City of St. Helens councilors heard extensive testimony June 4 on a long-pending annexation petition for a parcel identified in staff materials as 35262 Fir Street, filed by Greg and Amanda McFerrin.

The McFerrins told the council they want the property annexed to avoid higher county water and sewer rates. Amanda McFerrin said the household has paid about $16,443 more in water and sewer charges over the past 20–23 years because the parcel remained outside city limits and on a private step sewer system. "It would be a great thing to have that done and not be paying, you know, $400 or $500 in the summer months for my water and sewer bill because they're doubled," Amanda McFerrin said.

The hearing focused on the legal effect of an elector's "one-year" waiver attached to the petition, and on the technical details of the site's sewer connection. Jacob (staff member) explained the parcel was served by a step system (a septic-tank-effluent pump system) and that earlier paperwork showed the property had a five-year sewer-use arrangement related to that step system. Jacob said staff found the petition and an elector's consent that included a waiver of the state's one-year processing limit; the planning commission recommended approval and had not had the benefit of the waiver in its packet.

Residents who testified urged caution. Agnes Peterson, addressing the council as a neutral witness, recommended tabling any annexation where the signed documents predate state law or exceed a year without explicit, recent consent. Mary Ann Anderson likewise recommended caution and advised staff to refresh old petitions filed long before statutory changes in 2016.

Councilors discussed options including continuing the hearing to allow city legal counsel to review whether the decades-old waiver is valid under current Oregon statutes; asking the petitioner to file a fresh petition; approving the annexation subject to the city attorney's sign-off; or denying the petition. Councilor Gunderson said he favored doing what would be least burdensome to the petitioner but wanted clarity on whether approving the existing waiver would set a precedent for other old files. Multiple councilors emphasized the petitioner’s hardship from higher rates while also urging prudence about legal precedent.

The council made a motion on the annexation during deliberations; the transcript records the motion being made but does not include a roll-call vote on this particular docket item in the public record. Council members discussed two paths: (1) continue the hearing to a date certain to obtain written legal advice on the waiver and avoid re-advertising, or (2) approve the annexation conditioned on the city attorney finding the waiver legally sufficient. Several councilors and staff expressed support for approving the annexation for the petitioner if legal counsel confirms the waiver is sufficient.

Because the transcript does not record a final roll-call vote on the McFerrin annexation at the time the motion was made, the council's final disposition on this specific item is listed as not specified in the public record excerpt provided.

The council also heard technical details during the hearing: staff said the parcel lies roughly 770 feet from the closest point of the city limit; the city's comprehensive-plan-guided zoning options identified by staff were R-7 (7,000-square-foot minimum) or R-10 (10,000-square-foot minimum), with the planning commission recommending R-7 based on surrounding patterns. Staff also noted the parcel's lot area is approximately 20,000 square feet and that dividing the lot in its current developed state is unlikely.

The public hearing remained open while councilors considered whether to continue the matter or approve it subject to legal review. The petitioner asked councilors to consider waiving any re-application fees if staff later asked for a new petition.

If the council executes legal review or takes further action on the file, staff indicated the hearing could be continued to the second meeting in July to allow attorney advice to be gathered and to avoid re-advertising the matter.