Mayor Delivers State of the City; Council Updates Transportation System Plan

Mayor at podium smiling, delivering state of the city

April 18, 2023 — At the April 17, 2023, meeting of the Wilsonville City Council, Mayor Julie Fitzgerald delivered a State of the City, which articulated the City Council’s 2023-25 goals, celebrated recent accomplishments and looked ahead at several of the City’s upcoming projects and challenges.

At a public hearing, on first reading, the Council adopted a recommendation of the City’s Planning Commission to integrate transportation projects from the Frog Pond East and South Master Plan into the City’s Transportation System Plan (TSP).

The Council authorized the acquisition of several properties and property interests to facilitate the Boeckman Road Corridor Improvement Program. This suite of five community improvement projects  improves city-wide transportation connectivity and safety concerns associated with the Boeckman “Dip,” restores Boeckman Creek and completes additional improvements to extend sewer service to Frog Pond and improve the safety of the Canyon Creek Rd/Boeckman Rd. intersection.  

To clarify language pertaining to the lease security deposit, the Council approved an amendment to ground lease agreement with the Willamette Water Supply System Commission.

At a public hearing, on first reading, the Council approved an application initiated by a resident to change a residential street name in the Frog Pond West neighborhood from SW Columbine Ave. to SW Ponderosa Ave., in accordance with street renaming policy.

During the work session held prior to the meeting, representatives from South San Francisco-based Twist Bioscience shared details of the company’s recent tenant improvement of a 110,000-square-foot “factory of the future” at ParkWorks Industry Center in Wilsonville, where the company manufactures synthetic DNA. Twist cites the City’s Economic Development WIN Program as a primary incentive to locate its $80 million renovation and expansion project in Wilsonville.

The City Attorney completed the last of five scheduled work sessions to hone new overnight camping Code that is being established to put the City in compliance with new state and federal laws. With the Council’s guidance, Staff has established guidelines that generally restrict camping to designated locations at City Hall between 9 pm and 7 am. The revised code and a set of Administrative Rules developed in concert with revised code are scheduled to be brought before the Council for adoption in May.

The next regular meeting of the City Council is to be held on Monday, May 1, 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.

- # # # -