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City Council Meeting

Council split its night between a planning-heavy work session on the state’s Transportation Growth Management (TGM) program and regular business that advanced parks bylaws, created a new library leadership role, and committed to a full zoning-code refresh.

Highlights

  • 🧭 Staff will pursue a two-phase TGM Code Assistance grant to comprehensively update Chapter 155 (zoning & development). Resolution 2298 commits the city to the program principles—no local cash match is required, but the city must lead outreach, house meetings, and stay deeply involved as consultants rewrite the code.
  • 🌳 Resolution 2296 adopted updated Parks & Recreation Board bylaws with Councilor Hedgehorn’s typo and consistency edits; parks volunteers will return in March with recommendations on what counts as repeated absences so council can codify attendance expectations.
  • đź“š Resolution 2297 repurposes a vacant Library Assistant II position into a Library Supervisor who can coordinate volunteers, handle circulation leadership, and keep Summer Reading on track despite ongoing recruiting challenges.
  • 📡 Staff flagged AV/Zoom accessibility concerns and outlined how a recently returned $60k Oregon Employment Department payment can underwrite microphone/camera upgrades ahead of a MAC grant reimbursement request.
  • 🛠️ Police and finance teams are investigating a phishing scam that impersonated a city employee and diverted a private development fee; IT confirmed no system breach, but staff will meet with the affected company and tighten payment instructions.

Work Session: TGM Code Assistance

  • Assistant Planner Rowan Smith and Planning Manager Steve Miller traced how the planning department grew from one to two staffers and why consultant help is still essential for large projects.
  • The TGM Code Assistance program (a DLCD/ODOT partnership) would assign state-funded consultants to co-develop a new zoning code over roughly two years: Phase 1 engagement + diagnostics, then Phase 2 drafting, hearings, and adoption support.
  • Because there is no cash match, the “cost” to the city is staff capacity—North Plains must provide meeting space, lead public outreach, and stay hands-on so the final draft truly reflects local goals (compact growth, complete neighborhoods, modern street standards).
  • Council questions centered on workload (“can we still tackle urgent code fixes?”), autonomy (“does TGM dictate outcomes?”), and bandwidth to manage another vendor. Staff affirmed they can still run focused updates and that the grant’s deliverable remains optional until council adopts it.

Council Actions & Discussions

  • Parks bylaws (Resolution 2296): Adopted with noted typo fixes. Council delegated the attendance-definition question back to the Parks Board, which will workshop a specific threshold and return it for future amendment, keeping the board compliant in the meantime.
  • Library supervisor (Resolution 2297): Library Director Robin Sharp explained the new role will absorb volunteer coordination and floor supervision, freeing the library director to focus on strategy and programming. The cost difference fits inside the FY25 library allocation.
  • Code rewrite commitment (Resolution 2298): Council formally supported the TGM application, signaling willingness to align the code with the comprehensive plan, emphasize multimodal transportation, and engage widely before adoption.
  • AV equity: Councilors debated whether online audio is “on fire.” Staff outlined near-term tests (experiment with consumer webcams/mics, recruit tech-savvy volunteers for a focus group) while larger, grant-funded upgrades move through procurement.
  • Fraud alert: A developer wired more than required after a phishing email spoofed a city address; staff are working with law enforcement and reiterated that official invoices list verified payment portals.

Follow-Ups

  • Planning
    • Submit the TGM application, outlining the engagement plan and staff roles; report back when DLCD assigns consultants and a schedule.
    • Keep a running list of “quick fix” code issues that can proceed in parallel if urgent (e.g., signage, marijuana moratorium cleanup).
  • Parks Board
    • Workshop and recommend language defining “repeatedly absent” so council can amend the bylaws without redoing the entire document.
  • Library
    • Recruit for the supervisor post, ensuring onboarding before summer programming; update council if budget adjustments become necessary.
  • Administration
    • Scope Jesse Mays AV upgrades using the $60k refund, apply for MAC reimbursement, and pilot low-cost camera/mic improvements with a resident focus group.
    • Finalize payment-instruction safeguards for private developments and brief builders on how to verify city correspondence before wiring funds.