West Linn City Council Business Meeting – December 9, 2025

The West Linn City Council met in a hybrid business meeting on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 22500 Salamo Road, following a 5:30 p.m. pre-meeting. Council approved two land-use ordinances and an annexation, authorized up to $45 million in full faith and credit obligations for a centralized operations center, and directed staff to prepare cost estimates and ballot options for a smaller park at the Oppenlander property. All votes were 5-0, with Mayor Rory Bialostosky and Councilors Mary Baumgardner, Kevin Bonnington, Carol Bryck, and Leo Groner present.

Mayor and Council Reports

• Councilors reported on the Clackamas County Chair's monthly mayor's meeting (houseless measure and storm response), a Planning Commission update on the Vision 43 plan, the Willamette Falls Locks Authority and legislative funding efforts, Economic Development Committee SWOT analysis work, and the community tree lighting.

Consent Calendar

• Approved 5-0 the consent agenda containing the November 18, 2025 City Council meeting minutes and the amendment to the City Attorney contract.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comment was offered during the general public comment period, and no members of the public testified at either public hearing.
• During the annexation hearing, applicant and future property owner Rob Mathews and engineer/applicant Jeff Bennet-Dawson presented, thanking staff and clarifying their tentative development plans; they stated the maximum was about 20-22 townhome units or 6 single-family homes.

Ordinance 1766 – Bolton and Willamette Town Center Boundaries

• The Council held a legislative public hearing on text amendments to Comprehensive Plan Chapter 2 that adopt the Bolton and Willamette Town Center boundaries, as required by Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 660 Division 12 and Metro Urban Growth Management Functional Plan Title 6.
• Principal Planner Darren Wyss presented the staff report; the Planning Commission had recommended the amendments, including two small additions to the Bolton boundary.
• Council adopted Ordinance 1766 on first and second reading by 5-0 votes.

Annexation – Ordinances 1767 and 1768

• The Council accepted the annexation petition for tax lot 21E25CC00300, approximately 1.3 acres (about 59,000 square feet) adjacent to 3945 South Parker Road; the petition included annexation to the Tri-City Service District and withdrawal from the Clackamas County Enhanced Law Enforcement District.
• Associate Planner Aaron Gudelj explained the two-step process. The property is vacant, has no current address, and its street frontage would be on Roxbury Drive after a county lot line adjustment.
• Staff stated the maximum theoretical density under R-7 could be about 36 units; the applicant said their tentative layouts show up to 20-22 townhome units or up to 6 single-family homes, and their voluntary traffic study contemplated development impacts.
• Ordinance 1767 establishing R-7 zoning and Ordinance 1768 approving the annexation and removing the property from special districts were each adopted on first and second reading by 5-0 votes.

Resolution 2025-18 – Centralized Operations Center Financing

• City Manager John Williams and Finance Director Lauren Breithaupt presented Resolution 2025-18, authorizing up to $45,000,000 in full faith and credit obligations to finance the development, construction, and equipping of a centralized operations center, replacing the outdated facility on Norfolk Road.
• Breithaupt explained the FFCO is repaid from existing city revenue streams such as utility rates and general funds, not a new property tax; the annual payback is approximately $962,000 from the streets fund and $561,000 from each of the sewer, storm, water, and parks funds over 25 years. A reimbursement clause allows recovery of design costs already paid.
• Mayor Bialostosky noted the city's property tax rate was frozen at $2.12 per thousand in the 1990s, that a general fund deficit would require cuts, and that modest fee increases, including a possible $5 parks fee increase to be discussed in January, are needed to avoid deferring projects.
• Council adopted Resolution 2025-18 unanimously, 5-0.

Oppenlander Park Opportunity Update

• Staff reviewed a community survey with more than 1,000 responses; the grove of trees was the highest-ranked amenity, just shy of 60% of respondents supported moving forward even with a cost to taxpayers, and more than 400 free-response comments were received. Staff noted the survey was non-scientific.
• ICON Development representative Harlan discussed two main park concepts: a smaller front neighborhood park (presented as approximately 1.2 acres along Rosemont Road) and a larger rear park (approximately 3 acres with ballfields). Staff expressed reservations because no acquisition or operations funding is identified and parkland adds long-term maintenance costs.
• Councilors generally supported the smaller front park, citing preservation of mature trees, lower maintenance costs, and less traffic and parking impact than ballfields. Several Councilors said any bond measure should be combined with other city priorities such as pedestrian safety, Parker Road improvements, and facility or maintenance needs.
• Staff explained a May 2026 ballot would require completed ballot materials by mid-February, while a November 2026 ballot would have an August deadline. Council consensus was that May would be premature.
• Council adopted a motion, 5-0, directing staff to work with ICON to develop cost estimates and a timeframe for the approximately 1.5-acre front park and to prepare options for a ballot measure as soon as November 2026. Note: the staff presentation described the front park as approximately 1.2 acres, while the motion described it as approximately 1.5 acres.

Community Advisory Group Appointments

• Council approved, 5-0, the Mayor's appointments: Arts & Culture Commission – Sheridan Corrie and Lauren Beeney; Committee for Community Involvement – Lance Weinard, Anders Young, and Susanne Greengard; Economic Development Committee – Russell Williams, Lance Weinard, and Sherie Wahlgren; Library Advisory Board – Rachael Hyde; Planning Commission – Kathryn Schulte-Hillen and Elizabeth Dietz; Police Review & Recommend – Jack Snook, Steve Kramer, Michael Harper, and Tim Dooley (alternate); Sustainability Advisory Board – Mike Carlson.
• Additional library and sustainability board applicant review was deferred to January 2026; Council liaison appointments were also deferred to the January meeting, with Councilors asked to email the Mayor about any desired changes.

City Manager Report

• John Williams reported that the Council held 60 meetings in 2025. The next scheduled business meeting is January 13, 2026, with a possible January 6 work session. He described storm response work across the city, including a tree down on Willamette Falls Drive, and noted the holiday parade was scheduled for Saturday evening.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda approved 5-0 with community advisory appointments moved to the end of the meeting.
• Adopted Ordinances 1766, 1767, and 1768 on first and second readings, all 5-0.
• Adopted Resolution 2025-18, 5-0, authorizing up to $45,000,000 in FFCO financing for the centralized operations center.
• Directed staff, 5-0, to develop Oppenlander front-park cost estimates and prepare November 2026 ballot options.
• Approved community advisory group appointments, 5-0; deferred liaison assignments and some board applications to January 2026.