Newberg City Council Recap | February 3, 2025

Written by: Skyler Hamman, Reporting Intern

Video Stream

Overview

Newberg City Council met on Feb. 3, 2025, to discuss city planning, funding requests, and infrastructure updates, including a growth plan for 2025 and downtown revitalization efforts.

Attendance

• Mayor Bill Rosacker
• Councilor Mike McBride
• Councilor Robyn Wheatley
• Councilor Elise Yarnell-Hollamon
• Councilor Peggy Kilburg
• Councilor Derek Carmon

Absent

• Councilor Jeri Turgesen

City Manager’s Report

Newberg City Manager Will Worthey provided updates on city projects and developments:

• Planning is underway for growth and development in 2025.
• The city is preparing for an upcoming City Hall open house.
• Tax dollars have contributed to improvements in city systems.

Newberg Downtown Coalition

Co-Executive Director of the Newberg Downtown Coalition (NDC) Branden Andersen requested consistent annual funding to support NDC’s operational costs. Andersen advocated for reinvesting in the Oregon Main Street program, which would offer opportunities for long-term downtown revitalization in Newberg. In addition to beautification efforts and community-building activities for residents, the program aims to attract more visitors, making Newberg a more appealing place to live, work, and visit.

Annual Development Code Maintenance Packet

The council reviewed proposed amendments to the city’s development code to clarify policies and implement minor changes. The revised code would increase the maximum height for non-habitable detached accessory structures to 15 feet. Project permits would now last two years instead of one, code-compliant projects would qualify for 12-month extensions, and conditional use permits would be capped at three years to streamline the permitting process.

Property Tax Analysis

Newberg Finance Director Kady Strode reviewed the city’s financial health, assessing assets, liabilities, and projections for the coming year. She and City Manager Worthey emphasized reducing debt and using existing and upcoming revenue generators to pay down obligations early.

Strode also noted unavoidable costs on the horizon, including pension rate increases, which are nearly double the forecasted amount. She estimated that the average employee cost will likely rise by 9%.

Strode then asked councilors whether they wished to continue the debt reduction plan, which would require property tax increases, or cancel the plan and forego the second-year tax hike.

After hearing a public comment from a Newberg resident, councilors debated the tax increase. They nearly unanimously expressed support for raising property taxes to continue with the debt reduction plan.

Capital Improvement Program

Overview City Manager Worthey provided an overview of Capital Improvement Projects involving the wastewater, stormwater, and transportation systems. Worthey said the goal is to prevent additional costs to the city resulting from faulty equipment and infrastructure.

Although no decisions were made, the meeting set the stage for continued growth and development in Newberg, with a focus on meeting the community’s long-term needs.