OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Lake Oswego City Council Meeting - July 21, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, July 21, 2026
BodyLake Oswego, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, July 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:40:49

Transcript — Verbatim
0:42

All right, good afternoon, everyone.

0:44

This Tuesday, July 21st, 2026 meeting of the Lake Oswego City Council is now called to order.

0:50

Ms.

0:50

Hawkins, will you please call the role?

0:52

Yes, Mayor Buck.

0:53

Here.

0:54

Counselors Afkin and Maboop are excused.

0:56

Councillor Wendlin.

0:57

Your Councillor Burdick.

0:58

Here.

0:59

Councilor Corrigan.

1:00

Here.

1:00

And Councillor Edmonds Manns will be joining us shortly.

1:03

Thank you very much.

1:04

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

1:09

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

1:36

Okay, switch positions.

1:38

So we have a very uh special presentation to start uh the meeting uh tonight.

1:42

And we're going to be presenting community service awards to three Lake Oswegans who went above and beyond.

1:48

So I'd like to invite Mike McNeary, Jason Leong, and Akana Wakamatsu to please come forward.

1:59

Like no Mike.

2:01

Two of the three are here.

2:02

Mike is not here.

2:04

So on May 24th of 2026 at the Mountain Park Racket Club, which is located at Three Botticelli at Mountain Park there.

2:13

Uh, these two and Mike demonstrated extraordinary courage, awareness, and decisive action in response to a life-threatening emergency.

2:23

While playing tennis, they observed a fellow player suddenly collapse on the court.

2:27

And within seconds, they assessed the situation, called 911, and immediately began life-saving measures.

2:33

They administered chest compressions and retrieved and used the automated external defibrillator, AED, that was mounted on the wall.

2:41

After delivering a single shock, the individual regained consciousness and was able to speak.

3:21

Their actions exemplify the very best of community responsibility and heroism.

3:27

So please congratulate Jason, Kana, and Mike for the community service award.

3:32

Let's give them a big round of applause.

4:29

So it's uh very commendable how those those three were able to act so quickly.

4:35

Um we have a another special presentation from the Willamette Falls and Landing Heritage Area Coalition.

4:45

And I'd like to invite Breta Mansfield, the executive director.

4:51

And Jeff Goodman.

4:54

All right.

4:57

Great, good afternoon, Mayor Buck and City Council.

4:59

Thanks so much for having me today.

5:00

I'm joined by Jeff Goodman, whom I'm sure you all know.

5:03

He is a treasurer of our coalition, a wonderful board member, so he's here to support and maybe answer questions or say something nice, one of the two.

5:10

I'm here for our annual update.

5:12

I think most of you have heard a presentation from me, so I'll try to be brief.

5:15

A lot of this is probably repeat information, but we do have some exciting new news to share, some new progress, and then some asks about how Lake Oswego can continue to support us.

5:23

So we'll just kind of dive in.

5:24

Key takeaways, there you go.

5:26

Um, just reminding you guys who we are, what we're doing over at Historic City Hall in West Lynn, and then looking at upcoming advocacy.

5:32

That's a really core piece of what we're doing and where most of our progress is coming from this year.

5:36

Um, so as I'm sure everybody here knows, the coalition is a nonprofit umbrella organization that's working to establish a national heritage area right here in Oregon along along the Willamette River.

5:47

We'll see a map of our boundaries in a few slides.

5:49

But we follow a 56 river mile stretch of the Willamette, stretching basically from Lake Oswego all the way up to Kaiser and Willamette Mission State Park.

5:58

Um we're a nonprofit board, so we're composed of representatives from that entire region, both uh other government partners such as yourselves, private citizens, and other heritage sites as well.

6:09

And we're working to enhance, assist, and promote the heritage area with this overarching goal of becoming the National Heritage Area.

6:16

Um, NHAs are wonderful programs, just as a reminder, they're designated by Congress, but they're actually under the management of the National Park Service.

6:24

They're a great way to bring that national parks branding to local communities, but retain local management of the lands and the resources within.

6:32

So we'll eventually work to further the mission of the National Park Service, but keeping everything local and telling a cohesive story about the national significance of this region.

6:42

And so here's that map that I mentioned.

6:43

You can see that kind of light-shaded green area that stretches all along the river and encompasses quite a few cities.

6:50

We currently have, I think, seven partners that are at a level similar to yourselves and would love to see all of the municipalities within our boundaries come on eventually.

6:58

Uh, but regardless, we're presenting and promoting the history of this entire region because it does tell a pretty cohesive story.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Active Transportation████████████████16%
Public Safety███████████████15%
Environmental Protection██████████████14%
Public Engagement█████████████13%
Urban Forest Management█████████████13%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████7%
Procedural██████6%
Library Management█████5%
Historic Preservation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Lake Oswego City Council Meeting - July 21, 2026

The Lake Oswego City Council convened on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting featured community service awards, a presentation from the Willamette Falls and Landing Heritage Area Coalition, public comments focused on the library's future, approval of an owner's representative contract for the South Shore Fire Station, creation of a library task force, a public hearing on tree code amendments, and a study session on e-bike and micromobility regulations. All votes during the meeting were unanimous (5-0). The council directed staff to refine the e-bike ordinance and return with a final tree code ordinance in September.

Consent Calendar

  • Resolution 26-41 was adopted unanimously without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Sandy Zarzinski (37-year First Edition resident) urged the council not to tear down the library, citing poor past decisions on cottage clusters and high taxes.
  • Donald Mattersdorf advocated for a branch library model instead of demolishing the main library, referencing Alameda, California’s approach.
  • Diane Schweiss Goff stated "two libraries are better than one," criticizing the council for ignoring the Dunn community engagement report’s recommendation for a dual library model.
  • Deborah Link (First Edition resident) made six requests, including financial justifications for spending $100+ million on a new library versus $10 million in repairs, and asked for a third task force to evaluate renovation options.
  • Karen Sampson (First Edition land use liaison) testified on the tree code, opposing the removal of city council appeals for discretionary tree removal permits, arguing elected officials should retain final authority.

Presentation: Community Service Awards

  • The council awarded community service certificates to Jason Leong, Akana Wakamatsu, and Mike McNeary (absent) for their heroic actions on May 24, 2026, at the Mountain Park Racket Club. They performed CPR and used an AED to save a fellow tennis player who had collapsed.

Presentation: Willamette Falls and Landing Heritage Area Coalition

  • Breta Mansfield (Executive Director) and Jeff Goodman (Treasurer) provided an annual update. The coalition is working to establish a National Heritage Area (NHA) along 56 river miles of the Willamette River, from Lake Oswego to Willamette Mission State Park. They reported progress: a feasibility study approved in 2018, a draft bill ready, and a lobbyist engaged. They requested a renewed letter of support or resolution from the council and continued financial contributions. The council indicated follow-up on the letter.

Discussion Items

  • Owner's Representative Contract for South Shore Fire Station: Assistant Fire Chief Christine Artman introduced The Coming Group (Sam Eger, Shane Moffitt). The contract was approved unanimously after council expressed confidence in their ability to manage budget and schedule.
  • Resolutions 26-42 and 26-43 (Library Task Force): Library Director Melissa Kelly presented two resolutions: 26-42 to create a Future Library Task Force with diverse membership, and 26-43 to adopt criteria for future library site selection (financial feasibility, equitable location) and reuse of the existing site (revenue generation). Both passed unanimously after no further discussion.
  • Public Hearing: Tree Code Amendments (LU26-0014): Community Development Director Jessica Numanlu, joined by Brandon Nam (Task Force Chair), presented targeted amendments to implement state law, improve clarity, and support urban forest management. Key changes include:
    • Streamlined Type 2 appeal process: staff decision appealed to a hearings officer (no further appeal to council).
    • Minor forest management permits now require trees to be tied to a forest management purpose (e.g., thinning, wildfire risk reduction).
    • Moderate risk trees (within 5-year timeframe) can be removed under Type 2 if a qualified arborist documents a history of failure of similar trees on or adjacent to the site.
    • Street tree planting required for new single-family and middle housing dwellings.
    • Mitigation requirements expanded to Type 1 permits.
    • Dead tree enforcement on private property removed from amendments.
    • Planning Commission recommended approval of two ordinances (2974 and 2978).
    • Council discussion focused on appeals process, moderate risk criteria, and street tree placement. Councilor Corrigan expressed concern over eliminating council appeals. The council tentatively approved the ordinances (5-0), directing staff to return on September 1, 2026, with final findings and conclusions.
  • Study Session: E-bikes and Micromobility Ordinance: Police Chief George Burke and Captain Clayton Simon presented proposed Chapter 32 amendments to address unsafe operation of e-bikes and other micromobility devices. Statistics: 158 service calls since April 2026 (52% involving juveniles). The proposed ordinance defines device classes, sets operation rules (e.g., no sidewalk riding for e-bikes, audible warnings, unsafe operation prohibited), and allows impoundment. Options include graduated fines and clearer reckless riding definitions. Council direction included:
    • Include teeth in enforcement, potentially graduated fines and parent/guardian accountability.
    • Maintain consistency in rules across pathways and sidewalks while accommodating mobility devices.
    • Conduct community engagement (schools, neighborhood meetings) before final adoption.
    • Clean up outdated bicycle codes.
    • Add recitals emphasizing multimodal transportation support.
    • Staff will refine the ordinance and return for adoption at a future meeting.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Resolution 26-41 adopted (5-0).
  • Owner's Representative Contract: Approved (5-0) for South Shore Fire Station with The Coming Group.
  • Library Task Force: Resolution 26-42 (task force creation) and Resolution 26-43 (site criteria) both adopted (5-0).
  • Tree Code Amendments: Tentative approval of ordinances 2974 and 2978 (5-0); staff to return September 1, 2026, with final ordinances and separate study session on tree retention deficit fee.
  • E-bike Ordinance: No vote taken; council provided direction to staff to revise the proposed ordinance, conduct community outreach, and return with a final version for adoption. A separate resolution to set the fee amount will be considered on September 15, 2026.

The meeting adjourned into executive session under ORS 192.660(2)(f) to discuss information exempt from public inspection.

Meeting Transcript

All right, good afternoon, everyone. This Tuesday, July 21st, 2026 meeting of the Lake Oswego City Council is now called to order. Ms. Hawkins, will you please call the role? Yes, Mayor Buck. Here. Counselors Afkin and Maboop are excused. Councillor Wendlin. Your Councillor Burdick. Here. Councilor Corrigan. Here. And Councillor Edmonds Manns will be joining us shortly. 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. Okay, switch positions. So we have a very uh special presentation to start uh the meeting uh tonight. And we're going to be presenting community service awards to three Lake Oswegans who went above and beyond. So I'd like to invite Mike McNeary, Jason Leong, and Akana Wakamatsu to please come forward. Like no Mike. Two of the three are here. Mike is not here. So on May 24th of 2026 at the Mountain Park Racket Club, which is located at Three Botticelli at Mountain Park there. Uh, these two and Mike demonstrated extraordinary courage, awareness, and decisive action in response to a life-threatening emergency. While playing tennis, they observed a fellow player suddenly collapse on the court. And within seconds, they assessed the situation, called 911, and immediately began life-saving measures. They administered chest compressions and retrieved and used the automated external defibrillator, AED, that was mounted on the wall. After delivering a single shock, the individual regained consciousness and was able to speak. Their actions exemplify the very best of community responsibility and heroism. So please congratulate Jason, Kana, and Mike for the community service award. Let's give them a big round of applause. So it's uh very commendable how those those three were able to act so quickly. Um we have a another special presentation from the Willamette Falls and Landing Heritage Area Coalition. And I'd like to invite Breta Mansfield, the executive director. And Jeff Goodman. All right. Great, good afternoon, Mayor Buck and City Council. Thanks so much for having me today. I'm joined by Jeff Goodman, whom I'm sure you all know. He is a treasurer of our coalition, a wonderful board member, so he's here to support and maybe answer questions or say something nice, one of the two. I'm here for our annual update. I think most of you have heard a presentation from me, so I'll try to be brief. A lot of this is probably repeat information, but we do have some exciting new news to share, some new progress, and then some asks about how Lake Oswego can continue to support us. So we'll just kind of dive in. Key takeaways, there you go. Um, just reminding you guys who we are, what we're doing over at Historic City Hall in West Lynn, and then looking at upcoming advocacy. That's a really core piece of what we're doing and where most of our progress is coming from this year. Um, so as I'm sure everybody here knows, the coalition is a nonprofit umbrella organization that's working to establish a national heritage area right here in Oregon along along the Willamette River. We'll see a map of our boundaries in a few slides.

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