City Manager

• The ESC advised staff on updates to its city procurement practices to make them fairer. 
• The city began publishing issues of the Milwaukie Pilot in Spanish. 
• The Milwaukie Police Department held a community conversation on bias at Clackamas Community College.  
• The city contracted with Keen Independent Research to conduct a comprehensive equity assessment of the city. 
• The city again supported the Milwaukie Juneteenth celebration, as well as a community Pride Month event. 
• The city reviewed and revised its human resources policies and procedures to promote equity and access for all. 
• The city established Employee Resources Groups (ERGs) for staff who identify as BIPOC or LGBTQIA+.  

City Council has not made any decisions to leave the parks district, and Milwaukie is currently a member of NCPRD. 

In 2022, City Council directed staff to investigate the feasibility for the city to provide parks services in light of the challenges experienced with the Milwaukie Bay Park project, as well as concerns about deferred maintenance and investment in other city-owned parks. City Council passed a resolution to put a local option levy on the November 2022 ballot in place of the NCPRD tax currently being collected, but later withdrew that measure to give more time to assess options. City Council added a third goal related to parks in September 2022 to continue this assessment.  

NCPRD's board of directors has expressed concerns that investment in Milwaukie Bay Park could become “stranded,” if the city were to leave the district in the future. The project IGAs adopted in 2021 and 2022, however, included language that already address these concerns. The city is willing to consider other measures as well, if the board will resume talks on the project. 

There are no additional charges to have your bulky waste collected on these days for the accepted items in the allowable quantities and weights. The costs for this event are included in your garbage/recycling fees set by City Council.

In 2020 and 2021, city staff and elected officials met with NCPRD staff, along with representatives from the NCPRD board of directors (who are also the Clackamas County Commissioners) to negotiate intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) for funding and constructing for phase 3 of Milwaukie Bay Park. The city quickly adopted these agreements in November 2021, with a June 2022 sunset clause to avoid price escalations. The board of directors removed the funding IGA from its agendas three times before approving it in March 2022, contingent on NCPRD and the city negotiating a new overall IGA that would change the terms by which the city could depart the parks district. 

The existing IGA stipulates that the City of Milwaukie could choose to leave the district by a vote of City Council pursuant to ORS 222.524. The NCPRD board of directors contends this is no longer a valid term, and that ORS 198 is the applicable statute. The process defined in ORS 198 requires a petition to the board of directors to withdraw from the district. 

The City of Milwaukie filed a validation petition with the court to provide a legal ruling on which process applies, ORS 222 or ORS 198. On May 16, 2023, a county circuit judge ruled that the withdrawal method agreed by the city and NCPRD in their 2008 IGA was beyond their legal authority under state law. The judge’s ruling states that the NCPRD board of directors must agree to allow Milwaukie to withdraw and refer the question to voters district wide. On June 21, 2023, the City of Milwaukie appealed the circuit judge’s decision to the Oregon Court of Appeals. The city is currently awaiting the decision of the Court of Appeals.

The Validation Petition is limited in scope to the very narrow question of whether the language in Section VI of the 2008 master IGA is valid. The petition does not reference Milwaukie Bay Park or a new master IGA, and a decision that affirms the 2008 language will not by itself result in the city’s departure from the district. 

Put a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If, without flushing, the coloring begins to appear in the bowl, there is a leak that has the potential to waste more than 100 gallons of water a day. 

Clackamas County has a great mapping tool that shows the jurisdiction of all properties in Clackamas County. Once on their webpage, you can start typing the address in the upper right hand corner to search.  As you type, the site will populate options to choose from. Click the correct address and the jurisdiction will be displayed on the next screen. You can change the menu to search by tax lot number or parcel number instead of address, or you can pan/zoom and select the property by clicking manually.  Here’s the link:  http://cmap.clackamas.us/maps/cmap

The low levels of PFAS found in Milwaukie’s water supply are slightly above recommended limits in state and federal guidance. The recommended limits are based on long-term exposure to PFAS throughout a person’s life and represent a conservative level at which no adverse impacts are expected over a lifetime of drinking the water, even in health-sensitive populations. If you are concerned about potential health impacts from exposure to PFAS, contact your health care provider.

A business registration is required for businesses operating within the City limits, whether a rental property, commercial or home-based business.  It is a tax imposed by the City Council. The registration is effective January 1st through December 31st. 

With the city’s intention of leaving NCPRD and becoming the parks and recreation provider for Milwaukie, this levy would provide the necessary funding to maintain the parks and offer recreational programming.

Each cigarette butt or tissue flushed away can use five to seven gallons of water.

You can submit a public records request at: https://www.milwaukieoregon.gov/cityrecorder/public-records-request-form or our records are available online back to 2012.  Residential plans are kept two (2) years and commercial plans are kept ten (10) years from the final date as per the State of Oregon retention schedule.

Owners who offer one or more units for rent are subject to the business tax.  Landlords who offer units in single family homes or duplexes pay a single business tax.  Landlords who offer units in multi-family dwellings and apartment complexes pay a business tax on each location.

NCPRD’s board is the Clackamas County Board of County Commissioners, none of whom live in Milwaukie. The District Advisory Committee is made up of 11 members, with two individuals representing the City of Milwaukie portion of NCPRD. They advise the Board of County Commissioners, but do not control NCPRD’s budget or priorities.

No. This measure will not increase taxes. Milwaukie residents currently pay property taxes to NCPRD at the rate of $0.5382 per $1,000 of assessed value (or about $108 per year for the median home value in the city). This measure would maintain the current rate, but direct those funds to the City of Milwaukie rather than NCPRD.

Put one to two inches of sand or pebbles in the bottom of a 1-liter bottle to weigh it down. Fill the rest of the bottle with water and put it in the toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanism. On average, the bottle may save five or more gallons of water each day without harming the efficiency of the toilet. If the tank is large enough, two bottles may be placed inside.

Yes.   You can exclude words by using the minus sign (-).   In order to find the results of all pages that have alarm in the result but not permit, you would search for alarm -permit.

The full year fee is $130.00 standard base fee plus $9.00 for each full-time employee, including owners.  Two part-time employees equal one full-time employee. A new business which begins January through June will pay the full year fee.  A new business which begins July through December will pay $65.00 standard base fee plus $9.00 for each full-time employee, owner and part-time employee.

Although not naturally occurring, PFAS are widespread in the environment and have been found in the drinking water supplies of millions of Americans, including in Oregon State. In general, PFAS are most commonly found near sites where industrial or consumer products with PFAS have been made or used. However, there is no known or apparent source for the PFAS found in Milwaukie’s local water supply.

El fondo tiene como objetivo celebrar la diversidad de Milwaukie. Se pueden considerar personas de comunidades históricamentedesfavorecidas, lo que incluye, por ejemplo, mujeres, personas LGBTQ+, personas de raza negras, indígenas, latina o hispana y otras razas y culturas desfavorecidas.

Los solicitantes también deben planificar la celebración de su evento dentro de los límites de la ciudad de Milwaukie, hacer que la entrada sea gratis para el público y demostrar cómo se utilizará el dinero para producir el evento.

Typically, when customers think expensive they are confusing system development charges (SDCs) with permits.  SDCs do not apply to existing home remodels or additions.  They apply only to new dwelling units, such as a new house or ADU, and some commercial projects.

There are currently no federal drinking water regulations for PFAS. In 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set new lifetime exposure Health Advisory Level guidance for PFAS until enforceable safety standards are adopted under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Oregon also created State Action Levels for PFAS that outline testing and notification requirements for some water providers, including Milwaukie, starting in 2023. These federal and state recommended limits are set to protect all people, including sensitive populations and life stages, from health impacts resulting from exposure to PFAS throughout their lives.

The city’s Equity Steering Committee meets in February and August each year to review applications.

El Comité Directivo de Equidad de la ciudad se reúne en febrero y agosto de cada año para revisar las solicitudes.

Vendors who perform services for the City must have either a business registration or a Metro license.

The City is actively sharing information with customers and investigating potential PFAS impacts to the water supply. We completed sampling and found low levels of PFAS in our water supply in 2020 and 2021. We are reporting information about PFAS and sampling results on the City’s website and in our Annual Water Quality Report. We will continue sharing the latest sampling results through our PFAS Sampling Results webpage so that customers can make informed decisions.

The money may be spent on a variety of event costs, including food, performers, restrooms, insurance, among many others. If you have specific questions, please contact 503.786.7519 or events@milwaukieoregon.gov.

El dinero se puede utilizar para diversos gastos del evento, como comida, espectáculos, baños portátil y seguros, entre muchos otros. Si tiene preguntas específicas, llame al 503.786.7519 o envíe un correo electrónico a espanol@milwaukieoregon.gov.

There are two ways for the money to be paid out. One is as a direct donation to the person or group organizing the event. The other is for the city to make purchases directly on behalf of the organizers. Please contact 503.786.7519 or events@milwaukieoregon.gov with questions about this.

This question is handled on a case by case basis.  It depends on who paid for the permit originally, if work has started, etc. Please contact the building division.

Funding for the Balfour, Bowman-Brae and Scott Park projects is already secured and NCPRD is not involved with their construction. Additionally, the construction of Dogwood Park has already been included in the city’s capital improvement plan. 

Before brushing, wet the toothbrush and fill a small glass for rinsing.

The Equity steering committee decided to not require any formal reporting process but may ask recipients to complete a follow-up survey to help us improve communication and fund distribution process. 

Often citizens will contact the City to confirm a door-to-door solicitor has a business registration.  Therefore, the City requires each company representative to carry a copy of the registration certificate when doing business inside City limits.  Additionally, prior to canvassing neighborhoods, door-to-door solicitors are required to contact the Milwaukie Police Department at 503-786-7400.

El Comité Directivo de Equidad decidió no exigir ningún proceso formal de presentación de informes, pero puede pedir a los beneficiarios que completen una encuesta de cuestionario para ayudarnos a mejorar la comunicación y el proceso de distribución de fondos.

Any business not registered is subject to a citation issued by Code Enforcement.  The citation will require the business owner to appear in court.  Ordinance violations are subject to a fine; the maximum fine amount is $200.00 per day and applies to each day the violation exists.

Most people in the U.S. have been exposed to PFAS and have PFAS in their blood. If there are PFAS in your water above recommended limits, you can reduce exposure by installing a water filter with activated carbon or reverse osmosis membranes or by using an alternate source for drinking, cooking, and preparing infant formula. If you have specific health concerns about PFAS exposure, we encourage you to consult your health care provider. More information is also available from the EPA found here: Meaningful and Achievable Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Risk.

Even a small drip can waste 50 or more gallons of water per day.

The science around health impacts from PFAS exposure is still evolving and there is active research underway to learn more. Some studies suggest long-term exposure to high levels of PFAS may lead to increased cholesterol levels, increases in high-blood pressure and pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, decreases in immune response, changes in liver function and increases in certain types of cancer. You can learn more from https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/index.html, and by consulting with your health care provider.

The average dishwasher uses about nine to 15 gallons of water depending on the model. Energy Star models use four gallons per cycle. Models made before 1994 use 10 to 15 gallons per cycle.

The city will need to create a new master plan for its parks to guide the future development and design of Milwaukie’s parks. A more in-depth conversation about future amenities is important and the community will have many opportunities to give input. The city knows features, such as skate parks, splash pads, pickleball courts, a larger community center and swimming pools, are desired.

An automatic washer uses 20 to 25 gallons per cycle. Certified Energy Star machines use an average of 14 to19 gallons per cycle. Older washers use 29 to 45 gallons per load. The most efficient washers use less than five gallons per cubic foot of capacity. The smaller the water factor rating, the more water efficient the washer.

If PFAS are above state action levels in your drinking water, we recommend that you install a filter or switch to an alternative source of drinking water and continue to breastfeed your baby. If no alternative source is available, it is recommended that you continue to breastfeed. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that “even though some environmental contaminants like PFAS pollutants pass to the infant through breast milk, the advantages of breastfeeding greatly outweigh the potential risks in nearly every circumstance.” 
 
If PFAS are above recommended limits in your tap water, we recommend that you install a filter or switch to an alternative source of water to mix your infant’s formula. Talk to your health care provider if you have concerns about PFAS and breastfeeding.

Once your business information is in the database, the annual renewal notification will be sent the first week in December via email.  Please be sure to include a valid email address with your application.

This puts a stop to the wasteful practice of running tap water to cool it for drinking.

This web page offers a variety of details to learn more about actions the City is taking to keep your water safe and to find resource links to additional information. The City will continue to keep the community informed as we learn more about treatment options and receive updates from federal and state authorities.

Any business registration not renewed by January 31st, will be assessed 10% delinquent fees for every month the business registration is unpaid.  The business will also be subject to a citation issued by Code Enforcement.  The citation will require the business owner to appear in court.  Ordinance violations are subject to a fine; the maximum fine amount is $200.00 per day and applies to each day the violation exists.

Instead of obtaining separate business licenses within each Portland-area City you conduct business in, a business can apply for a single license from Metro to construct, alter and repair structures in the 20 cities that have licensing requirements in the metropolitan area; excluding Portland.  This license covers all construction trades, both commercial and residential, as well as all landscape contractors.

If your principal place of business is inside the City of Milwaukie, the business is required to apply for a Milwaukie business registration in addition to the Metro license.   For a Metro license, applications are available by contacting Metro at 503-797-1710 or visiting their website at www.oregonmetro.gov.

Please complete our going out of business form which is located on the City website under the business drop-down menu or call 503-786-7555.

The City requests all businesses grant the City consent to disclose the business’ name, address, and type to others when requested.  Such disclosure could be to other governmental agencies, the Chamber of Commerce, a newspaper or any other requestor.

Position sprinklers so the water lands only on the lawn or garden. Avoid watering on windy days when much of the water may be carried off to the street or sidewalk.

Mulch slows the evaporation of moisture.

Wash the car from a bucket of soapy water. Use a hose only to rinse it off.