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Record of Proceedings

Lake Oswego City Council Meeting: October 20, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, October 20, 2026
BodyLake Oswego, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, October 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:02:09

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:31

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:32

This Tuesday, October 20th meeting of the City Council is now called to order.

0:36

Ms.

0:36

Hawkins, would you please call the roll?

Speaker 2

0:38

Mayor Buck?

Speaker 1

0:39

Here.

Speaker 2

0:39

Counselors Corrigan.

0:41

Edmunds Manns.

0:42

Here, Afkin.

Speaker 1

0:43

Here.

Speaker 2

0:44

Councilman Boop is excused.

0:46

Wenlin.

0:47

Here.

0:47

And verdict.

Speaker 3

0:48

Here.

Speaker 1

0:49

Now, everyone, uh, thank you very much.

0:51

Will you uh please stand if able, remove your hats and join us in the pledge?

Unassigned speaker

0:56

I

Speaker 4

0:57

pledge

Speaker 1

0:57

allegiance to the flag of the

Speaker 4

0:59

United States.

Unassigned speaker

1:12

Thank you,

Speaker 1

1:12

folks.

1:13

We're going to start the meeting with public comment.

1:15

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

1:22

Hawkins.

1:23

But we are going to start with Charles Oldham.

1:25

Charles, come on up.

1:26

When you come up to the front, you'll have three minutes to uh give your comments.

1:30

You could start by just introducing yourself and we're thank you very much.

1:33

My glad that you're here.

Speaker 4

1:34

Am I supposed to sit or stand?

Speaker 1

1:35

You can sit.

1:35

Oh no, please sit.

1:36

Yeah.

1:37

There'll be a little timer there to keep track, Charles.

Unassigned speaker

1:40

We're

Speaker 1

1:40

glad you're

Unassigned speaker

1:41

here.

Speaker 4

1:42

Thank you very much for letting me be here and uh give me a few minutes.

1:48

I have a very simple request

Unassigned speaker

1:51

for the

Speaker 4

1:51

Lake Oswego City Council.

1:54

I believe, along with many, many, many others in the city that fireworks should be banned.

2:02

Increasingly, global warming and many other issues have caused fireworks to become a very dangerous and potentially deadly hazard.

2:11

Additionally, it's a major issue for pets and wildlife, and of course, fires.

2:23

From the country commons neighborhood near our home.

2:26

There were massive, massive fireworks that went on way past midnight and going hundreds of feet into the air.

2:34

And the woodlands there, it was just terrifying.

2:37

It was just absolutely unbelievable.

2:41

Enough is enough.

3:00

Well, from what I found on the internet, this would include Portland, Eugene, Bend, Milwaukee, Newport, Sisters, Sun River, Manzanita.

3:14

Probably some other ones as

Unassigned speaker

3:15

well.

Speaker 4

3:16

Curiously enough, I thought I'd mention that the Internet notes that the City of Fort Collins, Colorado has a complete complete ban on all consumer fireworks to sell, possess, or use within the city limits of Fort Collins.

3:34

An end quote.

3:35

Oh, no, so it's continuing on violations have steep fines up to a thousand dollars, and police actively patrol and issue citations.

Unassigned speaker

3:44

And

Speaker 4

3:45

finally, I'd like to thank each of you for for all your great work with the city of Lake Oswego.

3:51

More than 20 years ago, I

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Urban Planning████████████████████████████████████████████44%
Housing and Development████████████████████20%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████7%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Public Engagement████4%
Economic Development███3%
Energy And Infrastructure██2%
Public Safety██2%
Transportation Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Lake Oswego City Council Meeting: October 20, 2026

The Lake Oswego City Council met on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included public comment, approval of the consent agenda, an update on the South Shore Fire Station project, approval of an owner's representative contract for the library project, and two study sessions: one on the Foothills District Plan update and another on the rezoning for housing project. Key themes included housing needs, infrastructure, community engagement, and sustainability.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved meeting minutes from June and July 2026.
  • Approved Resolution 26-56 ratifying a collective bargaining agreement with the Lake Oswego Police Officers Association Supervisors Bargaining Unit. Motion passed 6-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Charles Oldham spoke in favor of banning fireworks in Lake Oswego, citing global warming, fire hazards, and impacts on pets and wildlife. He noted that other Oregon cities (Portland, Eugene, Bend, etc.) have banned consumer fireworks and referenced Fort Collins, Colorado's complete ban with fines up to $1,000.
  • Dorothy Atwood, President of the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network, thanked the council for a grant to evaluate a clean energy district in the Foothills area. She requested that the framework plan include a placeholder for a clean energy district, referencing potential district heating/cooling, energy-efficient construction, and use of waste heat from the wastewater treatment plant.
  • McKenzie Meyer, a fourth-grade student at Hallinan Elementary, thanked the city for smoothing the trail in Waluga Park, expressed support for the Foothills plan (including the "bunny trail" light idea and an elevator for older friends), and advocated for an all-abilities playground in Foothills.

Discussion Items

South Shore Fire Station Project Update

  • Assistant Chief Chris Hartman reported that an owner's representative (Cumming Group) has been onboarded. Schematic design for both temporary and main stations completed in September; initial estimating completed in October. The land use application for the main station was submitted in October.
  • Design refinements include a sloped metal roof for longevity and changes to bay doors to reduce building footprint. The boat and tow rig will be moved to another station to save costs on the temporary facility.
  • Current budget includes $935,000 for unforeseen conditions (increased from $650,000). Key risks: basalt/rock fields, cost escalations, retaining wall (possible cantilever design), and permitting/lead times.
  • Schedule: temporary station groundbreaking in March 2027, permanent station in June 2027.

Library Project Phase 1 – Owner's Representative Contract

  • Library Director Melissa Kelly presented a request to approve a contract with Shields Oblist Oblitz Johnson Inc. (SOJ) as owner's representative for phase one (planning, site selection, pre-design, financial planning). The contract is based on actual hours worked. The timeline extends through June 2028. Motion passed 6-0.

Study Session 1: Foothills District Plan Update

  • Jason Graf (First 40 Feet) and Eric Olson presented a schematic plan derived from three concepts. Eight key moves were discussed, including State Street arrival, the Grand Connection, housing, and north/south portal access.
  • Council members discussed trade-offs: concerns about parking on State Street, pedestrian safety, the need for a north portal (traffic capacity), and preserving view corridors. There was general support for the plan's direction, but no formal vote.
  • Housing density was debated: 900–1,400 units are anticipated. Council had differing views on affordable housing requirements and market feasibility. The plan will continue to evolve with technical analysis.

Study Session 2: Rezoning for Housing Project

  • Associate Planner Michael and consultants from Cascadia Partners presented a methodology to identify commercial/mixed-use areas suitable for rezoning to increase housing capacity. The methodology weighs three themes: favorable development economics, land suitability, and advancing community goals.
  • Four potential focus areas were identified: Eastern Cruise Way, Westlake Grove, Boones Ferry Road/Lakeview Boulevard, and First Edition/Downtown. Lower-scoring areas (e.g., Mountain Park, McVay, Merrillhurst) were deprioritized.
  • Council directed staff to proceed with further study of the focus areas while respecting existing community plans (e.g., Lake Grove Village Center). Resolution 26-16, authorizing an intergovernmental agreement with DLCD and related funding ($14,815 from existing budget), passed 6-0.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved (6-0): minutes and Resolution 26-56.
  • Library owner's rep contract approved (6-0).
  • Resolution 26-16 approved (6-0): authorizing IGA with DLCD for rezoning project.
  • Foothills District Plan: Council provided directional feedback; staff will incorporate input and return in February 2027 with a draft framework plan for adoption in May 2027.
  • Rezoning for Housing: Council supported the methodology and focus areas; staff will conduct further study and community engagement, returning with alternatives.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. This Tuesday, October 20th meeting of the City Council is now called to order. Ms. Hawkins, would you please call the roll? Mayor Buck? Here. Counselors Corrigan. Edmunds Manns. Here, Afkin. Here. Councilman Boop is excused. Wenlin. Here. And verdict. Here. Now, everyone, uh, thank you very much. Will you uh please stand if able, remove your hats and join us in the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States. Thank you, folks. We're going to start the meeting with public comment. If you are here to provide public comment and have not already done so, please fill out one of these white uh forms on the back table and hand it to Ms. Hawkins. But we are going to start with Charles Oldham. Charles, come on up. When you come up to the front, you'll have three minutes to uh give your comments. You could start by just introducing yourself and we're thank you very much. My glad that you're here. Am I supposed to sit or stand? You can sit. Oh no, please sit. Yeah. There'll be a little timer there to keep track, Charles. We're glad you're here. Thank you very much for letting me be here and uh give me a few minutes. I have a very simple request for the Lake Oswego City Council. I believe, along with many, many, many others in the city that fireworks should be banned. Increasingly, global warming and many other issues have caused fireworks to become a very dangerous and potentially deadly hazard. Additionally, it's a major issue for pets and wildlife, and of course, fires. From the country commons neighborhood near our home. There were massive, massive fireworks that went on way past midnight and going hundreds of feet into the air. And the woodlands there, it was just terrifying. It was just absolutely unbelievable.

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