Council Adopts Transit Master Plan, Approves SMART Facility Expansion
June 20, 2023 — At the June 19, 2023, meeting of the Wilsonville City Council, on first reading, the Council adopted a new Transit Master Plan, which details a work plan to guide South Metro Area Regional Transit (SMART) operations. The plan guides future goals and strategies to help the City of Wilsonville improve transit services and maintain a sustainable public transit system.
The Council also approved a $850,000 contract with PIVOT Architecture to design SMART’s facility expansion, which is to provide additional fleet parking, a reconfigured drive aisle, security gate, automated bus wash facility, and to underground electric utilities for battery-electric bus charging. Final design and construction is to be funded with Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) formula and local transit tax funding.
To provide City staff with latitude to issue exclusions from City property for criminal offenses and/or disruptive conduct, the City Council approved an amended civil exclusion policy that establishes new guidelines that increase penalties for repeat offenses.
The Council authorized the acquisition of a fourth group of properties and property interests to facilitate the Boeckman Road Corridor Improvement Program, a suite of projects to improve connectivity and safety concerns associated with the Boeckman “Dip.” The project restores Boeckman Creek and completes additional improvements to extend sewer service to Frog Pond and improve the Canyon Creek Rd/Boeckman Rd. intersection.
Additionally, the Council approved lowering, by nearly half, the fare SMART assesses to passengers on the 1X route to/from Salem. The lower fare of $1.60 is expected increase passenger trips.
The City Council approved the allocation of nearly $60,000 in grant funding, as recommended by the Wilsonville-Metro Community Enhancement Committee, to support four projects. The City receives $1 per ton of waste processed at Wilsonville’s waste processing plant; the money used to fund these projects.
To fund the analyses of possible seismic vulnerabilities at the City’s wastewater facilities, the Council authorized an amendment that provides Carollo Engineers with nearly $50,000 in additional funding to inform the Wastewater Treatment Plant Master Plan.
The Council approved an agreement with Business Oregon that would allow the City to receive reimbursement for eligible infrastructure projects that serve qualified industrial sites.
During Mayor’s Business, Economic Development staff commemorated the closure of the Year 2000 Urban Renewal Area, established in 1990 to fund new infrastructure development. The tax increment financing mechanism was a catalyst for much of the City’s recent development.
The City Council appointed nine community members to seats on City Boards & Commissions.
- Arts, Culture & Heritage Commission: Angela Sims, David Altman, Sageera Oravil Abdulla Koya (three-year terms);
- Kitakata Sister City Advisory Board: Masaru Yatabe (two-year term);
- Library Board: Gay Walker (four-year term);
- Tourism Promotion Committee: Elaine Owen, Sungmin Park (three-year terms);
- Wilsonville-Metro Community Enhancement Committee: Albert McGee and Devon Thorson (three-year terms).
The Mayor acknowledged a proclamation recognizing National Pollinator Week, June 19-25. Wilsonville’s “Bee Stewards” program raises awareness and community participation in pollinator conservation efforts.
During Communications, Clackamas Community College President Tim Cook shared a report detailing many of the major improvements funded with the passage of a $90 million bond measure in 2014.
At the work session held prior to the meeting, City Building staff demonstrated its use of a drone camera to conduct building inspections in hazardous or difficult to inspect locations. The tool is contributing to the safety, efficiency and quality of the City’s building inspections.
Economic Development staff shared some preliminary results from an ongoing feasibility study to help the Council determine whether Urban Renewal may serve as a viable funding mechanism to develop new infrastructure to advance the 2019 Wilsonville Town Center Plan.
The July 3 meeting of the City Council has been canceled. The next regular meeting of the City Council is to be held on Monday, July 17, at 7 pm; a pre-meeting work session is scheduled at 5 pm.
Community members can watch all City Council meetings on cable (Xfinity Ch. 30, Ziply Ch. 32) or on the City’s YouTube channel: ci.wilsonville.or.us/WilsonvilleTV.
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