Scappoose council adopts 2025–26 priorities, approves Oak & Myrtle water-main contract; discusses local revenue options

Scappoose — The Scappoose City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, approved a contract authorization for the Oak and Myrtle water-main project, adopted a revised City Council priorities document for 2025–26 and discussed local revenue options for long-term funding of parks and public safety.

The council approved its consent agenda, which included minutes from January meetings and authorization to award a contract for the Oak and Myrtle water-mainline project. City staff told the council the bids for the project came in below the city’s estimate; the council previously identified $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds toward the work.

The council also voted to adopt the strategic planning package that came out of a recent retreat but changed the document title from “City Council strategic plan” to “City Council priorities” and amended the plan’s language so there “will be periodic reviews of progress.” Council members debated whether the document should include more specificity, and staff agreed to circulate a follow-up memo and a supplemental document provided by Councilor Joel for additional detail.

Why this matters: the approved contract moves a water-infrastructure project closer to construction using one-time federal ARPA relief funds, while adoption of council priorities sets the council’s policy focus for the coming year and establishes a periodic review expectation. Discussion of revenue tools signals the council is exploring local options to fund ongoing services such as parks and public safety.

Most important facts

- Oak and Myrtle water-main contract: staff said 10 bids were received and that the chosen contractor (identified in bid documents as Swofford) met the city’s procurement checks; most project costs will be covered by ARPA funds the council previously allocated and the contract was authorized as part of the consent agenda vote. Staff said the work is adjacent to a Habitat for Humanity project but does not require tying the work to a Habitat construction schedule.

- Adoption of council priorities: the council approved the document with two edits — 1) the title changed to “City Council priorities” and 2) the closing sentence changed from “there may be periodic reviews of the progress” to “there will be periodic reviews of progress.” Several members asked staff to return later with more-specific objectives, timelines and measurable benchmarks.

- Local revenues guidebook: city manager Ben Bergner handed council members a copy of a Local Revenues Tool Guidebook (Eco Northwest). Councilors discussed municipal-services or utility-bill fee options as one way to stabilize funding for parks and public safety; no formal action was taken and councilors emphasized the need for public engagement if the city pursues new local revenue tools.

Other council business and direction

- City-manager review process: councilors and the manager agreed to hold a work session to design a 6‑month check-in process and an annual review framework. Council members expressed interest in a focused, repeatable “on track/off track” check at six months and a fuller annual evaluation; the manager said he would propose a process for the work session.

- Grants and capital projects: staff reported they are pursuing roughly 9–10 grants with a combined ask of more than $2 million across parks, infrastructure and economic development; staff said they are prioritizing the highest-probability applications first.

- Police department update: Chief Lewellen reported the department supported security for a recent U.S. senator visit, is in discussions with the school district about a school-resource-officer (SRO) arrangement, and plans to shift day-shift start times an hour earlier in March to increase in-city coverage; a sergeant-level hire was reported to be in the final phases of background checks.

- South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce: outreach director Jack Massey told the council chamber membership has grown (roughly 25 members added since his last report), reviewed ribbon-cutting and networking events and invited council participation in chamber programs including a March 14 Coffee & Commerce at the library and the chamber’s March 29 annual banquet.

Public comment

Two members of the public spoke. A resident who identified himself as Joseph raised pedestrian- and bicycle-safety concerns in the Warren area (missing sidewalks, a blind corner) and urged more integration of that neighborhood with city services and a local skills/cultural center; councilors and staff noted the county transportation package and encouraged the resident to bring details to a county meeting. Another resident praised recent city projects and welcomed the new city manager and police chief.

Closing and next steps

Councilors asked staff to circulate the council-priority packet and an additional document shared by Councilor Joel for review before follow-up work. Staff will bring a proposed format for the city-manager six-month check-in to a work session and will continue grant applications and CIP planning. No new local revenue measures were placed on tonight’s agenda for referral to voters; the discussion was exploratory and focused on community outreach and technical analysis.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve the meeting agenda with the removal of agenda item 2 (emergency management): approved by voice vote; a second was recorded; motion passed.

- Motion to approve the consent agenda (minutes and contract authorization for Oak and Myrtle water-mainline project): approved by voice vote; motion passed.

- Motion to adopt the council’s 2025–26 priorities (document title changed to City Council priorities; sentence changed to state “there will be periodic reviews of progress”): approved by voice vote; motion passed.

Ending

Council members scheduled follow-up work on the manager-review process and asked staff to circulate supplemental materials about the priorities document. The council’s next regular meeting is March 3 (work session 6 p.m., regular meeting 7 p.m.).