Newberg City Council | March 18

View recording of March 18 City Council meeting on the City of Newberg’s YouTube channel.

Overview

City Council called to order at 6 p.m.

Newberg City Councilors expected and experienced a showing from the Sustainable Solutions Group of Newberg Dundee after a weekend picket around the Memorial Park redwood tree. Also on the agenda were reviews of a master fee schedule as well as utility rate increases.

Attendance

City Manger’s Report

City Manager Will Worthey delivered monthly statistics for the month of January 2024 including statistics about Planning, Community Engagement, City Recorder, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Library, Public Safety, and Public Works.

Of the notable points, Worthey highlighted a slowdown in housing production around Newberg as indicated by the lack of housing permits, and zero building permits of other types. He also highlighted a spike in community engagement. He also said the city is fully staffed at this time.

Public Comments

Newberg City Councilors heard nine public comments from members of the Sustainable Solutions of Newberg-Dundee, as well as supporters of the Memorial Park Redwood Tree’s delayed removal.

Read the full Memorial Park Redwood storyline.

Some public comments provided information about the coastal redwood species and its contributions to the natural world. Others expressed concerns about the precedent set by the removal of another tree in Newberg in the name of civic progress. Nearly every public comment requested City Council delay the removal of the tree until an ad hoc committee could be formed to discuss alternative solutions for the removal of the tree.

Joni Zimmerman, a member of the tree committee of the Sustainable Solutions Group of Newberg-Dundee, said she and other volunteers had gathered nearly 400 signatures on a petition requesting the city stop the process to remove the tree.

After closing public comment, councilors discussed the removal amongst themselves. Councilor Olson said council may have not understood how much the tree meant to the community when they made the decision to remove the tree, and that was a misstep by council, which other councilors echoed. However, all councilors and the mayor agreed that the tree needed to be removed in order to repair the underlying stormwater pipeline. City Manager Worthey said the tree would come down in the coming weeks.

Reports & Presentations

Taste Newberg Executive Director Leigh Jensen provided an update on Taste Newberg’s marketing efforts as the marketing agency for the town. Jensen talked about a website refresh project that is currently underway.

Councilor Yarnell Hollamon requested Jensen explore some marketing more about the town other than just the wine industry, which Jensen said she would look into.

Consent Calendar

Councilors approved Bob Woodruff and Britta Mansfield as chair and vice-chair, respectively, of the Newberg Historic Preservation Commission.

Public Hearings

Resolution 2024-3920, Approving the Master Fee Schedule.

City Senior Accountant Dan Keuler provided an overview of the master fee schedule for 2024 throughout various departments around the city and recommended City Council adopt the master fee schedule. City council passed unanimously.

Ordinance 2024-3923, Utility Rate Increases

Newberg Finance Director Kady Strode delivered a report about staff recommendations for utility rate increases for January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026. Water 5% increase for both years, wastewater 3.5% increase for both years stormwater 6.5% increase both years, the transportation utility fee 17.5% increase first year, and 4% increase the second year.

Councilors asked about the 17.5% increase specifically, saying that the rate jump seemed large compared to the other rate increases. Much of the rate increases are due to failing roads around town, Strode said.

City Manager Worthey said that not approving those increases would result in larger and more expensive issues down the road.

Councilor Olson said that while the increases look large as a percentage, they’re going to results in dollars to the average taxpayer.

Councilor McBride said that increasing rates generally can results in more rate increases down the road and suddenly could overwhelm the customer.

Motion passed six to one, with Council McBride voting against the motion passing.

City Council ended at 8:15 p.m.

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