West Linn City Council Work Session - June 2, 2026

The West Linn City Council held a work session on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. The council approved the agenda, heard no public comments, issued four proclamations, discussed community advisory group quorum problems, and received a presentation on e-bike and scooter enforcement. No consent calendar was included on the agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made.

Mayor and Council Reports

• Council President Baumgartner reported on a Clackamas County Business Alliance legislative lunch, a Willamette Falls Locks Authority board meeting, a South Fork Water Board meeting, and a civics class at West Linn High School.
• The Mayor reported attending the Temwata Village groundbreaking with Grand Ronde tribal members and local officials.
• Councilor Bonington attended the Clackamas Cities Association dinner; Councilor Groner announced the Sunset Neighborhood Association summer gathering on August 23.
• Councilor Groner introduced a proposal for a future ordinance requiring a public vote before any facility temporarily housing more than 200 people could be built in West Linn, explicitly aimed at preventing a private ICE detention center. He described it as content-neutral and largely symbolic. The Mayor responded that there is no known ICE detention or processing proposal in West Linn, that he did not believe pursuing it was the best use of council time or resources, and that he would only move forward if a council majority requested it. No other councilor offered support, and no action was taken.

Proclamations

• Juneteenth: Councilor Bonington read a proclamation recognizing June 19 as Juneteenth and committing the city to anti-racism and social justice.
• LGBTQ+ Pride Month: Councilor Groner read a proclamation declaring June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, including flying the Pride flag at city buildings. The transcript records the text as stating June 2025, although the meeting occurred in June 2026.
• National Pollinator Week: Councilor Bright read a proclamation declaring June 22-28 as National Pollinator Week and June as pollinator month; West Linn is a Bee City USA affiliate. Parks and Recreation staff announced a pollinator celebration June 25 from 4-7 p.m. at Mary S. Young Park and described the pollinator garden there.
• Love A Lamprey Day: Council President Baumgartner read a proclamation declaring June 25, 2026 as Love A Lamprey Day in West Linn, in connection with the Lamprey Festival and the Willamette Falls Pacific lamprey run. The proclamation noted the goal of one million adult Pacific lamprey passing Willamette Falls annually by 2035.

Discussion: Community Advisory Group Quorum Issues

• Councilor Bonington reported that through March 18 there had been 36 scheduled CAG meetings and 24 held, a 33.3% cancellation rate; from March 1 to May 18 the cancellation rate rose to 45%, with quorum problems a likely factor.
• Councilors suggested improving communications about expectations, including roll-call attendance in minutes, combining or condensing advisory groups, using neighborhood associations to recruit, holding a community academy, creating a volunteer roundup, and recognizing outstanding members.
• The City Manager observed that CAGs are most engaged when their work is needed and aligned with council priorities; he suggested talking to current and former volunteers, avoiding unfunded work, and considering realignment or limited-term task forces. Staff agreed to research options and continue the discussion over the summer.

Discussion: E-Bike and Scooter Enforcement

• Captain Bill Garland said the West Linn Police Department has seen a substantial increase in complaints over recent summers involving juvenile riders, sidewalk riding, excessive speed, failure to yield to pedestrians, underage operation, and near collisions.
• The Police Department outlined a two-phase plan: education and voluntary compliance through the end of the school year, followed by intensified enforcement and citations, especially for repeat offenders or dangerous behavior.
• City Attorney Kaylee Klein explained that state law generally requires riders to be 16 or older, but there is no parallel state enforcement statute for underage e-bike riders, creating a gap the proposed local ordinance could fill. She presented two options: a simple age-only ordinance or a comprehensive ordinance covering age, helmets, operating rules, and unsafe operation, similar to a recent Happy Valley ordinance.
• Councilors generally supported the comprehensive ordinance. Councilor Bonington stressed parent accountability and supported an emergency ordinance and a requirement that parents appear in court; Councilor Groner and Council President Baumgartner preferred not to declare an emergency. The City Attorney noted the charter requires a stated emergency basis, which would be difficult to meet.
• Councilor Groner noted that Bend has banned throttle-assisted class two e-bikes from parks and trails and raised concerns about fast-moving bikes on trails; council agreed to consider park and trail restrictions later.
• The City Attorney said the ordinance would need to be posted by June 3 to be considered at the June 9 business meeting, and that it would take effect 30 days after enactment.

City Manager Report

• The City Manager announced upcoming events: the State of the City on Thursday, June 4 at 6 p.m. at the library; the June 9 business meeting with the e-bike/scooter ordinance, annual fees and charges, community grant awards, and planning docket conversation; and the June 16 work session with police life-saving awards, police reaccreditation, a city facilities code of conduct discussion, and a council priorities update.
• He also highlighted the Lamprey Festival and pollinator celebration on June 25 and a library event on June 15 covering 450 years of Oregon Black History in 45 minutes.
• Councilor Bonington promoted a community parks elimination bracket on the West Linn community Facebook page; Council President Baumgartner said she would attend the C4 retreat.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda approved unanimously; no public comments.
• No action was taken on Councilor Groner's ICE detention facility proposal.
• Council directed staff to research CAG structure, vacancies, and quorum issues and to bring back options for possible realignment.
• Council directed staff to prepare a comprehensive e-bike/scooter ordinance for the June 9 business meeting, including age restrictions, helmet requirements, operating rules, and unsafe operation provisions, with an education-first enforcement approach and parent court appearance provisions to be finalized. The council did not support declaring an emergency. Park and trail restrictions will be studied separately.