West Linn Redevelopment Agency Budget Committee Meeting - May 27, 2025
West Linn Redevelopment Agency Budget Committee Meeting - May 27, 2025
The West Linn Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Budget Committee met on May 27, 2025, to elect a chair and vice chair, approve minutes from the previous meeting, and consider the proposed biennium budget for fiscal years 2025–2027. The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format, with some members attending virtually. No public comments were received.
Discussion Items
- Election of Chair and Vice Chair: The committee elected citizen member Richard Larson as Chair and Brian Beadle as Vice Chair. Both votes were unanimous.
- Approval of Previous Minutes: The committee unanimously approved the meeting minutes from May 20, 2024.
- Budget Presentation: City Manager John Williams and Finance Director Lauren Breithaupt presented the RDA’s proposed budget. The RDA’s purpose is to stimulate redevelopment in the West Linn Waterfront area (from the Arch Bridge to the Pond area, including Willamette downtown and nearby commercial zones) using tax increment financing (TIF). For the upcoming biennium (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027), the budget projects approximately $437,000 in TIF revenue. The recommendation is to not spend any project funds until the waterfront vision plan is completed; the TIF district is seen as a tool to leverage grants and fund smaller infrastructure. The budget includes two funds: a general fund for administration and potential projects, and a debt service fund for property tax revenue and debt payments.
- Questions and Clarifications: Budget Committee member Carol Bright asked about the distinction between the budget spreadsheets. Finance Director Lauren Breithaupt clarified that page 7 is a budget-at-a-glance summary of all funds, page 8 is a similar summary broken out by fund, the following page details the urban renewal general fund, and the last page details the urban renewal debt service fund.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous Approval of Budget: The committee voted unanimously to approve the biennium budget for the period July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027, in the amount of $674,000. The motion also authorized certifying to the county assessor a request for the maximum allowable tax increment revenue under ORS Chapter 457.
- Elections: Richard Larson was elected Chair and Brian Beadle was elected Vice Chair, both by acclamation.
- Meeting Adjourned: The RDA Budget Committee meeting was adjourned, with the city budget committee meeting to follow immediately after a brief technical pause.
Meeting Transcript
Committee meeting. It's Tuesday, May 27th. And the board uh redevelopment agency budget committee will come to order. And the first item of business is for me to pass this gavel off to the budget uh redevelopment agency budget committee chair and vice chair, and I guess we can just start the meeting with a little around the table just to identify ourselves for the record. So I'm Rory Belastowski, the mayor, Anne Fraser, budget committee. Carol Breich. Rick Larson, budget committee, Kevin Bonington, City Council. Brian Beadle, budget committee. John Williams, City Manager. Lauren Bright Help, Finance Director. Nikki Kableya, budget committee. Mary Baumgartner, City Council. And uh those online, would you identify yourself for the record? Oh, I think you're on mute, Abby. And I certainly am. Abby Farber, budget committee member. Thank you. Uh and so we will now uh move to the election of the budget committee chair and vice chair for the redevelopment agency. Uh and we will entertain any nominations. I'd prefer it be a citizen member just because and maybe it doesn't have to be this way, but it could care the person who's the chair of this redevelopment agency can will nominate you as well for the chair of the budget committee meeting, so for the sake of continuity. So any would anybody like to volunteer themselves to chair the meeting from our citizen members? I'll nominate Richard Larson. I'll second the okay. It has been moved and seconded to nominate Richard Larson for the uh chair of the redevelopment agency budget committee. Uh Mr. Larson, are you uh willing to do to do that role? Yes. Okay. Uh so I will on that, I guess we'll call the roll on that and then we'll do a vice chair since the motion has been made and seconded. All right, Councillor Bright? Yes. Richard Larson? Yes. Uh Councillor Bonington. Yes. Sorry, I don't have your name right now. Yes. A board board member uh Kobleyha? Yes. Uh Councillor Grohner. Yes, Councillor Baumgartner. Yes. And then uh Abby, uh, do you vote yes or no on the chair? Okay, she votes yes. Lip reading, but okay. And then I have to vote, so I'm gonna vote yes, and then uh Anne Frazier, yes. Okay, and uh so everybody has voted. Okay, thank you very much. So congratulations, Ms. Larson.
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