Newberg staff unveil 2026 safety manual and mid-cycle priorities; gasoline tax proposed to help roads
February 17, 2026 | Newberg, Yamhill County, Oregon
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City staff presented a draft 2026 safety manual and a mid-cycle update to council priorities during the Feb. 17 Newberg City Council meeting.
On the safety manual, staff said the 2026 edition replaces the 2018 policy and incorporates regulatory changes (including cited Oregon OSHA chapters), a formalized safety committee, updated worksite-inspection and accident-reporting protocols, and field-ready safety checklists. The manual also includes procedures on respirator use, confined-space operations, and a contractor acknowledgement to require on-site contractors to abide by city safety standards. "These checklists are designed to be used in the field... to jog people's memory to ensure that their workplace will be safe," a presenter said.
Staff said the manual reflects advice from HR and the city's insurance provider and that the policy will return to council for formal adoption at a later meeting.
Staff also reviewed progress on the council's seven priority areas. Highlights included meeting customer-service objectives and improved building-permit turnaround times, progress toward traffic-safety measures including an initial operational speed camera, ongoing work on industrial-land identification and possible urban growth boundary work, and downtown revitalization efforts supported by a pending certified local government grant to update the historic resources inventory.
On fiscal objectives, staff described steps toward debt reduction and a long-term financial plan; as part of funding options for road maintenance and to reduce a utility-billing 'TOUGH' charge, staff proposed a local gasoline tax, noting a 2¢ per-gallon levy could raise roughly $350,000–$400,000 per year. "If we had a gasoline tax at the 2¢ level... we think it might raise $350,000 to $400,000 a year," the presenter said. Staff said the gasoline-tax proposal and other funding ideas will be brought to council for consideration.
Councilors praised staff for improved turnaround times and customer service and welcomed new council resource notebooks that include goals, rules and scripts. Staff said completed and 'ongoing' objectives will be recalibrated in the next full cycle in 2027.
On the safety manual, staff said the 2026 edition replaces the 2018 policy and incorporates regulatory changes (including cited Oregon OSHA chapters), a formalized safety committee, updated worksite-inspection and accident-reporting protocols, and field-ready safety checklists. The manual also includes procedures on respirator use, confined-space operations, and a contractor acknowledgement to require on-site contractors to abide by city safety standards. "These checklists are designed to be used in the field... to jog people's memory to ensure that their workplace will be safe," a presenter said.
Staff said the manual reflects advice from HR and the city's insurance provider and that the policy will return to council for formal adoption at a later meeting.
Staff also reviewed progress on the council's seven priority areas. Highlights included meeting customer-service objectives and improved building-permit turnaround times, progress toward traffic-safety measures including an initial operational speed camera, ongoing work on industrial-land identification and possible urban growth boundary work, and downtown revitalization efforts supported by a pending certified local government grant to update the historic resources inventory.
On fiscal objectives, staff described steps toward debt reduction and a long-term financial plan; as part of funding options for road maintenance and to reduce a utility-billing 'TOUGH' charge, staff proposed a local gasoline tax, noting a 2¢ per-gallon levy could raise roughly $350,000–$400,000 per year. "If we had a gasoline tax at the 2¢ level... we think it might raise $350,000 to $400,000 a year," the presenter said. Staff said the gasoline-tax proposal and other funding ideas will be brought to council for consideration.
Councilors praised staff for improved turnaround times and customer service and welcomed new council resource notebooks that include goals, rules and scripts. Staff said completed and 'ongoing' objectives will be recalibrated in the next full cycle in 2027.
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