Votes at a glance: St. Helens council actions on Jan. 15 — planning remand, ordinance rejected, resolutions and appointments

The St. Helens City Council on Jan. 15 took multiple formal actions. This roundup lists each recorded outcome on ordinances, resolutions, appointments and administrative business.

Key debated outcomes

- Triplex appeal (Wyeth & North Bibb Street): Council remanded the Planning Commission’s denial back to the Planning Commission, conditioned on written consent from all parties to extend the 120‑day review period so the commission may reconsider with the applicant’s offer that the same footprint could support a duplex. (Vote: unanimous approval of remand.)

- Ordinance 3306 (second reading): Council rejected the second reading of Ordinance 3306 and directed staff to return with a revised ordinance retaining single‑room‑occupancy (SRO) authority and housekeeping changes but omitting manufactured/prefabricated dwelling provisions. (Vote: unanimous.)

Other recorded votes and authorizations (consent and regular session)

- Resolution 2035 — Set Planning Department fees: Approved (vote recorded as aye by council). (Action: adopt updated planning fees.)

- Resolution 2036 — Appoint budget officer for fiscal year 2025‑26: Approved; the council named Gloria (full name recorded in staff packet) as budget officer. (Vote: aye.)

- Lease renewal — Masonic Building, 231–235 S. First Street: Council authorized signature on the lease renewal. Rent cited in discussion was $0.60 per square foot; council confirmed the building has been underused and discussed potential year‑round uses in conjunction with code and fire‑safety requirements for certain event uses (haunted‑house permit discussed as a 90‑day special occupancy). (Vote: approved.)

- Final plat — OVO Hotel / Deloitte (protective partition plat): Approved. (Vote: approved.)

- Appointments: Marissa (Marisha) Schwartz appointed to the Budget Committee (term details in staff materials); Lucas Green appointed to the Parks & Trails Commission. (Votes: approved.)

- Administrative and calendar changes: Council moved its regular work‑session start time to 3 p.m. and voted to cancel the first regular meeting in July and the first regular meeting in August to allow staffing and community flexibility. (Votes: approved.)

Procedure and notes

Council handled the triplex appeal as a quasi‑judicial land‑use matter and recorded the remand and conditioning language on the public record; the ordinance action was a policy choice to narrow the scope of the proposed code changes and return a new draft for further consideration. Other items on the consent agenda were approved by motion and recorded by roll call.

Where to find more information

Planning staff will publish the Planning Commission agenda when the remanded triplex appeal returns. The Planning Department and city clerk will post the new ordinance draft and updated staff report when available.