McLaughlin residents press Oregon City to ease surprise sidewalk costs; commission sets public hearing

Residents of the McLaughlin neighborhood urged the Oregon City City Commission on Aug. 6 to provide financial and procedural relief after roughly 60 properties learned they face sidewalk-repair orders that could cost homeowners thousands of dollars.

At a public-comment block that ran into the general-business discussion, Tim Powell, chair of the McLaughlin Neighborhood Association, told the commission the group had been awarded a $2,500 Metro enhancement grant for printing but that the grant contract unexpectedly required a $2 million liability-policy endorsement. Powell asked the commission to exempt his association from that insurance requirement so it could collect the grant money.

The more sustained testimony focused on sidewalks. Tyson Brown, an Oregon City resident, said more than 60 properties in a roughly four-block area were being…