Okay, let's get this started.

Welcome to the Cornell City Council for December 1st.

First up on this evening is our work session.

We are available on Zoom, TVC TV live stream.

And for those who need translation, we have wordly in live translation in the back, and it's listed online also.

So first up on our work session, emergency funding process.

City Manager Brandon.

Good evening, Mayor and Counselors.

Peter Branham, City Manager.

We're following up this evening on the conversations that we had last Monday, or I'm sorry, on the 17th, regarding the emergency declaration and what we might consider or what you might consider to do next.

And so we'd like to tee up some ideas to discuss options to support impacted community members in light of aggressive immigration enforcement actions in Cornelius.

I just want to ground again in our vision statements and our strategic plan vision emphasizing that we are welcoming inclusive and collaborative, strive to build trust and community for all.

And then our vision and action plan, we envision a Cornelius that empowers Cornelius' strong and vibrant Latino community and others partner with local community organizations to create pathways.

Those are partial, but I think kind of for me the most uh relevant to what we're talking about today.

So again, the aggressive federal law enforcement actions uh targeting immigrants in our community have severely impacted individuals' families, families, and small businesses.

We've engaged with advocates to coordinate and support community.

We've produced guidance for employees should they encounter federal law enforcement agents.

All non-public areas within city facilities are now clearly marked.

Many of them were, but now they all are.

Um passed an emergency declaration on the 17th.

Uh we've provided meals to some families who are afraid to leave their homes.

We've provided uh pretty comprehensive information in both English and Spanish on the city website.

And even since I created this bullet earlier today, we we now have a complete uh countywide law enforcement path pamphlet which distinguishes between local and and federal or non-local, really, any other law law enforcement yep.

And and I have that up, which I can I can show you later.

It's just been finalized, literally in the last hour.

So the emergency declaration includes support for community advocates.

We have a draft agreement that we can use to facilitate the grant granting of city funds to those community advocates.

That draft agreement specifies that funds may not be allowed to support undocumented community members, and that's for legal reasons.

Um the activity, whatever the money is used for must support community members within Cornelius city limits.

And it may purchase food, legal services, rent or mortgage, service navigation and case management, phone and internet service, child care, health care, utilities, and relocation assistance due to federal law enforcement impacts.

So those are the things that we have conceived of in an agreement that we might allocate to community advocates.

So our suggestion at this point, um, in part with the idea that this is likely to be a longer term need and not just uh a near-term need, is that we allocate $10,000 each to Centro and Adelante Moharis, both of whom provide extensive services within our community.

The agreement term would be through June 30th of 2026.

Recipient agencies will be asked to provide updates on the use of the funds.

Also just want to note that our existing utility bill relief program provides up to three months of utility bill debt relief within a 12-month period, up to 450.

We also could advocate for state actions to address civil rights violations, and we've talked about that a little bit over email and we can revisit that.

And I also want to note that both PGE and Northwest Natural have income-based relief programs that are set at 60% of the state median income, and they have they have slightly different, you know, uh processes and procedures and so forth, but they both do have those programs.

Yes.

Does the um P are we advertising the PG and the Northwest Natural programs on our uh information on our website?

Not at this time.

Okay.

I would I get the council agrees that we should be linking that um on our stuff too.

I mean that should be like the bill relief.

I I would see where our bill reliefs listed and also links to theirs as a common area, and then also on our the special stuff that ITSL's put together for this current time, I could see those definitely be in there.

Yeah.

Council questions, comments on what you've seen on the screen right now?

Yes, Council Gordinas.

Yeah, but just know that I know you and I talked about it because I had brought up Hillsborough and you um specifically when they release their funds, the same thing, the funds aren't allowed to actually support direct services to undocumented community members, which I understand why in terms of the funding, I don't like it.

I don't agree with it.

Um that being said how are we?

I don't know how to even ask this.

How are we monitoring that?

Or would that be left to the nonprofits to then decide w how to go about allocating those funds without based on those caveats?

The contract will stipulate that and we will ask the recipients for information about the use of the funds.

Um, some details about the amount allocated and for what purposes and so forth.

So that's that's really the way that we will I I would assume that it's part of the documentation of the reconciliation, right?

If they spend $10,000, we ask them how did you spend it, and then they say, well, this is the the way we did it.

And then uh I think the the what would happen to them is it would put them at jeopardy for not um have to reimburse us if they were in violation of the contract on the stipulations.

Right?

They give a family a thousand dollars and the documentation was not that family was undocumented, they would be liable to us for the thousand, is I'm assuming the way the contract would work.

Yeah, I think that that's hard because I can only speak on behalf of Centro because I work there, but we don't go around asking people for their immigration status, nor would I feel comfortable giving them funds and requiring them to do that.

And I think it it falls into this difference between specific and general support.

Right.

So if you're if you're supporting the Godiness family, then that's a very specific.

But if they're providing brochures, guidance, you know, we spent we spent a hundred hours on guide services to 75 different families.

See, all of a sudden now it's very generic.

And it I I would I'm just playing pocket lawyer here, but maybe costs associated with program development or program implementation or things like that, yeah.

More general.

Right.

If it's general enough, it's not I'm just gonna be honest, I don't think it's traceable at that point.

Right.

They're good they're gonna need to give us some kind of information about what and I can I can I can hear our assistant city managers skin rising on this one.

Um, but that would be, you know, the what's what is significantly specific, right?

Because like you spoke of a lot of these organizations don't open the conversation with, by the way, what's your immigration status, right?

So just another comment.

I want to make sure because I've seen it on our newsletter, but just making sure that if we could also advertise maybe the PGE and natur Northwest Natural Gas uh relief programs on our newsletter as well.

Just a little like brief.

It could be a blurb, right?

It's a couple sentences in the whole thing that we do.

And go to this link on our website for more information on accessing those because um yeah, having it on the website is great, but I I know a lot of community members look at our newsletters.

Well, and and for I I would chime in on what the YAC told us, right?

50% of the people they tried couldn't get the QR codes to work, right?

Because they just don't have those services.

So maybe a phone number to call PGE or Northwest Northwest Natural if there's a link through.

And even for us, like who would you call at the city to talk to about the utility program?

I think that's far more enabling and and because we know we have a huge digital divide in our community.

A phone number is probably far more useful than a a bit of Ural or a QR code to maybe 50% of our community.

No, that's okay.

Other questions, counselors?

Yeah, I have a question.

Yes.

The boundaries is it for always residents?

Yes, um, within the city limits.

Yep.

So the residents would have to fall within the city limits.

And I suppose the other part of it is if you're not within the city limits, then you direct them to the county.

But I think that's part of our being enablers, right?

Hey, just because you're not in the city because you're just across Council Creek or you're just across the toilet, and that doesn't mean we can't help you get to where you need to go.

Here's a link to the county's website.

Yeah.

Right.

So I think that's us being help continuing to be like we like I talked about the other night, guiding, right?

Enabling folks with this information.

And again, there's another one.

Is there a phone number you call at the county for assistance?

Right.

I I think those are things that we can do to make this less difficult.

Anything else, Councillor Lopez?

Can we discuss that?

Counselor Sit Lally.

Sorry.

It's organization to aid our community members.

Like, for example, I think we're hearing a big meet for Latino community.

That's very called.

Would you be able to advocate for like drop in mental health plannings?

One moment.

Yes.

My mic's on.

Okay.

Welcome to the internet.

Yeah.

Like support for the food technical careers and recovery so we know that it's what we what we suggest we do is get some resource out the door to to those entities that are supporting community.

And you know, that and this draft does define you know certain things.

We we try to make this as broad as possible and and honestly pattern this after uh how Forest Grove is going.

The City of Forest Grove is gonna grant out funds.

And hope that you know these categories are broad enough that a that a lot of those needs are captured in there.

So that's the intent.

And I I think I would say part of our take go going directly to Central also probably supports Mercado, right?

Is that too big a leap?

I guess my question is planning to prioritize in terms of these problems.

We we are leaving that up to the to those who are working directly with community.

Those who are much closer to the community in need.

Do you have specific suggestions or recommendations based on your like I said, mental health drop-in hours feel like they're in need and would maybe fill that gap where people can't travel outside of the city or even maybe have them assigned their face?

Mental health services is already very typical.

I don't know if that's possible.

I know that Wojitas has their uh naming SPO.

I enjoyed the work that they do very much.

Keeping in mind their capacity of course.

Maybe Mayor Delane.

Lopez.

Peter.

Here, let's try switching it with the other one.

Oh, we can get our line.

Okay.

Is it working or is it you can hear me now, huh?

Oh, oh yeah, yeah.

Yeah, it was the mic.

It was the microphone.

It was that particular microphone.

Thank you.

It's good to know those things.

Yes, Counselor.

I will say as someone that works in a nonprofit, that they are responding with the needs that people are coming in and needing.

So I do like the idea of keeping it general so that they're able to allocate those funds in the areas that they're seeing most need, like if someone's coming in because they need those mental health services, then they can allocate more to that, or if people are going to get a lot of food services, they can make sure that they're make putting more food or more money into that.

So I I have trust in our nonprofits to be able to get these resources and based off the needs of our community members, because ultimately they're the ones that have built that trust with the community.

So I think that they're going to respond in the ways that are most needed in the moment.

But but that's just personal based on my experience and what we're seeing right now.

But but I would also say I don't I don't want to downplay what uh counselor is asking in that um maybe this is part of a discussion topic as you're reaching out, and maybe this is this is on my list.

Um, does that mean we need to actually add Virginia Garcia and can they provide some of those services locally?

So maybe that's something we need to do is our next part of the homework is look at does mental health and then that's really something that you know Virginia Garcia help can help with.

Because that's in the community.

I think it's a trusted source here.

So yeah, I agree.

I would just add to that, I want to make sure that if we do that, that we are making sure that there's capacity because I know just in general, right?

The healthcare system is overloaded, and so when people try to get appointments, I mean you were talking about it earlier, it takes a really long time.

And so, and I can imagine right now it's not getting any better.

So while I want to make sure that we can get those resources, I don't want to allocate funds that are then not really going to be easily accessible to community members.

And I would follow on with that.

I the reminder, this is not a sprint.

We figured this is probably a marathon.

So this is not the first time we're gonna touch on this.

I'm betting this will be a topic every month for the next few months until either the administration changes the direction or we're able as a state and the municipalities to change their direction.

Staff, unless counselors have other questions on the content that's already been provided.

Thank you.

That's that's all very helpful.

I'll I'll definitely reach out to Radinia Garcia.

I think for expediency and just to just to move forward if you uh feel comfortable with us making some decisions around that within these kind of broad parameters in terms of the funds and the recipients now.

General head nod from the council that if if Virginia Garcia comes back and says, hey, we could really put five or ten thousand dollars to use really quick.

Yeah.

I think the council's in support of that as an additional amount, or if you need to uh carve some out of what's there to make something happen.

I I think we generally agree with the idea that work with them.

But to to Counselor Goodina's point, right?

It's just throwing the money there and then not being able to act on it or prioritize it would be self-defeating.

Yeah.

Right.

So I think we need to, and I think that's part of what I'm hoping we can also do is you know, when we get together on the first meeting in January here where in the first week of December, what actions have occurred?

Could we get a report back from the CBOs that we're working with on how what is what has happened with this, right?

Obviously, they're gonna get money from Forest Grove, Hillsborough, maybe the county.

So where where what money is on the ground and how is it acting?

And then I think my last one on the money part is how do we apply for reimbursement from the county or the state since we're in a state of emergency.

Because I think that's part of when we talk about the letter financial support, and I just that was my one of my key deliverables in the cross-jurisdictional Washington County meeting was money and resources.

That's what we need from the county and the state.

So we're in a state of emergency.

They should be.

I mean, if we had a big storm, if it was an earthquake, we'd be doing the same thing.

So this should we should be able to roll this uphill.

Council's generally agreeing with that, it sounds like city manager.

What else do you have?

I also wanted to thank you for all that.

Uh wanted to re revisit that advocacy piece.

Um I know that you know I uh I'll be honest, I was I was trying to get a letter out last week.

I really wanted that to be timely.

It's it's fine that we didn't.

Um I I suggested some changes, and um I know that Councillor Vaughn wanted to talk a bit, and obviously he wasn't able to make it tonight.

So maybe uh if you have some thoughts about next step with that, if we um go ahead and move forward with four signatures, or maybe um I can reach out to him individually tomorrow and see if he's comfortable with this or did counselors get to look at uh city manager's latest revision questions or concerns on that revision.

Yeah, I would just say I I appreciate the actual action items that were added to the list.

I think that made it a lot stronger.

And um, yeah, I I think that we need to get this out as soon as possible.

So whether that's with his signature or not, I think that it needs to get done no later than tomorrow, but that's just my personal opinion.

Oops.

I like the revision.

Um and I also agreed to Greg's uh points that were required in the revision.

So I I like how it looks on the second one.

Okay.

Okay.

Sounds like you get concurrence from the council if if you have any delay.

I think Beaverton reported out that they're gonna be sending a letter off tomorrow.

So if maybe you can close the loop with Greg tomorrow, then you could still get it off at the same time that Beaverton's sending in theirs.

Okay, I'll I'll give Councilor Vaughn a call on that.

I think that was it for this work session.

So we can uh at your discretion, Mayor, we can carry on with the next one item or counselors.

Any other questions or comments on the on basically the emergency funding process?

Counselor Lopez.

Just one comment.

I think just to carry it home, I think the mental health part of it, I think is gonna be big.

Um I think the conversation should be started.

Um I think a lot more funding is gonna need than we probably have available, but we should definitely start that conversation because I think it is impacting a lot of people, a lot of different groups, children specifically, I think, uh, but also adults.

And so um I think it's a bigger conversation, and uh I'm glad we're starting it here.

Yes, Councillor Gardinas.

That reminds me if for some reason Vitina Garcia isn't available.

Um I know that there's also Lifeworks Northwest.

They're another really good resource that we should look into as well.

Good suggestion.

Yeah, it's another local company in our area that specifically does mental health.

Uh Counselor Satlali, any additional?

Um I guess I would just have to ask, are we collecting any data from what is happening right now?

Is anyone collecting any data of incidents?

Um is it public?

Do we have anything?

Are we tracking anything?

Not the city.

I can tell you that there is a run uh running tally of reports.

I met with uh Rhett McClain today um specifically about about this topic, and that they they have a significant number of reports um that have been sent to the attorneys general's office.

There's a uh the PIRC has a uh reporting form there, and they're actively um working with the governor and the at AG to investigate a number of these uh reports.

Um they're getting folks back that have been taken to Tacoma, and they're actually now that they've cleared that hurdle, they're able to actually talk about what went on and how it happened and so forth.

So I I think that's right now that's our central point is the attorney general's PI the PIRC's link to the attorney general stuff is probably our best source.

Um and then obviously we had all the testimony um two weeks ago from our community about what they're witnessing and what they're enduring.

Yes, Counselor Gudinas.

Yeah, I would just add to that.

Um yeah, PERC has definitely been collecting that information.

I think just recently there was a report that was dropped, and I'll see if I can share that out with you all in terms of the hot spots and how many people have been detained.

So the the information is being tracked.

I just think that we need to do we need to use that more to our advantage to really get the word out and make sure that we can pressure our state governor to do more.

Okay.

Yeah, I've been following the PERC uh data and Latinos Unido siempre, but I haven't seen anything.

It's all broad to Oregon.

I haven't seen anything locally, I guess that's why I was asking.

Something any more specific than Oregon.

Okay.

No, that that's good.

Um I I think I would be remiss not to share something that the sh uh that our chief of police shared with me.

And I know folks will hear this and maybe they'll make comment.

Um and I and I talked quite a bit with um State Representative McLean.

Um I am deeply concerned that we are sitting on a powder keg.

There we're we are one incident away from somebody doing something tragic, be it ICE or the people.

We we have people that are afraid.

Um they're cornered.

Um and that makes for bad decisions.

And the chief already shared one with me that he'd experienced personally.

Um and I think we need to reach out to our community.

This is an opportunity, this is a forum.

I'll also bring it up later during my mayor's update.

Um there was a vehicle um driving erratically around him when he pulled out of here the other night.

And um he was considering pulling them over.

And as they pulled up beside him, it was two young Latino women videotaping him to see what he was doing.

And they were driving in an erratic and very unsafe manner.

And I think this is one of those cases where we need to reach out to our community and help them understand that they can't make this bad situation worse, right?

That they they could have been in an accident.

Um in this case, the chief chose not to pull them over because he figured it would only be an escalation with the way they were already behaving.

So I think where we talk about folks needing to be safe observers that we're gonna try to work with Beaverton and their training for trained observers.

Um we still need to be safe in ourselves first, right?

We we need to not make a bad situation worse.

And my concern is is somebody in interceding with ice and causing it to escalate um in a into a bad situation, you know.

The these are the concerns, right?

These are the things that are keeping me up.

Um is I don't want to see something bad turn worse.

We've already we're already affecting the children in a way that we know it's gonna be have a lasting effects on them go having gone through this.

Um but I I'm really concerned.

I I need I need everybody to think.

I I'm trying to put this as the best way possible.

What what are the possible ramifications of your actions, right?

People need to be observant, they need to be documenting, but let's be safe, right?

In our own selves.

I I would hate to see us have a a traffic accident or a fatality because people are doing stuff.

Um we know we know from our eyewitness testimonies that the the ICE is not driving in a safe manner around the community.

So we need to be very vigilant when we see them to not assume they're going to be the best behaved.

So I it it's just it's those things, right?

I don't want somebody to step out into the street to start recording and then get end up getting run over, right?

Stay on the curb, stay at a safe distance, don't get into the middle of this, because we don't we are getting documented cases at the state of bad behavior already by ICE and border patrol.

Um if they're acting this poorly when they're arresting people, it will not get better if someone intercedes, right?

And I and I'm just deeply concerned about the potential travesty or death.

Honestly, I'll just say it, the death of somebody in our community because they got in the middle of this or got in the way of ice when they're driving erratically.

So I I couldn't pass this moment, not say something.

Counsel, if you have comment or other things, I would absolutely love to hear from you.

Counselor Sitlali.

To your point, thank you for reminding us about prioritizing personal safety.

You've been doing that from the beginning, so I appreciate that.

And I I understand that paranoia and anxiety and the stress of this really heightens our emotions and maybe makes us do um things that we shouldn't do, but uh prioritize your personal safety.

Uh creator forbid something happens to one of our community members.

Uh I would hate to see that happen.

And I don't want anybody to risk their personal safety for something like this.

We're already seeing a lot of violence in our community, so so yeah, be careful.

Be careful.

Counselor Gordinas, did you have a comment?

No, I would just say I agree and just remember that even though it feels like sometimes the police can't do anything, it's so important to call them because they can make a report and that report can be used.

The DOJ has a um has a link where people can start uh documenting cases in which ICE violated their rights or anything, it may be, and I think that having those report only makes it stronger.

And I I agree, I think people are it's hard because you're watching your community members be treated unjustly, having their rights violated, and so of course you're gonna get upset, but at the end of the day, that isn't gonna fix anything.

We need to make sure that we're still around to be able to advocate and advocate and use our voices for our community members.

And trust me, I know that's really hard to do, but um personal safety is always number one, and our police is here.

I know that even they can't do that much, but a simple report has a lot of value because we never know what the future is gonna look like and how helpful those reports may be in certain cases.

So just reminding community members to please call them when they need them.

Yeah, I I will follow on that one because I think that we can't underemphasize the documentation capability of our police.

Even if they aren't able to stop an abduction, they are able to document the behavior and what happened, and they are a qualified source of documentation, right?

These are people that are sworn, they they they're in court all the time, they know how to do this.

So I don't I think we need to make sure we understand the part they can play, even where we don't know everything right now, our bounds are a little squishy, right?

They they can be they can be a resource to us in that exactly as you said.

So thank you for bringing that up.

Counselor Lopez, did you have something you wanted to comment or say?

Yeah, just call it just quickly, just that uh yeah, safety is is first.

Um but if you do want to document and know what to document, there are agencies that are providing trainings that will focus on safety, what to document, what to take, and who to report it to.

Um mostly so that it's confirmed, so it's not just putting more fear out there when we have enough fear.

Uh, we want to make sure that we're putting accurate information out there.

So there are agencies that are focusing on providing those types of trainings.

Umfortunately, I don't have the names right now, but I'm sure if you go to one of our local uh nonprofits, they can guide you.

Great.

Um, city manager, did you have any follow-up on this?

I think that's it on that topic.

Really appreciate it all.

Itsel, is there anything based on the the meeting that you think we need to share as relevant to the emergency funding process from uh the last meeting you were able to finish off for us?

Do you want to come up?

If you have nothing, it's great.

If you do have something, um I think there's one thing that I feel like we I haven't seen too much on um immigration resources that people have been putting on the website.

And um Representative McClain mentioned that they have a reporting form, and it um our lawyer mentioned it last time and sent us a link, and we talked about adding it to the website.

So I just want to make sure and reiterate that that's really important because that's one of the resources that mainly the um attorney general's office um is using to make sure that they can check in on any reports of immigration detained people being detained unlawfully.

Um I think that's really important, but I think that's about it that I'm caught from the meeting that has not been shared too much, but I wanted it out there.

So we'll be adding that to our website.

Thank you.

Uh, we're actually there's uh every two weeks, just let folks know the the electeds from and uh some of the appointed from the Washington County are meeting every two weeks to to kind of share and update each other on what's what's going on, what's what what have we learned, um what is each of us doing?

So if somebody's doing something we can maybe copy it if we can afford to.

So just uh give you a heads up and I'm the primary for us, and itsel is our support staff on that, so she was able to attend the meeting because it actually ran into the beginning of council meeting and will every month for the next however long this goes on.

Okay, I think that was our first half.

Next up in the work session is the quarterly strategic plan update.

City Manager Brennan.

Thank you, Mayor.

Give me one moment.

So shifting gears.

So last March, the city council and senior staff uh met in a retreat, half day retreat, to create a new city strategic plan.

Strategic plan defines the priorities and projects for city operations for the next three years.

So it's it's it's not a strict boundary, but it's primarily about how the city organization works and and what it prioritizes.

Our current plan expires this year.

Uh the new plan uh in draft now has four goals and 20 actions to address economic development, civic engagement, and advocacy, staff and volunteer capacity, and community identity.

And the new plan also has a three-year horizon, so 2025 to 2028.

So I'm not gonna read these right now word for word because it would be terribly painful, and I'll show them to you again.

But the first one really has to do with focusing economic development on uh really the town center activity, uh town center area primarily.

So kind of the the core and the couplet uh through through the community.

Goal two is around civic engagement, community engagement, uh kind of elevating um awareness, understanding, and engagement with civic process.

Goal three is really focused on staff and and our capacity, enhancing volunteer programs, recruitment, training, and those sorts of things.

And then goal four has to do with our identity both as an organization and as a community.

So what I'd like to do is just tick through each of these goals kind of as quickly as I can, and then what we'd like to do is uh is go ahead and shift into implementation of this new plan.

So driving intentional opportunistic economic development in the Cornelius Town Center with public-private partnerships, and in order to create jobs, expand revenue, and it's and establish local destinations.

We've already started on this uh very significantly.

Uh we have hired a consultant to help us work toward a development offering uh and we've engaged with developers specifically around the Grande Food site, which is a major piece of the town center.

Uh the soon-to-be hopefully completed uh cleaned up at former SB Gas station at 10th and baseline, and then supporting the owners of the historic Western States fire apparatus building as well.

So really kind of focusing on those three properties at the moment.

And we're looking at uh partnerships.

Um again, I I don't need to read all the actions, but um just know that that we've really gotten started on these.

City manager for economic opportunity.

I lean into my mic.

I can't emphasize enough where I think the 575 acres north of town is a huge part of that.

Is there one of one in here about working on that?

There is.

Okay.

Because to me, that's I mean, downtown economic development.

I've absolutely we need to focus on, but anything we can do to reduce people's commutes, bring jobs to town to help help our tax base, those are huge opportunities, I think.

And the biggest I see in that is that 575 acres getting back on the list north of town.

Yeah.

I I that definitely was clear from the retreat, and uh I would also characterize that as the hardest thing to solve.

So that's probably gonna be outside of the next three years.

But yes, in fact, but I think there's deliverables now, right?

There's stuff that we need to do.

It's the the willingness of the people that are in that area, right?

To understand, you know, do we have allies or do we have some people that are really against it?

We you know, this the kind of SWOT analysis around the specifics and then starting to work that groundwork, right?

I uh we need to have commitments and support from like if Juan Carlos is gonna be the next president of Metro.

We need commitments from him.

We need it from our representatives both in the Senate and the House that they are going to support us because we're gonna need to have language changed at, and if that's not in this session's short session, then we need to be hitting them about what what are what's the bill gonna be in the next long session in 27 that supports that modification so we can get in there.

And and I think um the strategic plan isn't meant to get uh quite that specific.

I'll get into goal two right now, and and hopefully this encapsulates what what we did talk about in the retreat along those lines.

Um part of it here is increasing community engagement in the civic process and opportunities for community community members in Cornelius to advocate.

So uh developing inclusive outreach programs to educate on community and civic processes, fostering engagement and civic activities and developing local leaders, training community members to advocate for Cornelius, and establishing mechanisms to activate advocates as needed.

And this is kind of that that next tier up of structure that will support us, you know, what what is usually the few of us who are who are really making the case to make it a bigger team, essentially.

And not to downplay what's going on here, but we need the kind of interest and excitement about the 575 acres that we saw here two weeks ago about the immigration problem, right?

We need to we need to be able to activate our community to understand and be impassioned about that in a similar manner, right?

I mean, I I don't want to downplay this, but that's I mean, isn't that the end goal?

Is that we would be able to have you know those kind of people show up to a meeting and talk about the importance and how it really would hit the the ground for them and how it would be a life-changing opportunity to get those 575 acres north of Cornelius into industrial land.

So I I think I think that's part of it, right?

So we're we need to continue to build our base, but it's that doesn't stop us from having to continue to do our homework, like you said, with the small, the small army right now are kind of our uh characterize it as our SEAL team um attacking and trying to get that in.

But we we do also need the the community ringing that bell also.

Yep.

Thank you.

And then uh goal three again, having to do with staff capacity and enhancing volunteers and volunteer programs that we have in in our departments to improve staff recruitment training and management and build our future leaders.

And again, I don't want to read through all of these, but it's uh really a continuing theme from the current strategic plan of uh succession planning and developing more resources with the limited financial resources that we have.

So I I am happy to read all of these, but I well the one to me is it's like community-driven initiatives, right?

How do we how do we get that past go?

Right now, the one that always hits me is the boosters putting out the flags up and down the main street, right?

So there's a community-based initiative that's being organized and driven by that group.

So I think the the part of that is is what's what would we have a community leader or community group take on, right?

What kind of targeted activity, right?

So at one point we talked about um what is it?

Um having community members put together a day in the summer or when the weather's nice to pick up uh or put your old maintenance or appliances outside, like a garbage collection, some some other city.

Community cleanup day that goes beyond what is our historic one, right?

Which is really just um doing some service in the community, right?

Clean the railroad tracks, clean the highway, plant some flowers.

That's been our that's been our community beautification day.

How do we take that?

Do we have somebody in the community that's interested and driven, right?

Uh to me, then the next big one is cert, right?

The the basically the emergency response team, community emergency response team.

There, I remembered all the letters what they meant.

Um we we don't have cert, right?

Hillsboro has cert.

There's uh cert groups around the other Washington County communities, but we don't have one.

And to me, that could definitely be community driven, right?

There could be uh uh basically uh an anointed group, maybe it's a committee or commission that does that, but that really drives that activity.

And then I think to I can hear city manager's head, but how much staff time is that gonna cost?

But that's part of how do we get you know the 90% from the community and the 10% from the staff.

I think that's making those shifts because I think right now, if you leaned into the staff, they see most things as 90 or 99% staff and one to ten percent community in most areas.

Eve even the foundation or the the friends is probably very heavily staff augmented or driven.

So I think that's part of that.

How do we get them past the next thing?

And I don't know if that's do we need to get the I mean I'm a product of Ford Family Foundation.

Maria's a uh a product of Ford Family.

Do we need to invite Ford Family back to help us grow some more?

I mean, is the best example right now of somebody that's grown within our community into a leadership role.

I mean, you're sitting on council now.

Um, maybe that's part of our investments we need is to look back into our history, what worked, right?

The Ford Family Foundation training, and maybe we need to get reinvolved in it.

That would just be something that from my lived experience talks to me.

Others.

How do we build this capacity in our community?

I would love to make it more approachable.

Um, in the sense that I didn't feel comfortable coming here to city council meetings for various reasons for a long time.

But I would love to do just like you know how they do like coffees with the principal once a month.

I would love to do that for the city, just chill environment where we talk about what's going on in the city, it's approachable, and then we say, Oh, if you're passionate about this, maybe we can guide you here, apply for the planning commission.

I'd love to call it cafecito con Cornelias, because then it would be bilingual friendly, and then I can speak Spanish and be comfortable.

But that's just an idea I have for making it more approachable within our city.

And we got great comfy chairs in the library.

Exactly.

I would love it at the library.

Okay, puppies with council, it is and then goal four has to do with our community and really our our city identity as well, and with the goal of instilling civic pride.

Um so we do plan to contract, which we've kind of had it on the on the books for several years now to finally contract for a communications plan, which likely will involve some kind of rebranding, and I think that will be an opportunity for us to establish a new identity or or maybe a refreshed identity, if you will, and a plan that helps us um establish and reinforce it.

Um then to use that to prioritize projects and activities and to promote that brand identity.

So that's that's really goal four there.

Any any questions on that piece?

Council or comments.

Yes, Council Gordinas.

Yeah, I would just say for this goal, like I really appreciated what Sit Lali just said earlier about breaking down those power dynamics, because absolutely I think that this can be a very intimidating room.

And even you mentioned it earlier, I forget where, but like, yeah, it's the whole you know, sitting above and then having this big thing in front of you.

Um, and it doesn't make it very approachable.

And I have a lot of times where I talk to community members, and I'm like, oh, you should come and use your three minutes at City Council, and they're like, No, I'm good.

Like it's already terrifying enough to do public speaking, but then you're adding these other layers to it, and we're talking about wanting to, you know, figure out what our community identity is and unify that.

But I think that to do that, we really need to think about all those different layers that like the onion that we need to peel back to get to the core, right?

And this is our core right here.

And I think the cafecito or having more intentional opportunities to really unite our community and um build that civic pride can be done in so many different ways, but I want it to be done in a way that's accessible and something that they would want to show up to, not just like a random town hall meeting, you know.

Right.

I mean, we um we saw great civic uh engagement on the proposal for the stuff around Laura Woods, you know, 20th, 26th, 29th.

Obviously, people were impassioned, they provide a lot of feedback.

Um, but you give a lightning rod, it draws people, right?

Um, but I don't think so.

Lolly's asking a bad question, right?

I mean, I'm pretty booked, but one or two of us could look at opportunities to be available for uh lack of a better description, right?

Coffee.

I mean, there's there's community coffee companies that will donate coffee to us just to get that's their advertising write-off and come in on a Saturday and hang out at the library for a couple hours just to break that barrier down, right?

Because um I I will come out and say it now.

I've I've said it before.

I was absolutely not in favor of this when Rob brought it up, um, because we would spent a over a year at a plastic table and folding chairs at Centro as city council meetings, and it was just fine.

We were able to do all the business that we needed to do from a folding chair behind a plastic table.

So um, but he he thought we really needed this, so we did this.

Um but I think if that means going out in the community and being more available, then you know that's fine, you know.

Um maybe part of um farmers market is a council booth, right?

That we take turns staffing on Friday nights, right?

Those kind of things to go to the people, right?

I think Father David he's demonstrated he doesn't have a problem calling me if he has a question or concern.

He's got my number.

So he will he will reach out to me.

But we need to get more of us that way with the community, right?

Yes, great.

And I love what you said about the church, because the amount of times that I thought I grew up going to um San Alejandro, I don't go anymore, but you know, at the end, you anybody's invited to go up and to talk about or share any resources that they want to, and I think that's something we should consider doing more of that is because we know so many of our community members are going there and actually just letting them know like, hey, whatever it is, event that we're having or whatever's going on in the community, please come to this meeting.

Um and that's not just that's just one example of a great place that we can do that where because especially I want to think about like that meeting that you said, that's great and all, but that's you know, a specific part of our community.

And so I also want to make sure that we're emphasizing the part that is come that tends to traditionally be disconnected from um you know that civic engagement and that might look very different, that might require us, you know, partnering with some trusted organizations like Centro Cultural Radelante Mujeres that already have those trusted building relationships and maybe it's a potluck with the city or something like that, you know, hosted at a place that they're familiar with that they feel at home.

But yeah, there's a lot of great things and ideas that I think we could use to really help bring three and four to life.

I I agree with you.

I think four lends itself to three, right?

If we had more community-based groups that wanted to and help us engage the community, then then it'd be like, yeah.

You know, Virginia and Garcia invites me occasionally to different things.

I'm sure they you've been invited to several different things.

So I think taking advantage of those opportunities, the chamber, you know, talk with our business leaders.

So I think that's all good.

So questions, comments, more on this next steps.

Yeah, just the kind of the wrap up here.

We are in the process of finalizing kind of a tracker, so that's gonna help us really keep keep track of progress over the next few years and to report back to you on a consistent basis and then get into implementation.

And you know, we're I just want to be really honest.

We're we're pretty ambitious um with the schedule for a three-year plan in here, and so I just ask for a little bit of grace when we get down the road and have to shift a little bit, but hopefully we won't have to shift more than a little bit.

But you know, opportunities come up, like you know, an old shopping center, for example, and and we jump on those things, and it takes um time and effort.

So um, but I think I think it's a good plan, and we look forward to getting going in earnest.

Well, or a gymnasium is a community center.

Oh, yeah.

These these are these are things that pop up, like I I talked to you about it when that came up.

It's like this we may never see this chance again, right?

So we have to you're like, well, how are we gonna pay for this?

I said, that's a problem we'll figure out on the back end of this.

Um, because this is this is one of those opportunities, right?

You these are one of those times you look back at the fork in the road and go, if not for having taken this branch, right?

If not for asking for all the money, I mean, for the library, right?

And the grand bargain.

I was counseled by or then rep, oh, I think you could I think you can get a hundred thousand dollars from this the lottery towards the library.

And my response was I can be had, but I'm not cheap.

And I had to give up all that land north of town and a bunch of other stuff, and I asked for two and a half million dollars.

And if I'd known then what I know now, I would ask for the full five thousand dollars because the answer for the two and a half million was that quick.

I literally talked to Brian, he said they want two and a half million.

Got it.

It was that quick.

So if I'd known it was gonna be like that, it would ask for the full five million up front, and then we would have been that much further ahead.

But these are the opportunities, right?

We have to be able to recognize them and and take advantage of them.

And um we're in one right now, honestly.

You know, if you if you turn this whole immigration thing on its head, we have an opportunity, an unprecedented opportunity to engage with our community that are in a in a some of the hardest and darkest times right now, and we will be judged by how and what we do right now in these times.

And this is a chance for us to make deep and meaningful connections to our Latino community.

So we need to we need to act accordingly.

Right?

Recognize this opportunity, take advantage of it to do what's right and best.

What's moral?

Cool.

Anything else on the strategic plans?

So is this mean we're not gonna have a get together on a Saturday for all of us for like half a day?

Well, um probably not in 26, but I think some some check-ins, even if it's not related to strategic planning for kind of annual check-ins is healthy.

So questions, council?

We're almost at uh time for the next part of the meeting.

Okay, staff, anything else?

You're good.

That's it.

Thank you.

Okay.

Well, should we uh take a break and reconvene at seven for the next meeting?

That sounds good.

Okay, work sessions closed to order the Cornelius Urban Renewal Agency Board Meeting.

Yeah, excuse me, staff.

Okay.

Uh, could we start with a roll call, please?

Uh member Godinez present, member Delane.

Present, member Nunes Barragon, present Chair Lopez.

Present.

Okay, so um it looks like we just have the consent agenda to approve uh today.

Uh is there anyone wishing to make a motion to approve the consent agenda?

A motion to approve the consent agenda, second.

All right, any further discussion?

Seeing none.

Uh all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All right, looks like that passes unanimously.

Uh it looks like there's no other business and no public comment.

Nothing online, and okay.

So uh can I get anyone wishing to get aone to make a motion to adjourn?

Move that we adjourn.

Second.

Okay.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed or abstaining?

No.

Okay, so it looks like this meeting is adjourned.

Thank you.

Call to order the city council meeting for December 1st, 2025.

We're available in a Zoom webinar.

We're also on TVC TV live stream.

And we also have the Wordley Live Translation app available.

Uh refer to the PDF.

It has the web link and uh all the information you need to log in and do the passcode.

So, first up, call to order with our pledge of allegiance.

Please join me.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Staff, would you roll uh do roll call, please?

Councillor Lopez.

Present.

Counselor Nunez Baragan.

President.

Council President Godinez Valencia.

Present.

Mayor Delane.

Present.

Thank you.

Uh we have a few announcements now until December 18th.

The annual toy drive uh toy drive donations are being accepted at the Cornelius Fire Department.

Friday, this Friday, December 5th at 5.45.

We will have the annual tree lighting ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park.

And then followed soon thereafter at 6:30.

Uh, we'll have our annual holiday music and activities, and that will be in the new Cornelius Elementary School Gymnasium.

Thursday the 25th, Christmas Day, the city will be closed.

Thursday, January 1st, the city will also be closed.

And that follows up with Monday the 5th at 6 p.m.

We will have a council work session.

And Monday the 5th of January at 7 p.m.

We'll have a council meeting.

Next up is our consent agenda.

Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda?

A motion to approve the consent agenda.

Motion by Councillor Dunit Godines.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Lopez.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Abstentions.

Passes unanimous.

Public comment.

Comments are limited to three minutes.

Do we have anyone wishing to make comment tonight?

Um if there is anyone uh for comments for items not on the agenda.

The little yellow cards are in the back.

And uh nobody online either.

Okay.

Takes us to recognitions.

Our first employee recognition is for Mark Grigoli with five years.

Uh public works.

Do you want to uh present?

Oh that's not Ryan.

Yeah.

Do you need to get a little closer?

Closer.

Okay, you go.

Thank you.

All right.

So good evening, everyone.

Today we get to celebrate someone who uh keeps this place running quite literally.

For the past five years, Mark Grigoli has been our behind-the-scenes hero, the person who solves problems before most of us even know they exist.

While the rest of us panic at the sight of a blinking light or a mysterious beeping noise, Mark calmly walks in, takes a look, and within minutes has everything working again.

Often with nothing more than a multi-tool and a look of determination.

But beyond the repairs, Mark brings reliability, craftsmanship, and a sense of humor that makes even the toughest days easier.

Five years of quick thinking, steady hands, and the occasional miracle fix deserves a big round of applause.

So today we say thank you.

Thank you, Mark, for five years of dedication for keeping the lights on, literally, and for making a better place to work.

Here's to you, and many more years of things not breaking.

But if they do, we know we're in good hands.

Congratulations.

No speech?

Thanks, Mark.

Uh next up is an employee recognition, uh long time in the making for Laura Christie, 30 years.

Presented by our fire chief David Morris.

Come on, Av Laura.

She did.

We brought reinforcements to make sure she couldn't get out.

Um it was about a year ago.

Almost a decade a year ago.

Mike died.

And I have to ask you, I have to tell you when I came in here.

Uh yeah, I'm totally right now.

She's on the second mom and being on what to do.

That can you hear in the back now?

If she has done this for everyone for all the years that we've been here, that's why the fire department and the police departments have been so successful.

So from the city, we have 30 years of service recognition for you there.

And then Chief Coley and I designed this plaque for you.

It says for 30 years of distinguished and faithful service to the city of Corneus Police and Fire Department.

Your steadfast commitment, professionalism, and unwavering dedication have strengthened our public safety family and the community we serve.

November 1995 to November 2025.

Thank you for three decades of service that protected, supported, and lifted the city in ways seen and unseen.

We have our current emblems on there.

But she has been here with us a lot longer than most everyone in this room.

Some of us have that have been even alive.

And we have another patch from the original police department when she started working here as well.

So we have two of the police patches and a fire patch on there.

Laura, thank you for years of service.

Give me.

Laura's been the constant for my 15 years.

If you have a question about history or this is how we used to do things, you go to Laura and she gets it fixed.

And she's really good about not calling me like if I'm off duty or something like that.

But one of the times that I will automatically always answer my phone is when I used to work shift, and it would be payroll day.

And if I get a phone call from Laura, there was something wrong with my time card, and I was right here.

Let's get it fixed, right?

So she takes care of us in many ways.

So uh again, 30 years is a long time.

Thank you for your service.

Um maybe 10 more so we can figure out what we need to do.

Congratulations, Laura.

Thank you.

Yeah, you know it.

Uh first off, uh, Chief Coley sends his regrets he couldn't be here tonight.

He's out of state at a pre-arranged training.

Um so you get me.

But you I would have been here anyway.

He was one of my favorite chiefs along the way.

Just one of them.

Okay.

So I was the chief out here between 2016 and 2019.

Um, and I was the original sergeant when uh the city took over or contracted with the sheriff's office for police services in 2014.

In 2014, when I was out here, and that's when our paths first crossed.

I really relied on you in ways that I could never repay uh and and thank you for.

Um, just in the transition, because it was interesting for those of us that were around then.

It was very interesting.

And Laura is the one that made it all possible.

Um when I returned as the chief, I relied on her in a much different way that I never expected and realized just how vital she is to city operations, especially on the public safety side.

Um this city runs with Laura, and I think the fire side would agree with me.

We couldn't do what we do here uh without your your help, and Chief Morris, you're 100% right.

I couldn't agree with or more with uh the comments you made about Laura.

Indispensable.

I appreciate you.

I don't know what we would have done without you.

Thank you so much.

We love you.

Appreciate you.

Does anyone else have any comments before we hang this up?

Alrighty.

Congratulations to 30 years of service.

Thank you.

Um it's not going to be 10 years because I want to spend some time with my husband.

But at least.

I'm not him the other day after you didn't three years.

Oh that's okay.

Yeah.

Anyway, thank you.

Oh, you could once you make the lap, I'll take a lap.

Thank you.

Long time I'll see you.

Yeah, yeah.

Glad to see you always awesome.

Thank you, Laura.

Always great help.

Uh, just to acknowledge that uh Laura hasn't been here since the beginning of the fire service.

Uh, we just celebrated the 113th anniversary for the fire service in Cornelius, 1112 of 1912.

So I I know, I know it feels like you've been here, but um I wanted to acknowledge that that anniversary and uh congratulate Laura on 30 years, and we could use another 30 more, but if we can get three, we'll take it.

Thank you.

Yes, absolutely.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

We'll give you guys a minute to exit before we move on.

Next up it will be the Chamber of Commerce if you want to go ahead and get set up while they exit.

Part of my Google.

I love that.

113.

2019, 12.

We got a green light.

Right.

If you press and hold sometimes.

It was horse drawn.

It was buggy.

Let's bring this back.

Great for uh presentations and appointments.

We have the Chamber of Commerce is gonna talk to us about the small business support center update.

Cecilia, you have the uh floor.

Thank you.

Mayor.

Tap there.

Thank you, Mayor and uh City Councilors for the opportunity.

My name is Cecilia Hiron, and I am here on behalf of the Forest Grove Cornelius Chamber of Commerce with the Small Business Development Incubator.

I am the business development in uh incubator director here uh in the city of Cornelius.

So I'm happy to present uh to you the work that we have been done, and thank you for the partnership and the collaboration that the city has invested uh into the small business uh development incubator to support local businesses here in Cornelius.

Um the small business development incubator uh empowers entrepreneurs and also strengthens our local economy.

Um goals are to in to be inclusive and have access um not only in English but also in Spanish to our um small business owners, uh equable training, diversity growth in small or big uh businesses, and uh scaling support uh for those businesses, not only startup, but for those businesses that want to expand, we also support um them.

Uh and also that we built um opportunities in areas where we could bring them um and connect them strategically with all our events that we do.

And uh some of our outcomes that I will share with you, and this has happened since I started.

Uh we opened in May of 2025, this year, uh here in the city uh of Cornelius.

We are inside the Cornelius Public Library.

That's where we are located, and I am super excited to also share that.

But uh bringing her um to come to work with us has give us the opportunity to open the incubator um hours and have Monday through Friday resources from 10 in the morning until 4 p.m.

And that also allows me to have one-on-one uh meetings with our small business owners, and for those that can't come to us, that I will go to them.

So that's great.

Um since we open in May, we have an average of four to five people that I support every day, uh, whom we serve um in different capacities, um, either resources, one-on-one meetings, or um just uh giving them uh uh opportunities for trainings.

Um and members the the majority of our members are from this community, um that the majority that we help.

That um also uh we have members that come from Forest Grove that are Spanish speakers.

We also have members that come from western, a little bit of western west of Hillsborough, like close to Winco this site.

Um and so what we have done uh since I uh came on board uh is one on one technical assistance and personalized uh their needs, and I've done more that more than 90 uh with small business owners.

Uh not only startups, but others that already have established businesses.

And I have assisted new businesses, which I help them open their business.

We talk about their name, what kind of name they want to put to their business, what legal structure they want for their business, if they need any licenses, if they need any research in terms of demographics, what their target audience is, and many, many other services that we offer.

We have help open cleaning business services, consulting services, construction, and home base acre.

Successfully, we've also facilitated different trainings.

We have done AI for entrepreneurs, personal and business credit, personal finance, business one-on-one.

And we also have done not only trainings, but also we have collaborated with multiple organizations and also businesses in the area and nonprofits to bring together our businesses to do more network and opportunities to connect with one another and build stronger relations with relationships with one another.

One of the highlights that we did in partnership with the city of Cornelius, the Cornelius Public Library, and With Toileting Habitat for Humanity and Professional Business Development Group and the City of Cornelius and City, even City of Hillsborough and other local construct uh construction businesses.

We did the first uh bilingual local business exchange vendor fair where we brought local construction businesses to come and learn from each other, but more specifically to make sure that they have relationship with the city and also with nonprofits that perhaps may need those services.

We want uh we want to ensure that we that our local businesses have stay local in and also our um other organizations uh can hire them to stay to help local our local economy.

Um so that's that's our highlight.

We did that event in June, June 5th here in the Cornelius Pueblo Cavery.

Um other trainings that we have done, uh 31 participants participated in our in our other trainings, um uh advertising as an entrepreneur.

Um that was August 7th, August 28.

We had tools for entrepreneurs, how to manage your cash flow, build your banking relationships and business credit.

And that was a partnership with also uh US Bank.

Um in October 16, we did the bilingual governor contracting training in partnership with um Apex Accelerator with an organization PDVG, and they did a training for those that have already a business, but they're ready to start opening more opportunities for their businesses to do more contracting um with government.

So that was fabulous.

They want to come back and continue their training.

Um and so we're already uh doing some um dates for 2026, which is exciting.

Um with our other events, um, I will not go into all of them, but we have uh reach more than 100 people uh with our multicultural business expo fair that we had assessed this in collaboration with the food car uh CESIS uh in Forest Grove.

We also had a lunch round table of uh community session in partnership with uh West Toiletine for uh Humanity, the city of Cornelius, uh, and we had it here uh and we brought different organizations as well.

Uh October 5th, we were part of the West Side Small Business Event at PCC Willow Creek, where we had other businesses from uh Washington County um and and provide resources for our community.

Uh from that, we now are looking to collaborate with uh Lewis and Clark Legal Clinic to come and do some training for small businesses on how to protect their assets.

So that's wonderful that we continue to build relationship and partnership and bring resources to this area of our county.

On October 8th, um the local businesses share their needs and ideas with Senator Janine Salman.

Uh we gather uh local businesses from the city of Cornelius and City of Forest Growth to meet with uh our Senator Janine Solomon to talk about the needs and challenges of uh small business owners.

So we were really excited for that.

Um before I do my thank yous, do you have any questions?

Um I don't know if you have any any other questions, but um I also have some data that I want to share with you because I think this is really critical, especially during um these times, critical times that we're leaving.

I visited five local businesses here in the city of Cornelius and also four other businesses that came to us, total of nine businesses.

They share with me that they're uh they have been uh losing revenue.

80%, some of them have lose 80% of the revenue, 60% of the revenues, um, and 50% of their revenues and sales.

They are very afraid of what's happening um with um ice activities across our city, and they're also asking for more resources and funding uh to keep their door open.

I just want to share that because I believe that that's critical piece.

Um that these the ice activities have a repo effect.

It's also not not only affecting our youth or children or families, but also is affecting our small business owners.

And our small business owners are a critical piece of our of the economic of the the city of Cornelius.

Uh, I just wanted to share that data with you.

Um any questions.

I think the only one is I gotta give you a little bit of a hard time that when you're here, it's the Cornelius and Forest Grove Chamber of Commerce, not the other way around.

Not only is it alphabetical, but you gotta think about where you're sitting.

Thank you, Cecilia.

Thank you.

Um, something, Council Gordinas.

Yeah, I just want to thank you for giving us this update.

I think, and for sharing the information that you've heard back from our small businesses because I mean I see it when I go Latina Mexicana, right down here at San Alejandro, right?

Like it used to be finding a parking spot there was so hard, and now there's it's empty.

Like every time I drive by, the parking lot is empty, and that's a small business that has been in our community.

I've lived here my whole life that has been here for as long as I can remember.

And so um I appreciate you being there as a resource for our community members and also just sharing the revenue side of things as well because I knew it was drastic, but I honestly wasn't expecting 60%, 80%.

Those are really high numbers, and um yeah, it definitely speaks to the situation that's going on.

Um, but I also do want to highlight all the great work that you all are doing to support our small businesses.

I love that you're all are at the library.

I love the events that you're doing, especially the one earlier where you were talking about bringing the nonprofits in the cities together with the construction companies to make sure that we're really keeping it local because at the end of the day, not only do we want to help uplift these businesses, but we want to make sure that we're providing local opportunities for them as well.

So, really thank you so much for everything you all are doing.

Thank you.

Um, and another important data that I didn't mention, more than 20 um nonprofits in government sectors have also become partners because of the work that we're doing here in Cornelius and Forest Grove with the Forest Grove and Cornelius Chamber of Commerce for the record.

So thank you for the ongoing efforts and for your work and for fostering and um helping us uh to support small businesses and the goal is to continue connecting to continue building relationships with not only um their local government but also with small businesses, nonprofits in our community.

I believe that everything is interconnected and we're here to support one another, especially on these critical times that we are leaving.

Um yeah, thank you, City of Cornelius for your investment.

No, I think this is great.

I I think back to where um in my early council days it was um the Cornelius Chamber was in a side office in the original city hall, which was the old fire hall building on the corner on the west end of the you know the library, which is the Drake Learning Center now.

And then for years we didn't have a chamber presence in town when we basically contracted out with the Forest Grove Chamber, and now to have you back here to actually have the chamber in town to be part of the you know, located, co-located in one of our government offices.

It feels it feels really good to have you guys here and to be able to provide local direct culturally you know sensitive support um in our community.

So we really um all joking aside, we really do appreciate having you here.

Um and I wouldn't have joked if I didn't think you would take it because you and I have talked more than once.

Um but uh it's it's it does feel really good to have the chamber's presence here.

And uh I I think it sounds like the membership has helped too.

I think that was one of the things that were you guys hoped would come out of this is being present in the Cornelia's community.

Um has that really drawn more Cornelis businesses into the chamber?

Yeah, more good, because I know that was one of the things that the chamber had been struggling with previously.

Council, any other questions, comments.

Lolly, yes.

Yeah, I just appreciate your work, Cecilia, and I appreciate seeing a familiar face doing this work, especially in our community.

You are an amazing person, and I really appreciate what you're doing for small businesses here.

Thank you.

It's true, it's a true collaboration.

I also want to say thank you to uh the development director of this of the Cornelius library because she has been very instrumental to not only um open also the doors for us, but also to really use and utilize the building and use also the the rooms to meet one-on-one with businesses.

So that is crucial, and also for events.

Um, and you know, we we continue to build that the those relationships and Peter also and her and Peter's staff that are also there.

This is a true collaboration with the uh for Cornelist Chamber of Commerce and the CD and the Cornelius Public Library and other people that make this possible.

I will not do this work without their support because it's only um we don't you know we're Teresa, Teresa, yo, me.

Um but I know that I can come with um with their support.

And so I feel like I have more than just us.

We have a uh network of resources that we can bring together for our small businesses.

So I appreciate that.

And thank you so much.

Thank you.

Okay, next up we have ARPA expenditures update from Ms.

Jones, assistant city manager.

Good evening, Mayland Council.

Ellie Jones, assistant city manager.

That on okay.

Um so just here to give you a quick update on the umilic and rescue plan act grant funds that we received, also known as ARPA.

Um so as most of you are aware, we received about a little over 2.8 million in total.

To date, we've spent a little over 2.6 million.

So uh we only have about 210,000 left to spend.

Um in your packet, you should have uh two pages, one showing all of the items that we have completed to date.

It's quite a list.

Um money has gone to a lot of projects, um, a lot of uh community partners to help uh with their events and their activities.

Um money is assisted with utility bills with food boxes.

We've done some needed improvements um throughout the city with not only with the facilities but also some uh IT equipment.

Uh we helped fund a fire engine that was also much needed.

Um so quite a bit.

We do have a little over 12 months to finish spending uh these funds.

Um the the big item I would say, as the city manager mentioned is the communications plan, which will come with some rebranding and um new signage um possibly at um on the buildings and in the city parks.

Um so that you should be seeing a plan come forward to you soon because we do need to get that completed.

Um we also have funding obligated to um the chamber as well for them to continue on.

Um and then we'll uh hopefully they'll stay a little bit longer too.

Um and then we're finishing up some plans, the the vision plans, comp plans, some mastery plans that needed to be done.

Um with that 210,000, there's still another good list of items to complete.

Um I'm happy to answer any questions, but that's pretty much the update.

Councilor Lopez.

Yeah, just was there any of these items that still have uh have funds committed that uh you feel uh danger that we might not be able to spend them down.

Um no, I've met with the city manager quite often um keeping them up to date on this.

So I think we'll uh the big one is the communications plan.

Um that that needs to get going soon.

But I think all of these other items will we'll finish spending up those funds pretty soon, if not this fiscal year, uh early next fiscal year.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Yes, Councilor Gordonus.

No question, just a big thank you because I mean I don't I work with budgets, not budgets this big.

I mean, and you do so much more than that, but I know when this came in, you were a big part of the behind the scenes and making this all happen and having to come back with changes and all of that.

So I know it's a lot of work, and I really just appreciate how easy you make it for us to understand because I know that's a whole nother thing as well.

So thank you.

I feel like this process has been very easy from my side of things, maybe not so much from your side of things, but I I do appreciate all the hard work you've put into this.

Thank you.

Great.

Well, thank you for the update.

Thanks for the hard work, and uh thanks for helping us figure out how to make good uses of this.

I I feel like um we can justify any of the investments that we've made.

We can point back to how do they serve the community, and I think we haven't um unnecessarily gotten ourselves into a situation like I've seen some other cities where they spun up programs or services, and now they're like in a budget crunch because they can't figure out how to sustain those without the ARPA money.

So I think we I think we've had a wise group of investments.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Great.

Well, that takes us to the Cornelis 2045 community vision and action plan update from City Manager Brenham.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

Want to provide an update on the Cornelius 2045, the community's first long-range vision and action plan, which you adopted uh a year ago last month.

And um we have made progress.

Um just in review as much as anything to benefit uh councillor Nunez Barragon being new.

So this is the first 20-year vision plan that our community has had.

We actually used ARPA funding to contract for the for the work um over two years, 2023 and 24.

Um, and it was adopted actually this month, a year ago.

Um involved extensive community engagement over many months.

Uh so we feel good about the the basis that informed the contents of the plan.

And the purpose really is to coalesce a community vision for the future and then a roadmap for getting there.

So it's really an action plan.

It also informs other community planning efforts that the city undertakes.

For example, the Parksmaster Plan, comprehensive plan, and the communications plan that um assistant city manager just mentioned.

The vision also supports community partners to inform their own activities, programs, projects, and so forth, having a better grasp of of what the community desires to see in by the year 2045.

So, in summary, the plan has four um goal areas, and they're listed here in different colors.

Celebrating culture, community, and diversity, enhancing connectivity and accessibility, enriching parks and recreation opportunities, and facilitating strategic growth and development.

All totaled, it's 51 actions over the over the life of the plan.

And as I went through this and and put together this update, I realized we're actually making decent progress even though we haven't formally established our implementation structure yet, and um working with staff to get that going and and we're trying to right size that for our staff, but we we do envision having some kind of an oversight group and kind of a regular means to engage with community as we update the plan and then have a periodic kind of a an increment where you know maybe it's five years, maybe it's seven years where we check back in with community, shift out those those actions that have been achieved and maybe bring in some new actions depending on on how things are going.

One of the main elements of this though is that it's not the city's, you know, the city isn't the primary owner.

We're a facilitator and the community owns this plan, and so we will be engaging with community partners, utilities, um, a lot of stakeholders who do things in our community and identify those actions that really ought to be led by somebody other than than the city department.

And so I just wanted to tick through a few of those and highlight highlight actions, which uh with just a couple of exceptions.

I I saw substantial uh progress in each of the sub-areas of of each of the goal areas.

So starting with culture, community and diversity, out of those 14 actions, the three sub-areas are cultural heritage, youth engagement, and placemaking.

And for cultural heritage, I called out that identifying potential locations for murals in the city.

And it's El Sayago and I have been working hard on that, and we have actually installed one.

It's the side swipe sidewalk mural there on 14th.

But we we do have some solid ideas and have engaged with some entities that may be able to help us actually transact some some larger murals.

It's something I'm really excited about.

So we're actively working on that within the youth engagement uh segment there.

Um obviously we we had some recognition that it's L received recently by her work facilitating the youth advisory council.

We have made great strides with you at the Fighter Advisory Council, and so that that action is really um moving along very nicely.

And then with regards to placemaking, uh acquire and renovate the Cornelis Elementary School to create a community center.

We've done a lot.

We have a letter of intent to purchase the building, really just awaiting the uh completion of the of the new school by the end of the calendar year, so within the month, and then we'll be moving forward with with a lot of moving parts to actually acquire the building and uh raise more funds to renovate it and so forth.

So that one's well underway.

Connectivity and accessibility, uh, 10 actions here, infrastructure, public transportation, and traffic safety.

And I called out these.

We uh uh the first one pursue funding to complete the network of pedestrian and bike paths throughout the city.

Uh not doing this in a comprehensive way yet.

However, we have made um some pretty substantial gains in sidewalk connections, for example, on Davis, and also the Laurel Woods Bridge, which will be complete by the end of the month.

So we'll look forward to having a ribbon cutting there, probably in the spring.

So we have made some progress with that action from from the city standpoint.

Public transportation, there were actually a number that I that I could have highlighted here because there is quite a lot going on with transit in particular.

Um, this one advocate for enhanced first and last mile connections and increased frequency and coverage of daily transit routes.

What I would call out there is the Cornelius link, which finally got established.

And I'm a little anxious uh that there's been some word about uh funding cuts there at TriMet that might impact it, but we're we're lending our strong voice that that's a very important resource, and it it would be uh a downright travesty for that to be diminished right after it was established.

So well, I I would share with you that the I managed to get uh TriMed in with the Metropolitan Mayors Consortium, and they basically said the same thing in in no uncertain terms that um frequency reductions can be understood, line cancellations cannot.

Um because we've as we've established these, we've basically made a bond with their communities, be it a TriMant line or the link lines through the the community connectors, um, that these will be here to help people get to doctor's appointments, um, the grocery store wherever they need to go, and before we can delete any of these lines, we really need to understand how they're going to be those needs are going to be met.

And uh so we'll see with the updates as TriMet rolls out their feedback on this new together program with their funding restrictions.

But uh at least the the community as a whole as a whole and the metropolitan area are providing the same feedback that we're providing that these things are critical, and you may make them less frequent but not eliminate them.

Yeah.

Thanks, Mayor.

And then I called out um one of the multiple actions under traffic safety that I feel we've made some progress.

That's enhanced safety at intersections.

Just a couple that obviously probably obviously come to mind for you as well.

The raised intersection at 12th and Dogwood, which is really effective at calming traffic there and ensuring that people stop, and then the mini roundabout at 19th and Davis.

But we've we've done other things too with uh with paint on the streets and things like that.

So I I think you don't I don't think you should undersell the importance of the paint, right?

I mean, I don't know about other drivers, but for me, it draws my attention, right?

If I see a big striped out crosswalk with big white bars in the street, it makes me stop and look a little bit more to see if there's pedestrians around at those particular intersections.

So I think they've that really has added to our community, and it's it's not as flashy as a a roundabout or a completely new, you know, raised intersection.

But um it's a lot.

Yeah, it's a lot of importance in small things.

It's that kind of small but rapid improvement that we can do in the areas.

Another one that just popped into my head again.

I I've heard again recently how much um people utilize and appreciate the the orange flags to cross baseline.

Absolutely.

You know, it's just little things like that when we think creatively, which you all help a lot with, those those creative ideas that really can help.

That wasn't a million-dollar flashing beacon, it was a couple of buckets mounted with some flags on it.

We do churn through some flags, but they're they're not that expensive.

So yeah, but you can buy a lot of flags for million-dollar crossing beacon.

And then uh enriches parks and recreation opportunities.

This was definitely a prominent theme in the visioning from the community, uh, especially around recreation opportunities.

There was broad recognition of that we do have great parks and that folks would really like more recreation opportunities here so that so that they don't have to go east and west to get them.

Uh so under uh recreational programming, update the parks master plan to include community input.

That is going to come before you next month for formal approval.

So that's a big one, and it um contains uh the important the ideas from the community, which then being in the plan, we'll be able to spend uh the at the development money uh to develop those.

Um and then with regards to outdoor network, ensure parks and park facilities are welcoming and easy to navigate for all, regardless of age, ability, or language spoken.

Um there are a couple things I could call out.

The one that came to mind is that we've uh put in sub-fencing within a few of our parks uh for uh for families that um that have family members that that play better with uh with that barrier for safety reasons.

So we've made some progress there.

And then natural resources.

Um this one I'm I was just sharing with Rochelle earlier.

I'm really excited about uh create native pollinate pollinator demonstration gardens in suitable locations to support biodiversity and environmental education.

I actually just got done filling out the application for B City USA, so I'm going to be presenting to the public infrastructure advisory board later this month so that we can formally anoint that committee to be our pollinator committee and and get going with the actions that are required in there, which is a lot around community education, around um pollinator-friendly practices, including gardening at home, and then also from a city standpoint looking at our own practices to do things that we can to support pollinators and and not to uh damage pollinators.

So really excited about that one.

And then the last goal area facilitate strategic growth and development.

This really gets to what you were talking about, Mayor, too, um, earlier about um job opportunities and and revenue under economic prosperity, develop resources to support entrepreneurship, startups, and small businesses, including mentoring and expertise.

Um Sessie was just here telling you about that.

So this one was an easy one to call out where we've made incredible progress thanks to Cissy and her team in the and the chamber.

Housing options promote multi-generational and multicultural housing options through streamline planning and permitting for accessory dwellings and basic homes.

This one I would call out um our community development director, Barbara Fryer has initiated uh many party conversation around how we can all as jurisdictions get better at fostering these kinds of developments, um, including accessory dwell dwelling units, but other means of creating more housing within our communities and more affordable housing within our communities.

So hats off to Barbara for instigating that.

I think the next meeting around that is in January, and the folks that Barbara reached out to are very excited about it.

And then growth management, secure and allocate funds to enhance emergency preparedness, including establishment of cooling and warming shelters.

That's something that we'll soon complete our updated emergency operations plan, which feeds into this, and then also we do envision the the future Cornelius uh community and recreation center to be a cooling and warming shelter as well.

So that's that's part of the the idea for that.

So I I consider that progress there too.

And so the next steps are um, and I did note that that this effort supported the Parks Master Plan as well as the anti-displacement plan that was completed earlier this year.

We do have a web page on the city website.

So if you haven't looked at that, um we will keep that updated as as we go through implementation.

And then as I mentioned before, we will have an implementation framework that really you know makes sure it's not the kind of plan that sits up on the shelf and and that establishes leads for each action.

So that's a summary for now, and we'll be back on a regular basis to give you updates.

Happy to answer any questions.

When's the pool coming?

That's what everybody keeps asking me.

When money starts raining from the trees, 575 acres, I think generates a new pool.

That's what we gotta.

There's the lightning rod.

Right.

So um no, I think this is all good stuff.

Council, any questions or comments on it?

I I to me, I think it's when when do we plan the index, right?

So it's 2045.

Um I've just went through some of the stuff with Metro, they completely missed the ball on their update, and it's like, oh, it's the 2025 plan.

Oh, we're there, right?

And asking them to reflect on what's worked and what didn't work and that.

So is it a five or is it 10 year?

Because you said it's bigger than just you know, the city council leaning in and pushing it out 10 years.

Is that maybe the right frequency?

Is that kind of like every 10 years you should index the fifth 45, do a reflection and then look at what the 55 is?

Is that I I think there's two elements.

Typically, these plans are on a 20-year cycle.

So within you know, five to seven years of 2045, we would be looking at a wholesale redo.

In the meantime, I would, and it's L and I will we'll figure this out.

You know, I don't want to pin us down to anything too specific, but at a minimum five years, uh a kind of a check-in that involves community engagement, and then even in the years in between that, we'll have lots of opportunities to talk to the community about our implementation.

Um we'll be regularly engaging with our community partners all along the way.

And so I think we'll we'll we will lay that out in a plan.

Um, but yeah, I think um minimum five-year incremental check-in and update, and then at that 10 to 15 years, I came from a place where progress was made more quickly than expected, and so they were between 10 and 15 years, they were already looking at that next 20-year plan.

So part of it too is to what you know, how quickly might we get through half or three quarters of the actions, that sort of thing.

So well, and I mean, the one that comes to mind to me is like we were we've we I joked about the pool, and people have always asked about a pool, but due to the demographic change of Lowerwoods, it might be more like a cricket field, right, in that park down there, right?

The that's because then the the significant number of people are are interested in that kind of sports support for outdoors.

So I think that's one of those things where you have to look at it and go, what's changed in our community?

We knew we were gonna add 3,000 more people, we just didn't know a lot of them would be of Indian descent, right?

I don't think that we we thought that that was going to be the thing, but now all of a sudden we have a very large growing demographic in our community that's not the classic Anglo or Latino, it's like it's people from India.

So what do we how do we integrate them into our community?

What are they looking for from the community?

So I think this is part of that like things change, right?

If we got we get the 575 acres in five or 10 years, that could be a big a big deal to the community could really change direction on some stuff.

Yeah.

If we if we got a land grant, you and I've talked about what if the city got um an ability to get a large piece of land, and then we went in and did something like you know, I've talked about for years about do we put in a city-owned manufactured home park?

Because the detriment right now to manufactured homes, like 10% of our people live in our residents, is the ever-increasing cost of the property.

You know, they kind of but the houses have gone up.

I mean, I'm looking at things that used to be you bought one and it cost you sold it for half of what you bought it for.

Now ones that were purchased for $30,000 or selling for north of 100 to 125,000 for manufactured home in a nice park.

So I think we've come around a point now where manufactured homes are generational wealth all of a sudden.

They actually have a basis, which they didn't have in the past.

They were just a an expense, right?

A consumable.

And now you've got homes like I'm the one my mom lived in from the late 80s, and it's still the people take care of it.

It's gotten a new roof, it's got paint.

It's is held up as nice as any stick-built home.

So that would be a big difference.

If we got a you know a bunch of acreage, and all of a sudden we could put you know manufactured homes on it under the you know some kind of co-op or city-owned thing, that would be a big change all of a sudden.

And actually being able to address to me, that'd be one way you'd be able to address some of this housing crisis that we keep talking about, because every time we build there's a bunch of beautiful homes down in Lower Woods, but they're not affordable.

They're not even close, right?

If it's north of 400,000, um, we need stuff that's more.

I mean, if we could put the homes in that were in the 125,000, more like a new manufactured home.

Wow, people will be lining up, you know.

So I think those are the kind of things that would all of a sudden really reset things.

So or a big industrial big industrial company moving into somewhere.

So questions, comments from council.

Yes, counselor good news.

Yeah, I guess the last comment I'll make is I you know, as we were going through this, it made me really excited for the future, but it also just made me really appreciate our staff and just how quickly they can get things done and start to work on new projects for our community.

So I mean, I wish everyone was here so I could really give them a thank you.

But I'm serious, like you you see all this work, and to me, um, I don't want to compare other cities, but just from even talking to other counselors, like sometimes just even getting that flag, the flag system set up that could have taken a city like six months.

And I just appreciate how quick we were about deciding, okay, this is what we're gonna do, and this is what we need to do to make that happen.

So that wouldn't be possible without obviously everybody's leadership, but also our staff that are really the ones making sure that this gets done.

Yeah, and like the web page, right?

Um the massive updates that's happened on our web page.

I mean, there's cities have been working on that for five years already, and they still haven't authored a new web page.

They can't get past go, right?

So I think that is a a real at you know acknowledgement for our city staff that um I almost feel like we're in the right spot as far as size, right?

We're not so big that we're encumbered by an inability to get through the bureaucracy to make a decision, right?

But we also are just big enough that we can attract some good staff to do really good work for the citizenry.

So cool.

Thank you, City Manager.

Okay, that takes us.

Wow, no public hearings, no unfinished business.

The only thing we have a new business is resolution number 2025 63, an intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Grove Fire Related Services, City Manager Brenham.

Apologize, it's me again.

I was gonna say, I was like, we're doing something, we don't have the chief up here talking about it too.

So I I just want to give a little bit of a narrative.

I know it's all in the staff member, but it's a it's a pretty significant uh milestone.

So I just wanted to give a little bit of background, also partly to benefit counselor Nunez Barragon.

So we've operated under an IGA with Force Growth for Fire Chief Services for 15 years, and then a separate IGA for uh fire logistics services for the past seven years.

And originally this arrangement was established as a sort of pilot to see if combined management of Cornelius, Cornelius Rural District, Forest Grove Rural District, and Gas and Fire Districts could be done kind of under one umbrella, efficiently and effectively and under one chief.

And over time in those intervening years, much more responsibility was inherited by Forest Grove under the arrangement, and the IGAs were not updated.

It's it's that's not a dig at anyone, it's just you know, just what happened.

And those IGAs also had no expiration.

And so for about 13 years of this arrangement, there was also discussion about a formal merger of those entities to create a separate new entity in the form of a district so that it would be uh consolidation.

And those talks went on, but then really kind of ceased after about eight years when COVID-19 pandemic started.

Um in the meantime, really uh for about the past seven years, the city of Cornelius has increased in population around 20%, which is pretty substantial, and that makes fire and emergency medical services more dynamic, and other things in the in the field have become more dynamic too.

And in 2022, Gaston, one of those entities that was part of the arrangement exited the IGA, and that I think it was realized began to kind of limit the viability of a new of a whole separated district.

And then in uh 2023, both the city of Cornelius and Cornelius Rural District approved replacement fire option uh local option levies, which for us for the city allowed for three new firefighters and capital investment needs.

Thank you again to the community for that.

And then in February 2025, we re-established our fire chief position in the form of Chief Morris and soon began discussion with Forest Grove on a new IGA to replace those those legacy IGAs with newly defined services.

And so we've spent the past several months working with them.

Uh Chief Morris, Chief Gearing, and the city manager in Forest Grove, Jesse Vanderzan, and I and so the proposed resolution would terminate the two existing IGAs with with Forest Grove.

It would establish a new IGA with more limited services.

So we're still seeking to get uh some support from the City of Forest Grove, Forest Grove Fire and Rescue, primarily for fire inspection and prevention services, and also for major incident public information officer support.

So that's for the really big incidents.

Um the proposed IGA sets clear task areas and terms, including renewal and termination procedures.

The initial term would be for five years through the end of 2030 with the option to extend for subsequent five-year terms.

I really want to underscore my appreciation, and I think too, on behalf of Chief Morris to Chief Jim Gearing and the prior chiefs who led our team for many years, and for the for their leadership and and and all that they've done.

And we look forward to continuing to work with Forest Grove Fire and Rescue under this new arrangement.

So happy to answer any questions you might have as well.

No, go ahead, uh Council Gardinas.

Yeah, I mean, I feel like we've been talking about this for a really, really, really long time.

I'm sure for you, even longer.

So for me, this is a very exciting moment.

I feel like a broken record today, but honestly, thank you so much for all of this because I know it wasn't easy.

Uh thank you, Chief, as well for coming in and just you know, helping get this done because I think that what I appreciated is you saw where the issues were and what needed to be done.

And you were just coming in as a new city counselor, and I remember this being one of the main things sitting down in these conversations and talking with you about some things that needed to be addressed.

And um, I just think about all the learning curves that had to happen and all the conversations and all the headaches you probably had, but we are here now, and so for that I am very grateful, and not just for that, but for the city of Forest Grove, too, being understanding and um coming and signing this or being a part of this new IGA with us because I know change can be hard sometimes, and uh we've been operating things a certain way for a really really long time, and suddenly you know we're we're making changes, but I feel like these changes are really going to be the best for our community members.

So thanks to everybody that helped make this happen.

Um other council comments.

I I would say um we did an experiment.

In the end, it didn't seem to work out the way we'd hoped it would uh or thought it would.

Um so that bears reflection, right?

What what happened, what what got us to where we spun off back on our own.

Um because I don't think it's the last time we'll look at consolidation, right?

So we would be would not be wise of us to not consider reflecting on this and really writing down some of the whys, right?

Why why do we think we ended up spinning back off on our own?

Uh you know, culturally, I think culture had a lot to do with it.

Um financial, you know, getting to a better financial footing definitely was a why.

Um, so that we can look at in the future if um the way the state funds things, and we in the net end of that fund things that this won't come back around because right um the problems that we were trying to address are still absolutely there, right?

How do we develop how do we deliver a high quality service to our community?

And the biggest one is how do we fund it?

We are one levy failure away from a collapse in our fire service.

So our current fire service is not fixed that problem, right?

We've actually just become even more real um reliant on that levy, right?

All those firefighters, our capital improvements, and uh being able to fund the chief.

So that will expire here in five years, and we once more will need to get our fire trucks and little firefighters out and explain to the community why this is important to continue or even possibly adjust again for the new levy level.

So I think that's um those those things just haven't been addressed.

So how do we learn from this moment and what would we try to do different, right?

It's the that lean philosophy of plan do check and act.

We need to really check on what's happened.

And then I think looking at the new contract, um, which is something as I look back on the last 13 or so years of dealing with this last thing.

What are our performance metrics?

What should we be measuring, right?

So we're gonna contract for PIO.

Um what what is the success of that, right?

What are success indicators of that um going forward so that we can look at it, measure it, and understand are we really getting what we want, expect, or need from the contract for that, and then also if we're for the other inspection or fire services, right?

Um what are the what are the success indicators for that?

So I I think that's one of those things we that we need to look at is with the contract and what's the indicators that we want to track against those.

Um I think the one the one we didn't touch on, but we we know is a real thing is we continue to export service, right?

Are paramedics consistently respond to forest grove?

We are providing um, unless the chief's gonna tell me different, um, and unnaturally high response to the neighbors for medical.

So it's not that we don't provide bring something to the table, it's that's one of the things we do.

So, how do we continue to look at what what does that mean to our community, and then how do we benefit appropriately?

I mean, do we should Forest Grove be parking that other paramedic rig in Cornelius?

Because we do so many medical responses to Forest Grove.

I don't know if that's the right answer, but I'm I'm just thinking out loud to some of the things that people ask me questions about, and the things I see is I sit in prime time on a Friday night and see the fire truck or it go all the way out there, and I'm like, hmm, I bet it's a medical call, because that's mostly what we have as medical calls.

And then Saturday night, huh?

There it goes again.

And I'm setting out, you know, I'm at Wilco, and there it goes again on Sunday.

So I'm pretty much seeing the fire truck go one direction.

So I think those are things that we need to ask as we have an open and honest communication with the neighbors, because we also have to acknowledge that while we respond to medical calls internal and external, we are by no means able to address a real fire, right?

Any kind of real fire around here is a multi-alarm experience and will require us and multiple neighbors to show up to address.

So we we can't we can't do this alone, right?

We we depend on TV FNR, Hillsboro, Forest Grove, occasionally banks and Gaston.

I mean, the the trucks run all the different directions to help each other when things get terrible like a real fire.

So I think those are some of the things I would ask.

I I think I'm in support of it.

It's just those kind of questions as we continue on, right?

Other comments from council, anything?

Okay, I would entertain a motion.

I can make a motion.

Yes, Councillor Lopez.

Make a motion to approve resolution number 2025-63, a resolution of the Cornelius City Council authorizing the city manager to sign an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Forest Grove for the provision of the fire-related services, and this action takes effect immediately.

I have a motion by Council Lopez.

Do we have a second?

I second that motion.

Councillor Solali.

Thank you for the second.

Any further discussion?

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

Passes unanimous.

Okay.

That takes us into reports.

First up is our city council.

Is there any counselor wishing to make a report this evening?

Counselor.

I just want to share that the Cornelius Public Library started their winter reading challenge.

And I believe if you complete it, you can sign up online and get a latte from the human being.

So I encourage you during this break to read some books.

I will be doing that as well.

Awesome.

Good update.

Any other counselors?

Yes, Councilor Goodneez.

Yes, I just want to continue to remind our community members that I know that we're still in very difficult times, especially with a lot of civil rights violations occurring.

And so I just want to continue to remind everyone that if you are fearful for being detained by ICE, or if you know people that are, please make sure that they sign up for the equity corpse of Oregon, also known as Echo.

They help connect you with lawyers, and there is a process you have to go through, and they have to approve the application.

So it's better to be in their system just in case you end up needing those services.

It helps expedite the process.

And then just reminding people that to know their rights.

So despite again what you are told, you do not need to sign anything.

And we have ETSAD has been working really um graciously behind I don't even know what what's the terminology.

Behind the digital scene of the website.

Yes, let's go with that.

To really um make sure that our city resources are up to date.

So please go to our city website.

Um I believe that's Cornelius.or or Cornelius OR dot gov slash immigration resources.

And um also a reminder that we have a lot of nonprofits in the area that are providing services.

If you need them, please contact um contact them.

I know Centro Cultural has their FUR Mercado.

So if you need to locate that, that's right across from Vitkinia Garcia.

And um there was something else I was gonna say that completely split my mind, but just reminding folks that if you need help getting to school, if you need rides to work, if you need anything, um please reach out to me.

I will happily make sure if I can't do it to connect you with community resources that can help make that happen.

I don't want children to feel unsafe or family members to feel unsafe.

So anything we can do to help, whether that be delivering groceries or whatever it may be, we are here as a resource.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Good update.

Um I said I would uh update this again at the end.

Um safety first, right?

For our citizens.

Um document call PIRC if you see something, but please, please, please.

Um don't get in the middle of an exchange between ICE or Border Patrol and individuals.

Um please um Lolly mentioned earlier, there's a lot of stress, there's a lot of fear.

Um please stop and think about the potential repercussions of what you're doing or the actions you're taking, and um be safe.

Do the documentation if you can at a safe distance.

Um don't put yourself in harm's way either by getting in the street where ICE may be driving at a terrible speed or anything else.

So just just be very present.

I know this is naturally also a time of year when folks can be very stressed out.

So there are um suicide prevention hotlines for our state that you can call.

988, I'm pretty sure.

Um, don't be afraid to do that.

That's somebody to talk to, they can talk you through the moment.

Um, I know from our training at work, they talk about if somebody reaches out and they can actually reach somebody, a friend, or one of these lines.

Um that can have a substantial chance of changing the direction the person was thinking.

So that's it can be like I said, a tough time of year.

Um because maybe it's the first Christmas without some family member, or um uh all joking aside, it might be just that your family stresses you out.

So maybe you need to talk to somebody.

Um, but yeah, this is besides everything else that's going on, it's this time of year.

So don't be afraid to ask for help, right?

Um a neighbor, a friend.

And if you can't find either of those, it's okay to look on that phone line.

988.

Um other updates from me.

Obviously, we're getting ready to go into a next um legislative session in a couple months here.

So uh we'll be getting an update from um our state representatives.

I understand they'll be able to drop a couple bills each, so it's a very limited uh interaction.

So I uh I don't know that anything of ours is particularly on the list for that, but we'll be able to bring that.

Um Metropolitan's mayor's uh consortium is basically looking at uh defense, right, against things that would um take away home rule, continue to erode home rule um or would also cause unfunded mandates.

So we're very much on the defense against those, which we won't know until we see the bills drop for sure, and then also um continuing to look at how do we fund things in the state.

Um I think there's been a um resounding statement from a uh definitely a large portion of our population in the state.

If you hadn't seen they're at like a they needed to get somewhere north of 72,000 signatures, and um former representative from this area, Bruce Starr, who's now in Dundee, uh they're reporting they have over 150,000 signatures to put the transportation bill on the the um ballot for next November, so for the midterm.

And the the rubber hitting the road on that was the governor came out and basically said she uh if they submit the signatures, she's threatening to cancel the emergency funding that she's put in place to cover road care maintenance during the holiday season.

So um beware you may politically on that comment, but uh that's what she's threatening to do if they submit their signatures to put on the ballot, which is due before the end of this year.

So um I think that's enough update for me.

I'm looking forward to brighter and more fun things like the uh lighting of the tree and the choir performances.

City manager, who do we have on schedule for choir performances on uh Friday?

I believe we have two choirs.

Um obviously the elementary school.

Neil Armstrong and the high school.

Um the elementary school, I think had to step back this year just with the change of being in the new building and and just a lot going on with that transition, so it's not they're not gonna stop participating.

They just couldn't do it this year.

Uh still have two choirs.

Deeply disappointed because honestly, they've been the best choir the last several years.

They just belted out, man.

Those kids, their music teacher, he he knows how to get those kids to just knock it out of the park.

Um, the high school kids are nice, they have a uh refinement to them, but they're a little closer to this volume where the kids are like, Merry Christmas.

You know, it's you can tell they're singing their hearts out.

So that that's that's too bad.

I'm gonna I'm gonna miss them.

Um, but you can join uh council president Gordinas and I.

We will be leading folks uh with carols during uh the opening to the tree lighting until Santa and Mrs.

Claus show up.

So if you want to sing uh some outdoor Christmas carols with us Fridays, that's the place to be 545 on Friday.

So I look forward to it.

This is gonna be a hoot.

I'm glad I'm I'm actually glad that my other business fell through and I'll be in town for this.

I think that's update finishes for me.

Uh city manager, what do you got?

I have a few things.

I first just wanted to uh show this hot off the press.

Um the brochure so that so that you can see it.

Um this is the Spanish language version.

So there's in English and Spanish language uh trifold that shows each of the law enforcement agency uh patches and badges so that so that people can have this as a resource if they have a question about whom they're being uh addressed by.

So that this is the first page we've got toilet and sure wood um and explanation and then sheriff's office, Beaverton, there's Cornelius in the upper middle there, obviously Forest Grove North North Plains and uh state troopers.

So um it's also already I know working on getting these deployed and and out so people can can have them as as the resource.

It this was a uh collaborative, the the sheriff's office led it, um, but it was a collaborative effort of all the law enforcement agencies.

I think this is great.

If I could make a comment, and obviously these are probably already deployed if just the the um yellow font on the blue is really hard to actually read.

So if that could be changed at all for the future, that would be great.

Okay.

But other than that, I I love this.

I'm really glad this was made.

Yeah, it'd be interesting to see the digital versus the print version.

That's always one of those things where sometimes you see digital things and you go, and then you print it and go, oh, it's fine, it works great, but we'll have to look and see.

Have you seen some printing ones?

They're online.

They're already there.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Feedback taken.

Yeah, awesome.

Well, thanks for jumping on this.

I mean, this is something we just talked about a couple weeks ago about you know trying to help people identify, right?

Because it's so funny the things that we take for granted because we're on council, we're involved in the community, that we would be able to identify an ice versus uh Cornelius PD versus you know, Beaverton or whatever.

Um, but not everybody else has that kind of information or is you know, commonly, you know, do that.

I mean, it I even noticed tonight it I couldn't even give the sheriff's office a hard time because one of the hard times I gave them when they first started contracting with us is I understand completely why the officers would want to come to Cornelis because we have much better looking beautiful dark blue uniforms, and the county back then had these terrible drug through the mud brown ones, and now they got beautiful uniforms that look just like ours now, right?

They look like maybe they were part of the state parks or something, not the county, and now they've uh updated theirs to look nice like ours too.

So couldn't even give them a hard time.

All right, just a few more things here.

I wanted to just show a couple of uh shots from today of the SB site, they're uh filling and then compacting the the three quarter minus gravel there and the area where they excavated the tanks, all but three tanks were removed and the others were filled in place.

I think I sent you updates on that.

And I think they just have another day or two of uh finished work there and removing the material that's stored in the other uh debris.

And then over the next several months, they will be uh um looking at the results, the lab results of the sampling, the soil samples that were taken during the work and determining if any uh further work needs to be done at the site, but we're getting real close to having this addressed and to a point where we can start thinking about uh repurposing it for new development.

So it's pretty pretty exciting.

I was gonna say, don't we have do we have a for sale sign up on the corner yet?

I mean, not yet.

I don't think it's too soon to start, you know, letting people know that this is gonna be an opportunity for economic development.

There's there's still some regulatory uh considerations.

So I think we'll too soon we'll hold off a little bit longer.

But yeah, we're we're getting close.

Do we we get do we get to keep the bathroom or is that gonna be a we can we can, yes.

I don't know that we want to, but future home of the uh the farmers market bathroom included, yeah.

Museum, Washington County Museum moved out here.

All right, and then I wanted to also just show you some work that Rochelle led, and that is the new with a Google translate function.

Our municipal code is now available in English and Spanish.

And so and it's also in a new web interface, which is um I haven't actually used it yet, but Rochelle tells me it's more user-friendly.

And so we've we've sent this around to the internal leadership, but for you too, as you as you reference the municipal code, it's at a site called ecode 360.

And we will link this or probably already have linked this from the from the city webpage, so that's where it'll take you now.

So I'll ask my wife to look it up in German and torture test the Google translator.

And then one more thing where I actually kind of watch your input here.

Is me find it here.

Um I've been talking with each of you individually about some of these uh assignments that you have.

Um some of them are standing committees and some of them are project related, and kind of following up on that circling back.

Um I just want to tick through a handful here that were kind of uh potential for some changes.

So the first one is the Washington County Coordinating Committee alternate position.

Um I think Councillor Vaughn had expressed interest in that, so we we thought we would um you know, and and he can accommodate that in his schedule.

I think they meet middays uh what is it once or twice a month?

Once a month, once a month on a Monday for a couple hours.

And then the next one is Greater Portland Inc.

Small Cities Group.

The primary there is Mayor Delane.

It it does say or other, you know, it can be someone else, and then the alternate is open there.

The meetings are the third Thursday, 1.30 to 230.

So that's an opportunity if anyone wants to jump on that one.

I can't actually tell you too much about that.

Greater Portland Inc.

is a regional economic development um entity.

So we're a member of the small cities consortium.

Um for that we've been able to uh advertise one of the properties on their website.

Um things that come from business organ, like leads that come in through business Oregon for the metropolitan area, then end up at GPI for um working with us as partners on where they might uh site selectors might be able to come or businesses might be able to come to look at expansion opportunities.

Um what else am I missing there?

Is that the the biggest part of it?

Right, they're also uh a clearinghouse for a bunch of that information.

So um folks want to attend that one.

Um that that's one where I'm a lot of times work gets in the way of that particular one.

So if somebody wants to be an active alternate, they probably could attend that meeting every month.

Um JPACT?

Yep, so JPACT is the next one.

That's uh I'm sure you well, I don't want to say that.

Well, that one basically is um handled through the met through the mayor's Washington County.

So I'm the primary and my alternate is actually Mayor Bubinick from um Twalton.

So we don't alternate through our own city.

So if I can't make it, it's Mayor Bubinick.

Yep.

So and then CPAC, uh Cole Pack.

Yeah, Cole Pack.

I've I've been attending that as the primary.

Um I think Councillor Goden, as you had expressed some interest there.

That um so um we can slot you in there if you'd like as the alternate, and that and as you go along, if you decide you'd like to be the primary, that'd be fine too.

So obviously I'm I'm at your service, whatever you wherever you prefer.

And then the TV Highway Project Policy and Budget Committee, the primary there is Mayor Delane, alternate, both counselors uh Lopez and Vaughn had expressed interest.

And uh I guess maybe I'll just leave it there and get your feedback.

I don't want to step on toes or anything.

Monkey knife fight and uh for you guys to work it out.

What do you I think I mean you and you if you guys are both interested in that, I would just say you usually talk it up amongst yourselves.

See who wants to be the alternate for that one.

I'm I'm usually pretty active in that one.

So um, but I think one of these what I would I what I would suggest is um I was the alternate to Washington County cities for JPEC for a number of years, and basically um passed on the opportunity to become the primary, but I always attended the meetings because I wanted to be informed and understand what was going on because I feel to be a good alternate, you need to you basically need to read the read and attend the meetings so that you're already able to step in at a moment's notice, and uh basically towards the end of um the previous mayor of Hillsborough, I was in quite frequently, and then basically the the mayors all said, Jeff, you need to be the primary.

You've been doing this for 20 years, you need to be the primary, not the alternate.

So that's why I'm at JPAC.

So I think that's something to think about as you you look at being an alternate for any of these positions.

So and then the last one, the Council Creek Regional Trail, which is actually both of these last two are getting into exciting phases of development.

So Council Creek Trail, um, the policy group with Mayor there's primary and then the alternate.

Um Councilor Godnez had expressed interest.

So you're all over that.

Awesome.

All right.

Text you at the last possible moment.

Just like the the mayor for uh Hillsboro used to do me, I'm not gonna make it tomorrow morning, like 9:30 at night.

Cool.

I think that's all I had, believe it or not.

Oh, thank you.

How are we doing on boards, committees, and commissions?

Are there any of them that we're uh frightfully low on that we should be uh recruiting?

Sorry, I think we have the most vacancies right now on uh planning commission.

We have three vacancies now.

The library advisory board has four, and uh PIAB, I think we're looking at three at the end of this year.

Um we're doing better than we were at at this point last year, but tell your friends we would love to have some applications.

These are definitely opportunities, like we said, to reach out in the community, think about friends or family members that might be interested in these so that uh and they all have different times they meet or frequencies.

Um definitely lower commitment than well, I can't say that for planning commission.

The planning commission is you'll get just as much reading or more than the city council for that one.

That's that's a big reader.

I would sorry, just an idea.

I think about like club fairs, right?

When you were in school and people would go and they'd learn about it, because I think there's a lot of people that might be interested, but again, breaking down those power dynamics and giving people an opportunity to meet the staff behind it and build those connections.

So I'm wondering if maybe we think about doing something like that in the future.

Will we just have you know something at the library, come have some coffee and learn about the different um committees that we have and how you can get involved so that way, you know, maybe we can get some people in there.

Yeah, it wouldn't it be amazing to be able to have to pick to have like 10 qualified applicants.

I know it's a dream, but I can dream it.

Ten qualified applicants, and I have to pick the best two or three to fill seats.

Because right now, generally it's like, oh, you're willing, you're interested, and you're not a felon.

Okay, great.

So I was gonna say, I don't know how quickly we can do this, but we're gonna be at the Cornelius um at the new elementary school, right?

And I'm like, what if we just had a table there and it just you know, come ask us about our committees or commissions and give people an opportunity.

We could also just do a little quick plug while we're there and say, hey, if you're interested in learning more, you know, you can talk to staff over at X Place.

So I mean I that could just be like a little way to start dropping that in people's minds.

Yes, Michelle.

I have been working on several handouts.

I went to a lot of the farmers market this summer, so I'm I'm working on resources that would be really good for those types of ideas.

I always fail to mention uh the budget committee as four vacancies out of five.

So um I always forget because they only meet once a year, so for anyone watching, it's a really minimal time commitment.

Uh it's the best committee or commission because it's one or two meetings a year.

Yes, and you work directly with the city council.

Yeah, right.

We've got the best budget committee because I I listen to the other mayors talk about their budget committee meetings, and I'm like, I don't know what they're doing so wrong, because it's we are we're out, we're gonna have meeting number four, and it'll be another four-hour meeting.

And I'm like, what are you guys doing?

You know, and they try to explain it to me, and I'm like, I it doesn't make sense.

That that's probably part of it.

We got the best assistant city manager, obviously, out of the crew, but I mean, to spend days and days and days to go, uh, we're gonna do pretty much the same thing we did last year.

Thank you very much.

I mean, no nobody is swimming in money.

Most of the cities, other cities are talking to us about million or multimillion dollar budget cuts.

I mean, Beavertons crying a river every time I talk to him, it's the second thing out of their mouth after the the mayor tells us, you know, she's the luckiest mayor in the Washington County, and I need to cut 10 million more out of my budget.

So I mean, it's number one and number two.

It's like asking the question if somebody's from Texas and they're a vegan, which would you find out about them first?

Say see that esoteric sense of humor there.

Okay.

I'm gonna call that my last joke of the night.

Any other comments, questions, staff?

Anybody else need to talk to us?

No?

Okay, good.

I've offended enough people for one night.

Do I have a motion to adjourn?

It's a motion to adjourn.

I was waiting for that to die for failure of a motion.

Okay, we got a motion to adjourn.

Do we have a second?

Second, second motion by Councillor Granina, second by counselor Lopez.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye aye.

Opposed, abstention, unanimous.

We're adjourned.

Took me a while to process that one.

I was like Texas.