Lebanon City Council members denied a request from property owners to de-annex from the city during the regular meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
Three property owners in close proximity to each other along Berlin Road met with the city last month to discuss their request to withdraw their properties from the city limits.
Development Services Director Shana Olson reported at City Council that the property owners – Edward Goering, 32756 Berlin Road, Richard Poland, 32777 Berlin Road, and Gary Cummings, 32783 Berlin Road – said they wanted to de-annex from the city due to limited access to city utilities and infrastructure, and public safety concerns (including homeless encampments, trespassing and thefts), and to reduce their property tax obligations.
Cummings later withdrew his request.
While city water and sewer connections are available more than a mile north of the properties, the owners told the city they were not interested in connecting to them, City Manager Ron Whitlatch said.
Berlin Road falls under the jurisdiction of the Lebanon Police Department. Olson said they responded to 66 calls there in the last six months, and have been more active in recent months to make contact with encampments and trespassers.
After some research, Olson was able to report that Cummings’ and Poland’s properties were originally part of two parcels owned by the Nordstrands. In 2001, the Nordstrands annexed those two parcels into the city and then partitioned the larger lot into three parcels. Linn County code would not allow subdivision of those parcels. They then sold those properties.
Goering’s property was also the result of annexation and partition by Morse Brothers Construction and Ted Halstengard in the 1980s and 1990s.
“The properties that they’re currently living on right now that have been subdivided, they would not be living there without taking advantage of the city code,” Whitlatch said.
Although the property owners are not the ones who divided the parcels, essentially what happened was those lots were annexed into city limits to take advantage of city codes, he said. And now they want to de-annex.
After some discussion, no motion was made to approve the request.
Wastewater facility plan
Public Works Director Jason Williams presented an updated Wastewater Treatment Plant Facilities Master Plan, which provides a long-term framework addressing regulatory compliance, aging infrastructure, capacity limitations and anticipated growth.
The plan contains “a long list” of phased projects up to 2045.
“Over the course of this document, 2025 through 2045, the total cost of projects listed here are $95,550.29,” Williams said.
The plant was built in 1954 and upgraded in 1976, with additional improvements made over time.
“Since then we’ve gone through everything we can to keep it functioning and meeting regulation,” Williams said.
Phase one focuses on improvements for solids stream treatment, phase two focuses on liquids stream treatment and phase three considers final liquid stream and supporting infrastructure improvements.
The master plan includes evaluation of existing conditions, anticipation of wastewater burdens into 2045, identification of deficiencies throughout the process that need to be addressed, and consideration of anticipated legal and regulatory changes that may come down the pike.
City Council will review the master plan and vote on whether to adopt it during the March meeting. The master plan is available to view online at https://bit.ly/4q7Ld5D.
In other business:
- A resident on Berlin Road reported he has asked for help regarding a high volume of transients living on vacant private property on the road. Recently, he said, his barn was broken into and a dirt bike stolen. Whitlatch said the city has been trying to contact the property owners and working on trespassing transients.
- Community Services Officer Dala Johnson and Kay Cortez, speaking on behalf of the school district transportation department, asked the council for limited parking on N 2nd Street between Tangent Street and Mullins Drive. They cited public safety, emergency access and daily livability as reasons for the request, since excess parking along the narrow street creates hazards. The city said they will hold a public hearing on the matter.
- The council approved the vacation of a right-of-way strip on S 3rd Street between Grant and Sherman streets as part of the Santiam Travel Station sale.
- The council approved a non-exclusive franchise agreement with Casco Communications, dba Peak Internet.
- The council approved amendments to Lebanon Municipal Code 3.04 that essentially makes procedural requirements with public contracting more efficient.
- The council adopted a Strategic Plan and City Council Priorities Update. City staff and council met last year to review progress and update goals and priorities, which include: upgrade the wastewater treatment plant, reopen the jail, strategize the redevelopment of the Champion Mill property, consider a city service fee charged to higher education organizations, revitalize downtown, expansion of the library, develop a succession plan, advocate for the city in state legislature, and find funding for a solar project.
- Councilor Dave Workman asked on behalf of a constituent about why it takes so long for a check to clear for utility bills. Finance Director Brandon Neish explained city staff are unable to process the huge amount of checks from more than 60% of the population, so check-processing is outsourced to a processor in Portland. Postal service changes have slowed mail delivery significantly. Any checks dropped off at City Hall are processed same-day.