Cornelius, Monday, March 2nd, 2026.

We've had our executive session, and now we're moving on to our work session.

Topic tonight is city discretionary community contribution.

Contributions, well, I can't even talk.

Staff uh presenting will be Peter Renman, City Manager, Ellie Jones, assistant city manager, business operations.

Staff.

Thank you, Mayor.

City Councilors, Peter Brandum.

And I don't have a lot of material here, but I just wanted to tee up a actually, it's probably a little more general of a conversation that than I'm comfortable with.

I I prefer to give you a lot more kind of substance, but I decided it's probably better just to open it up and give you a little bit of background and context about how the city has made discretionary community contributions and and to just kind of elicit some some general input at this stage as we're going through the budget process.

And so I just tried to summarize here comparative over the last few years, comparing two of those years, 2023 and 2026, our current fiscal year.

Overall, that that underlying number is kind of the high level where we've reduced it a bit.

And it's also a little bit challenging because what we consider discretionary is you know uh can leaves room for debate.

But the way I tried to kind of group these is memberships, grants, and gallas.

And really it's mainly just one gala that we've that we've supported regularly, as far as I can tell over recent years, whereas we have contributed to some other ones since we've been here when requested.

And and really the purpose of the conversation is just to get some input.

Um I think I'd be more comfortable comfortable if we had some kind of parameters around it, because right now there really aren't, and we you know it's really Ellie and me looking at at the budget and and seeing what the legacy has been and then making decisions on what we do in the current and in future year.

And so what we see by tabulating that is uh 21 in 2023, we had 21 different contributions that totaled just over 60,000, and then we had 10 community events there at 17,300.

When you look at 2026, one of the major uh differences there in the data set is one big one moved over into the events category, and that's the contribution that we make to Alain Mohares for the uh Cornelius farmers market, and that's around uh just under 25,000 for this current fiscal year.

Um within the events category that represents over half of the events uh total.

So just to give you some context there, we have seen some pretty dramatic.

Well, first I'll start with one dramatic decrease.

We were contributing quite a lot to the Family Justice Center, and we've really it's a it's fantastic because I think Cornelius was one of the lead entities to really get it up off the ground and get it established.

And and um Rachel and her board have done such a great job there.

They now have a you know the building isn't new, but newly um for them and renovated and and I haven't seen it since they renovated it, but uh moved into a a big building there, and and they really have a good foundation now.

And you know, I I have had conversations with Rachel there um each year just to say we need to dial back just because we have some other needs and so forth, and she totally understood.

We were at um I think we were at 13,500 contribution in 2023, and we've uh decreased that to 2,000, and we actually haven't seen them invoicing us of late.

So that's just one notable one that I wanted to mention.

I also see some pretty significant increases.

The um League of Oregon Cities is a big uh discretionary, but it's one of those things where we're a member and and we get value, and there are quite a few of those.

Um we have uh pulled out of some of those.

I I don't need to necessarily get into naming them all, but there were some where we just didn't feel like we were getting that much value.

They also weren't on that order of magnitude.

They were smaller, but then things add up.

Um League of Oregon Cities is one of the bigger ones in 2023.

That was uh just under 11,000 per year.

It's up to uh just over 13,000, so it's gone up a couple thousand, it's going to 14,000 next year.

So that that one's gone up over 30% in those three years, and we've seen that with uh with a couple of the other ones again, not at that high of a number, but the same kind of increases.

Um Council President Godinez as the representative to COLPAC and I talked a lot about uh COLPAC having to really increase their rate a lot because uh they haven't increased it since the mid-90s, and so that one's going up a lot, and we we did go ahead and make a decision to stay in and just really check each year to see what kind of value we're getting, and we let them know that.

Um I also talked to some of our neighboring cities, uh in particular Forest Grove, uh, really looked at that one closely because they have a couple of community grant programs.

The interesting thing is that they don't fund those with general funds, they they fund them with uh with money from the the transfer station that's in town and other fees that that they get separate from the general fund.

So that's great.

They have a resource that they can actually turn right back to the community, whereas we don't necessarily have that kind of a resource at this time.

We may um, you know, in the future when Metro develops their their facility there, and um maybe there's some other ways that we can do that.

But just looking at the general fund, um, you know, trying to think of a way that we can kind of put some decision factors around it to help us when we make those decisions, both about to whom we grant funds and what kind of what kind of value um or you know, maybe it's a ratio of our general fund or something like that.

So I know that that feels a little squishy, but I just wanted to set it up that way and and um you know, maybe have a little conversation and see how we might come to some and you know, we're not we're not totally averse to setting up a grant fund of and maybe it's a scrap, a small grant program.

Um, but you know, that takes administrative time and and effort, which again, we we can do that.

Um, but I I'm not as convinced as I thought I would be that that would be the path to go.

So, but definitely open to it.

So I guess I'll just leave it there and see if you have any thoughts yet.

Council, questions, comments.

Yes, Council Good News.

Um I will say I appreciate you bringing this up because I I do think that we need to have some consistency, especially so as organizations are coming up to us, we can be fair for all.

Um I guess the first one that comes to mind right now is galas because we just recently went to a gala.

And I personally have no problem if the city supports that as long as it's an organization that we have been working with.

And I think especially for me, because when I go to those galas, it's really helpful to see all of the work that essentially are part of the money and contributions that we're giving to is going towards, and it's not just that, but it's really a celebration of all the work the community has done.

That being said, I'm also happy just to like give that money separately if that's gonna save us.

But either way, at the end of the day, that it's a nominal fee that still continues to support an organization.

And I think from the organization's point of view, too.

Um, I know Mayor, you had once said like gallas, people expect you to give a lot of money.

I differ from that.

I actually think that especially um, you know, having seen how gala is come up, yes, obviously they're trying to get donations, but especially from the city sides, it's they really want us there so they can show off what they've done to say like, hey, we're not expecting you, you all have already given, but it is great to show you where those monies and funds have um gone into and the programs that they've supported, and not just that, but the relationship building.

Um so but even then I think it would be important to have a specific guideline for that.

Like, you know, maybe if we support with X amount of funds, then we'll buy a table, or if people are interested, we're willing to buy X amount of tickets, however, that looks like because the other thing too is that I don't want us to buy tables and not have people show up to that.

Because I think that's another thing where you know, just having those opportunities.

But again, if if if people don't show up, then we can just give that money in a different way.

Uh, in terms of memberships, I personally would like to see the different breakdowns of the memberships, and I know this might be more work, but what do we get out of those memberships?

Because for example, 14,000 for LOC, that's a lot of money.

But I know that they also do a lot of work in helping coordinate um some bigger legislative agendas and items that maybe we can't do as a more medium-sized city.

And I think that would just help me really understand where those 14,000 are going towards because right now that's like a, you know, that that kind of hurts me a little bit.

I know that they have great trainings, and I know they do a lot, but then part of me is like, well, if we're not taking advantage of that, then maybe it's worth us paying the non-member because I don't think you would need to be a member to attain those trainings, right?

You just don't get the discount that you would.

But at the end of the day, we might still be saving money.

So I think just having a clear understanding of what we get everything out of all of those is really helpful in terms of making those decisions about what we say yes to and what we say no to.

Similarly with grants, I feel like grants is one where we do have more of those outlines.

It might not be specifically something that we have written out, but I know that when we approach those grants and those partnerships, um, we take into account the history and who's around us in our community.

So I think having that outlined as well would be great.

Um you mentioned these events, and so when we're talking about events, I know you said one of the big ones was the um farmers market, but what other types of events are we talking about as well?

Thank you for for clarifying.

These include uh, you know, quite a few things like flicks in the park and national night out, uh and and they really vary in terms of uh our staff do a wonderful job uh collecting other people's money grants for for especially for the bigger events, but you know, it still adds up even the nominal contributions per event.

So got it.

So these aren't like a separate budget line item where we're like um I don't know if you want to call it extracurriculars for the community or something like that.

These are part of these discretionary funds that we talk about.

They they are, but but there again, you know, we we obviously want to deliver community events to the community, and so we we have a conversation at the beginning of the year about which ones we're gonna do and everything.

And so I don't know that I would necessarily call them discretionary, but but in the end they are.

We could decide not to do that.

So I think for me personally, that looks like the way that I would do it in my like if I was creating a budget, it would be um community activities, and then we would just have a set line item for those community activities, and that would include all of that, and then there's the community contributions, which I would see as us giving back to the community.

And I think um it would be wise for us to actually set specific allocations to those ahead of time because that will also help us figure out how this goes even deeper.

But those are just some of my opinions and rambles, so I'll let everybody else share.

Sorry.

Anyone else?

Counselors.

Great, Councilor Vaughan.

Everything you said, um, but a couple of things came to mind.

I I agree with having a separate line item in the budget for for those kind of events because I think I think there's value in that, but I also think it there's limiting issues with that too, right?

Because if we budget for that amount of money for these events, it comes away from what we have for discretionary for when we have maybe an opportunity to support a community in a different or uh an organization in a different way.

And now, well, we now we have to have a meeting about moving budget funds from one place to another.

So I could see both sides.

I kind of lean towards having it separate just so we can make under make sense of it a little bit better.

Um, and then the other thing that you know I think of too is that you know, this isn't the city's money, this is our taxpayers' money, right?

And not only what is the city, what are we getting out of it, you know, city staff and elected, but what is it adding value to our to our taxpayers with too?

So I keep that in mind too.

Council Lopez.

Thank you, Mary.

Yeah, um I was thinking of having tiers, like a tier one of these are the events that we prioritize.

Um the funding that's needed year by year.

This is tier two.

Maybe there's tier three, and those are they'd be nice to have, but not necessary if there's no funding there.

Um some kind of decision making that makes it easier for us going forward.

Um and I think gives you a tool to analyze um where is the funding for these agencies.

Um I think having a tool would be helpful right now for that.

Um I'm good for the historical perspective.

We used to have um a meeting about sharing from the state revenues.

We used to have um a meeting about sharing from the state revenues, and that's when we did our grants, and early on in the formation of the council that I've been involved in over the last 20 plus years, uh we said we're just stopping that, and we did an announcement and said through budget process we aren't going to do state revenue sharing.

That's just gonna go into the budget.

So we stopped that at one point.

Um as far as other points here, I think the I'll share with you folks the discussion that's going on.

The Metropolitan Mayors are considering um threat is probably too strong a word, but we need to have some way of clarifying our position with LOC, and I know a couple cities have actually threatened to pull their funding because the LOC is consistently supported in opposition things that were important to the Metropolitan Mayors, and we don't support something unless we can get two thirds.

So you have to have a not only a regular majority but a supermajority to come out on issue, and we found ourselves in opposition because the way LOC prioritize issue is by the voting members prioritizing it, and sometimes you know, there's a lot more there's a lot more small cities in eastern Oregon than there is big cities, and sometimes those points can be financially detrimental to the larger cities, which there's smaller numbers of, but the metropolitan area to the I hate to say the benefit of the smaller cities because a lot of times what they're doing is is we're trying to push something along that we think is necessary and appropriate, and we'll find ourselves in opposition to the LC's position because honestly, sometimes the smaller cities don't even understand what the issue is.

So that's one of the things.

So I'll I'll tell you that several cities have threatened to remove themselves from LLC and going to exactly what you're talking about.

It's pay pay as you go instead of buying the membership.

Um, you know, I haven't been to an LLC conference for a while, but I used to go all the time, but I went to where I'd seen all of the different breakouts, and I was kind of like, okay, I don't see a lot of value in me spending the weekend at LOC because I'm just not getting out of it what I got in my earlier years.

So I can see those benefits of going to a lot of those classes and stuff that are offered in those first few years.

Maybe maybe that is one of our considerations to look at how much of the services we've used from LOC, and by comparison, if we just paid as we went, used to pay as a go instead of a membership, how much would our costs vary?

So that we can talk about it, and maybe that's also the discussion we need to have with LOC is um we're not the biggest city, but we're on the top half of the list.

Maybe should stop stepping on our toes.

We need a different process or procedure that helps us not be adversaries in the legislative process.

Um I think maybe to what Greg uh Counselor Vaughn was getting to is maybe we need some type of indicator.

And as I thought and sat here, right?

We need some because we're we're spending taxpayer money, right?

We could just not have any of this, but we're doing a lot of these things as community builders.

I continue to be amazed at the number of people that show up for tree lighting when we don't have the choir there anymore.

These people are excited.

I had the kids today come up to me and give me the hug fest and the incident.

I remember seeing you at the tree lighting, then you and Santa.

It's a big community event.

I thought it was always about the coming to see your kids singing the choir, but we have had last couple of years not have the choir out there, and hundreds of people show up just to see the tree light and come see Santa and do a little parade across the road to then go see the kids sing.

So they're making a special trip out of their way to do it.

So to me, there's the number of people that attend an event.

I think that's one indicator.

Um, I think another indicator I would say is the leverage.

You talk about um take care of Cornelius or these other events where yeah, we have us, we have a contribution.

We're paying staff to come and do stuff, but maybe we're at two to one or five to one or ten to one, it'd be really good to understand, you know, the city invested this much money in this event, but it leveraged these in kind donations.

It's like um, you know, national night out, the hot dogs and all the bread goods and all the stuff that gets donated that doesn't actually have to be purchased.

To me, that's you know, a contributor.

Uh definitely for um the holiday meal, right?

There at Thanksgiving time, how much of that is donated?

You know, is that a ten thousand dollars worth of food is donated, and then what's the staff time contribution?

So to me, those would be a couple of key indicators when I'm looking at an event to understand the success.

Uh that to me, that's a measurable success of an event is that participation and the and what kind of leverage, right?

Um if Fred Meyers and Walmart and Dutch Bros or Coffee people are contributing is as community businesses, that has value too, right?

And then it's it's that community building.

And I think we also have to understand that not every event is going to be knocked out of the park, like national night out or the holiday tree lighting.

I mean, those are institutional almost now, right?

People look forward to those events, they are something we do, and to us also understand what it would cost the community spirit and the finance to step away from those events.

Because I mean we had discussions about did we have to take a bigger role in the community dinner because you know, financial struggles with central, right?

So um I don't know, that'd be my two cents.

I think we should have some indicators, and then we can look at them and maybe spend a little more topic time.

Maybe that's worth spending a little topic time with the budget committee talking about these non-standard pro programmatic, right?

Because I mean I hear Ralph in my head, I really do.

You know, we don't count all the pencils and we don't count the erasers and all that.

We don't have that kind of budget, right?

We do a we do a process budget, right?

So we've got the police department, we're gonna run the same police program we did last year.

This is how much more it's gonna cost.

Fire, same thing, right?

We don't we don't need to go into every what are you spending the money on neat in a little detail?

It's it's in the budget, but we don't need to spend a lot of time if we're not making programmatic changes in those budgets.

This has um more of a community interest, maybe there is some more, you know, we could you know have a a slide or two about this kind of information so it's transparent to the community so they understand what flicks in the park costs us, and then how many people show up over a season of flicks in the park.

So I think those are all good performance indicators for ourselves.

Council, you kind of agree.

We if we may not be keeping them now, but maybe we should going forward.

Yes, are good.

The only thing I'll add because I know we only have six minutes is I totally agree.

And if and I appreciate the fact that you know, I know that we really try to support other organizations, especially the ones directly helping our community.

But I also recognize that for a lot of these events that we're putting on, we're doing it at a very nominal cost comparatively to because of those in-kind donations, but also in my head, I'm like, well, if it's between donating two thousand dollars for a table versus like actually being able to give those extra two thousand dollars to make the I mean the events are already great, but to add a little extra, or you know, every year we get more community members, and I know that it's just gonna continue to grow.

So I know that we're already stretching that budget, but if we're able to give more, I mean, I would love to be able to make sure that we are actually doing what we can to not just support our staff but also support these events so that as they get bigger, we're not um we're not what is it, hindering their ability to run to the best of their ability.

Yeah, I'd say the other one is every time I look at stuff, I go divide it by 15,000, right?

What did that cost each person in Cornelius?

Right?

Is that a dollar?

Is that five dollars?

What are we committing away per household, right?

Um I sat there and I've gone through that process of people coming in in droves and testifying.

No, no, don't reduce the utility fee, increase it because we want to make sure that we have 24-hour police and 24-hour fire.

Um, when there was a group back in 2011 trying to cut all that, and actually everybody was testifying, no, no, no, don't cut it, increase it.

And then we've gone to a process where we make a small increase, not PGE style, every year to be able to continue to have that contribution from our community directly into that.

So my two cents.

Anything else before we close out staff, do you did that give you what you're kind of looking for?

It helped, yeah.

Thank you.

That was really helpful.

And I think uh it'll help me put some more kind of framework around it and and revisit.

I I like the idea of going coming to the budget committee.

I I hadn't thought of that.

So rather than coming just back to you, we can come back to the budget committee if it if we can wedge it in.

I'll talk to Ellie about that.

Yeah, I don't think this is an hour.

This is maybe 15 minutes of a budget committee talking about something that's directly applicable to the council and the budget committee because it is quote unquote discretionary, right?

It's us choosing to do these programs.

And if you're like, hey, here's the programs we had, these are the indicators, these are the programs we'd just like to continue.

Here's our project, then it's pretty then maybe it's five minutes.

Yeah.

Or if you're like, no, no, we we would propose choosing a little different path on here.

Yeah.

Well, thank you very much.

Appreciate that.

Cool.

All right.

Well, I think with that, we got like two and a half minutes till our regular session.

If you need to do something quick, yeah.

Cool.

Thank you.

All right.

Call to order the city council meeting for March 2nd, 2026.

We're here in the council chambers.

We're also available on Zoom webinar, TVC TV Live, and we have the wordly live translation.

Uh instructions for using Wordley is in the back of the room if you're here.

And I think it's also online.

There's a place you can click on it and follow it through, and I'll give you instructions how to set up Wordly.

The session ID is there.

We had an executive session at 6, a work session at 6:30.

That takes us to our regular session at 7 p.m.

So first up is Pledge of Allegiance.

Please join me.

Hi, 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 crowd.

Thank you.

Staff, would you please do roll call?

Counselor Lopez.

Present.

Councilor Vaughan.

Present.

Council President Gordinez Valencia.

Present.

Mayor Delaney.

Present.

We have one excused absence, Councillor Nunez Badagan.

And I think she's actually attending online.

Councilor Nunez Batagan, are you here?

Present.

Technology and illness.

We're able to overcome.

Thank you.

Uh we have a uh short list of announcements.

So up first Sunday, this March 8th is daylight savings time.

So that adjustment will occur.

Everybody, yay, spring forward, lose an hour.

Uh Tuesday, March 10th, 5 p.m.

26th, and Beach Street project updates at the Cornelius Library.

So that's a week from Tuesday here at the library.

See you folks there.

Next Monday, April 6th, will be our council work session at 6 p.m., followed by 7 p.m.

for a city council meeting.

That is all of our announcements this evening.

Uh for an attempt uh for an opportunity, allow folks to make some comment.

I'm gonna adjust the agenda a little bit this evening.

We're moving the consent agenda after public comment.

So comments are limited to three minutes.

Speaking in person, registered to speak by filling out a form uh in the city council chamber and provided in city recorder, which I do have one this evening.

Speaking virtually, register to speak by contacting the city recorder via email, no later than 3 p.m.

the day of council.

Do we have anybody online?

Or do we just have the one?

Okay, so we have the one in here for public comment.

Uh please approach the mic.

Uh will dyke.

Uh you're gonna be commenting on item five C is my understanding.

Please uh staff are gonna make sure that the things running for them there.

Yeah, I just go ahead and tip just go ahead and turn it on.

Yeah, so it'll stay.

Greens go.

Okay.

You don't the number of times we fight with that thing, you'd be amazed.

So I've got your name, we got your address.

So please give us your comments on five COVID.

I'm a little bit blind on this because uh you want uh an annex uh 345th.

I farm at the very end of 345ths all the way over to 331st.

Cook street connects the two.

Um I have to assume the reason you want to annex it is to bring the side streets onto it from the housing development that's on the west side of it.

Is that correct?

Uh I think we're looking at yeah, how what improvements need to be made for 345th uh to function and and support the the ever expansion of Laurel Woods in the southeast corner.

Okay, and that's that's why I'm here.

Okay.

Um because I farm down there, I've got farm equipment, and almost all my farm equipment is wider than 12 feet.

Right now, the 345th is uh between 18 and 19 feet wide all the way down.

And I'm thinking if we bring in if you bring in all of the traffic from the housing development, are you going to expand 345th to the point where it'll uh accommodate farm machinery and a car to pass?

Because right now with with our trucks going in and out with hay or silage or or grain and then the farm equipment going in and out.

Uh we're already having problems, but there's not that many cars with the people that live there coming coming out of 345th, or going in either way.

And so I was just a little concerned about the width, because there's uh you've probably driven it yourself.

There's no place to get off the side of that row.

So if uh if uh tractors coming down the road and I and I have to stop and a car can't get past me, it's a plug.

And so I'm just voicing my opinion and hoping that you're going to uh improve it enough that we can get two rigs to go past each other.

Great.

I I think that is great feedback.

I really appreciate you coming this evening and making sure that we stay aware that you know that uh everything east of there is still functioning, you know, uh farmland, and as we look forward to um work on 345th, we need to comprehend how does how do the two continue to work together?

And I I don't think to my impression, and in the council can tell me and staff, I'm sure will give me an airful.

Um I think about like the roundabout we put in at um 19th and Davis, right?

We left it, it just got kind of a small bump in the center, and that was purposely so fire trucks can go straight through it, delivery trucks can go straight through it, farm vehicles can go straight through it, right?

Unlike a big concrete, you know, thing in the center.

So for cars, it's a roundabout for the bigger equipment, it's a small bump in the road.

So I think as we look forward to what we do at 345th, that'll be something for us to consider is how do the existing uses east of us continue to work as we work on the west side there.

And we've I don't think that's new news to us, because right we've done expansion efforts in the northeast area, north of the highway, right?

With there's whole new developments in there.

Yet people and specifically when we developed and brought those areas in, um we basically said, hey, those neighbors need to understand if the guy next door was raising stinky pigs or cows or whatever, and you decide to you know turn your house into multiple places, you're still gonna have stinky pigs and cows next door.

Right, right.

They actually we we put into our land use information that those farm uses or those uh hobby farms, whichever scale they are, could continue to exist, and basically the new neighbors have to just deal with it because that's you guys were there, you've been doing this a long time.

So I I think I think we just need to keep an eye open to make sure we're being smart about how we develop it in right.

I I'm not uh for or against the annexation.

I just wanted to make sure that we'd be able to access the farmland after that with our equipment and stuff.

Great.

I appreciate you coming by and chatting with us and making sure that we've got our eyes open to the uses back there.

So I'm sure if uh Barbara needs to or our uh city engineer needs to, they will reach out to you and say, Hey, this is what we're thinking.

Can you can you comment on what what we're looking at doing here?

Is this gonna create an impasse?

Because I don't think that's what any of us want is uh to create an impasse.

Thank you.

Okay.

So any other public comment this evening?

Oh, thank you very much.

Thanks, Will.

Thank you.

Um seeing none, that takes us to consent on items.

So I'm gonna bring this out just a little bit tonight.

Items on the consent agenda are considered and adopted by one motion, unless council members or community members request that an item be considered separately before voted the consent items.

The mayor shall decide when an item is removed from consent of discussion.

So we've decided tonight to keep everything in the consent agenda.

So council, no adjustments per previous discussion.

So do I have a motion to adopt the consent agenda?

I motion to adopt the consent agenda.

Motion by Councillor Gordinas.

Do I have a second?

Second, second by Counselor Lopez.

All those in favor, all please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Aye.

I'll get that as an aye.

Uh opposed.

Abstentions?

Sounds like unanimously.

Consent agenda is passed.

We have no recognition.

That's item seven.

Presentations and appointments.

Or did we end up with the audit staff?

He doesn't appear to be in, so we'll skip that one.

Okay, so 8A is being um will be pushed to a future agenda.

Council, any concerns about that?

None?

Yes, Council Goodinas.

Sorry.

And so I know we had this on the agenda last week.

Is it just because we haven't heard back or we have not heard and uh knowing Ryan, it's it's probably a miscommunication of some sort.

So we'll we'll be certain to sort it out with them and apologies.

Okay, no worries, thank you.

Yeah, we just need to get it done, what, before we close the year, I think.

So we got time yet.

Uh next up is the capital improvement program.

Ms.

Jones.

Assistant city manager, you have the floor.

Thank you.

Um I will add on the audit the audit has been completed and submitted to the state and GFOA and all the appropriate places.

This is just a presentation to the council, um, letting you know how it went, if they have any concerns, things like that.

So everything was was done by the deadline.

So it's probably taking an extra time to process it after all my comments.

Okay, so Ellie Jones, Assistant City Manager, Business Operations.

So this is the annual presentation of the CIP, the Capital Improvement Program.

Um this is a 20-year plan essentially.

Um includes all of the capital that we believe we need or may want now and into the future.

We use this as a financial planning tool to assist us with the budget, um, setting fees and rate increases for utilities, so that when we get to the point of uh meeting to complete something in this document, we have the funds available.

Um so as stated, we will talk about this also during the budget meeting because it does have a budget impact.

Um in the city council typically we'll use this document on an annual basis, and you've requested just to have us highlight the changes.

So anything that's been removed, anything that's been deleted, and also items that have been modified due to significant changes such as dollar amounts or timelines.

Um as you can see, we have quite a list of items that have been um removed.

Some of these have been taken out and modified, some of them have been completed.

So you'll see the list, all of the file station upgrades, those have been modified.

So you see them on the completed list, and you see them added back onto the addition list because we did do a uh facility study and we evaluated all of those.

Um a couple big items that were taken off.

Umsa causeway is completed.

So that was a big ticket item of 1.9 million.

Um we had a couple completions in the water fund, the booster pump station is us, I believe it's completed, almost completed, along with the phase phase six uh water line upgrades.

That's been completed as well.

Um and you'll see a list of multiple utility projects related to sewer water storm.

We continue to do upgrades annually to keep the system going and in good shape.

Um, and then quite a few additions.

Uh we do have some new management, so we really sat down with them to have them think about um not just necessities but also wants uh for the future and in hopes that we can save up the money and and fund those when the time comes.

Although again, annually during budget time, we reevaluate all of this and look at the reality of being able to do the items in this document.

So in total, um the 20-year capital plan identifies about 43.6 million in capital projects.

6.7 million of that is in the general fund.

The rest is consumed by the stormwater street um and sewing funds, with a majority being within the street fund of 27 million.

Um a lot of that is also funded by the TDT.

So it's not coming uh just from fuel taxes, it's coming from the TDT that is paid at during construction.

And then just looking within the document, each um item on the list does have its own page that kind of identifies in detail what the project is, where the funding is coming from, the need, um, the the timeline, all of that.

So that is what I have on the presentation.

If you have any questions.

Council, questions.

Yes, Councilor Gordinas.

No pres uh no question, just a comment, and especially because I see audience members and we don't always get them.

I highly suggest you look at the agenda packet because our staff has done a really great job of making sure that you make it very readable.

I feel like anybody could take a look at this, see the description, like you mentioned where the cost is going, where it's coming from.

Um I think that if anyone ever has questions, this is a great document to look at.

And I think we even have it separately, don't we?

It this is also included in the budget document.

Okay, that's what I thought.

Yeah.

Which is also found online on our website.

Yes.

Yeah.

So thank you so much for your good work, and I appreciate you coming today and just updating us on all of this.

And it's honestly just exciting to see how many projects have uh been ticked off this year.

Like we've done a lot of good work, so really thank you.

And I would like to add that this project is one that I've handed off to Quaglos Martinos to oversee.

I just present it to council and assist him with the final completion.

So this really is completed by him.

Well, he's done a great job, so we'll have to give him kudos for that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council, any other comments, questions.

No, I think Counselor Corninus uh had it on the head here.

We uh it's a good report.

Appreciate uh you bringing that forward so we can review it.

Okay, thank you.

That takes us to quarterly strategic plan update.

City Manager Brennham.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

I will start a presentation.

So this is the first formal update on implementation of our three-year strategic plan.

And you'll recall last March, the city council and staff, senior staff met in a retreat to develop the plan.

Uh finalized objectives and actions language were presented in May of last year.

And this update is for actions that are scheduled for Q4 of 2025 and Q1 of 2026, which is 12 total actions.

Uh, and as a just kind of a context reminder of the total uh goals and objectives and actions for the three-year plan are four goals, 20 objectives and 65 actions.

So lots lots of work to do.

But we've made good progress on these initial 12.

And as a reminder, uh it's a lot of text.

I don't like to do this on a slide, but it's kind of unavoidable because I just wanted to show you again the the four goals, and I'll just kind of summarize them.

I won't I won't uh torture you by reading them word for word.

Uh the first really having to do with economic development in the Cornelius Town Center, which we've been talking a lot about.

The second is to increase community engagement in the civic process, so bringing more people into the civic process, and also to provide opportunities for community members to advocate for Cornelius.

Uh goal three is to extend staff capacity through volunteering and and improvements to staff recruitment, training, and management.

And then the fourth goal is to determine our community identity identity.

And we've got uh a couple of updates on that.

So first uh actions in those recent two quarters and goal one.

Uh the first objective here developing partnerships.

Uh we've we have hired a consultant, so we are just showing you so you can see it visually.

The status will be green, yellow, or red, where yellow working on it, um, you know, getting started, red, there's some barriers of some sort.

So green meaning meaning that that we have made progress.

So we did hire John Southgate to help us in this initial phase of you know, looking at the Grande Foods property and and other uh properties in the town center, and we're we're working there.

We've you've received a recent update on that.

Uh the next one um exploring the need for economic development plan, and we do have an existing plan.

It is somewhat dated.

We have a lot of plans.

We have a town center plan, urban renewal plan, obviously comprehensive plan, but we we do have an economic development plan, um, but we're working through to what extent or if that plan should be redone.

So uh we are consciously working on that.

Second objective highlighted here is to define desired outcomes around economic development, um, and that this uh action here is to summarize the goals and opportunities from some of these other plans, including the Cornelius 25 Vision and Action Plan.

And we uh are doing that as part of this work with John Southgate.

So those those uh the goals and actions in those plans are front and center there.

Uh and then the last one uh active for goal one, pursue discretionary state and federal funding opportunities, and we have secured grant funds.

We've we've at least been awarded, but we haven't yet received the money for renovation of our future recreation and community center.

So we've uh been notified that we've received two two grants totaling 1.3 million for that, which is great.

Goal two, increasing community engagement.

The first one noted here, identify models and existing curricula we could draw from.

Uh, we do plan to host our second uh cohort of a civic leadership academy in 2026.

And so another reminder that if you know anyone who might be interested in applying, the application window is open this month, and we we have already gotten some interest, but we really hope to get a good cohort again this year.

Um get get the word out.

Um the next one uh train community members to advocate for Cornelius, identify existing content and models we could draw from.

We have discussed this conceptually, so it's not sitting idle.

Uh Civic Leadership Academy is a component of this, uh, but we there's more work to be done on this one.

Goal three: extending staff capacity.

That first objective establish and priority training topics for staff.

Um Ellie Jones has been leading this to develop a citywide training program with required and elective topics.

Uh that's been established and continuing to coordinate and build on that.

The next one is to develop an annual training needs assessment, including budget requirements, and we're working on that in as part of the budget process, and we'll continue to refine that and then uh implement on and offboarding procedures for uh staff.

Um, this action here develop a standardized onboarding checklist and and training needs, including train the trainer that has started in part, but definitely more work to do on that one as well.

Uh this objective and goal three identify training opportunities through partnerships, uh identify agencies that can assist in training for staff.

We have been able to excuse me.

Uh we have been able to take advantage of some existing training.

Uh we had a couple of them.

One was through an existing training at City of Hillsborough where we sent staff, and then another one uh emergency preparedness uh emergency response oriented was with City of Newburgh.

So it's it's really cool.

We we get those kind of conversations quite a bit actually, and you know, if we can fold someone in, we will, and if others can, they will too.

So it's really great.

And then uh coordinate and combine trainings with other agencies where available.

Uh, we are proactively looking for opportunities there as well.

And then finally, goal four uh establish desired community identity.

This is this is kind of a big one.

You asked for this a couple years ago at least, and uh and we've gotten there.

We're gonna be using some of the remaining ARPA funds for this.

Really excited that we did issue an RFP for a consultant to create a communications plan and branding, and we actually just had the interviews last week.

We had a lot of respondents, and so we expect to choose that that consultant uh maybe even this week.

So and then uh we are also and I say we I I mean it's uh creating um a full plan summary and a kind of a poster version to to post in our city facilities to to just remind employees that this plan is there and we and we will work on it together, and then we'll continue to provide you with quarter quarterly updates.

So happy to answer any questions if you have them.

Council questions.

Yes.

Counselor Vaughn.

I feel kind of silly for asking, but are we leveraging last year's cohort for the Civic Leadership Academy to recruit for us?

Because I imagine their voices are gonna be the strongest for finding new interest.

That that is a great question, Councilor Vaughn.

And and we are we've we've asked them to you know to talk amongst their community.

We also included a testimonial from one of them in the Gazette article that we ran.

And obviously, Councilor Nunz Barragon is a great uh ambassador for for all things that she's involved with, and so she's out there helping out as well.

So yeah, that's a great idea.

Thank you.

Okay.

Yes, Councilor Goodines.

Sorry, this is related to that question.

How many people do have we had sign up for the academy?

We've had, I think just one applicant for uh two applicants now for this cohort, and we had three members for the initial, which kind of the initial reaction was that's not very many, but when you look at it on a per capita basis, it's actually pretty healthy cohort.

But if we get more than three this time, it'll be fantastic.

Sounds good.

Thank you.

Yeah, we're really excited.

Okay.

No other comments, then we'll move on.

Next up is planning commission appointment.

So any questions, comments, does anyone wish to make the motion?

Page 245.

For those following along at home, page 245 of 442 pages this week, this month.

I'm there, I can make it.

Okay, count Council Lopez.

All right.

I uh make a motion to approve the application of Samuel.

I'm gonna mispronounce the uh Down to position two on the Cornelius Planning Commission to serve through December 2029, and this action takes effect immediately.

Motion by Councillor Lopez, do I have a second?

I'll second.

Second by Councillor Godinas.

Any other comments?

Saying none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

I didn't hear of Councillor Silali.

Aye, I'm sorry.

Okay, it's unanimous.

Thank you.

All right, that takes us on to budget committee appointment.

Uh so that's Brenda Gonzalez.

Does anyone have questions or comments on that?

Otherwise, we'll entertain a motion.

I can make a motion.

Councilor Godiness.

I make a motion to approve the appointment of Brenda Gonzalez Pacheco to position three with a term expiring December 2026 to the budget committee, and this action takes effect immediately.

We have the motion.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councillor Vaughn.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

Passes unanimous.

Okay.

That takes us to proclamation for community development week.

Let's see.

Do I have that in there?

And we're gonna grab the oh, there it is.

I got it.

All right.

Choke up on the microphone here.

City of Cornelius, Oregon proclamation, April 6th through the 10th, community development week.

Whereas the city of whereas the week of April 6th through April 10th, 2026 has been designated as National Community Development Week by the National Community Development Association to celebrate the community development block grant, CDBG program, and home investment program home.

And whereas the CDBG program provides annual funding and flexibility to local communities to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing, a suitable living environment, and economic opportunities to low and moderate income people.

And whereas the home investment partnership home program provides funding to local communities to provide decent, safe and affordable housing opportunities for low-income persons.

Nationally, over one million units of affordable housing have been completed using home funds.

Whereas the city and the community of Cornis have benefited greatly over many years from the CDBG program, which has made a major contributions to the city infrastructure, much of which would have otherwise not been possible.

Now, therefore we, the City of Cornelius, the City Council of Cornis, Oregon, do hereby proclaim the week of April 6th through April 10th, 2026 as National Community Development Week in support of those two valuable programs that have made tremendous contributions to the viability of the housing stock infrastructure, public services, and economic vitality of our community.

Dated the second day of March 2026, Jeffrey C.

Delane, Mayor.

Okay.

Next up is the Fair Housing Month Proclamation.

Folks, my voice is starting to drain.

Does anybody else want to do this one?

Councilor Lopez?

Thank you.

All right.

April 2026 Fair Housing Month.

Whereas the year 2026 marks the 20, sorry, the 58th anniversary of the passage of the Federal Fair Housing Act.

Title 8 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 as amended, and whereas this law guarantees that housing throughout the United States should be made available to all community members without regard to race, color, religion, gender, familial status, disability, or national origin.

And whereas Oregon's fair housing law guarantees that housing throughout the state of Oregon should be made available to all community members without regard to marital status, source of income, sexual orientation, including gender identity, and survivors of domestic violence, and whereas barriers which diminish the rights and limit the options of any community member diminish the rights of all community members.

And whereas addressing the barriers to fair housing can be achieved through the cooperation, commitment, and support of Washington County community members.

Now, therefore, we, the City Council of Cornelius, Oregon, do hereby proclaim April 2026 to be fair housing month and encourages all community members to support and endorse fair housing throughout the year and reaffirm the commitment of fair house fair housing for all.

Thank you, Councillor Lopez.

Next is the Farm Worker Awareness Week, Councillor Godinas.

City of Cornelius, Oregon Proclamation, March 24th to 30, 2026, Farm Worker Awareness Week.

Whereas Cornelius, Oregon has a proud agricultural heritage and is home to a significant community of farm workers, many of whom are migrants who contribute to the success of our local farms and economy.

And whereas Washington County and the surrounding region produce a diverse array of crops, including berries, nursery plants, wine grapes, and vegetables, all of which depend on the skill and dedication of farm workers.

Whereas farm workers play an essential role in our community, working long hours in demanding conditions to ensure that families in Cornelius across Oregon and beyond have access to fresh, nutritious and affordable food.

And whereas the labor of farm workers is often physically demanding and mentally challenging, requiring expertise in planning and planting, tending and harvesting crops in all weather conditions.

And whereas farm workers have remained steadfast in their work despite challenges such as extreme weather, economic uncertainties, and the global health crisis demonstrating their resilience and dedication.

And whereas the agricultural industry is a cornerstone of Oregon's economy, contributing billions of dollars annually, and farm workers are the backbone of this industry, ensuring its continued success.

And whereas the City of Cornelius values and recognizes the significant contributions of farm workers whose efforts sustain our local economy and enrich our community.

Now, therefore, we the city the City Council of Cornelius, Oregon, do hereby proclaim proclaim March 24th through March 30th, 2026 as farmworker awareness week in Cornelius, and encourage all residents to honor and appreciate the invaluable contributions of farm workers to our food system and our community.

Dated the second day of March 2026, Jeffrey C.

Delane.

Thank you.

Okay, next agenda topic.

Excuse me.

Takes us into public hearings.

Oh my goodness, gotta get out all the paperwork here.

Give me a second.

So the first one up is ordinance number 2026-3, minor transportation system plan, TSP plan amendment.

Ms.

Fryer.

Let's see, I gotta get through proclamations.

No, that one isn't.

Is that my other pile of paperwork here?

Too many piles.

Okay.

It's 2501.

Okay.

Opening statement and procedures for land use hearing before the Cornelius Cornelius Cornelius City Council.

Okay.

Now is the time and place for a public hearing on the minor transportation system plan amendment CPMA 2025.

The City Council decision on this amendment will be based upon the record, staff report, and testimony and evidence in the record, and presented in this hearing.

I will now open the hearing.

The order business of this application will be as follows City Staff Report, applicants testimony, members of the audience in person and virtually who wish to speak on the proposal, applicants rebuttal, staff closing remarks, close the hearing and begin deliberation.

The applicable criteria for this application are as follows.

Cornelius Municipal Code Chapter 18.130 Comprehensive Plan.

18.130.020 sub E amendment procedures, statewide planning goals, which are an OAR 660-15-QUAD 0, Metro Urban Growth Management Function Plan, which is Metro Code Section 3.07, Metro Regional Transportation Functional Plan, Metro Code 4, Section 3.08, and Comprehensive Plan Amendment Criteria in the chapter of the comprehensive plan.

Testimony, arguments, and evidence must be directed towards the list of criteria listed or other criteria in the comprehensive plan or the cornea municipal code, which the person believes to apply to the decision.

Evidence means facts, documents, data, or other information offered to demonstrate compliance or non-compliance with the standards believed by the proponent to be relevant to the decision.

Now is the time for city counselors to declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest, ex parte contact, or personal bias.

Please indicate the nature and extent of the ex parte contact, bias, or conflict of interest.

Counselors, any I don't think I have any either.

So that was the do any members of the city council have a conflict of interest in this application.

All responded no.

Have any members of the city council had any ex parte contact regarding the application?

No.

Do do do page two.

Have any members of the city council council visited the site?

No.

I'm I've probably visited because I've been overking.

Yeah, I've probably driven over or walk by every part of the city at one point or another.

So I will acknowledge that I've probably visited the site.

Okay.

Several counselors.

Counselor Godinas, Councilor Lopez, Council Vaughn.

Oh, yes.

I've never driven on 345th.

Okay.

Um Councilor Sit Lali, you said yes, you you visited the site or directly.

I'm not sure.

I'm sick.

I'm so sorry.

I don't think so.

Okay.

Um proceeding on.

Does any city counselor wish to disqualify themselves based on the declaration?

No.

Okay, seeing none.

Now is the time for staff to give.

Oh, wait.

Do any members of the audience wish to challenge any city counselors' impartiality for the record.

Seeing none.

Thank you.

Now is the time for staff to give the staff report.

Staff, please present the report.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor and Council.

Um this is an ordinance that would adopt the comprehensive plan map amendment, CPMA 2025-01.

Um this amendment is a minor transportation system plan amendment.

And uh the applicant is Holt Holmes.

The owner is the Hillsborough School District.

And we have here tonight from the applicant's representative, uh Melissa Slotamaker.

We also have Joe Sheavy from Holt Homes.

Um they indicated that they're here to answer any questions that you may have, but they're not, they didn't come with a prepared presentation.

The location is basically south of Twalton Valley Highway and west of 345th.

And there are two zoning districts in this area, the R7 abut the edges of the parcel, and A2 is in the middle.

In 2014, you folks acted on the annexation of land into the urban growth boundary and identified some transportation networks.

And as part of this, South 29th Boulevard was designated as a collector.

And it's the collectors on this map, are designated in red.

And you'll see that South 29th was a collector and Dogwood East was a collector.

So this is the existing functional class map.

And you can see the blue is on this map, are all our collectors.

The dashed lines are ones that at the time in 2020 had not yet been constructed.

The solid lines were those that had been constructed.

So this proposed amendment would move remove the green line on that first existing TSP figure eight along that northern to eastern alignment, and then place it on Southwest 345th.

And it would only go to Dogwood at this point in time.

And if you'll see the various segments that are identified on this graphic, shows that they're basically about 1,200 feet to 1,900 feet.

So this is more of a better spacing for those type of collectors.

A council we've been talking about this for a very long time, so this is all um you know things that we've already discussed, but I'm more just curious to see if we've gotten anything from Odot about when a potential um light would go in there or what requirements are to ever at one point in the future have um stop lights put in at 345th.

So a stoplight at 345th, as you noted, Counselor Godinez, um, is an ODOT decision.

And um we believe that right now, based on the anticipated traffic that would um use 345th when it's opened, wouldn't warrant a traffic light at that location.

Um we are continuing to look at the traffic impacts and the potential for a traffic light at that location.

And right now we have started um using some of the transportation development tax money that was anticipated for South 29th to work with the railroad and to work with ODOT to try to come up with what design that street should have.

And one of the key factors that we have acknowledged is that there is farm equipment on that road, and we want to make sure that it is safe for both farm equipment and any automobile or truck traffic that might um use the road from the urban and the rural interface.

Okay, that makes sense.

Um and we can talk later.

I'm just curious to know because I know we've had this conversation before about what ODOT deems as the appropriate numbers for when one needs to put in.

But I think my only concern, and we've also mentioned this before is the safety aspect of it as people try to cross in.

I mean, we've seen it at um three nineteen or what is that street that we keep it insert any street that comes directly into TV Highway that's east of 26, basically, 29th, 31st, any of the 300s all the way to Derry Creek, basically.

We've had tragic accidents.

Yeah.

Um, this is a I don't want to overstate it, but it's uh danger dangerous highway core.

I there's a designation for our section between Hillsborough and Cornelius.

Yeah, I think that's just my biggest concern there is because I know that there won't be as much trouble if you're turning, depending on which way you're turning in, but if you are having to cross traffic to get in there, um I can see that being an issue, especially during rush hours.

Um happy to help you talk to Odot however we need to to make that happen, but that's another conversation for another day.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Other counselors, questions, comments.

Counselor Sit Lali, anything.

Oh, she dropped out.

Okay, the cough got bad enough.

Okay.

So uh note in our attendance that at this point we're down to the four counselors.

Thank you, Steph.

Okay.

Um I think we continue to to look at this.

Um we we look we thought 19th was gonna uh 29th was gonna be the answer.

Um did we ever get the answer back from ODOT and how much it cost to raise 219th in Aloa?

We did.

I don't have the number off the top of my head, but I can I can dig it up and get it back.

It's a it's a very large number.

It was millions is what I thought too to that we don't we don't have and um through my discussions with uh Ryan Winchimer, they they don't have the interest and investing those monies in raising 29th like they did uh 219 2009th, 209th in uma.

So great.

Okay.

Um question of staff.

Now's the time for the app applicant's testimony.

Would the applicant like to come up and present their project or provide testimony?

When you testify, please press the red button and when turn screen, speak the mic, state the name and address.

I think you were just uh here to answer questions, is what I understood.

Okay.

Man, I was hoping you're like juggling bowling balls or chainsaws or something.

Okay.

Umbers of the planning commission.

Let's see.

Now's the time for public testimony.

To testify in person, you must fill out a yellow card and submit it to staff.

To testify virtually, you must have contacted the community development, this case the city council prior to the hearing with your full name, your screen name, your address.

So please note failure to raise an issue in the hearing in person or by letter or failure to be specific enough to afford the city council and all participants an opportunity to respond to the issue, will preclude any right of appeal to the land use board of appeals.

I will now call up people who have submitted yellow cards to testify.

Please limit your testimony to the applicable criteria.

Okay.

First up, I have Sam, and you're gonna have to teach me how to say your last name.

I got Dalrymple.

Yeah, I'm sure if you come up and announce it, may I'll keep working on it.

Yeah, make sure you get the green light.

No green, no go.

Yeah, I tapped it twice.

Hi, my name is Sam Dal Rymple.

I'm at uh 448 South 28th Avenue.

Uh my question is when 29th was designated as a collector, we also had a 12-foot sidewalk on the east side of 29th to potentially connect up to Consul Creek.

Now that we're moving that designation to 345th, are we gonna have the 12-foot wide sidewalk going north and eventually in the future connecting with Consul Creek?

That's what cool.

So a question about the configuration as we move it from 29th to 345th.

Any other questions or comments?

Nope, that was it.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Appreciate for coming down and uh uh welcome to um budget committee and planning and planning glad for punishment.

Awesome.

Thank you, Sam.

Okay.

Uh do any of the counselors have questions about the testimony.

Thank you for your testimony.

Um City Recorder, is there anyone virtually?

The other yellow slip you're holding is also for 9A.

Oh, thank you.

Thanks for the reminder.

Okay.

Uh Will Dyke, please approach and make sure you have a green light.

Thank you, staff, for making sure I didn't forget Will's.

Okay, a couple of my concerns were already addressed.

Uh one of them was if we had a light at the end of 345th, it would make it so much easier to get in and out.

And the reason is is because now that we're gonna have the other streets coming in, we're not just gonna have one car sitting at the end trying to come out when we're trying to come in with farm equipment, which is impossible to make the corner if that car's sitting there.

And if if you put in a light, at least those cars can get out of the way, and we won't hope be holding back uh TV Highway.

Um, another one is uh it's not quite wide enough at the end of 345th when you bring all those cars in to get to get safely off the highway because uh there's a curb right there next to the new Holland dealership, and it's just a little bit too far back, and and we'd write up on that right now if we try to make the corner.

The other one is, and I I don't know if the Holt group is aware of this.

Down at the bottom of the hill is a drainage ditch.

It is a drainage district.

And uh I, as president of the drainage district, uh just have to let them know that they can't run runoff water down the hill into that ditch unless there's an agreement between the the drainage district and themselves or the city.

And so I just want to make that aware.

Cool.

Thanks for the comments.

Council, any questions for the comments?

Okay.

Thank you, Will.

Okay, thank you for your testimony.

Nobody virtual.

Thank you for your testimony.

Uh does the ha applicant have any rebuttal testimony to points raised?

Please note failure of the applicant to raise constitutional or other issues related to proposed conditions of approval with sufficient detail to allow the local government or its designee to respond to the issue precludes an action for damages in circuit court.

Okay.

Does the staff have any closing remarks?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor and Council.

Um just a couple of items.

There is planned a 12-foot wide sidewalk that would continue from the existing 12-foot wide sidewalk on South 29th that is currently within Laurel Woods and extended down south into Laurel Garden.

And it will continue up to South 29th Boulevard where it intersects with South Dogwood.

It will cross to the north side of Dogwood, extend east to 345th, and the plan is to continue that 12-foot sidewalk north.

The question will be crossing the rail tracks and what negotiations happen at that intersection.

So I'm not going to promise that it will stay 12 feet at that intersection, but the intent is to continue that so that that continuous loop will continue north and eventually connect with the Council Creek Trail.

Um and distance between and curve radii, all of that will be part of final design.

We're just in the very preliminary stages of working with the railroad about what does it look like when it crosses the railroad.

I think that answered all of the questions that were asked.

Do you have any more questions for me?

Council?

No, I I think do what you know we can, right?

I mean, 12-foot sidewalks, great.

You know, you look at uh David Hill and Forest Grove and how that provides a ready way to get off the street and be able to do bikes and peds and stuff, but not unlike I've talked in the past, and the count will see the council goes.

But sometimes you have to narrow these sidewalks because of other obstructions.

You know, maybe it's a great old tree that we don't want to take out of Davis Street, or maybe it's the working with our friends.

I say that tongue-in-cheek at ODOT rail.

Um they are the hardest people in the world to work with.

So we'll see.

I mean, it could end up being no wider than it is today at the rail crossing because it has to bottleneck down or something.

So I I would not be surprised by any kind of restrictions that Rode Rail puts on it.

So I think we have to understand that for the purposes of fire service accessing it, the the farms continuing to operate to the east and the south.

That that's probably going to be our worst bottleneck is right there.

And uh please clarify if I'm wrong, we're only talking about half street improvements.

So just the western half or a whole street, Barbara.

It will be more or less a three-quarter street improvement that we will use our transportation development tax dollars for.

Um we are working on an intergovernmental agreement with um the county for uh maintenance and uh ownership of that right-of-way.

Um, all we have based on your previous action is a half street annexation.

The other half street is still in the county.

So we will need that intergovernmental agreement for ultimate um work on it.

The county has agreed that we could use our design standards and work with um the idea of maintaining farm equipment and that urban-rural interface.

So, whatever design we come up with, um, it will accommodate all those users.

Appreciate that.

Yeah, so basically a lay person, the east side of the street will see the same finish it has today, basically.

It'll just be, it'll pretty much terminate in the grass.

Um the west side will be improved, and it may be more than half the street, it may be three-quarters.

But I think the important one you also captured for the for Will's concern was the runoff of the street will be captured to the west.

That's any part of the improvement.

So if it was on the east side, it's gonna go the same place as it's always gone in the the east half of the crown, the west half will drain into a controlled water quality feature.

So basically, I'm I'm not seeing any substantive change from what it exists today, other than the west side will now go to a water quality feature instead of just ending up down in the the drainage.

So cool.

Counselor Goodiness.

Yeah.

Yeah, I I just I mean, I'm gonna be full transparent here.

I definitely want to make sure that we're thinking about the farm equipment because we had made a promise.

I mean, I shouldn't say we, but the council at one point made a promise that they were not going to be, I think to those homeowners on 345th though, they would not be ever using that street, and now we're going against that, and so I just want to make sure that we are conscientious about the fact that we're gonna bring a lot of traffic in through there, and there's a lot of safety concerns that come up when we do have farm equipment in there, and I think it's fair that we need to at least work because no one's gonna be fully happy with everything at the end of the day, right?

I think that's like in an ideal utopian world, we can make everything work, but I know we have a limited amount of budget and limited amount of space of what can be done, but for me, I I do want to make sure that we can at least work with them.

And you know, I don't want anybody to be in a dangerous situation at the end of the day or stuck because of farm equipment.

I I think you bring up a good point.

I mean, I'm I'm the last remaining member of the the group that made that promise not to use 345th, but as times have evolved and the council has changed, we're looking back at this again, and I think we're trying to figure out what is the least impact of to folks that are there, and also um the right thing to do.

And I think I think our projections of the use of 345th may be exaggerated.

Um both have lights, they do allow you to go west much easier than you will be able to go west from 345th, and also turning southbound off of the highway onto 345th will be more difficult than it is at 20th and 26th.

So I it'll be interesting to see what the counts become, and we'll try to plan best possible, sounds like with our staff and our planners, but uh I don't think it's gonna be the first choice for a lot of people, considering we know the safety conditions of the the whole corridor, and you know um my wife is an example.

She doesn't turn on to 31st or 29th when she's headed eastbound.

She turns at the light at 26th because she just is unwilling to take that risk of getting hit.

Um I turn on 29th into my neighborhood because I have a lot better site plane because I don't 31st has the dip, right?

You're going into the dip, and that's part of the 345th, is the same problem, right?

So I I think hopefully people recognize um while it's not the greatest access, it's probably okay to turn right out of there.

Um, but I wouldn't encourage anyone to turn left out of there going westbound and uh make people ask the question if you're turning southbound off of the TV onto there.

You you might want to think about going to 26th, because it's there's no controlled intersection.

So cool.

I think that's all the questions.

Any other council?

Last questions, comments?

Cool.

At this point, I will close the hearing and deliberate under new business.

One down, 14 more to go.

Uh okay, we got ordinance number 202604, South 29th Boulevard right away vacation staff, Barbara Fryer, community development director.

You got up to leave for nothing.

Oh, you had to grab the other folder.

Okay, where do we go here?

Okay, looks like I got type three street vacation.

Do you want me to go through that more, Barbara?

Yeah, it's just the numbers don't match up.

Uh it's listed as 2601, and ours its ordinance 20.

It's I'm it's probably vacation 2601.

Okay.

Um proposed action.

The type three street vacation, vacation 202601.

Application to vacate South 29th Boulevard North of South Dogwood Street.

Applicable applic uh regulations.

Jeez.

Oregon revised Statute 271 and Cornelius Municipal Code Title 13, Public Utilities, Chapter 13.55.

Street and Utility Easement Vacation.

I will now open the public hearing.

Do any members of the city council have any potential conflicts or ex parte communication regard to the proposed action?

No.

Have any members visited the site?

Yes.

Councilor Vaughn's.

Well, not on 29th, yeah, and not on this part of it, right?

It doesn't go there yet.

Okay.

Councillor Godin is familiar with the site.

Councilor Lopez familiar with the site.

I've stood at the end of Alpine and at Dogwood and gazed longingly eastward.

So I will admit that I have been to the site and reviewed it and comprehended it.

Thank you.

Do you believe you are without actual bias, or would you like to step down from the city council during this case?

Council?

Council?

No one?

No one's stepping down?

Okay.

Would any member of the audience like to challenge the right of any city counselor to hear the matter before them for reason of conflict of interest, bias, or ex parte contact.

Seeing none.

Staff will now present the staff report and application.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor and City Council.

Again, this is a public hearing on a street vacation.

It is shown in red on this map.

The uh street vacation is South 29th Boulevard.

The Oregon revised statutes 271.120 indicates that the governing body shall hear a petition and any objections, determine whether the consent of the owners of the requisite area have been obtained, determine if notice has been duly given, and whether the public interest will be prejudiced by the vacation.

So this application was submitted by Hold Homes and the Hillsborough School District.

The Hillsborough School District is the underlying property owner at present.

Um 100% of the property that will be vacated.

The notice has been duly given.

And then of course there would be new street um dedications associated with that, but the configurations would be different.

Also, the school district anticipates using about a not quite a third, more like a quarter of the property for a new school.

So they this is the subject of a land partition that has already been approved, and a um subdivision that has already been approved, subject to the two ordinances that you're hearing tonight passing.

And with that, I think I have just oh, so the municipal code also talks about meeting the threshold of a street vacation, which was the previous slide.

Um fees were remitted.

The proposed street vacation meets the eligibility requirements.

The transportation system plan amendment that is the subject of the previous ordinance must occur before you can act on this particular um street vacation as it's a required element.

Um the vacation will not adversely impact police, fire, or emergency services.

I would posit that the location of the 345th would serve the police and fire better because it's actually buildable instead of just lying fallow for years on end.

Um there are no public facilities within the street right now.

Um there are no public facilities within the street right now, it is just a paper street.

No water sewer or storm are located under the right-of-way.

Um, and we did not receive any objections thus far.

Council, any questions.

So we're vacating 29th as a collector, but I think we're assuming that 29th would probably come back in some form to connect alpine to dogwood as an internal circulator as a city street, not as a collector.

Or what what's the assumption here?

Because we I think about the police and fire impact, and right now Alpine dead ends into this area.

So there is an approved subdivision on the property, and Alpine would extend into South 29th place, which is a local stream that would go north from it would jog a little bit east from the intersection with Dogwood, and then north.

There's also an east-west street on the north side of the development, just south of where the new school would go.

Um, and so there is a grid pattern of streets, um, local streets.

Dogwood is the only collector, and 345th is the only collector.

But there is connectivity throughout the development, and there are some alleys that are within the development to provide for garages that do not um front on a collector.

Yeah, because I think one of my concerns going forward is someday this the school district will develop that property.

Um to me, as I uh talked with the kids today, and as soon as I talked about there being three to five hundred apartments east of Fred Myers, they're like, where are we gonna put all those kids?

That was what they were all concerned about because they they know how full free orchards is now, and that would be a free orchards, those would all be free orchard kids in those apartments.

So I could see that that development of those apartments triggering the need for a another Hillsborough school in uh that property on the north end there.

So I don't think we want the buses turning through an uncontrolled intersection off of 345th.

So that would be my concern is as we look at how the streets are the right size because they're gonna probably want to come in alpine or dogwood to connect into that school property and uh use 26th as the turn.

So I just want to make sure as we vacate this property, we're being smart about, and it may not be the same small narrow streets, right?

We got to look at what's the right size to get the buses around.

Um we just talked about farm equipment on 345th.

I think we need to also think about school buses getting into that new property uh when it's developed as a school.

So that would be my only concern on record on street size.

Council, any other questions or comments?

Seeing none.

Okay.

Staff has presented the staff report.

Are there comments from the applicant?

Okay.

Um is there anyone wishing to speak in favor of the proposal?

Is there anyone wishing to speak in opposition?

I don't think you got any more pink uh yellow cards, right?

Okay.

Um any other comments regarding the proposal.

And since there were none, I bet the applicant would pass on providing any final rebuttal.

Okay.

If the uh does not have any opposition, public hearing is officially closed.

The council will formulate findings and conclusions and take action by specific motion and vote.

The motion will be uh for approval or denial by a majority vote of those present.

Okay.

That takes us to resolution public hearing for resolution 20 26 13 supplemental budget number two.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

Um, this is the public hearing for supplemental budget two for the fiscal year 2026 budget.

Yeah, you need me to go through the the short form here.

Okay, I will now open the public hearing.

Do any members of the city council have any potential conflicts exportate compent kind of ex parte communication with regard to the proposed action?

Councilor Gardinas.

Yes, I work for this is the one we're talking about, the approval for Centro, right?

Or am I getting ahead of myself?

Nope.

Oh, never mind.

We're good.

Sorry, mistake on my end.

Okay.

Anybody else?

Seeing none.

Uh would any audience member like to challenge the right of the city council to hear the matter before them for reason of conflict of interest, bias, or ex parte contact.

This is in regards to the supplemental budget number two.

Seeing none, the staff will now present the staff report and application.

Thank you.

Um so this is the public hearing for supplemental budget two for the fiscal year 2026 budget.

Uh the notice of the public hearing was posted on the city website beginning on February 19th of 2026.

It was also advertised in the local newspaper on beginning on February 20th of 2026.

Um this supplemental budget includes eight items.

So we are proposing to increase the general fund fire department expense budget by 74,000 for uh increases due to personal services.

We will also have a revenue offset increase of 47,750 because some of those expenses were reimbursed to the city.

We also have a proposal to increase the general fund library expenses by 2100 to replace damage supplies.

We also have an offsetting revenue for 2100 for the reimbursement of those damage supplies in the internal services fund.

We're increasing the city city manager's office expense by $5,500 for materials and services.

This also has a revenue increase of $5,500 for the grant that was received to cover those expenses.

Within the internal services fund, we're increasing the city city manager's office expenses by $22,500 for the community service grants.

Um the council is aware of.

This will also be allocated within the cost allocation plan with funds coming from the general fund to the internal services fund.

And we have an in additional increase to the internal services fund and facilities by sixteen hundred dollars for utility expenses related to the uh gas station that the city obtained.

We have some small utility expenses.

And then within all of the funds, we are adjusting the networking capital to reflect the audited balances.

And that is my report, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Council, any questions.

Yes, Councilor Vaughn.

On item number one for the fire department expenses.

When you say that revenue will increase by 47,750 for reimbursement.

What can you explain to me what the reimbursement is?

Because I'm trying to figure out where that where does that come from?

Um, so in this case, when we send firefighters to conflag, we include an expense uh typically on the over time, and the state uh reimburses us uh not only the staff time but the over time and um if we send a vehicle, we also get a vehicle reimbursement as well.

Excellent.

Thank you very much.

That helped.

Any other questions from council?

Council Lopez, you're staring quite intently at it.

I'm wondering if you have a question.

You come up with the so I believe the library was the HVAC unit.

Uh we had an HVAC unit go out.

Let me see.

Yeah, so the replacement of the HVAC was about estimated to be $19,000.

Uh we are evaluating that system as well because it is a new building.

Um the equipment failed long before its normal useful life.

Yes.

And the um expense in the fire department.

Um the majority of that was related to the elevator that went out, and we had to make some replace to that.

And that came in at about 12,000 for the hydraulic system.

Um, and then some other small costs related to that as well.

Thank you.

That is not a new building.

No, we paid off the bond on that one.

Okay.

Any other questions or comments?

Seeing none.

Uh is there anyone wishing to speak in favor of this proposal?

Is there anyone wishing to speak in opposition to this proposal?

Are there any other comments regarding this proposal?

Public hearing is officially closed.

The city council will formulate findings and conclusions and take action by specific motion and vote.

The motion will be for the approval or denial by a majority vote of those present.

Wow.

Like we didn't do public hearings.

Unfinished business takes us to new business.

Oh, we still got a chance here.

Resolution number 2026-13, supplemental budget number two.

Ms.

Jones is presented.

Council, any other questions?

Otherwise, it would entertain the motion.

I'll make a motion.

Councilor Goodinus.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026 13, a resolution of the Cornelia City Council authorizing appropriations amending the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget, supplemental budget number two, and this action takes effect immediately.

Motion by Councilor Gondinas, do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Council Lopez.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

Passes unanimous.

Resolution 2026-14.

Utility billing low income rate relief program.

Ms.

Jones.

Mayor, I'm gonna go ahead and take this.

We just thought since I'll be speaking to C as well, we figured I would just do that.

This uh item B is to, I'm sorry, item 11B is to uh enter into an agreement with Central Cultural to provide customer qualifications for our utility bill low income rate relief program.

It doesn't change any of the other other terms of the program other than it provides um a secondary provider since we already have an agreement with Salvation Army to do those as well.

It helps for you know redundancy and and if uh one entity is bogged down, the other one can pick it up.

So uh that's it for this one.

So just a diversification of opportunity.

Okay.

Council, have any questions for staff?

Yes, Council Gordinas.

Yes, so this is the one that I will just let you all know.

I will abstain from full transparency.

I work for Centro Cultura, and even though this has nothing to do with my department, um, I think it would be best for me not to vote on this matter.

Noted.

Thank you.

Council, any other is anyone wish to make the motion.

I can make the motion.

Yes, Council Lopez.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026 14 a resolution of of the city of the Cornelia City Council approving a contract with Centro Cultural de Washington County to provide eligibility verification for the city's utility bill low income relief program, and this action takes effect immediately.

Motion for Council Lopez.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Vaughn.

Any further questions?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye aye.

Uh opposed.

And abstentions?

Aye.

Councilor Odinus, duly noted.

Thank you.

Uh motion passes.

Okay, that takes us to resolution number 2026 15.

Solid waste collection low income relief program.

City manager.

Thank you, Mayor.

We discussed this a while back last year in kind of in parallel with our utility billing low income rate relief program.

And it actually took us this long to establish a partner to do those customer qualifications, but we've successfully done that.

This program will be a little bit different, whereas our utility bill rate relief program provides relief to up to two bills totaling a certain amount over a given 12 month period.

This one will actually establish a reduced rate that the customer will pay going forward for two years upon which they need to re-qualify.

And it's patterned based on your feedback when we spoke about it in work session, and it's also based on what other jurisdictions around us also provide to their customers.

The difference being that uh some of the uh uh reductions to the fees in other jurisdictions are higher than what we're proposing.

We're proposing a 50 percent reduction for customers who qualify at 185 percent of the uh federal poverty level.

And um our our partners, our franchised collectors, evergreen disposal, and Hillsborough Garbage Disposal already do this for others, as does Central Cultural.

They do the qualifications for other jurisdictions as well.

So we're we're pretty set up and ready to go and just looking for your approval tonight.

Okay.

Council, any questions, comments?

Yes, Councilor Gardines.

Yeah, I will just say that um you know I'm glad we're finally getting something like this up and um going.

I know that it'll be a big relief for some of our community members, and so um I hope that we can get the word out there.

I know a lot of people look at our at the Ghazal, and so um I'd be curious to see once we get this going, what those numbers are if you could report back on that.

Great.

Any other questions?

I would entertain a motion.

I can make that motion.

Counselor Vaughn.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026-15, a resolution of the Cornelius City Council authorizing a contract with Central De Cultural Day Washington County for the solid waste collection rate low income relief program, and this action takes effect immediately.

Motion by Councillor Vaughn, do I have a second?

Second, second, Councilor Lopez.

Any further questions or discussion?

Yes, Councilor Goodinas.

Similarly, I know it has to do with my work, so I'm just gonna abstain from voting on this one as well.

Noted.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Abstentions?

Aye.

Three in favor, one abstention, passes.

Thank you.

That takes us to resolution number 2026-16, emergency operations plan.

Chief Morrison.

Mayor, Counselors, uh, my name is David Morris.

I'm the fire chief.

Uh I'd like to uh give you some prepared notes on what our emergency operations plan is that you will be voting on tonight.

Tonight I'm presenting resolution 262026 16 for the adoption of the City Cornis Emergency Operations Plan, commonly referred to as the EOP.

The EOP is the city's playbook for how we prepare, respond, and recover from major emergencies and disasters.

Daily incidents are handled by our place and fire first responders and city dis departments through routine operations.

The EOP is activated when incidents exceed our normal capacity, and our normal mutual aid agreements are not enough to manage an incident.

When we have several weather, severe weather events, flooding, wildfires, infrastructure failures, public health emergencies, or any other significant event that affects our community, we may activate the EOP.

The EOP that we are replacing was first adopted jointly in 2014 with Forest Grove, and then it was updated in 2022.

That plan supported the organizational structure at that time.

With Forest Grove providing fire department leadership, it made sense to have a common plan.

As we transition away from Forest Grove and with the City of Cornelius, growing into an organization having the ability to manage their own incidents locally.

It makes sense to have a plan that the city had decision-making authority, execution, and governance of.

The city worked with Stacey Burr Consulting to develop the new City of Cornelius EOP.

The scope of this plan and the provisions, policies, and procedures are applicable to all departments, individuals, both public and private, and stakeholders that have a role in the coordination and implementation of emergency activities for the city of Cornelius.

This plan was developed in cooperation with all city departments as well as other local, regional, and state partners.

The OP explains how everything works together.

First, it establishes the emergency management organization required to mitigate significant emergencies affecting Cornelius.

This basically means that it sets up how the city organizes and leads during a major emergency.

Second, it clearly defines roles and responsibilities, identifying who is responsible for protecting life, property, and environment during an emergency.

It is the who does what during an emergency, so there's no confusion.

And third, it outlines the operational framework for how field response, emergency operations center activities, and recovery efforts are coordinated.

This is how we how efforts are coordinated.

It includes operational concepts, communication protocols, coordination procedures, recovery strategies, and guise continuity of operations.

It is important to note this plan clearly defines the council's role.

During a declared emergency, the council serves as a policy group and is responsible for ratifying emergency deck emergency declarations when required, authorizing extraordinary expenditures, supporting emergency ordinances if needed, and ensuring continuity of governance.

The council provides the overall direction, for example, affirming that life safety is a top priority or determining that the city will pursue state and federal disaster assistance.

Staff manages the response, and council ensures that authority and direction are in place.

This plan will be reviewed every two years and updated every five years to comply with legal requirements to maintain current operational standards and address evolving threats and hazards.

We made adjustments where needed so it fits our organization.

We are confident this plan gives us clear, practical guidance for how we respond to and recover from major emergencies affecting our community.

Adoption of this resolution formalizes the city of Cornelius' independent emergency operations plan and ensures we have a legally sound, operationally clear and locally controlled framework for managing major incidents.

With that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Council, any questions.

Council Vaughn.

No questions.

Oh, I'm I'm my only is the remiss to losing chapter 13 zombie apocalypse.

So yeah.

This is so official looking.

It did it uh just it feels bad to lose chapter 13.

So we updated every five years.

There's hope then.

We could we could bring uh because it all joking aside, we actually used it when we initiated the pandemic, right?

Um it was a little tongue-in-cheek when we it was originally written.

I remember with uh Chief Kincaid back there that 13 would be your zombie apocalypse, but actually much of what we used for um COVID response was the same kind of stuff, and it was practical, it was realistic, but uh you know it's always more fun to say you have chapter 13 with the zombie apocalypse response in your, you know, when you're talking amongst cities.

So there's hope for the future.

Um now that I've had my fun moment with it.

Uh anyone wish to make a motion to adopt the resolution.

Councilor Gordinas.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026 16.

A resolution of the Cornelius City Council adopting the City of Cornelius' emergency operations plan, and this takes effect immediately.

Motion by Councillor Gordinius, do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Vaughan.

Any further discussion?

I just I I really appreciate Chief Morris that you were ready for the response to my question about Chapter 13.

That is great.

I really appreciate that from you.

That just uh further highlights your preparedness for all things emergency.

So all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Abstentions?

It passes unanimous.

Thank you, Chief Morris.

That takes us to ordinance number 2026-3, the minor transportation system TSP map amendment.

Okay.

Any questions?

We've already had the public hearing.

Uh is there anyone wishing to make the motion?

Green for go.

Uh I can't.

Counselor Vaughn, you got it, you got that speaker to work.

Thank you.

I make a motion to approve ordinance number 2026-03, an ordinance of the Cornelia City Council amending the transportation system map to remove the collector designation on South 29th Boulevard north of South Dogwood Street and apply the collector designation to Southwest 345th Avenue from South Dogwood Street north to to Walleton Valley Highway.

Appendix M of the Cornelius Comprehensive Plan on Figure 8 1 Motor Vehicle Plan.

Motion by Councillor Vaughn.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Counselor Lopez.

Umce it's an ordinance, we'll have a roll call vote.

Uh when your name is called, say aye if you're in the affirmative, nay, or if you're uh in the negative staff, please administer the roll call vote.

Counselor Lopez.

Aye.

Council President Godinez Valencia.

Aye, Mayor Delane.

Aye.

Counselor Vaughn.

Aye.

I have that as unanimous.

Okay.

That should take us on to ordinance number 2026-04.

Uh we've had this one.

This is the South 29th Boulevard right of way vacation.

Any other questions for staff on this one?

We've had our public hearing.

Any further comments?

I'll make a motion.

You got a motion, Counselor Cardinus.

Thank you.

I make a motion to approve ordinance number 202604, an ordinance of the Cornelia City Council vacating public right of way of South 29th Boulevard that is located north of South of South Dogwood Street.

Motion by Counselor Gudinas, do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Lopez.

As always, this is an ordinance.

So answer in aye if you agree, nay if you disagree when your vote is called.

Staff.

Counselor Vaughan.

Aye.

Mayor Delaney.

Aye.

Council President Godinas Valencia.

Aye.

Counselor Lopez.

Aye.

I have that as unanimous.

Thank you very much.

That takes us to reports.

We got 20 minutes before we hit our marker.

City Council, does any city council member have a report this evening?

We yes, sorry.

Prignify.

We um talked about, I think Peter mentioned it briefly, but we did have a COLPAC meeting earlier this month, and I think he'd mentioned it last month too, that they did increase their dues.

Um I should have had the numbers on top of my head.

It was about um six hundred dollars more than what had been in the past, but they hadn't updated it in over 20 years, 30 years.

My apologies.

Um we talked about it, and so we and we were very honest at the meeting that um we'll continue and see how it goes and what what we feel we're getting out of the membership, and if we feel like because we're in a unique place where we are also part of COLPAC, but we're also part of Metro, and a lot of the um other cities there are not, and so if we feel like this is we're not getting anything out of it, then we let them know that we would um probably end up leaving.

So that's something that we can explore as a council as things continue on, and then just a reminder as always that I know it seems that there's been less activity um related to ICE, but I just want to keep reminding the community members that ET has done a lot of work on putting a lot of good information on our um website.

So please take a look at that, as well as just remembering if you have any family members that could benefit.

Signing up for the Echo Um, which is the Equity Corps of Oregon, they can help connect you with a lawyer, and it's easier if you're already in their system.

Um, and just reminding everybody to stay safe and to continue to be there as a community.

I just want to highlight how grateful I am to live in Cornelius and to just see how everyone has come together.

Um, and I really appreciate that because I sometimes I feel like that's very uniquely us.

So thank you.

Thank you, Counselor.

Any other uh council updates?

Counselor Vaughn.

I didn't have our prepared report at all.

I just wanted to take a moment and thank our two community members that came out and and spoke on on behalf of things that were important to them.

Uh something that you know I ran on when I when I put my name out there to sit on council um was just I'm just a regular guy trying to be involved, right?

And something that I I had put in the the voter pamphlet was you know, even if you don't vote for me, um, get up and do something yourself, right?

Get out there, be vocal.

And something I've noticed a lot in the last we've talked about this before um over the last six months or a year is just the evil vile stuff that people post on social media, right?

And people are just spitting stuff out there and uh try not to get into the fray myself, but what I do when I have the opportunity is ask people to come share their voice.

So thank you for coming out and and uh and not only sharing your voice, but hanging out till the end of the meeting.

I mean, normally when people uh say their their piece, they usually uh leave right after that.

So thank you.

That was all I wanted to share.

Thank you, Councillor Vaughn.

Council Lopez, you got anything tonight?

Gonna keep it keep it short.

Okay.

Uh Mayor's update, uh continue to participate in the usual stuff.

Metropolitan Mayor's Consortium.

Um busy time defending democracy at the state legislature, trying to make sure that uh they don't give us any more unfunded mandates or um push push things down to us that are really county or state requirements to fund and take care of.

So it's been mostly a defense uh this legislative session.

Um I know we've been down there talking about land use.

Um I came out with a public comment in favor as the mayor, but not as the council for uh the expansion in Hillsboro.

Um Senator Salman's uh legislative uh process.

I think the continued diversity and opportunity as we talked with both um GPI and other uh economic development groups.

Um we've lost in excess of 70 business opportunities just in the recent couple of years uh because we don't have a viable land location for businesses to come to our community.

So those are by no short estimate, tens of thousands of jobs that this community has lost out on the opportunity of by the lack of uh having a reserve number of land.

And people see land out there and go, oh, that's already all that's that's where the next business could go.

Well, not unlike Intel or other companies, uh Genentech, all of them, they've land banked some of the land because they want to they want to expand it sometime in the future, and they don't want to not have land to do that on.

And that is a common thread uh that we receive feedback from site selectors on is um there's just there's no large plot lands to get on to.

Um that's why Hillsborough was looking for 360 some acres to come in immediately with the option for a total of 1700 long term.

We have continued to advocate from our city for the 575 acres north of town as an opportunity for us to draw industrial land because we went from having North Holiday kind of not fully activated to empty.

There's no more spots.

The open spots on uh North Holiday are land banked by for expansions on companies that said, hey, we don't have to be in Hillsboro.

We can be next door, we can be 20 minutes away.

And that's why Edwards and Omega Morgan and other businesses have consumed that industrial land on North Holiday.

So now we're basically out.

Um and then Metro sitting on another spot of it over there.

So we'll see.

There is talk of them making some action finally, and maybe they'll free up some of the land or we'll get a plan to do with the rest of that land that if they don't use it for development of the transfer station.

But that that's why I continue to support this.

I've benefited personally, my family from the opportunity to work at iCase Intel.

Um my wife has had two jobs since Intel that all work in support of the Silicon Forest.

So my oldest works at Intel, but my concern is is it's the mill in town, right?

It is kind of the one big trick pony.

And when they went through a downsize of thousands of people, um some had to leave the area, some landed other jobs in the Silicon Forest, but some had to leave the area because we just don't have enough um diversity of opportunity.

And um I think there can be balance.

Um we've got the the bobcat dealer just moved to town.

New Holland has come to town in the last few years.

Um PAPA is still going with selling stuff out of theirs.

So we are town to the farm community north and south of us.

So I think there is an opportunity to seek balance.

And I'll leave on the the one last one to kind of put 1700 acres in perspective.

Um I've heard lots of comments about it's the end of farming in Washington County.

1700 acres of expansion is approximately one and one half percent of the rural rural reserves in Washington County.

So that 1700 acres would be just over one and a half percent out of those existing rural reserves.

So by no means are we tipping over the last leg of the cart on how much land is there.

By comparison, our 575 acres we're looking for on the north side, about half a percent of the rural reserves in Washington County.

So, and if you go outside the county and look up and down, I know folks that farm.

Um when we had South Cornelis develop into Laurel Woods, um, and the family that moved out of there, they were said that's great.

They went and bought a bigger property with the money they got from the development, it's further down the valley.

So by comparison, if you look at that 1700 acres in the rural reserve of the valley, it's less than half a percent of the rural reserves in the valley.

So I know 1700 acres sounds scary and big, and if you're the person that's farming the land in that 1700 acres, it does look scary and big, but I think we need to have sit down and have adult discussions.

Um, and I've talked about this and I'll continue to openly talk about it.

Um I think the grand bargain was a failure, the land plan for 2014, because um as soon as the thousand friends in the farm bureau sat down with us at the table, there was only one posture taken up by those members, and their open statements and the first meeting we had and back there in 2013 and 14 was you will go no further.

Zero.

It wasn't a discussion at all.

We didn't get to look at, and you and I have talked, Peter, about the land that's been actually taken out of farming, right?

Metro bought up a bunch of land on the Twileton that had been farmland forever, as far as anybody can remember.

And now what does it do?

It sits there fallow, it's not being used for good land, and that was part of the discussions we were having back in 2013 is about what land not should be protected for 50 years, but should be protected forever, right?

That flood farmland should be protected forever and it should be put into its best use.

And unfortunately, that's not the discussion we could have.

We couldn't look at what would be forever and then look at what was reasonable and prudent for an expansion.

It just became uh a fight for lack of a better descriptor.

So that's my uh report this evening.

I'm sure I will get some kind of email about that, but that's okay.

That's what public comments about.

Um, City Manager, what have you got?

We got 10 minutes left.

Thank you, Mayor.

I won't use it all.

I did make a couple of notes from your words that I wanted to mention.

Um Metro site, we have been uh a number of staff have been part of Metro's initial concept design for their facility on their 12 acres in the north industrial area.

So most recently last week I presented to their regional waste advisory committee about uh how we really appreciate how they've engaged staff and and we've been able to help inform their early designs and kind of optimize the opportunity both for them as well as we think for the community, and so more to come on that, but they're really looking at something that's probably on the order of uh five to seven acres of that 12 acres, and so uh you know, if they ultimately decide to return the balance to the private sector, that that would benefit the community, but uh, but we really feel good about what they're what they're designing there.

Uh I wanted to especially thank uh Chief Dave Morris for his work on the emergency operations plan.

That's really big deal for us to have our own EOP.

And uh Chief Morris has a lot of experience in standing up emergency operations command and um all the different elements that go into it, and we're we're working as staff to do a lot more building out of last year's Civic Leadership Academy, which the subject was emergency preparedness.

We're we plan to do uh some kind of a spring emergency preparedness fair.

We're gonna feature emerge emergency preparedness across our communications in the fall over a whole month and create a lot of materials that will help uh all of our community members, households, individuals, and businesses prepare uh for emergency.

So um really pleased with that.

Uh wanted to acknowledge and congratulate one of our uh volunteer firefighters, Juan Calderon Aguilar for his booster uh scholarship to attend emergency EMS uh school in Arizona.

He's actually there right now for the first two weeks of March, and I shared with you his letter over email, so I just wanted you to see that because it gave me goosebumps, and then he presented to the boosters a couple of weeks ago, and he's very well-spoken young man, and uh we're lucky to have him.

So and then I also wanted to congratulate a staff member, our public works operations manager Ryan Howell, uh, who very quietly without any fanfare successfully achieved the level three water distribution system certification, which is a really big deal.

He sat for the exam a couple of weeks ago and didn't even really mention it to me.

So uh he's a very very quiet fellow, but uh this means that we're covered for this required capability, um, which is uh requirement as long as Ryan's here until we reach the population of 50,000.

So we were getting close to the 15,000 threshold, and we would have needed it.

We've got that covered now, thanks to Ryan, and it's a great uh major achievement, and it's a great demonstration of Ryan's commitment capability for our city.

So I think that's all I had.

Thank you.

Yes, we got a couple minutes, Counselor Godinas.

Yes, I meant to just thank Itzel and Peter for all of their hard work.

Um we applied for some lottery um money that we did not get to uh work on our um why are my words leaving me right now?

You can tell it's almost nine o'clock for the community center.

Thank you.

Um I know it was a hard decision for them.

There was a lot of applications.

I know this was our fourth year applying, but I just really appreciate you all.

I appreciate um Itzel bringing in the yak to really make sure that we had youth representation as well.

So although we didn't get it this time, I really just got a new sense of appreciation for all the work you all do when you go down to the Capitol because it's a whole day endeavor of talking to legislators and then waiting and being in the those meetings for hours, hours.

We were there for two and a half hours before we even got to make our public comment, and that's how we were only and that was at the halfway mark.

So I can only imagine for those that had to be there till the end.

So again, just thank you all so much for your work on that.

Um chime in on your Metro Transfer station.

I mean, you know, Metro heard a little bit of uh um my barking at their inconsistency, right?

I mean, they they've had a lot of events out at Forest Grove High School so that we'd have some kind of access to hazardous waste transfer and drop-off, but I still think and I will argue against uh uh Surewood to uh tell them in the face the same way they argue against why we need this.

Um we do need this.

This is this is a service that when you look at Metro's analysis, we are dramatically missing on the west side, right?

You basically have to go to Sherwood or to Portland to find um the kind of consistent um transfer station that basically the South County in the entire east side um has access to on a day-to-day basis to where you can drop off paint, you can drop off hazardous materials and get these kind of services taken care of.

Um I think our Western Washington County deserves to have the same kind of services that the rest of the metropolitan region does.

We pay the money in.

We should be able to get those services out here so you don't have to wait for some kind of special weekend gig to try to jam into a line and try to drop something off in the couple hours that it's open.

So I just wanted to chime in on that.

Thank you, City Manager.

Okay, any other last minute things?

No, then I would entertain a motion to adjourn.

And motion to adjourn.

Motion by Councillor Goodinas.

Do I have a second?

Second, second by Councillor Lopez.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

We are adjourned.

Thank you.