Lake Oswego City Council Meeting and Study Sessions - October 13, 2026

No written agenda or minutes were available; this summary is reconstructed from the meeting transcript. The Lake Oswego City Council met on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, beginning with the pledge of allegiance and roll call, followed by public comment, a state presentation on Oregon's Building Performance Standard, two action items on the wastewater treatment facility project, and two study sessions on city communications and economic development.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jim Edelson, a Westlake resident and retired building energy policy professional, expressed strong support for the state Building Performance Standard (BPS), describing it as Lake Oswego's best tool to meet building-related climate action goals. He urged the council to support affected building owners with funds, staff time, and recognition, and encouraged the city to prepare to adopt a more stringent local BPS or greenhouse gas standard aligned with the 2029 state code revision.
• Jeff Goodman, speaking on behalf of the Oswego Heritage Council, invited the council to a joint exhibition with the Hunt Club and noted the city's support for community events such as the car and boat show, farmers market, and festival of the arts.

Oregon Department of Energy Building Performance Standard Presentation

• Sustainability Program Manager Sarah Stith introduced Madeline O'Dwyer, policy analyst with the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE), who presented on Oregon's Building Performance Standard created by House Bill 3409.
• O'Dwyer explained that the BPS uses energy use intensity (EUI) as its metric. Tier one applies to non-residential, hotel, and motel buildings 35,000 square feet and above; tier two applies to those between 20,000 and 35,000 square feet. Multifamily, hospital, school, university, dormitory, barracks, prison, and residential/senior care facilities are covered at 35,000 square feet and above.
• ODOE records indicated 150 buildings in Lake Oswego may be covered, though the transcript also referenced 152; 16 had already claimed their buildings in the state's BEAM portal, leaving about 136 unclaimed.
• Compliance dates: tier one buildings 200,000+ square feet by June 1, 2028; 90,000-200,000 square feet by 2029; 35,000-90,000 square feet by June 1, 2030. Tier two and special tier two buildings have a compliance date of July 1, 2028.
• Tier two buildings must benchmark and determine their EUI target. Tier one buildings must also attest to operations and maintenance and energy management plans and take action toward their target, which may include an ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit.
• Exemptions exist for manufacturing, industrial, and agricultural activities; buildings without certificates of occupancy; buildings with less than 50% leased occupancy; buildings with large unconditioned floor area; and financial hardship. Exemptions must be applied for and are not automatic. Historic buildings are not exempt, but measures that would compromise historic integrity do not need to be implemented.
• O'Dwyer described three tiers of energy professionals: qualified energy manager, qualified person, and qualified energy auditor. Penalties apply only to tier one buildings and are capped at $5,000 plus $1 per square foot per year for each five-year cycle.
• The Building Energy Reduction Incentive (BERI) offers up to $100,000 for tier one buildings, currently on a first-come, first-served basis and open until about mid-December. An energy audit is the biggest barrier to using it.
• Statewide, about 20,000 buildings are covered; O'Dwyer estimated 75% are tier two. She noted the program is new, with only one building statewide having come into compliance so far.
• Council members asked about costs, audits, climate targets, newer buildings, and potential impacts on tenants. One councilor expressed concern about the commercial real estate market, rent pass-throughs, and the cost burden on older building owners, and advised ODOE to "educate, don't penalize." Another councilor emphasized climate goals and asked how the city could help Lake Oswego building owners access the BERI funding.
• O'Dwyer said no action is mandatory from the city and offered ODOE as a resource. She also acknowledged uncertainty about audit costs and said the city of Portland's benchmarking study found costs lower than anticipated.

Lake Oswego Wastewater Treatment Facility Project and Sewer Rate Resolution

• Public Works Director Erica Rooney introduced the item, noting the project has been in development for nearly 10 years and is a major generational investment.
• Special Projects Director Stefan Bradis, Corolla Engineers owner's advisor Wayne Gresh, and Jacobs project manager Michelle Green presented the design-build-operate-maintain (DBOM) proposal with the City of Portland.
• The new facility will provide proven treatment with increased capacity, improved pollutant removal, enhanced seismic resiliency, robust odor control, and noise and lighting controls compatible with the Foothills district.
• Costs are shared approximately 70% by Lake Oswego and 30% by the City of Portland based on flow contribution. The fixed design-build price shown was $3 million higher than previously presented because $3 million was moved from the owner-controlled account into the fixed design-build fee; staff emphasized this was a cost shift, not a cost increase, and did not change the rate model.
• Separate construction management and inspection services are estimated at about $10 million and were described as consistent with industry standards.
• Staff outlined two rate options. Option one is an approximate 28% sewer rate increase effective July 1, 2027, followed by inflationary increases. Option two is an 8% annual increase for 10 years, which raises the rate more gradually but results in higher long-term costs. For a median single-family residence, option one is about $20 per month more early on, but by 2038 option two would be about $37 per month more.
• Public outreach meetings were held September 10, September 16, and October 1, 2026; staff said feedback was generally positive but attendance was low.
• The council unanimously authorized the city manager to execute the DBOM contract with Jacobs and unanimously approved Resolution 26-55 directing staff to proceed with the sewer rate adjustment under option one, effective July 1, 2027.

Study Session: Communications Strategy and Website Update

• Deputy City Manager Madison Thesing, joined by Dana Tyrrell and Renee Buchanan of Tyrrell Group, presented findings from a communications and brand assessment.
• The work was tied to the 2025 council goal of increasing informed participation and equitable access to city services. The website modernization project will be discussed separately in December.
• Tyrrell Group conducted 31 interviews with 32 people, a discussion group with six DEI Board members, an online survey with 283 responses, a farmers market intercept, and a youth engagement session.
• Survey data showed 97% of residents rate quality of life as excellent or good, 95% rate Lake Oswego as an excellent or good place to live, and 70% are satisfied with customer service.
• Hello LO reaches 93% of survey respondents and print remains the primary source of city information. However, fewer than one-third of respondents see city communications as coming from one unified city, and only about one-third use the website as a primary source. The website ranked sixth as an information source.
• Findings showed departments work in silos, each with its own logos, templates, and processes. One example cited was a library calendar carrying eight separate city logos.
• Recommended next steps include a shared "hub" communications model, a citywide writing style guide, coordinated templates, shared photo asset management, and a family of marks rather than a full rebrand.
• Staff noted the website RFP is currently published and closing in a few weeks. Federal ADA accessibility requirements apply by April 2028, and a website overhaul of this size typically takes 12 to 18 months.
• Council feedback was broadly supportive, with emphasis on collaboration, efficiency, and consistency, as well as cost, translation, accessibility, mobile apps, and avoiding duplication with the new website. No formal action was taken.

Study Session: Draft Economic Development Strategy 2026–2029

• Economic Development Program Manager Megan Bronson presented the draft strategy developed with an ad hoc council subcommittee.
• Background included the 2022 council goal, a pilot contract with the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce, a permanent business license fee funding source, and the January 2026 presentation by consultant Mary Bosch. The ad hoc committee voted on September 1, 2026, to forward the draft to council.
• The draft vision describes Lake Oswego as a center of talent and innovation with vibrant, walkable districts and a thriving local economy.
• Six strategic initiatives were presented: (1) business retention and expansion, (2) business recruitment focused on the Kruse Way corridor, (3) customer attraction and tourism, (4) economic vitality marketing, (5) expanding or revising real estate inventory, and (6) organizing for success.
• Key data included: about 2,800 businesses and almost 25,000 employees; more than 90% of the workforce commutes from elsewhere; 71% of businesses are in office environments; Kruse Way office vacancy is over 20%; Lake Oswego/West Linn overall office vacancy is 8.5%; retail vacancy is 1.9%; and residents spend about $781 million per year outside Lake Oswego at brick-and-mortar businesses, representing roughly 2.1 million square feet of potential retail demand.
• Bronson cited the 2026 State of the Workforce report, which predicts a decade of little or no regional population growth and notes that 35% of those who can work in the Tri-County area do not currently work. She connected this to workforce development, child care, and training.
• Event data from Placer AI showed 7,200 visitors attended the July 4, 2026 parade, a 14% increase over the prior year, with visitors staying an average of 73 minutes.
• Staff stated there is currently no permanent economic development budget and that a request will be made in the next biennium. The draft plan uses green actions for current resources and blue actions for items requiring additional resources.
• Council members expressed general support for the strategy, asked for more concrete costs and staffing numbers, and requested attention to home-based businesses, minority-owned businesses, workforce housing, child care, Kruse Way revitalization, and continued partnership with the Chamber of Commerce.
• Next steps are to return in November for possible adoption of the strategy; if adopted, staff would issue an RFP for a marketing strategy and contract with OSU's Destination Lab for a business survey.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken on the two study sessions; both were informational.
• The council voted 6-0 to authorize the city manager to execute the design-build-operate-maintain contract with Jacobs for the Lake Oswego Wastewater Treatment Facility project.
• The council voted 6-0 to approve Resolution 26-55, adopting the sewer rate adjustment approach known as option one, effective July 1, 2027.
• Staff will continue work on the communications hub model, writing style guide, brand family, and website RFP, with a website update scheduled for December.
• The economic development strategy is scheduled to return to council in November 2026 for adoption.