Lebanon council begins drafting legislative platform with consultant; priorities include housing, infrastructure and public safety

Lebanon city staff and legislative consultant Sean Tate led a work session on Aug. 27 to develop a municipal legislative platform that will guide the city's positions on state-level bills. The session framed six policy areas and asked councilors to indicate whether the city should advocate, support, oppose, or monitor specific state policy statements. The six policy areas presented were: infrastructure; housing and quality of life; public safety; community health; technology (including broadband and AI); and tax flexibility. Tate told the council such a platform is intended to be a flexible, living document that helps staff prioritize time and responses during legislative sessions. Councilors used a quick polling exercise to indicate preferences on sample policy statements. Statements that drew significant council interest included legislation to provide dedicated funding for local transportation, water, wastewater and stormwater systems; increased state investment in water and wastewater infrastructure (DEQ, NPDES, PFAS/PFOS treatment); and links between infrastructure funding and new housing development so cities can deliver utilities and transportation alongside growth. On housing and mandates, staff framed a conditional position: support for state housing production targets only when accompanied by alignment with local infrastructure and growth capacity. Councilors emphasized that requiring production targets without fiscal tools or infrastructure support would be problematic. As one participant summarized, "One without the other isn't good." Public-health and safety priorities discussed included a robust state response to homelessness with flexible funding aligned to local mitigation strategies; continued reforms related to Measure 110 and drug policy that balance treatment and enforcement tools; and resources for local law enforcement, fire and emergency services. Some councilors signaled caution on statewide homelessness spending without local control over how funds are used. On technology, the council discussed legislation to ensure cities can recoup costs from broadband and utility providers for right-of-way use and to set franchise or licensing fees. The council also considered AI policy statements—supporting statewide standards for ethical, secure and transparent AI while resisting unfunded cybersecurity or AI mandates that would create local administrative burdens. Tax flexibility topics included requests to increase smaller cities' shares of marijuana and alcohol tax revenues and greater flexibility in lodging-tax use. Councilors also discussed resisting state measures that would restrict the city's tax authority or further reduce local revenue availability. Next steps: staff and the consultant will draft a concise platform to present to council for review with a target to finalize the platform before Kelly (staff lead) departs and before the end of the year, at which point council will set annual legislative priorities informed by the platform. No formal vote was taken; the session provided direction to staff and the consultant to prepare a draft platform for council review.