OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Lake Oswego City Council Meeting – January 20, 2026: Metro Update, Home Occupation Code, Library Needs

City Council — Tuesday, January 20, 2026
BodyLake Oswego, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, January 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:02:44

Transcript — Verbatim
0:32

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:34

This uh Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 meeting of the Lake Oswego City Council is now called to order.

0:40

Miss Ono, will you please call the roll?

0:43

Mayor Beck.

0:44

Here.

0:45

Councillors Wendlin.

0:46

Here.

0:47

Verdict here.

0:48

Corrigan here.

0:50

Councillor Raf is excused.

0:52

Counselor Afkin.

0:54

And Maboop.

0:55

Yeah.

0:56

Thank you very much.

0:57

Now, everyone, will you please stand, remove your hats and join us in the pledge?

1:03

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

1:18

Thank you.

1:19

At this time, I'd like to invite our Metro Counselor Christine Lewis to come forward.

1:23

She's here to give a presentation on a Metro regional update.

1:28

Good to have you here, Council Lewis.

1:29

Thank you.

1:30

Thank you so much for the invitation to join y'all.

1:32

Thank you, Mayor.

1:34

Thank you, counselors.

1:38

I like to be out in community as much as possible, and I see many of you at community events, whether it's fundraising for good causes in our community or street fairs and the vibrant uh work that you all do to activate the spaces here in Lake Oswego.

1:53

But good to see you in this formal format as well, where I like to report back on some of the things I'm working on, let you know some of the results we're seeing at the Metro and regional level, and then also get your input as there's much coming in front of us.

2:08

This seems to be automatically playing.

2:10

Okay, that's cool.

2:12

I um I'll just be done in like three minutes.

2:15

Five seconds of slide.

2:17

Boom, boom, boom.

2:18

That's right.

2:18

It's the Ignite format.

2:20

I'll be done.

2:21

Um I'm coming off a retreat this morning with Metro Council where we all were looking at our uh priorities for the year.

2:29

I know many of us are going through kind of that new year.

2:32

What are we all working on?

2:34

Um, and at the Metro level, our priorities are remaining invested in housing, working on that, supportive housing services as well as finishing up our housing bond investments.

2:45

We are going to continue to have conversations around our economic development plans and the role we play in the region.

2:52

And then we're also continuing to do our work in parks in nature.

2:57

So no surprises there, but just wanted to bring that back fresh off the press from our council retreat.

3:03

Those are our three objectives.

3:13

Obviously, we have work in Lake Oswego, both with Mercy and with El Nito.

3:20

And Mercy's completed.

3:29

But these are two investments that are part of our 2018 affordable housing bond.

3:36

Uh the region uh was able to vote yes for more than 3,000 affordable homes, where we have 1,400 under construction and 925 are in pre-construction.

3:50

We're already very close to exceeding our original goal, and it's looking like we're gonna deliver 5,381 affordable homes in this region as part of that 2018 measure.

4:03

And those 5,381 homes will house between 10,000 and 17,000 people across the region, since many of them are two and three bedroom family units.

4:14

Here on the ground in Clackamas County, our share of that uh was to deliver over 800 units, and we are on track to hit 1,185 in Clackness County.

4:25

So I'm proud of Clackamas stepping up with this affordable housing investment.

4:30

And as I said, here on Lake Oswego, we have two examples, uh, one open and one underway.

4:36

The other work that Metro is working on is reforming our supportive housing work.

4:41

Support of housing investments are from the 2020 ballot measure.

4:46

And overall, we have succeeded at creating a program, but it we've put a lot of work into process and how the three counties are able to shape their plans.

5:00

And now Metro is coming up with reforms that move us from just looking at the process of government to having KPIs and needing to see results for those dollars.

5:09

So we voted as a council before the winter break to make sure that the reforms happen with the oversight committee.

5:17

In April, we'll be standing up a single oversight body.

5:21

Right now there's two bodies leading to some confusion.

5:25

And equipping that body with KPIs so that they can make decisions about what programs are working, which are falling short, and how to work with the three counties to make sure our investments are paying off.

5:36

But affordable housing and helping folks who are homeless find stability, find housing, find shelter, find the support that they need, means that we're attacking not just one system, but multiple broken systems that have failed people, and we're going to continue to need partnerships.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Library Management████████████████████████████████32%
Urban Planning███████████████████19%
Affordable Housing█████████9%
Community Engagement████████8%
Transportation Safety██████6%
Public Engagement██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Procedural███3%
Economic Development███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Lake Oswego City Council Meeting – January 20, 2026

The Lake Oswego City Council met on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 8:00 AM. The meeting included a Metro regional update from Metro Councilor Christine Lewis, public comment, approval of a consent agenda, a public hearing on code amendments for home occupations and urban agriculture (continued to February 3, 2026), and a study session on community needs for a new library. Councilor Raf was excused. The meeting then moved into executive session for labor negotiations and exempt information.

Consent Calendar

  • Resolution 26-02: Intergovernmental agreement with Clackamas County and a public improvement contract for the Carmen Drive Sidewalk Project. Adopted unanimously (6-0). The project received 15 bids, with costs lower than estimated.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Matt Johnson (Bryant neighborhood resident): Spoke in support of the Lake Oswego Swim Club’s use of the Lorac facility, requesting rule adjustments to allow more swim meets and training sessions. Cited a backlog of 60 children awaiting membership due to current constraints. Also urged increased traffic enforcement on Rosewood and other streets, citing safety concerns from speeding vehicles.

Discussion Items

Metro Regional Update (Councilor Christine Lewis)

  • Presented Metro’s 2026 priorities: housing, economic development, and parks/nature. Updated on the 2018 affordable housing bond: region on track to deliver 5,381 affordable homes (exceeding original goal of 3,000), with Clackamas County expected to deliver 1,185 units (exceeding its 800-unit target). Lake Oswego has two examples: Mercy (completed) and El Nito (underway).
  • Reviewed supportive housing services (SHS) reform: a single oversight body with city representation will be established in April 2026, with KPIs to measure program effectiveness. Clackamas County has already begun tapering voucher issuance in anticipation of potential wind-down.
  • Economic development: Metro is developing a site-selector readiness initiative to attract industrial investment.
  • Transportation: Expressed concern over TriMet’s proposed service cuts, noting six lines in her district are first to be cut. Urged cities to submit public comments. Highlighted the need for community-level shuttle service in Clackamas County and broader transit funding reform at the state level.
  • Councilors raised concerns about TriMet’s financial viability, lack of adaptation to changing commute patterns, and the mismatch between payroll taxes paid by Lake Oswego residents and services received. Councilor Wendlin emphasized that TriMet must adapt or face a “death spiral.”

Public Hearing: Ordinance 2964 – Home Occupation Code Amendments & Urban Agriculture Regulations

  • Associate Planner Michael McNemy presented the proposed code changes: replacing a vague “residential character” standard with objective criteria, creating a three-tier classification for home occupations (Type A: no clients onsite; Type B: clients allowed with outdoor activity limits; Type C: short-term rentals), and establishing urban agriculture as a conditional use in R-10 and R-15 zones (minimum 1 acre, max 20,000 sq ft or 35% of lot).
  • The Planning Commission recommended removing three proposed restrictions: limits on hazardous substances, commercial vehicle parking off-site, and an indoor client cap of eight. Staff also recommended excluding from urban agriculture any use qualifying as a home occupation.
  • Council discussion centered on outdoor activity limits, parking, noise enforcement, and the balance between supporting home businesses and preserving residential character. Councilors Corrigan and Wendlin expressed preference for no outdoor client activity. The public hearing was continued to February 3, 2026, to allow further deliberation.

Study Session: Community Needs for the Library

  • Director Melissa Kelly and Library Advisory Board Chair Patrick Walsh presented findings from the 2025 community survey (2,790 responses) and a teen survey (355 respondents). Key community priorities: multi-purpose rooms (79%), children’s play areas (79%), small group rooms (72%), makerspace (70%), teen spaces, auditorium, and outdoor space.
  • Highlighted critical facility deficiencies: seismic issues, water intrusion, failing systems, accessibility barriers, and undersized space (27,000 sq ft vs. voter-approved 35,000 sq ft). Multiple studies since 1988 have recommended larger facilities (most recently 77,000 sq ft in 2024). The current site lacks room for expansion.
  • Council consensus strongly supported a new library but stressed fiscal realism. Councilors noted that renovating the existing building is not cost-effective and that a single library is the only viable option. Challenges include community nostalgia, concerns about site location, and funding. Councilor Corrigan pointed to the Lake Grove Urban Renewal Area as a potential funding source. The Library Advisory Board will continue developing a communications plan and community engagement strategy, with targeted focus groups planned for summer 2026.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda (Resolution 26-02) adopted 6-0.
  • Public hearing on Ordinance 2964 continued to the February 3, 2026, council meeting.
  • No formal action taken on the library study session; council directed staff and the Library Advisory Board to refine the communications plan and engage the community on site, scope, and funding options.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. This uh Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 meeting of the Lake Oswego City Council is now called to order. Miss Ono, will you please call the roll? Mayor Beck. Here. Councillors Wendlin. Here. Verdict here. Corrigan here. Councillor Raf is excused. Counselor Afkin. And Maboop. Yeah. Thank you very much. Now, everyone, will you please stand, remove your hats and join us in the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Thank you. At this time, I'd like to invite our Metro Counselor Christine Lewis to come forward. She's here to give a presentation on a Metro regional update. Good to have you here, Council Lewis. Thank you. Thank you so much for the invitation to join y'all. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, counselors. I like to be out in community as much as possible, and I see many of you at community events, whether it's fundraising for good causes in our community or street fairs and the vibrant uh work that you all do to activate the spaces here in Lake Oswego. But good to see you in this formal format as well, where I like to report back on some of the things I'm working on, let you know some of the results we're seeing at the Metro and regional level, and then also get your input as there's much coming in front of us. This seems to be automatically playing. Okay, that's cool. I um I'll just be done in like three minutes. Five seconds of slide. Boom, boom, boom. That's right. It's the Ignite format. I'll be done. Um I'm coming off a retreat this morning with Metro Council where we all were looking at our uh priorities for the year. I know many of us are going through kind of that new year. What are we all working on? Um, and at the Metro level, our priorities are remaining invested in housing, working on that, supportive housing services as well as finishing up our housing bond investments. We are going to continue to have conversations around our economic development plans and the role we play in the region. And then we're also continuing to do our work in parks in nature. So no surprises there, but just wanted to bring that back fresh off the press from our council retreat. Those are our three objectives. Obviously, we have work in Lake Oswego, both with Mercy and with El Nito. And Mercy's completed. But these are two investments that are part of our 2018 affordable housing bond. Uh the region uh was able to vote yes for more than 3,000 affordable homes, where we have 1,400 under construction and 925 are in pre-construction. We're already very close to exceeding our original goal, and it's looking like we're gonna deliver 5,381 affordable homes in this region as part of that 2018 measure. And those 5,381 homes will house between 10,000 and 17,000 people across the region, since many of them are two and three bedroom family units. Here on the ground in Clackamas County, our share of that uh was to deliver over 800 units, and we are on track to hit 1,185 in Clackness County. So I'm proud of Clackamas stepping up with this affordable housing investment.

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