Oregon City approves $12.5 million Riverwalk IGA with Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

City Manager Tony Conkle told the commission on April 15 that the city had secured $12,500,000 in state grant funds to enhance the Willamette Falls area and is seeking approval of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to oversee design and construction of the Riverwalk project. "We are seeking approval of an IGA with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde for the Riverwalk project," Conkle said.

The IGA delegates the Tribes to hire consultants and contractors and to manage day-to-day delivery under the city's oversight while keeping the city as the ultimate funding authority. Assistant City Manager Alex Trotman said the arrangement includes an initial temporary access easement that will be replaced by a permanent easement once design is finalized, and that the city and tribe will split the cost of returning funds to the state if the project stops. "We have until 2028 to encumber the funds," Trotman added, noting timelines for design and construction.

Decisions on the project will be guided by a Riverwalk advisory group formed of three city members and three tribal members, with staff expecting consensus-driven decisions and final authority held by the city because it provides the grant funding. City staff emphasized that, although the Tribal partner will handle contracting under its processes, the IGA remains the final city-level agreement the commission will review. The commission moved to authorize the city manager to sign the IGA and associated easements; the motion passed unanimously with all five commissioners recorded as voting "aye." The commission also authorized staff to submit a letter of interest for an additional grant opportunity on an accelerated timeline, subject to returning any required resolutions or signatures for formal approval.