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Wilsonville council adopts 2025–26 state legislative agenda, priorities; Boone Bridge called top transportation concern
Summary
The council adopted a broad legislative agenda and a specific set of session priorities that emphasize transportation funding — particularly the I‑5 Boone Bridge — transit funding reforms, housing infrastructure funding and childcare; both the agenda and priorities passed unanimously.
The Wilsonville City Council on Jan. 23 adopted its 2025–26 state legislative agenda and a set of session priorities that city staff and the city’s lobbyist will use to evaluate and act on bills before the Oregon Legislature.
The agenda — described to council by Greg Leo, the city’s public affairs adviser, and Mark Ottenett, public affairs director — frames the city’s positions around local autonomy, transportation and transit funding, economic and community development, housing, workforce supports such as childcare, and environmental policy considerations. The council voted to adopt the agenda and then separately adopted a list of specific session priorities; both votes were unanimous.
The council’s session priorities for the 2025 long session include a transportation funding package that advances the I‑5 Boone Bridge seismic replacement and related projects (including the French Prairie bike/ped facility and a West commuter rail study between Wilsonville and Salem); a bill (Senate Bill 418) to realign SMART transit service territory to match Wilsonville city boundaries; changes to Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) distribution and a proposal to allow a county to act as the qualified entity for STIF pass‑through to subrecipients; restoration of permanent recreational immunity for public trails; creation of a statewide residential housing infrastructure fund (the city’s request cites a $2 billion target as a starting principle); funding for Business Oregon’s Regionally Significant Industrial Sites program; extension of the Vertical Housing Development Zone incentive; expanded childcare resources; and modification of laws governing homeless camping.
Greg Leo and Mark Ottenett told the council that the town’s top transportation priority remains replacing the Boone Bridge because of its seismic vulnerability and the bridge’s regional freight significance. “Every place we go, we talk about the Boone Bridge. The Boone Bridge is our absolute number one priority,” Leo said during the work session.
Council discussion before the votes included two themes. Councilor Cunningham and others urged that the new council caucus still has time to refine the priorities and that the council’s upcoming retreat in March could add or modify items; staff and consultants said the legislative agenda is a long‑term framework and the session priorities can be amended during the session. Councilors also pressed the urgency of advancing the Boone Bridge project and described ongoing meetings with legislators and federal staff to secure design and earmark funding.
The council also discussed several bills and funding asks referenced by staff, including a House bill (2795) to modify the STIF qualified‑entity definition and earlier, one‑time allocations and programs for housing infrastructure. Staff said the city will testify at a Senate Housing Committee hearing about infrastructure needs for housing.
Motions to adopt the state legislative agenda and to adopt the 2025 session priorities were moved and seconded during mayor’s business; recorded votes show both measures passed unanimously (5–0). Several council members reiterated they will use the March retreat to revisit and, if necessary, refine priorities to reflect the new council’s views.
Staff and the city’s lobbyist will use the adopted agenda and priorities to guide testimony, bill monitoring and requests for local projects and funding during the 160‑day legislative session that runs through the end of June.
