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Newport council approves zoning housekeeping, wastewater-plan updates, fire facility lease and two sidewalk/crossing design task orders
Summary
The Newport City Council adopted two ordinances updating the zoning code and the comprehensive plan’s wastewater facilities chapter, authorized a lease with the Oregon Department of Forestry for joint-use fire facility space, and approved two predesign/design task orders totaling $690,366. All actions passed during the meeting.
The Newport City Council adopted ordinance 2025-06, a housekeeping package of amendments to the Newport Zoning Ordinance (Title 14 of the Newport Municipal Code), and ordinance 2025-05, amendments incorporating wastewater treatment plant projects into the public facilities chapter of the Newport Comprehensive Plan. Both ordinances passed by voice vote with subsequent roll-call confirmation; all councilors recorded “Aye.”
“Housekeeping” changes included correction of erroneous citations, reorganizing rules of construction, and adding mandated changes from the 2025 Oregon legislative session—specifically provisions originating in House Bill 2138 and House Bill 2005 that affect density, single-room-occupancy requirements and where certain residential-care facilities may be permitted, Derek Tokos, Community Development, told the council.
The council also authorized the city manager to execute a lease agreement with the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) for city use of part of the new joint-use fire resource facility at 225 NE 70th Street. The lease structure is 20 years with two 5-year renewal options (ODF indicated a constitutional limit on 30-year leases), the building is roughly 12,000 square feet, and the city will occupy about 2,200 square feet—about 18% of the facility. Councilors approved the lease by voice vote; the record shows unanimous support.
In committee-of-the-whole/contract actions, the council approved two task orders for design work:
- Task Order No. 17 with HHPR Inc. for predesign work on the U.S. 101 NW 20th Street to NW 30th Street sidewalk project in the amount of $270,518. Councilor Hall moved the motion; Councilor Emond seconded. The motion passed by voice vote.
- Task Order No. 11 with David Evans and Associates for design work on an enhanced pedestrian crossing at U.S. 101 & NW 60th Street and intersection improvements at U.S. 101 & NW 50th/50th–movie-theater driveway in the amount of $419,848. Councilor Jacoby moved the motion; Councilor Hall seconded. The motion passed by voice vote.
Councilors asked clarifying questions during the code and capital-facility presentations. On the zoning package, Councilor Emond queried table references and distances required under the new state mandates; Tokos reported the distances (for example, a 250-foot proximity requirement in industrial zones) came from the House Bill text. On the wastewater-comprehensive-plan item, councilors requested that staff continue work on a capital-improvement plan to program near-term projects and clarify total projected costs; Tokos said the facility plan is a living document and that larger, growth-driven projects are likely longer-term.
Votes at a glance:
- Ordinance 2025-06 (Zoning housekeeping; Title 14): Motion by Councilor Jacoby; second Councilor Emond; roll-call ayes: Emond, Rumagu, Hickman, Mayor Jan Kaplan, Hall, Aparicio Reyes, Jacoby. Outcome: Approved.
- Ordinance 2025-05 (Wastewater facilities and comprehensive-plan amendments): Motion by Councilor Emond; second Councilor (record shows Emond also moved; second by Councilor Rumagu or Emond—motion and second were recorded; roll-call ayes noted). Outcome: Approved.
- Lease agreement with Oregon Department of Forestry (225 NE 70th St., joint-use fire facility): Motion by Councilor Rumagu; second Councilor Emond; outcome: Approved (voice vote). Key terms: city occupies ~2,200 sq. ft.; lease structured as 20 years with two 5-year renewals; city pays proportional share of maintenance/operations.
- Task Order No. 17 (HHPR Inc., US 101 NW 20th–NW 30th sidewalk predesign): Motion by Councilor Hall; second Councilor Emond; amount $270,518; outcome: Approved (voice vote).
- Task Order No. 11 (David Evans & Associates, enhanced crossing at NW 60th and NW 50th/movie-theater driveway intersection improvements): Motion by Councilor Jacoby; second Councilor Hall; amount $419,848; outcome: Approved (voice vote).
No council member recorded a dissenting vote on these items in the meeting record. Several councilors asked for further detail on project timetables and funding: staff said some task-order funding will come from Northside Urban Renewal contingency (the sidewalk predesign item cited $65,318 from Northside Urban Renewal contingency as the unallocated portion to be authorized), and that Northside Urban Renewal has remaining debt capacity and will remain active into the 2030s.
Provenance: The zoning ordinance hearing and vote are recorded beginning at the public hearing for Item 6A (staff report by Derek Tokos) and run through the subsequent motion, roll call and passage. The wastewater item is recorded as Item 6B. The lease discussion and motion occur during the city manager’s report and local contract review board agenda items. The two task-order approvals are recorded under the local contract review board agenda.
Next steps: Staff will finalize lease documents and coordinate the ribbon cutting for the joint-use facility (ODF staff indicated a ribbon-cutting date of Oct. 27); design consultants will proceed with the predesign and design scope work under the authorized task orders.
