West Linn City Council Meeting - September 8, 2025

The West Linn City Council met on September 8, 2025, starting with a pre-meeting at 5:30 PM followed by the business meeting at 6:00 PM. The meeting included a discussion on the potential acquisition of park space at Oppenlander Field, adoption of a significant reduction in sanitary sewer system development charges (SDCs), amendments to the community tree code, and approval of work plans for four community advisory groups. All votes were unanimous 5-0.

Consent Calendar

• Meeting Minutes: Approved the minutes from the August 4, 2025, Council meetings.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dean Suhr reminded the Council and community about the "Honoring Those Who Serve" event on September 11, 2025, at 2:00 PM on the Historic Oregon City Bridge.
• Harlan Borow (Icon Construction) stated that Icon is in contract negotiations with the school district to purchase Oppenlander Field and remains open to working with the City to reserve park space. He noted that a decision from the City within a couple of months would be helpful.
• Dean Suhr (Friends of Oppenlander) expressed strong community interest in preserving ballfields (especially senior fields), trees, and wildlife at Oppenlander. He noted that the previous bond measure (2022) passed 2-1 for a 10-acre park, but a new bond would now be needed for a smaller park. He indicated that community support may be uncertain but possible with outreach, and that there is potential for private fundraising.

Discussion Items

• Oppenlander Park Exploration: Mayor Bialostosky gauged Council interest in continuing efforts to acquire park space after Icon won the bid. Parks & Recreation Director Megan Big John provided analysis showing that a senior baseball field (2.5–3 acres) would be very tight in the available space (approx. 411 ft x 327 ft) and raised concerns about parking, safety, and maintenance costs (estimated $50,000 per year). Councilor Bonnington suggested open space or lower-cost amenities like walking paths and trees as alternatives. Council President Baumgardner and Councilor Groner emphasized not abandoning the project. All Council members expressed interest in proceeding with community engagement, working with Icon, and exploring design options, acknowledging that trade-offs will be necessary and a potential future bond measure may be required.
• Sanitary Sewer SDC Reduction (Resolution 2025-11): Public Works Director Erich Lais explained that due to West Linn being largely built out, the SDC calculation decreased from $4,996 to $1,094. A public hearing was held with no public comment. Councilor Bryck noted the fee represents reimbursement for existing capacity. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
• Master Fees Update (Resolution 2025-12): Council adopted an update to the Master Fees and Charges document to reflect the new sewer SDC fee, as required.
• Community Tree Code Amendments (Ordinance 1765): Parks Director Megan Big John reviewed updates for legal compliance, administrative consistency, public safety, and operational efficiency. City Attorney Kaylie Klein noted a minor typographical correction. Mayor Bialostosky clarified this code is separate from tree protection during development, which will be addressed later. First and second readings were adopted unanimously, and the technical tree manual was also adopted.
• Community Advisory Group (CAG) Work Plans: City Manager John Williams presented work plans for the Economic Development Committee, Historic Review Board, Transportation Advisory Board, and Utility Advisory Board. Councilor Bonnington proposed friendly amendments to the Economic Development Committee work plan: adding a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis and adding Historic Willamette Main Street as a partner with the Chamber of Commerce. Council adopted the work plans as amended. Councilor Bryck noted they are living documents that can be modified.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda Approved (5-0).
• LOC Voting Delegate: Councilor Groner nominated as delegate, Councilor Bonnington as alternate (5-0).
• Oppenlander Park: Council consensus to continue exploring a partnership with Icon, begin community engagement and stakeholder meetings, consider design options and costs, and evaluate a potential future bond measure.
• Resolution 2025-11 Adopted: Sanitary Sewer SDC methodology updated, fee reduced from $4,996 to $1,094 (5-0).
• Resolution 2025-12 Adopted: Master Fees and Charges document updated to reflect SDC change (5-0).
• Ordinance 1765 Adopted (first and second readings) and technical tree manual adopted (all 5-0).
• CAG Work Plans Approved as amended for Economic Development Committee, Historic Review Board, Transportation Advisory Board, and Utility Advisory Board (5-0).
• City Manager Report: Upcoming work sessions noted; Police Review and Recommend Committee public meeting on September 9; library statistics for August: 40,400 checkouts, 8,300 holds placed, 156 new library cards; Council meetings may move to Tuesdays starting in October.
• Adjourned: The meeting adjourned at 8:35 PM.