The Wilsonville Planning Commission on Oct. 8 voted unanimously to recommend that City Council approve Resolution LP25-0003, the city’s Climate Action Plan.

City staff presented the plan at a public hearing and described modeling of three scenarios — business as usual, business as planned and a low‑carbon action scenario — and a set of implementation measures intended to achieve state targets for greenhouse‑gas reductions. Carrie Rapple, the city’s natural resources manager, and a project consultant explained how the plan translates city and state goals into actions and implementation measures.

The plan frames ambitious statewide targets as context: it cites goals to reduce emissions roughly 45% from 1990 levels by 2035 and about 80% by 2050. The presentation said those targets will require federal, state, local and private action. The plan models emissions across five categories — buildings and industry, transportation, renewable energy, solid waste and green infrastructure — and offers implementation measures such as a retrofit navigator program, commercial PACE financing and expanded green‑energy procurement.

The consultant summarized the plan’s outcomes: “If we implement this plan, there's a dramatic drop in emissions and the primary area that's gonna be left in 2050 is gonna be transportation emissions.” The presentation noted that one city zone, Town Center, accounts for nearly 20% of Wilsonville’s modeled emissions; modeled low‑carbon actions for that zone cut emissions by roughly 60% without assuming a fully decarbonized electricity grid and to about 70% if the statewide grid reaches zero‑emission electricity by 2040.

Commissioners asked questions about how the Town Center estimate was calculated (the consultant said it combined building archetypes, local transportation patterns, water use and waste generation) and about the plan’s dependence on a cleaner regional grid. Commissioners and staff discussed the city’s potential roles: aligning parking and building standards, advocating to utilities and the state, and reducing local electricity demand by improving building efficiency.

Public testimony included a brief comment from Mitch Besser, a Wilsonville resident, on transportation: “When I looked at electric bikes, I noticed SMART does not allow them on their buses because their racks do not support that.” Commissioners said staff would share the comment with SMART; staff confirmed they had forwarded it.

After public testimony and commissioner questions, Commissioner Andrew Carr moved to adopt a resolution recommending City Council approve the Climate Action Plan (Resolution LP25‑0003). The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The recommendation is advisory; final adoption rests with City Council.

Staff and the consultant emphasized next steps if the council approves the recommendation: conducting a financial analysis, forming governance for implementation (for example, a task force), identifying a responsible department or lead staff person and pursuing state and federal funding and technical assistance referenced in the plan’s implementation appendix. The presentation listed several grant and rebate programs (federal grants, state community renewable energy grants, Energy Trust programs and home efficiency/electrification rebates) as funding pathways the city and community could pursue.

The commission closed the public hearing and transmitted the recommendation to City Council for its consideration.