Mount Angel council adopts franchise with Portland General Electric

The Mount Angel City Council adopted an ordinance approving a franchise agreement with Portland General Electric on March 3, approving rules for PGE crews’ work in city rights‑of‑way and replacing a prior franchise.

Portland General Electric representatives told the council the agreement clarifies operations and payments and is intended to protect frontline workers and public safety. “We feel very privileged to serve your community and…happy to answer any questions,” a Portland General Electric representative said during the presentation.

City staff described the franchise as a standard municipal agreement that sets the terms for construction, maintenance and operation of electric facilities in public streets, and noted the 3.5% gross‑revenue payment is consistent with Oregon Public Utility Commission practice. City staff and PGE also discussed provisions on vegetation management and a process for identifying reliability or safety issues that could prompt further engineering review or targeted mitigation.

The council moved and seconded adoption of Ordinance 782. Roll call recorded aye votes from the councilors present and the mayor; one councilor was noted absent. Following the vote, staff said the city and PGE anticipate continuing coordination on reliability, vegetation management and community outreach.

The ordinance’s adoption means PGE’s rights and responsibilities in Mount Angel will be governed under the new franchise; staff said the agreement preserves the city’s ability to require coordination on street closures and to recover reasonable municipal costs tied to PGE work in the right‑of‑way. The council did not place any additional conditions on final execution.