NEWBERG, Ore. — The Newberg City Council voted unanimously April 20 to establish a seven-member ad hoc committee to guide community input on the planned reconstruction of South River Street, capping weeks of organized pushback from residents who say the project’s preliminary designs would take too much from their neighborhood.
“I am heartened by Councilor Jeri Turgesen’s conversations with, and representation of, district members along River Street,” said River Street resident Tricia Gates Brown. “I’m also encouraged by several council members’ expressions of support for retaining the current square footage of front yards along the section of River Street to be improved.”
The 7-0 vote, approving Resolution 2026-4020, amended an earlier proposal for a five-member panel. District 3 Councilor Jeri Turgesen, appointed by Mayor Bill Rosacker to lead the committee, said she advocated for the expanded composition after extensive outreach along the corridor — including knocking on 55 doors and spending more than seven hours walking the street on a single Saturday.
“Different sections of the street are likely to have different needs,” Turgesen said. “Having that represented is going to be really important.”
The committee will include four River Street residents and three members from the broader Newberg community. The seven members are Stephen Brittell, Ted Ebora, Jacob Hiester, Mark Seger, Bob Woodruff, David Heddy, and Jim Talt. District 5 Councilor Mike McBride will also sit at the table alongside Turgesen. City Manager Will Worthey will serve as staff liaison.
“We are encouraged by the outcome of Monday’s meeting and grateful that the committee was expanded to include four River Street representatives,” said River Street resident Renae Rodriguez on behalf of the South Central Neighbors of Newberg group. “We’re hopeful that our voices will be genuinely heard and considered throughout this process.”
Meetings will be held in the Denise Bacon Room at the Public Safety Building and will be open to the public. There will be no public comment at committee meetings; residents are expected to channel concerns through their designated representative.
The committee will operate in two phases. The first consists of three to four design review meetings with Keller Engineering over the next four to five months. A six- to seven-month procurement pause will follow. The second phase will run bimonthly during active design work to address potential reimbursements for fences, hedges, and landscaping, as well as tree placement and public art options.
The committee is expected to sunset in 2028. According to the resolution, the community engagement process adds an estimated $15,000 in direct costs, and construction delays from the extended timeline could add more due to inflation and other time-sensitive costs.
The committee is advisory. Its recommendations will go to the full council for a final design vote.
Residents Pack the Meeting
Dozens of River Street residents turned out to speak, and their concerns reflected those raised since the city’s March 9 open house: tree removal, lost front yards, shortened driveways, and a project footprint many consider disproportionate.
Rodriguez said neighbors had tallied the potential impact: 63 affected properties, 79 planter strip trees, 51 substantially reduced or eliminated front yards, and at least seven children’s play spaces. She called the lack of individual property impact surveys the most significant gap.
“The most important number here is zero,” Rodriguez said. “Zero property owners who know exactly how this design will impact their individual property.”
Stephen Brittell, one of the seven proposed committee members, said the current preferred design asks residents to absorb losses that don’t match the public benefit.
“All we’re asking is that the council go back to the drawing board and find a design that fixes the road without consuming the entire neighborhood,” he said.
Not all speakers opposed the project’s scope. Newberg resident Shelby Kolb, who does not live on River Street, said the street’s condition demands action.
“The risk of waiting any longer is just too high,” Kolb said.
Several councilors used the open session to signal their positions. Mayor Rosacker and at least two other councilors said they favor keeping the project within the existing street footprint rather than expanding to the full 80-foot right of way. Councilor Elise Yarnell Hollamon expressed frustration that the project had reached a point of community conflict, drawing a comparison to the Elliott Road project, which ran $1 million over budget.
Also at the April 20 Meeting
Wastewater plant expansion authorized
The council voted 7-0 to issue a request for proposals for a major expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Keller Engineering presented findings showing the plant’s oxidation ditches are at capacity. The project will require a third ditch, one additional secondary clarifier, more contact basin capacity, and a new aerated static pile composting system. Worthey said the project will be completed without new debt, drawing on roughly $21.9 million in wastewater reserves and $15 million in system development charge funds. Construction is expected to wrap up by the end of 2029.
City Hall roof replacement approved
Resolution 2026-4015 authorizes replacement of the City Hall roof, prompted by a 2024 freeze that sent an estimated 4,000 gallons of water from the roof to the building’s basement. The project is expected to be largely FEMA-funded.
Investment policy updated
Resolution 2026-4019 updated the city’s investment policy for the first time since 2005, adding provisions around interest rate risk, credit risk, and investment diversification.
Recreational immunity adopted
Resolution 2026-4024 opts the city into a state statutory protection limiting liability for injuries on unimproved trails, easements, and rights of way.
Board appointments confirmed
The council approved Tania Star Bitz’s appointment to the Planning Commission through Dec. 31, 2028; Riley Woodand as the Historic Preservation student representative; and Elisa Semmens as the Library Advisory student representative, both through the end of 2026.
