transportation industry. He developed and administrated transportation strategies at Oregon-based companies such as Nike, Lasco Shipping Co. and Evergreen Airlines. He then worked for five years as the Port of Portland’s marketing manager. A graduate of Harvard University, he lives in Southeast Portland.
Steve Clark: President of the Portland Tribune newspaper and President and Publisher of Community Newspapers, a group of 19 weekly and monthly and community newspapers published in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. Steve is active in the region and the state in working to address and link livability, land use, economic strategy and transportation issues and solutions. As a board member of the Westside Economic Alliance, he led the development of an economic strategy for Portland area’s Westside. He is co-chair of the Oregon Business Council’s efforts to expand the availability of land in Oregon for jobs. He is a member of the steering committee that has developed a Portland regional economic development strategy and chairs that effort’s land use committee. He lives in Tigard.
Jill S. Gelineau: A litigator who represents landowners in condemnation and land use litigation, Jill represented the Dolan family in the Dolan v. City if Tigard trial following its remand from the United State Supreme Court. She has been a speaker at numerous conferences locally, nationally and internationally, primarily speaking on the topics of condemnation and land use. She recently participated in the rewriting of the chapter on Compensation in Nichols on Eminent Domain, the preeminent treatise in the field of condemnation law. She is a shareholder with Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt, P.C. in Portland.
Judie Hammerstad: In addition to her elected terms on the Lake Oswego School Board (1980-88), in the State Legislature (1987-88), and the Clackamas County Commission (1990-99), other government experience includes service on the Metropolitan Policy Advisory Committee, member of the Board of Directors for Portland State Institute, Portland Streetcar, Inc., and recent chair of Metro’s Task Force on Measure 37. Her second term as mayor of Lake Oswego began on January 4, 2005 and expires December 31, 2008. Mayor Hammerstad has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Oregon and is a retired teacher, education specialist and editor.
Wes Hare: Albany City Manager who has served Oregon local governments since 1984, when he was elected to Eugene’s Bethel School District board of directors. He has since worked as the city administrator or manager in Oakridge, La Grande and Albany. Wes earned a B.S degree in political science and an M.S. in public administration from the University of Oregon following service in the United States Navy.
Cameron Krauss: General Counsel for Swanson Group, Inc., a forest products company, headquartered in Glendale, Oregon. Along with handling the company’s day-to-day legal issues, Cameron devotes a great amount of time to natural resource issues at the state and federal levels. This work includes land use. A native Oregonian born and raised in Grants Pass, Cameron received his B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife from Oregon State University in 2001 and his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law in 2004. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Oregonians for Food and Shelter and the Executive Committee of the American Forest Resource Council.
Gretchen Palmer: With a degree in elementary education from the University of Oregon, Gretchen taught pre-school for several years, owned and managed a restaurant, and then went to work full time as Secretary/Treasurer for Palmer Homes, a business she has owned with her husband for 25 years. She currently serves as Principal Broker for Palmer Homes Sales, Inc. She has lived in Central Oregon for nearly 30 and worked extensively with the City of Bend on its Development Code Revision and been very active on the local, state and national levels of the National Association of Home Builders.
Mike Thorne: A Pendleton rancher, Mike is the former Executive Director of the Port of Portland and CEO of the Washington State Ferry System in Seattle. He served in the Oregon Legislature from 1973 to 1991 and was a member of the committee that wrote the original Oregon land use planning act. He and his wife, Jill, reside in Pendleton and he is currently a member of the Board of Directors of StanCorp Financial headquartered in Portland.
Nikki Whitty: Coos County Commissioner, 1998-present. Previously South Coast Area Manager for CCD Business Development Corporation. Also served in a variety of staff positions for legislators and other elected officials in Salem. Nikki is very active in local and state boards and commissions – currently serving as the Chair for Rural Development Initiatives, Chair of Jefferson Behavioral Health and Chair of the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) District 4 consisting of Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson and Josephine Counties. She also serves on the Community Development Forum, the Governor’s Oregon Solutions Team, the local Regional Investment Board and the Board of Directors for AOC.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Governor’s Office: Lonn Hoklin (503.378.6169) or Anna Richter Taylor (503.378.6496)
Senate President’s Office: Tanya Gross (503.986.1605)
Speaker’s Office: Charles Deister (503.986.1353)
|
