City Council Report for June 20, 2016
City Council Adopts Annual Budget, Approves 10-Acre Annexation and Rezoning, Renews Social Services Annual Grant and Endorses Community Enhancement Projects
On June 20, 2016, the Wilsonville City Council held public hearings and adopted four resolutions pertaining to the City’s annual budgets. The first resolution authorizes a supplemental budget adjustment to “close-out” the current 2015-16 fiscal year that ends June 30. This budget adjustment accounts for various project and program funds that may be over the original budget approved in June 2015 based on timing of expenditures and revenues, and included refinancing bonded debt at lower rates , inter-fund transfers, project-scope modification and other factors.
The City Council also adopted three different resolutions that together approve the City’s Fiscal Year 2016-17 Budget as recommended by the Budget Committee. Council adoption of the resolutions are the final step in the process to adopt the City’s annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1, 2016. Council members recognized the citizen members of the Budget Committee for their service to the City.
The City Council approved on second reading a set of three ordinances for an annexation, a Comprehensive Plan amendment and a Zone Map amendment for a 10.2-acre site on SW Garden Acres Road adjacent to and north of Republic Services’ campus located on SW Ridder Road. The parcel is to be the future site of Republic Services’ facility expansion for the proposed SORT Bio-Energy Facility that is designed to collect and convert commercial food-waste into electricity and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and a compost product. The Council action changed the zoning of the parcel from Washington County Future Development-20 (FD20) to a Planned Development Industrial-Regionally Significant Industrial Area (PDI-RSIA) Zone and changed the Comprehensive Plan designation from Washington County Future Development-20 (FD-20) to the Industrial designation. The proposal was approved after a public hearing and first reading by Council on June 6, and previously by Development Review Board (DRB) Panel A on May 9. Construction of the bio-energy facility may occur within the year, but first requires obtaining a permit from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and a franchise agreement from Metro to begin converting commercial food-waste from the Portland-metro area into energy and a compost product rather than being disposed of in landfills.
Council members continued until October 3 consideration of a proposed ordinance that would amend City Code pertaining to right-of-way easement management and franchise fees.
The Council reviewed and approved two separate matters under New Business. The Council adopted a resolution that authorizes continuation of a support grant over the next fiscal year for the community-assistance and utility-relief programs operated by the nonprofit Wilsonville Community Sharing food-bank and social-services referral organization. The Council praised the efforts made over the past year by an invigorated board of directors to increase Wilsonville Community Sharing’s public outreach to the residential and business community and diversify funding sources.
The Council also adopted the project funding recommendations made by the new Wilsonville-Metro Community Enhancement Committee to advance five projects that total just under $80,000, including: Memorial Park “dog park” relocation ($25,000), “Bee Stewards” Wilsonville pollinator improvement ($21,433), multifamily communities waste-reduction and recycling ($16,000), historical Frog Pond Church streetscape improvement ($10,000) and a fluorescent mercury-lamp business recycling program ($7,110). Funded by a fee on biodegradable solid-waste transferred at the facilities of Republic Services in Wilsonville, the new Community Enhancement Program can underwrite a wide range of projects and programs that benefit the community.
During Mayor’s Business of the Council meeting, the Council approved a contract extension for the City’s special-projects attorney and rescheduled the City Manager employment contract renewal for the next Council meeting on July 7.
Under the Consent Agenda the Council approved the meeting minutes of the May 16 City Council meeting.
Prior to the regular meeting during the work session, the City Council heard reports and discussed a variety of subjects, including the Water Treatment Plant master plan contract, progress on the Frog Pond Area Master Plan for residential development, proposed sewer-lateral repair grant program and sidewalk repair grant program, and a draft neighborhood traffic-management plan.
After the City Council meeting, members of the Council acting in their role as the board for the Wilsonville Urban Renewal Agency, advanced a recommendation to move forward with the public process to create the proposed Coffee Creek Urban Renewal District and Plan.
Community members are able to watch a replay of all or a portion of the City Council meetings on Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 30, Frontier Ch. 32 or on the City’s video-on-demand service at www.ci.wilsonville.or.us/WilsonvilleTV.
For more information, contact: Mark Ottenad, Public and Government Affairs Director, 503-570-1505; ottenad@ci.wilsonville.or.us
