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Record of Proceedings

Lake Oswego City Council Meeting: Library, Arts, Foothills - May 19, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, May 19, 2026

BodyLake Oswego, Oregon

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, May 19, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:46:46

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:32

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:33

This May 19th, 2026 meeting of the Lake Oswego City Council is now called to order.

0:37

Ms.

0:38

Hawkins, will you please call the roll?

0:39

Mayor Buck.

0:40

Here.

0:41

Councillors Wendlin.

0:42

Here.

0:42

Verdict.

0:44

Corrigan.

0:44

Here.

0:45

Afkin.

0:46

Here.

0:46

Mm-hmm.

0:47

Thank you.

0:48

Thank you very much.

0:48

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

0:54

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

0:58

And to the Republic for which it stands.

1:01

One nation under God, indivisible.

1:10

Okay, now is the time on the agenda for public comment.

1:14

If you are here to provide public comment and have not already done so, please just fill out one of these white comment slips on the back table and hand it to Miss Hawkins.

1:21

But I have one person signed up, it's Robin.

1:24

Robin, come on down.

1:26

Good afternoon.

1:27

You'll have three minutes to deliver your uh statements.

1:33

Okay.

1:34

And just please uh start by um saying your name.

1:38

Thank you very much.

1:48

And I'm here to briefly highlight what we did with the uh preservation month program this May.

1:56

Last Thursday, we presented the making of Mountain Park, which um involves speakers tracing the development from the indigenous roots all the way to the present.

2:07

We also discussed how the area was developed by Carl Halverson, architect Robert Oringdolf, and others.

2:16

So Mountain Park began development in 1968, so many of its buildings are now more than 50 years old, and that's the magic number.

2:25

So that means that they may be eligible for landmark designation.

2:29

It's one of Lake Oswego's largest neighborhoods with a 2025 population of about 4800, and it covers about 600 acres.

2:38

We also highlighted Mountain Park's architecture and its natural setting.

2:41

And the brochure that I'm handing out is uh a self-guided tour of some of the most notable buildings.

2:49

I really wanted to just say thank you to the uh city council for your support of this event.

2:56

Um we drew about 175 attendees, including uh Ms.

3:01

Verdick.

3:02

And um, it was recorded for inclusion with in the library along with my notes and the other information that I've gathered.

3:09

So it will be part of uh Lake Oswego history.

3:12

And there's already been a very strong interest in that recording, so we need to get it done.

3:17

Um but your support also helped us create the display boards, some of which are out in the lobby.

3:22

And I would invite you to take a look at those.

3:24

And if you want to see the rest, um please ask Paul uh SP, and I'm sure he can make it happen.

3:29

Um, but some of the information on those included information we couldn't cover in the presentation due to time constraints.

3:36

But I would uh invite you to take that look at those display boards and take the tour and see a little bit more about Mountain Park.

3:44

Thank you.

3:45

How how so how are these particular properties selected?

3:49

Um representative of an organization called Docomomo, which is um an organization that supports mid-century to late 20th, late late 20th century architecture by the name of John Rush.

4:01

He also is the person that did the survey for us um of McVay South Shore.

4:07

Um, he and three others and myself drove around Mountain Park.

4:13

And I had picked out some in advance.

4:15

Um, but they also had their own favorites, and we came to conclusion that those were the ones that we wanted to feature.

4:22

Wow, that's very cool.

4:24

Thank you for all of your uh work on this project.

4:26

Awesome.

4:27

Thank you for supporting us financially.

4:29

It wouldn't have been possible to have the display boys otherwise.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Library Management██████████████████████22%

Arts And Culture██████████████████18%

Parks and Recreation█████████9%

Economic Development███████7%

Procedural██████6%

Community Engagement██████6%

Public Engagement█████5%

Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%

Budget Equity Analysis████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Lake Oswego City Council Meeting: Library, Arts, Foothills - May 19, 2026

The Lake Oswego City Council met on May 19, 2026, to discuss the library site selection process, the Arts Council of Lake Oswego contract, and preliminary design concepts for the Foothills District. The meeting included a consent agenda, public comment, and three study sessions, concluding with an executive session.

Consent Calendar

Resolution 26-14: Approved appointments to the city's boards and commissions.
Resolution 26-20: Adjusted the city manager pro tem compensation.
Resolution 26-22: IGA with Clackamas County for adult center county contract.
Resolution 26-23: Supplemental budget approval.
Resolution 26-24: Tax exemption for Hollyfield Village.
Resolution 26-25: Tax exemption for Oak Ridge Park Apartments.
2026 Pavement Rehabilitation Contract Award.
Willamette River Greenway Trail Construction Contract Award.
Motion to adopt the consent agenda passed 6-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

Robin provided public comment on the city's preservation month program, highlighting a May event on the making of Mountain Park. The event drew about 175 attendees, including Councilor Verdick. Robin noted that Mountain Park began development in 1968, with many buildings now over 50 years old and potentially eligible for landmark designation. She thanked the council for financial support that enabled display boards; some are in the lobby, and the rest are available upon request. The event was recorded for the library's archive.

Discussion Items

1. Library Site Selection and Existing Site Reuse

Library Director Melissa Kelly presented a three-phase, two-track project plan to guide decisions on a future library site and reuse of the existing 27,001-square-foot facility (built in 1983 on 1.1 acres, while a 1977 study recommended a 2-acre site).
The existing building has reached the end of its useful life with significant seismic, water intrusion, and accessibility issues; estimated repairs are approximately $10 million.
The proposed plan includes a criteria phase (June-July 2026), analysis phase (August-December 2026), and decision phase (January-March 2027). Staff recommend a community task force for the existing site reuse and a broader engagement for site selection.
Councillors expressed unanimous support for the two-track approach. Councilor Verdick asked for transparency on past maintenance costs. Councilor Afghan stressed the need to learn from the 1977 site selection lessons and clearly communicate why the current site cannot be reused. Councilor Corrigan emphasized the importance of involving the First Edition neighborhood. Councilor Wendland noted the community's lack of awareness about modern library functions. Councilor M'boop called for broad community engagement beyond the library advisory board and Friends of the Library, citing the successful South Shore Fire Station process. Councilor Buck highlighted the need for a transparent, financially credible process. Director Kelly will return on June 2, 2026, with criteria for site decisions and in July 2026 with building consultant findings on space needs.

2. Arts Council of Lake Oswego – Annual Update

Executive Director Nicole Nathan and Assistant City Manager Megan Phelan presented the update. The Arts Council's mission is to enrich lives through art. In 2025, they implemented the 2024–2029 Public Art Master Plan, added five new artists to the program, and installed works at Lorac.
The council discussed a new three-year contract (2026–2029) with an increased annual amount from $225,000 to $272,000 in year one, with 3% increases in years two and three. Nathan noted that the city contract covers 68% of their budget. Councillors praised the council's volunteer contributions and the value of the contract. Councilor Afghan requested CPI analysis for the increase. Councilor Wendland suggested that People's Choice purchases could shift to every other year to free funds for conservation. Deferred maintenance costs were noted, with Councilor Corrigan citing potential $50,000–$75,000 for Fairy Tree restoration. The contract is scheduled for a vote on June 2, 2026.

3. Foothills District Plan Update

Long-Range Planning Manager Eric Olson and consultant Jason Graff presented three preliminary design concepts for a grand connection from State Street to the waterfront, based on community and council feedback on the vision and guiding principles.
The vision statement was refined to emphasize a meaningful riverfront presence and extension of downtown, but several councillors (Afghan, Wendland, Buck) felt it was too lengthy and should be condensed to a clear North Star, with details moved to project descriptions. Guiding principles were updated to include pedestrian-oriented connections and affordable housing.
The three concepts are: Park Plaza (a central seam with a plaza at Foothills Park), Downtown Plaza (a large open space near State Street), and Promenade (tree-lined connections along A and B avenues).
Councilor Afghan favored the Promenade for its visual connectivity, while Councilor Corrigan and Councilor Verdick leaned toward Park Plaza for its direct, pedestrian-oriented path with active edges. Councilor Wendland raised concerns about development yield and affordability, noting that smaller blocks in Park Plaza could limit density. Councilor Buck supported the land bridge concept from Millennium Plaza and emphasized the need to balance infrastructure costs with development feasibility. The next steps include a planning commission work session on June 8, 2026, and a community open house in late June/early July.

Key Outcomes

Consent Agenda: Adopted 6-0.
Library Plan: Council directed staff to proceed with the three-phase, two-track approach, incorporating broader community engagement for site selection (modeling the South Shore Fire Station process) and establishing a community task force for the existing site. Director Kelly will return with site criteria on June 2, 2026, and building consultant findings in July 2026.
Arts Council Contract: Council indicated support for the proposed contract increase to $272,000 in year one, with 3% annual increases in years two and three, to be voted on June 2, 2026.
Foothills District: Council provided feedback on the three concepts, with a preference for elements that create a vibrant, direct connection to the waterfront (balancing pedestrian experience with development feasibility). Staff will integrate feedback into a refined preferred concept for the next round of engagement.
Executive Session: The council convened an executive session under ORS 192.660 (subsections D, F, and H) to discuss labor negotiations and legal matters, with no final decisions made.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. This May 19th, 2026 meeting of the Lake Oswego City Council is now called to order. Ms. Hawkins, will you please call the roll? Mayor Buck. Here. Councillors Wendlin. Here. Verdict. Corrigan. Here. Afkin. Here. Mm-hmm. Thank you. 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. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible. Okay, now is the time on the agenda for public comment. If you are here to provide public comment and have not already done so, please just fill out one of these white comment slips on the back table and hand it to Miss Hawkins. But I have one person signed up, it's Robin. Robin, come on down. Good afternoon. You'll have three minutes to deliver your uh statements. Okay. And just please uh start by um saying your name. Thank you very much. And I'm here to briefly highlight what we did with the uh preservation month program this May. Last Thursday, we presented the making of Mountain Park, which um involves speakers tracing the development from the indigenous roots all the way to the present. We also discussed how the area was developed by Carl Halverson, architect Robert Oringdolf, and others. So Mountain Park began development in 1968, so many of its buildings are now more than 50 years old, and that's the magic number. So that means that they may be eligible for landmark designation. It's one of Lake Oswego's largest neighborhoods with a 2025 population of about 4800, and it covers about 600 acres. We also highlighted Mountain Park's architecture and its natural setting. And the brochure that I'm handing out is uh a self-guided tour of some of the most notable buildings. I really wanted to just say thank you to the uh city council for your support of this event. Um we drew about 175 attendees, including uh Ms. Verdick. And um, it was recorded for inclusion with in the library along with my notes and the other information that I've gathered. So it will be part of uh Lake Oswego history. And there's already been a very strong interest in that recording, so we need to get it done. Um but your support also helped us create the display boards, some of which are out in the lobby. And I would invite you to take a look at those. And if you want to see the rest, um please ask Paul uh SP, and I'm sure he can make it happen. Um, but some of the information on those included information we couldn't cover in the presentation due to time constraints. But I would uh invite you to take that look at those display boards and take the tour and see a little bit more about Mountain Park. Thank you. How how so how are these particular properties selected?

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