NEWBERG, Ore. — The Newberg City Council met Nov. 17 for its regularly scheduled meeting to hear a presentation from Portland Community College, review annual development code maintenance, and discuss the council’s artificial intelligence policy.
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Attendance
- Councilor Mike McBride
- Councilor Peggy Kilburg
- Mayor Bill Rosacker
- Councilor Elise Yarnell Hollamon
- Councilor Jeri Turgesen
- Councilor Robyn Wheatley
Absent
- Councilor Derek Carmon
City Manager’s Report
City Manager Will Worthey provided a statistics report for September 2025. Worthey said most statistics were on par with previous months, with social media engagement reaching the highest level in city history.
Public Comments
Jessie Pharis Cunningham, Newberg resident
Pharis Cunningham appeared to read on behalf of Tina Cassel, who was unable to attend. Cassel said she had planned to discuss housing but instead raised concerns about the council’s recent conversation regarding not reading public comments aloud unless the commenter has an ADA waiver.
Pharis Cunningham echoed Cassel’s concerns.
Sonda Martin, Newberg resident
Martin spoke about partisanship in local policy and policing and continued to criticize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE.
Presentations
Portland Community College – Newberg Center
PCC President Dr. Adrien Bennings appeared before the council with PCC Board Vice Chair Greg McKelvey, Assistant Associate Vice President of Academic and Career Pathways Dr. Karen Sanders, and Community Relations Manager Alfredo Moreno to provide updates on the Newberg Center.
Bennings said PCC serves 58,000 students statewide across its four campuses. She said the Newberg Center serves a unique demographic, prompting PCC to shift its approach to better meet local needs.
Sanders said the center has focused on general education since 2011, but those programs have not been fully utilized. The college is now pivoting toward workforce training. She said fall enrollment totaled 197 students, primarily in language and computer literacy courses, and that the center is expanding its mix of noncredit and credit classes.
Sanders also said PCC plans to expand offerings in healthcare, manufacturing and education.
Councilor McBride asked whether the school could expand its focus on the trades, which Sanders said they are exploring.
Councilor Yarnell Hollamon said she hopes the Newberg Center can become an epicenter of workforce development for area manufacturing.
Consent Calendar
Councilor Yarnell Hollamon moved to approve Resolution 2025-4001, authorizing the city’s capital engineering team to enter into a contract to seal wastewater laterals to reduce inflow and infiltration. Councilor Kilburg seconded, and the motion passed unanimously (Carmon absent).
Continued Business
Development Code Maintenance
Community Development Director Scot Siegel and Associate Planner Jeremiah Cromie provided updates to the development code, following discussion at the Nov. 10 meeting. Siegel said the package includes 26 corrections, clarifications, and edits; eight minor policy updates; and four updates required by Oregon planning statutes.
He also discussed ADA requirements and how compliance is enforced through construction standards and building codes.
Jessie Pharis Cunningham provided public comment requesting that businesses with ADA-accessible entrances clearly label them for ease of reference.
Councilor Yarnell Hollamon moved to approve Ordinance 2025-2940 by title only and waive the second reading. Councilor Wheatley seconded, and the motion passed unanimously (Carmon absent).
Councilor Yarnell Hollamon then moved to approve Ordinance 2025-2941 by title only and waive the second reading. Councilor McBride seconded, and the motion passed unanimously (Carmon absent).
New Business
AI Policy
Interim Public Information Officer Emily Salsbury provided an overview of artificial intelligence tools and the city’s guidelines for using them. She said staff should use only closed, supervisor-approved AI systems that are not connected to the internet to ensure data preservation and protection. Salsbury said AI tools may help augment communication, but staff must be able to justify decisions to maintain public trust and avoid over-reliance on AI.
Worthey said the city is emphasizing human oversight to ensure accuracy.
No action was taken.
Other Business
Mayor Rosacker said a regional water consortium is forming, but he and Worthey do not believe joining would benefit Newberg.
He also said Yamhill County commissioners have discussed creating a countywide transient lodging tax. Councilor Wheatley said she attended a Taste Newberg meeting where members expressed concerns about unknowns surrounding the proposal. She said the organization preferred utilizing existing destination marketing structures rather than creating additional taxes.
See the full meeting HERE.
