Wilsonville staff outlines draft climate action measures; council asks for cost estimates and more public outreach

Wilsonville’s natural‑resources manager, Carrie Ruppel, told the City Council on Feb. 3 that staff and consultants are about halfway through development of a community Climate Action Plan and presented modeling, proposed low‑carbon actions, and options for public engagement and implementation.

The draft plan is framed around statewide greenhouse‑gas targets and local measures for energy, buildings, transportation, waste and land use. Staff said the modeling work uses a business‑as‑usual baseline, a “business plan” scenario that reflects the governor’s directives, and a third scenario that incorporates the draft low‑carbon actions developed for Wilsonville.

Why it matters: The CAP will guide local decisions that affect housing design, transportation investments, city operations and community programs. Several councilors and attendees raised concern about unfunded state mandates and the potential cost impacts on housing and lower‑income residents.

What staff presented Carrie Ruppel, Natural Resources Manager, summarized community and business outreach to date (two surveys, a Jan. 16 open house and school outreach) and modeling of community‑scale emissions. Ruppel said transportation accounts for the largest share of local emissions. The presentation used statewide targets from the governor’s 2020 executive order — a 45% reduction below 1990 levels by 2035 and an 80% reduction by 2050 — as planning benchmarks for model scenarios.

Draft actions and numeric targets discussed in the presentation included: encouraging 30% of new housing development in the Town Center to support walkable access; a target that 25% of new buildings be net‑zero by 2030; a long‑term objective that 90% of existing buildings convert to air‑source heat pumps; 100% of new buildings to include solar PV; increasing community participation in carbon‑free electricity to 30% (staff said current participation is about 14%); and a state‑level target to divert 50% of organic waste from landfills by 2030. Ruppel cautioned that some items — for example, capturing renewable natural gas at the wastewater treatment plant — depend on future decisions about plant operations and technology.

Engagement and concerns Councilors and several public commenters questioned the sample sizes used in outreach: staff reported 16 responses to the most recent community survey and about 10 attendees at the Jan. 16 open house. Councilors asked staff to expand outreach and to better document current baselines (for example, current EV adoption rates, city fleet composition and building stock) and to include a relative order‑of‑magnitude cost for proposed measures.

Funding and state support Councilors asked what state support accompanies the mandates. Ruppel said agencies will provide guidance but that clear funding streams are not guaranteed; she noted the city has used low‑interest loans for utility projects in the past and that larger grant programs tend to prioritize economically disadvantaged communities. Councilors asked staff to elevate an advocacy message that would push for state or federal funds if the city is expected to implement costly mandates.

Next steps Ruppel said staff and the consultant will return with a draft plan in the May–July period and will include implementation measures, relative cost estimates, and clearer benchmarks. She also said staff will follow up with the state on whether EV conduit or other requirements could be carved out or modified for affordable housing projects.

Ending Councilors directed staff to increase public engagement, report back with cost rankings and benchmarks, and to assemble an implementation table showing responsibilities, estimated costs and possible funding sources for priority measures. Ruppel said the CAP will be refined after additional community input and further model runs.