BEAVERTON CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
AUGUST 5, 2002
CALL TO ORDER:
The Regular Meeting of the Beaverton City Council was called to order by Mayor Rob
Drake in the Forrest C. Soth Council Chambers, 4755 SW Griffith Drive, Beaverton,
Oregon, on Monday, August 5, 2002, at 6:45 p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Present were Mayor Drake, Couns. Evelyn Brzezinski, Dennis Doyle, Forrest Soth and
Cathy Stanton. Coun. Ruby was excused. Also present were Chief of Staff Linda
Adlard, City Attorney Mark Pilliod, Human Resources Director Sandra Miller, Assistant
Finance Director Shirley Baron-Kelly, Community Development Director Joe Grillo,
Engineering Director Tom Ramisch, Operations/Maintenance Director Gary Brentano,
Police Chief David Bishop, Library Director Ed House, Police Captain Wes Ervin,
Utilities Engineer David Winship Project Engineer Jim Brink, City Recorder Sue Nelson
and Deputy City Recorder Cathy Jansen.
CITIZEN COMMUNICATION:
There were none.
COUNCIL ITEMS:
Coun. Stanton announced that August 6, 2002, would be the Police National Night Out
at Griffith Park at 6:00 p.m. She noted this was a 15-year-old program designed for
neighbors to meet each other which would make neighborhoods safer. She said there
would be activities for children and refreshments.
STAFF ITEMS:
There were none.
CONSENT AGENDA:
Coun. Brzezinski MOVED, SECONDED by Coun. Soth, that the Consent Agenda be
approved as follows:
Minutes of Regular Meetings of May 6, 2002, May 13, 2002, and the Special Meeting
of May 23, 2002.
02233
SB 2002-0004 Montarosa Single-Family Subdivision
02234
TPP 2002-0001 Montarosa Single-Family Subdivision Tree Preservation Plan
02235
FS 2002-0009 Montarosa Single-Family Subdivision Flexible Setback
02236
Approve Application for ODOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Grant and Adopt Resolution of
Support (Res. No. 3676)
02237
Appeal of Chapter 50 (Procedures) Development Code Update (APP 2002-0004)
02238
Bid Award - “Steel Clad” Concrete Crossing Panels for Railroad Crossing Panels
02238A
Board and Commission Appointment (Scott Winters Appointed to Planning
Commission)
Contract Review Board:
02239
Consulting Contract Award – Noise Reduction Analyses for Aquifer Storage and
Recovery (ASR) Pumping Facilities
02240
Exemption From Competitive Bids and Authorize a Sole Seller/Brand Name Purchase
of Library Shelving Center Stops From Spacesaver Specialists, Incorporated
02241
Waiver of Sealed Bidding - Purchase a Street Sweeper in Conjunction With a Current
Bid Award by Clackamas County
Coun. Brzezinski stated she would abstain from voting on the minutes for May 23,
2002; she was absent from that meeting.
Question called on the motion. Couns. Brzezinski, Doyle, Soth, and Stanton voting
AYE, the MOTION CARRIED unanimously (4:0); Coun. Brzezinski abstained from
voting on the minutes for May 23, 2002.
PUBLIC HEARING:
02242
Public Comment on Issue of Seeking a Citizen Advisory Vote Regarding Fluoridation
of Beaverton’s City Water Supply
Mayor Drake noted that a work session was held on fluoridation (July 15, 2002) and
public comment was heard concerning fluoridation of the City’s water.
Coun. Soth reported he had a few conversations with citizens about this issue but he
did not discuss the pros and cons of fluoridation.
Coun. Stanton said she discussed the pros and cons with several people as this was a
public forum. She noted that if anyone had data on a fluoridated water system, she
wanted to know the percentage of the fluoridated population that had fluorosis.
Mayor Drake explained that each person would have three minutes for testimony and
that Council could ask follow-up questions. He encouraged citizens to submit written
testimony. He explained he supported fluoridation, that the City had not fluoridated the
water supply that it directly controlled and that he recommended that this issue be sent
to the citizens for an advisory vote. He stressed that no decision would be made on
whether or not to fluoridate at this meeting. He noted that since Council heard
testimony that supported fluoridation at the work session, the opposition would speak
first.
OPPOSED TO FLUORIDATION
Sandra Blois, Beaverton, said that from 1976 through 1983, the National Preventative
Dentistry Demonstration Program surveyed 30,000 school children (February 1990,
issue of Community Dental Oral Epidemiology) and the study concluded that ingested
fluorides were not consistently effective in preventing clinically significant amounts of
tooth decay; sealants were the only effective products. She said her 19-year-old son
grew up in Beaverton where there was no fluoride. She said all the students in his
class had sealants put on their teeth and he did not have any cavities since that time.
Coun. Stanton confirmed that the Blois residence on 206th was west of 185th Avenue.
Mayor Drake confirmed that Blois received water from Tualatin Valley Water District
(TVWD) and that she had lived on 206th for three years.
Coun. Soth asked if the studies Blois quoted contained background data on the
children, where they lived prior to the study and whether they regularly brushed their
teeth.
Blois replied she did not know of any background information.
Ralph Blois, King City, Parents of Fluoride Poisoned Children, read a list of cities that
had fluoridated water for more than 20 years, which he said had more decay than the
average city in the United States. He said highlights were: 1) Dental problems found in
New York (fluoridated since 1965); 2) In Connecticut, which was 100% fluoridated,
Head Start Children had more decay now than two years ago; 3) British Columbia had
more decay in its fluoridated areas than in the non-fluoridated areas; 4) Boston had
been fluoridated since 1978 and was considering using sealants; 5) Vancouver,
Washington (fluoridated since 1963) in the Year 2000 6-8 year olds had 62% decay; in
Multnomah County it was 28.6% and the fluoridated areas had twice the decay; 6)
CDC and the Oregon Health Division 2000 Survey showed that unfluoridated
Multnomah County had 36% untreated decay which was less than fluoridated
Vancouver. He asked the City not to fluoridate the water until it had been determined
how much the children already had in their bodies.
Coun. Stanton asked that when people testified that they explained what the statistics
represented.
Coun. Soth noted that a number of items were unclear in the Multnomah County
Study. He asked if the children had water service from independent water districts.
Blois replied that 100% of those in the study did not have fluoridated water.
Coun. Soth noted that it was not known how many of the water districts in Multnomah
County had fluoridated water; Portland did not, but that did not mean all of its
customers did not. He noted that in the Head Start Program survey, without the basic
background information of where the children came from and the extent of decay
before they came to Multnomah County, all the report indicated what was found at the
time of examinations.
Blois replied that none of the studies conducted showed information on the history of
each child. He said that information did not exist for any study.
Mayor Drake summarized that Coun. Soth was asking for a control group and that
Blois was saying there was none.
Greg de Bruler, Hood River, stated he was an environmental health specialist who
worked on health toxicity issues in humans and aquatic species. He said he worked
for the last 13 years with the Agency for Toxic Substance Disease Registry (ATSDR);
the ATSDR’s job was to measure toxins in the environment and tie them into human
health conditions. He said the biggest problem he had was using fluoride to treat
young children who could go to the dentist. He said the ASTDR and Center for
Disease Control discovered that when chlorine was put in the water systems in
America it produced trihallomethanes; and the effects of combining chlorine with
fluoride were not known. He said the City had good water and this contaminant
should not be added.
Coun. Doyle asked de Bruler to submit the sources he quoted in writing to the Council.
de Bruler said he would submit the information.
Coun. Soth asked if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had added fluoride to
the list of substances that all water systems would have to test for annually.
de Bruler replied he did not know if this was a regulation for municipalities.
Cindy de Bruler, Hood River, Executive Director, Columbia River Keepers, said there
were similar discussions in her area, and the cities of White Salmon and Hood River
said no to fluoridation. She stated that the kids who would need fluoride the most
drank soda pop instead of water; the people who visited the dentist on a regular basis
would get a double dose of fluoride. She stated that fluoride levels in the Tualatin,
Columbia, and Willamette Rivers exceeded safe levels for salmon.
Coun. Soth asked de Bruler if she believed that the people had a right to vote whether
they preferred fluoride or not.
de Bruler stated that she did, but she did not think it was worth the time and money
that would be invested in it. She said that the environmental and public interest groups
were lacking monetary resources to hold their organizations together. She said her
group could not provide resources to get information out for an election.
Coun. Doyle asked de Bruler to forward her groups information to him.
Dr. Ann Durrant, President, Oregon Doctors of Chiropractic (ODC), stated that the
ODC’s position was that putting fluoride in the water was not safe or ethical. She said
the largest study done in the United States (1986-1987) by the National Institute of
Dental Research (NIDR) showed that there was no statistically significant difference in
dental decay between children in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities. She
said the July 2000 Journal of the American Dental Association reminded dentists that
any effective fluoride was topical and not ingested. She said that the NIDR study also
showed that 66% of children living in fluoridated areas with .7 to 1.2/ppm fluoride
(targeted dose for fluoridation) had fluorosis. She said the American Academy of
Pediatrics and the American Dental Association reassessed their recommendations
regarding fluoride supplements as follows: none from birth to six months; 0.25 mg/day
from six months to three years; 1.0 mg/day not recommended until a child is six years
old. She said the only way to control the dose for infants was to breast feed or avoid
tap water and not to use fluoridated toothpaste. She noted a case in San Antonio
where a family had severe dental fluorosis and other problems from fluoride
overexposure. She asked that the Council look at all the data and information.
Coun. Soth asked if she advocated taking the issue to the citizens.
Durrant said it would be better to put it to a vote than for Council to decide to fluoridate
unilaterally without a vote of the citizens.
Lynne Campbell, Lake Oswego, Executive Director, Oregon Citizens for Safe Drinking
Water (OCSDW), said that the public had the right to accountability and full
information. She indicated there were documents from the EPA, FDA, the Public
Health Service, a congressional investigation and dental journals on the back table for
everyone. She stated that at the range April Love (Stand for Children) said there was
no toxic effect, 66% of kids had fluorosis on at least one tooth. She said that everyone
wanted to pretend that people weren’t already overexposed from the fluoride in the
diet. She asked that citizens hold people accountable to ensure that the water
remained safe for everyone in the community.
Coun. Soth asked Campbell why Beaverton Citizens for Safe Drinking Water had a
Lake Oswego address.
Campbell explained that the Beaverton Citizens for Safe Drinking Water (BCSDW)
was an offshoot of her organization, OCSDW. She noted that the Beaverton group
formed quickly and just got a post office box address. She noted that both people in
charge of BCSDW had Beaverton addresses.
Coun. Soth asked if she was in favor of putting this to a vote of the citizens.
Campbell said it was not appropriate; with the information available on the adverse
effects, it was not a good idea. She agreed with Durrant that a vote gave citizens a
say, rather than Council deciding on its own. She said it was a drug and people
should not be voting to drug their neighbors.
Coun. Stanton asked how Campbell became involved in this issue.
Campbell explained that fluoridation came up in Lake Oswego in 1998. She
researched the issue and was alarmed by what she found. She noted that the Lake
Oswego Council did not move the issue forward and Lake Oswego did not have
fluoridated water.
Claire Darling, Beaverton, stated that safe drinking water was the highest priority and
there was no reason to medicate the water because there were safer options. She
noted the options available were dental sealants and educational programs to teach
children to brush correctly. She noted that the American Dental Association agreed
that fluoride used topically worked to reduce cavities; it did not have to be ingested.
She noted a statement from UNICEF “long been known that excessive fluoride intake
carries serious side effects, scientists are now debating whether fluoride confers any
benefit at all.” She urged the Council to look into the other alternatives.
Mayor Drake advised Darling that she lived outside of Beaverton and that her water
provider was West Slope not the City of Beaverton.
Coun. Doyle invited her to submit additional information.
Coun. Soth asked Darling what she would do for people who did not receive regular
dental care.
Darling noted that there was a team with a dental care van that provided care to those
in need. She said she questioned how many children actually needed sealants and
could not afford it. She felt the matter could go on the ballot if the wording was explicit.
Dr. Andrew Harris, M.D. Aloha, stated there were no well-controlled peer-reviewed
studies for water fluoridation. He stated that 95% of fluorides in drinking water came
from the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers; the remainder from the aluminum
industry. He stated that fluoride was also contaminated with lead and arsenic, which
caused health problems. He stressed that fluoride was a health threat to all citizens
and he urged the Council not to expose the citizens to potentially toxic fluoride.
Coun. Soth asked if he advocated putting this to a vote.
Harris said he supported the democratic system but was not sure people would fully
understand the issue because it was so complex.
Coun. Doyle asked if there was a safe source of fluoride.
Harris said that a safer source would be from the pharmaceutical industry and it would
be more expensive.
Miriam Green, Portland, stated that sodium fluoride acted as an internal poison to
insects and was used in poison baits for insects. She said she spoke with Gary
Pittman who spent 21 years in Florida making phosphate fertilizer. She described how
the phosphate fertilizer was made (as related by Pittman) and that he said fluoride was
second in toxicity to arsenic and more toxic than lead. She described the noxious
effects of fluoride.
Coun. Brzezinski asked Green why the American Cancer Society would support
fluoridation.
Green said that many people would not thoroughly research the issue; but would just
accept what medical associations supported.
Coun. Soth asked if she would approve of submitting this to the voters.
Green stated that she would approve if both sides had equal financing and resources.
She concluded that the citizens rejected fluoridation four times in the Portland area.
Mayor Drake noted this issue was politically sensitive in other areas of the country. He
expressed his faith in Beaverton’s citizens, noting they were smart and they would do
their homework. He stated he would go with what the citizens decide.
Sandra Duffy, Lake Oswego, OCSDW, pointed out legal issues she said should be
addressed in the ballot measure. She said the word fluoride was misleading and
imprecise; the ballot should identify the fluoride compound and grade to be added to
the water.
Coun. Soth asked if she favored putting this to a vote.
Duffy replied it was Council’s responsibility to review all the information on fluoride and
make a decision; if the decision was to move forward, then it should be sent to the
citizens for a vote.
Dr. Anita Steffan, Hillsboro, explained she was four months pregnant and she was
concerned about the safety of her unborn child. She said she researched ways to
ensure a safe pregnancy; she found it was recommended to eliminate fluoridated
water and toothpaste as fluoride interferes with the body’s ability to form and properly
distribute collagen. She stressed she was working to protect her unborn child.
Coun. Soth asked if she would refer this to the citizens for a vote.
Steffan said the Council was intelligent and elected to make sound decisions. She
said there should be no need to go to a public vote.
Susan Anderson, Beaverton, Beaverton Citizens for Safe Drinking Water (BCSDW),
said there were questions that needed to be answered before moving forward on this
issue. The questions were: 1) who determined and quantified all sources and
amounts of fluoride that Beaverton citizens were already experiencing; 2) what were
those findings; 3) who determined the full range of water consumption of the citizens
on a daily basis.
Anderson reiterated comments made earlier about the source of fluoride and the
health hazards. She encouraged the Council to research this further before making a
decision that could have adverse effects on the citizens.
Coun. Soth asked if she felt it should go to a vote.
Anderson replied that if the Council chose not to table the matter, then she would favor
it going to a vote. She stated she would work hard to ensure that all information was
distributed to the citizens.
Scott Anderson, Beaverton, said he was a heavy water consumer, he did not want
fluoride in his water and he did not want to have to invest in a water system to remove
the fluoride.
Mayor Drake asked if he was a resident in the City.
Anderson said he was on the border and his water was from West Slope.
Coun. Soth asked if he was in favor of sending it to a vote.
Anderson said he was not in favor of it going forward.
Dr. Paul Engelking, Lowell, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oregon,
explained he and his students have been measuring the increasing levels of fluoride
ions in the Tualatin River each summer for the last five years. He said that any
question of adding fluoride to the public water supply must consider how to dispose of
the fluoride. He said that the majority of fluoride in public water goes through the
sewage treatment process and remained in the effluent that was discharged into the
environment. He noted there were two major studies on the acute toxic affects of
fluoride: “The Acute Toxicity” by Neuhold and Sigler, 1960; and the Damkaer and Dey
study of 1989. He noted that if the cities fluoridated their water, this would increase
the fluoride levels in the Tualatin. He reviewed the toxic levels on the river at Rood
Road Bridge (less than 0.1) and at Farmington Road (above 0.6), as shown on a chart
dated August 2, 2001.
Coun. Stanton confirmed that the Safe Drinking Water Act didn’t have standards and
asked if there was any work at the Federal level to include compounds like arsenic and
lead that may impact the endangered species.
Engelking explained it took 12 years to get standards for ammonia and phosphates
and he did not believe additional standards would be set on the Tualatin.
Coun. Soth noted that he served on the Unified Sewerage Agency Board and was
involved in the initial studies to establish standards for ammonia and phosphates. He
explained that the tertiary treatment turned out water that was very close to the water
required by Federal Drinking Water Standards.
Engelking said that after Rock Creek the phosphate levels decreased by 1/3 because
the phosphate levels from that plant are virtually zero.
Coun. Soth asked if this should go to a public vote.
Engelking replied that in European law the Crown protected the fish and forests. He
said as part of government’s responsibility the Council would need to look carefully at
what would be happening to the fish. He said if the whole valley were to fluoridate, the
fluoride levels would be at about 0.3 which he thought was too high. He said if he
were a councilor he would prefer that the money go into education; it would be a better
use of the money.
Rhett Lawrence, Portland, Environmental Advocate on Toxics and Clean Water issues
for OSPIRG (Oregon State Public Interest Research Group), voiced OSPIRG’s
concerns about fluoridation and urged that the Council act cautiously. He explained
that it was not known if the benefits of adding fluoride to the water supply would
outweigh the potential harms and OSPIRG believed it was inappropriate to put the
public health at risk by fluoridating water before it has been shown to be necessary
and safe. He supported sending it to the voters.
Coun. Soth explained that as a public official body, the Council could not advocate on
either side of the issue, but would only forward the question to the citizens.
Coun. Brzezinski asked Lawrence how he suggested Council ensure it was
comfortable with the current science when there were conflicting studies quoted by
both sides.
Lawrence replied that in the absence of compelling science showing that it was safe,
the advisable course of action would be not to fluoridate.
Mayor Drake noted he was a strong advocate of OSPIRG and asked if they had
approached Tualatin Valley Water or the City of Forest Grove, sharing their concern.
Lawrence said they had not. He said OSPIRG had not taken a position against
fluoridation. He explained they participated in this debate last year before the
Legislature. He concluded at that time they decided not to take an official position on
water fluoridation, but they would take a position on toxic chemicals and science.
Danielle Pere, Portland, said she used to work with OSPIRG and found that there was
a great deal of voter apathy and that most people did not take the time to understand
the issues. She felt that it should not go to the voters, that it could be held off until
people were educated on the issue. She said she did not want to drink fluoridated
water.
Coun. Soth said he was frustrated by the lack of voter participation, particularly in the
age group 18 to 34. He noted that many ballot measures were thrown out due to
invalid signatures.
Pere noted the importance of education and critical thinking on these issues.
RECESS:
Mayor Drake called for a brief recess at 8:55 p.m.
RECONVENED:
Mayor Drake reconvened the meeting at 9:10 p.m.
PROPONENTS TO FLUORIDATION
Joyce Crunican, Beaverton, Stand for Children (SFC), stated she was a graduate from
OHSU and a dental hygienist for 29 years in Beaverton. She gave an overview of her
patients (young children with deep decay and pain) and spoke on the difficulty in
treating them. She said the benefits she saw as a health care provider were like the
difference between night and day between people who had fluoridation in their water
and those who did not. She favored leaving it to a vote of the people.
Coun. Soth asked Crunican’s opinion on the testimony that people already ingested a
sufficient amount of fluoride from other food sources.
Crunican said she would have to see strong scientific evidence on that. She felt the
evidence was obvious from the areas that already had fluoridation. She said a vast
majority of patients asked her why it was not in the water system.
Coun. Stanton asked if fluoride was only beneficial as a topical application.
Crunican stated that there were benefits topically and from ingestion.
Ashleigh Crunican, Beaverton, SFC, said she worked at the Beaverton PAL Center
where she saw children consume large amounts of sugar daily. She said they were
working to improve nutrition and educate them to take better care of their bodies and
teeth. She said they would work to educate the children and the fluoridated water
would have a great impact.
Audrey Scheidler, Aloha, SFC, explained she joined SFC to give children a voice in the
community. She said they worked on several children’s issues; last year they heard
from many sources (teachers, parents, childcare providers) about the lack of access to
dental care for low-income children in Washington County. She said they researched
the problem and possible solutions extensively; water fluoridation was one of three
possible solutions they chose to pursue. In addition, SFC asked Washington County
to fund a Dental Prevention Educator and they were working on a neighborhood dental
program for elementary schools. She recommended that those who had concerns do
their own research and stressed that this was about prevention; water fluoridation was
not 100% effective but it helped. She said there were strict guidelines for fluorides
sold for human consumption.
Coun. Soth noted the testimony heard about other toxic substances in fluoride. He
asked Scheidler how that applied to public water fluoridation in terms of impurity of the
fluoride compound used in the process.
Scheidler replied that there was an aluminum plant on the Columbia River that the
EPA found was dumping vast amounts of fluoride and it did affect the salmon. She
said it was cleaned up. She stated the fluoride for water consumption did not come
from aluminum plants. She said Tualatin Valley Water District used two different types
of fluoride and was phasing out the fluorosilicate. She said that sodium fluoride was
more soluble in water, was distributed in liquid form and was easier to use than
fluorosilicate. She said manufacturers were under strict guidelines to ensure there
were no contaminants such as lead or arsenic. She said the fluoride went through a
testing process before and after it was purchased.
Coun. Soth asked if it was fair to say that the discharges from the fertilizer plant had
been purified and the other toxic substances removed before it was sold for ingestion
in a public water supply.
Scheidler agreed and said it was done at the manufacturing plant.
Dr. Gordon Empey, DDS, Portland, Dental Director of a local health department, said
that according to US Surgeon General Koop, fluoridation was the single most
important commitment a community can make to the oral health of its children. His
predecessor, David Satcher, indicated that fluoridation remained an ideal public health
measure based on scientific evidence in preventing tooth decay and its cost
effectiveness. He said there had been 50 years of impressive literature and studies on
the success and cost effectiveness of community water fluoridation. He noted all the
arguments Council heard against fluoride and asked if fluoride were all of those things,
why did two thirds of America’s communities have fluoridated water. He noted every
reputable health and medical association in the United States today endorsed
fluoridation, including the American Medical Association and the American Dental
Association. He read a recent statement from the US Department of Health and
Human Services “Community water fluoridation was safe, effective and an inexpensive
way to prevent dental caries. This modality benefits persons of all ages and all socio-
economic status.”
Coun. Soth noted this was in direct conflict with other testimony and asked if this was a
case where professionals using the same data could come to opposite conclusions.
Empey agreed two professionals could look at the same data and come to different
conclusions. He said he was speaking on recognized peer-review studies that
indicated the effectiveness of fluoridation.
Pat Cwiklinski, Portland, said she was a public health nutritionist with Washington
County Women, Infants & Children Program for impoverished residents. She said
2,000 Beaverton residents were on the nutrition education program and dental
education was a big part of their program. She said they worked with parents on
nutrition and dental care education, but many of their clients do not have the money for
dental care. She said that prevention was the key to dental health and the lack of
dental care in Washington County was critical.
Dr. April Love DDS, SFC, explained that all water elements were mined from earth and
had impurities that had to be removed. She said the National Sanitation Foundation
(NSF) and the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) were non-profit, independent companies
that inspected and certified manufacturing plants and every product that had anything
to do with drinking water. She said they ensured the level of contaminants were below
those levels that would cause harm. She noted that Oregon mandated all products
used in drinking water pass the NSF standards and was certified. She said they just
tested tap water from a house in the TVWD; it had no detectable arsenic or lead and
the fluoride level was 1 ppm. She noted that TVWD and FG had fluoridated their water
for many years. She recommended only fluoridating with sodium fluoride since this
was so controversial; it was more expensive than sodium fluorosilicate but the initial
equipment was cheaper. She said she had spoken with the aquatic specialist at EPA
and the habitat specialist at Oregon’s Fish & Wildlife Services, and they said they had
not seen any health problems in the fish environment related to the exposure to
fluoride at levels found in river water. She asked that the citizens get a chance to vote
on this issue.
Stanton asked if the ADA or EPA came out in favor of fluoridated water for their
patients.
Love confirmed the ADA had, but said she did not know about EPA. She noted that
the Featherstone Study said that as soon as teeth came out it was essential to be in
contact with fluoride to make them stronger. She explained the systemic effect of
swallowing small multiple amounts of fluoride throughout the day in water and food,
produced increased levels of fluoride ions in saliva that lasted up to four hours and
benefited the teeth. She said that because those against fluoridation so often quoted
him, Featherstone had to write an article saying he favored water fluoridation.
Stanton asked Love if she knew what percentage of a general population in a
fluoridated area would contact fluorosis.
Love said she went to Forest Grove to the second and third grades in a low-income
school, but those students did not provide other background data so it was too difficult
to obtain a base data. She said most showed an 80% decay rate, which was high.
She said she did see fluorosis in about 2%.
Valerie Connor, Washington County Community Action Head Start health coordinator
and registered dietician, stated she represented the Head Start children in the
Beaverton area. She said they served over 600 low-income families. She noted that
people from other countries did not have the advantages of dental care. She spoke on
the care given to these children, the damage that they saw and could not undo, and
the hope that future children could be helped. She stated they had applied for Grants
to do more work and stressed that fluoride would help these young teeth resist
cavities. She said she would like Beaverton citizens to have the opportunity to vote on
this.
Mayor asked Connor to comment about what she observed in Beaverton’s low-income
children.
Connor explained that the Oregon Health Plan excluded children not born in the United
States. She noted that many of the families at the poverty level did not have access to
public resources, cannot pay for it and did not qualify. She noted that for the public
good, iodine was added to the salt to prevent goiter, white flour was enriched with B
vitamins and milk had vitamin D that prevented rickets. She noted there were many
items fortified to make people healthier.
Soth asked Connor how she reconciled the claims that people already received an
excess of fluoride with the claims of the advantages of fluoridating water.
Connor explained that people reading the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) on
food products might misinterpret the information. She noted the RDA was the
minimum safe dose and assumed a person was eating a regular diet. She noted that
almost any nutrient taken in excess could cause harm, including Vitamin C, and the
RDA listed fluoride as a nutrient.
Eric Downey DDS, Beaverton, gave his observations on what he saw in his pediatric
dental practice in areas with and without fluoridation. He explained that 10% of his
patients had to go to the hospital for treatment because of age and extent of decay.
He noted the high cost of hospital service to take care of these problems and said he
favored having this go to the voters.
Mary Lynn O’Brien M.D. Portland said she trained in a fluoridated city and though it
was a poor city, she never saw the dental decay she had seen in Portland children.
She said her specialty was developmentally disabled children and they did not get
dental care because they were severely disabled, could not speak and were poor.
She said the children almost always had to go to operating rooms for dental care. She
stressed she prescribed fluoride for her patients from the age of six months; she felt
they benefited from fluoride at an early age.
Coun. Brzezinski asked if she had seen studies that supported concerns stated earlier
that fluoride could endanger an unborn child.
O’Brien stated she had not seen any studies about that.
Coun. Soth noted concerns about chemicals causing autism and asked if fluoride
might have the same effects.
O’Brien explained her specialty was autism research and autism had never been
associated with fluoride; it had been reputed to be associated with the MMR vaccine.
Georgia Walp, Tigard, SFC member, stated her grandchildren lived in Beaverton and
she went to the work session on fluoridation. She noted that at the work session the
Mayor explained that one of the water districts that served Beaverton had water
fluoridation for some time. She said that if some reasonable harm came from
fluoridation, it would have drawn a great deal of attention by now. She said she
strongly supported fluoridation for all the children in Beaverton and she resented that
some people felt it should not be brought to the Beaverton voters.
David Granum, DDS., Beaverton, stated that the people in attendance were
conscientious and do not have the luxury of inaction. He stated that the facts indicated
that dental decay could be checked and kept at a low level by water fluoridation. He
noted that in the representative form of government, citizens voted for people to make
decisions in the best interest of the people; this included the arena of public health. He
noted the public health advances of the last century, which included fluoride. He spoke
about the history of dental decay in regards to sugar. He noted there was a need to go
to the source of the problem. He listed all the medical groups that recommended and
supported water fluoridation. He asked the Council to use its authority as a
representative of the electors and implement this into the City of Beaverton’s water
supply.
Brian Adams, Beaverton, stated he was raised taking fluoride tablets, as an adolescent
he had two cavities before age 14. He said that since he stopped taking the tablets
and lived in cities without fluoride he has had four more cavities. He said he sold
fluoride to cities in Oregon and Washington and agreed that the by-products could be
construed as hazardous wastes but also had advantageous uses. He noted that the
voting public was not the target audience that would benefit from using fluoride. He
noted he was not certain of his position on this issue, but wanted to give the
information on the chemicals.
Coun. Soth asked if Adams if he could give an indication of the purity of sodium
fluoride in public water.
Adams explained that sodium fluoride was 40% fluoride and was made up of sodium
and fluoride only; sodium silicate fluoride was 60% fluoride but it had silicate in it. He
said the hydrofluorsilicic acid was a 23% solution, with a 40% to 60% range of fluoride.
He noted the source of the material came from inside and outside of the United States.
Coun. Soth asked if the supplies from outside the United States were similar or equal
to those from inside the U.S., and were they subject to the same purity standards.
Adams replied inside and outside the United States the standards were the same.
Jennifer Robertson, Beaverton, dental hygienist, said she was a volunteer with the
Fluoride Mouth Rinse Program at Mountclaire School for several years. She explained
she watched children consume a lot of sugar and was appalled. She stated they were
not reaching the children and parents who needed it the most. She stated she just
came from a third world country and it was appalling. She stressed the importance of
having a public health program and fluoridation was needed because there was a
severe problem with tooth decay in Beaverton and Portland.
Coun. Soth noted the concern with fluoride use in the prenatal state and asked
Robertson if it would be better to wait until birth.
Robertson replied that she felt it should be started as soon as possible; six months
was recommended because that was when the teeth came in and 18 months was
important because that was when permanent molars would be calcifying in the
jawbone.
Mayor Drake recommended bringing a proposed ballot title back to Council on August
19, 2002, so that the citizens would have an opportunity to see what was being sent
forward. He noted it had to be filed at Washington County by September 5, 2002.
Coun. Soth confirmed that the City would prepare a Voters’ Pamphlet and the deadline
to file arguments for the County and City pamphlet was September 9, 2002.
Coun. Stanton asked Winship if the testing under the Safe Drinking Water Act was to
see if the samples met the thresholds required by the Federal government.
David Winship, Utilities Engineer, explained that the requirements were to not exceed
the maximum contaminant level. He said samples were taken at the Joint Water
Commission water treatment plan.
Coun. Stanton asked if fluoridation was approved, when would the City have to start
testing the fluoridation levels.
Winship explained that if fluoridation was approved, staff would determine when
testing would start. He said TVWD had said that quarterly samples were required. He
thought the City might look at continuous monitoring.
Mayor Drake explained he was seeking an advisory vote for citizens affecting only the
City-controlled water system; it would not affect TVWD or West Slope.
Coun. Soth MOVED, SECONDED by Coun. Brzezinski, that Council direct staff to
prepare a ballot title for the November, 2002, General Election to refer an advisory
vote on voter preference regarding fluoridating the City water supply, exempting those
areas currently served by Tualatin Valley Water District and West Slope Water District,
and return to Council with that proposed ballot title and measure.
Coun. Doyle asked what specific information would citizens get besides the ballot title.
Adlard explained that if the citizens indicated they wanted fluoridation, the City would
provide cost information on each of the three options. She and the City Attorney would
work on the ballot language to ensure that intent of the vote was clear to the voters.
Coun. Soth said he felt the citizens of Beaverton were the best ones to decide this
issue.
Coun. Stanton stated she was not sure enough Beaverton residents would bring this
forward; however, she came from a fluoride-treated area and it was a “no-brainer” to
her. She said the most compelling comment for her was “the disease of dental decay”
and she felt this was something the citizens of Beaverton should decide. She
encouraged councilors to take a stand on this issue and lobby.
Coun. Doyle said that for many of the reasons heard from Council he looked forward to
the debate. He said he was comfortable with letting citizens vote on this because he
had talked with many citizens who were amazed that the water was not fluoridated.
He felt it was time to make this decision; he would support the motion.
Coun. Brzezinski said she would support the motion. She said she read everything
except what was handed to Council tonight. She noted that both sides were sincere in
their beliefs and said she appreciated Anderson’s comments about the open-
mindedness of Council. She explained she had not taken a position on this, but was of
the opinion that the citizens should vote. She said she was impressed with the
attention that voters gave to issues and asked if forums could be held within the city to
provide information on both sides.
Question called on the motion. Couns. Brzezinski, Soth, Doyle and Stanton voting
AYE, the MOTION CARRIED unanimously. (4:0)
RECESS:
Mayor Drake called for a recess at 10:35 p.m.
RECONVENED:
Mayor Drake reconvened the meeting at 10:41 p.m.
Mayor Drake noted the City had received two funding requests, which were covered in
memorandums he had sent to the Council earlier.
Coun. Doyle MOVED, SECONDED by Coun. Stanton, that the Council approve the
request for additional funding contained in the July 17, 2002, memorandum to the City
Council from Mayor Rob Drake, League of Oregon Cities Request Litigation Funding.
Couns. Brzezinski, Doyle, Soth, and Stanton voting AYE, the MOTION CARRIED
unanimously. (4:0)
Coun. Doyle MOVED, SECONDED by Coun. Soth, that Council grant the fee waiver
request of $4,176 based on the July 30, 2002, memorandum to City Council from
Mayor Drake.
Coun. Brzezinski confirmed that the $4,176 was dependent on them requesting
annexation in this fiscal year and that was the total amount that the City would give
them.
Question called on the motion. Couns. Brzezinski, Doyle, Soth and Stanton voting
AYE, the MOTION CARRIED unanimously. (4:0)
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Council at this time, the meeting
was adjourned at 10:44 p.m.
_____________________________
Sue Nelson, City Recorder
APPROVAL:
Approved this 2nd day of December , 2002.
______________________________
Rob Drake, Mayor