Advocating for a safe future in Lake Oswego

Nov 1, 2024 | Community, Community

November 2024

Why Advocacy?

When we started LOSN in 2013, we got advice from a sister organization: Don’t get involved with policy, it can tear your organization apart! And for many years, we didn’t get involved with much advocacy.

As one of the few environmental groups in Lake Oswego, we take our responsibility seriously. We feel compelled to do as much as we can to promote a safe future, and advocacy can make a big difference.

Public policy can accomplish some things that individual actions cannot.

  • It can support individual action by removing barriers to positive actions. For example, think about the public policy that allows people to sell excess solar to the grid.
  • It can accomplish environmental goals faster. Think about the Clean Air Act, which dramatically reduced pollution by requiring filters in cars and factory smoke stacks.

What is LOSN Advocacy?

At LOSN, we have an advocacy team whose purpose is to review, initiate and promote new policies that build sustainability in Lake Oswego. Here are some of our activities:

  • We review and support what others are doing at the state level. What are the environmental groups or local organizations supporting? We can add our voice.
  • We initiate and promote ideas for Lake Oswego. LOSN has introduced a number of new concepts to Lake Oswego. For example, LOSN was the original supporter of the city’s climate action plan. We had heard of other cities that were adopting these plans and we thought LOSN should have one – so we promoted it.
  • We follow a rigorous vetting process within LOSN. A new policy proposal must run quite the gamut before we decide to support it. Each idea is vetted through our advocacy team – sometimes that takes multiple discussions. We often consult and work with other LOSN committees. Before we make our final decision, we get a consensus yes vote from our entire board.
  • We have an advocacy policy to ensure that our internal conversations and community outreach are respectful and productive.
  • We have partners. There is strength in connection, and we work closely with Respond to Racism, Oswego Lake Watershed Council, MCAT (Mobilizing Climate Action Together, a subgroup of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters and others.
  • We create campaigns to support our favored policies. We mobilize individuals to support, organize letter writing campaigns and talk to local policy makers.

Here are some of the important issues we have worked on:

  • Protecting the city Sustainability Advisory Board and program against budget cuts (in place)
  • A climate action plan for the city (in place)
  • Electric school buses for the Lake Oswego School District (story below)
  • Affordable housing in Lake Oswego (housing will be ready for occupancy soon)
  • Exploring ways to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers (ongoing)
  • Review of new facilities: the wastewater treatment plan and the recreation center
  • State incentives for heat pumps, energy efficiency and electric vehicles (many of these are in place)
  • State laws regarding waste management (new laws are in place)
  • Improving state climate goals (defeated last year – up again at the state legislature)
  • The state climate protection plan (ongoing)

What are we working on now?

  • Affordable housing policies for Lake Oswego
  • Phase out gas-powered leaf blowers in Lake Oswego
  • Testifying in favor of state issues.

How can you get involved?

  • We are always looking for new committee members
  • We are exploring the idea of providing local advocacy training
Contact Us to Get Involved

Electric school buses are coming!

For five years, LOSN has been advocating for electric school buses in our community. Now four will arrive this coming year thanks to a PGE grant awarded to the Lake Oswego School District (LOSD).

Read more about the electric school buses coming to Lake Oswego.

In the coming years, LOSD may evaluate how and when to transition the entire bus fleet to electric. In the meantime, LOSN will continue to promote electric school buses as a healthy, sustainable choice.

Lake Oswego School District: An Electric School Bus Case Study

We have found that impacting policy and making big changes takes a combination of time, often years, and creative problem solving. Sometimes people in leadership aren’t interested in our ideas, and we need to be persuasive. Sometimes we are engaged with public opposition or confusion.

Electric school buses provide an example of an issue we worked on that took time, engagement and persuasion. In this case, the people in leadership were very open to the idea of electric school buses because they are quieter, cleaner and healthier for students, and better for the environment. All the major work was done by the Lake Oswego School District (LOSD), and the credit belongs to them, but LOSN worked to create interest in the issue, supported the school board’s efforts and did public outreach.

In 2019, LOSN board member Duke Castle, heard that some school districts in the US were starting to use electric school buses. Duke has been promoting electric vehicles for years in Lake Oswego and was excited about the prospect of getting electric school buses in Lake Oswego. He contacted LOSD board member John Wallin, who expressed interest.

At that time, electric buses were 3 to 4 times more expensive than diesel and would require greater electric capacity for charging than was available at the former Lake Grove bus barn location. The district had acquired land in the Lakeview industrial park that would meet their needs for a bus barn. Duke spoke with Tony Vandenberg, LOSD Executive Director of Project Management, who was in charge of developing the new facility.

Duke researched and found that private companies like Highland Electric offered financing for electric school buses. A representative from that company told LOSD that their new location would be a good site for electric school buses.

Some of the neighbors near the proposed new site of the bus barn were concerned about noise and added pollution, so the LO Planning Commission did not approve the new location in 2019. The issue was tabled as the school district searched for a different location. By 2023, the district realized that the location they’d found in the Lakeview industrial park was the only one that suited their needs and went back to the Planning Commission.

After more research and discussion, and weighing the pros and cons, the LOSD board unanimously agreed to move forward. That’s when LOSN’s advocacy team got involved. Recognizing this location for the bus barn provided the only path forward for electric buses, we sent an action alert to our mailing list asking for comments to support electric school buses. Many comments were sent to the Planning Commission. In the end, the Planning Commission and City Council concurred with the school district. Almost five years after this project began, the bus barn is now operating in the new location.

Hear from the Electrification Experts

Sustainability in the City

Jan 1, 2023 | Community, Education, Past

January 2023

Embedding Sustainability in the City

The City of Lake Oswego embeds sustainability in their strategies and operations following a number of paths including making a significant investment through:

  • Prioritizing sustainability initiatives in the City Council Goals for the year.
  • Staffing a full-time Sustainability Program Manager position.
  • Commissioning a citizen’s advisory board on Sustainability.

We’d like to share with you the goals for each of these areas for 2023.

City Council Goals for 2023

The city councilors just completed a full-day goal setting retreat Saturday, January 21st, where they gathered feedback and suggestions from citizens of Lake Oswego, a number of community groups and the various boards and commissions and other stakeholders to come up with a prioritized list of initiatives under eight major goals.

For each of eight areas, they reviewed the proposed goal language and discussed the specific initiatives related to each area. They started with 40 initiatives, several which were carried over from the previous year. Their task was to prioritize the top 15 to 20 initiatives which will direct how they (and the city government) spend their time this year.

On Feb. 7, the council will vote to approve their goals for the year. (Approved goals will be available on this page after approval.)

Below are the eight areas and proposed goal language.

Climate Action. Combat climate change and strengthen the community’s resilience to climate impact.

Parks, Natural Areas, & Recreation. Invest in Lake Oswego’s high-quality parks, natural areas and recreational amenities.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. Foster a welcoming and inclusive community where all people have the opportunity to thrive and have equitable access to City services.

Transportation. Improve transportation connections, mobility and safety for all travelers and all types of trips in Lake Oswego.

City Operations. Strengthen public trust in the City through continuous improvement outstanding customer service, infrastructure investments, and fiscal stewardship.

Economic Development. Support business development and job creation in Lake Oswego.

Community Development. Conserve the community’s character, sense of place and quality of life by planning for change and growth.

Public Safety. Ensure a safe, secure and prepared community.

Many of the specific initiatives are directly related to sustainability. Two initiatives under Climate Action received unanimous support:

  1. Integrate climate action and resilience into City projects such as capital improvement planning, housing policy, and City facilities and fleet decisions.
  2. Update the Urban and Community Forest Plan using the findings of the 2022 State of the Urban Forest Report. Address issues related to equitable outcomes, tree species, and climate change.

Other sustainability-related initiatives that maybe be adopted include:

  • Make a financially and environmentally responsible long-term investment in a wastewater treatment plant.
  • Continue construction of sidewalks and pathways focusing on safe routes to school.
  • Continue to work on key housing initiatives and housing production strategy.
  • Implement community policing recommendations.
  • Create disaster preparedness processes and plans in collaboration with the community.

LOSN submitted input to the goal setting session. See details at this link. Although not all our initiatives made the top priority list, the two Climate Action initiatives listed above are strong endorsements of support for sustainability. In addition, a progress report on the Climate Action plan is already part of staff’s work plan.

City of Lake Oswego’s Sustainability Program Manager

Amanda Watson has been the city’s full-time Sustainability Program Manager for the past year and a half and provides a wealth of expertise and guidance to the city and the community. She is responsible for implementing the City’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan in collaboration with other city departments and community groups. She also manages the City’s solid waste and recycling franchise with Republic Services.

Amanda serves as staff liaison to the Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB). Buzz Chandler, Co-Chair for the SAB, says, “As one of the Co-Chairs of the LO SAB, I work very closely with Amanda, in her role as Sustainability Program Manager for the City, and she has helped elevate our Board to becoming an ever more effective and forward-thinking advisory body for the City.  She always has a big smile, is very knowledgeable and most importantly works tirelessly at helping us manage and achieve our goals for the Board every year. She is a truly fine example of the high quality and character of LO City Staffers. We as a Board and as a City are fortunate to have her.”

Amanda has also proven to be a great partner for LOSN in promoting sustainability. Duke Castle provides a LOSN perspective, “Amanda is great sustainability advocate. She is well versed in the triple bottom line concept and has a good understanding of sustainability issues both within the city and out of it. She is a real pleasure to work with because she is so collaborative and open to the variety of ideas we bring to her.”

Amanda led the collaborative effort for putting on the first Lake Oswego Sustainability Resource Fair last year and will be helping again this year (April 15, 2023 – check the events section for more) for what has become a terrific annual event full of resources for Lake Oswego residents.

In addition to her support on the Council and SAB’s goals, she will be focused on:

  • Completing a progress report on the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.
  • Increasing use and availability of clean energy in Lake Oswego, including sharing information with community members and businesses about available financial incentives and programs for clean energy and energy efficiency.
  • Website improvements for the EcoHome LO residential sustainability certification program that launched last year.

City of Lake Oswego’s Sustainability Advisory Board

The Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) is a citizen advisory body appointed by the City Council to provide advice, citizen perspective, and expertise on issues relating to sustainability. Consisting of 7 members with staggered 3-year terms and 2 youth members with 1-year terms, these citizens promote a sustainable economic and ecological quality of life in our community. This year, their goals are:

  • Advance the adoption of electric vehicles.
  • Develop recommendations to the City Council for a ban on the sale and use of gas-powered landscaping equipment in Lake Oswego.
  • Continue progress on climate mitigation and resilience planning and implementation.
  • Expand outreach and engagement to enhance the sustainability of the city as a whole.

The full goals with the planned initiatives can be found here.

LOSN partners with SAB in many areas including the annual EV Fair, promoting the transition to electric landscaping equipment, collaboration on goal setting, and the annual Lake Oswego Sustainability Resource Fair.

Here are some ways you can get involved with SAB if you want to work with the city on sustainability and/or climate action:

  • Attend an SAB meeting. (Meetings are the 3rd Monday of the month, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Check the LOSN calendar for more information.)
  • Provide public comment at a meeting.
  • Apply to be a member of the board. (Applications are open in the April-May time frame at this link).
Save the Date: What’s Really Going on with Climate?

When:   Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Time:     6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Where:  online forum (registration link coming soon)
Panelists: Gregg Small, Executive Director of Climate Solutions, and Meredith Connolly, Oregon Director of Climate Solutions

We have climate anxiety, climate solutions, cli-fy novels and climate impacts. But what is really happening? Climate change is a complicated issue and it’s often hard to track the intricacies of what is going on and how each of us can be part of the solution.

To answer our question and more, LOSN is proud to host Gregg Small and Meredith Connolley, two of the leading climate advocates at Climate Solutions, in this timely and informative forum.
Save the Date: 2nd Annual Lake Oswego Sustainability Resource Fair

When:   Saturday, April 15, 2023
Time:    10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Where:  Lakeridge Middle School, 4700 Jean Rd, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035
What:    Groups throughout our community will be at the fair with sustainability information and how you can get involved and take action.

Brought to you by a collaboration between the City of Lake Oswego and SAB, the Oswego Lake Watershed Council, the Lake Oswego School District and LOSN.

Luscher Farm Summer CSA is starting in May!

May 19, 2022 | Community, Home Page, News

When: Starting May 19th through October 27th
Pickup Location:  Luscher Farm City Park, 125 Rosemont Rd, Lake Oswego, OR (map)
For more info and to join today click here.

If you join now, you will enjoy the bounty of healthy, fresh vegetables direct from the farm for the whole summer growing season.

The Luscher Farm CSA has been a partner for many years and is a program of Lake Oswego Parks & Rec that is managed by the 47th Ave Farm. 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between a farmer and local families who invest in each other. Members pay at the beginning of the growing season and in return, you will receive delicious local produce all through the summer season. Harvest starts mid-May and continues through the end of October. Members come to Luscher Farm on Thursday evenings to pick up their beautiful bountiful basket of produce.

In addition to growing great vegetables, the CSA farmers are also using many different practices to increase sustainability at Luscher Farm. To cultivate and weed our fields, we use both electric tractors and draft horses. This reduces dependence on fossil fuels and runs lighter on the ground than traditional diesel tractors. We are also innovating with different cover crop mixes between our year-round vegetable crops. Cover crops can increase carbon sequestration, improve soil health, provide habitat for beneficial insects and reduce the need for off-farm inputs. All of these practices add up to more sustainable & delicious veggies for your family!

Now is the time to sign up for the Summer CSA program

Lawn mower, leaf blower, chain saw