Attendance
- Mayor Bill Rosacker
- Councilor Mike McBride
- Councilor Robyn Wheatley
- Councilor Elise Yarnell Hollamon
- Councilor Peggy Kilburg
- Councilor Jeri Turgesen
Absent
- Councilor Derek Carmen
City Manager’s Report
City Manager Will Worthey presented highlights from February operations. The Newberg Public Library saw a notable spike in new card signups — 249 in February against a monthly average of around 150 — and a restroom remodel is underway. The city’s cozy winter reading program drew more than 1,150 children and 200 teen participants.
On the infrastructure side, Worthey reported that reservoir cleaning and video inspection were completed, a process that happens every three to four years. The concrete crew is working through more than 50 ADA corner improvements in southern districts ahead of the summer grind-and-inlay season, and a roughly 100-yard sidewalk gap on River Street is being filled.
IT updates included a migration from legacy phone systems to WebEx and a move to virtual desktops, which Worthey said could save the city $30,000 to $40,000 annually by scaling license costs to actual usage.
On River Street, engineering firm Keller has developed three alternative corridor designs following one-on-one work sessions with councilors. A public town hall is scheduled for March 9 at City Hall at 7 p.m., where 15-foot strip maps of all three alternatives will be on display for community input.
Worthey also noted that a one-time urban growth boundary expansion bill passed the Oregon House as of Feb. 18, which he said should simplify the process for UGB expansion — a key goal for the city.
Public Comments
Shelley Cole praised the Newberg-Dundee Police Department after the city was ranked fifth on SafeWise’s 2026 list of Oregon’s safest cities. She highlighted full staffing (no vacancies), 911 calls answered within 10 seconds on average, a 4.5-minute patrol response time, and the department’s use of drones, body cameras with translation capabilities, and specialized mental health and domestic violence response teams.
Worthey credited Police Chief Kosmicki and the department’s performance, noting that for a city of Newberg’s size, a top-five statewide safety ranking is “mindboggling.”
Newberg Resident Jim Tall shared a Valentine’s Day story in which Newberg-Dundee police officers delivered gift bags of goodies — sponsored by Party Time Catering and distributed with help from Rotarians — to senior residents, including his mother. Tall noted that officers routinely go beyond their duties, citing a colleague who keeps blankets and stuffed animals in his patrol car for children encountered in distressing situations.
Safety Manual Approval
Worthey presented an updated 2026 safety manual, noting that prior to 2021, the city’s staff safety policies were largely nonexistent or inadequate. The new manual, developed with input from department heads and the city’s insurer, has contributed to a loss rate running well below the state average and has saved the city roughly $50,000 per year in insurance costs. Council approved Resolution 2026-4012 unanimously.
Council Goals Update
Worthey presented a housekeeping update to the council’s goal list, restructuring it to reflect completed items and shift ongoing goals. Completed goals include a new student resource officer contract (Goal 3, Objective 1), finalized council rules (Goal 4, Objective 2), and short-term rental regulations (Goal 7, Objective 1). Council approved Resolution 2026-4017 unanimously.
Technology Responsibility Agreement
City Recorder Rachel Thomas presented a new technology device responsibility agreement for council and committee members who are issued city devices such as phones, iPads, or laptops. Members who opt out may use personal devices but assume the associated liability for public records management. The agreement is intended to allow the city to recoup costs for lost, unreturned, or damaged devices. The policy applies going forward and does not cover devices already in use. Council approved Resolution 2026-4014 unanimously.
Council Rules Update
Thomas brought back revised council rules following additional councilor input and legal review. The primary change from the previous draft was removing the word “rude” from the list of prohibited behaviors during public comment, which was too subjective. Council also amended the rules to set three minutes as the standard public comment time — down from five — while preserving the mayor’s discretion to extend to five minutes when the agenda allows. Rosacker indicated his intention to default to five minutes when possible. Council approved Resolution 2026-4010 as amended unanimously.
Waterline Improvements
Worthey presented a water main replacement project on behalf of City Engineer Mike Grimes. The project will replace 854 linear feet of cast iron pipe with ductile iron — the current standard, which has slight flex to resist seismic or road damage — ahead of summer road resurfacing work in the same corridor. Five bids were received, ranging from $407,000 to $565,496; the low bid from Pacific North Construction LLC, a contractor previously used by the city, came in under projections. The project is within the existing HB2001 budget. Council approved Resolution 2026-4016 unanimously.
Utility Rate Review — Information Only
Consultant Deb Galardi of the Galardi Rostein Group presented the biennial utility rate review, with a public hearing and council vote scheduled for the next meeting.
Recommended rate increases for 2027 are: water, 5%; sewer, 4.1%; stormwater, 4.5%; and the transportation utility fee (TUF), 4%. For a typical residential customer, that amounts to roughly a $5 monthly increase — partially offset next year when the communications officer debt, currently on utility bills, is paid off.
Key drivers include the $32 million oxidation ditch expansion at the wastewater treatment plant, which Worthey confirmed the city has enough cash reserves to fund without taking on external debt — a distinction he called rare among peer cities. The plant expansion will add a third oxidation ditch, a second clarifier, and expanded solids handling capacity, extending the facility’s useful life into the late 2030s or 2040s. A $45 million water treatment plant replacement looms further out in the 10-year plan and will likely require external borrowing or a general obligation bond.
Rate review committee chair Ned Knight told council the committee met four times and approved the recommendations unanimously, calling them consistent with the increases approved two years ago despite rising costs in materials, equipment, and labor.
Councilor Yarnell Hollamon raised affordability concerns, given the current average residential bill of approximately $181 per month. Worthey acknowledged the burden but explained that the alternative to rate increases would be deferring critical infrastructure, risking state enforcement actions or construction moratoriums, and potentially laying off staff — a step he said is off the table given that no new employees have been added in four years despite population growth.
A public hearing will be held at the next council meeting before a vote is taken.
Student Committee Appointments — Interviews
Two George Fox University students were interviewed as candidates for student positions on city committees. Elisa Summons, an elementary education major who recently relocated from Alaska, interviewed for the Library Committee, citing a desire to get involved in her new community. Riley Wood, who works in GFU’s history and politics department and has museum experience at the university, interviewed for the Historic Preservation Committee. Two additional candidates are expected to be interviewed at the next meeting before appointments are made.
Newberg City Council meets again on March 16, 2026.
