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.

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

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

Support of housing investments are from the 2020 ballot measure.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

And to me, that means we're going to continue to work with cities as well as the three counties.

The SHS dollars are divided up for the three counties to do their work as the counties, but our new committee will have mayors or city representatives on it.

One from each of the three counties plus a designee from the city of Portland.

And I think that's really important because initially we left cities out.

We said this is a relationship between counties who have historically done social services and Metro who's collecting the dollars.

We're correcting for that and making sure that the cities do have a voice in the new oversight structure.

So I'm happy to see that set of the reforms did pass.

I believe we will have a second reform package once we establish our KPIs that will give that oversight committee explicit direction, whether you call it muscle or whether you call it TEATH, whatever it takes to make sure that the oversight body can correct for where counties are gonna need that guidance and are gonna need to make sure that they quit funding the things that aren't working.

So that's supportive housing services and supportive housing services reform.

But overall, I just want to say I'm incredibly proud that the moment in time we've we've we've really had this conversation now for two years.

It took a long time to get the counties willing to come to the table and even talk to us, to even share what they thought was working and what wasn't working.

Clackamas County was probably of the three counties the most eager and willing to have the conversation because they saw the failure, particularly the political risks, in not uh you know, being overt about how some of these processes needed correction.

But SHS has created nearly 2,500 shelter beds across the region.

Just two months ago, Clackamas County came forward with proposal for additional Clackhamus County shelter beds.

So we are seeing that in Clackhamus County, over 1,500 of our neighbors have been placed into housing.

We've prevented over 3,000 people falling into homelessness, and again, 238 shelter beds have either been created or sustained because of this funding.

So it's valuable work.

Let me see if I can do this without well, that's a cute picture, we'll get there.

Um, I want to talk about our economic development work.

Historically, Metro has been brought in as an economic development partner because of our work in land use, because of our work in the tourism industry.

And frankly, because of some of our transportation investments.

But we haven't really always been at the table overtly, despite being a big regional funder of Greater Portland Inc.

helping attract and retain large employers across the region.

We've set up economic development as one of our priorities, and in fact, for the past year, we have had a work group on council chaired by Councillor Simpson with supporting roles from Councillor Gonzalez and myself to scope out a way that our council and Metro overall can be a more active voice for economic development.

We have a proposal that the committee is bringing to the full council next week.

I've previewed a little bit of it with your mayor and some of the Metro mayors across the region.

But it's important that we recognize the land use ties, particularly around large sites and industrial siting and what works in other parts of this country that's not here, is the work that gets done pre-recruitment effort in actually building out the facts, building out the site selector toolkit that will be needed in order to bring folks in as investors for industrial site.

Industrial site readiness is dozens of factors.

It's everything from where you are on the electrical grid, the transportation grid, where's your slope, what kind of soil, what's possible to build out.

We will be working assertively to get site selector readiness so that when we do have available sites, some of that data will be documented and easier to sell as we try and attract industry growth in this region.

So I'm excited by that work and I'm excited by the conversation next week because I do anticipate a real investment so that Greater Portland Inc.

when they're out there talking about how great this region is, actually has the data to back it up and some very specific sites that folks can come and evaluate in their processes.

I'm gonna just let this keep going.

I don't think I'm gonna be able to stop it from playing.

The additional uh work that I'm working towards that I think really matters to Glackamas County that matters to this part of the region, Lake Oswego, is placekeeping and placemaking around Willamette Falls area.

You know, you have been such great partners uh with so much of the city along the Willamette River.

I think we need to continue to keep the emphasis on people's access to the river, it's a river trail, uh reopening the locks.

I'm chair of the Willamette Falls Locks, and we are making progress there.

U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, state of Oregon continuing to be in conversation about that transfer.

And I am optimistic it will happen fingers crossed within the next 18 months.

So that work is critical, not only for river users and access, I think unlocking additional industry tourism and really putting putting that part of the river back on the map.

And then I have just the ability to talk about uh some exciting things that happened at the zoo in December.

Yes, it was zoo lights, and we had a very successful zoo lights here, but we also welcomed some eastern bongos, which are uh highly endangered antelope uh creatures from Kenya.

Um they are mountainous creatures, they live at 13,000 feet and above.

Um, they're cool looking, they're striking looking, they have these little horns.

Um, but unfortunately, they need to stay hidden for their safety.

They're a critically endangered, both because of habitat loss and hunting.

So that's a new animal that we welcome to the zoo.

And I share that not only because I think uh I get to talk about a lot of heavy stuff in my work at Metro, but also because it's critical to know that the eye is not off the ball in one of our largest investments, which is voters having uh passed the zoo bond, and we are continuing to make progress in the campus improvement plan with at least two of the first phase projects already out to bid, particularly the giraffe habitat and the new welcome plaza.

Um, so with that, I'm gonna turn to the last um topic, which is transportation.

Uh, with our transportation work, I believe that we are at a critical juncture here in Clackamas County and within TriMet service district.

Uh, it is imperative that we raise our voices through these cuts that are being proposed by TriMet.

And I say proposed, not as though they're gonna not do cuts.

They're just choosing how and where and when they do these cuts.

Um, but across my district, I have six lines that are first on the chopping block.

I do think that we have a large portion of the population which sees transit go through the community, but they don't understand how integral these destinations are to making our communities work.

I've got one of those lines that hits legacy, and if we suddenly don't have a transit line to a hospital, I worry about staff.

I worry about staff taking the 43 to my own kids' preschool.

Um, so I would just continue to use your voices as best you can in this cuts environment to TriMet.

Outside of that, I do think we need to have a conversation that's pretty serious that the level of service that Clackamas County has gotten isn't what we need to meet the needs.

Uh so transit, uh we kind of use the uh Southwest Airlines model.

We've got one size of bus, it's the bus that's gonna do all the routes, and it's great because we only have to have one barn that has all the supplies, and it has all the mechanics that know how to hit that bus.

But those big buses are not always gonna be able to serve our communities, particularly because of topography, and because frankly, we need more like local shuttle service or jitney service than we do just the main lines.

And granted, we do need some big main lines and some major corridors with rapid bus.

But in order to feed people into those major corridors, Clackamas County on both sides of the river needs to come up with a shorter bus uh community level shuttle.

And TriMet has been resistant to that for years.

And I think we've got an opening uh metros doing some work on a study.

Um, but I think more voices, part of that more perspectives would be valuable.

And then taking one further step back, you know, I just dove straight in on transit uh because transit funding is at a cliff.

Uh there's a larger conversation about where we go across the state with transportation funding.

We have projects, big projects that this region is heavily invested in, making sure that we don't take our eyes off of in particular the interstate bridge, um making sure that the 205 and Abernaffi gets completed, and frankly, um that the repayment of um bonds on that don't leave us at a loss or at a deficit in future transportation asks.

Um there's a lot that needs uh focus, but uh those are those are the areas that I'm most concerned about in the immediate.

With that, I'm happy to take questions, comments, feedback, and direction.

Thanks, Councilor Mois.

Colleagues questions?

Counselor Afgan.

Thank you very much for coming here and sharing uh this information with us.

My concern is about transportation.

And when we talk about Lake Caswigal, all of a sudden everybody assumes every single residence at Le Caswigo has three cars and they make both load of money.

And when we look at the data, it says otherwise.

We have uh senior citizens, we have uh income limited uh residents, and when we look at the very high income people, they're very small.

And as I look at how TriMet is cutting back on the services, it raised a red flag for me.

And I honestly I feel that I, for one, I'm uh stuck with how do I express our concerns, and you're bringing it up, which is great.

But if there's anything that we can help with getting some attraction and attention, at least I know several of us are here for that reason to help you support that transportation.

We we're trying to promote people, use less cars and less uh gasoline, less this and that, but the other side is going a different direction.

And I know they have their own constraints and challenges, but somehow we have to come together.

And you had some very good suggestions, so we're here for you.

Help us help the situation.

Wonderful, thank you.

I think one way is just making sure that you do submit a public comment uh to the to the TriMet board um as they go through this.

Um, second, I do think that the uh February Transportation Um Committee, House Committee, uh will have a transit study bill.

I'm not often excited by study bills or worker bills at the legislature.

Um I normally roll my eyes, but this one we have to have a real conversation.

There are no sacred cows.

If we want to talk about what share needs to come from the fare box, what share needs to come from local, federal, I think it's all on the table for the future of transit funding across this country.

Transit is normally funded by sales tax or a gas tax.

We don't have a sales tax, and I'm not changing that in the next year, and we don't have the opportunity to use gas tax for transit because we have constitutional limitation and the voters aren't gonna say yes to changing it.

So we've creatively worked on how to get transit funded in the state, and we're at a breaking point.

That said, we also have a ridership challenge.

We are at about 60% of pre-pandemic ridership, and some of that is there's a lot more flexibility.

Um, so you're losing out on some of your mainline commuters, but we also know that we have people who are making tough choices to spend more of their budget on driving a car because of safety concerns, whether real or perceived, they're making the choice.

So we do need to continue to make sure that the bus is some place where people who have a choice want to make the choice to be on the bus.

One out of four Oregonians don't have the ability to drive a car.

Some of that is because of age, it might be too young, they might be so old that uh disabilities prevent them.

But even those who could drive a car, the cost of car ownership and driving has gone up 40% in the past five years.

So we know that for climate change, we know that for affordability, we cannot give up on transit.

So thank you.

Thank you.

It's a good point.

I mean, you're right, you start writing these checks for like thousands of dollars.

You're just like a self-employed person with no employees.

Um and chances are you probably don't use uh transit or have any customers who use transit and you start wondering, and then TriMet cuts the service even further, and you're like, well, what's going on here?

You know, as opposed to like you mentioned, like broader, kind of more broad-based funding mechanisms where we you know give money to the government, expect them to spend it in a way where we get good outcomes for you know, transportation, congestion, and climate and things like that.

But because it's so tied in to this employment based theory that your employees use it, your customers use it, but we don't see that service, and people just feel like they're subsidizing transit service in the core, you know, of the of the region.

And so I appreciated what you said, and what we've been advocating for is more kind of um uh services that are honed to the um uh lower density suburban communities that we have.

And there was a report shared with me uh that talked about the need for TriMet to adapt to these changes taking place in the region, to um the the departure of a lot of the uh you know workforce used to be all centralized pretty much within downtown, so they have the kind of this hub and spoke model, but now you know it's so spread out.

And and reading this report, I thought, wow, well, this is yeah, this is exactly right.

But that report was dated 1998.

And it's like, okay, so I mean, and you know, TriMet has been sitting on these trends for decades, and they have done absolutely nothing to adapt, and now they're at a point where they just have a system that is not financially viable anymore, and yet they are continuing to refuse to adapt.

And you're right, we have been point blank about the needs of our communities, the needs to be able to shuttle seniors and students and others who don't rely on a car around and they just are completely closed off to it.

Um, so I'm hoping that they with enough input and and pushback um and it's happening that they'll you know see the light and or will have to do something because they they just need to adapt to of an environment that isn't just changing now but has been changing for a long time.

Right.

Sorry, Councilor Wednesday, go ahead.

I second that.

I was just going to say the same thing.

I mean, we need to change.

I mean, it's it's a um in the real world, you adapt or you die.

And I think TriMet's on a death spiral because it's just um it's not working.

We've made presentations or had presentations numerous times to this council about the needs of our community and just getting people locally going on a rotating bus going around town.

We've heard that from the the chamber, from the school district, from um our seniors.

I mean, it's from we haven't heard from you know the preschools yet.

They they can't talk yet, but they will grow up to be like us, we go people that need to get around.

And I think that's that's a huge opportunity.

And I have to say, there's a lot of payroll dollars that are coming from Lake Uswego that are funding this system, and they see no return.

And so um, just like the commercial real estate industry in downtown is mobilizing and figuring out how are we going to deal with this?

Um, we continue to get more and more news of uh real estate transactions that are pretty sobering when you take a 10% uh valuation of a building from just 10 years ago, and that's what it's selling for.

Um, that's those are indicators that we need to react instead of just uh cutting services and to the mayor's point we cut it, then we don't have any buses here.

Um so what do we?

I mean, that's not gonna solve anything.

Um so um, but the other subject, and thank you.

I I have to say that you do you do an excellent presentation and you get us filled in on um all the different things that we need to know about.

One thing on the housing supportive tax or whatever that we call that.

Um last time you were here, Metro was going to go out and try to renew it.

What's the latest status on what's your what's the general thinking now of Metro on uh either renewing it or not renewing it, whatever?

Yeah, I I would say there's general consensus uh amongst council that we would like to see it renewed and not sunset, but we also know the general temperament of the voters is not uh to renew it anytime soon before we have really shown more success.

I think we have definitely seen folks um shift their perspective that some of what we're doing really has been working, um, particularly um when you're in the center of the region, city of Portland.

Uh there are folks who say, look, I see a meaningful change in my neighborhood.

Um I think I know more about what services are available and they seem more stably funded for options.

So that's definitely helpful.

But until we really get the full reform package, which yes, we pass the reforms and governance, but we need some more tools around KPIs before I think we're ready to go out to the voters and say we've gotten our arms fully around this.

I also want to say that the appetite for not having split uh between the built environment affordable housing bond and SHS, and maybe just having one housing package is there because it takes being really technical and nerdy like I am by nature, but not everybody needs to spend that much time in the weeds.

If we're asking people to vote for housing, I mean, housing, housing should be one measure potentially, not two measures.

So I think we're still grappling with the timeline that would be needed.

And again, it's a 10-year measure that was passed in 20.

Um, so we would need to vote in 30 or before for an extension.

Okay.

I will say just feedback from a lot of constituents and just in the business community.

Um I think one of our big problems in Oregon is taxation.

Um, you know, if you live in Multnomah County or even in one of the other counties, we're in the top um top top tax bracket um uh for local government.

And I think that's uh more than anything else, you're gonna have to you're gonna have to show performance for sure.

But I think we're going to have to convince the the voters that that's a um a reasonable way to spend money.

Um I think I'm giving kudos to Betro for changing your board to have the accountability board because I think one of your biggest problems was that you hired all the people that were collecting the tax revenue for their nonprofits and things on the board making decisions to feed themselves.

So that's bad government.

I mean, if you don't have outside people that are actually constituents that are truly representative of uh the taxpayer, I I think you get yourselves into situations like you were.

So I think that's a great step forward, and I applaud you for doing that.

Um I just think it's going to be we have to be cognizant as as local people, metro people, and even state people on the gas tax, I think was a uh pretty big wake-up call to all of us to say that people are, hey, we just can't continue to raise taxes without having benefits or choices to say great.

I mean, yes, we need money for transportation, so maybe we need to take it from somewhere else.

Now, where that somewhere else is, who knows?

That's the problem in government.

There's bigger appetites than budgets, but um, I do think that that the housing um I like your idea of putting it into one um entity so that you can fractionalize things as needs change.

So I think that would be good good uh that sounds strategic thinking.

So thank you, and thank you for everything you do.

Um Metro is not necessarily recognized in the paper all the time, other than for Metro garbage rates going up, and it's just kind of like that's your you know, who wants to hear that all the time?

Um, but um when you do have great nights free animals that come to the zoo, I don't think you necessarily get credit for that.

So thank you for everything that you do for Oregon and Metro.

So I know you're you are one of the uh leading advocates of working hard for everybody.

So I appreciate everything you do.

Thank you, Counselor.

Means a lot to hear that.

And I will say the um, well, I just had a okay.

Uh in terms of the renewal question, I just wanted to respond one other way.

We have not explicitly started asking the three counties for a window plan.

Um, if we get to the point where we're probably a year or two from now, and we don't have an obvious path forward, um, we will ask the counties uh to start producing window plans because obviously a lot of these dollars it's year after year because the top way that we have spent supportive housing services dollars is in a local voucher program.

So you have people who are in housing and stabilized because they have a voucher.

So you do not want to just cut that off overnight, and we'll actually be talking to each of the three counties about what their plan is to taper that off.

And I will say Clackamas County very wisely issued fewer vouchers this past year than was in their plan in order to really double down on making sure that they could stabilize the people who are in their current pool and not introduce more.

So Clackamas is even thinking about the potential um need to wind down before Metro is asking them to.

So we are being conservative in that level of planning.

So thank you.

I mean, of course, then the other thing going on is the uh uh HUD has completely put the kibosh on their vouchers.

They have not um they will not raise the voucher rate to go along with the increase in housing cost, I think, for the foreseeable future.

Well, they've just kind of put the lid on it.

So, as a lot of the housing providers who are already struggling to um uh make their projects continue to pencil while maintaining the property and everything else.

Now there's an additional struggle.

So it does get to be like, you know, it is nice at least having some local resource that we can put into helping um both the housing providers and and families who are housed as you know, the additional resources that we should be putting to these coming from the federal government are just completely almost disappearing.

Um but we have at the same time, I applaud Metro.

They I mean this the process to get to this new governance board, I mean, was uh extensive, you know, and we had multiple groups, but Metro really engaged leaders from across the region at multiple occasions for periods of time with providers, and we all got in the rooms together and they were difficult conversations, but this is what has come out of them.

I think there's a lot of consensus around this format, and I am hoping it will lead to some better results because I mean we are spending a lot of money, and it is hard for we see some good, you know, results come from it, um, but there remain a lot of challenges.

And and uh I mean it's everything is still just a lot of, it's still just a lot of of money.

I mean, it is a lot of money in this uh system.

So us as a region being able to be efficient with the resources and help build you know public trust that these programs are not just working, but they're working efficiently is going to be critical.

Um, I think and and really to help these uh, you know, as we we kind of the supportive housing services and Metro's housing bond, you know, connect and the way we see them connect here at the local level, ensuring that we do have adequate resources going to the housing providers, which then again is again becoming tricky because the housing providers are feeling the strain because of other financial pressures, but making sure they have the services to help the residents who are housed is going to be critical.

And when I I it's great that the Metro's housing bond has now put affordable housing in communities like Lake Oswego that did not have any before, but there comes a responsibility with that, and we have to ensure that these families and the kids, especially who are living there, are set up for success.

And we are hearing some from the school district that it's a challenge, you know, getting kids into school and helping them be successful.

We have kids who are coming from never having a stable home environment, probably going school to school to school attendance, probably not like top of the family priority.

And now coming here where they do have housing stability and coming into one of the highest performing school districts instead is an adjustment, you know, and and we are so far have not allocated any resources to helping those kids adjust.

And so even if you know they're giving it their role and coming, I mean, it's a challenging environment uh to be in.

And we find that even here locally for kids who just um uh are uh you know not as fortunate being in a very high income school district, very high performing, where kids have had all the resources from day one, all the tutoring, all the extra.

You know, how do you keep a kid wanting to come into that you know environment?

So the promise is there, but it needs to be nurtured.

And I'm hoping that um, and you've been such a great partner that all of us, the Metro and the cities, especially the the suburban communities, we can work together to make sure that these housing providers and especially the kids that are the you know that that we are housing here in the community have the resources they need to be set up for uh success.

As that's the biggest promise of all of this is breaking the cycle of poverty and and bringing kids into a school district that their family might not otherwise be uh afford to be into is is is great, but I worry that we're squandering it a little bit because we're just stopping there.

We're getting them in, and then we're like, well, you know, we did it.

Now the rest is on you, you know.

Um, and so I look forward to us working more together on that and just want to thank you and Metro for all the work uh that you do.

And and you know, you also provided the city with a great bond that or um uh grant that we're using to do our uh work down on the foothills planning effort, which would not be possible without Metro's uh support, and we're glad to be a partner with you on that as well.

Absolutely.

And those uh those grant opportunities are rolling now.

Historically, you've had to wait for the one time of the year where we have the window open, but our 2040 planning grants, you can apply 365 days out of the year, and we issue them quarterly.

So we look forward to more planning partnerships.

Okay, last last comment question from Council.

Thank you, Christin.

I think you know, you are one of our heroes.

You just work hard on us.

The um I told you that at the zoo, and I I'm very proud of the work you're doing.

I they questioned for me, the mobility in Oregon, it's a problem, you know.

It's uh especially in the metro areas, like there's no buses.

Many lines are cut in Lake Cosigo, and you know, even in our development.

When we were talking, many folks, like almost 98% of the folks who are working in Lake Cosigo, they're commuting.

So if they don't have those transportation, we are and the there's the other side that always are the progressive, we want global warming, but we are doing everything against how to fix the problem in global warming.

Like everybody's driving, food carbon footprints is big.

So it's very important that uh that Marty is solved by uh metro, like you know, the most people they're like against those train.

What in Europe we call them the train express regional, like they go everywhere and they fast.

They put, but if you say it's a many nimbies, oh no, but no train, no metro, like no, it's uh I think it's a problem we need to solve.

We need those trains, they have to go around everywhere.

There's no exceptions in Paris have highest level of neighborhoods than in here, and those trends, they go everywhere.

The metro is everywhere.

That's in Le Marais, everywhere, there's the metro.

We just like think that, oh, when there is metro, there's homelessness, there is you know, we you have to push on those.

The as a thing that's very dear to me, and the mayor knows it is the affordable housing.

We've what we've noticed about that is there's a problem between housing and mental illness.

Like you you cannot, and today I heard the president said that he's gonna build now asylums, but maybe his concept of asylum is not my concept, but we need mental health structures, hospitals where people who are suffering mentally can be, you know, sheltered and taken care of.

You cannot have housing with children going to school with people who are not really there, and they're not receiving any care.

It creates a problem.

We started having them here on the Green Pryor, it's better now.

But our fear and the neighbors' fear over there in the El Nido is we need to work together.

Like you we just cannot build the housing and say this is what it is.

And everyone is not everyone can live in those housing.

And it's something that Metro has to be very clear about.

We can't, and it's a kind of taboo that people are should not talk about it.

No, there are some folks, they cannot live in uh what we call those affordable housing.

First of all, they are gonna create a lot of disruptions.

Second of all, their case becomes worse and worse.

And what and they will end up being evicted, but by that time they have done the damage, which is not fair for the people who are over there.

We need to make the difference between housing and mental institutions.

Some folks, that's not how what we should put them.

So I I don't know what is uh Metro's take on that.

It's a lot there, and I thank you.

Um for solve society please.

For all of that.

Yeah, yeah.

I can't solve society.

I can work hard to lift up our region's uh needs.

I think our state in particular has some um real ghosts with institutions, and we're scared to talk about them.

You know, I've had the opportunity to to go to where Fairview was.

There's just empty buildings, but you can feel the ghosts of the past.

So we can't do that again.

But what we can say is look, there are places where it's working.

There are people who live in Bud Clark Commons up in Portland, and man, that place has been studied and studied and studied.

And there's only a hundred and something people who live there.

With the amount of money we put into studying it, we should have just duplicated it.

Uh, because it's working.

And the people who live there, it's not a landlord-tenant relationship, right?

And they get housing, they get stability, and they get all that stuff that surrounds them, like housing and the supports, because they participate in that program.

So we need to definitely put it on the table that there are definitely some folks who their housing needs are going to be met because they are part of larger programs that address some of the base concerns.

That said, there are a lot of people who will be able to find success and stability in housing, even if they have a barrier.

If they have adequate support.

And the amount of support that's needed is not somebody coming by and knocking once or twice a month on their door and saying everything good, you paid your bills.

There are some people, it's assertive engagement multiple times a week, some people maybe even multiple times a day.

But we haven't been tracking what I would consider are called dosage of delivery of services.

You're either with services or without.

And we don't track the granularity and what that investment means.

And so you have some programs in counties where you have an amount of money that's expected to be used for a supportive housing.

And that's the floor.

And then you have other counties where there's a ceiling.

And the amount of money is frankly very close to what Clackamas County considers a floor as to what Multnomah County assumes is a ceiling.

So I think we've got to really say if we are trying to invest in somebody getting regular services, regular check-ins.

It cannot just be once or twice a month.

If somebody's gonna be engaging, they gotta do it more often.

And the incomplete answer because I can't solve all of that.

But you've raised you've raised a very provocative issue that we need to do more.

Quackamus is doing more because of how the positionality of the housing department is within HS3.

So it's not siloed for mental health.

So you're not in the government spending a lot of time shuttling between two departments that are siloed.

So you can't actually work on co co-occurring policy or program.

Council, thank you very much again for taking the time to be here today for the updates and for your engagement with us.

We appreciate your um uh appreciate your good work and your partnership.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for the time on the agenda.

I uh I'm always open.

Email, phone, carrier pigeon.

I look forward to talking to you soon.

Thanks, Councillor Lewis.

Folks, next on our agenda is the time we have set aside for public comment.

Is there anyone here who would like to provide public comment?

Uh Miss Ono, did we have anyone sign up for public comment?

Public do we have sir here, please come forward.

Sorry, oh no, you're fine.

Just hand your your slip, and then please just have a seat and uh you'll have three minutes and introduce yourself.

We're glad you're here.

First poor handwriting.

Nice to see you all again all week.

Oh, uh yes, Kim.

We'll start it here.

What's your name?

My name is Matt Johnson.

I'm uh resident of the Southwestern Corner of Bryant neighborhood.

Thank you so much.

And thanks for the opportunity to speak again today.

Um, so my name is Matt Johnson.

I live in Bryant, and uh we have three children, uh, all of whom are behind me in the back.

You might see them.

Um they're behaving rather well at the moment, so we'll we'll be quick.

Um, and uh I'm here on behalf of the Lake Asuga Swim Club.

Um, and so we're our youngest uh all but our youngest are members currently, and she's hoping to be one soon.

Um and I've been here before, so I hate to be a broken record, but it's again around the swim club's use of the LauraC.

And I think an opportunity we have to find a win-win.

Um the Lorac's a wonderful facility, and we're grateful that the city's been there to establish it.

Um, but we feel that the rules of the Lorac are a little bit too stringent, uh, and they don't enable as many opportunities for swim meets and swim club training programs as there once were in the old where where the uh Lake Oswego High School swim area um was formerly.

And uh now it's causing quite a bit of uh logistical challenges and otherwise.

So what we're looking for is just an opportunity for the Laura to adjust its rules to uh to accommodate more things like swim meets and more planned um training opportunities for the swim club, which will enable even more um any more even more of our youngest uh citizens of Lake As we go to participate in the swim club.

Right now, there's a backlog of about 60 kids awaiting to uh we join the swim club, and the reason that they're not is because of the constraints that they're facing with the Lorac.

So if we can accommodate more folks or more swimming swim planned training sessions at the Lorac and some swim meets that will be able to accommodate more members of the swim club and we'll be able to train more kids on how to swim, which will of course improve our safety because of course swimming and drowning uh is is a leading cause of accidental death amongst kids one to four and four to fourteen, as you may have heard in the past.

So those are great opportunities to improve our safety overall for our youngest residents.

Um that's that's the first reason why I'm here.

And uh I think there's an opportunity there, and it and our our needs and uh and appeals are similar to what you also from the Lake of Swiggle um water polo club, too.

So I think there's opportunities for all of us to find uh ways that we can accommodate all residents of Lake Oswego from that side of things.

Um and secondly, I would love to ask the city council to make an appeal to our wonderful uh Lake Oswego police department to uh increase the amount of traffic enforcement that exists here with the city.

Um I will uh I'll speak on behalf of the street on which my children pick up the bus, which is Rosewood again in the southwest corner of the Bryant neighborhood.

Um adjacent to Rosewood is Lakeview, which has speed bumps and it's curb streets, or it's a curb street with sidewalks.

Ours doesn't have those, it's a little bit more of a rural traditional road that one might have seen in Lake Aswego in the years past.

Um as I take ways often to get from one place to the other, it will often route me via Rosewood, which is a residential suite street as opposed to a more prominent throughout fair, like Boones Ferry or Lakeview as an example.

Excuse my children.

Um and uh what what I see as a result are are people that fly down Rosewood, especially after being frustrated by being held up by a train or something to that effect, um, where there's not as many protections, not curb streets or otherwise.

So um last time I talked to the police department is a bit ago.

They only had a few folks, a few officers on traffic enforcement.

It feels like there's an opportunity to have a few more there.

I I would I'm not saying that it should be a revenue opportunity, but I think it could be cost neutral if if enforcement was as strong as the number of uh officers there.

I'll defer to their expertise on that, but also just improved enforcement from that side of things.

And I think there's in addition to Rosewood, there are other streets that I think also followed this.

Uh Burma is an example, upper.

Thank you.

I don't want to cut you off, but your time has expired.

We thank you very much.

Please gasp in is here and he's taking in all of your input right now in real time.

Thank you, Mr.

Johnson.

Is there anyone else who would like to provide public comment?

Okay.

And we're gonna move on to the uh consent agenda.

We have two items on uh today's consent agenda, resolution 26-02.

This is an intergovernmental agreement with Clackamas County, and to a public improvement contract for the Carmen Drive Sidewalk Project.

Is there a motion to adopt the consent agenda?

I move we adopt the consent agenda.

All right, motion has been made by Councillor Corgan and seconded by Councilor and Boop.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed?

All right, motion passes six uh zero.

I'll point out that if you noted on that Carmen Drive Sidewalk Project and have like 15 bids.

Yes, I swear to you.

Yes, engineering, yes.

Really good to see.

Very good.

Um were they lower than they're calculated?

Great.

Uh okay.

Well, we'll good.

We'll we'll get into this here.

Okay.

Uh next item on our agenda is a public hearing.

We have a consideration of ordinance two nine six four.

These are code amendments to update the use specific standards for home occupations and to create regulations for urban agriculture.

Uh, we're gonna have our associate engineer, Michael McDemy.

I'll invite him forward, and then I'll ask uh legal account our legal counsel to please read the uh the parameters for this public hearing.

Ms.

De Toyen.

We will now open the legislative public hearing on ordinance 2964, starting with a presentation by staff.

Testimony will then be received by the public, subject to the time limits set forth in the agenda.

And I'm now gonna ask and pause if there are any financial conflicts of interest for the counselors.

Please say so.

No.

Hearing none, we are ready for the staff report.

Thank you very much.

Hi, Mr.

McNamee.

Hi.

Okay, good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

I'm Michael McNamy, Associate Planner.

Um, this is a public hearing regarding a proposed update to the community development code regarding home-based businesses.

Um today I'll talk the council through the proposed changes and staff's recommendation.

So to start, uh let's talk about the process so far.

Um enforcement staff first discussed this with the council back in June 2024, as part of a larger study session about code enforcement.

One of the issues discussed at that session, which became the focus of this project, had to do with an existing zoning requirement for home-based businesses, otherwise called home occupations, that is neither clear or objective, and how it might improve the code to replace it with more clear and objective standards.

This project was formally initiated in January 2025.

Since then, the planning commission has held three work sessions, and city council has held two study sessions.

At the council's first work session in April, we discussed possible code concepts.

Uh prior to that discussion, staff had also sent a survey uh to every home occupation owner licensed with the city to better understand their needs and level of understanding of existing requirements and proposed new concepts.

Uh the results of which were also discussed with the council in April.

As part of the survey, excuse me, and other feedback received, staff identified a potential need to create a new agriculture use, which was discussed with the council in October, along with refinements to the proposed home occupation code.

The planning commission held a public hearing on this item in November 2025.

So out of this process, staff is presenting draft code amendments to the council that make the changes listed on the screen to the rules regarding home occupations specifically.

So the first change is to remove an existing zoning requirement for home occupations.

This is a subcriterion one in the existing list of use specific regulations for home-based businesses.

It says that a home occupation can't alter the residential character of the neighborhood or infringe on the right of nearby residents to the peaceful enjoyment of the neighborhood.

As we've discussed previously, this requirement is vague and subjective.

When code enforcement is responding to citizen complaints about home occupations, the ambiguousness of this standard can make it difficult to determine whether there is enough evidence of a violation to write a violation letter, since there aren't specific metrics to consider as evidence.

The proposal is to replace this requirement with standards that are more measurable and objective so that everyone understands what's expected of a home-based business.

The proposed amendments would create a new classification system for home occupations.

The purpose would be to apply additional regulations to types of home occupations that typically have a greater impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

There'd be three types, A, B, and C.

Type A businesses would not have customers coming to the site of the business, while type B businesses may have customers or clients at the site.

Type C businesses would be short-term rentals, which already have their own set of additional regulations in the home occupation code.

Over the course of this process, we've discussed a few ways of potentially regulating noise or other nuisances, which can be a problem with certain home occupations.

Ultimately, based on feedback from the planning commission, council, and code enforcement staff, the proposal is to include new code that would reference existing city ordinances that cover nuisance restrictions.

The existing rules should be sufficient to cover potential nuisances created by home-based businesses, and they already apply today.

Adding the reference will simply make it clear where the nuisance regulations are to anyone looking for rules specific to home occupations, and serve as a reminder that the rules apply to those businesses.

For types of businesses that involve visits from clients or customers or type B businesses.

The proposed amendments include two options for how to handle outdoor activity associated with the home occupation.

Under the first option, no more than two sessions per day would be allowed and no more than six per week.

Hours of operation would be limited to between 9 a.m.

and 7 p.m., and outdoor classes would not be allowed on Sundays or public holidays.

The use of outdoor space for commercial events, rentals, parties, weddings, performances, markets, or other commercial gatherings would not be allowed.

Six customers or clients would be permitted outside at one time.

The second option would not permit any outdoor activity involving clients in line with existing internal policy.

Under either option, outdoor activity that didn't involve clients would be allowed.

During the Planning Commission hearing in November, the Commission selected option one as part of their recommendation to the council.

Under state law, daycare and adult care centers are exempt from specific use regulations in residential zones.

The proposed amendments would add language to make it clear where to find relevant state law or administrative rules, and serve as a reminder that those uses are exempt from the specific rules for home occupations.

Separate from the changes to the specific use regulations for home occupations, the proposed amendments would create a new land use called urban agriculture, which would be permitted as a conditional use in the R10 and R15 residential zones.

This is proposed as a result of feedback from the survey that identified this as a unique use with needs and impacts that were different from a typical home occupation.

Use would allow for crop production and sales, as well as tastings or serving of food.

It would only be allowed on properties over an acre in size, and the agricultural use itself would be limited to 20,000 square feet in size or 35% of the area of the lot, whichever was smaller.

Hours of operation for tastings and servings could be uh any time between 7 a.m.

and 8 p.m.

And they could happen on a maximum of 45 days per calendar year.

Or I'm sorry.

Uh I think we've updated that since um the last.

I think that was in there.

I think that's I think it was in 45.

Okay.

Okay.

Sorry.

Uh or slightly less than once per week.

Um the use of motorized equipment would only be permitted between 7 a.m.

and 8 p.m.

as well.

Uh the number of clients or customers permitted at one time would be determined as part of the conditional use process.

A change recommended by the planning commission uh in response to feedback that the limit of 10 might be too low for an existing business that would be reclassified as urban agriculture.

Uh based on council feedback during the last study session, amendments that would have allowed farm stands to operate in residential zones were removed.

Okay, so at the planning commission hearing, uh the commission recommended several changes to the proposed specific use standards for home occupations, namely to get rid of the uh three of the proposed additions to the code.

Uh the proposed code amendments before the council have been modified to remove these three requirements.

Um for all home-based businesses, the proposed amendments included a limit on hazardous substances in amounts greater than what would typically be found in a home.

Uh regulations on hazardous substances are covered by fire code, uh, but not by the zoning ordinance, which has made it challenging in some circumstances for code enforcement staff uh to enforce on home businesses that have excessive amounts of hazardous substances.

However, uh the planning commission felt this requirement could be overly burdensome on businesses.

Unintended consequences would be difficult to anticipate, and that existing requirements in the fire code were sufficient.

Um therefore they were recommended removing it from the proposed draft code amendments.

Uh the proposed code also would have included a limitation on commercial vehicles parked off the subject property.

A home-based business would only be allowed to would only have been allowed to have one vehicle with commercial markings parked off the property within 300 feet of the business at one time.

However, the commission felt this requirement would also be uh too burdensome on businesses, especially since there are no explicit regulations about this in the code at this point in time.

So they recommended removing this from the proposed draft as well.

Uh for type B businesses, the proposed code included a limitation on the number of clients or customers allowed at one time, um, and this is indoors, um, and specifically eight people at a time.

However, the commission did not support including this in the draft code amendments because similar to the previous two requirements, they felt it would be too restrictive for businesses.

Um the commission recommended removing this from the amendments as well.

Um there's also a staff recommended change from the draft presented to the planning commission based on public testimony received at the November hearing.

At the hearing, a home occupation business owner testified they were concerned about being erroneously classified as an urban agriculture business because they grow flowers as part of the business.

If they were classified as urban agriculture, they would have to meet minimum lot area and other requirements that might be impossible to comply with.

In response to this feedback, staff recommends changing the definition of urban agriculture so that it excludes any use that would meet the specific use requirements of a home occupation.

Um staff recommends the council approve the proposed amendments uh to the Lake Oswego Community Development Code with the changes recommended by the planning commission and the staff recommended change.

Concludes my presentation.

Happy to take any questions.

Thank you, Mr.

McAmee.

We're gonna open the public hearing and then we're gonna come back to you with questions.

Uh Ms.

Honor, did anyone sign up?

Is anyone here?

Would anyone like to testify on this on this ordinance?

Going once.

Going twice.

Okay.

All right, we're gonna close the public hearing now, colleagues.

Uh, any questions for Mr.

McNemy?

I kind of had oh, uh, Council Corgan, please, yes, go ahead.

Yeah, I'm I'm wondering um how often does code enforcement have to respond um on issues around home occupations.

Is it common or uncommon?

Okay.

It's a good question, and thankfully we have uh our senior code enforcement officer here to help.

Hi, uh good evening.

I'm uh Bill Yumblood, the senior code enforcement specialist for the city in the based in the planning department.

Um we used to uh there used to be uh quite a few complaints received when outdoor use um what when there was no uh regulation on the on outdoor uses as part of home occupations.

Um so at the point um that the uh city managers said, well, we're not gonna approve any more uh uses that in uh home as home businesses for um outdoor use, then of course the the complaints uh stopped.

Um in general, the um new uses would come about uh as part of internet based businesses such as renting out your swimming pool um you know, for for parties and things of that nature um through uh through an app.

Uh there was also there's also an app that lets you rent out your backyard for dogs to run and play in your yard.

Um so those were the type of uses that we were receiving complaints about.

Can I ask real quick?

Can I so were the uses because this the new code effectively puts a kibosh on the rentals, the pools.

So if you took those out now going forward, those were those were mainly the types of outdoor activities you were receiving the complaints about with the rentals of the pools, yes, parties.

Yep, that's correct.

So all we had was that that vague uh standard in the code uh about changing the residential character of the neighborhood without a definition or any standards to support that.

Um so it was very difficult uh to uh gather the evidence needed to uh for these to go to court and be successful.

How about on this the hazardous substances?

What kind of complaints?

Um so there was complaints received about a person who had a uh space for their welding business.

Um what kind?

Uh welding.

Welding um who then uh because of financial constraints um tried to do it from his garage.

Um and so it involved um you know the use of acetylene and smells and um so we got complaints about that.

You know, what we started um in this process uh is code enforcement staff did a list of complaints that we had received from persons uh about home businesses.

So it wasn't a um a um, you know, that they were uh valid complaints or are not valid complaints, but just complaints that we had received from home businesses.

So um we we just thought that would be a good place to start this process of saying, you know, here's all the things that we have heard from our citizens as far as complaints for home businesses and and went from there.

So that the um the and of course the uh I'm sorry, but the the uh the question that you just asked about the materials um uh for the um uh to begin to regulate them or to say that they needed to comply with state regulations for them or our fire department that came from complaints about people wanting us to say no you can't have this this business as a home occupation, and we didn't have any regulation to to stop it.

So specific to these hazardous materials.

Hazardous materials, thank you.

And and and are we hearing from you that it's not enough just to say they're in because we just went through this revision in the code around hazardous materials and storage for for businesses.

And remember we did this about outdoor storage of like these materials.

You know, you have some update to how we're storing materials outside and people were coming around and talking about yeah, hazardous materials.

I th I think that was uh in relationship to a stormwater.

Yeah, in relation to stormwater.

So when it, you know, so do those regulations that's correct.

And so when water falls on them and then goes down, there's some kind of protections they have to be stored a certain way.

So that's in the commercial areas.

Do that all does that also apply in the residential areas then.

Not that I am not that I am aware of, but I the um enforcement of those type of regulations would be in our engineering department, so I don't want to speak for them.

And I I see that um director has uh has left uh since that was off the agenda.

But I but I what I will say about the hazardous substance issue is that um I don't get the sense that this is something that comes up a lot.

It is regulated under the fire code as well as state law, and the planning commission's recommendation was they felt it was adequately addressed elsewhere, and that they didn't want to put unnecessary uh impediments on the business that they felt would be unnecessary.

So, for instance, if someone had like a stained glass business and they had some amount of chemicals, like they didn't want to prevent that person from having that business because they might have substance uh the amount of substance that might be more than a typical household use, but it's not necessarily going to cause a problem to um nearby residences.

So I think that was the concern we heard from the commission.

So that makes sense.

So do you agree though, though, that the fire code, the state regulator are adequate to address?

Well, so um again, um I don't want to speak for the fire department, but my understanding is is the fire codes um really you know the places that they do inspections are for commercial and multifamily, but it does not include single family.

So when this came up in the past, the the um you know their response was we don't do inspections at single family houses.

Um again, I think this has come up.

Well, this is has come up once uh since I've been here for 17 years, so I don't think that it's a terribly pressing problem.

Uh, but it is something that did come up in in the past that we weren't able to address.

The neighbors were um not happy about our inability to do that, and so it was added to the list for for for consideration.

No, no, that's it.

No, it's great.

That was your okay.

I have one other question on, but I'm not sure this is this is for Mr.

Youngblood.

Um about the urban agriculture and farm stands.

We're talking about we have pretty pretty prescriptive ideas here.

I'm just wondering if we have any um problems, if we've seen any problems with the um agricultural operations we have in town, and what's the activity pattern actually like?

Because this is a lot, this is a lot happening the way that we laid it out.

I'm just wondering what we know about it.

I'm not sure who the person to address that is.

So as far as I'm aware, we really only have one example of a business that would um qualify.

Um it's a winery.

Um so part of the reason that it's laid out the way it is is to kind of give them allowances to do what they're doing now, which is when we came to the council before.

That was kind of the direction that you all gave us.

Um it's also partly based on um uh use category that the city of Portland has called market gardens.

Um so a lot of those regulations came from there as kind of a starting um point.

Um as far as the operations of the existing winery, um, so they do offer tastings and seasonally um and they do also grow grapes, wine grapes on their property.

Um I don't know if there's any much more detail I could give you.

Um that's kind of where that's coming from.

I would just add that they've been operating without complaint.

And one of the things that we wanted to make sure is that by adopting these standards that we weren't making this existing business that's been operating um without complaint for quite a while, um, we didn't want to make that illegal.

So the way that the um standards have been drafted is they would sort of be grandfathered in under their existing use.

And then if they but if they ever wanted to expand or sort of change the use, then they would have to come in for a conditional use permit, but they wouldn't be required to come in and get a new conditional use permit.

Um but it would allow the opportunity for other businesses because it's a conditional use or agricultural businesses, and because it's a conditional use, it'll require a public hearing.

So it'll be an opportunity for them to consider what the potential impacts are for people to provide testimony and determine whether or not it's compatible um in the neighborhood based on the um existing conditions.

Seems like a reasonable way to handle it.

Yeah.

Okay, uh Councillor Afghan.

Thank you, Ms.

Mayor.

Uh continuing on the urban agriculture, that single business based on the upgrade that we are doing.

Do they have to do anything different if they were not grandfathered then?

So are they larger than one acre?

Yes.

Maximum 20,000 a square foot or 35% of the lot.

They would meet that, yes.

Okay.

So if they were not grandfathered in this requirement does not impact them at all, correct?

As they're currently operating, and I've discussed it with the business owner um as they're currently operating.

No.

Okay.

Thank you.

I I just might add that if we didn't allow this as a uh if we didn't allow this as a new use, then they wouldn't qualify under qualify as a home occupation under the um the new occupation home occupation standards.

So that's why we're carving this out.

So I don't know if I misunderstood your question.

But if we did nothing, if we didn't have this, then they wouldn't be allowed that use.

Understood.

Thank you.

The other question is going back to the complaints that we were talking about.

I don't want to lead you to a specific area that I'm thinking, so I'm going to ask the question in general way.

If we were to categorize these complaints that I think you said they were mostly outdoor activities, what type of complaints were there.

So the complaints about out outdoor activity occurring was um noise, uh parking, frequency, um, because some of these involved um large groups of children um or others showing up multiple times uh a week.

Okay, thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, Councillor Afkin.

You know, the planning commission did a good job going through this, and I think there's some good you know edits and I especially on the the um kind of closing that loophole, if you will, on the on the farm stands urban agriculture piece, I think it's really good.

Um we're kind of punting some of the is it you know we are trying to just add objective standards to what was previously very subjective standard, but I don't think I don't think that this council wants to lose the intent of that standard, which is to preserve the residential character of the neighborhoods, and if there's a way to allow, which of course we have, you know, and there are hundreds and hundreds of of home-based businesses causing zero complaints for many, many years, decades, decades.

Okay, so let's just make most of these you don't even know that they're there, and that is the point.

You don't want to know that they are there.

Um people don't want to live next to a chemical depot, or you know, I mean, and it's tricky because that's why it is a neighborhood.

We the fire department doesn't inspect it, you know, because it's a residential zone.

So I think we have to somewhat respect some of the limitations that exist in the way that a residential zone is um regulated, the way that it's built.

I mean, it is built for neighbors to live in community, not necessarily for one of them to also be operating uh higher intensity commercial enterprise, right?

Um so but they're leaning a lot on the nuisance code, and and you know, the nuisance code, I just would like to learn a little bit because I don't know the nuisance code is tricky, you know, because all the nuisance code gets to be a little subjective, and we know a lot about the nuisance code from pickleball, and you know that so I would if we're leaning on the nuisance code to handle a lot of this, what how reliable is that going to be?

So we talk about noise, that's one thing.

So what what are the nuisance standards that you know and and is there really anything to that, or is that just going to be another subjective challenging space that we're going to be in?

Sure.

So I I think the main nuisance code that would apply in this case is noise, the the one that limits noise.

So um it um calls out some uses uh for having specific um times that they can occur during the day.

Um generally they stop um having um allowing like party noise or amplified music around 10 p.m.

Um and construction noise uh you know is is you can um um start at 7 a.m.

in the morning um and you need to to finish depending upon if it's residential commercial at 6 p.m.

So it provides these um limits on when uh certain noises can occur.

Um and it also allows it um to be opened to where if um you know we don't have decimal levels uh as part of our noise ordinance, so we have to use other um characteristics of the noise uh to decide whether it is a reasonable um noise that's being generated.

What is it loud and loud and unreasonable unnecessary?

Um that's that's that's not objective, yeah.

Yep, so our our city attorney's office actually has provided some really good analysis on um that we use uh repeatedly to determine if an if a noise is unnecessary.

So um and I actually think it works well or has been working well.

The um so but but what that would mean is that if you had home occupation uh use and you had a uh a use that was occurring outdoors that would really need to be um you know past 10 p.m.

before you would have before it to be considered an unnecessary noise.

Because any of the noise would be so you're teaching beginner trombone, let's say yeah and uh for groups until imagine that.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, you might want that.

You want some beginner trombone?

Yes.

Um I see because it's necessary to the that's what they're teaching, beginner trombone.

The neighbor's like, oh my gosh, this is awful, you know, this cacophony, you know.

It's like, well, it's nine nine o'clock at night, so give them another hour.

Uh um I think is it um I don't think we it's a helpful response.

Yeah, it's right.

I mean that the nuisance code is just I that's why I think some jurisdictions, um what typically use is kind of a because we're trying to like gauge the intensity, you know, to have the and I see the planning commission has removed you know all um, I mean you could have a hundred people at your home, but I mean there's no limit, right, to the number of people.

Do other jurisdictions typically set some kind of visitor limit with home occupations?

Is that the more common?

It's pretty common throughout the metro.

Um, usually not the way that we have set it up, um, where we have a limit on the number of people at one time, but that was done at the advice of code enforcement because it's easier to enforce.

Typically, what uh I saw when I was researching other ordinances was a limit on the number per hour or the number per day, something like that.

But it's pretty common.

Okay, which makes sense because I mean that is a good there's probably no perfect way to do it, but that provides some kind of proxy for the for the intensity to mitigate all the other things that we're concerned about.

You know, one trombone you can probably deal with 50.

Uh it's a lot of trombones.

But have you had any trombone complaints?

Yeah, trombone complaints.

No, I just no, but um really it's the outdoor activity part that really you're you're focused in.

Have we had a lot of indoor activity noise complaints?

Other than the typical things like the um the kids are playing the stereo too high, or the parents now.

Right.

So if it's if it's interior, the complaints we've received is is typically uh folks that are doing small classes.

So either weight training or um you know some instruction that they're providing.

Uh they're doing it inside the house, but they have the windows open uh because it's nice weather, and really we're talking about the summer summer months.

Um and so the the neighbors complain that they have here, it's typically music, sometimes amplified voice, but um that um and then with the you know, if it's if folks are having those classes outdoors, then it's um you know it could even be voice, yeah.

You know, I oh I can hear them giving instruction, um, and it happens many times per week.

So you know it it um that's what makes this very difficult from an enforcement uh um approach because we we there's no um uh good uh representation of what's acceptable, what's not acceptable for in a residential neighborhood.

So Councillor Afkin.

Uh Mr.

Mayor brought up the pickable and uh the people who live next to a neighborhood park like George Rogers Park, they understand they signed up to be next to a park, but they never signed up to be next to a sports arena where there is bazillion people parking and making noise and all of that stuff.

So there is a difference between a neighborhood park and a sports arena.

If I take that concept forward, if I'm living in a residential area, I am in a residential area.

So I never signed up to be next to a neighbor that has uh jazz size exercise in the backyard with the music that goes on maybe four times two times a day for two hours, right?

So I'm trying to articulate what's in my head so I can ask my question.

So with everything that you have shown us and send in for our information to be able to vote on this tonight, how are these addressing the noise level, the parking issues, and the frequency of having a neighbor that gets paid to make noise where I am living next to them.

Am I making sense?

So I think I saw some frequencies there, but still parking and noise is still my concern.

So yes, 7 a.m.

to 9 p.m.

or whenever that is, that's a whole day of somebody could make noise in their back backyard while they're conducting business, yet I'm living next to them.

Can you bring up a slide that shows the limitations?

It's two sessions.

It's two sessions up today.

Yeah.

For six weeks.

Right.

So these would be the limitations.

So it wouldn't be like someone could do this all day, every day, seven days a week.

So there were there are limits, but it does allow some flexibility for businesses to have some outdoor activity.

So that would be the noise, but we don't have uh noise level criteria.

That's a challenge.

And then parking.

Right.

As recommended by the planning commission, we we originally had a restriction in there in the amendments that uh you saw during your last study session, and the planning commission just felt like we were adding more and more restrictions to businesses and taking away their ability to do business because we don't currently have any parking regulations, right?

Um and so they felt that it was adding a new restriction.

Um, but we did actually have that in the original amendments, and can you remind me how many cars were uh well we never regulated the number of cars, but we indirectly regulated it through the number of people that could be there at once.

Oh so that was we had settled on eight for indoor.

Um we do still have a limitation um for outdoor um and for some reason it's not on the screen, but I think it's six yes, classes of six or less.

Well, we did have a parking restriction for the number of vehicles, yes, but it was for commercial vehicles, right?

So it wasn't for client vehicles, correct.

Um separate thing.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Uh council.

Yes, I I mean I agree that you know maybe we should bring back pickleball in the houses.

So bring it back to every backyard.

Every backyard.

So it would be fun.

Like we can do like two hours.

Yeah, I think we're gonna bring it to your backyard.

I'm just saying that sometime neighbors, it's like we we have to be good neighbors in both ways.

For example, for child care.

I did that.

My last day, like actually, I went years in uh eight years in a uh house, you know, like a home family daycare center.

Neighbors, you know, the problem.

Oh, our kids are in danger.

No one is gonna come.

People who are bringing, they bring their kids, they're not gonna hurt your kids.

There's sometimes some stuff that are not reasonable.

And you should tell them, and I'm glad you tell them that these are outright permitted by the state of Oregon.

You can't, you can say whatever you want.

People will have child care in there many in Lake Oswego, and they contribute to the development of our community.

We have a child care crisis.

If we come and follow people, and they're not making noise as they say.

You know, so yeah, that's uh one thing that's like, but what is unreasonable is like what my friend is saying.

I mean, you have your home, someone is having noise till 9 p.m., it's a problem.

I mean, it's uh because at some point also we have to see most of the the conditional use permit.

I have a school that I have a conditional use permit, which is very expensive, very difficult sometimes, close to a million dollars sometime to be into the code, which not everybody can do.

But the what we should also think is there's the code, there's commercial area and residential area.

We just cannot have everything in residential.

They have things that are like we just say, okay, for example, you cannot have a nightclub.

You can't have a nightclub and say that okay, I'm having people come in my home.

It's a big, I have a big home on the lake.

You guys can come.

Eight people even is too much.

No, no events.

That's already on the case.

Yeah, okay.

Yeah, that's it.

Yeah, but I'm just saying that uh we need to.

I I think planning did a great job on, you know, like making sure these are things you cannot do.

The eight, I don't know how about eight, eight people at a time coming to, for example, doing jazz or like you make measura size.

Is it something that neighbors would not start complaining?

Eight car parking on a neighborhood, especially if it's a code of sack.

You know, right now that's no limit.

Yeah, yeah.

No, yeah.

They've recommended no limit.

No, yeah, but the recognition is eight.

No, the recommendation is no limit.

Right.

For indoor activity, right?

Oh.

Yeah, I think we need to come up with some limit.

Yeah.

I don't know.

You would the professional, but in my think, I think we should limit the stuff.

We just cannot have a neighborhood and say you guys do whatever you want.

Because, you know, that Lake Cosigo is zoned like the commercial zones and residential zones.

And industrial zones, we just uh as well just say, you know, as it is no zoning.

But yeah, and the other thing we keep in mind is that you know, we in the commercial zones, you know, we plan for that type of intensity, right?

We let we levy system development charges on businesses to mitigate traffic impacts.

I think here we're trying to say, yes, some of this is permitted in the residential, but to such a degree we're we're not gonna come in and like levy SDCs on your transportation impact because we plan for it to be a this has to be whatever level of activity we're permitting, has to be under the umbrella of kind of this residential use, you know.

Otherwise, you know, otherwise we're not setting our neighborhoods up for success if we're planning now an extra 50 hundred trips per day at one particular property, you know, it's not set up, it's not safe for that, it's not what it's made for, it's not what's designed for, it's not what people's paying for, and it's just not equitable.

Um it's kind of becomes a loophole, and you could run anything really, you know.

Um okay, counselor uh Corrigan, please.

Thank Councilor.

Okay, so I'm coming from the place where I am way more concerned about being overly burdensome on residents in residential zones, not the other way around.

Um this group was really opposed to the idea when we had to do start with our HPS of even getting involved with changing zoning in residential areas, thinking that was an incursion on people's homes.

And I'm kind of looking at these and feeling like these are sort of a backdoor to to doing that.

Um and I I would like everybody to think into the future a little bit.

And now I would also like to say the future is here.

Look at look at second and E.

Look at those 16 cottages over there.

Think about how these standards would affect those people who eventually live there someday.

And I don't think those are gonna be the only ones.

I think we're faced with a future where we are forced to incre increase our density.

So the future is now, and I think we need to think very seriously about about those impacts.

So along those lines, I would say I do not think we should be allowing outdoor activity for starters.

And I think we need to think very, very carefully about the impacts.

Well, maybe go back to second and e what about the impacts of parking of people who are are gonna be trying to do home businesses there.

There's uh they already have gonna have a really difficult situation with parking and this was so out of our hands.

We tried to save, we tried to do whatever we could do for them.

We couldn't even save a tree.

So I think if we set up these standards that will make it more difficult for that situation, that's gonna I'm concerned that will come back to us.

Um I I don't see why we need to have commercial vehicles allowed to be in unlimited number of commercial vehicles parked off the property.

I just I don't I think that's what our commercial districts are for.

That's what our business zoning is for.

And I think we need to use those.

Um the other question that I had, I'm not really sure if this is an off-the-wall question, but since I got the floor, what about cannabis and mushroom cultivation as we're talking about these agricultural things and home businesses?

Where are those is that handled in other way?

Yeah, it's already not permitted like us we go.

Even though it's legal in the state, we don't let it happen here.

The standard we uh current standard is marijuana facilities and uh psilocybin service centers and psilocybin production are pro specifically prohibited as a home occupation.

Great, thank you very much.

Okay, thanks, Councillor Corgan.

Counselor Winland.

Uh well, I I go back, I mean personally, I was okay with the original language in our code that basically said let's try to be a peaceful enjoyment of the neighborhood.

I mean, the the part that we're taking out, and I and I totally get it from an enforcement standpoint of view.

Um I agree with counselor Corrigan to um in many ways.

I'm not I I think we talked about this as a council when we were talking initially on outdoor activities on businesses.

Um I think the council, I don't know if we were unanimous, but it was almost unanimous to say it really takes away if you're having outdoor business activities, um takes away from the residential purpose.

Uh and so I'm hesitant to have outdoor um businesses.

Uh it's not that I want to take away the opportunity for people, but I think we have commercial facilities within the in the city that provide um uh parking, you know, uh commercial activity, and I think that's kind of um where I'm at.

Now, does that mean that somebody can't use their private pool to teach swim lessons?

So I you know, I just don't know all the things that it uh it prevents or allows.

Um but I guess my question to you is with the exception of the inside outside part, which I agree that we should probably limit the number of inside business occupants.

I mean, if we have unlimited, they could have tons of people there and parking and they really need to rent an office space.

But my question to you is as written with that except with that one exception, does this pretty much encompass what you're taking out as far as our vague statement?

Do you feel like from a code enforcement it will still maintain our um it will not infringe upon the right of residents in the vicinity to the peaceful enjoyment of their neighborhood, and it will not uh alter the residential character of the neighborhood?

Do you think what we're proposing today will help um in the spirit of that um will we get that accomplished that makes sense?

I think I know what you're asking, and you know, I think that's the difficulty is right now we just have this open-ended standard, and there's literally no limit on how many people can be over there right now.

That's currently there's no limit on how many cars can be there.

And so we've been having to try to quantify that.

Yes, but just try to navigate that because there if you have a neighbor that's particularly you don't like you, they can make your very difficult for for that particular business owner or vice versa.

So um we're it's it's difficult when you try to put these into actual standards because it feels like we're being either more permissive or more restrictive because it's not defined right now.

Uh we felt that these um standards, um, and I know the planning commission made some recommendations to what the staff uh originally started with, um, to try to codify that to try to capture it to allow a reasonable amount of business activity while still uh protecting nearby residences.

Now, of course, reasonable minds can disagree, and you may all think that maybe this is too permissive.

I know the planning commission felt the opposite.

So it's it's hard to find that balance.

I I do think that it would be helpful to have some sort of defined limit, um, particularly on act outdoor activity.

And if the if the council decides that they want no outdoor activity, that is at least in the code and clear to everyone.

So I don't think that we're opposed to that if that's you know that the staff is necessarily opposed to that.

Um obviously that if that's what the the way the council wants to go, but that gives us certainty and it gives a public certainty and it gives businesses certainty.

Right.

So having some sort of measurable or objective standard is in our opinion going to help.

So I guess I'll follow that up that so we have this opportunity for outdoor limited outdoor activity.

What if it is uh uh a quartet of beginning violent?

Let's let's not pick on the trombone people, let's go to violins, oboes, and um cello.

If they want to have six people together in their backyard, is that now a noise nuisance, or they can have um two sessions per day, and maybe they're a very dedicated group, and their sessions are from uh eight or nine in the morning till uh five o'clock in the afternoon.

Um, and that's one session.

I mean, it I that's where I'm trying to figure out what and the other thing is balancing with the number of complaints, because I know specifically with the online business opportunities, people are trying to monetize everything.

Um and it's I don't think it's right for people who buy a house that they want.

I mean, they may work in the city and they want to go to their house because it's quiet, or they may decide to live in the city where it's noisy and you know, and disruptive and whatever, but that's the kind of vibe they want.

I think people in neighborhoods and like us we go, I can't speak for everyone, but I do believe I have the majority feeling from the community that they want to have a nice peaceful, relaxable place that they can go to in their home.

And that's one of the characteristics I think about Lake Oswego is yeah, we do kind of shut out, shut down at night, and we do have neighbors that respect each other, and we we are kind of it's quiet, and you can sit in the back and have a cup of coffee or read a book and not have commercial activity um going on.

So I'm to counselor Corrigan.

I don't want to sound I I don't want to sound like I'm an old person um that's saying I mean but I have to say um uh businesses should be in sort of business locations where we've deemed business.

Um, and if they're making noise, great, it's a commercial area, and they're supposed to be doing it there.

And I just I'm kind of on the no activity on the outside.

But then again, we've only had that that complaint mechanism or the activities since like pool parties and backyard dog walks and things like that.

I totally get that.

And and maybe we just say you can't monetize your backyard.

I don't know.

Um I have to add, I wanted to I hate to interrupt the flow because we're all in the good, but I have to I have to take a quick recess so we can I have to ask a procedural thing.

So quick recess, five minutes.

I think option one these are five minutes, five minutes.

Okay, okay, we are uh back in order.

Thank you, everyone, for um staying with us on that break.

Um, I'd like to make a motion to uh continue uh deliberation on ordinance two nine six four um to well let me just set it here to February uh to our February 3rd uh 2026 meeting.

Second.

All right.

Uh any discussion?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Okay, motion passes six zero.

Okay, we'll schedule this back on and we'll see you back on the first meeting in February.

Thank you for the good discussion.

Look forward to picking it up.

Okay.

Okay.

So now we are gonna move on to uh tonight's uh study session.

Uh we're gonna hear an update on the community needs for the library, and I'd like to invite our library director, Melissa Kelly, as well as the chair of the library advisory board, Patrick Walsh, to come forward.

Great to have you both here.

Thank you for having me.

I recognize all members of the library advisory board and some members of the friends of the public library who are here as well.

It's good to have you all here.

Thank you for having us.

All right, it looks like we're all cued up here.

Um, as you know, I am Melissa Kelly, library director for the city of Lake Os Vigo, and I'm very happy to have Patrick Walsh, the current chair of the library advisory board.

Uh, and I would just like to shout out all the people from the library advisory board and the friends of the library who came today to support us.

We have uh just a great group.

Right.

Uh and what we're here to talk about today is what's on the screen right now, which is this council initiative and how lab has been uh trying to move this forward, has been trying to support this council goal uh not only this year but in previous years.

Um, and also just to offer some uh some of our own findings and some advice around a possible communications plan uh and as well as maybe how to move this project forward.

And just a few background items.

Um the bond that helped to fund the building of the current library passed in 1974, and voters approved a 35,000 square foot library, but because of constraints of the site, it was built at 27,000 square feet.

Um that the current library opened in 1983.

But because uh due to its small size, residents quickly identified the need for more space.

Um so there were there have been numerous resident-led efforts as well as facility studies starting around 1988 and through 2012.

Umfortunately, there was a failed bond measure in 2012 after all of those studies were conducted.

But of course, we know that the need for more space has not gone away, it's just continued to grow, including increases in community usage and demand for new services as the library's role has expanded over those those 50 years.

So we're excited to continue working toward this goal for the community.

Uh, in addition to serving the library advisory board, I was also a member of the 2023 Library Visioning Task Force, which Liberty and the Lisa who are sitting behind me were also members of.

That's where we met.

Uh on that board or on that visioning task force, we helped to review 2,790 resident survey responses, uh, as well as many community leaders who were in the room with us.

And I was able to report back on community priorities, future library insights back to the full lab for that four-month period that we were meeting.

Uh I'd also just like to highlight in 2025, our youth liaison Anisha conducted a survey of teen library needs with 355 respondents, and she presented her council findings this past July at a city council meeting.

Uh and in 2025, all of this work informed lab's decision to convene two work groups, one to assess existing library needs and another to synthesize findings from the library visioning task force.

Uh, the 2025 community survey and insights gathered since 2023.

Each group met three additional times and continued discussions offline.

The recommendations to library staff will culminate in a maker's day on March 14th at the library of this year.

Uh, along with a research trip to peer libraries, this process really strengthened relationships among board members and with the library staff.

Uh the lab now has more momentum, clarity, and energy than at any point in the past four years, which covers my time on the board.

Rick.

Um, one important concept is the library as space.

Um, when our facility was built, libraries were being designed for collections.

And modern day libraries are being built for community space to provide opportunities for people to come together to learn, collaborate, create, and connect.

Um that's that's um just an important concept to keep in mind as we're talking about the library of the future.

Uh this slide just talks about community needs for the library.

I don't think this is surprising to anybody in this room, but our community has amazingly high standards, and quite frankly, our current library just does not meet those at all.

Our library lacks key spaces and services that are now standard and very popular in other libraries.

And during the research trip we took, we took many pictures of those, which we'll share in just a little bit.

Um, community members, particularly children, and I myself am the father of a four-year-old should have access to these offerings to support Lake Oswego's high quality of life that we've all become used to.

And we also heard from the community in the most recent community survey about some of the spaces that they feel are lacking and needed.

Um you can see those here, multi-purpose rooms for large meetings, classes, storytime, and events.

Uh, 79% of respondents felt those were very important or somewhat important.

The indoor children's play area designed for learning through play was another uh top need in the community at 79%, feeling that was important.

Uh smaller rooms for meetings, workshops, and study groups, 72% thought that those spaces were needed.

Makerspace with tools and technology to create invent and learn, 70% supported that.

Um, addition of a space like that.

Dedicated space for teens to socialize, study, and connect, auditorium space for speakers, events, concerts, and community performances, as well as community outdoor space were also highly ranked in that survey.

I'll also add that community kitchen and outdoor event space also had 70% showing support.

And as Patrick said, though these spaces are consistent with what other libraries in the region as well as across the US are offering.

So we really feel that a communications plan should highlight that these spaces are now standard and popular in other libraries and should be available in our library.

Uh libraries are community centers, and I would say that the lab's research has really shown this.

Residents in the visioning process and community surveys have affirmed that a modern library is not just a place for books, but for a community center for learning and connection.

Uh, the lab also recommends that the future communications emphasize this as a library of the future concept, or really as a library of the present.

And as we'll see, so many current libraries have all of these amenities that we will be talking about.

There are a lot of concerns facing our current facility and site folks.

They're significant, they're costly.

These are seismic deficiencies, water intrusion, drainage issues, failing building systems, a deteriorating deck and accessibility barriers.

We're also facing site constraints.

As I mentioned, when the current facility was built, it was built about 23% smaller than the voters had approved because of those constraints.

We're still facing those at the current site.

Again, the facility is undersized, and that is limiting our ability to serve the community as we would like and they would like.

Because of this, we aren't able to upgrade shelving on part of that floor because the floor wouldn't handle the weight of that additional shelving.

The stairwells are deficient as well.

And then major major issues with our roof.

And in order to resolve that in the current building, we would have to infill 40% of those clear story windows, which I think would be a big loss.

We have a lot of water intrusion issues at the library.

Again, at the roof level, there's multiple places where we've had water coming in that need to be addressed.

On the exterior of the building as well, and including the deck, there are many areas where water is coming in.

To really show this impact, I think it's helpful to look at some of the images from the interior of the library.

Multiple times we've had to put up plastic and buckets in different areas of the library.

You can see on the photo on the right, that's that bucket is currently there.

We have had so many leaks in that particular area that we just leave a bucket there, and you can see the great amount of staining on the wood from those multiple issues of water intrusion.

A lot of this is impacting the second floor.

We had a major water leak coming down from the second floor into the lobby a few years ago.

I know council heard about that from some residents.

And as recently as last month, on the picture on the right, we had a leak in the library on the second floor.

But the water can also make its way down to other floors.

So these photos are from the first floor in the basement showing where water has gotten in through the walls as well as coming in through the deck to those lower floors.

Also on the site, we have drainage issues.

We had two different projects where the concrete was having issues and we needed to replace concrete, and the contractors found in two locations around our building that there were huge holes where over decades the ground had been washed away because of some of those drainage issues.

And number of failing building systems, and we've put a lot of resources into keeping these systems up and running for people and trying to replace and modernize where we can.

We had a big elevator modernization project, but it continues to have issues as you know.

Many of our HVAC systems have been replaced and have had many costly repairs to try and keep them up and running.

We have an ongoing sewer smell issue where our administrative assistant has on her calendar to go and pour water down the drains and the boiler room every few weeks so that we don't have sewer smells coming up.

Some of the concrete in a couple different areas of the library, actually on all three floors is spalling.

That's a term I have learned over my the course of my time here.

But basically, the Jibcrete is crumbling under the carpet in a number of areas.

In the children's library, there's grit that falls from somewhere up in the ceiling down onto the desks and onto the bookshelves.

Our facilities team keeps helping us with solutions for these things.

But we're definitely dealing with a number of failing building systems.

And it's really not a good return on investment for the community to continue putting sinking money into the facility.

And I also want to point out of course we want our building systems to operate well at all times, but given our role as a warming and cooling center for the community, I think that that's really important that we have those systems up and running.

And our site and building also faces accessibility barriers.

Of course, the elevator being down is one of those, but also our ADA parking stalls and ramps to the building and our restrooms and drinking fountain require really costly upgrades to be able to meet ADA requirements.

So those are some of the major issues that are facing our facility right now.

In addition to the fact that it is undersized.

So I just want to quickly share a few pieces of information with you.

As I mentioned, library opened in 83, 23% smaller than voters had approved it to be built.

As soon as 1988, we had the first uh effort looking at the needs for the library to expand, the library growth task force.

In 1992, there was a study that recommended 42,000 square feet or the addition of a 5,000 square foot branch.

And I'll remind you that our current building is 27,000 square feet right now.

In 1996, there was a study finding that the community needed 46,000 square feet.

In 2006, we had two studies that both found that the library needed around 65,000 square feet.

In 2008, very similar results, 66,000 square feet.

And then most recently in 2024, 77,000 square feet was recommended to meet the needs of our community.

Investing now in a safe future ready facility will save money long term compared to maintaining a deteriorating building in an undersized site.

The lab recommends framing this project as part of a cohesive plan to replace aging infrastructure with high value community assets, which we have seen many times over the past few years in this community.

Exploring partnerships for cost efficiencies is something else the lab recommends, and working with the community to ensure the scope aligns with fiscal realities.

And everybody on the lab uh pays property taxes.

That is something we are very concerned about.

Thank you.

So now we are very excited to talk about how we could potentially solve this problem.

You know, we uh, as Patrick mentioned, the library advisory board has toured libraries in the area.

I know a number of members of council have done that as well.

And so we've included some of the pictures that we've taken from local libraries as well as a few that really inspire us from other libraries farther afield.

So here are some examples of multi-purpose rooms in other libraries.

You'll remember this was one of the top items that the community said that they would want to see in a new library community center on the 2025 survey.

So we have a few examples of rooms nearby at the Albina Library, Fort Vancouver Library, and Happy Valley Library.

These rooms can be used in a number of different ways, whether it's for story time, meetings, classes, uh different activities.

I thought the um it was really interesting to see the Happy Valley Library.

The bottom right photos show it set up as a meeting space as well as uh for a large event.

That room has a capacity for 300 people, but it also has really nice dividers similar to council chambers here, where it can be divided into smaller rooms.

Um, and I think you know, one of the things that we've talked a lot about is that we wouldn't want a space like this to be sitting empty, and we'd want it to be designed to be really flexible so that it could be used for different functions at different times of day.

Um, so being able to have a good storage space with the room so that furniture could be changed out depending on those needs, so that it could really be programmed well and not sit empty is um definitely an important factor that we would like to make sure is part of the um the concept.

Uh, children's play areas was also something that was very big on the community survey.

And during our research visits to other libraries, we saw a wide variety of high-quality children's spaces from immersive museum style environments, which we see here at the Fort Vancouver library, to smaller, interactive, whimsical, and in many cases soundproof areas.

Despite the differences and the range of things that we saw, all of these places prioritized early learners at the center of their design and their execution.

There's also a picture on here from the Boston Public Library, and I just like to give a shout out to my hometown library, providing amazing facilities as well as projects since I was a kid, and probably the main reason I'm currently on the library advisory board here.

Another high demand item for the community was small group rooms.

Here are some examples from other libraries in the area, and one unknown, but I just thought it was a really nice example.

But these spaces are needed for teens to study, for tutoring sessions to take place.

They're really valuable for remote workers, for small business owners who need a space to meet.

And we're definitely seeing a trend of many multiple rooms being built in other libraries so that there can be multiple uses by different groups throughout the day.

And just talking about teen spaces in other libraries, you know, I think teens is an age group, everybody is always trying to bring into their spaces, is trying to activate.

And our tour of peer libraries showed a strong focus on teen-centered spaces, you know, from technology and collaborative art to dynamic design, which you can kind of see examples of this in all of these pictures.

This also really aligns with our youth liaison and niche's 2025 survey that we talked about earlier.

You know, we found that teens value libraries as welcoming places to study, create, connect, as well as recharge.

And their priorities included quite study areas, modern tools, and inclusive, flexible spaces.

But we do need to provide these spaces to engage them.

Another important spot is just makerspaces, which Melissa will talk about.

Yes.

Here's some examples of makerspaces in other libraries.

And for those who are kind of wondering what is a makerspace, it's a collaborative shared workspace that has tools and technology.

Um, so people can come together to create, invent.

There's opportunities to learn as well as opportunities to share expertise if you happen to already know how to use some of these pieces of technology, and there's lots of opportunities for you know to get hands on and um be creative and innovate.

They're particularly popular with teens, young adults, and entrepreneurs, but I think all ages would love to have these spaces.

And there's a lot of different examples.

They can be high-tech, they can be low-tech, um, or really anything in between.

Um, so as you can see here in our local area, we have the collaboratory at the Hillsborough Brookwood Library where they have a variety of um more on the low-tech end, but they do have some other neat equipment in there.

The Rockwood Library Makerspace has more tools.

Uh, and then we have an example of a teaching kitchen and a recording studio.

So we have seen many different examples of makerspaces in libraries, and I think we're really interested to find out what is most needed and most of interest in our community.

So, as Patrick mentioned, we are having a pop-up maker day at the library on March 14th, so that we can give some examples of some of these opportunities that we could have in Lake Oswego and learn from the community what they're most interested in and would like to see in the future.

So that's going to be really an awesome event.

I also wanted to talk a little bit about auditorium spaces and libraries.

This is another top need that the community identified.

And here's some examples from around the area and farther afield.

One thing that we thought about with these spaces is again how to make sure that they're not sitting empty.

Um, and it seems like there that's a real opportunity for us to be creative with the use of face use of space to make sure that these could be multi-purpose.

Um trend that we're seeing is the stadium seating type of setup that you can see on the right side of the screen.

So a couple of libraries have been going in that direction with the space so that it can be used as in a more flexible way when there's not an event going on.

And certainly, as we saw on the earlier slide with the Happy Valley example, you know, with the right design, a space like this could be used in multiple ways throughout the day so that it wasn't sitting empty.

Um, and I know Patrick has some experience using some of these space performance spaces in libraries and wanted to share.

Yeah, just my day job is I'm the executive artistic director of a group called Northwest Classical Theater Collaborative, uh, and we bring theater experiences to culturally underserved populations throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Uh, in fall of 2024, we toured Joan Didian's The Year of Magical Thinking to almost every library in Clackamas in Washington County.

We actually only missed two.

Uh, and some in Multnomah as well.

Uh, I got to see, and if you look at the picture at the Tiger Library, that is actually a performance of the year of magical thinking.

I got to see so many different spaces.

I got to see so many different libraries just across the Tri-County area.

Other than a small community library in Aloha, we have the smallest or most non-existent performance facility in any of those places.

And I can say that honestly, having visited almost all of them.

It also really opened my eyes in terms of being a member of the library advisory board to what is possible if we invest in a library of the future.

And you know, if we look at the next slide too, something else that we saw on our trip was just different outdoor spaces, and maybe there's a possibility to utilize an outdoor performance space at these all.

I would also say in my day job, uh, you know, art is a tool, and it's very noted that if you give people an open platform that they will grow as human beings and as community members.

And I think that's something that we're missing right now in Lake Oswego.

Thank you.

I think there's some really interesting examples of some outdoor spaces at other libraries.

Um having an outdoor play area for kids to you know get their energy out before after visiting the library would be amazing.

We definitely um have that need here in our community.

Um the Albina Library has a lovely um deck that you can see kind of overlooking their outdoor space with some a beautiful mural and some of the indoor outdoor spaces.

Um really could be able to connect to nature brings in um opportunities for well-being for folks.

Um and of course the Austin Library.

How could I not include that in the slide deck?

That is just an amazing uh rooftop deck.

I just I could just live there.

Um and by comparison, we are definitely facing a lack of space at our library.

Uh, here are some photos of events that are taking place at our library.

We use, as you know, we use the main floor of the library as a classroom and an event space.

Um we only have one meeting room at the library with a max capacity of 12, and so we do have to limit the size of some of our um groups, for example, the poetry group because of that capacity.

Um our second floor area where people like to study and do tutoring sessions, is very uh very full throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

And our children's library is also really limited in space and um can feel really packed.

Um, we do partner with a number of other venues and community organizations to host events, which is wonderful and creates a lot of opportunities.

Um we're very grateful for that.

But we we really do need more space in the library to be able to host events.

Uh here's another ex another slide with more examples of some popular programs taking place on the main floor.

Um, you can definitely see how how crowded it can be in the library, and it also is disruptive to the other types of library uses that are going on simultaneously with the event.

Um, and then a few more photos of some of our popular um children's programs, Lego Club and Storytime, which are always quite packed.

Very much so.

And I think as I mentioned earlier, I am the parent of a four-year-old, and I've been bringing my son to the library since he was six months old.

Uh, this is probably speaking to the choir here, but when people, when you make a lot of friends during that time, and when they know I'm on the library board, they usually call or text me when something is wrong or they have a suggestion.

Uh at this at one story time, my mom brought my son to, there were 53 other children there, not counting parents, not counting caregivers, 53 children, uh, which was an impossible situation for the staff, for the children and the caregivers, given the lack of space in the children's library right now.

Uh there were major space restrictions.

I would also say that is not an anomaly.

This has happened to my family six or seven times since we've moved to Lake Oswego.

Not pictured in here is a very frantic phone call I received from a mother of a two and a half year old and a newborn who I met at storytime with my son who asked for my number.

We've had multiple, multiple play dates.

Uh she had nowhere to pump her breast milk for her new for her newborn daughter, and was so embarrassed that she left and told me this is verbatim quote.

She wasn't sure if she'd ever be back.

Um, and maybe a good time to mention that that is something we're seeing in a lot of the other library designs is um, you know, spaces like that, sensory rooms, um, you know, places for for breastfeeding to be able to provide those important spaces for for families.

Um I also know from my other library director colleagues that a number of libraries in the area that have event spaces who serve smaller population sizes regularly see over a hundred children at their story times.

But the experience that people would have at our library if we reach those kind of numbers would not be would not be positive.

But we would love to be able to host that many families, and we know that that need definitely exists.

So again, we we need to grow the library to be able to meet the community's vision and needs, and we need a new site to be able to grow because of the constraints of our current site.

So I think talking about all of these opportunities for spaces that other communities have is really important, as well as highlighting that we aren't able to add those spaces at our current site is an important part of potential communications plan for our future.

It's also really not the best use of taxpayer dollars to continue to put money into the existing facility, or really to consider building another two small library on that site.

So those are definite findings that we have.

Again, we know from the multiple facility assessments over the years that our library is undersized based on our population size and the demands placed on the library.

So being able to share those things with the community and talk about the constraints of the site so that that information is known, I think is a really important factor.

In addition to being large enough, ideally a new site would be in a more prominent, visible location, more accessible.

Um as much as possible.

And we really are excited for the opportunity to be able to enhance our services to the community through that larger library, consistent with the service opportunities that other libraries are providing.

So when we talk about some of these needs, there are some really important community conversations that we need to be thinking about as well.

Really balancing talking about our infrastructure needs as we've discussed here with the community's connection to the current library and site because there's definitely strong connections that are that are important to air and discuss.

Community members have different perspectives on the current location.

Some folks really love it.

It's close to downtown and close to a bus line as it as it is.

Others really feel that the location is inconvenient.

It's in the northeast quadrant of the community.

It's tucked into a neighborhood with you know tight streets, a small small parking lot.

Um we've heard comments from people about the resident uh local residence only signs on some of the entrance streets to the to the neighborhood.

Um so there are definitely different perspectives on the location that I think we will that the community will want to discuss and will want to provide space for that.

To address concerns of the residents that are accustomed to walking to the current site, we recommend exploring some alternative service models to maintain some walkable access to library services in the downtown area, and that could be a helpful strategy.

And a really critical factor for community support is defining the future of the current property.

You know, can questions are being asked about you know what's going to happen here in the future.

And I think without clarity, we're concerned there would be a high risk of fear that could lead to opposition of the library relocating.

Um so I think we've uh lab members feel that it's essential for council to discuss potential plans for the site, potential limitations on development, to reassure local residents that maintaining the neighborhood's character is a really important component for future decision making.

Community conversations also provide an opportunity to highlight gaps in perception related to the current library.

As you know, again from the community survey results, people really love the library.

They think very highly of our library and the staff and the customer service provided.

Um, and some folks just love our library the way it is.

They haven't been to the libraries in other communities and might not know the big gaps that our facility has.

But folks that have traveled to other libraries definitely are aware of those gaps, and we're seeing that in the community survey results as well.

It was the number one area of dissatisfaction with the library is the facility and areas related to the facility.

And we also know that there's a really strong nostalgia for people's experiences at the current library.

There's a legacy of many generations of our community members going to the library, having great memories with their kids, having great memories as children themselves.

Um, and those are really strong positive associations that people have with the current facility and being able to give opportunities to celebrate those things and talk about how those core values of the library, those wonderful experiences that people have at the library will be able to continue in a new building and even be enhanced by a new facility.

Um I think are are important to talk about, as well as noting that the charm that's associated with the current library.

Uh certainly some of those charming design elements could be carried forward in a new design.

So those are some of the areas that we think are important to talk about with the community and provide opportunities for folks to uh wrestle with a little bit and and feel heard about as we move forward.

Um it's really important as we move forward that we're giving that space to talk about those location concerns as well as you know what what is the scope of the facility and the um the budget of a of a future facility to make sure that it that is aligned with the community's expectations and realities as well.

Um so in terms of the proposed next steps, the library advisory board will continue to coordinate with the city council, uh advisory groups, other community stakeholders and partners to refine the communications plan and the community engagement approach.

So we'd love to hear your thoughts about that today.

Again, a primary objective involves working closely with the community about some of those major issues to make sure that the final project aligns with public expectations and fiscal limitations.

Um and we envision creating some structured opportunities for residents to express their connection to the current library and any concerns they may have while discussing and collaborating on options for the future so that we can continue to move forward as a community.

And to build upon existing data from the visioning project and the community survey and other uh data that we have, we recommend having some targeted focus groups, talk about some of the key issues uh potentially as soon as this this summer, summer 2026, followed by statistically valid polling later uh in the project, so that we can continue to understand the community's needs and fine-tune the project to align.

Um so again, library advisory board members and staff want to continue to be in have meetings with you all, hear your thoughts, keep you updated on some of the strategies and recommendations that we have and the things that we're hearing from the community as we move forward, uh, so we can get your guidance on next steps and make sure that we're moving in the right direction.

So we are excited to hear what you have to say.

There were some um discussion questions included in the packet for you all, and we'd love to know if we're on the right track and hear your thoughts about how we can move forward.

Okay, thank you, Director Kelly, Mr.

Bosch's great uh presentation, really uh well-formed um uh plan and description of the um of kind of what we're facing here going forward.

Um I think that you know, communities that are appealing to families to being world class in terms of access to information and services and who uh invest in the health of their current and future generations through connection and belonging have two things great schools and a great library.

And uh our community has time and time again demonstrated their ability to invest in this important infrastructure and making the same certainly in the schools and now making the same investment in the library is is critical and part and parcel with our shared uh desire to be a community that's connecting people and that's um providing uh top-tier services uh to all generations, but especially you know, to um especially to our kids.

Um I feel like a lot of kinship with the library when I was a baby.

We were actually that's when we remodeled the old library, which was of course on the site of the existing library.

So when my family moved here, we were uh that the current library was just being built.

So I grew up in the current you know, library from it being the new library until uh now, and so feel a lot of um certainly feel connection with it, but those memories are more rooted in the the experiences, the way I was able to grow and utilize those uh services and uh what I want is for the next generation to have you know that that same impact, and that's doesn't mean they have to have it in the same building.

Certainly not if it's gonna fall down on top of them, you know.

Um and so it's really important to recognize though those those strong connections.

I know so many people feel, and sometimes that does tend to get rooted into the structure itself.

Um but when we step back, I think we all focus on the um the things that we take away from it, and that you know, never leave regardless of the the building, and that the best thing we can do is leaders to set the next generation up for good success.

So uh counselor Afkhan, please go ahead.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you so much, director, and the team behind you, the depth of team behind you.

Uh before I talk about the library, I think this is me talking.

I don't know how my uh colleagues feel about this.

I think you should figure out how to create a mother's corner, mother's cube, mother's nursing mothers, and whatever it costs.

I I'm sure it's not gonna be more than 25,000, 30,000.

We should implement that immediately because this new library is gonna take several years, and until then, we need to cater to those who have a need, and this is a need.

For your information, I'm building a vaccine manufacturing in Kigali, Rwanda, and we have designed a mother's room, so if we can do it there, we can certainly do it here.

Okay.

My opinion is that the library is one of the pillars of a healthy community.

We must have a new library.

So that's my position.

There's a concept that's called challenge for excellence.

So the things I'm going to mention right now is not to put the kabosh on a new library.

I want a new library, but I want it to be better and better and better.

So these are the type of things I heard.

Community survey priority, they were just asking for more space.

I want this space, I want that space, and I didn't hear anything about the library.

It was more of the community center.

And I've heard that from our constituents that hey, when are we going to have our community center?

I want to make sure that we're building a library that integrates the community needs in the library and not build a community center that has a corner of it as a library.

We agree.

Okay.

Well, let's put things in perspective.

Austin has about a million residences, population.

Boston has about 700,000.

Lake Coswego has 43.

So it's great that we're aiming very, very high, but we also have to make sure that we fit to the Lake Cosrigo needs.

So in Texas, everybody has outdoor space.

Their weather does uh accommodate that.

Ours, I don't know.

But how much space are we talking about that require that we could have outdoor space, the theater seating, the this and the that.

So we we gotta be careful how far we go out there.

I heard telecommuters.

I don't want to build the spaces for those who want to telecommute and go to the library and telecommute from there.

But I want to build spaces for collaborators.

So two people sit there and talk and collaborate with each other.

I don't want to build child care center.

I want to build a learning center for the kids.

That's has an auditorium seating, and they're not booked the 365 days.

So again, 43,000 people versus a million people.

So what are the type of things that we want to have?

Money is object, because if we look at the rising utility bills, we look at the school district bonds, we look at the fire station that we want to build, the wastewater treatment that we want to have a library.

So we I'm not saying let's put a limit to it.

I'm saying let's not shoot for the moon.

Let's do what we really could use for the next 50 years and not have spaces that maybe we use once a year.

With that, thank you very much.

We need a new library.

Thanks, Councilor Afghan.

Counselor Brook.

Oh, yeah, I'm starting where you ended.

We need a new library.

It's uh, you know, it's a learning place.

And you know, you see, Lake Oswego is starting to modernize even in our school, we had the school of the 50s.

Now we are making them modern.

We have Forest Hill to build.

You go there, you say, wow, what is Lake Oswego doing?

I mean, these are schools of the 50s or even it's the same thing for the library.

You know, people would push, because of course, if the library is next to my home, I want it to stay there.

It doesn't mean it should.

And uh, you know, we just uh could see the library as we in as we say, BCD, like bibliothèque, the documentation.

It's a library documental document center.

And you go bibliothek Francois Mitterrand at Paris, like it's a I know we are not comparing Paris to Lake Oswego, but you can proportionally see.

You can be lost there.

There's everything.

I was telling you, like the that mom wanted thing, but they're now in many, even in here in Hillsborough or somewhere, charging stations where you can charge your cell phone, and at the same time you put your cell phone and go do stuff in the library.

So Lake Oswego, I always I like John when he's always saying the blue zone.

The blue zone is part of, we talk about we people are not gonna say the ACC.

The other community center cannot always absorb certain things.

Some old folks, when we are getting old, library community center can be a good place to go and hang out.

There are many intellectuals in the city.

They don't want just to go to the ACC.

I know provost, I know folks who were college professors, university, and the highest who live in Lake Oswego who are scholars who continue to publish.

And the library can help those folks.

And you know, Mathers and us being in education, I even my school goes there to tell stories.

But like you say, they always say, wow, it's too, you know.

And schools are putting their artwork.

And guess how like unfair it is?

The room is too small that not all the schools can hang their artwork there.

Like I can't.

It's been three years that I want my school to have their artwork, but they're not, they're just so many much space to use.

So you come, they say, oh, it's already taken, because it's too small.

And uh, I mean, you what I think what we should do now is the communication.

And the communication is a buy-in, like for the new folks, the folks who are opposing it.

And I think they're not opposing it because it's not a good idea.

They are opposing it because there will be a miss.

If it's not in there, we are losing as neighbors who were around there.

How can we convince them whether the library is staying there or I doubt it because we don't have the space, the parking and everything.

Like some folks were even saying safe way.

It's a good place if you could buy it, this area to make a library, but you know, John would say where are we gonna get the money?

But it's uh we just have to talk to the neighbors to explain, like we should have a communication, we need communication people, not me or anybody.

Some folks that craft a great communication line that we use with it's not like when you are doing things, just do it well, not like the current we are not communicators.

Maybe Aaron would be the one who would be the marketing guy to say, so if we can have some communication folks that can craft a message that we can circulate starting from now in all events, like have table at the market, the when it's open, have places where we sit and like just convince people.

It's not something we are forcing.

It's something to better Lake Coswego to make the place a better place.

And no, we don't put it as an opposition.

Us versus them.

No, it's Lake Coswigo.

That should be the message.

Thank you for your work.

I really appreciate Melissa and all the group.

I know you, I've been there in the as a liaison.

You're doing a wonderful work.

Thank you.

Thanks, Councilor.

Counselor Winman.

Thank you all for being here and sticking through all the rest of the agenda.

We appreciate.

I think you're missing that point.

You could kind of capitalize on that a little bit.

And I've been on council for a long time.

We've talked about the library, and I know there's part of discussions of the one the library that we went through with uh in was it 2012?

Um I think when uh it wasn't um the bond measure did not pass, and I think it was part of that is that the idea was just not um connecting with the community at that point.

And so the opportunity is to connect with the community to say, okay, this is what we need, and this is how we're gonna get there.

I think from council's perspective, I think we have to have a really honest conversation on a couple points.

One, um, yes, we do need a new library, so we're gonna have to own up to that fact.

Um I think there's some alarm on this success of studies that I heard each time we went from 42,000 to 52,000 to 62,000 to 72,000.

And I think if we do another study, we're gonna be up to 120,000.

And sooner or later we're gonna get past our bridges and our capabilities.

And to counselor Afghan's point, I think like us, we go as a community, could really build a great library, but is it up to our um ability?

We're not Austin or we're not Boston.

Um we are 43,000 people, and we have a we have an X amount of dollars to do.

So I think there's a couple big hurdles that we have to um get over, and that's kind of have an idea of of the size that we can truly um invest in as a community, and then kind of I'm not gonna say work backwards, but fill the high priority needs of what we have and fit those into somewhat of the budget.

Um, and I'm not saying to say one budget, I'm saying maybe getting arranged so that we can kind of find out what what different things are.

I think we have to have a solid answer to say we're going to have one library.

Um we already know, I've been on council long enough that we can't afford having multiple branches.

We it that's just a no, and I think that's a default answer every time when people go, oh well, yes, we'll just keep the library in first edition, and you build a library anywhere else in Lake Caswigo as long as you protect my little library, and and um for those of you who don't know.

I mean, I I've been around this community for a long time.

There is nostalgic um connections to that library, and I totally understand that.

Um, but sooner or later you have to face up to the fact that that you're gonna have a limitation on the facility is not meeting your needs as a community.

So I think our big picture is that we have to collectively say as a council, we are going to build one library and we're gonna do it right.

But I think we have to declare it, we have to put up a flag.

I'm not quite sure it is, but I want to kill that counter-opposing argument to say, oh, well, just keep adding branches.

You can afford it, we can afford it.

So and I have a deep respect for the first edition neighborhood.

I mean, there you know, many of them that are have been founding leaders of this community for a long time, and they um wonderful people.

But they're probably gonna have to um uh they're gonna have to get on board, I hope, um, with the dream.

And that's probably uh there will be some opposition, I'm sure, because they want to keep everything the same.

Um I will tell you that my my dream on city council, and one of the reasons why I ran was to build Lorac and to get a swim pool for this community, and it took me six and a half years, but it finally happened.

Uh and I helped drive that project and get the partnerships and so on.

And I think we need to be um up front.

And after talking to just about every food group in Lake Oswego on the on Lorac of why it can't be done and why we shouldn't do it, and then look at the facility, and everyone loves it.

So that's the kind of process that we're gonna have to go through, and we're gonna hurt some feelings and we're gonna hurt some ideas and um pull some some heart strings, I guess, as we go through the process, but um we have to get a solidified um project that we truly know um that the community wants and what we can afford.

And I think once we get that, then we can go out and sell the project.

And um, and I think we're gonna have to have a pretty wide um net that we pull in.

And uh and I think one of the biggest barriers, and as I talk to peer groups as well as people that are younger, um, they don't know what the library is.

You know, in other words, um peer group, I didn't think we were reading any books anymore.

It's like, oh my gosh, where have you been?

And in fact, have you seen the trend now?

People are going away from digital books and more into paper books because they can't stand being on screens.

I think we're gonna have a resurgence.

That's just my prediction.

But big picture, we need to we need to get that concept of when I explain to people, oh my gosh, no, a library absolutely has books, it has tons of resources, but here are all the other things that the library is going to be about.

Um, then they go, Oh, I can start seeing um that part.

And that's where we need to start um the communication part.

And there is that community center/slash library slash library slash community center.

There's some fuzziness now.

That's the new library.

I think it's a community library um with um community gathering spaces, and that's I think what what the selling point is.

And and um I'm less concerned about the transit issue because we just heard from our Metro Counselor that pretty much TriMed is axing all the transit opportunities we have, and I would give Portland maybe 10 years for them to figure that out, and I don't think they will.

So it is going to be uh somewhere in a place of of Lake Oswego, and that's my last point is where that place is that we put this facility is going to be uh one of the the challenge points because there's just not a lot of land around, and we just don't have um unlimited resources to um uh to buy Safeway, although I would think that would be a great location.

Um Safeway is probably pretty happy about their location now, and they're not gonna sell it to us.

Um, but we do have to find that location.

And if if we as a council can get, I don't know what I guess concrete objective points of one library, this is how big it's gonna be, this is kind of the numbers that we're talking about, and this is where we want to put it, then we've got um the constraints or the the parameters, not constraints.

That's a bad word, sorry, especially for the library.

That's never constrained, but the parameters of what we're going to do, then I think we can go and make it happen.

Um, and that's where I'm at.

I think your path is right.

Um getting some statistical backgrounds.

Um the curse and the blessing is that we have an exceptional staff, we have an exceptional volunteer group, and we have exceptional supporters of the library, and it makes everybody feel good, okay.

We have shitty facilities, and they dream or they sit on this aura of all the goodness that the library does.

So we think, well, library's good.

Um and so that's where, and I'm not saying at all to stop doing what we're doing because there's magic that happens at the library every day.

I guess I'm saying is the we're up against that um sort of divergent um uh I guess the perception.

And then um they just it's it's like if you have an old house, you just get used to it and you just put up with it.

Um, and you just create what's happening in the house, and that's what you're you're concentrating on.

So we need a new house so that you can even expand what you're doing.

So now I'm gonna stop.

No, thanks, Council Willem.

There's a really good uh uh good points.

I just you know, to I appreciate all the examples that the team is bringing in.

Just remember cities like Boston and Ox Austin don't just have one library, they have uh over 20 libraries each.

So they're just we're gonna have one library, they're just giving examples of some of the spaces that are being used.

We're obviously not gonna have uh the same degree as those as those larger cities.

But I think Council Willem's point that we need to be specific about some of these basics is key because there's things there's gonna be room for community discussion on details of the library.

But one, you know, we do have to be realistic about the space because it's true.

Every time we study, it's just larger and larger.

And and there does become a point where we you know, think of our lesson of our friend Icarus down there at Millennium Ploset Park.

If we start flying too close to the sun, then we're gonna burn the whole thing up.

People just see this as we don't want to make the same mistake they made in the 80s of underbuilding the library, but if it seems excessive, and I know that's hard to like what seemed but then the community will you know push push back on it.

But we do need to be open that we're not talking about remodeling the existing library, you know, that that's not you're totally right.

That's not that's kind of one of the main points is that we we do not have funds in our existing budget to just like we do with whether it's buying you know a fire engine or making some capital improvements where we go out and we can we can save up a little bit of money and do it.

This is going to be even if we were to remodel the existing library going out to the public and passing a bond to just shore up the existing building, and that is not a good use of, and I don't think anyone on this council or I can't see anyone on success on future councils thinking that's a great use of public dollars.

Let's get no greater benefit for the community if let's just make sure the building doesn't fall down and the roof stops leaking, and we're all gonna be paying for that for the next two decades plus.

I mean, who's gonna be on board?

So we do have to get people just over that hump to understand as much as maybe we love the current location in the current library, it is just not going to meet the future needs of the library, and we do not have the budget to either build two too large and excessively large library or run multiple libraries.

Those are just not financially feasible or financially sustainable operations and being up front, at least with those facts, and then there's room to talk and to work through a vision for a future library, but we do have to get those basic things.

One library, right?

And it and it just cannot fit in the current location, you know.

We're gonna have to council murder.

Um thank you.

And I want to uh just point out a few things is yes, they did have some pictures of Boston and Austin, but most of them were local libraries that were smaller.

So you know, I think it's important that we see what is going on at bigger libraries so we can dream big, but that's not what this team is doing.

So I'm gonna defend the lab because I'm gonna do that.

And there's a new library in Gresham.

I don't know if people have seen that library, but that's a people.

Everywhere everywhere, they're everywhere.

These guys, no, this team is phenomenal.

And the work that they've done is absolutely amazing work.

So I just really I'm I'm they don't need it, but I'm gonna say it.

And they also know very well that this is not going to be a 77,000, a 66,000.

As much as we all might love to be able to do that, they know that we have, I mean, in every meeting, says it they bring up we have to make sure that we're using our top tax dollars wisely.

How can we combine spaces?

How do we make sure that spaces are not gonna be sitting empty?

So I just want to say this team that is at like that is right there.

That is, you know, they're not looking at having spaces built that aren't going to be used.

Um so I just I just can't stress that enough.

I just want all of you to know that that they knew that without you even saying that.

They they are talking about, you know, when they talk about an auditorium, it's not an empty auditorium.

It's how is that like the pictures, like that actually is a space that's used throughout the day and then can be configured in different ways.

And it might be that that's not even something that is brought into the picture, it's just that's a possibility.

Um, so I just want to say how much I appreciate this board, the work that they've done.

They don't just come to their scheduled meetings, they have subgroups and they're putting hours and hours each month into these subgroups to study what's going on, to go out and visit local libraries to, you know, our youth are amazing the work that they're doing.

355.

355.

That's just okay.

I'm rounding up.

I'm rounding up.

Those are students who responded.

So that's you know, I think that's really important to know that where those numbers are coming from.

They're not just you know, the outlarge, those are truly that's what students are saying.

So these team is phenomenal.

So I can't thank you all enough.

And I think what they really demonstrated, it's not that we want a new library, we need a new library.

This is this is beyond.

I mean, if you look at our community, and we sit here and we say how important, you know, I love Laurac.

I love that we're thinking about our health physically, but we need to think about our health mentally.

And our current facility, as much as our library staff makes it work, our current facility, John, you hit it on the head.

It's shitty.

Yeah, yeah.

Sorry, but it is.

Um, so sorry, you need to bleep me out there.

But it and again, it's gonna be hard.

And I want to also point out that how much I appreciate this team and Director Kelly for bringing up the fact that we have tough conversations because we know that there's so many people who just love the building, they love the location, and that's gonna be hard for a number of our community members, and um, so thank you for bringing that up and just putting that on the table.

I think it's really important that we make sure we know we have some difficult conversations, and it's not going to be easy for everybody.

Um, and that one of the big concerns is okay.

If this library is gone, what's gonna happen to that piece of land?

That's another point that we need to have.

And we really probably need to start saying what can happen here, what does the neighborhood want to see happen here?

What can we afford?

Because there is value in property.

So, how you know what can we do?

We have some really tricky conversations.

So, thank you for just putting it out there and getting the elephant in the room kind of addressed, or at least starting to address it.

So that that is fantastic and very appreciated.

And I think it's also important, and I know you both uh counselor Wenlin and Afghan kind of touched on this, and I know uh Director Kelly you did as well.

But I think the libraries of not necessarily even the future, but of today that are being created, they are the community center now.

That is one of the, you know, you have your kind of your fitness hub for us at Laurac, our library is our community hub.

So we need to make sure that we develop it truly as again, it's not the traditional library that just stores books, it's you know, interaction, it's social health.

It's you know, there's so much more that goes into the library that you need to have the space not just to be quiet, but to have that interaction, whether it's a number of our you know, authors coming in, whether it's an event teaching us how to, if we depending on what the maker space might look like, is it cooking?

Is it learning how to knit?

Is it bringing teens together?

Is it recording?

Um, and of course, all the fabulous program for the littles that come in.

And I love Liberty.

I'm gonna share your story if you don't mind.

But her daughter, she describes so mom, are we going to the old library?

Meaning like us we go, or the new library.

So, and that's coming how old Liberty.

That's coming from a four-year-old.

So it's like even our even our little ones are picking up on the fact that we're subpar.

We're not to the standards that we need to be.

Um, so again, I think the library of the future is going to be our community center, and it's going to be integrated and it's gonna meet those needs.

Um, I also think it's important to note that right now, every time we want to bring a new book in a book has to leave.

We don't have space to grow our collection.

And director Kelly, I don't know if you have anything to add to that, but just there's no space.

Yeah, it's definitely true.

And I there are I know we do have limits on the amount of space that we can build in a new library and that the community um can afford.

And I think that's probably gonna be a challenge we continue to face, to be honest with you, because where we really have needs is for those community gathering places.

Um, but it certainly is hard to see books that would continue to circulate and are uh still have life in them, have to head out the door.

But I think that that may continue to be an issue that we face because I think we where we really want to put the emphasis on is adding the spaces for community and not adding spaces for the collection.

But so we'll we'll see, but it is uh definitely another area where it's not the best use of taxpayer dollars, but people also want the new newly published things to come in the door.

So it just part it is part of the situation.

And I think probably Boston and Austin still have to do that as well, you know, turn away or you know, pass things long.

So it's um, and then I think the other thing I just want to point out, or a couple more things, but I'll try to be succinct.

I think there is an important and a good direct connection between outdoor space and learning.

And again, that mental health.

So though we might be, you know, we might not be able to have a giant outdoor, you know, amphitheater type of thing, we can make sure that we have adequate outdoor space and that we can bring the indoors and outdoors, have that solid connection to you know, everyone's point, we don't have unlimited unlimited land at this point.

We're pretty built out, but I think I would like to see us building with that in mind.

How do we bring outdoors and and do have some space that we can bring some story times outside?

I think that's really important to bring in nature.

Um, I think the other thing that I've learned, and again, Director Kelly, you might want to expand on this, but that it's more expensive to kind of have more levels.

It's harder and more expensive to staff when you have three levels versus two levels.

So I think as we move forward, again, sometimes people are like, well, just big it, just go up.

Well, there's impacts to building up and being able to pay for that and in terms of staffing and so forth.

So I think again, just something that we have to keep in mind when we're choosing a location and so forth.

And then finally, I just want to point out that importance library is to new businesses and people kind of getting back on their feet.

And I don't know if uh director Kelly or Chair Walsh can share the example of the the person who was using the Wi-Fi from the um parking lot at the library and the impact that had for them.

Yeah, I can go ahead.

Uh Melissa received just a lovely, a lovely message from somebody who had been fired from their job, who had uh almost no resources had gone back to school.

They would use the library Wi-Fi to come in to be able to work, and then would come park there to be able to use the Wi-Fi at night.

Uh, they became completely solvent, which they weren't when they started this journey.

They were able to uh they were able to rent a house to have an office to be able to start their business.

Um, and it was just one of those really heartwarming tales, I think, like as a library advisory board member.

It's like this is really what we're doing.

You know, we're not here just for kids or teens or um or elderly community members.

We're here for everybody in between, too.

Um, and that was just something that was so beautiful.

I remember when we got that, I think half the board was crying.

Yeah.

And so I think also we often miss if we talk about you know, the little kids and the teenagers and and you know, the retirees, but we forget the connection between that we can have with the library and the chamber and and you know, kind of that other age group.

And by having, I would say, more up-to-date resources, I think we can also create better connection and you know, listen to the chamber because they might have some great ideas about what the library should have, like a recording studio could be huge.

Um, and you know, again, sometimes just when you're starting a business, having those resources, having that space, it might be and and no, to you know, counselor Wenlin's point, you don't want it to be like this becomes their office, but every now and then to get started, or maybe just once in a blue moon, you're like, actually, I just need to sit down with someone and brainstorm, or you know, you might need that space, you know, on a once a year, once a quarter, whatever that basis is.

So I think there's an important need that the library can also offer those individuals as well.

So I just I'm sorry I got a little passionate there, but I just I love this group.

They are fantastic.

They're working so hard, and I know anything that we need, they're gonna step up and deliver.

And you know, Director Kelly has been doing a fantastic job, and uh Chair Walsh just leading the charge in this.

So thank you all so much for all the work that you guys do.

It's such a pleasure working with you.

And um let's get this done.

We have a, I mean, it's gonna take a while, this isn't gonna happen overnight, but I want to I want to get this done.

Thank you, Council Verdict, Councillor Corgan.

So I want to get it done too, but we have to pay for it.

And I don't think people realize that we have a very economically efficient way to get this done.

This does not, it can be a fantastic library, but it does not have to be fantastically expensive.

And the key to that is while the Lake Grove urban renewal area is open.

And in fact, I think we're going to discuss expanding it.

We will have an opportunity to do this in a very efficient manner.

So in case people don't remember this, the Boons Ferry, well, first of all, the way the Boons Ferry Road used to look, right?

Now how it looks now.

That cost taxpayers only five million dollars.

We only had to have a bond for five million dollars.

The rest of it was paid for by urban renewal, and then the state kicked in a little bit of money to help.

Small amount of money.

It's so possible.

We have to think about where we can cite it, but don't let that I I guess I want to say we need to get the word out.

That shouldn't scare people off.

It it doesn't have to be a big problem.

And I'd like to echo all the comments that my colleagues made.

I think it's very hard to find anything else to add except how we're gonna pay for it.

That's key.

That is key.

Right.

Yeah, anyway.

And yeah, thank you.

I I actually had the privilege of liaisoning with the library board.

I know you guys, they are really they're they're next level.

They're fantastic, and I really appreciate your devotion and like to I think we should send them to Paris and New York and London to learn more.

Get them retro underground.

Yeah, that's uh the you know, we are we I think as a city, we've always been cognizant of kind of what's going on, you know, around us in the greater community.

And we I mean we just passed a very large school bond, and that's on top of other large school bonds, and and we know the you know the impact that has on everyone's you know, property taxes.

And so I think we if that wasn't the case, if all these schools have been rebuilt, and then yeah, okay, maybe we would have some community capacity, but we are also building a new fire station, you know, and so we are aware of all of these community needs.

But like Councillor Corgan says, we do have a urban renewal area that exists that is financially healthy, where we really do have an opportunity.

And so um, I know all of us, and that's what we could use you know the help on too, continuing to push forward and look for these opportunities, you know, within that urban renewal area uh to um uh to to make this building um possible in a way because it would be challenging if we had to go out to the community with a 60 million dollar bond.

That's gonna be that is going to be tough, if not impossible.

Um, but it doesn't have to be that way.

And it's a small thing, but uh you guys did a great job talking about the community center and my colleagues here, you guys have done a great job addressing it too.

But that was a confusing point, you know, though as we've been having this discussion prior, you know, people it's vague, and they say we just built a community center.

It's you know, it's by the golf course, and you know, I don't understand.

Why do we need now when we need another community center?

Is that what you're telling me?

And um so yes, I think we all understand that libraries are community centers, but when we just say community center, that people say, Well, you know, what is it?

So it's a library.

We get it, libraries function as community centers, but so that they understand it's because people think of so many different things when they hear the community center.

And I just know in um uh in the neighborhood was when we were talking about the library prior as a community center, people thought, well, what you know, what is this?

What is that?

Well, I I think it's the mental part that you are really that's the we've got the the fitness part with Lorac.

Um which also helps your mind too.

But uh, but I think it's the academic.

I mean, when you look at at the opportunities of having a brain trust opportunity in Lake Us We go, there are so many smart people here that um uh having you know the Lake Us We Go Lecture Institute or whatever where you could have people coming into Lake Us We go and I mean it's to to speak because there's a lot of inquisitive minds that that want additional thinking um uh capabilities, and uh there's just unlimited opportunities, but it's the uh facility to um yeah for your mental health.

I'd like to pairing them together, like libraries as community centers.

If you say like library center, people are like, well, hold on, we just need one of those.

Yeah, we don't need them both.

Don't go building this two things here, just build one.

Um so libraries are libraries as community gathering spaces or however, you know.

Um and we have done, we have seen like this history has played.

I mean, it took like the community center or the Lorac.

I mean, that was decades.

We've all been through that.

I mean, decades and decades in the making, and that was failed bond already, you know, with this library.

So I mean, it does take our community a while, but now the time is right because we had one library bond already.

It actually was on the same ballot as the Boons Ferry Road bond, the Boons Ferry Road bond passed and the library bond failed.

Um so it does seem to take our community a while to get on board with things.

And so this is this is good.

This is not like the first time, as you have pointed out, Director Kelly, with the timeline.

We have been talking about this for a long time already.

And so I think those are important things for the community to understand too.

This is not new, um, but it certainly is becoming pressing.

Um and um the uh you've hit on all the good points, and I think my colleagues here have done a good job um amplifying them, the uh in in your report that need to be kind of hammered home with the community.

I mean, great talking points, and people here want top-tier facilities, they want facilities that connect the community, they want community gathering spaces.

In fact, that's what we heard so much out at the board and commission summit we were all just at.

I mean, people want spaces to gather, um, but they want us to make sound fiscal decisions, and I think that is a great selling point.

This is a sound fiscal dumping money into that building, that is not a sound fiscal decision.

Passing a bond and paying over two decades to a building that isn't working for the community, that's really not a good fiscal decision.

So I think having people understand, at least people I've talked to, they go, Oh, oh, okay.

You know, when they understand really the um what what we're looking at in regards to that that current location and and the inability to really rehab it, you know, um to meet future needs, that kind of sells it, you know.

It's um so I think you asked how I I think it's important that we all stay really you know involved as we continue the uh discussions.

It's you know, I mean, the city can walk into gum at the same time.

We are remaining focused on uh the fire station as the facility that's gonna be built, you know, the first, and then it's really important that we um make clear that we want to make a wise fiscal decision with regards to the library that includes making it affordable for the community to build.

We can build a world-class facility that is also um affordable, you know, to the to the community as well.

Um give you good feedback.

You guys have really done a good job, all of you.

Thank you for your advocacy, and then we just have to continue socializing this with as many groups, you ask which groups, all the groups, right?

Yeah, as many groups as possible, all of them.

Yeah, and and started, and we're on it.

And we can sit through your presentation, but I think we need to get a presentation as you talked about communication-wise, where it's a five-minute slideshow to sell the vision and the reasons and the vision.

And so we can, I mean, I think that was why this the last school bond um was so successful in passing, is that they spent a lot of time going to neighborhood meetings, going to um all kinds of groups, um, and got pretty much the whole um everybody involved in it.

And um, and then that's when you're gonna bring awareness and education and um buy-in.

Um, so you change those minds where well come on, what do we need?

More more books?

Is that what a library is?

I mean, there's so many people that just have a very narrow-minded um uh and the fact that um the one thing that we have to bring up is that educational piece with the kids, because um that's one thing that people and like us we go support is um education and the children, and we have yes, a third of our families have kids, two-thirds don't.

I mean, that are of school age, um, and yet they just passed a 200 yeah million dollar bond.

Um, and uh so they believe in education, they believe in our kids.

And um, and we want a teen center and we want uh a place for the kids to get together and have story time.

That's right.

That's right.

I mean uh yeah.

So we'll you use uh, I mean, if we need to do a road show, you know, use all of us and yourselves, and let's all pair up, you know, together and go out and do the neighborhood meetings, the community meeting.

That's the best.

We have one big community meeting here coming up.

We'll we'll definitely incorporate this into that one.

Yeah, but I do think some of those questions that you brought up, white elephants, yeah, not white elephants, the elephants in the road, gray elephants, whatever elephants.

Um, if we can, I don't know how we do it, but if we can get aligned as a council to say these are the parameters that the council is dealing with, and so that we just concentrate on the fun part instead of um uh people that are not in favor of this will immediately try to derail you by just bringing up the fact that oh well we need uh we we just have to have two libraries, we just have to have three libraries.

Of course, you can fix it.

You go, and then they'll everybody will be off off track again.

So if we say it's one library and it's dip to duh, if we can give you some parameters that this is what the city council supports, and we're all unified in that.

Um I think then we'll we can move forward.

And just really quick, I mean, one reason why two library doesn't work besides just the cost of the um staff and so far for two libraries, is that building can't it it's it's it's served its life.

Yes.

No matter what.

No matter what, the building is done.

We can't even repurpose it.

Right.

Yeah.

I mean, you know, so I think that's just it's so the Camelot feeling is going to change anyway.

Yeah.

Regardless, it's going to yeah.

But I appreciate your clarification on that.

You're correct.

Uh counselor uh verdict said that this building's life expectancy has far exceeded.

So it would be nice if you looked at some of the documentation from back then to see for what period of time this building was designed for.

You may not find anything, but based on what I've seen, I I go there every other Monday nights, and I use the Wi-Fi there.

So uh the construction that I see, the design and construction I see, it my opinion is it was not designed for 50 years.

It would be nice to see if you can dig up some information from those times.

What were the boundary conditions for the design?

Because if that's the case, then it's a easy sale.

Life expectancy was 40 years, it's 50 years.

We're not going to pour money into it.

And good point.

Right.

Thank you.

And thank you all very much.

And that will be a fact.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And thanks for sticking around.

Yes, usually our meetings go on until midnight.

So you were lucky you were early on the agenda.

Okay.

Um, information from council.

Anyone?

No?

No?

Officers?

Yes.

Okay.

At this point, uh, the council's gonna move into uh executive session, and I will ask Ms.

Tatoyan to read the statutory basis for the executive session, please.

Well, we have a rules that executive session.

Like Oswego City Council will now meet in executive session under ORS 18192.660 sub two sub D to conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to carry out labor negotiations and subsection F to consider information or records that are exempt by law from public inspection pursuant to ORS 192.660 sub four, represent representatives of the news media are excluded from this executive session.

No final decisions will be made in executive session, and at the end of the executive session, we will adjourn the meeting.

Okay, thanks, Mr.

Toy.

And we are going to uh uh recess and this will uh yes conclude the broadcast portion of the meeting.

We are going to recess and we'll reconvene in the side room for executive session.

Okay, geez.