The Lake Oswego City Council met on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included farewell tributes to departing Councilor Aaron Raf and outgoing employee Kim Ono, an Arbor Month proclamation, public comments, consent agenda approval, an ADA progress report, formation of an economic development subcommittee, community grant awards, and approval of a funding plan for the Willamette River Greenway Trail Project. All votes were 6-0 unless noted. Councilor Afghan was excused.
Good afternoon. This Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 meeting of the Lake Oswego City Council is now called to order. Ms. Hawkins, will you please call the role? Mayor Beck? Here. Counselor Afghan is excused. Counselors Mabook. You. Gwenlin. Here. Verdict. Here. Corrigan. Here. And RAF. Here. Thank you. Thank you. Now, everyone, will you please stand and join us in the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the plague of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Oh, it's on. Okay. We're going to start with presentations tonight. And Councilor Raf, please come and come to the horseshoe. As everyone knows, we're giving thanks to a departing member of the council. It is not a goodbye, because of course he'll remain our uh and always will be, hopefully, our neighbor, our colleague, and our friend. Although we hope not a frequent flyer to the inbox. Although, if Blue Heron does not get paved, that may be a different story. We all know on the council, uh, we all know being able to convince one another of things is a key to being an effective member of the city council, right? There's a certain degree of persuasive energy that drives all of us. And while we've all bent one way or another to the likings of our colleagues on a wide degree of substantive policy topics, there remains one distinct area where the remaining six of us on the council completely and utterly failed to persuade Council RAF. And that is in regards to his attire. We tried. But privately, internally, we all know his real record is as the most photoshopped member of the city council in history. Callers, although you all wearing a collar tonight. City pins, even his entire body. Councilor Raff came to the city council because he wasn't going to be someone to complain from the sidelines. In fact, he didn't complain at all, or at least much. Instead, he took action. He speaks his mind even when it isn't comfortable, especially for the rest of us, and is true to his values and beliefs. Counselor RAF has some of the highest integrity I've experienced in public life. Some folks will change their values to fit what they perceive would be the box. Politics places them in. What I like most about Aaron is that he has no box. He's driven by his ethical and moral compass and a worldview that he adheres to closely. And instead of blowing with the wind, he stayed firmly on that path and articulated his positions on not what would be the most popular or expected of him, but what he felt was most closely aligned internally with his beliefs and values. It's a noble way to govern and one that comes from a place of deep honesty and moral fortitude.