January 19, 2026 · 6:00 PM
City Council
Council split 6-3 on a key step toward 2026 borrowing, while also moving ahead with a Neshotah Beach concessions survey and hearing public frustration about shifting flower “perpetual care” costs onto residents. A proposed property assessment policy was introduced but tabled for later.
Council approved a resolution preserving the city’s ability to reimburse 2026 capital costs with future tax-exempt general obligation borrowing, capped at $2,563,818. Even though it’s framed as “preserving options,” it’s a meaningful step toward debt financing — and the 6-3 split suggests real disagreement about how aggressively the city should borrow for 2026 projects. The resolution also notes $350,000 would be repaid from the Electric Utility rather than the general debt service fund, which residents should track for utility-rate implications.
Roll call vote
6 yes
3 no
Mark Bittner
yes
Doug Brandt
yes
Shannon Derby
yes
Bill LeClair
yes
Darla LeClair
yes
Tim Petri
no
Bonnie Shimulunas
no
Scott Stechmesser
yes
Adam Wachowski
no
Council discussed a public survey on improvements to the Neshotah Beach concessions area, including ADA access and functionality, and set a tight timeline: survey launch mid-week, data collection in January–February, and aiming for a March bid. The meeting record also clarifies the budget framing: $255,318 in anticipated borrowing, with a requirement that at least half the funding come from other sources for the project to move forward. Residents should watch whether the survey is designed to capture real tradeoffs (cost, design, operations) or just general preferences.
Staff presented a plan to set up dedicated accounts at the Lakeshore Community Foundation to support perpetual care flowers and the community band, with the stated goal of reducing reliance on property taxes. The pitch is that money raised would be transferred out of city control and invested for long-term support, but that also means residents should ask what oversight and reporting the city will require once funds are moved. Council asked to bring foundation representatives to a future work session, signaling this is still being shaped.
Council did not adopt the proposed property assessment policy ordinance; it voted to table the item to a future agenda. The ordinance is described as a transparency-and-fairness policy around how assessments are done and appealed, which matters because assessments shape how the tax burden is distributed across properties. Tabling without a clear return date leaves residents in the dark on what changes (if any) are actually coming.
Roll call vote
9 yes
Mark Bittner
yes
Doug Brandt
yes
Shannon Derby
yes
Bill LeClair
yes
Darla LeClair
yes
Tim Petri
yes
Bonnie Shimulunas
yes
Scott Stechmesser
yes
Adam Wachowski
yes
Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting a proposed state disaster recovery grant program that would set aside $30 million for individuals and businesses when federal aid isn’t available. This doesn’t create local funding, but it’s the city putting its name behind a faster state-level relief option after a Governor-declared emergency. The practical impact depends entirely on whether the Legislature passes it and how the state runs it.
Roll call vote
9 yes
Mark Bittner
yes
Doug Brandt
yes
Shannon Derby
yes
Bill LeClair
yes
Darla LeClair
yes
Tim Petri
yes
Bonnie Shimulunas
yes
Scott Stechmesser
yes
Adam Wachowski
yes
The city manager reported that Thermo Fisher is supportive of rezoning the former Hamilton property from industrial to commercial, and that the city is working with Main Street on a “shared community vision” for what gets built there. This is an early signal of a major land-use shift with long-term consequences for traffic, jobs, and the city’s tax base — but residents didn’t get details yet on what commercial uses are being contemplated or what public input process will look like.