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Record of Proceedings

West Linn City Council Work Session | November 3, 2026

City Council & Planning Commission — Tuesday, November 3, 2026
BodyWest Linn, Oregon
SessionCity Council & Planning Commission
DateTuesday, November 3, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:06

It's Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026, also known as Election Day in West Lynn and beyond.

0:13

The first item of business is to approve the agenda.

Speaker 2

0:18

Thank you, Mayor.

0:19

I would move to approve the agenda for the Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026 work session of the Westland City Council.

0:27

Second.

Unassigned speaker

0:28

It's been

Speaker 1

0:28

moved to second to approve the agenda for the November 3rd work session.

0:32

Any discussion?

0:36

Seeing none.

0:37

Oh, you can call the roll, please.

0:38

Thank you.

Speaker 2

0:39

Councilor Bonnington?

Speaker 1

0:40

Yes.

Speaker 2

0:40

Councilor Bright?

0:41

Yes.

0:42

Council President Baumgartner.

0:44

Yes.

0:44

Council Gruner?

0:45

Yes.

0:45

Mayor Bilostowski.

Speaker 1

0:47

Yes.

0:48

Thank you.

0:48

So the motion passes agendas approved.

0:52

That takes us to public comments.

0:54

Are there any public comments for items not on the agenda today?

Speaker 2

0:57

There are no public comments.

Speaker 1

1:00

Okay.

1:01

Then moving right along, then to mayor and council reports.

1:09

Would anybody like to make a report from their community advisory group or city business in general?

1:22

Council President Baumgarter, go

Speaker 2

1:24

ahead.

1:40

Some of us were in costume.

1:43

And I think that's all to do with advisory groups that I have to report.

1:50

Thank you.

Speaker 1

1:52

Yes, that was a great event down in Millammer.

Unassigned speaker

1:55

I don't know what the count was, but over a thousand kids probably came through with their parents and uh it was fun to be there.

Speaker 1

2:02

I attended a meeting of the Metropolitan Mayor's Consortium this past week.

2:06

That was my

Unassigned speaker

2:06

uh

Speaker 1

2:07

and we'll go to Councilor Bright.

Speaker 3

2:09

And we also attended the South Park Water Board um with um Oregon City, the mayor and one of the representatives there are term limited, so we will have new members starting in January from Oregon City side.

Speaker 1

2:27

Thank you for that.

2:28

Uh anything to report from the other end of the dais here?

2:33

Uh okay.

2:35

Thank you all for those reports.

2:37

And we have a few proclamations to read today.

2:40

The first one is Native American Heritage Month, to be read by Council President Baumgartner.

Speaker 2

2:47

Thank you, Mayor.

2:49

Whereas November is recognized as Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the rich histories, diverse cultures, enduring traditions, and significant contributions of Native peoples, and whereas it was first declared as National American Indian Heritage Month by President George H.

3:10

W.

3:10

Bush in 1990 and serves to honor the history, raise awareness about tribal nations, and celebrate the achievements of Native Americans.

3:20

And whereas the forced removal of Native peoples from their ancestral homelands and suppression of indigenous cultures and traditions are some of the darkest chapters of our nation's history.

3:34

Acknowledging these injustices is essential to fostering understanding and reconciliation.

3:41

And whereas Native peoples have built and sustained powerful tribal nations and continue to shape the social, cultural, environmental, economic, and civil life of Oregon.

3:53

And whereas Native American Heritage Month provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate Indigenous languages, cultural practices, histories, arts, achievements, and contemporary leadership, while elevating native voices and supporting the continued vitality of indigenous communities.

4:12

And whereas the City of Westland encourages residents, schools, and community organizations to learn about indigenous histories, cultures, and contributions to foster relationships grounded in respect and understanding.

4:28

And now therefore be it proclaimed by the City Council of the City of West Lynn, that November 2026 is Native American Heritage Month, dated this third day of November 2026.

4:41

Thank you.

4:42

And I would like to add, just since we're on this topic, that the City Council of West Lynn will be traveling with some of city staff to the Grand Ronde Tribal Council chambers this Friday to enjoy a meeting and a meal with the our friends with at the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and I am looking very forward to it.

5:08

Thank

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Fiscal Sustainability█████████████████████████████████33%
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████33%
Water And Wastewater Management██████████10%
Procedural███████7%
Community Engagement███████7%
Noise Pollution████4%
Legislative Priorities██2%
Tribal Engagement█1%
Economic Development█1%
Summary of Proceedings

West Linn City Council Work Session | November 3, 2026

The West Linn City Council held a work session on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, from 1:00 PM to approximately 3:40 PM. The agenda included three proclamations, a contingency update on the I-205 waterline construction, a presentation on the 'Framing Our Future' community survey findings, and a review of financial tools for the Housing Production Strategy (HPS).

Proclamations

  • Council President Baumgartner proclaimed November 2026 as Native American Heritage Month, noting the council will visit the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde on November 7.
  • Mayor Bilostowski proclaimed November 28, 2026, as Small Business Saturday, stating small businesses represent over 36 million US employers and 43% of the nation's GDP.
  • Councilor Groner, a Vietnam-era Army veteran, proclaimed November 11, 2026, as Veterans Day.

I-205 Waterline Construction Update

  • Staff (Eric and Matt) presented the 5-month contingency plan for the bridge deck translation. The water main has been severed, and the city is fully relying on the Lake Oswego Intertie (LOT).
  • The LOT facility has a capacity of 4 million gallons a day against a current winter demand of 2.5 million. A 160-kilowatt generator is being secured for the site, which lacks backup power.
  • An interim 24-inch ductile iron pipe (NSF-certified for potable water) will be installed on the bridge in 1 to 2 months. Councilor Gruner confirmed the rate with LOT is the same under the existing IGA.
  • Councilor Baumgartner requested a tour of the LOT facility.

Framing Our Future Community Survey

  • DHM Research presented findings from a statistically valid survey of 250 West Linn residents (margin of error +/-6.2 percentage points, conducted August-September 2026).
  • Satisfaction and Priorities: A minimum of 87% of residents are satisfied with their quality of life and the value of city services. Top priorities for funding are roads/traffic, water/sewer/stormwater, police, and parks maintenance.
  • Financial Perceptions: 51% of residents incorrectly believe West Linn's property tax rate is higher than nearby cities; only about 1 in 10 correctly knew it was lower. Councilmember Bonington characterized the perception gap as a 'Dunning-Kruger effect' challenge requiring careful communication.
  • Willingness to Fund: Eight in ten residents selected at least one service they would pay more for. 62% preferred funding based on property value. Seven in ten chose infrastructure as a priority for additional funding.
  • Council directed staff to use the findings to inform a strategic financial plan and continue public education on municipal finances, with City Manager Williams linking the issue to the structural limitations of state property tax measures.

Housing Production Strategy Implementation

  • Consultants and planning staff presented financial tool recommendations from the adopted HPS.
  • SDC Adjustments: Staff recommended changing the Parks System Development Charge (SDC) methodology to be based on bedroom count and reclassifying middle housing for sewer SDCs. This could lower overall SDCs for multifamily/middle housing by 5% to 10%.
  • SDC Exemptions: Exempting qualifying affordable housing (at or below 60% AMI rental, 80% AMI ownership) and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) from city SDCs was recommended. This could reduce development costs for affordable housing by 10% to 15%.
  • Tax Exemptions: Two state-authorized programs were reviewed: a 20-year property tax exemption for low-income rental housing and a 10-year exemption on improvements for first-time/low-income homebuyers. Staff targeted the home buyer program at homes around $480,000 (60% of median sale price) for households at or below 80% AMI.
  • The council requested a detailed budget briefing on the fiscal impacts of these incentive tools before final adoption, expected in spring 2027.

City Manager Report

  • City Manager Williams reported a legislative breakfast with Senate President Wagner and peer cities is scheduled for early December.
  • The noise permit process for ODOT is progressing; the city is demanding granular data to justify any after-hours construction work before the special permit is issued.
  • A joint session with Lake Oswego's new City Manager, Denzel Maxwell, is being planned for early 2027 on shared infrastructure issues like Highway 43 and the LOT intertie.

Key Outcomes

  • The council formally received the I-205 waterline update and Framing Our Future survey findings, directing staff to return with a strategic financial plan.
  • The council reviewed the HPS financial tools and requested a fiscal impact analysis before proceeding with SDC changes and tax exemptions.
  • Staff will continue the ODOT special permit application process and legislative outreach.

Meeting Transcript

It's Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026, also known as Election Day in West Lynn and beyond. The first item of business is to approve the agenda. Thank you, Mayor. I would move to approve the agenda for the Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026 work session of the Westland City Council. Second. It's been moved to second to approve the agenda for the November 3rd work session. Any discussion? Seeing none. Oh, you can call the roll, please. Thank you. Councilor Bonnington? Yes. Councilor Bright? Yes. Council President Baumgartner. Yes. Council Gruner? Yes. Mayor Bilostowski. Yes. Thank you. So the motion passes agendas approved. That takes us to public comments. Are there any public comments for items not on the agenda today? There are no public comments. Okay. Then moving right along, then to mayor and council reports. Would anybody like to make a report from their community advisory group or city business in general? Council President Baumgarter, go ahead. Some of us were in costume. And I think that's all to do with advisory groups that I have to report. Thank you. Yes, that was a great event down in Millammer. I don't know what the count was, but over a thousand kids probably came through with their parents and uh it was fun to be there. I attended a meeting of the Metropolitan Mayor's Consortium this past week. That was my uh and we'll go to Councilor Bright. And we also attended the South Park Water Board um with um Oregon City, the mayor and one of the representatives there are term limited, so we will have new members starting in January from Oregon City side. Thank you for that. Uh anything to report from the other end of the dais here? Uh okay. Thank you all for those reports. And we have a few proclamations to read today. The first one is Native American Heritage Month, to be read by Council President Baumgartner. Thank you, Mayor. Whereas November is recognized as Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the rich histories, diverse cultures, enduring traditions, and significant contributions of Native peoples, and whereas it was first declared as National American Indian Heritage Month by President George H. W.

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