Council Approves $450,000 for Business and Community Relief Programs, Cancels City-Hosted Summer Events
April 22, 2020: At the April 20, 2020, Wilsonville City Council meeting, the City Council approved a $400,000 grant program to provide immediate assistance to small local businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funded by City Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) and Urban Renewal Agency (URA) funds, the Wilsonville Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grants Program is set to award more than 150 grants to eligible businesses of no more than 20 full-time employees. Designed with input by the Wilsonville Area Chamber of Commerce, the new program provides one-time grants, ranging from $1,000 to $4,000, to a limited number of qualified businesses.
The online application period for the new Wilsonville Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grants Program runs Friday, April 24, through the 5 pm deadline on Wednesday, April 29. Complete details of this program, including eligibility criteria, are available at ci.wilsonville.or.us./BusinessAssistance.
To aid community members experiencing dire financial need, the Council agreed to provide $50,000 in additional funding to Wilsonville Community Sharing, a local non-profit that operates social-assistance programs and the City’s food bank. The funds allow WCS to assist clients with rent payments, prescription medications, and utility payments.
The Council authorized the City Manager to cancel City-hosted public summer events – including the Wellness Fair and the Community Block Party – and to evaluate whether additional events hosted or sponsored by the City should proceed as scheduled or canceled in the interest of public safety.
At a public hearing, on first reading, the City approved the modernization of residential code. The action, which provides more clear and consistent language for homeowners, planners and developers, is most applicable to about 63 acres of land within Planned Development Residential (PDR) zones. The update is to ensure efficient, high-quality design at future projects on unbuilt or underbuilt property within Wilsonville.
Items passed on the consent agenda included:
• Approval of new contracts that fund a closed-circuit system to identify weaknesses in the City’s storm water and sewer systems;
• Authorization for the purchase of new furniture for the Wilsonville Library to complete the facility’s extensive $1 million 2018 renovation project; and
• Authorization of funding to extend the Willamette Water Supply Program 66-inch raw water pipeline across Day Rd., connecting pipelines between Garden Acres Rd. and Graham’s Ferry Rd., as part of the Garden Acres Rd. expansion project currently underway.
Supplemental Budget Adjustments were approved by the City Council and the Urban Renewal Agency to make funds available for the Wilsonville Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grants Program.
During Communications, Metro Councilor Craig Dirksen shared details of a May ballot measure to address the region’s homeless crisis. Metro Measure 26-210 would provide $250 million to many existing social-service programs with funding from a marginal tax on high-income earners and large businesses.
City Council members lamented the recent passing of community member Tony Holt, and acknowledged his contributions to the City’s Budget Committee and the Charbonneau district. Holt was a former president of the Charbonneau Country Club and an active volunteer and advocate for protecting Charbonneau’s quality of life after retiring to Wilsonville in 2001.
Mayor Tim Knapp signed proclamations in recognition of Earth Day (today, April 22), Bike Month (May) and Building Safety Month.
During the work session prior to the meeting, the Council agreed to withhold the proposed $31 million Parks Bond tentatively scheduled for the November 2020 ballot to pursue at a later date.
The Council delayed short-term consideration of a proposed expansion of commercial recreation uses within the Planned Development Industrial (PDI) zone, which would allow gyms, gymnastics studios, indoor sports and similar businesses to develop.
The next scheduled meeting of the City Council is Monday, May 4, at 7 pm; a pre-meeting work session begins at 5 pm.
Community members can watch all City Council meetings on cable (Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 30, Frontier Ch. 32) or on the City’s YouTube channel: ci.wilsonville.or.us/WilsonvilleTV.
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