Lake Oswego City Council Meeting Summary

This is the meeting summary for the Lake Oswego City Council meeting held on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The meeting covered a wide range of topics, including a presentation from Republic Services on their return to excellence plan, updates on city council goals, a municipal grant awards resolution, a legislative feedback session for the League of Oregon Cities, approval of the Arts Council's annual public art plan, enactment of an e-micromobility device ordinance, and a work session on the code audit project. The meeting also included public comments and recognitions.

Call to Order and Proclamation

• The meeting was called to order at approximately 7:00 AM? (time not specified). The pledge of allegiance was recited.
• A proclamation was issued recognizing the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latin communities (Hispanic Heritage Month), with the theme "Unidos Somos Mass" (Together We Are More).

Republic Services Return to Excellence Plan

• Presentation by Cindy Rogers (Municipal Relationship Manager), John Oliveras (General Manager, Republic Services, and Lake Oswego resident), and Steve Baker (Operations Manager).
• Republic Services serves 11,846 residential customers, 412 commercial customers, and 1,769 industrial halls in Lake Oswego. Residential service involves three separate trucks (trash, yard debris/food waste, commingled recycling including glass) for each of the 11,846 homes, totaling 35,000 stops every week.
• The presentation provided an overview of services, including two annual bulky waste events (186 vehicles in spring, over 500 in fall), partnership with the Mattress Recycling Council, and community involvement events like TetraTrucks, birthday drive-bys, Earth Day e-waste events, and in-kind donations for various local organizations.
• The "Return to Excellence Plan" was presented to address staffing challenges experienced from March through July 2026. The challenges included unexpected retirements, relocations, terminations, and a transition in General Manager, leading to staffing shortages (goal of 26 drivers to cover 19-21 daily routes). Customer complaints and missed pickups approximately doubled during this period, but by August 2026, complaints dropped to three total (two missed pickups), indicating a return to standard service levels. The plan includes enhanced communication (ensuring accurate phone numbers) and increased supervisor presence.
• Council members expressed appreciation for Republic Services' service, professionalism, and partnership. Specific comments highlighted the high standard of service, the company's sustainability efforts (electric and natural gas trucks), and the need to learn from the experience. Questions were raised about the duration of the staffing issues (March-July) and remedies for affected customers.

2026 Council Goals Update

• Assistant City Manager Megan Phelan provided the third-quarter update on 2026 city council goals, noting progress on some goals and continuation of others into the fall.
• Councilor Corrigan reported on a tabletop exercise using AI modeling for wildfire spread, noting its impact and encouraging broader participation.

Public Comments

• Steve Dole: Submitted a packet of correspondence regarding an anti-Semitic trope displayed on a Lake Oswego marquee. He criticized the council's response (boilerplate emails about First Amendment) as silence and a double standard, highlighting a documented pattern of incidents (concentration camp poster, anti-Semitic flyers, vandalized swastika). He proposed three concrete actions: (1) Adopt a baseline condemnation policy for targeted rhetoric against any minority group, (2) utilize city media channels to explicitly condemn anti-Semitism, and (3) partner with regional organizations like the Jewish Federation to provide resources. He requested a public hearing on the matter.
• Andrew Edwards: President of the Friends of the Lake Oswego Public Library. He spoke in support of the library, highlighting the Friends' support for over 100 annual programs (including Lake Oswego Reads), the success of the Summer Library Challenge (1,073 youth, 565 adults, over 1 million minutes of reading), and the need for a larger facility given the current space limitations (staff forced to hold programs in parks; poor air quality/heat forced a performer to move indoors, accommodating 171 people). He invited councilors to become members.

Consent Agenda

• Items included: Approval of meeting minutes (May 15 and May 28, 2026), Resolution 26-34 (adopting a tree retention deficit fee), and Resolution 26-48 (approving Megan Phelan as City Manager Pro Tem).
• Motion made by Councilor Corgan, seconded by Councilor Mance. Passed 7-0.

Discussion Items: Municipal Grant Awards (Resolution 26-38)

• Presented by Management and Program Analyst Teo Ramirez. A subcommittee (Councilors Afkin and Corrigan) reviewed 19 applications. Total funding requests: $62,000 (Council Goals), $46,000 (Social Services).
• Recommendations for funding (8 initiatives in Council Goals, $43,450 total): Lake Forest Neighborhood Association (Emergency Preparedness), Evergreen Neighborhood Association (Emergency Preparedness/Emergency Cash), Oswego Lake Watershed Council (Emerald Ash Borer outreach), Gifting Gears (safety equipment), Lake Oswego Sustainability Network (feasibility study for clean energy district/thermal energy network in Foothills District - $15,500, the largest individual award).
• Recommendations for funding (4 initiatives in Social Services, $27,000 total): Tualatin Food Pantry, The Children's Center, Clackamas Women's Services, Lake Oswego Monsters Robotics.
• Not funded: Applications determined to be below scoring thresholds (75% for Council Goals, 70% for Social Services).
• Additional recommendations: Reserve $10,000 for LO for Love (maturing out of three-year funding limit) while developing a sponsorship pathway. Explore sponsorship pathways for recurring high-performing organizations (Children's Center, Clackamas Women's Services).
• Discussion: Councilor Wenlin raised a concern that the LOSN project ($15,500) might be more appropriately a city-funded government project rather than a community grant. Councilor Afkin defended it as supporting the city's climate change council goal. Councilor Verdick praised the subcommittee's work and fiscal responsibility. Councilor Mance thanked the 2025 council for improving the grant program.
• Motion made by Councilor Verdick, seconded by Councilor Wenlin. Discussion concluded. Passed 7-0.

Discussion Items: League of Oregon Cities (LOC) 2027-28 Legislative Priorities

• Deputy City Manager Madison Thiesing presented the request to narrow down the LOC's top eight priorities to the top five for the city's survey submission.
• Top eight identified: (1) Right-of-way authority/revenue, (2) Public meeting law clarity, (3) Full funding and streamlining for housing production, (4) Energy grid hardening/modernization, (5) Economic/workforce development, (6) 2027 transportation package, (7) Infrastructure funding, (8) Ratepayer assistance.
• Council discussion to narrow to five: There was strong consensus (Councilors Corrigan, Wenlin, Verdick, Corgan, Mayor Buck) to include public meeting law clarity (due to confusion for volunteer board/commission members and previous vetos). The final five selected were: (1) Public meeting law clarity, (2) Full funding/streamlining for housing production, (3) Energy grid hardening and modernization, (4) 2027 transportation package, (5) Infrastructure funding.
• Mayor Buck emphasized the need for carrots over sticks from the state and urged less preemption. Councilor Mance raised cybersecurity and AI guardrails as additional concerns. Councilor Wenlin and Mayor Buck called for a pause on new housing mandates to let existing ones work.

Discussion Items: Arts Council of Lake Oswego Annual Public Art Plan

• Presented by Arts Council Executive Director Nicole Nathan. The plan is a new requirement stemming from the 2024 Public Art Master Plan.
• Contractual commitments: Maintenance/conservation (e.g., rust mitigation on elephant sculpture on Boons Ferry Road, plaque replacement at Glenmorrie Park), acquisition (installation of "Echoes of Belonging" by Sahara Defrize at the library, dedication on Saturday), deaccession of "Fairy Tree" (3D scanned for historical record, Christmas tree ornament fundraiser planned), annual exhibition "What We Behold" (on view through October 30, curated by Kendra Roberts), percent-for-art projects (South Shore Fire Station, Rassekh Park phase two mural on restroom/maintenance building), Gallery Without Walls (8 new pieces in 2026 cohort, new call opens October 1), Cultural Exchange (September 27, including People's Choice Award to PUP by Ben Dye).
• Non-contractual programs: Exhibitions (holiday marketplace, Artmart, student art show, winter/spring, spring/summer), docent tours, programs aligning with exhibitions (e.g., Ikebana demo), public art in private developments (Hacienda, Habitat for Humanity on Boons Ferry), Highway 43 art corridor collaboration with West Linn and Oregon City (currently on hold).
• Council members praised the Arts Council for maintaining the collection, managing volunteerism, integrating art into new developments, and fostering inclusivity (especially at Hacienda and Habitat for Humanity). Councilor Mance highlighted the City's volunteer ethic.
• Motion made by Councilor Wenlin, seconded by Councilor Verdick. Passed 7-0.

Discussion Items: Ordinance 2980 (E-Micromobility Device Usage)

• A legislative public hearing was held. No public testimony was offered.
• Presented by Police Chief George Burke and Captain Clayton Simon. The ordinance amends Chapter 32 of the Lake Oswego City Code.
• Key provisions: Simplifies device terminology, updates bicycle provisions to align with state statute, adds clarifying information on lawful operation and locations, defines "unsafe operation" and "unreasonable speeds," establishes an escalation of penalties for subsequent violations within 12 months, and includes an educational component (public information materials developed, distributed via social media, city website, Parks, Library, ACC; future partnerships with school district).
• Discussion: Councilor Mooer expressed concern about children using e-bikes instead of pedaling for health. Councilor Mance inquired about enforcement and education plans. Councilor Afkin volunteered to be an ambassador at the Farmers Market to reduce confusion. Chief Burke confirmed the goal is safe behavior, not prohibitive on use, barring non-compliant devices (e-motos without pedals, license, etc.). Captain Simon noted many non-compliant devices are sold online. Captain Simon also confirmed that cameras on trucks are primarily outward-facing for safety, not license plate recording.
• Motion made by Councilor Mooer, seconded by Councilor Verdick. Passed 7-0.

Work Session: Code Audit Project & Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Formation

• Presentation by Associate Planner Evan Franstead, consultants Lee Alligator and Karen Tolstadt (3J Consulting). The project is a comprehensive 18-month review of Lake Oswego's Community Development Code (Chapter 50).
• Background & Purpose: The code has become increasingly complex due to multiple amendments, overlays, design standards, and new state requirements. The project aims to remove regulatory barriers to housing and economic development while retaining high-quality development standards and ensuring compliance with state housing mandates (e.g., middle housing, cottage clusters, SROs). It works in tandem with a separate rezoning for housing project.
• Findings from Background Report (Phase 1): Code is difficult to use; 52+ unique combination zones due to overlays and design districts that sometimes conflict; building code thresholds can hinder middle housing; tenant improvements face unanticipated requirements; food carts are only temporary; state legislative compliance is needed (review procedures, SRO types). Items outside scope (sign code, SDCs) were noted for awareness.
• Draft Public Involvement Strategy: Proposed a two-phased approach: (1) Early education and outreach to stakeholders (interviews done) and neighborhood associations. (2) Later (when specific proposals exist) use broad tools (website, public meetings, media) PLUS targeted "intercept conversations" (face-to-face at casual settings like church coffee hours, PTA meetings) to reach underrepresented audiences (busy families, renters, lower-income, diverse ethnic groups). Strategy emphasizes being clear on what the city can vs. cannot control due to state mandates.
• Council Feedback: Councilor Mooer expressed confusion with technical language and requested concrete, discrete questions for the public (e.g., "Should overlay X be removed?"). Councilor Mance emphasized retaining Lake Oswego's character while simplifying complexity. Councilor Mance also noted that the city should not remove all overlays but instead streamline them; Councilor Verdick cautioned overlays were created for neighborhood character. Councilor Mooer also questioned the timeline relative to potential LUBA appeals (staff clarified this is a code change, not a land use decision). Mayor Buck requested that the city's goals be measured with metrics to ensure accountability (e.g., housing production, permit times). Councilor Wenlin called for a pause on new state mandates. Councilor Afkin stressed kindness to overlays due to their historical purpose.
• Technical Advisory Committee (TAC): Resolution 26-52 to form an ad hoc TAC was presented. Motion made by Councilor Mooer, seconded by Councilor Afkin. Councilor Mance suggested the TAC include a builder who does not currently work in Lake Oswego to get an outside perspective on barriers. Motion passed 7-0.

Recognitions

• Farewell to Pro Tem City Manager Lynn: Mayor Buck delivered heartfelt remarks thanking Lynn for stepping into a temporary leadership role during a transitional period. He praised her community engagement, solutions-oriented approach, and the support she provided to the council and staff on regional issues. Lynn (Lynn) expressed gratitude for the opportunity and apologized for "overlays" she passed 20 years ago, joking that the city is unique. She thanked the council and staff for their dedication.

Executive Session

• The council moved into executive session under ORS 192.660(2)(d) (labor negotiations) and (f) (exempt information). No final decisions were to be made. The meeting adjourned following the session.

Key Outcomes

• Public Comments: Received; no specific council action taken, but the Mayor acknowledged the requests regarding the anti-Semitic marquee.
• Republic Services: Presentation given; discussion held. Service reliability appears to be recovering.
• Consent Agenda: Approved (7-0).
• Municipal Grants (Resolution 26-38): Adopted (7-0), awarding funds as recommended. Staff directed to develop sponsorship pathways for certain recurring organizations.
• LOC Legislative Priorities: The city will submit its top five priorities (public meetings clarity, housing funding/streamlining, grid hardening, transportation package, infrastructure funding). Council also noted additional concerns (cybersecurity, state preemption, pausing new housing mandates).
• Arts Council Public Art Plan: Approved (7-0).
• E-Micromobility Ordinance: Adopted (7-0). Effective upon enactment.
• Code Audit Project: Work session held; staff directed to incorporate council feedback, particularly on community engagement (discrete questions, intercept strategy) and metrics for effectiveness. Formation of TAC approved (7-0); membership currently being considered.
• Pro Tem City Manager Farewell: Recognized and thanked.