Corvallis e-News | January 2026

In this issue: The Mayor's Town Hall is returning on January 27!

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Mayor's Town Hall Returns on January 27

Mark your calendars for the Mayor's Town Hall! This popular event will be returning on January 27. 

Join Mayor Charles Maughan for a State of the City address sharing recent progress and milestones at the City of Corvallis and looking ahead to what the City is working on for 2026 and beyond. The Mayor will also host a question and answer period to hear from Corvallis community members after his remarks.

The event will take place on January 27 at C3's Chandler Ballroom, 2601 NW Tyler Ave. Community members are encouraged to arrive at 5:30 p.m. to chat with the Mayor and City staff. The State of the City address will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by Q&A as time allows. The event is free and open to the public.

Can't make it in person? Register to watch the broadcast via Zoom here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eav1isJeTDWqbzC_23ZP6Q

Corvallis Fire Responds to Water Rescue on Willamette River

The Corvallis Fire Department and the Benton County Sheriff's Office partnered on a water rescue on the Willamette River in late December.

The rescue took place near the Booneville Channel and Kiger Island Drive.

At approximately 7:30 a.m. on December 22, a kayaker overturned in a slough just east of the Booneville Channel and became separated from his kayak. While attempting to reach shore, the kayaker was unable to exit the river due to high water from recent rainfall. He took refuge by clinging to a tree and was able to call 911 for assistance.

CFD responded with a Battalion Chief, a Medic Unit, and the CFD Special Rescue Team (SRT). SRT responded with both the CFD jet boat and an inflatable rescue craft. Upon arrival, crews established unified command with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). Sheriff's deputies launched both a drone and a jet boat to assist with locating the kayaker.

The kayaker was located through the combined efforts of the BCSO drone and a CFD swimmer who was conducting a shoreline search. CFD's rescue team launched the inflatable near the Kiger Island Bridge and navigated upriver toward the victim.

Due to limited access and river conditions, rescuers positioned the inflatable as close as possible and then swam and waded the final distance to reach the kayaker. Crews safely guided him back to the waiting Sheriff’s Office boat, which transported him to shore, where a CFD medic unit was staged.

The kayaker was uninjured but cold. He was evaluated and actively warmed by CFD medic crews and did not require transport to a hospital.

CFD would like to thank the Benton County Sheriff’s Office for their response and teamwork. This incident highlights the continued dangers of high, fast-moving water and the importance of wearing appropriate safety equipment and monitoring river conditions.

Downtown Vitality Task Force Launches Public Input Survey

The Downtown Vitality Strategy Task Force has launched a survey to gather input about a list of potential actions to improve and invest in downtown Corvallis. The list of actions was drafted by the Task Force members over a period of several months and is now ready for public review and input. 

➡️ Take the Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/priorityactions

The goal of the survey is to help create a blueprint for the future of downtown Corvallis. The Task Force is seeking input from downtown business owners, residents, shoppers, diners, nonprofits, and public agency partners to build a new strategy.

The survey invites community members to review a list of potential actions — such as improving sidewalk maintenance, adding wayfinding signage, or offering tax incentives to businesses. Respondents can select the most compelling actions, then rank them in priority order. Task Force members will review the results and generate a final list of strategies to present to the City Council in 2026.

The survey is part of a broader outreach effort being led by the Downtown Vitality Strategy Task Force. Read more about the Task Force's work on the City website.

New City Service Fee Rates Take Effect on February 1

City service fees are examined each year to ensure they are generating adequate revenue to fund the core services that the community relies on. The costs to deliver these services — including materials, equipment, and personnel — are not immune from inflation. Fees increases are enacted to ensure revenue is available to fund core services, while balancing the impact on ratepayers. 

Rate increases for 2026 are scheduled to take effect on February 1, 2026. These fees appear as monthly charges on City Services bills. Each fee represents a charge for service shared among all Corvallis billing customers to support specific services. Rate adjustments are voted on annually by the City Council.

Each fee is used to pay for a specific service, and funds collected for one service cannot be used to pay for other services. For example, the City does not use money collected through the Sidewalk Maintenance Fee to pay for Police Department expenses.

The current fees are:

• Water – Fee collected based on usage to pay for City water service and related infrastructure.
• Wastewater – Fee collected to support the City’s wastewater (sewer) infrastructure and operation.
• Stormwater – Fee collected to support the City’s stormwater system, including urban streams and pollution mitigation.
• Street Maintenance (TMF) – Fee goes to support regular maintenance on the City’s most-used streets.
• Sidewalk Maintenance – Fee used for sidewalk maintenance and repair.
• Transit Operation Fee – Fee supports fareless service on Corvallis Transit System. This fee is adjusted once a year based on the price of a gallon of gasoline.
• Urban Forestry – Fee supports maintenance of the City’s urban tree canopy, including pruning, planting, and proactive planning for the arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer beetle.
• Police Services – Fee maintains current service levels at the Police Department.
• Fire Services – Fee maintains current service levels, including enhanced coverage by adding personnel to staff a new ambulance unit.
• Low-Income Assistance Fee – This fee goes into a fund for income-eligible customers who need assistance paying their monthly City Services bill.

Fees are reviewed annually by staff and the City Council as part of a public process to ensure that they are operating as intended to generate adequate revenue.

Rate increases for 2026 are displayed in the chart below:

The new rates takes effect on February 1, 2026.

City Warns of Financial Scams Targeting Land Use Customers

The City of Corvallis is investigating several attempted financial scams that targeted customers engaged in land use services at the City. 

In the scams, victims were identified using information associated with open land use cases. Scammers contacted those individuals and sent fake invoices under the names of City building officials requesting payment as part of a land use process. The fake invoices included instructions to send the payment via wire transfer.

City officials are reminding the public that payments will never be requested via wire transfer.

Keep in mind these tips to ensure you don't fall victim to a financial scam.

• Carefully examine emails to ensure they are coming from legitimate City email addresses. Sophisticated scams often use names of actual City employees, together with generic email address or unfamiliar phone numbers.
• Look for grammatical errors, improper punctuation, or unfamiliar department names.
• For land use services, customers have the option of paying through a secure online service. The City will never ask for payment via wire transfer.

If you have fallen victim to an online financial scam, call the Police Department at 541-766-6911 to file a report.

Housing Production in Corvallis: A 2025 Snapshot

In 2025, the City saw a notable uptick in housing production activity, reflecting both strong market interest and the impact of recent changes to local and state codes and standards. Updates relating to zoning flexibility, density allowances, mixed-use development, and affordability incentives have reduced barriers and increased opportunities for construction.

Across the city, residential and mixed-use development activity has included apartments, mixed-use buildings, senior living, and cottage cluster projects—each contributing to a more diverse housing supply and supporting broader community housing goals.

In 2025, 473 new housing units received permits and are actively under construction. Collectively, these projects represent:

• 302 new residential dwelling units in apartments and mixed-use buildings, including 210 new affordable housing units
• 20 new single-family homes
• 151 new senior housing units

While senior housing serves a specific demographic, it also plays an important role in the broader housing ecosystem. As seniors move into new and purpose-built housing, existing single-family homes and other units are often released back into the market.

To calibrate the scale of these numbers, in 2024, developers permitted 83 dwelling units in Corvallis. Out of these, 55 are in the single-family category that generally falls outside of the affordable category.

The City remains committed to partnering with the development community to support efficient review processes, high-quality construction, and sustainable growth. We appreciate the ongoing collaboration that helps bring these projects from concept to completion and look forward to continued momentum in the years ahead.

Upcoming City Council Meetings

Catch up with your elected officials at their regularly scheduled meetings and work sessions. Upcoming meetings are listed below, along with links to calendar entries with more information. You don't have to attend to share feedback on any topic that's important to you. Feel free to use the Public Input Form to get in touch with the Council anytime, anywhere. 

Government Comment Corner at the Library

Meet your local government officials and chat about whatever's on your mind at Government Comment Corner. Each two-hour session takes place at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave., from 10 a.m. to noon most Saturdays. A rotating cast of elected leaders from Corvallis and Benton County will be available for open, honest, one-on-one conversations with anyone who wants to stop by. Bring your questions about public services, and learn more about how to volunteer and get involved!

Here's the schedule (subject to change):

FYI: Council Three-Month Calendar

The City Council's three-month calendar is a good way to track topics and learn about upcoming business items. The three-month calendar is available on the City website.

The schedule is subject to change, so be sure to contact your City Councilor to learn more about any particular topic you see on the calendar.

What's New at the Library this Month?

• Winter Reading Bingo:  Through  January 15.  For all ages.  Complete a bingo card and receive a small prize!

• Storytime: 10:30am Tuesday-Friday, Main Meeting Room. Tuesdays: Infant, Wednesdays: Toddler,  Thursdays: Preschool, Fridays, Family.  Drop in.

• Tech Help Lab: First and Third Wednesday,  2nd floor classroom, Drop in for free, basic, one-on-one tech help from a library staff member. Bring your computer or device or use one of ours.

• Nurturing Parenting Education Class:  Tuesdays, 2:-3:30pm, 2nd floor Classroom.  Presented bt Family Tree Relief Nursery for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment & Recovery.  Registration required 541-967-6580 or 541-905-7613.

• Red Yarn Children's Concert: January 2, 10:30am, Main Meeting Room. Celebrate the New Year with a Children's Concert with Red Yarn!  All are welcome at this free event.

• Art Explorium for Kids: January 2, 2:-3:30, Main Meeting Room.  Explore and create a masterpiece through process art for kids 12 and under.

• Random Review:  January  14 ,12-1pm, Main Meeting room and streamed online   Megan Jones reviews   Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life by Ferris Jabr.

• Puzzle Swap: January 17 ,  12:00-1:30, Main Meeting Room.  Bring your puzzles to swap!  All ages and levels welcome.

• Sip & Spell: A Spelling Bee for Adults: January 17, 7:00pm, Majestic Theatre.  Free tickets to this event are available here: cbcpl.net/sipspell.  Contestants, reserve your tickets now and then register to spell at 6 p.m. on the day of event.

• Craft Night for Adults: January 20   5:30-7pm, Main Meeting Room  For ages 16+. This month’s craft is needle felting.

• iPhone and iPad Basics: 12:00pm, 2^nd floor Classroom. Learn the basics of using your iPhone or iPad in this free, librarian-led workshop

• Keith Lembke-My 14-year Odyssey Through America's Afghan Quagmire: January 24, 3:00pm, Main Meeting Room.  A free presentation by Keith Lembke about his experience working in Afghanistan and lessons learned.

• Get a Library Card: Sign up for a library card and get access to all services and materials including placing holds on materials,  downloadable books, audiobooks, magazines, streaming movies and more!

• Home Delivery Service:  Get your holds delivered to you!  Delivery is available to patrons with current library cards who live within the library service district.

• Books & More from Home:  Read ebooks, download audiobooks and magazines, or watch streaming video all from the comfort of your home with your library card!

• Library Newsletter: Want to get monthly updates, upcoming events, and other library news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our email newsletter!