Clackamas County approves letter to Portland General Electric asking for voluntary pause

Clackamas County commissioners voted Feb. 10 to send a draft letter to Portland General Electric (PGE) asking the utility to consider a voluntary pause in transmission-line work in the Stafford community while county staff investigate community concerns and the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) process continues.

County counsel briefed the board on the ongoing LUBA appeal process and noted that LUBA functions like a court: it accepts notices, briefs, motions and responses rather than informal letters. Counsel said an outside party had already filed a motion for stay and PGE had responded; the county’s recommendation was to wait and see how that motion proceeds. Counsel also advised that a voluntary remand request would likely require the consent of all parties and that PGE’s briefing suggested it would not agree.

Despite that legal framing, commissioners said they wanted to express county concern to PGE and seek voluntary pauses where possible. Commissioners discussed signature logistics; staff reported that Rep. Walters’ office expressed interest in signing but had not seen final text and Senator Wagner’s office had not responded. The board voted to approve the draft letter to PGE to be signed by the four commissioners present (Savas absent). The clerk recorded the vote as 4–0 with one absence excused.

Next steps: county staff will send the approved letter to PGE, continue to investigate the community’s allegations about permit compliance, and monitor the LUBA proceedings.