City Council Mourns Loss of Sen. Woods, Discusses Sewer, Stormwater Rate Increase
April 22, 2025 — At the April 21, 2025, meeting of the Wilsonville City Council, the City Council reflected on the life and legacy of long-time Wilsonville resident Aaron Woods (1950-2025), who passed away on Saturday. A former member of the City’s Planning Commission (2020-22), and the Development Review Board (2013-18), Woods has represented the greater Wilsonville-area’s interest as State Senator since 2023.
“Senator Aaron Woods will be deeply missed, but his impact will continue to shape our community for generations to come,” Mayor Shawn O’Neil said.
During Communications, Community Development Director Chris Neamtzu was presented with the Urban & Community Forestry President’s Award from Oregon Community Trees and the Oregon Department of Forestry. City Manager Bryan Cosgrove acknowledged Neamtzu’s April 30 retirement, thanking him for 30 years of service to Wilsonville and highlighting many of the projects he helped advance during his tenure.
Additionally, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Chief Deric Weiss provided a brief “State of the District,” noting that the agency responded to more than 3,100 service calls in Wilsonville in 2024. Weiss said that 94 percent of calls were managed locally by three stations located in Wilsonville, with about three fourths of those calls to provide emergency medical services.
- Video: TVF&R 2024 in Review
During Mayor’s Business, Mayor O’Neil read proclamations recognizing Vietnamese American Remembrance Day (April 30), Building Month (May), and Mental Health Awareness Month (May). He noted a new mental health fair event taking place at the Villebois Piazza, May 3 from noon to 3 pm, to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the closure of Dammasch Mental Hospital. The event features guest speakers, live performances, food trucks, Kona Ice, bounce houses, art therapy stations, interactive booths, and mental health agencies and affiliates.
During the work session held prior to the meeting, staff and consultants walked the Council through the results of a recent Sewer and Storm Utility Rate Review, which was informed by inflationary construction costs and an assessment of operational support and capital improvements identified in the Wastewater Treatment Plant Master Plan and the Stormwater Master Plan to meet the City’s future need.
The review indicates that rates would need to increase substantially over the next several years to provide the necessary funding to support planned growth, maintain existing utility assets, and meet the regulatory requirements that ensure a sound sewer and storm utility program.
The discussion proposed a multi-year rate increase to both Sewer and Stormwater rates that would meet the revenue requirements. Any revised rate schedule to be implemented would be placed before the City Council for adoption this fall, following a period of public engagement.
Community Development staff sought final feedback from the Council on the draft Housing Needs and Capacity Analysis (HNCA) and draft Housing Production Strategy (HPS), which together comprise the Housing Our Future project. This project, which keeps the City in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 10 under House Bill 2003, provides the City with a clearer understanding of housing needs for the next 20 years and outlines strategies to be used to meet public need.
Planning staff sought the Council’s feedback on Code amendments drafted to comply with restrictive State Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) parking reforms designed to yield more efficient land use and reduce impacts to the climate by removing minimum parking requirements. The Council directed staff to support the Planning Commission’s recommendations on new design standards to apply to medium-sized parking lots.
The next meeting of the City Council takes place on Monday, May 5, at 7 pm, which is to begin with the delivery of the State of the City address by Mayor O’Neil. A work session is scheduled to precede the meeting. The meeting and the work session are open to the public.
Community members can watch all City Council meetings on cable (Xfinity Ch. 30, Ziply Ch. 32) or online via the City’s YouTube channel: ci.wilsonville.or.us/WilsonvilleTV.
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