City Council Approves Conversion to LED Street Lights, Budget Adjustment

At the Sept. 18, 2017, Wilsonville City Council meeting, the Council held a public hearing and adopted on second reading two ordinances pertaining to street lighting. One ordinance changes City Code that requires the installation of long-lasting, energy-saving LED street lights rather than the older, traditional sodium vapor streetlights for new or replacement street lights. The ordinance also codifies that City-owned street lights are now maintained by the City, rather than by electrical provider PGE. The second ordinance adopted updates City Public Works Standards to require the installation of dark-sky friendly LED street lights for private and public development.

The Council approved a set of City budget adjustments totaling $6.7 million that resulted in a net increase in expenses of $489,000. The majority of line-item budget adjustments totaling $4.78 million account primarily for 34 infrastructure-related capital projects in process that roll-over from the prior fiscal year. Expenses not originally budgeted earlier in the year include wage and benefits increases based on a new Council-approved union labor-contract, replacement of a failing heating-ventilation-air conditioning system at SMART Operations Center and completion of cleaning the Willamette River water treatment plant water-intake pipe

During Communications portion of the meeting, Wilsonville emergency-services provider Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue District Fire Chief Mike Duyck gave the Annual State of the District presentation. Chief Duyck reported that most calls for emergency services in Wilsonville are medical in nature and are now being responded to more efficiently by “specialized paramedics.” He also noted that calls for emergency services over the past four years have increased 31 percent, corresponding roughly with Wilsonville’s population and business growth.

Also during Communications, Wilsonville Building Official Dan Carlson presented to the Council about staff Building Inspector Melissa Gitt’s award of “Building Inspector of the Year” by the Oregon Building Officials Association in July.

During Citizen Input, the Council considered but declined to call-up for review a Sept. 11 decision by the Development Review Board Panel A to approve plans for development of Villebois Regional Parks 7 and 8, based on resident’s request.

During work session prior to the meeting, the Council heard reports from staff on the 5th Street to Kinsman Road construction project, demographic information about transit riders on SMART buses and a proposed Wilsonville urban renewal agency contract for engineering/design services for improvements to Tooze Road.

Community members can watch a replay of all or a portion of the City Council meeting on Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 30, Frontier Ch. 32 or on the City’s video-on-demand service at www.ci.wilsonville.or.us/WilsonvilleTV.