About The Molalla Current

Thank you for visiting the Molalla Current!  I've re-printed your questions here to aid in responding: 

1. Why are we building apartments? This is a tough question to address without first providing some education.  The City of Molalla does not build structures, other than public structures like Treatment Plants, Council Chambers, City Halls, and the like.  Private development is determined by zoning and the property owner; property owners have the right to build whatever the zoning on their property allows for.  Additionally, with residential development, state law does not allow for discretionary standards, they must be "clear and objective" which bolsters that right to build housing in appropriately zoned locations.   

2. When we can’t even deal with the houses? This is a statement, not a question, and I'm unclear on what it means - the City of Molalla has no problems "dealing" with the existing houses.    

3. We have now stop building in Molalla You are suggesting a moratorium on development.  There are no issues occurring in Molalla that counsel for a development moratorium at present.  Additionally, a moratorium would work a substantial harm on existing residents by eliminating growth that would ultimately contribute to the growth and maintenance of Molalla's various service systems.  

Best Regards, 

The Molalla Current Project Team

Hello, thank you for your question!  In the future, please post general questions on the "Open Question and Answer Forum" and project specific questions on the corresponding project page.  

Now to your question... if you have a specific location that you feel needs attention, please let us know, but here is some information: 

In the last year, the City has re-paved and/or constructed the following roadways:

Heintz St., OR-211 at Cascade Center, S. Leroy Ave, OR-211 at Molalla Ave., OR-213 at Tractor Supply

Over the next year, the City has the following pavement plans (some of this is tentative until approved in the Capital Improvement Plan by the City Council):

Eckerd/Lola/2nd St overlay, OR-213 & Toliver Roundabout, OR-213 at Starbucks, OR-211 at 1000 W Main, Ona Way at OR-211, Molalla Forest Road, West Lane, Meadow at Harvest, Shirley St., and Section St - full build.  

Hello, thank you for your question!  In the future, please post general questions on the "Open Question and Answer Forum" and project specific questions on the corresponding project page.  

Now to your question...  Cities do not determine what is developed on private property other than to prescribe zoning and zoning regulations that limit a particular area to a particular set of uses (e.g. Residential, Commercial, and Industrial).  It is up to the individual property owner and the free market to determine if and when another grocery store comes to Molalla.  

-The Molalla Current Project Team

Hi Westcoastphleb, 

The project team is sorry to hear you may be effected by PSPS and will be crossing our fingers that it doesn't become a need.  The best way to stay up to date on PSPS is to sign up for alerts with Clackamas County Emergency Management, and monitor PGE's website on PSPS for wildfires.  

Here is a link to a Molalla Current news feed article with links to the mentioned resources and other information to keep you posted on potential PSPS; this is where the City is getting our information as well.  

As mentioned, you and the rest of our neighbors will be in our thoughts as we hold out hope that this is just precautionary.  Thank you. 

-The Molalla Current Project Team

Thank you for your question!  The new signal at Molalla Ave and Hwy 211 is partially in City Jurisdiction (Molalla Ave North and South), and partially in ODOT Jurisdiction (Hwy 211).  The City required the developer of the signal to grind and in-lay the portions of the street within Molalla Jurisdiction, but ODOT did not and the City does not have the authority to require the street repairs on the ODOT roadway.  

However, new striping along Hwy 211 associated with the light will be installed in the next couple of weeks depending on weather.  The material used is effectively ironed onto the road surface and cannot be installed during wet or cold conditions, otherwise it will almost immediately start to blister and peel.  Thank you!

Molalla Current Project Team

Nice catch, thank you!  We were thinking about St. Patty's Day and typing about Daylight Savings...  Corrections have been issued, your assistance is most appreciated!

-Molalla Current Project Team

Thank you for your question.  If you have general questions in the future, please ask them on the open question and answer forum.  

The street lights in town are maintained by Portland General Electric.  When one has a maintenance issue, like the ones you mentioned, PGE has a customer service portal that allows you to report the issues so they can get on their list to repair.  Here is a link to that site and form: https://portlandgeneral.com/outages-safety/report-a-streetlight-problem

Thank you for your question.  I'm not sure what this is in reference to so I cannot answer.  If you have a particular project that this is in reference to, please ask your question on the questions tool in that project so City Staff has the context we need to answer.  If you have a general question, please ask it on the open question and answer forum and provide enough context for staff to ascertain the nature of your question.  

Thank you for your question. In the future please ask general questions on the Open Question and Answer Forum. This project page is intended to provide information on the Molalla Current specifically. 

Here is the breakdown: 

We received $328,600.00 in reimbursements from the Covid Relief Fund (CRF) beginning in the summer of 2020. This money was provided to each city in Oregon as pass-through Federal funding based on population. The funding was to be used for immediate Covid costs.

$228,600.00 - We received reimbursement for technology purchases (lap tops, etc.) PPE, plexi glass, sanitization equipment, certain Covid leave categories.

$100,000.00 - We received reimbursement for Business Grants provided to 20 local businesses.

FYI -       1. We also received $148, 326.06 from the State in non-Covid money that Council has identified for park playground improvements. Park Community Program Committee has been working on that process.

                2. Note - We did not use any Covid funding for staff salary incentives. We all stayed at work.  

Apologies for the error in communicating the overall COVID funds received in the initial response, the additional $148k and change was not COVID funding, but a general use stimulus from the state. 

Thank you for your question!  City staff is still learning how to best manage project pages to ensure relevant information is getting out to the public. One of the ways we are doing that is to standardize different types of project pages. Your suggestions will be included in the discussions around standardization of public projects, thank you very much for providing them. 

In the interim, the information you seek is public in nature and can be obtained using a public records request, or (better yet) by getting involved in the annual budgeting process either by attending the Budget Committee meetings, watching them online, or seeking to become a member of the Committee. 

Local Government Budgeting is a highly technical and highly regulated process of creating a balanced budget that cannot be exceeded. One example of this is the requirement for different types of funds (e.g. General, Special Revenue, Capital Projects, Debt Service, Enterprise, Internal Service, etc.). The different types of funds and different sources of funding have a massive bearing on how public funds can be spent, master planning documents have a major bearing on how projects are prioritized, and partner agencies/developers often fund some part or the entirety of a given project.  Becoming involved with the budgeting process and acquainted with the nuances of local budgeting will provide you both with the numbers you seek, and the context necessary to fully understand them. 

Thank you!