Julie Fitzgerald Sworn In As Wilsonville’s Ninth Mayor; Local State of Emergency Extended
January 5, 2021 — At the January 4, 2021, meeting, Mayor Julie Fitzgerald, Councilor Kristin Akervall and Councilor Joann Linville were sworn in to begin new four-year terms. Municipal Court Judge Fred Weinhouse presided over the virtual swearing-in ceremony, administering the Oath of Office. Fitzgerald becomes the ninth resident to serve as Mayor of Wilsonville.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity you’ve entrusted me with as Mayor,” Fitzgerald said. “I look forward to leading with good governance, innovation, inclusiveness, resilience and the desire to strengthen our local economy for our residents and our business operators.”
The first order of business for the newly-seated Council was to re-elect Councilor Akervall to the position of Council President.
The Council voted to extended the City’s local state of emergency until March 15, 2021, allowing staff to continue to coordinate an effective COVID-19 response by redirecting funding for emergency use as needed, implementing mutual-aid agreements with other public agencies and otherwise adjusting operations in the interest of public welfare.
At the recommendation of Mayor Fitzgerald, the Council approved the appointment of Jami Arbon to the Development Review Board.
During Legal Business, City Attorney Barbara Jacobson clarified that Resolution 2869, thought to have failed at the Dec. 21 meeting, did pass by virtue of the 2-1 vote in favor.
Resolution 2869 allows newly sworn-in members of the City Council to be eligible to receive a compensatory stipend after July 1, 2021. At the Dec. 21 meeting, two votes were cast in favor Resolution 2869, one against. Councilors Akervall and Linville abstained from the discussion and voting, citing a conflict of interest.
Following the vote, because it was less than unanimous, Jacobson consulted with legal counsel at the Oregon Government Ethics Commission to review the vote and language of the City Charter in conjunction with Ethics regulations. The Charter states that “a majority of incumbent the members of City Council shall constitute a quorum for its business” (Chapter 4, Section 15) and that “except as this chapter otherwise provides, the concurrence of a majority of the members of the Council voting when a quorum of the Council is present shall decide any question before it” (Chapter 19).
The Ethics Commission advised that the City Charter would govern the vote and control as long as no party voting in favor would receive the benefit. “In other words, the 2-1 vote at the last meeting, although obviously not unanimous, was sufficient to pass the Council compensation, which – if Councilors elect to choose it, or accept it – would begin July 1,” Jacobson said.
The following actions were approved on the consent agenda:
- The Council approved a $393,000 contract with Brown and Caldwell to fund engineering consulting services for the Stormwater Master Plan Update.
- The Council approved a $108,000 contract with Keller Associates to fund engineering consulting services for the Elligsen Well Facility Rehab and Upgrades Project.
During the work session held prior to the meeting, the Council made initial determinations as to who would serve as primary and alternative Council representatives on the many State and regional boards on which the City is represented. Those appointments are scheduled to be made official at the next meeting of the Council.
Because of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, the next meeting is scheduled to be held virtually on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 7 pm; a pre-meeting work session is scheduled at 5 pm.
Community members can watch all City Council meetings on cable (Xfinity Ch. 30, Ziply Ch. 32) or on the City’s YouTube channel: ci.wilsonville.or.us/WilsonvilleTV.
- # # # -
