NEWBERG, Ore. — Newberg City Council met March 16 to hear a four-year statistical comparison of city operations, review a City Hall roof replacement plan, form an ad hoc committee for the River Street project, and approve utility rate increases for 2027 and 2028.
Attendance
- Mayor Bill Rosacker
- Councilor Mike McBride
- Councilor Robyn Wheatley
- Councilor Elise Yarnell Hollamon
- Councilor Peggy Kilburg
- Councilor Jeri Turgesen
- Councilor Derek Carmon
D.A.R.E. Graduation
Newberg-Dundee Police Chief Jeff Kosmicki said he and Mayor Rosacker attended a D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) graduation, where he was moved by a speech given by student Sunny Johnson. Kosmicki invited Johnson to share her remarks with the council. Student Resource Officer Jay Sterns provided additional information about the modern D.A.R.E. program and answered councilors’ questions.
City Manager’s Report
City Manager Will Worthey presented a four-year statistical overview of city operations, covering clean water production, building permits, non-emergency calls, accounts payable, building inspections, social media engagement, public records requests, payroll expenses, DUIIs, wastewater treatment volumes, traffic stops, citations, 9-1-1 calls, staff hires, library door counts, calls for service, circulation events, completed work orders, after-hours help tickets, position recruitments, IT service tickets, HR claims processed, and employee separations.
Worthey also shared a slide comparing the crime rate in his hometown of Dumbarton, Scotland, to Newberg’s. Dumbarton reports roughly 67 crimes per 1,000 residents; Newberg estimates 11 to 14.
“It’s part of the reason why I love living here,” Worthey said.
Public Comment
Newberg resident Penny Rader appeared before the council to commend the mayor’s efforts to bring the community together through conversations with residents.
City Hall Roof Replacement
Danette Hilton of the city’s engineering department provided a history of Newberg City Hall, which was built in 1914, and outlined the structural updates made over the years. She cited the City Hall freeze-flood of 2024 — in which an estimated 4,000 gallons of pressurized water sprayed from fire suppression pipes — and attributed the damage in part to inadequate roof insulation, open barometric shafts on the roof, and single-pane windows.
Hilton proposed replacing the roof, closing three barometric shafts, and installing new insulation to an R-30 rating.
The city received a base bid of $321,175 from ABC Roofing. The project will be funded initially by the city but is expected to be fully reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The council is set to award the bid at the April 20 city council meeting, with work scheduled to begin in May 2026 and be completed by August 2026.
Councilor McBride asked whether the project scope would address each issue that contributed to the 2024 freeze-flood event. Hilton said this phase is focused on the roof, with window replacement planned as a separate future proposal.
Councilor Yarnell Hollamon raised concerns about the low bid, which came in more than $200,000 below the next closest submission. Hilton said the contractor has been vetted, and she has no performance concerns.
No action was taken on this item.
River Street Ad Hoc Committee
Mayor Rosacker said he and the city manager discussed forming an ad hoc committee for the River Street project. The committee will comprise five community members — two of whom will live on River Street and three from other parts of the city. Councilor Turgesen will serve on the committee.
Adoption of Rates for 2027 and 2028
Finance Director Kady Strode presented proposed utility rate increases for 2027 and 2028. The rate review committee recommended a 5% increase to the water rate, 4.1% to wastewater, 4.5% to stormwater, and 4% to the transportation utility fee.
The increases will take effect in two stages — January 2027 and January 2028 — meaning the water rate, for example, will be 10% higher in 2028 than in 2026.
Worthey noted that the effective 2027 increase will be 2.8% for most customers, as the city is on track to retire a communications tower debt in 2026, which will reduce the overall bill.
Councilor Turgesen asked whether the increases were designed to break even with rising costs and inflation. Strode said the rates are set to maintain current staffing levels and continue progress on the city’s capital improvement plan, which has been scaled back.
“These are the bare minimum that we can get by with for the forecast,” Strode said.
Councilor Carmon moved to adopt Resolution 2026-4018, approving the new monthly water, wastewater, stormwater, and transportation utility fee rates effective Jan. 1, 2027, and Jan. 1, 2028. Councilor Wheatley seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.
