West Linn City Council Retreat Sets 2025-2027 Priorities on January 4, 2025

The West Linn City Council held its annual goal-setting retreat on Saturday, January 4, 2025, from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in a hybrid format from Council Chambers and online. Council reviewed 2024 priorities, took public testimony, heard community advisory group and neighborhood association reports, received partner agency and legislative updates, began the 2026-2027 budget conversation, and agreed to develop a draft 2025/30-month priority list for adoption at an upcoming meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• The agenda lists the first public commenter as Beau J. Genot; the transcript audio refers to him as Bo Janel. He expressed concern about the health and future of West Linn neighborhood associations, noting that a plurality are dormant and that more may become inactive, and urged a proactive education and outreach campaign to show residents the benefits of participation. He offered to be part of the solution rather than just raising the problem.
• Later in the day, CJ Cole, president of the neighborhood association presidents group, gave public comment during the neighborhood association discussion. He said NAs are willing to collaborate with council and the city, offered NA help with legislative outreach, and asked that neighborhood associations be explicitly included in council goals.

2024 Priority Review and Directions for 2025/30 Months

• I-205 tolling: Council called the anti-tolling work a win but not finished and agreed to fold it into a broader transportation and legislative advocacy goal. City Manager John Williams noted ODOT recently pushed the Abernathy Bridge project timeline and cost to up to $700 million and indicated costs would keep growing; he suggested treating it as a billion-dollar project.
• Indoor recreation and civic center: Council thanked Parks and Recreation Director Megan Big John for reaching roughly 10 percent of the city population during outreach. Public support shifted from about 30 percent in favor / 70 percent against initially to closer to 45 percent / 55 percent later, but project funding was still seen as too costly. Council agreed to keep the priority, reworded toward pursuing partnerships and funding options, including with the Y, and to continue refuting misconceptions that the project was only an aquatic center.
• Police Review and Recommend Committee: Council described the committee as a success and said its second annual report will come to council on January 21. Council agreed this work can be folded into a broader community advisory group goal rather than remain a standalone priority.
• Drinking water capital needs: Council noted the water system capital plan was adopted on June 17 and that the next step is financing and rate analysis. Council agreed to change the goal from defining needs to funding drinking water system capital needs. Staff also updated council on lingering grant compliance and ODOT billing issues related to the water line project.
• West Linn Waterfront Vision and Vision 43: Council confirmed both planning efforts remain priorities. Near-term work includes adoption of the waterfront vision and zoning code updates for the historic city hall district and Vision 43 corridor. Council discussed possible future steps such as tax increment financing feasibility work, the Bolton Fire Station property, and a Highway 43 jurisdictional transfer study, while acknowledging public confusion about the two parallel planning efforts.
• Transit and transportation: Council celebrated new regional bus connections, including the 153 line and the 76 line, and heard that TriMet is proposing to extend the 153 from the Willamette District to the Oregon City Transit Center and back to Lake Oswego. Council agreed to keep transit and transportation as a priority with stronger emphasis on traffic safety, pedestrian infrastructure, crosswalks, safe routes to schools, and developing a dedicated funding source for small safety projects.
• Environmental protection and sustainability: Council heard from Councilor Williams and staff about sustainability advisory work, including a sustainability consultant list of high-impact actions such as electric vehicle charging, LED upgrades, HVAC upgrades, solar installations, and fleet transition planning. Council agreed to keep sustainability as a goal and discussed the future public works/parks operations center as a possible new priority.
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging: Staff reported that over 20 percent of city staff have completed cultural competency training, a DEIB specialist has been designated, and the DEIB task force has become a standing committee. Council expressed continued support for the DEIB work and for developing tribal engagement, particularly related to the waterfront.

Community Advisory Group Reports

• Arts and Culture Commission: Reported strong engagement, a full membership, and ideas for more public art and community involvement. A bike kiosk and percent-for-art guidelines were noted as coming to council on the next agenda.
• Committee for Community Involvement: Requested that council assign it to work with staff on a citywide engagement plan and provide budget funding for a consultant.
• Economic Development Committee: Council liaisons reported the group feels listless and lacks a clear mission, and that members are asking council for direction and a concrete work plan.
• Historic Review Board: Active and engaged; proposed work on a mission statement, community development code chapter 58, and a CLG grant application.
• Library Advisory Board: Described as productive and well integrated with library staff and the library foundation, with no current censorship challenges facing the city.
• Parks Advisory Board: Delivered a detailed annual report, praised parks staff and Councilor Bonnington, and asked council to be mindful of the strain on the parks department. Their priorities included GoBond completion, Willamette/waterfront park planning, and broader parks asset utilization.
• Planning Commission: Had a very busy 2024 and wants council direction on implementing the housing production strategy, affordable housing opportunities, waterfront and Vision 43 adoption, zoning changes, community development code improvements, and increasing community engagement.
• Sustainability Advisory Board: Provided a set of high-impact sustainability priorities and was complimented for staff liaison Dylan Digby's support.
• Transportation Advisory Board: Has membership and quorum challenges, wants clearer public understanding of its advisory role, and emphasizes the need for a funding source for pedestrian and safety projects.
• Youth Advisory Council: Met with council liaisons, wants to be actively engaged and receive direction; meeting schedule conflicts are being addressed.
• Utility Advisory Board: Did not submit a report. Council liaison Carol Bright noted quorum issues, a need for clearer scope, and a coming challenge from the charter's 5 percent utility rate increase cap if South Fork Water Board capital costs require larger increases.
• Public Safety Advisory Board: Currently inactive. Council discussed whether it could be restructured or possibly merged with the Police Review and Recommend Committee, while acknowledging privacy and legal constraints.

Partner Agency Updates

• Willamette Falls Locks Authority: Council liaison Council President Baumgartner reported a legislative bill sponsored by Representative Walters requesting $11.4 million to complete capital repairs needed for safe lock operations, in addition to $7 million already pledged in 2021. Army Corps seismic upgrades are finished, real estate transfer is expected within the next 24 months, and reopening is estimated in three to five years.
• Willamette Falls Trust: Kate Brown is the newly hired president. The trust's main goal is site control, including exploring PGE's 64 acres not needed for power production. The trust wants to work with the city and is tribal-led, though the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde is not currently participating.
• Willamette Falls and Landings Heritage Area Coalition: Led by former mayor Russ Axelrod. The coalition wants to partner with the city on Historic City Hall and other regional heritage funding efforts.
• South Fork Water Board: West Linn co-owns the board with Oregon City. South Fork is updating its capital plan, system development charges, and rates. Potential large capital projects could require rate increases above West Linn's 5 percent charter cap, which would need voter approval; Oregon City has a 3 percent cap.
• Water Environmental Services: The county wastewater agency is reviewing system development charges and offers grant funding, including a 30 percent contribution for infiltration and inflow improvements that reduce treatment costs.

2025 Legislative Session

• The legislative session convenes January 21, 2025. Contract lobbyist Doug Riggs was out of town but provided a memo. Staff summarized that ODOT says it needs an additional $1.8 billion just to maintain current work, and there is new legislative leadership with many new members.
• Doug Riggs recommended a focused West Linn agenda on tolling, Highway 43, and the Willamette Falls Locks Authority bill. Council also discussed supporting Highway 43 jurisdictional transfer legislation, partnering with other cities to make the case, and watching housing bills that could create one-size-fits-all density mandates difficult for West Linn's topography.
• Council President Baumgartner noted League of Oregon Cities City Day at the Capitol is January 28 and offered to carpool.

Neighborhood Associations

• Neighborhood association annual reports showed common challenges: maintaining quorums, recruiting officers, and sustaining engagement. Sunset Neighborhood Association was highlighted for restarting and increasing participation.
• Council discussed ways to improve collaboration, including a potential joint meeting with neighborhood association presidents, an NA open house, a city-produced video explaining what NAs do, and more consistent council and staff attendance at NA meetings.
• CJ Cole noted there are 11 neighborhood associations, two currently inactive, and that grants are distributed by population rather than per association. He supported developing succession and capacity-building training and said NAs want to be aligned with council vision.
• Councilor and staff plan to attend the next Neighborhood Association Presidents meeting and report back on how the city can support the groups.

2026-2027 Budget: Timeline, Issues, and Opportunities

• Finance Director Lauren Breihof presented the budget timeline. Preliminary work is underway now; department budget drafts are expected in February/March, final review in April, budget committee meetings in May, and council adoption in June. City Manager Williams noted adoption is roughly six regular council meetings away.
• Major budget changes include consolidating parks, public safety, library, and planning funds into the general fund, moving the West Linn Redevelopment Agency budget to a biennial cycle aligned with the city, updating performance measures, and revising the city's investment policy for the first time since 2009 because the city has reached the LGIP investment maximum.
• Known cost pressures include PERS rate increases of 2.91 to 4.3 percentage points depending on employee group, with the largest employee group seeing a percentage increase above 20 percent; property and liability insurance increases of roughly 15 to 22 percent; and medical/dental premium increases of roughly 5.5 to 9.2 percent.
• Revenue options discussed included repealing the marijuana ban, a local option operating levy, a public safety fee, and fee schedule updates. Marijuana repeal was estimated to generate about $40,000 per year plus $50,000 to $60,000 per distributor. Council expressed interest in first gauging public sentiment through outreach and engagement.
• Budget requests noted for council awareness included Main Street requesting $70,000 per year after receiving $60,000 and then $40,000 in the current biennium, Columbia Land Trust Backyard Habitat asking for about $15,000 per year, community grants at $25,000 per year, neighborhood association stipends at $20,000 per year, and continued funding for the Willamette Falls Locks Authority.
• Council floated new budget-related ideas including a public works operations center, a Highway 43 TIF feasibility study, a land acquisition strategy, and a transportation safety funding study.

Key Outcomes

• Council reached consensus to use a 30-month planning horizon tied to the biennial budget and agreed to keep, reword, or fold most 2024 priorities into a draft 2025/30-month priority list.
• No formal votes were taken. The City Manager will compile the day's notes, circulate a draft for individual council review, and bring a consolidated draft back for discussion in late January or early February.
• Council will work to assign specific 2025 projects or work products to each community advisory group and to the neighborhood associations as part of the final priority-setting process.
• Additional new priority ideas raised for further consideration included tribal engagement, more informal public engagement/town halls, operations center funding, Highway 43 jurisdictional transfer work, land acquisition strategy, traffic safety funding, and utility rate analysis coordination.
• The retreat adjourned around 3:30 p.m., with council business continuing at the next regular meeting.