By Nancy Hiser, Linnton NA Tank Farm Safety Committee, NET Chair
The Linnton Neighborhood Association sent a letter to Governor Kotek on January 28th thanking her for restoring the State Resilience Officer position which she initially announced would become a new position that included fire safety. We appreciated her swiftness in reversing her decision, bringing hope that the Governor shares our priorities.
Seismic preparedness is one of Linnton’s highest needs, as is wildfire prevention so it’s encouraging that the state is advocating with offices for both of these critical issues. Linnton will continue to heighten public awareness and preparedness and will support actions and legislation that make Linnton, Portland, and the state more secure.
Local activists are pleased that one experienced and knowledgeable public figure, Jay Wilson, the former OSSPAC (Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission) Chair, has a vision to align seismic resilience with state and local climate goals, protecting the environment, and equity for vulnerable populations, creating a unique opportunity to make Oregon the leader in proving how these four interwoven top-priority goals can collectively become realities. We hope the new State Resilience Officer, once named, will adopt this plan.