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SAFETY IS PACIFIC POWER’S PRIORITY
On Feb. 5, 2025, Willamette Week published a one-sided story by the Oregon Journalism Project about Pacific Power and wildfires in Oregon [“After the Inferno”]. We write to provide a more accurate picture of Pacific Power’s industry-leading efforts to prioritize the safety of its customers, communities and employees.
Pacific Power fully recognizes the tragic impact of the 2020 Labor Day fires on our state and has worked hard to reach fair settlements with more than 1,500 people who did not join the class action. Most of those households have been able to receive substantial payments, both from Pacific Power through settlement and from their property insurers, to rebuild their homes and lives.
Pacific Power has always worked hard to stay ahead of wildfire mitigation efforts. Just last year, a study by Stanford University’s Climate and Energy Policy Program ranked Pacific Power in the top tier among Western utilities for wildfire mitigation.
Wildfires are a complex problem with no single root cause, and no winners. It does not benefit anyone to ignore that reality just because it might be easier to make the utility pay in the short term.
As the threat of wildfire continues to grow, several states have begun to evaluate measures to address this risk. Pacific Power supports any efforts to help us provide safe and reliable service, at a reasonable cost to customers. We need public support for measures to help us evolve electric services in a world at greater risk of devastating wildfires.
Erin Isselmann
Vice President of Communications
Pacific Power
LANDLORDS ARE LEAVING, TOO
As a real estate broker with 32 years of experience, I felt compelled to comment on your article about taxes and how they influence decisions to move to the Northwest [“The Anxiety of Choice,” WW, Jan. 22].
More than ever, we’re seeing clients choose areas outside of Portland specifically because of tax differences. In recent years, many have sold homes in Portland and Multnomah County, relocating to areas where the tax burden is lower. For example, one client sold a modest home in Southeast Portland and purchased a larger home with acreage in Newberg, where their annual tax bill is approximately $3,500 less. Increasingly, people relocating to the area are asking to exclude Portland and Multnomah County from their home searches.
Additionally, there has been a notable uptick in small landlords selling their single-family rentals. Many feel the risks associated with current tenant laws outweigh the rewards, leading to fewer available rental homes and rising rents. While tenant protections are crucial, they must also strike a balance that allows homeowners to protect their investments—ensuring they can continue to provide housing without undue risk.
Mom-and-pop rental homes foster a sense of community that will be lost if this trend continues. As independent property owners leave the market, we risk long-term impacts on rental housing quality, affordability, and tenant-landlord relationships.
Thank you for shedding light on this important issue shaping real estate and our communities.
Cristen Lincoln
Principal Broker
Living Room Realty
CORRECTION
Last week’s cover story on wildfires in the Santiam Canyon (“After the Inferno,” Feb. 5) originally misstated the frequency with which the Public Utility Commission notified PacifiCorp of vegetation management shortcomings. The Oregon Journalism Project regrets the error. The story has also been updated to include context about a lawsuit filed last year by Nik Blosser’s family’s winery.
Letters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to:
P.O. Box 10770, Portland, OR 97296
Email: amesh@wweek.com