St. Helens council adopts ordinance revising planning and historic-landmarks commissions

The St. Helens City Council on April 15 adopted Ordinance No. 3323, updating municipal code chapters 2.08 and 17.36 and creating chapter 2.1 to revise how the planning commission and historic landmarks commission operate.

Council members voted to approve the ordinance after a final reading. Committee member (speaker S4) moved to approve the ordinance as read; the motion was seconded and carried with councilors voting in favor in roll-call sequence during the meeting.

The ordinance revises procedural and operational rules for the city's planning and historic-landmarks commissions. Council materials provided during the meeting list the affected code sections as 2.08 and 17.36 and note creation of a new chapter 2.1; the meeting transcript records the final-reading motion and affirmative council votes but does not include additional numerical or implementation details beyond the ordinance text read aloud at the meeting.

Councilors present who recorded affirmative votes during the item included Councilor Sandeep, Councilor Hubbard and Councilor Gunderson; the presiding officer also announced concurrence. No recorded no votes or abstentions were recorded in the meeting transcript for this item.

The ordinance takes effect according to the standard provisions contained in the ordinance language (not specified in the transcript). The council did not discuss implementation timelines or staff assignments during the final-reading item; follow-up implementation steps were not specified in the meeting record.

What happens next: the ordinance was adopted at final reading and will be published and implemented under the city's standard ordinance-adoption procedures unless the text includes a later effective date not read into the record during the meeting.