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Philomath council finalizes legislative talking points: public‑notice fix, sewer funding request and park update
Summary
Council approved a legislative agenda for city‑day visits to the state capital that emphasizes: clarifying the 2023 public‑notice law so small cities can use local online outlets, seeking roughly $5 million for a 19th‑Street sewer main to unlock housing, and updating legislators on historic park construction and fundraising needs.
Philomath’s City Council on Jan. 27 finalized the list of priorities it will present during an upcoming city‑day visit to the state Capitol.
Public‑notice law: Councilors emphasized support for a legislative fix to preserve small cities’ ability to publish legally required public notices in local online news outlets. Staff told the council that the 2023 change in state law introduced ambiguity about whether voluntary online membership qualifies as a newspaper subscription; staff said the council will provide evidence of local readership to legislators. "We want to advocate in support of legislative fix to ensure that we can continue to publish our public notices in the Philomath news," the presiding officer said. Councilors voiced strong support and asked staff to bring readership and spending numbers to legislators’ staff.
Sewer infrastructure and housing: Staff described a choke point in the city’s sewer system and said a new sewer main along 19th Street could unlock residential development north of the urban growth boundary. Staff gave a planning‑level estimate of about $5,000,000 to construct the sewer line and related infrastructure and said without that investment developers face a multi‑million-dollar on‑site improvement cost that would discourage building. Councilors indicated they would request state support for infrastructure that enables housing production but noted any legislative funding request would be an informational ask tied to planning and resiliency goals rather than a preapproval of future land‑use permits.
Historic park update: Councilors said they will update legislators on progress and rising costs for a previously state‑funded historic park project. Staff reported the project remains underway but that increased engineering and materials costs had created a funding gap; staff said additional fund‑raising efforts are under way and that the city will report back with precise updated figures.
Other talking points: Councilors will also mention regional emergency‑preparedness projects (a proposed training facility and a potential fueling station for public‑safety fleets) as items they support or want to place on lawmakers’ radar.
Next steps: Council staff will refine talking points, gather supporting data (readership figures for the notice discussion, and updated cost estimates for the park and sewer main) and meet with legislators’ staff the following day.
