Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Newberg council adopts updated safety manual, council goals, tech-device agreement and public-comment rule
Summary
On March 2 the Newberg City Council unanimously approved a 2026 safety manual update (resolution 2026-4012), adopted a council-goals update (2026-4017), approved a technology-device responsibility agreement (2026-4014), amended and adopted council rules setting 3 minutes as the standard public-comment time (2026-4010), and authorized a $407,000 waterline contract award (2026-4016).
The Newberg City Council approved a series of staff-recommended resolutions and a contract authorization at its March 2 meeting.
City Manager Will presented the proposed 2026 update to the employee safety manual, citing state and federal workplace regulations and staff work over the last year; staff said the manual update helped reduce the city’s insurance loss rates and recommended adoption. Councilor (speaker 7) moved to approve Resolution 2026-4012 and the motion passed by voice vote.
Council then adopted an update to the council goals list (Resolution 2026-4017). City Manager Will explained that the update recognizes completed objectives and reorders ongoing items; the motion passed after a second and a voice vote.
City Recorder Rachel Thomas presented a technology-device responsibility agreement that would be signed when council or committee members are issued city devices; the agreement lets members opt out and retain personal responsibility for records on their own devices. Council approved Resolution 2026-4014 directing staff to adopt the agreement.
On council rules the body discussed decorum and public-comment timing. Staff removed the word “rude” from prohibited conduct as subjective and proposed a standard public-comment time with a 3-minute minimum. The council voted to amend and adopt Resolution 2026-4010, setting three minutes as the standard allotment with the option for the mayor to extend to five minutes when appropriate.
The council also authorized a waterline improvements project tied to this year’s street grind-and-inlay work. Staff said the low bid of $407,000 from Pacific North Construction LLC covered 854 feet of 12-inch ductile-iron water main and is within the HB 2001 budget. Council approved the authorization (Resolution 2026-4016).
All four resolutions and the contract authorization were approved by voice vote; the transcript records unanimous passage but does not show roll-call tallies for individual council members.
Next steps: staff will implement the adopted policies and the awarded contract and will return to council with further briefings on the larger oxidation-ditch wastewater project and rate options.
