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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApproved Minutes - 2025-12-02 F� F� JtL CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING n MINUTES V O December 2,2025 DREGO� 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Buck called the regular City Council meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.The meeting was held both virtually via video conferencing and in-person in the Council Chamber at City Hall 380 A Avenue. 2. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Buck, Councilors Afghan, Corrigan, Mboup, Rapf, Verdick, Wendland Staff Present: Acting City Manager Megan Phelan, City Attorney Ellen Osoinach, City Recorder Laural Hawkins, Deputy City Manager Madison Thesing, Equity Program Manager Guilian del Rio, Sustainability Program Manager Amanda Watson, Interim Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Munro Others Present: Matt Evans, Chamber of Commerce;Jason Morado, ETC Institute; Peren Tiemann, DEI Advisory Board Chair; Vedant Ramakrishnan, DEI Advisory Board Youth Member 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT • Lajos Belogh, resident, suggested including a piano in City Hall and having a music student play before meetings. Belogh also suggested summer concerts in Westridge Park and Rassekh Park and offered to help with the events. • Mark Puhlman, resident, Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) and Lake Oswego Sustainability Network(LOSN) board member,thanked Council for awarding LOSN the grant and the two-year goal for transitioning from gas-powered landscaping equipment. The adverse effects of gas-powered two-cycle engines were noted, as well as similar successful sustainability initiatives like Council limiting pickleball due to sound pollution and the government limiting smoking in public places due to the carcinogenic smoke impacts. • Betsy Wasko, resident,Secretary, Old Town Neighborhood Association and Sustainable Landscaping Subcommittee volunteer,thanked Council for its forward thinking in setting the goal to phase out gas-powered landscaping equipment.The argument that the phase-out financially harms landscaping businesses was addressed.The upfront cost of City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 11 December 2, 2025 replacing a gas-powered blower with a commercial electric blower at$750 to$2,000 was contrasted with the true costs of the impacts associated with gas-powered landscaping equipment, such as $5,000 for hearing aids. Upfront costs could be mitigated through incentives like providing grants or no-or low-interest loans from manufacturers.The costs of inaction were outlined, including chronic illness, climate change, and pollinator loss. Council was urged to act now to phase out gas-powered landscaping equipment. • Jeff Wiens, resident, thanked Councilors for their time and dedication to the citizens in the community and noted the best piece of advice they had received was "Do what you know is right in your heart." A couple years ago, Council was asked to make a change regarding pickleball that some Councilors may not have agreed with, but Council made the right decision.A person should be able to have sanctuary in their own home. Council was commended for its efforts toward eliminating gas-powered landscaping equipment and urged to adopt regulations banning its use in Lake Oswego. Unseen toxic gases threaten the short-and long-term health of landscaping workers and community members. 5. CONSENT AGENDA 5.1 Approval of Meeting Minutes • October 7,2025 Draft Regular Meeting Minutes Councilor Wendland moved to adopt the Consent Agenda. Councilor Mboup seconded the motion.A voice vote was held, and the motion passed,with Mayor Buck and Councilors Afghan, Corrigan, Mboup, Rapf,Verdick,and Wendland voting`aye', (7-0). 6. ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA No items were removed from the Consent Agenda. 7. COUNCIL BUSINESS 7.1 Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce Annual Report Matt Evans, Chamber of Commerce, presented the Annual Report via PowerPoint, highlighting strong business formation, with 270 new businesses licensed in the first 10 months of 2025, regular new- business meet-and-greets, healthy vacancy rates, and successful community events, including two Wine Walks and the formation of the West End Business Group. Lake Oswego was characterized as a diverse, small-business-focused community.Two emerging concerns were identified for monitoring: office space that is leased but unoccupied, referred to as "shadow space",for which reliable square-footage data is limited, and a potential future labor shortage driven by retirements and flat to declining regional population trends.The City/Chamber partnership had produced positive economic and quality-of-life outcomes, and the Chamber hoped to continue the partnership beyond the current agreement. Evans recommended Shop Local and destination marketing efforts and highlighted three opportunities for City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 11 December 2, 2025 modest City investments: purchasing a subsidized, full-page Travel Oregon advertisement, coordinating a digital marketing strategy, and consistent advertising in local print media with potential short television spots as budgets allow. Mayor Buck stated a top response of the recent community survey was wanting the City to focus on economic development, even with the positive information reported about the local business community; perhaps citizens were not getting that information or seeing the efforts being made. Evans explained public attitudes could come from negative media coverage.Vibrant economic development would include specifically the Shop Local piece. Residents would like to see their friends and neighbors working in Lake Oswego.The loss of office jobs resulted in people not getting coffee,going to lunch or dinner, or the theater, which impacted economic development as a whole. In 2026,the Chamber would address how to encourage those working but not living in the city to enjoy the city's amenities after work or on the weekends. Mayor Buck noted Council had restructured the Business License fee to have funds to invest directly back into the business community via efforts as Evans had outlined. One Council goal was to start a marketing campaign to attract more people within and outside of Lake Oswego to come both for local businesses, recreation and other city amenities. Mayor Buck confirmed Council supported funding the Travel Oregon Ad and authorizing the City Manager to proceed, noting the Chamber's requests are well timed with Council goal setting in January and that the City should utilize the Chamber more directly.The pilot program for targeted media ads was a good idea as years ago the City's larger economic development department spent a lot of money with little ROI. Now,there were better ways to collect and measure data to make ads more targeted. Evans explained the barriers to participation in the Leadership Lake Oswego and Business Leadership Development programs might be the cost as some may not be in the position to afford a $2,900 course. For others, it may be difficult to take or get permission to take a half-day off once a month to participate in the programs. Expanding the programs' marketing to ensure everyone who might be interested knew about the opportunity would also help overcome barriers. Councilor Mboup noted the importance of the Chamber's work to help Lake Oswego market itself to attract more people to the city and feel safe, because it is a safe place. Lake Oswego could be a third space for many people afraid to go somewhere else. Evans explained that if untrue, negative perceptions were left unchallenged, the City's goals would not advance.The city's past reputation was not based on facts, and the wonderful and connected business relationships in the community were eye-opening. Councilor Afghan stated only good things were said now about Lake Oswego and credited previous Councilors with fostering a vibrant downtown and beautiful Lake Grove District. People come to Lake Oswego for events, not to spend time shopping or walking in the parks. Perhaps the city should have more events to attract more visitors or nurture the city into being a journey city where people come for more than one-time events. Perhaps downtown could stay open passed 9:30 pm. Evans noted one frustration was the inability to get businesses to answer questions about what people do around events; for example, when people come to the Arts Festival, do they eat at a restaurant or shop while in Lake Oswego?Some people might not patronize businesses beyond the event and that tied back to marketing. For instance,the City could market competitions at Lake Oswego Recreation &Aquatics Center(LORAC) and also market local businesses and events to outsiders attending those competitions. Some businesses along A Avenue had developed regular customers thanks to Third Thursday.The City needed to develop a way to let people know more of what is available in Lake Oswego when they visit. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 11 December 2, 2025 Mayor Buck noted youth sports tourism had been a big source of hotel room revenue in the Meadows/Kruse Corridor. LORAC and the skate park also provide opportunities to attract more visitors. Councilor Wendland acknowledged the Chamber's increased efforts and noted supporting the Chamber was part of the infrastructure responsibility Council had for the city.The Chamber carefully accounted for all grants and support received and spent funding wisely. Supporting the Travel Oregon ad was something the City should have been doing anyway, and collaborating with the Chamber on communications and messaging was exciting. When running for Council years ago, one of Wendland's messages was about building the Lake Oswego brand, which needs to be an ongoing effort.The city has events that draw tens of thousands of people, and the ambassador component of many events show that the city is a great place to experience, and it was important for visitors to stay longer and spend money in Lake Oswego.The Chamber Board was all-in, enthusiastically donating their time with many also donating to sponsorships, etc. Councilor Wendland supported continuing the partnership, thanked Evans for all the efforts, and appreciated the data provided to make fact-based decisions. Evans noted the Chamber's appreciation for Councilor Wendland's and Acting City Manager Phelan's participation on the Chamber Board of Directors,which provided important perspectives, adding all City participation and support was appreciated. Mayor Buck stated the City looked forward to working with the Chamber in the coming year. 8. STUDY SESSIONS 8.1 Community Survey Results Deputy City Manager Thesing reported that a statistically valid community survey was conducted this fall as part of the City's ongoing contract with ETC Institute,which administers the survey every other year.The survey was used to measure resident satisfaction with City programs and services and to gauge levels of support for policy initiatives.This was the third benchmarking cycle completed with ETC Institute, following prior surveys in 2021 and 2023.The residents who participated in the survey were thanked. Jason Morado, Director of Community Research, ETC Institute, presented the 2025 community survey results via PowerPoint, reviewing the purpose and methodology, lessons learned, and major findings. The survey used a statistically valid random sample of 400 residents and reflected city demographics. An additional 157 surveys beyond the random sample were completed, but the results presented focused only on the random sample. Results showed residents hold a very positive view of Lake Oswego,with 95 percent rating the city as an excellent or good place to live and raise children,well above the regional average, and 40 percentage points above the national average. Satisfaction with City services and customer service was significantly higher than national benchmarks, and most areas measured saw increases since 2023. Residents'top priorities included economic development, public safety, development services, neighborhood streets, housing planning, sustainability, equity, and mobility. Geographic analysis showed high satisfaction across the city.The only area with more negative than positive responses was the city as a place to find a job.The most significant areas showing decreased satisfaction were the quality of both economic development and the Lake Oswego Public Library facility. Overall,the City was moving in the right direction with increased satisfaction ratings. Councilor Afghan commended Parks and Recreation and the Library team and noted the 2025 Council City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 11 December 2, 2025 goals lined up well with the respondents' top priorities, which was good news. Morado confirmed the Library's satisfaction ratings were extremely high overall and while the decrease related specifically to the facility itself, and not the services provided,the ratings were still very positive for a public library. Mayor Buck noted Council used the survey results to set goals, and the results also align with feedback from the City's boards and commissions, as well as community members. It was great to see the City team's efforts on the goals resonated with the community.The highest increases in satisfaction were also due in part to community groups that have stepped up alongside the City's team,working in partnership to foster the results. Councilor Mboup expressed a desire to focus on improving the satisfaction of the 3 percent of residents who were not satisfied, noting a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, adding Council should not rest on its laurels but aim to be outstanding. Hopefully,those who rated the Library facility low would support a bond to build a new library, as the survey showed the facility needed replaced. Councilor Corrigan noted being impressed that the survey results were even better than the last survey where the City did well and commended the City's amazing team. For residents prioritizing wildfire prevention and education programs, Councilor Corrigan reported a new brush rig for wildfires would be coming to the new South Shore Fire Station, which would be on the ballot. Although the Housing Production Strategy had been challenging to implement, real momentum was building to address residents' concerns about the difficulties of having one's support system move to Lake Oswego,whether moving or relocating to another home in the city, or finding a larger home that meet their needs. Mayor Buck noted a key high priority item was to focus on the quality of development services and asked what that meant. Deputy City Manager Thesing noted the question was phrased broadly, which could result in respondents responding about the quality of development that was occurring in the city; however,the question regarded the quality of services, such as front-counter services. More qualitative research, such as having more focus groups,would be required to understand if barriers exist in getting permits or challenges in development services, and to understand how people define development services. Residents' perceptions of what development looked like often involved subjective feelings and opinions.Additionally,the responses could involve feelings about State-mandated actions as they take effect within the community. Mayor Buck added it might be worth diving in since this was the first time that category had risen to the top. Morado explained the responses from people outside of the random sample were still being processed, although their priorities were similar to the statistically valid survey's results.The satisfaction ratings were probably a bit lower,which was typical. Satisfaction results for Lake Oswego were still very high no matter how the results were broken down, even when compared to cities similar in size to Lake Oswego. Councilor Wendland requested an analysis comparing Lake Oswego to Bellevue, Washington, or a suburb similar to Lake Oswego and particularly to correlate how other cities spent money on the same priorities as Lake Oswego to see whether the priorities aligned. Deputy City Manager Thesing noted the 2023 survey included comparing demographically similar cities, not based on size.The project team could review comp-like cities to see how their rankings compared this year and last year and if the priorities changed. Councilor Wendland explained knowing how cities with similar size and demographics compared was help reveal where Lake Oswego would continue to be attractive. People have high expectations when moving to Lake Oswego.Taxpayers invest a lot in City services, so perhaps the City should be doing better because it has more resources than other cities.The complexity of City City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 11 December 2, 2025 operations and the high expectations were reflected in the survey results.The development part was related somewhat to the experience at the counter.The Code should be simplified so people could have a good experience when doing a project to get a permit easily and be educated about what is required. Councilor Verdick commended Staff on all their hard work to serve the residents, as reflected in the survey results.The City should not rest on its laurels but examine how to keep improving and increase satisfaction. Councilor Verdick noted City fire stations offer wildfire readiness assessments for property owners and thanked the many community groups that helped make a difference in the community. Council unanimously consented to research the development services question. Staff confirmed the survey results would be shared with the City's boards and commissions next week as part of the Summit package. The City Council recessed from 7:03 to 7:15 p.m. 8.2 Diversity, Equity,and Inclusion Advisory Board Recommendations and Updates Equity Program Manager del Rio; Peren Tiemann, Chair, DEI Advisory Board; and Vedant Ramakrishnan,Youth Member, DEI Advisory Board, presented the Council Report via PowerPoint, sharing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)Advisory Board's forward-looking recommendations developed in response to Council's direction in June. Goals, objectives, and suggested action items were reviewed for the focus areas of building a representative community, building a diverse workforce, youth engagement, DEI data and accountability, institutional capacity and policy alignment, and equitable resources and infrastructures. Based on the scope and complexity of the recommended work, the DEI Advisory Board recommended engaging an external consultant to develop a comprehensive equity plan. Ramakrishnan's experience was shared about why DEI work matters from a youth perspective, noting young people experience barriers differently. Peren Tiemann confirmed that, like Ramakrishnan,they first became involved with the City through the Youth Leadership Council during their senior year of high school and that experience led to pursuing a political science degree and returning to Lake Oswego after graduation. Mayor Buck noted the youth engagement seen in the last year delivered exactly what the City had hoped for, youth becoming invested in the community and wanting to return after college. Key Council comments were as follows: • Support was expressed for moving forward on all DEI Advisory Board recommendations, which would make a difference. • Equity directly ties into diversity, which directly ties into inclusion. Some families cannot afford to live in Lake Oswego and people work in the city but do not live in it. Some families needed every member to work to afford food. In light of these realities, achieving diversity and equity should be considered.The City should also figure out how to truly reach equity and diversity. • Talking to residents about the perception of DEI was important as the term often provokes divisive or negative feelings. Every society should embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. Many types of diversity existed, and each could occur in Lake Oswego. • Creating equity could be expensive, but doing so makes for a good society. Inclusive societies needed to be built. DEI actions were a necessity for the city to move forward and for society to be City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 11 December 2, 2025 more humane and progressive. • Having the recommendations was helpful moving into Council's 2026 goal setting. • Communications with the community were very important with a lot of room for improvement, including with regard to recent social services funding cuts.The City could do a better job integrating services to ensure equity. • A side benefit of youth engagement was engaging the families of youth. Everyone within the community and on the City team should have access to good benefits, such as mentorship, as it keeps people engaged with the importance of DEI work. • Understanding what the City could be doing to better communicate, provide training, etc. would be helpful. When Council had difficult questions around access to housing and services in town, members from community groups like Respond to Racism, LOSN, LO for LOve, and the Watershed Council had testified in favor of initiatives so Council could have political support to pass related items. Work Council can do to help build more community capacity, such as around housing or transportation,was important. Council had done well supporting the community groups through grants and other efforts. Having access to information, knowing about what was happening, and how to engage was also important. • Many of the DEI Task Force's objectives had been accomplished, and the City's information and efforts could be refreshed so residents understand the value received for the investments being made and how they would benefit and strengthen the community. Looking where to go next in the coming years and having the data was important. 8.3 Gas-Powered Landscaping Equipment Council Goal Update Sustainability Program Manager Watson and Interim Parks and Recreation Director Munro presented the Council Report via PowerPoint, reviewing the goals in the 2020 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan relevant to landscaping equipment and outlining the environmental and health impacts of gas- powered landscaping equipment(GPLE), its alternatives, and policies adopted by other cities, including restrictions,financial incentives, and enforcement approaches.The presentation noted Lake Oswego's 2022 tool exchange in partnership with PGE and highlighted Portland's leaf blower ordinance,which would impact local landscapers and be supported by the Portland Clean Energy Fund.The City's own use of gas-powered equipment in Public Works, Fire, and Parks and Recreation was outlined, highlighting operational constraints of electric alternatives. A comparison of leaf blower specifications was reviewed. Stakeholder outreach, including a community survey and landscaping company engagement, found most residents who manage their own yards use electric equipment, while those hiring contractors encounter predominantly gas-powered use. Survey results indicated 55 percent of residents supported phasing out gas-powered equipment, with a slight preference for education and financial incentives over regulatory limits.The City's survey consultant recommended that the City continue to gauge support for GPLE and provide information to residents. Recommended next steps included continuing outreach, providing educational resources, and leading by example through City operations. Staff addressed clarifying questions about landscaping equipment and other items being categorized as small off-road engines; survey respondents and landscape companies self-identifying as currently using either gas or electric equipment; and the constraint of not being unable to charge on the go, requiring extra batteries and added upfront costs. Mayor Buck thanked LOSN for the gas-free landscaping signs, a great education effort, and working with the City through the grant Council provided on continuing educational outreach. Many Portland and regional landscaping companies operate in Lake Oswego, and the City cannot directly access Portland's City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 11 December 2, 2025 Clean Energy Fund. Bans on gas-powered landscaping equipment elsewhere had caused neighborhood tensions, including fears of immigration reporting. Mayor Buck acknowledged the harm of the equipment and upfront costs for landscapers, but supported the approach outlined because the City could offer incentives. Partnering with Portland and leveraging connections with landscapers was suggested. Mayor Buck offered to help on the political front to establish a partnership. Staff confirmed the City could partner with Portland and/or the Pollution Prevention Resource Center to share information, raise awareness among landscapers, and identify gaps in support. While Portland Clean Energy Fund could not directly fund Lake Oswego, collaboration could inform local incentives and guide Council on potential budget needs. Mayor Buck noted that because Lake Oswego licenses landscape businesses regionally rather than locally, identifying those who work in the city is challenging, and the City would not want to impose an additional local license. Councilor Rapf acknowledged the community impacts of gas-powered landscaping equipment regulations, including concerns related to immigration enforcement. However,this was the least effective use of City resources they had witnessed, although Staff's quality work was recognized. Unlike indoor smoking, GPLE regulations involve personal property, and they opposed government intrusion in residents' homes or property.They agreed the initiative would disproportionately affect people of color and was surprised Respond to Racism had not engaged with the issue.They supported allowing Portland's experience to unfold before Lake Oswego acted and believed education alone was sufficient. Market dynamics would address the concern. Complaints about GPLE were largely tied to the COVID-era shift to working from home and the ability to afford landscaping services. Lake Oswego's response should be independent of Portland's, reflecting local community differences.The matter should be dropped entirely. Councilor Afghan commended Parks and Recreation, particularly on the phased conversion to electric equipment. Compelling data was presented on electric and gas blowers. Staff confirmed that when City workers use gas-powered blowers, they wear hearing protection and could choose whether to wear respirators. Councilor Afghan believed it was the City's responsibility to ensure City workers were working in a safe environment, especially health-wise.The City was proud of how the parks were maintained, but when a gas-powered blower was used,the environment was being polluted. All factors should be considered, not just money. Regulating GPLE was the right thing to do, but banning GPLE could have consequences the City might not be prepared to handle. Councilor Afghan was conflicted. If a person did something that impacts the environment another person lives in,the action should be regulated. Betsy Wasko educated on gas blowers,their environmental effects and that removing leaves was harmful to the environment and ecosystem. Education was good, but doing so with mailings at$7,500 annually might not be effective.The City's educational efforts should reflect Wasko's efforts. Homeowners should be educated that they have more power than Councilors as policymakers. Homeowners could demand landscaping companies they hire use electric equipment.The Sustainability Advisory Board and/or LOSN should develop a way to enforce a policy regulating GPLE so problems do not surface after the fact. Staff confirmed the$500 batteries need to be replaced every two to four years for commercial use equipment. Staff did not believe the overall cost comparison between gas-powered and electric equipment had been tracked; however, less than $400,000 had been spent on electric equipment in the last six years, not including the Parks and Storm contracts. Councilor Wendland noted the contracts could involve another million dollars considering six years of City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 8 of 11 December 2, 2025 $200,000 to $300,000 in contract differentials.The data was important to show people the realistic investment being made over time. Councilor Wendland did not believe landscapers would have any incentive to transition until the policy was in effect. Education would be great, but until the law was in place, no significant change would be seen with landscaping contractors. Landscapers had shared they could not afford the transition and would look for business in communities without GPLE regulations; that working with electric equipment took longer and would result in lost income or increased labor hours; and that they might lose their business, as they did not have the confidence to raise their prices and another landscaper would poach their customers.The landscapers'variability/fragility should be protected. Councilor Wendland believed electric equipment was great for single-use houses, but working 10 hours a day involved a different set of circumstances. During two homeowner meetings in different neighborhoods, homeowners wanted to outlaw both gas-powered and electric equipment due to noise. Councilor Wendland noted incentives were being pulled back due to less grant funding being available and the City did not have the resources either. They liked the plan,which included several solid actions that would not cost a lot of money, but certain realities also had to be considered. Completely banning smoking, both inside and outside, would have better results than trying to address GPLE. Councilor Mboup stated a person's freedom stops where another person's freedom starts, so one could not pollute people from their private property and call it freedom.They supported the ban on gas- powered blowers at some point; it was the right thing to do. Caution was urged about stating the ban would affect people of color differently, as GPLE impacts were also dangerous for people of color. If one cared about people of color, gas-powered equipment would be banned. While 55 percent of survey respondents supported the regulations, proceeding with the ban would cause problems because 45 percent opposed was significant.This must not become an "us vs them" matter. Councilor Mboup purchased electric equipment for their landscaper to use; everyone can participate in helping landscape businesses. Everyone coming to Lake Oswego to work should be respected, and everybody knows gas equipment was harmful.The incentive for change was a majority of property owners demanding that only electric equipment be used.That was how things changed.The City did not have the means to regulate or enforce a ban, so there was time to educate and talk to people. If the community reached 65 percent in favor of a ban,the City would ban it. Perhaps the City would simply take the education route, letting businesses know the transition would be good for them. Investing in electric equipment would make more sense in the future.The City should wait to see what happens with Portland's ordinance process. Council should keep moving toward a ban and keep it as a goal. Staff suggested looking comprehensively at equity when talking about this issue. National studies and surveys of people working in the landscaping industry noted approximately 75 percent identify as Latino.When talking about landscaping workers,the majority are probably people of color. Workers are disproportionately impacted by the health impacts of air pollution from GPLE, resulting in a disproportionate impact on people of color in the community. Given the impact to people's livelihoods and jobs, equity should be considered from the perspective of not wanting to put people out business, which prompted the Sustainability Advisory Board's (SAB) recommendations around financial support for the transition, which would ensure an equitable approach.The City should ensure enforcement does not target communities already being targeted by immigration.The City should continue to look at all the concerns raised and consider mitigations to address equity and disproportionate impacts to communities of color. Councilor Corrigan supported continuing work on the ban, noting when health care professionals speak, the City should listen. Staff confirmed battery technology was changing rapidly. Batteries had improved greatly over the past six years and would continue to improve and store more power, and their prices City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 9 of 11 December 2, 2025 would drop, resulting in potentially decreased upfront costs. Lifetime batteries may be introduced, perhaps helping solve some performance issues over time. Councilor Verdick agreed Council should continue work on the ban. One of the biggest concerns was enforcement, so it would be important to observe how that works in Portland. Hopefully Lake Oswego would see some benefits from Portland's ban.With SAB, LOSN, and others working with the City, the City should keep doing as much education as possible and focus efforts on reaching smaller landscapers. Property owners should also be contacted about creative solutions, such as sharing electric equipment. Council Verdick agreed with the recommendations and continuing to push forward in the right direction. Councilor Afghan noted nobody chooses to buy GPLE to pollute the environment.The equipment had been used for decades and the impacts only recently understood.Through education and progress, a shift was needed.The city's aging generation would likely hire landscapers. Council was tasked with the challenge of protecting landscapers from toxic fumes and protecting their income. Innovative solutions existed, but homeowners had to be able to accept them and push them forward. Creative solutions must be found, staying innovative and pushing forward until a policy was developed that all could agree on and that was enforceable. Mayor Buck noted general Council consensus on following the recommendations and continuing the path of education and incentives.Trade publications noted that once landscapers use the electric equipment, both workers and companies like it.The challenge was getting over the initial hump, but while the life cycle cost was less,the upfront cost could be an issue. Having a coordinated campaign remained a way to publicize the idea to the community and help move toward the goal faster. Councilors commended Sustainability Program Manager Watson,who had overseen tremendous progress over the last four years, including implementing the City's Climate Action Plan and helping elevate the City's work towards a clean and sustainable future. Council presented Watson with an award. 9. INFORMATION FROM COUNCIL Mayor Buck thanked the Chamber and Parks and Recreation for the successful tree-lighting event on Friday and City Staff for decorating around town. Councilor Wendland noted the Chamber Holiday Reception would be held at the Ironlight on December 10' at 5:00 pm and encouraged Councilors to attend. 10. REPORTS OF OFFICERS Acting City Manager Phelan commended Staff for the well-attended tree-lighting event,which had more than 5,000 attendees. 11. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Buck adjourned the City Council meeting at 9:05 p.m. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 10 of 11 December 2, 2025 Respectfully submitted, Laural Hawkins, City Recorder Approved by the City Council on February 17, 2026. Joseph I . Buck, Mayor City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Page 11 of 11 December 2, 2025