News

The City of Wilsonville is hosting a family-friendly bilingual community kick-off event for the Wilsonville Town Center Plan on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 5:30–8:00 p.m., at City Hall, 29799 SW Town Center Loop East, in Wilsonville.

The event is open to all community members, including among others, youth and Spanish-speaking households with Spanish interpretation services to be provided. The City is also able to provide qualified sign language and other bilingual interpreters if requested at least 48 hours prior to the meeting by contacting Tami Bergeron, Planning Administrative Assistant, at 503-570-1571.

The event includes a variety of activities for people of all ages including children.  Interactive activities are planned for children where a facilitator will ask the younger attendees, “Where is your favorite place in Town Center?” and also to draw a picture of their future vision for the Town Center area. 

The City of Wilsonville’s public-transit agency, South Metro Area Regional Transit (SMART), announces the hiring of Dwight Brashear as the City’s new Transit Director, assuming the agency’s leadership position held by Stephan Lashbrook who is retiring on Feb. 28.

Dwight Brashear is a seasoned transportation professional with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Most recently he co-managed a large paratransit operation in Chicago with a fleet of 500 vehicles and a budget of $53M focused on transportation services to medical appointments for people with disabilities.

On Feb. 6, 2017, the Wilsonville City Council gave final approval to implement a residential parking-zone program that takes effect in 30 days. The program allows community members that live in residential areas heavily congested with on-street parking to petition the City to create specific residential parking zones that are restricted to approved permit-holders and visitors with temporary permits during specified hours. The approved ordinance also governs administration and enforcement of the program. The new program seeks to decrease parking congestion and address safety concerns, reduce parking violations and improve neighborhood access for emergency, waste-management and postal-service vehicles.

The City of Wilsonville has named members of the public to serve on an advisory task force for the Wilsonville Town Center Plan. The 26-member task force is composed of a wide variety of local residents, business owners and stakeholders who are responsible for reviewing key information and ultimately providing recommendations to the Planning Commission and the City Council at key milestones of the Wilsonville Town Center Plan project.

Project Manager Miranda Bateschell, the City’s Long-Range Planning Manager, said, “I am very excited about the membership of the Wilsonville Town Center Plan Task Force. We have a good mix of residents, community-based organizations, and property and business owners, which represent a vast range of perspectives, experiences and even ages. We look forward to hearing all of their ideas and working with them to broaden our community outreach efforts.”

The City of Wilsonville is hosting a public kick-off event for the Wilsonville Town Center Plan on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 5:30–8:00 p.m., at City Hall, 29799 SW Town Center Loop East, in Wilsonville.

The purpose of the event is to publicly launch the 18-month-long Wilsonville Town Center Plan. Long-Range Planning Manager and project manager Miranda Bateschell said, “We are very excited to begin hearing from the community their wishes, desires and vision for enhancing the Town Center area. We want to know what they already love about the place and what they would like to see changed, to make it even more of a vibrant down-town for Wilsonville.”

January 12, 2017 - The City of Wilsonville is hosting a public open house for the French Prairie Bridge Project on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 5–7 p.m., at City Hall, 29799 SW Town Center Loop East, Wilsonville. The public event features members of the project management team providing an overview of the proposed bicycle/pedestrian/emergency-access crossing of the Willamette River west of the I-5 Boone Bridge.

Materials from the open house are available online at www.FrenchPrairieBridgeProject.org, where the public can sign-up to be on a mailing list, submit a comment or question, or view other information. For two weeks after the live open house, the City will continue to accept comments and feedback online at www.FrenchPrairieBridgeProject.org.

Due to severe inclement weather, the City of Wilsonville is closed on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 all City facilities, including City Hall, Community Center, Wilsonville Public Library and the Parks & Recreation offices. City events and meetings scheduled for the day are also cancelled. SMART Transit will continue to offer bus services, but weather conditions may impact services and riders should expect potential delays. Riders should visit www.RideSmart.com for updated information and rider alerts, including links to information on Tri-Met WES schedules. In the case of a fire, medical or police emergency, call 911. In the event of a public-works emergency, such as a meter leak or broken water line, call the after-hours emergency-phone line at 866-252-3614 line (toll-free).  Republic Services the City's waste hauler, will not be operating today as well.

On Jan. 5, the Oregon Healthy Authority’s Drinking Water Program announced that the City of Wilsonville’s public drinking water system, which includes the Willamette River Water Treatment Plant, managed in partnership with Veolia North America, has been identified as an Outstanding Performer.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) staff made the determination after conducting an on-site review of the water system on Nov. 16, 2016. The review, which takes place every three to five years and evaluates the system's capability of providing safe water to the public, covers source water, treatment, storage facilities, distribution system, operation and maintenance procedures, monitoring, and management of the system.

In addition to verifying the system’s capability and compliance, OHA further determined that Wilsonville’s drinking water system also meets all of the following criteria:

On Jan. 5, 2017, the Wilsonville City Council held a swearing-in ceremony for Mayor Tim Knapp and City Councilors Susie Stevens and Kristin Akervall who each were elected to office in the November general election. Municipal Court Judge Michael Gleeson swore into office the three members of City Council who begin four-year terms of office that extend until Dec. 31, 2021.

The Council acknowledged outgoing City Councilor Julie Fitzgerald who completed a four year term on Council and also acknowledged incoming City Councilor Kristin Akervall who is the City Council’s newest member.

Due to severe inclement weather, the City of Wilsonville Public Works crews have sanded the main roads and collector streets in Wilsonville, but the City discourages all unnecessary driving. The crew will continue to sand the roads throughout the day and night as needed.

SMART buses are chained and offering free in town service, but are not currently offering 1X, 2X, or 3 services at this time.  SMART encourages in town riders to check bus locations at  http://smartpublic.etaspot.net/ and to dress warmly before going outdoors.

City staff are clearing the sidewalks in front of key City facilities and remind property owners of their responsibility to clear the sidewalks along their property. Community members are reminded, however, to be careful walking outdoors and to dress warmly before going outside.

On Dec. 5, 2016, the Wilsonville City Council held a public hearing and first reading, tentatively approving an ordinance that amends the City’s right-of-way and public-easement management section of City Code. The Council voted to keep the record open to provide additional time for public comments until the second reading of the ordinance at the City Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 19. The ordinance clarifies the method of determining the fees to be charged by the City for use of the public right-of-way by utility providers that may or may not provide service to Wilsonville customers. In particular, the code amendments are needed to clarify how to calculate and assess the fees the City will charge for the four miles of 66-inch-diameter water pipeline being planned and constructed to pass through Wilsonville to provide water to Tualatin Valley Water District and City of Hillsboro customers.

On Nov. 7, 2016, the Wilsonville City Council held a second reading and approved an ordinance that creates time, place and manner regulations on the operation of marijuana-related businesses that may locate within the City should voters reject Ballot Measure 3-486, thereby voicing a desire to have the City remove a current ban on marijuana-related businesses. The City Council seeks to be prepared with rules that govern where, when and how marijuana-related businesses can locate within Wilsonville in the event the ban is discontinued by voters at the Nov. 8 general election. If voters opt to continue the ban, this ordinance will be moot and will not apply in that the facilities will continue to be prohibited. The ordinance establishes local regulations for the operation of marijuana-related businesses that include a 2,000-foot buffer from residential zones, schools, City parks, or any City-owned property and also a 1,000-foot buffer between marijuana-related businesses.