City Council Adopts Sewer Fee Increase, Approves Building Code Amendments
March 17, 2026 — At the March 16, 2026, meeting of the Wilsonville City Council, the City Council adopted the first increase in sewer utility fees since 2014 to address critical capital improvements at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) over the next several years. With these new rates, the Council also adopted a utility assistance program to provide some financial relief for qualifying households.
The Council’s action to increase rates ensures funding to operate, maintain, and improve the City’s wastewater system while being responsive to public concerns about cost increases. Effective on April 1, residential base sewer fees are to increase by $3.28 per month, from $19.84 to $23.12. Identical increases of $3.28 per month will be implemented annually until 2030. Subsequently, the rate will be indexed annually for inflation.
Additionally, the Council adopted amendments to its building and fire codes to ensure that Wilsonville’s regulations remain aligned with current State code. This action ensures that local structures meet established State safety standards and that Wilsonville code is consistent with that in neighboring jurisdictions.
In order to continue providing lower-cost rent to families, seniors and individuals meeting income qualifications, the City Council renewed annual property-tax exemptions at six local multi-family facilities — Autumn Park Apartments, Charleston Apartments, Creekside Woods LP, Rain Garden LP, Wiedemann Park, and Vuela — that provide the community with nearly 500 residential units of affordable housing.
Following a public hearing, on second reading, the Council approved an ordinance adopting the 2026 Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA) and accompanying Economic Development Strategy (EDS) as a sub-element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The EOA evaluates employment land capacity for the next 20 years and ensures compliance with state planning goals. The EDS provides targeted actions to attract high-quality employers, remove barriers to development, and guide City investments and partnerships. Together, these documents establish a long-range framework to support Wilsonville’s long-term economic vitality and livability.
During Mayor’s Business, the Council acknowledged retiring City Manager Bryan Cosgrove, who attended his last City Council meeting before his March 31 retirement. Mayor Shawn O’Neal and other members of the Council expressed thanks and gratitude to Cosgrove for his 15 years serving Wilsonville.
“The things I remember most are people, not projects,” said Cosgrove, reflecting on his tenure. “It’s been a great ride. I could not have asked for a better city to spend the last 15 years of my professional career with than Wilsonville.”
At the work session held prior to the meeting, the Council directed Economic Development staff to continue refining the Town Center Urban Renewal Feasibility Study in preparation for a potential November 2026 ballot measure. In response to community concerns about potential scale and intensity of future development, staff presented more conservative development scenarios while emphasizing that the feasibility study is not a commitment to a specific development outcome, but a tool to assess whether a reasonable redevelopment scenario could generate tax increment funding for infrastructure and economic development investments if an urban renewal area were established.
The next regular meeting of the Wilsonville City Council is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 6, at 7 pm. A work session is scheduled to take place at 5 pm. Both the meeting and the work session are open to the public.
Community members can watch all City Council meetings on cable (Xfinity Ch. 30, Ziply Ch. 32) or online via the City’s YouTube channel: wilsonvilleoregon.gov/WilsonvilleTV.
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