West Linn City Council Work Session – October 7, 2025

The city council convened a work session on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. After unanimously approving the agenda, the council heard reports, read three proclamations, received an Oregon legislative update, held a joint meeting with the Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB), and conducted an in‑depth discussion on the Waterfront Vision Plan. No formal votes were taken, but the council reached consensus on several directional items to guide future plan revisions.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Agenda – Moved by a councilor, seconded, and passed unanimously (all five councilors voted yes).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Initial Public Comments – No members of the public spoke at the start of the meeting. Later, four people testified during the Waterfront Vision Plan segment:
  • Sandy Carter (Advocates for Willamette Falls Heritage, representing 500+ West Linn residents) urged the council to adopt stronger language encouraging preservation and reuse of built industrial structures on Moore’s Island, specifically recommending that the plan “encourage” rather than merely “consider” such reuse.
  • Russ Axelrod (long‑time West Linn resident) argued that the planning commission’s September 17 unanimous recommendation to remove reference to housing development in the ponds district (south of Fifth Avenue) was being mischaracterized in council materials as a “consideration” rather than a final recommendation. He also called for updating the flood‑hazard map to reflect the 1996 flood boundary and for advancing cleanup of the settling ponds through partnership with Oregon DEQ.
  • Karen Shoemaker (Friends of Willamette Wetlands) echoed Axelrod’s concerns, stating that the planning department’s memo misrepresents the commission’s action. She stressed that opposition is not to all housing in the ponds district but specifically to the 35 acres south of Fifth Avenue that contain wetlands, floodplain, and contaminated industrial waste.
  • Jim Edwards (West Linn resident) praised staff and consultants for improving the vision plan. He noted that terms like “cultural resources” in the cultural heritage district are open to interpretation and recommended using direct language that encourages preservation of existing built items without requiring subjective interpretation.

Proclamations

• Indigenous Peoples’ Day – Read by Council President Baumgartner, proclaiming Monday, October 13, 2025 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in West Linn, with an emphasis on honoring tribal nations and combating systemic racism.
• National First Responders Day – Read by Mayor Bielostowski, proclaiming October 28, 2025 as National First Responders Day, recognizing the 4.6 million career and volunteer first responders nationwide.
• Filipino American History Month – Read by Councillor Groner, proclaiming October 2025 as Filipino American History Month, marking the 438th anniversary of the earliest documented Filipino presence in the continental United States (1687). Philzaga Preliheira, President of the Filipino American National Historical Society Oregon/Southwest Washington chapter, accepted the proclamation.

Oregon Legislative Update (Doug Riggs)

• Session Statistics – The 2025 full session saw over 2,000 House bills, 1,200 Senate bills, nearly 2,000 amendments, and more than 17,500 individuals signed up to testify.
• Special Session – Called by the Governor after the regular session failed to pass a transportation package. The special session lasted multiple days and faced quorum challenges. The final bill (passed by one vote in the House, 18–11 in the Senate) includes:
  • 6‑cent increase in the gas tax,
  • higher registration and titling fees,
  • increased EV fees equal to gas‑vehicle contributions,
  • a temporary doubling of the transit payroll tax (0.01% to 0.02%) that sunsets after two years,
  • elimination of ODOT’s tolling authority except for the Columbia Crossing.
• Ballot Referral Threat – Opponents have 90 days (likely reduced to 60 days if the governor waits to sign) to gather ~78,000 signatures to refer parts of the package to the November 2026 ballot.
• Budget Outlook – Revenue forecast shows $845 million less than May projections, with potential federal cuts (Medicaid, SNAP) adding billions in losses. The governor has instructed agencies to cut administrative expenses and halt travel.
• City Impact – The city’s share of transportation revenues is uncertain; ODOT is still calculating. Riggs emphasized interim engagement with legislators and continuing to prioritize tolling relief, Highway 43, locks funding, and housing infrastructure.

Sustainability Advisory Board – Joint Meeting

• Parametrics Report Recommendations – SAB members and council discussed adopting specific strategies:
  • Develop a policy for alternative‑fuel city vehicles (draft policy in progress).
  • “Commit to” rather than “consider” sustainable building features in the new public‑works facility.
  • Transition city facilities to LED lighting (already occurring as lights are replaced); council suggested tracking via purchase orders.
  • Pursue HVAC upgrades and solar installations before the federal investment tax credit expires on July 4, 2026 (projects must be underway by that date).
  • Establish ongoing sustainability funding without diminishing essential services.
  • Engage private sector on fast‑charging EV stations (e.g., partnering with Electrify America at Walmart).
• Energy Reporting – SAB member introduced a building energy‑reporting requirement (modeled after Milwaukee) to collect baseline data on greenhouse gas emissions and efficiency, useful for future grant applications. Council expressed support subject to staffing capacity.
• Gas‑Powered Equipment – Councilors noted that replacement of city gas‑powered yard equipment with electric alternatives should be phased in, and that private‑sector adoption is best encouraged through incentives rather than mandates.
• Tree‑Plotter Grant – SAB is pursuing a grant for tree inventory and canopy analysis, possibly involving high‑school students.

Waterfront Vision Plan

• Presentation – Consultant Adrian Whitty (Tool Design) and Jennifer Shook (Leland Consulting) outlined the decade‑long planning process, three districts (Historic City Hall, Cultural Heritage, Ponds), guiding principles (reinvestment, river access, multimodal transportation, historic character), and results of recent community surveys (221 responses; about two‑thirds supported the plan overall, with slightly lower support in the Ponds district).
• Implementation Phases – Early wins include programming interim gathering space near City Hall and improving the public fishing dock. Medium‑term actions include MOUs with property owners, detailed master planning, and development agreements. Long‑term steps involve comprehensive plan and zoning amendments, transportation system plan updates, and leveraging the existing urban renewal (TIF) district.
• Council Discussion – Councilors raised concerns about:
  • Ensuring the plan remains flexible and does not preclude future technical or legal studies (e.g., seismic evaluation of historic buildings, takings implications).
  • The appropriate balance between encouraging historic preservation and not binding future property owners to costly retention of unstudied structures.
  • Opportunities to partner with OMSI/Metro, habitat‑restoration agencies, and private businesses for funding and activation.
• Consensus on Planning Commission Recommendations – The council agreed to:
  1. Use the 1996 flood‑elevation map to better reflect actual floodplain boundaries. (Unanimous)
  2. Remove the “medium density residential – in planning stages” label from the Ponds district map (specifically the 35‑acre area south of Fifth Avenue). The underlying zoning remains unchanged, and the yellow “potential development area” color will remain because the land is still developable under current code. (Unanimous)
  3. Update map legends to include missing terminology for ecological corridors. (Unanimous)
• Direction to Staff – Staff will draft language for the next work session (October 21) that:
  • Strengthens wording to encourage preservation of historic structures (without precluding future development).
  • Adds a policy statement encouraging affordable housing where feasible.
• The council will hold a second work session on October 21, 2025, to review refined language, and a public hearing for adoption is planned for November 18, 2025.

City Manager Report

• Upcoming Meetings – October 8 (8:30 a.m. – noon): council work session on long‑term financial needs and budget stabilization. October 14: regular business meeting (light agenda). October 21: evening work session (Waterfront Vision Plan, Vision 43, Mary S. Young lease, council rules).
• Art in City Hall – 18 commissioned artworks from West Linn High School’s AP Art program, themed “student voice,” now on display.
• Oppenlander Park Survey Results – Over 1,000 responses; 95% from West Linn residents; 60% supported moving forward even with a potential bond or levy; preserving the grove of trees scored highest.
• TVF&R – Staff visited Station 55 for a lunch and communication update.

Key Outcomes

• Directives for Waterfront Vision Plan Revisions – Staff will:
  • Update the flood‑hazard map to the 1996 elevation data.
  • Remove the “medium density residential – in planning stages” callout from the Ponds district map.
  • Add ecological corridor terminology to map legends.
  • Draft two sets of optional language (historic preservation encouragement and affordable housing encouragement) for council consideration at the October 21 work session.
• Next Steps – Second work session on October 21, 2025, followed by a public hearing and potential adoption of the Waterfront Vision Plan at the November 18 business meeting.