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Supporters of Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) were told Wednesday by Portland City Council members that whatever happens, high standards for workforce diversity would apply to a major utility-based construction project now rolling into action.

The different sides are still debating an equity plan for city construction projects drafted by Mayor Ted Wheeler, the Community Equity and Inclusion Plan. CBA supporters want the CEIP to closely resemble CBAs, which are considered union-friendly, and others want greater opportunities for minorities who own open-shop firms.

On Wednesday, the council held a procedural hearing related to a $146 million upgrade of the city’s Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant. Heavy work on the project won’t begin for about two years, but CBA advocates who testified were assured by council members the project would feature ambitious targets for gender and racial diversity.

鈥淲e’re concerned the city could be missing an opportunity,鈥� said Kelly Haines of the Metropolitan Alliance for Workforce Equity.

Wheeler said Wednesday the sides are 鈥渨eeks, not months鈥� from agreement on the CEIP. He confirmed the main sticking point has been a threshold of $25 million stipulating projects use the CEIP.

Also at the hearing, the council voted unanimously to use the construction manager-general contractor alternative contracting method for the wastewater treatment plant project. The method, preferred by many builders for complex and/or risky projects, is also said to help firms meet workforce and subcontracting goals.

The debate over equitable contracting was going on long before Wheeler took office in January, but in April, his office released a draft CEIP that had the support of the National Association of Minority Contractors-Oregon, whose membership includes both union and open-shop firms. But the region’s largest construction worker union, the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council, along with many other nonprofit groups, opposed several conditions of the CEIP, notably a threshold exempting required use of the CEIP on projects valued over $25 million.

Built in 1952, the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant today serves 600,000 Portlanders, handling an average of 76 million gallons per day. However, as a result of Portland’s , the plant now sees peaks of up to 450 million gallons in a day following heavy rain.

These wide variations require more biological treatment during a rain and increased resiliency, according to BES program manager Muriel Gueissaz-Teufel. The upgrades have been included in planning documents as far back as the 1990s. Beyond that, she said, regulators have mandated the city complete the project by 2024.

The first deadline is Saturday, when the city is required to notify the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality it’s implementing the project.

鈥淭he project is really about increasing the quality of treatment at the plant,鈥� Gueissaz-Teufel said. 鈥淭he EPA is asking that as much flow as possible be sent to biological treatment.鈥�

The project addresses deferred maintenance needs, upgrades of technical systems and rolls in several long-needed capital projects at the treatment plant. It adds 15,000 square feet of storage space and 5,000 square feet of staff space, as well as add two wet-weather clarifiers and replacement of odor control systems. Wastewater clarifiers are large basins that allow for the separation of sediments.

鈥�(Clarifiers) are low-profile structures that are essentially full of water,鈥� Gueissaz-Teufel said.

The existing clarifiers at the treatment plant will remain in place.

Construction costs for the project are budgeted at $89 million. The overall project budget of $146 million includes predesign, design, construction and permitting. Funding comes from sewer ratepayers via the Sewer System Operating Fund.

Mike Jordan, director of the Bureau of Environmental Services, said the will help by providing the contractor more flexibility in scheduling, which for this project will feature complex sequencing and maintenance of operations.

鈥淲hen you’re talking about $90 million you’re talking about considerable risk, and anything you can do to minimize risk would be supported by the ratepayer,鈥� Jordan said.

Jordan showed the council a picture of equipment at the plant used for biosolids processing jerry-rigged to prevent leaks.

鈥淎s you know, big electrical equipment and leaks just don’t mix,鈥� he said.

Contracts for the project will require frequent reporting by involved parties, to groups including the Portland Utility Board, the Citizens Utility Board and the City Council.

Management help sought for treatment plant work

Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services is looking for program management and other support services as it embarks on major projects at its two wastewater treatment plants.

The Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant treats as many as 76 million gallons per day. Design for improvements is expected to begin next year.

The Tryon Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant treats an average of 6.5 million gallons per day. The facility was built in 1964 and expanded in 1976. An improvements program for the plant approved in 2014 includes five projects.

The overall project budget is $89 million. The program to expand secondary treatment in Portland is mandated by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

The winning bidder will work as an extension of BES staff to assist project managers with completion of the two large projects, according to the request for proposals. The initial contract will run for five years with provisions allowing for a five-year extension.