Kehoe & Gudman take the oath of office

To all COLA LO Members & Friends,

Mike Kehoe & Jeff Gudman will be sworn in as City Councilors on Tuesday January 4, 2011 at the City Council Chambers beginning at 6:30pm. The public is invited to the event.    

Please notify friends and neighbors so they may attend the ceremony and reception and support the new councilors in 2011.

Jack Bog's Blog exposes "the Agenda" of LO Foothills-Streetcar & Redevelopment with experience from Portlanders

To All COLA LO Members,

Jack Bogs Blog summarized many of the issues and the agenda behind the drive toward foothills development inside Lake Oswego and the current administration. Its a piece entitled "condos needed to save Lake Oswego" and worthy of a review by the community. Several members of the public further enlighten with their comments on what is already known about these types of projects from the experience in Portland.

Here is the link:
http://bojack.org/2010/12/condos_will_save_lake_oswego.html

Please inform all contacts and COLA LO supporters.

Councilor Hennagin drops a bombshell as he leaves the City Council

To all COLA LO members,

If you have not had a chance please read Councilor Hennagin's guest opinion in the LO review this week.   Its located at http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=129252144603475500

In it Councilor Hennagin drops the bombshell that the city will not be able to afford its existing staff without higher density redevelopment. Many citizens have been asking questions about the fiscal responsibility of council decisions. On his way out the door, after losing the election, Hennagin clearly states there is a problem. The article says:


"Another reader opposed the streetcar because he does not want to see Foothills developed. Lake Oswego currently spends $40 million per year to fund baseline operations to which our residents have become accustomed. It is projected that the cost of these services and programs will increase to $48 million by 2016. In the absence of either new development or substantial annexations of property in order to increase property tax revenue the burden of paying for these baseline operations will have to be allocated as additional property taxes to our current residents or else services and programs will have to be drastically reduced far below a level that will be acceptable to our citizens. I submit that development of Foothills is in the long-term financial interest of all of our residents."

Please inform all members and contacts......

COLA -LO introduces a new poll on the 2011 City Council

To all COLA LO Members,

We introduced a new poll today. The poll asks members and contacts about the focus of the 2011 council.    Specifically which areas do you believe should be the focus of the new council? Many members have questioned the direction of the previous council so we introduced the new poll for clarification.

Please notify all members and contacts and ask them to participate in the poll over the next month.

Lake Oswego City Council approves Sensitive Lands Ordinance despite overwhelming testimony against the proposed program

TO ALL COLA LO MEMBERS

The LO city Council last night passed its sensitive lands ordinance in a vote of 6-1 despite overwhelming opposition in testimony. More than one hundred citizens packed the city council chamber with many standing in the hall or against the walls to show opposition to the ordinance which severely restricts citizen property rights on upland properties but exempts the lake (and does not affect any City Council members or City Staff).   

Testimony was almost universally against the ordinance - excluding three non residents likely brought in to testify for the proposed rules – and a single LO citizen. The council chose not to listen to the testimony but pass the new program rules to meet the artificial schedule imposed by METRO (which could be modified).  

Councilors Tierney, Jordan, Vizzini, Hennagin, Moncrief, and Mayor Hoffman, all voted for the property rights restrictions, while councilor Olson voted against it. This is a lame duck session of the council where councilor Hennagin was soundly defeated and councilor Vizzini’s temporary position was filled in the November election. The Council chose to vote on the measure because the two newly elected councilors would not support it when sworn in on January 4^th.   

Councilors Moncrieff, Tierney, and Olson will be up for reelection in 2012 as will Mayor Hoffman. COLA LO has documented their respective votes on the ordinance, and their actions leading up to the vote.  

The actual council session and vote can be observed online at:

http://www.tvctv.org/government-programming/government-meetings/lake-oswego

Lake Oswego streetcar project Open House 12/16

To All COLA LO Members,

The proposed Lake Oswego Streetcar Project has entered a phase where it is critically important that the public be heard. The DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Study) is available, both online at www.oregonmetro.gov/lakeoswego, and at the library. The public comment period runs from now until January 31st and there are a number of ways to comment. 

This Thursday, December 16th, there is an Open House being held at the Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 State Street from 4 until 7 pm. Comment cards will be available there, as well as Tri-Met and Metro staff associated with the Project. You can also comment online at www.oregonmetro.gov/lakeoswego, e-mail your comments to trans@oregonmetro.gov, or send written comments to Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project, 600 NE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97232. 

The Streetcar is potentially very costly, with estimates now running to $458 million just in capital costs, and all current information about the funding sources is speculative, including the potential burden on Lake Oswego and its taxpayers.  

COLA - LO Board Members Testify to the City Council at Sensitive Lands Hearing

To all COLA LO members,

Board Members Chris Foster and Dave Luck testified last night at the city council hearing on the proposed sensitive lands ordinance.    Chris Foster testified on the requirements of leadership and how they apply to the ordinance under consideration by the council.  Dave Luck testified regarding the history of the ordinance and the absence of key elements that would be required in justifying such a restriction on the private property rights of Lake Oswego residents.  

Over one hundred citizens attended the session. In a show of hands only two people supported the ordinance and both were not LO residents.   The session can be viewed online in a few days at:

http://www.tvctv.org/government-programming/government-meetings/lake-oswego

Please notify all members and contacts.  

Mary Olson LO City Councilor against Clackamas County tax on LO residents

To all Members,

Councilor Mary Olson clearly identifies the facts of the LO City Council.
here is a reprint:

December 8, 2010

To: Clackamas County Board of Commissioners

From: Mary Olson, Councilor, City of Lake Oswego

Testimony against increasing the vehicle registration fee without a vote of the people

The purpose of my testimony is to clarify previous testimony by Councilor Donna Jordan at your public hearing two weeks ago on Nov. 24, 2010. As background, two days before Thanksgiving (the day before your public hearing) Lake Oswego Mayor Jack Hoffman called Councilor Jordan from China to ask her to take a poll of the council on supporting the Vehicle Registration fee increase, and then testify at your hearing. We have never discussed this as a Council and have never had a vote on supporting the fee.

When Councilor Jordan called me, I expressed reservations about this fee being a foot in the door to future fee increases to be used for other projects. Because I fear a disaster occurring on the Sellwood Bridge, due to the negligence of the responsible jurisdictions, I said I could support it if it were to have sunset clause, and never be increased, and only be used for the Sellwood Bridge project. Councilor Jordan assured me that she would express my caveats to you in her testimony, but I don’t think she did.

However, in thinking about this proposed fee increase further, and researching it more thoroughly, I have come to the conclusion that it is not appropriate for the following reasons:

1. It is a dangerous precedent to start cross-jurisdictional funding of projects. This is a slippery slope, and where would it stop? Will we be asked to pay for the St. John’s Bridge repairs in the future? Do people from Portland or Mult. Co. pay for the Canby Ferry? Of course not. The Sellwood Bridge is the responsibility of Multnomah County. Period. The talk about 70% of the trips being from or to Clackamas Co. is a red herring. You could use arguments like that all over the Metro region to justify anything.

2. This should be put out for a vote of the people. Just because former speaker Dave Hunt got legislation passed that allows this county to circumvent a vote on Vehicle Reg. fee increases, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a vote. If this is a priority for our county’s citizens, let them vote.

3. This is not about the Sellwood Bridge. This is about a new revenue stream for Clackamas County by means of what is essentially a new tax without a vote. There is a plan formulated by Chair Peterson and the cities in Clackamas Co. to further increase this fee in three years and split it up on projects between the county and cities.

4. The Sellwood Bridge “problem” exists because of a lack of priority-setting by the responsible agencies. It is not because there is not enough money, it is because the money is being spent on other things. We are building bridges for light rail and streetcar projects while the Sellwood crumbles.

For these reasons I cannot support this proposed increase to the Vehicle Registration Fee. Thank you for letting me provide input.

Clackamas County approves tax on LO residents despite voter testimony

The Clackamas County Commissioners approved a $5 fee (Tax) on auto registrations to pay for a Multnomah County bridge (Sellwood), despite overwhelming testimony from citizens against the fee. 

The fee is unique and a new method for financing out of county projects despite voter discontent.  

At least two LO city councilors testified at the county hearings, Donna Jordan and Mary Olson.

http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/news/story_2nd.php?story_id=129192954004407100


Please notify all members and contacts.

Several COLA - LO Board members submit guest opinions to Lake Oswego Review

To all COLA LO Members,

Several Board Members submitted "Guest Opinion"  articles to the Lake Oswego Review this week.  The focus of these submissions was on issues involving the core principles of the group and the governance process of the council moving forward in 2011.  

The City Council has scheduled a number of key meetings during the "lame duck" session of this council just before the holidays.    These meetings involve key issues to the community and COLA LO encourages everyone to participate.   The timing of the meetings is poor and many believe they are designed to limit input from the community.

Several other citizens submitted articles asking for more transparency and fiscal responsibility with the new council in 2011 which is consistent with the election results and citizen concerns.

All articles can be found at: http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/opinion/index.php

Dave Berg wrote an article on key issues facing the council in 2011 and perhaps changing the process-focus of  efforts to ensure a cooperative council.

Gary Gipson wrote an article on Donna Jordan's testimony supporting increased LO resident taxes for a bridge that is not located in Lake Oswego or Clackamas county.

Dave Luck wrote an article asking citizens to participate in the sensitive lands hearing next week to support the property rights of individual citizens.

The new council meets for the first time on 1/4/11 with endorsed members Mike Kehoe and Jeff Gudman being sworn in as new councilors. 

Please inform all members and contacts.

Oregonian editorial published AGAINST the PDX-LO streetcar

To all COLA LO members,

This weekend the Oregonian published an editorial against the streetcar project from Portland to Lake Oswego. Effectively the editorial states that the project is not fiscally responsible given the facts.

Keep this in mind when evaluating candidate and council positions on the streetcar project. Most of the current council appears to support the project with estimated costs to the city escalating. The editorial is located at:

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/12/a_train_with_a_big_hill_to_cli.html

Please notify all members and contacts. 

Donna Jordan comments on supporting increased taxes

Donna Jordan issued the following response to an article in the Clackamas Review this week about whether county residents should pay for a bridge in another county. Her response to the article at this link is below:

http://www.clackamasreview.com/news/story.php?story_id=129115969234641400

Re: Should you pay for this bridge?

Yes, I was at the hearing and testified in favor of the $5 per vehicle, per year, fee after canvassing the other six members of Lake Oswego's City Council regarding their position on this new fee. All seven of us supported this modest investment to replace a bridge that rates a "2" on the 100 point safety scale. Most folks in Troutdale don't use this bridge, but they now pay $19 per vehicle per year in support of replacing the bridge. I believe that the safety of our citizens is worth investing in since 70% of the traffic over the bridge comes from Clackamas County.

"Donna Jordan"

(email verified)

Donna Jordan testifies supporting increased taxes

It appears newly re-elected councilor Donna Jordan is testifying in support of increasing the fees of Clackamas county residents to pay for the Sellwood Bridge. Donna testified before Clackamas county commissioners this week supporting a vehicle fee (tax) increase on Clackamas county residents to pay for a Multnomah county bridge. This was despite a significant number of residents opposing any such fee (tax) increase.

This was reported in the Oregonian at:

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2010/11/clackamas_county_sellwood_bridge_multnomah_county.html

Donna recently indicated she had heard the message of fiscal responsibility brought forward by voters in Lake Oswego during the last election when she narrowly was re-elected by 505 votes.  

Please inform all members and contacts of this information.

Bloomberg Business Week lists Lake Oswego as most expensive suburb in Oregon

Bloomberg business week released an article this week indicating that suburban communities will cost more in the future. The primary reasons were increased property taxes, fees, and transportation costs.  

The article also lists Lake Oswego as the most expensive suburb in Oregon due to these factors.  

The article can be found at:

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/nov2010/bw20101116_560939.htm?link_position=link1

Please notify all contacts and members.

COLA - LO Board member submits guest opinion to the Lake Oswego Review

To all COLA LO Members,

Board Member Gary Gispon submitted a "Guest Opinion"  article to the Lake Oswego Review last week. The focus of this article was on the new council which meets for the first time on 1/4/11 with endorsed members Mike Kehoe and Jeff Gudman being sworn in as new councilors.

 

The article is on the web at:

http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=129003399108152700

Please inform all members and contacts.

COLA -LO Poll on Capital projects shows us what citizens value the most.

To all COLA LO members,

The quick poll on capital projects shows us what citizens value the most in terms of facilities.    The poll conducted just before the election shows strong support for new Fire/Police facilities and the Lake Grove Village Center plan.     This is consistent with the prior poll on city services which rates public safety as the highest priority.   Citizens prefer to invest in public safety rather than visionary projects that may not be completed.

Here are the results form teh city services poll.  

Police & Fire	97 (85%)
Parks & Recreation	52 (45%)
Water & Sewer	70 (61%)
City Administration	17 (14%)
Street Maintenance & Repair	57 (50%)
Library Services	56 (49%)
Municipal Courts	25 (21%)
Property Development	7 (6%)
Planning & Code Enforcement	11 (9%)
Adult & Senior Services	28 (24%)
Economic Development	35 (30%)
Mass Transit Projects	36 (31%)

Poll closed

We will conduct additional polls in 2011 on capital projects and bonding issues as they are discussed at the council level.

Please inform members and contacts.

COLA - LO Board members submit guest opinions to Lake Oswego Review

To all COLA LO Members,

Board Members began submitting "Guest Opinion"  articles to the Lake Oswego Review last week. The focus of these submissions will be on issues involving the core principles of the group and the outcomes of  the local election. The first article is on the web at:

http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=128943600090603500

The new council meets for the first time on 1/4/11 with endorsed members Mike Kehoe and Jeff Gudman being sworn in as new councilors. 

Please inform all members and contacts.

Lake Oswego has highest voter participation rate

To all Cola LO members,

Final results for Clackamas County are now in and Lake Oswego had the highest voter participation rate of all the cities.    The results are:

City of Lake Oswego *

22,389

17,706

79.1%

	Ballots Issued	Ballots Returned	% Returned
County Totals	214,198	155,722	72.7%
City of Barlow	72	52	72.2%
City of Canby	8,106	6,165	76.1%
City of Damascus	6,538	4,961	75.9%
City of Estacada	1,364	919	67.4%
City of Gladstone	6,365	4,410	69.3%
City of Happy Valley	7,005	4,915	70.2%
City of Johnson City	256	177	69.1%
City of Lake Oswego *	22,389	17,706	79.1%
City of Milwaukie *	11,503	7,884	68.5%
City of Molalla	3,495	2,304	65.9%
City of Oregon City	16,725	11,741	70.2%
City of Portland *	474	366	77.2%
City of Rivergrove *	202	155	76.7%
City of Sandy	4,765	3,093	64.9%
City of Tualatin *	1,771	1,083	61.2%
City of West Linn	15,898	12,325	77.5%
City of Wilsonville *	8,608	6,432	74.7%
Unincorporated Areas	98,662	71,034	72.0%
* Clackamas County portion of city

COLA LO Candidates WIN!!!!

To all COLA LO Members,

COLA LO endorsed candidates Mike Kehoe and Jeff Gudman won the city council race last night. Dan Williams places a close fourth missing the council seat by less than 510 votes and with a stronger showing than all the remaining candidates.

In a very closely contested race nearly all the endorsed council candidates won the election with 7 candidates vying for 3 seats. Two of the candidates effectively split the vote pulling votes away from KGW and especially Dan Williams, giving the council seat to Donna Jordan.  

Results

Lake Oswego City Council

Won	Candidate	Votes	%
	Mike Kehoe	8,910	22
	Jeff Gudman	7,043	17
	Donna Jordan	6,335	15
	Dan Williams	5,830	14
	Roger Hennagin	5,539	13
	Lisa Shaw-Ryan	4,387	11
	David L. Jorling	3,307	8

Here are details on the clackamas county voter participation rate.

City of Lake Oswego *

22,378

12,967

57.9%

Thank you to all members, contacts, and volunteers who helped this effort be such a success.  We will be meeting in december to establish the agenda for 2011.

Volunteers for KGW candidates

To all COLA LO members,

Last night 10 volunteers call banked for the KGW candidates making over 700 calls to residents throughout Lake Oswego. This represents 5% of all the households in the city.  

Overall candidates and volunteers received a consistently positive response to the calls informing residents of the candidacy of Mike Kehoe, Jeff Gudman, and Dan Williams.  

Residents expressed concern over taxes, fees, and the priorities of current council efforts in a maturing community. These comments have been consistent throughout all efforts since the spring.  

Please notify all members and contacts that have not voted to turn in ballots.

Volunteers call bank for KGW candidates

To all COLA LO members,

Volunteers and candidates continued to call bank this weekend for all COLA LO endorsed candidates. Please continue to support Kehoe - Gudman -Williams for city council.  

Voter turnout is extremely high based upon ballots submitted through 10/30/10. All indications are that support for Mike Kehoe, Jeff Gudman, and Dan Williams is extremely high across all areas and groups.

Notify all your friends and contacts of the importance of this election.

COLA LO posts City Council election results link

To all COLA LO Members,

We have updated our links section with the official elections result site for Clackamas County. The link is:

http://www.clackamas.us/elections/results.htm#21

This site can be monitored for election results on Tuesday after 8pm. Feel free to forward this link to members and contacts.

Candidates calling voters with volunteer COLA LO members

To all COLA LO members & friends,

Don't be surprised if you receive a personal call from Mike Kehoe, Jeff Gudman, or Dan Williams.    Why? All of the candidates are now making calls using the COLA LO call banking system/resources.    COLA LO volunteer members and the candidates made calls throughout Lake Oswego last weekend and will continue to do so this week. Candidates and volunteers talked directly with voters to express the need for fiscal responsibility in Lake Oswego.

Our thanks to the many of you that expressed unconditional support to the candidates and are helping in the effort. All of the candidates are walking the community and personally expressing their views and commitments to the voters.  

Please remember to vote K-G-W (Kehoe Gudman and Williams) and turn in your ballots right away.

Portland's Runaway Debt Train

To all COLA LO Members,

A new article in New Geography.com exposes the myths behind the financial impact of Portland's rail investments.   It shows the actual long term costs of light rail in Portland.

http://www.newgeography.com/content/001826-portlands-runaway-debt-train

Keep this in mind when voting for candidates that support the street car to Lake Oswego.  Please forward this to friends and contacts.  

Oregonian publishes a full page private party endorsement of Kehoe, Gudman & Williams

To all COLA LO members.

The Oregonian Southwest Section published a full page endorsement of Kehoe, Gudman, and Williams this weekend. The endorsement was paid for by a private party group of citizens and exhibits COLA LO's endorsement along with several other independent groups.

This endorsement comes just after the taxpayers association of Oregon endorsed Mike Kehoe, Jeff Gudman, and Dan Williams this week for their fiscally responsible positions on the issues facing Lake Oswego.

Please notify all members and contacts.

Lake Oswego Review publishes a full page private party endorsement of Kehoe, Gudman & Williams

To all COLA LO members.

The print edition of the Lake Oswego Review includes a full page endorsement of Kehoe, Gudman, and Williams. The endorsement was paid for by a private party group of citizens and is on the second page of the print edition of the review.

This endorsement comes just after the taxpayers association of Oregon endorsed Mike Kehoe, Jeff Gudman, and Dan Williams this week for their fiscally responsible positions on the issues facing Lake Oswego.

Please notify all members and contacts.

Taxpayers Association of Oregon PAC endorses Kehoe,Gudman,Williams

To all COLA LO members.

The taxpayers association of Oregon endorsed Mike Kehoe, Jeff Gudman, and Dan Williams this week for their fiscally responsible positions on the issues facing Lake Oswego.  

Their Voters guide link is:

http://www.oregonwatchdog.com/stage/voter-guide-2010.htm

Please forward to all members and contacts.  

COLA LO delivers another 1000 flyers - program continues

To All COLA LO Members,

COLA LO representatives distributed flyers to 1,000 households on Sunday. The flyer outreach program will continue this week through the efforts of our volunteer team to ensure we achieve the outreach objective.  

This flyer clearly identifies the issues and values of our Kehoe-Gudman-Williams endorsement decision. The flyer distribution program is an extensive effort to reach out to the city and to ensure we preserve the values of Lake Oswego.

Electronic copies of the flyer will be sent out to all members for forwarding to contacts and friends.

COLA LO delivers 2,000 flyers in a single day!

To All COLA LO Members,

COLA LO representatives distributed flyers to 2,000 house holds in a single day Saturday. We nearly ran out of flyers due to requests from different neighborhoods. Several volunteers were sent electronic copies of the flyer to distribute individually in the community.

This flyer clearly identifies the issues and values of our Kehoe-Gudman-Williams endorsement decision. Members can request the PDF version of the flyer by sending an email to the group email address.

The flyer distribution program is an extensive effort to reach out to the city and to ensure we preserve the values of Lake Oswego. We are receiving near universal support from citizens that we contact when delivering the flyers. There are several flyer initiatives but the COLA LO approved flyer has the logo and site clearly positioned at the bottom.

COLA LO Endorsement Flyer Available

To All COLA LO Members,

COLA LO representatives have begun distributing flyers to 3,000+ households in the LO community of 15,500 households. This flyer clearly identifies the issues and values of our endorsement decision.     

Please check your emails and feel free to distribute the flyers to friends and contacts in the community.   Members can request the PDF version of the flyer by sending an email to the group email address.

 

The flyer distribution program is an extensive effort to reach out to the city and to ensure we preserve the values of Lake Oswego.

COLA - LO Begins Calls to 5,000-7,000 residents.

To All COLA LO Members,

COLA LO representatives have begun calls to 5,000 - 7,000 households in the LO community of 15,500 households. This program is to identify issues in the community and to communicate our endorsement decision and process to the citizens.  

These are not automated calls but personal calls and visits from COLA LO representatives to neighbors in the community. It is an extensive effort to reach out to the city and to ensure we preserve the values of Lake Oswego.

Please make sure you notify all members and contacts of the efforts.

NEW COLA LO POLL ON IMPORTANT CAPITAL INVESTMENTS (What can we the taxpayers really afford?)

All COLA LO Members,

Friday we introduced a new poll on the most important capital investments.   Which projects are the most important to fund in this difficult economic environment?  Can we truly afford $400-900 million in capital improvements in a city with only 15,500 households?    The poll is designed to provide additional feedback from group members and the community.

The issue of which projects are "core"  is an ongoing discussion in our candidate interviews.   The cost of those projects continues to be either ignored or not discussed by many of the candidates.  

Please ensure that as a member you participate in the poll and inform others.

COLA-LO poll on city issues shows citizens' chief concerns

To all members,

The city issues poll has closed. Citizens provided a clear direction for the council and the candidates on those issues of greatest concern. The results were very definitive and included:

1. Schools (59%)
2. Cost of city Services  (43%)
3. Streetcar (49% - impacted by double voting) 

The results show a clear mandate that the city refocus on costs, fees, and the impact of major projects for the community and re-direct the efforts from expensive studies and non core areas. Tax Increment Financing (TIF)  for development projects is of concern to the community because it reduces funding to schools.  

Please ensure that all members and contacts review the poll results.

COLA-LO poll on city services shows us what citizens value the most

To all members,

The city services poll has closed. Citizens provided a clear direction for the council and the candidates on those city services they value the most. The results were very definitive and included:

1. Police & Fire Protection (85%)
2. Water & Sewer  (61%)
3. Streets & Library (50/49%)

The results show a clear mandate that the city refocus on core services for the community and re-direct the efforts from expensive studies and non-core areas.  

Please ensure that all members and contacts review the poll results.

COLA LO Endorses Three Council Candidates

Core Values have made this community great. These values include fiscal responsibility, a focus on core city services, and a respect for personal property rights. There is widespread concern that the existing City Council refuses to recognize the burden increasing fees and taxes place on our community, and that they continue to leave critical issues unresolved while spending hard earned taxpayer funds on non-core projects.

Their focus today is on bigger government, more taxes, more fees, more regulation, and less transparency. This includes large visionary projects that will add to the debt load and fees citizens will pay in the future while other projects such as the WEB continue to linger unresolved and will also increase our fees/taxes.

COLA-LO interviewed City Council candidates individually to determine how their beliefs and values aligned with the Core Values. We made these interviews available to the entire community on TVCTV and on our blog. This was done to allow everyone in the community the time to view the candidates at their leisure. We hope this will provide for a more informed decision in November.

The interviews showed two distinct positions on local government and the need to grow local government (and your taxes and fees). The positions represented two radically different visions of our future:

• One position is to spend current resources, add to our debt load, and to significantly increase density to support larger local government with more fees-taxes.
• The other position is to restore the community to fiscal responsibility by listening to the needs of citizens, completing projects, advocating for lower fees-taxes, and accepting that Lake Oswego is a mature community.

We believe the latter position conforms to the core values of this community and will lead us into the future, which is why individually we endorse Jeff Gudman, Mike Kehoe, and Dan Williams. All are businessmen with private sector backgrounds and the overall experience, education, and knowledge to be excellent city councilors.

Please consider voting for all three.

COLA LO YouTube Channel

To all Members,

Cola LO now has a YouTube Channel for the community to review short videos.   There is a variety of videos on the channel from other sources regarding LO including the LONAC canddiate forum conducted last weekend.  

We could not use YouTube for the COLA LO candidate interviews as they were too long at 20-40 minutes.  http://www.youtube.com/user/commonsenselo?feature=mhum#p/f

What is the state of City Services in Lake Oswego?

In recent years, our City Council has pursued "their vision" of the core city services Lake Oswego Citizens should have to make their lives better. Many of these choices have been made and few citizens know the details.

They all require our hard-earned tax dollars but they also cost us in terms of the services we do not have because the council chose not to fund them in favor of these services. Here are some examples of questions every citizen needs to answer for themselves.

Redevelopment Expenditures

1. Was it responsible to spend $146,000 on Boones Ferry Refinement Plan for Lake Grove and spending $1,300,000 on Foothills Redevelopment Plan from General Fund Reserves?
2. Was it responsible not to complete the Lake Grove plan and then enter into a new project study on Foothills Redevelopment?
3. Is it responsible to promise Citizens that City Council will present a proposed solution for the WEB (now that we own it at a reduced market value of $8.5 million), but continue to pay for the building from general funds that can be used for other services? Note that the lowest estimate of additional required upgrades is on the order of $60 million!  This is in addition to the lost market value of $12 million and doesn't include the costs of all the consultants and staff time!

Parks & Recreation Expenditures

1. Was it responsible to reduce park maintenance funding by $55,000 while paying a new tennis facility consultant $60,000?
2. Was it responsible to spend $1,300,000 on Foothills Redevelopment Plan from General Fund Reserves when we can use these funds for enhanced parks and recreation services?
3. Was it responsible to provide no funding for removing ivy from trees while spending $250,000 on the Centennial celebration?
4. Was it responsible to not complete the bicycle/pathway system while budgeting $84,000 for Washington DC lobbyists and 4 public information staff positions
5. Was it responsible to not utilize city professional staff resources more efficiently instead of Contracting with consultants for $250,000 for a Parks Master Plan and $100,000 for assistance with the Comprehensive Plan Update?

Neighborhoods & Protection

1. Is it responsible to reduce neighborhood planning support while the City Council directed the City Manager to review the Development Code to enable housing options such as cottage, cluster housing and secondary dwelling units?
2. Is it responsible to eliminate traffic engineer and community service officer positions and reduce neighborhood planning program staff resources by 1.5 positions while hiring an Economic Development Manager and Administrative Assistant and creating a marketing program that has spent $30,000 for a consultant and $20,000 for the Summer 2010 "Say Hello to LO" promotion

LONG RANGE PLANNING FOR A CHANGING DEMOGRAPHIC

1. Is it responsible to continue spending increases in light of Lake Oswego’s slowing growth, decline in number of school age children, aging population and the likelihood of an extended slow growth national economy?
2. Is it appropriate to increase staff levels by 10 positions in the past two years and paying for leased office space for the economic development staff when they can use the WEB?
3. Are we focused on the right priorities or are we trading off non-core expenses for needed core services?

WHAT LAKE OSWEGO NEEDS FROM EACH OF US

• An inquisitive mind that examines the issues facing Lake Oswego.
• Provide input and Vote

COLA -LO Polls show a distinct opinion on Issues & Services

To all COLA LO Members, 

The issues and services polls continue to show consistent trends in concerns and values of the community.  They have been consistent since the beginning of each poll.  

Issues: Cost of City Services,  Schools, Sensitive Lands/Foothills.    The streetcar issue was impacted by the stacking campaign on 9/29.

Services:  Police/Fire, Water & Sewer, and Street Maintenance.   These 3 areas seem to be where citizens want the city to focus their efforts.  Although Library and Parks follow closely behind.   

Please ensure that all members and contacts participate in these polls.

COLA -LO Poll showed opinion on Candidates

To All COLA LO Members

Our preliminary candidate poll continued to show consistent support for four candidates in the city over the past month or more. As many of you know we have the ability to determine the sources of poll entries and adjust for double voting and automated or unusual "stacking"  of  participants.  

Yesterday we received advanced notice of a potential "stacking" campaign. For the next 24 hrs the candidate poll participation increased 111%. Hits were consistent and timed to target specific candidates.

Below is a summary of our poll observations. Please note that most of the poll participants in the past 24 hrs DID NOT participate in the issues or city services polls but those that did favored mass transit as an issue/service.  

Long term support:   Kehoe, Williams, Gudman, Shaw-Ryan
Support in the past 24 hrs:  Hennagin, Kehoe, Jordan, Jorling. 

We encourage all members of the community to watch the interview videos at their leisure.  

COLA LO Candidate Interviews now on the blog (updated)

To all COLA LO members,

All candidate interviews are now posted on this blog through the links on the right side of the blog page below the centennial logo.  Please allow 3-4 minutes for each interview to load into your media viewer since the interviews range from 20-40 minutes.

COLA LO To Post Candidate Interviews on the blog

To all COLA LO members,

Candidate Interviews will be posted to the web for all members and residents of the community to view at their leisure.   

1. Responses from the candidates do vary from 20-40 minutes.
2. Please allow 1-3 minutes for buffering the interview.
3. Links will be posted to the interviews by Thursday.  

Please check the blog for all details.  We intend this service to contribute to informing our community so please notify your contacts.  

COLA -LO Board determines candidate endorsement

To All COLA LO Members,

The board has met for a second meeting and confirmed its preliminary candidate endorsements. Our endorsement will be released on Monday 10/4. This will allow members and the public enough time to view candidate interviews on TVCTV Ch 28 and on the web. We will contact the candidates with our decision by Monday. Please review the Blog and your emails for updates and continue to participate in the candidate poll.     

COLA -LO Polls show a defined opinion on Candidates

To All COLA LO Members,

Our preliminary candidate poll  has continued to show consistent support for four candidates in the city council election. There are 3 open positions.  The other candidates have had some growing support but have not been consistent.

Support:  Gudman, Shaw-Ryan, Kehoe, Williams

Please ensure that all members and contacts participate in the poll.  

TVCTV Scheduled Broadcast Times continue M-W

To All COLA LO Members,

TVCTV  will continue to broadcast candidate interviews Monday-Wednesday of next week and then after October 6th.   Please review the schedule for Ch 28 for the interview times that are most convenient for you and your friends.  

After Oct 6th TVCTV will broadcast interviews on all the channels.  

COLA LO Releases Article to LO Review

To All COLA LO Members,

The board released an article describing the council candidate interview process for the community. The LO Review published the article in its letters to the editor section yesterday. The article describes the extensive process our group took to interview candidates for the community.

Our board also met with the editor of the review yesterday and provided Mr. Martin Forbes with a copy of our interview questions and a summary of the board member's backgrounds and the groups efforts. 

Please review the details in the Review. 

TVCTV Begins Broadcasting COLA LO Interviews Today!

To ALL COLA LO Members,

TVCTV Scheduled Broadcast begins. The initial scheduled broadcast times for all candidate interviews began today. All broadcasts will be on CH 28 and all times are approximately within 1 minute of actual air time. Please encourage all members and contacts to view the televised interviews. 

TVCTV Scheduled Broadcast Times

To ALL COLA LO Members,

Here are the initial scheduled broadcast times for all candidate interviews.  

All broadcasts will be on CH 28 and all times are approximately within 1 minute of actual air time.

Dave Jorling

Thursday Sept 23 12:00 PM

Saturday Sept 25 9:41 PM

Monday Sept 27 10:18 AM

Dan Williams

Thursday Sept 23 2:26 PM

Saturday Sept 25 3:40 PM

Sunday Sept 26 10:12 PM

Donna Jordan

Thursday Sept 23 3:02 PM

Saturday Sept 25 9:00 PM

Sunday Sept 26 9:30 PM

Jeff Gudman

Thursday Sept 23 10:39 AM

Saturday Sept 25 9:31 AM

Monday Sept 27 8:30 AM

Mike Kehoe

Thursday Sept 23 1:18 PM

Saturday Sept 25 9:10 AM

Monday Sept 27 9:17 AM

Roger Hennagin

Thursday Sept 23 9:00 PM

Saturday Sept 25 8:30 AM

Monday Sept 27 9:38 AM

After Oct 6th they will get random playing on all channels until the election.

TVCTV releases Scheduled Airplays for the "Lake Oswego COLA Interviews"

To ALL COLA LO Members,

TVCTV has just released the broadcast times for all candidate interviews.   All broadcasts will be on CH 28.

They begin Thursday Sept 23 at 10:39:14 AM.       We will be providing the schedule for the first 3 interviews for all candidates in a separate blog post.   After Oct 6th and they will get random playing on all channels until the election along with all of the others.

Please continue to review the blog for updates and ensure all members and contacts participate in the polls.  

COLA -LO Board meets to discuss preliminary endorsement

To All COLA LO Members,

The board will meet this evening with members of the advisory board to evaluate a preliminary endorsement of candidates. Thank you for your continued calls and emails to all board members expressing your views and providing additional information for review.

Please make sure all members and contacts participate in the preliminary polls. 

COLA -LO Polls show a defined opinion on Candidates

To All COLA LO Members,

Our preliminary candidate poll continues to show consistent support for four candidates in the city council election. There are 3 open positions. However two additional candidates have begun to show a presence in the poll and the support may shift prior to closing the preliminary poll.  

Consistent support:  Gudman, Shaw-Ryan, Kehoe, Williams

Emerging support:  Jordan, Jorling.  

Please make sure all members and contacts participate in the preliminary poll. 

COLA -LO Polls show a distinct opinion on Issues

All COLA LO Members,

Our poll on issues is now showing a distinct focus on three areas: Cost of City Services, Schools, and Sensitive Lands. These issues are of primary concern to those participating in the polls and the community.  

Please ensure that as a member you participate in the poll and inform other residents in the community of the polls. 

City Services - Poll Participation Increasing

All COLA LO Members,

The new poll on city services continues to show a distinct set of core services.  Three primary services continue to be the most important to those that are participating.

However most group members have not participated in the poll yet. The poll is designed to provide additional feedback from group members so we need to ensure that most members express their opinions.  

The issue of which services are "core"  was an ongoing discussion in our candidate interviews and within the community. 

COLA LO Completes Candidate Interview Process

All COLA LO Members,

Today the COLA LO board completed the city council candidate interview process. We would like to express our appreciation to the city council candidates for their participation. The discussions and responses were very open and candidates responded to all the questions presented by the board. We will notify all members of the airing times for candidate interviews once we receive the information from TVCTV.

COLA LO also intends to make the interviews available for viewing by members online. We intend to link to TVCTV for members and the community to view the interviews.

Additional information and revisions will be posted.

COLA -LO Poll on City Services begins to show support

To ALL COLA LO Members,

Our most recent poll begins to show support for 4 core city services.   Please participate to show your concern in the core city services questions.  Also ensure that contacts view the poll and provide input.  

COLA LO Continues Candidate Interview Process

All COLA LO Members,

Today the COLA LO board continued the city council candidate interview process.  We completed our standard interview  which was taped by TVCTV for airing on the public access channels. Each candidate continues to answer 11 primary questions and timing allowed us to add 3 additional questions. 

Additional information and revisions will be posted.

COLA -LO Introduces a new Poll on City Services

 

All COLA LO Members,

Today we introduced a new poll on the most important city services.   Which services are the most important to fund in this difficult economic environment?   The poll is designed to provide additional feedback from group members.

 

The issue of which services are "core"  is an ongoing discussion in our candidate interviews.   

Please ensure that as a member you participate in the poll and inform others.

COLA LO Begins Candidate Interview Process

All COLA LO Members,

Today the COLA LO board began the city council candidate interview process.    We completed interviews of two candidates which were taped by TVCTV for airing on the public access channels.   Each candidate answered 11 primary questions and timing allowed us to add 3 additional questions. 

This process should provide the community and COLA LO members with additional information on every candidate.  Advisory board members were also in attendance during each session.  

The process will be completed on the 15th and 16th and the board will meet during the week of the 22nd for review.   Once again please inform everyone of the polls.      Participation in the polls continues to increase as more members and residents are aware of the blog.

COLA -LO to introduce a new Poll on City Services

All COLA LO Members,

We will introduce a new poll on city services.   Please check the blog for a new poll coming soon.  Participation has increased on the polls regarding canddiates and issues.

We continue to observe support for 5 of the 7 candidates and 3 specific issues within the community.

Please ensure that as a member you participate in the poll and inform others.

COLA -LO Polls show a shift in opinion on Candidates & Issues

All COLA LO Members,

On Friday the board began to receive support from a variety of different groups for our electronic poll and our process.    Not only has participation increased but the sentiment of those taking the polls is shifting the results.  

We are observing support for 5 of the 7 candidates and 3 specific issues within the community.   

Prior to this week there was limited participation in the polls as the board had not informed the community at large.   However with the posting last week of the LO Review article and several community meetings, participation has increased by 50% or more.  

Please ensure that as a member you participate in the poll and inform other residents in the community of the polls. 

Candidate Interviews will be performed 9/13-9/16

To All COLA LO Members,

The board met tuesday evening and refined the candidate interview questions.   Three of our board members will ask questions while two will act as timers and scribes.  Each candidate will answer questions in the following areas:

1. Fiscal Responsibility - budget priorities.
2. Core Services - priority and delivery of city services.
3. Property Rights - individual and community benefits.
4. Governance -  candidate perspectives and intentions.

TVCTV  will edit the interviews and requires that all candidates be asked the same questions in fairness.    The board agrees with this requirement.   Answers will be limited to no more than five minutes so the canddiates will need to be brief but thorough in their responses. 

Please check your emails and voicemail for additional details.

COLA -LO Continues to receive support from the community

The board would like to express its appreciation to the new group members that have joined us this past week.   We continue to receive enormous support from the community for our efforts.  During the past week our member group has expanded significantly.

Expect additional blog comments on Core City Services and Property Rights during September with input from key advisory group members.  

What is the state of Fiscal Responsibility in Lake Oswego?

In recent years, our City Council has pursued “their vision” of what Lake Oswego Citizens should have to make their lives better. Many of these vision pursuits have been executed and many are in the planning process. They all require an ongoing commitment of our hard-earned tax dollars. Here are some examples of questions every citizen needs to answer for themselves.

WEST END BUILDING

• Was it responsible to purchase the West End Building (WEB) with $20 million of departmental reserves without a permanent financing plan? Without a ballpark estimate of what development costs ($120+ million) might be and how those costs would be repaid? 
•  Is it responsible to promise Citizens that City Council will present a proposed solution for the WEB (now that we own it at a reduced market value of $8.5 million), but continue to kick the can to the future leaving Citizens in the dark about what their recommended plans are for the building?

FOOTHILLS PROJECT (between State Street and the Willamette River)

• Was it responsible to start another much, much larger, speculative “vision project” called the Foothills Project also by taking reserves totaling $1.3 million to fund a predevelopment planning agreement instead of husbanding reserve dollars as a rainy day fund?
• Could we not use these funds to improve core city services or support a reserve?

 STREETCAR EXTENSION (from South Waterfront to Albertson’s)

• Is it responsible to pursue a $380-$458 million Streetcar Extension Project?
• Is it responsible to tell Citizens that the proposed Streetcar Project will be mostly financed by Federal dollars and if we don’t take the money, some other city will? It is now estimated that the Federal/Local split will be 50/50 and may result in having LO to contribute tens of millions of dollars.

LONG RANGE PLANNING FOR GROWTH

• Is it responsible to continue spending increases in light of Lake Oswego’s slowing growth, declines in school age children, aging population and the likelihood of an extended slow growth national economy?
• Is it responsible to expect our elder Citizens will be able to afford the increases in taxes and fees associated with the spending on these projects?
• Is it not responsible for the City to work with our LO School District in figuring how the City and Schools can work together in keeping our Schools among the state’s elite?
• Are we focused on the right priorities or are we trading off visionary projects for needed capital improvements? Can we afford both?

WHAT LAKE OSWEGO NEEDS FROM EACH OF US

•  An inquisitive mind that examines the issues facing Lake Oswego.
• Provide input and Vote

 

ALL CANDIDATES ACCEPT - COLA LO Invitation

To all COLA LO Members,

As of Thursday afternoon  7 of the 7 council candidates have confirmed they will participate in the open discussion on key issues of concern to our community. The scheduled dates of 9/13-9/16 are set.

We will try to inform you of the TV schedule on TVCTV so everyone can review the candidates response to the questions.   Please review your emails and voicemail for further details.

Thank you for your continued support of the organization.  Please remember to contribute to the final poll.

COLA LO Board

COLA LO Releases Board letter to LO Review

To All COLA LO Members,

The board released a letter to the editor of the LO review this week.   Our thanks to Martin Forbes the editor as it was published in the LO review this week.   The letter outlines our mission and the efforts of COLA LO.   The inital community response to our letter has been very consistent with citizens sending us emails and comments of strong support.   

As the board expected, one of the anonymous comments in the review questions the use of  the term "common sense" in our groups efforts.   We anticipated this as a board when one of our advisory members suggested using "common sense" versus COLA LO in emails and the blogspot.    More details on this discussion and the real intent of these comments in a future blog post.

Please continue to check youir emails and voicemail for additional information.

Candidate Interviews will be on TVCTV

To all COLA LO Members,


Six of the seven council candidates have confirmed they will participate in our  open discussion on key issues of concern to our community.

The discussions will be recorded and televised on Tualatin Valley Cable TV http://www.tvctv.org/.

The scheduled dates of  9/13 and 9/15-9/16 are set and we are awaiting a response from the remaining candidate.   Questions from our board members will focus on three primary areas:  Fiscal responsibility,  core city services, and property rights.    Candidates will respond to a standard set of questions with an open discussion of the issues and follow up clarification by board members as time permits. 

We will post the TVCTV scheduled airing of the discussions following production editing of each session. 

Please review your emails and voicemail for further details.  

Please also note a preliminary poll exists on the blog.    A final poll will be conducted prior to the election.

Thank you for your continued support of the organization.

COLA-LO Board

Invitations to Candidates for City Council

To all COLA LO Members,

Invitations were sent to all city council candidates to attend our panel review sessions on Monday.   As of Tuesday morning 4 of the 7 council candidates have confirmed they will participate in the open discussion on key issues of concern to our community.   The scheduled dates of 9/15-9/16 are set and we are awaiting responses from the remaining candidates.   

We will try to ensure that all council candidates participate in the process so  members of our community have the opportunity to evaluate the positions of each candidate and make informed decisions.  However the TV and location schedule may limit our options during the process. 

Please review your emails and voicemail for further details.    Thank you for your continued support of the organization.  

COLA-LO Board

COLA -LO Organization

COLA LO was founded in the spring of 2010 to address specific concerns within the community.    Lake Oswego's 2008 election showed a growing disparity of views within the community, primarily surrounding the purchase and use of the WEB building.  Unfortunately this issue continues to remain unresolved nearly two years after the election while the city council reviews additional development projects and restrictions.

The WEB is a symbol of larger issues within the public management of the community including the public process and its direction.    The efforts of the council in 2008-2010 have been focused on development restrictions within the city while not only proposing cuts to core services but also promoting costly consultant projects.  These projects are a tradeoff of resources in the budget during a period of significant economic uncertainty for citizens. 

After reviewing testimony at hearings we believe it is essential that elected officials in our city council be held accountable for their decisions and that a group of long term citizens provide oversight for the community.    The existing advisory boards seem to have little impact on final management decisions.

COLA -LO was developed with a Board of Directors to guide its efforts.   The board is supplemented with a focused advisory group that provides input on specific issues and a general membership group that participates in our meetings.

COLA -LO

Citizens for Local Accountability (COLA-LO) is a group representing a coalition of citizens in Lake Oswego that are concerned about our city and believe in common sense government in three areas:




 Fiscal Responsibility

 Focus on Core Services (Fire, Police, Sewer, Parks and Roads).

 Property Rights for the individual citizen.



We believe that not only have these values made Lake Oswego an exceptional place to live but also that as citizens we need to endorse city council candidates that represent these values. We are inviting council candidates for interviews and will make our recommendation to the citizens of Lake Oswego as a group.


We would like to invite you to be a member of our broader group in addition to our Board and advisory members and participate in our “straw poll” next month.