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City Council Meeting

The first full business meeting with the new council blended tense public comment, routine reports, and a preview of the looming FEMA floodplain-code mandate before the body recessed to executive session to continue the referendum appeal discussion.

Highlights

  • đź“ť Council pulled the Jan 6 minutes from the consent agenda so staff can document every step of the council-president vote (voice vote, roll call, re-vote). Items B–C were approved; the corrected minutes will return at a later meeting.
  • 🙋 Public comment covered:
    • Don Weber’s request to tap contingency funds for a part-time Parks & Recreation coordinator so affordable summer programs can launch even without a levy.
    • Chris Baron’s critique of process, training, and the Jan 15 special meeting; Chris Edmond urged regional collaboration through WCCC/IMPACT and LOC.
    • Greg Brown and Aaron Nichols pressed council to drop the UGB referendum appeal and reconsider outside legal counsel, noting cost, risk, and optics.
    • Jeremy Anderson highlighted a broken Zoom link that kept residents out for 40 minutes, reinforcing the need for a “one-click” access point on the city website.
  • đź“š Library Director Robin Dodie recapped 2024 stats, noted teen librarian Brianna’s state award, and detailed a $20k accessibility grant that will modernize self-check units for patrons with low vision. She flagged the ongoing WCCLS “Writing Our Future Together” funding study and asked to brief council later this spring.
  • đźš“ Police Chief James Shumway reported 1,150 service calls per FTE in 2024—significantly above nearby jurisdictions—thanks to high levels of self-initiated work. A new ODOT overtime grant will fund targeted seatbelt, speed, DUI, distracted-driving, and pedestrian missions; deputies will publicize each enforcement window beforehand. Staff are also working with Washington County traffic engineering on Stewart Lane/West Union parking changes and exploring options for semi parking in Brench Hill.
  • 🚧 Public Works Director Dustin Lillie described the transition from reactive to proactive operations: recruiting a full-time water operator, preparing for TVWD to end its operations assistance in July, and seeking equipment to maintain the 16-inch Glencoe transmission main. He also addressed contractor delays on North Avenue (utility hold-ups), failing radar signs on Pacific, HOA-maintained areas that defaulted to the city, and the need for a work session to map out staffing/budget scenarios.
  • 🌊 Planning staff previewed FEMA’s Model Ordinance update: a February council work session will precede Planning Commission hearings starting April 9, with about 50 floodplain property owners receiving mailed notices. Adoption before July 31 keeps the city compliant and residents covered by NFIP insurance.
  • đź’µ City Manager Bill Monahan confirmed general fund, water, and most departments remain within budget; payroll/insurance miscoding in Finance/Admin will be trued up at year end. ARPA dollars already cover the radar signs, but ongoing maintenance issues will require contractor escalation.
  • ⚖️ After reports, council entered executive session (ORS 192.660(2)(h)) to review litigation strategy on the UGB referendum appeal; any action must occur in open session (subsequently taken at the Feb 3 meeting).

Follow-Ups

  • City Recorder & Staff
    • Bring the corrected Jan 6 minutes back for approval once the vote-by-vote timeline is documented.
    • Investigate the broken Jan 21 Zoom link, add a simple “Join Council Meeting” button on the homepage, and test upcoming meeting IDs with residents like Jeremy Anderson.
  • Parks & Recreation
    • Schedule a budget discussion on Don Weber’s proposal for a part-time coordinator funded by contingency dollars, including cost estimates and potential summer programming scope.
  • Library
    • Share a spring work-session date covering WCCLS funding reform, accessibility-project deliverables, and a forward-looking wishlist (space, staffing, volunteers).
  • Police
    • Publish enforcement windows for each ODOT grant mission and log community hotspot requests (seatbelts, speeding, crossings) for those deployments.
    • Continue county coordination on West Union/Stewart Lane restrictions and report back on options for long-haul truck parking near Brenthill.
  • Public Works
    • Launch recruitment for the additional water operator and draft a funding/equipment plan as TVWD steps back in July.
    • Prepare a council work session outlining staffing, HOA-maintenance transfers, and infrastructure priorities (North Avenue, radar signs, flood mitigation).
  • Planning
    • Draft the FEMA model ordinance notice for council review, mail ~50 floodplain property owners, and prep visuals/FAQs for the February work session and April hearings.
  • Council
    • Continue legal deliberations on the referendum appeal in open session (decision scheduled and executed at the Feb 3 meeting).***