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:
- Integrate climate action and resilience into City projects such as capital improvement planning, housing policy, and City facilities and fleet decisions.
- 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.
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