West Linn City Council Business Meeting – December 9, 2024
West Linn City Council Business Meeting – December 9, 2024
The West Linn City Council met on December 9, 2024, at 6:00 PM, with Council President Mary Baumgardner presiding. Mayor Rory Bialostosky was excused. The meeting included public comments, consent agenda approvals, a public hearing for development code amendments, and approval of an intergovernmental agreement with Clackamas County for homelessness initiatives. All votes were unanimous (4-0).
Consent Calendar
- Approved the meeting minutes of November 12, 2024.
- Approved Resolution 2024-12 certifying the results of the November 5, 2024 General Election.
- Motion carried 4-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jim Edwards (West Linn resident) spoke on behalf of the Lady B tugboat preservation advocates. He presented a proposal for the city to store or display the historic 77-year-old tugboat in Willamette Park, including a $200,000 budget for a permanent facility. He requested no city funds but sought city cooperation. Council thanked him for the effort.
- Dean Suhr (West Linn resident) updated the council on the Oppenlander property. He announced the formalization of the Friends of Oppenlander, a public benefit charity, to raise money to fill any gap between the bond measure and the school district’s price. He also urged vigilance on tolling, stating it remains a threat despite recent comments from Senator Wagner.
Discussion Items
- Police Review & Recommend Committee Appointments: Council President Baumgardner placed before the council the reappointments of Keisha Omlid and Sara Werboff. No other applicants. Approved 4-0.
- Public Hearing – Ordinance 1755: A legislative hearing on amendments to the West Linn Community Development Code Chapters 2, 37, 85, and 99. Planning Manager Darren Wyss presented the staff report. The amendments update language for home occupations, extensions of approval, appeals of development permits, expedited land divisions, and middle housing land divisions. No public testimony was received. Council approved first reading (motion by Councilor Groner, second by Councilor Bryck) and then second reading (same motion) adopting the ordinance with additional changes proposed by the City Attorney in Attachment 1. Both motions carried 4-0.
- City-led Homelessness Initiatives Intergovernmental Agreement: City Manager John Williams presented the IGA with Clackamas County. The agreement allocates $100,000 over three years to the West Linn Food Pantry for food and operational costs, and $45,000 over three years to an Emergency Human Services Fund administered by the Police Department’s behavioral health staff for emergency assistance. Council discussed the need to ensure these funds do not reduce other donations and requested future reports on the behavioral health specialist’s work. Approved 4-0.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved unanimously.
- Police Review & Recommend Committee reappointments confirmed.
- Ordinance 1755 adopted after two readings, enacting code amendments.
- Intergovernmental Agreement with Clackamas County approved, authorizing $145,000 in total funding for food pantry and emergency human services.
- City Manager announced upcoming traffic assessments on Sunset and 19th, Vision 43 and Waterfront Project updates in 2025, and continuing discussions on Lady B and Oppenlander topics.
- Council President Baumgardner thanked staff and students in attendance.
Meeting Transcript
Westland City Council Monday, December 9th pre-meeting. Um I guess we just go over the agenda. We can go around the room if you like. Introduce oh, oh yes. Thank you for that reminder. Councillor. Oh yeah. Uh Kevin Bonington, City Council. Councilor Carol Black. Leo Groner, City Council. Uh Darren Wise, planning manager. John Williams, city manager. Kayleigh Klein, City Attorney. Thank you, all. So does oh Mary Baumgartner. Council president, forgot myself. Um so first, um, I guess does anybody have any issues with the agenda or concerns about it? Yeah, just one comment. Carol, I think made an excellent suggestion a little while ago that we basically try to schedule um the anti-semitism proclamation for next week so it can be published on the agenda and people can comment on it. Uh I can I endorse that. And has everybody looked at the new language? I have not seen the new version. Uh you mailed around three. Yes. Didn't say it now, but okay. Well, I'm I'm fine with that as long as it meets the needs, and we can also talk about it too um during the week if it doesn't, I guess. Okay. Perfect. Offline. So um just as a reminder, we published the agenda tomorrow afternoon. So if it was going to be on, it would be on tomorrow afternoon, or it can be added by the council at the meeting next week. And my point was if we're gonna do a proclamation, it should be on the agenda so the public knows that it's happening as opposed to adding it at the meeting and I think I agree with that. So we need to know. Good. Everybody needs if they have any concerns by tomorrow. By tomorrow, maybe let me and I guess Mary knows the presiding officer this week. Okay. All right. And um so we have consent agenda with meeting minutes on it. Did anybody have any concerns about that? A couple of minor typos, but um substance no changes. No. All right. Um, and we are certifying the results of the election. So I haven't actually seen the I'm assuming we have that was attached to an agenda. Oh, okay. All right, and so then we have no last minute count changes. No that I thought anyway. All right. Then um did I skip over the appointments?
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