On to the city council meeting for Monday, June 1st, 2026.

We're available through Zoom webinar, TVC TV live stream, and we also have Wardly Live Translation.

Information for that is available on the agenda on the website and also in the back of the room.

The city is committed to providing equal access to public meetings.

Requests for accommodations can be submitted to the city recorder at least 48 hours before the meeting at City Recorder at CorneliusOR.gov or call 503 357 9112.

First thing this evening is our work session.

Communications plan introduction and interview.

Staff It's all good evening.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council.

As you may know, the city has begun the process of developing its first strategic communications plan and rebranding of the city of Cornelius.

The work is guided by our goals identified in both our 2045 Vision and Action Plan as well as our city's organizational strategic plan to support these initiatives.

The city has allocated ARPA funds for this project.

Earlier this year, we did um release a request for proposal seeking uh consultants to assist with both the strategic communications plan and the rebranding process.

We received 17 qualified firms proposals uh following a thorough evaluation.

We interviewed four of the highest proposals and ultimately selected Funk and Levi's and associates.

They were chosen for its their extensive experience in the public sector in communications, branding, and community engagement with more than 40 years of experience serving Oregon communities.

They have partnered with numerous local governments, including the City of Hillsboro and City's Beaverton rebranding effort as well, which resulted in a logo and brand identity that the city continues to use today.

Their understanding of local government, community identity, and effective public engagement made them a strong fit for Cornelius.

And as we move forward, our goal is to create a strategic communications plan that strengthens how we engage our community with our residents, businesses, and stakeholders while still developing a refresh brand that reflects who we are as a community today and what we are going to look like in the future.

With that, I will like to turn it over to Anne Marie to provide an overview of the work that has been completed today and the next steps of the process.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council members.

Thank you so much for dedicating some time of your valuable meeting this evening to go through this update to you and also to get your input with the process that we are doing.

My name is Ann Marie Levis.

I'm the president and creative director for Funk Levis.

And so we've spent quite a bit of time and we'll continue to do that to make sure that the logo and branding feels from here by here, not by somebody else coming in telling you who you should be.

So it's a big honor.

Make sure I so funk Levison Associates was founded in 1980.

Um I was not with the firm at that time.

I I came in after receiving my MBA at the University of Oregon and joined as a partner at that time, and I have taken over the firm and run it since the early 2000s.

So how do people create trust through good design, through good communications, uh, through good public involvement?

Um that is our um guiding principle is is how to work with people in a very authentic and trustworthy way.

It is not just me, it is not just Maya.

There is a team of folks.

Um Karen Gaffney is my partner in crime on this.

She is not here this evening.

She's taking care of her her grandchild, Santiago, you said that is our lead designer, but Jason Anderson, Maya.

John Percopio, Dylan, Missy, and Spencer and Grace are also part of the team.

Our firm is relatively small.

We believe that everybody on the team is part of the organization.

I wanted to just start with grinding grounding us in why is this important to do branding.

This is not just putting a mark on a city.

It very much is looking at the community, who we are, the pride that we have being here.

And so I like to think it is reducing communication expenses when you are consistent in how you communicate when people recognize you.

It takes less to get those communication efforts across, and it inspires economic development.

And that has been a large theme in all of the stakeholder work that we've done.

So that's why it is important.

We did an audit and assessment of all the current communication efforts.

So we've been doing outreach to key stakeholders in the community.

From that, we develop what we call as our foundation.

Everything comes from words.

Pictures don't come just out of a great designer Santiago's brain.

It really comes from what are the words that describe this city.

And so we look at it as a three-legged stool.

What is the personality of this community that's very different than other places?

What makes us different?

And then also what's the consistent experience?

I often say the the best logos make sense, but they make you feel something.

And so we very much want through the brand foundation development to make people feel from what we create.

We will move on to the logo ideation and the design.

So the best ways to communicate the messages.

People are so busy these days, and and even though you're doing very important work, they're often not paying attention until they're upset or they want something.

So how do we do a good job of communicating to everyone?

So putting together a marketing communications plan and then a brand and marketing toolkit.

So from this point, then your staff can make sure that everything goes out consistently.

So it's my hope tonight that I could ask you a very long and very complicated question that really didn't need to be so complicated.

But really, what I'm trying to understand from your perspective, and you spend so much time talking with the public.

What really differentiates this place and what makes it a really wonderful place for people who live here, who work here, and who will come to visit or potentially invest here in opening businesses.

What do you think makes this wonderful community different?

And so I'd love to just have whoever would like to give me feedback so I can.

I'm sure we're all a little biased, right?

Um I think for me what really makes it different is just and I know this sounds so cliche, but it's our community.

I mean, when you compare even our demographics from the other cities, we're much smaller, where we're surrounded by one really major city, and then another compared to us bigger city.

Um Hillsbrome Forest Grove.

And so we still have that small town feel.

I was when I was born here, there was 6,000 people, and I've watched that double and eventually it'll triple, but still comparatively to the increase in which the other cities are growing.

We are growing in a way that still continues to keep that small town feel.

And then when we think about our community in terms of uh percentage, 54% or might even be uh um higher at this point is Latino.

And so when we look at Wilsonville, for example, that is population-wise much larger, but percentage-wise of Latinos much smaller.

So Cornelius really is percentage-wise the largest um community with um or the largest um sorry, my words are just not here today.

Um, the largest city with the most um Latino residents, and so for us, you see that in the way that we have our local markets, our little shops that um a lot that are it's kind of like home places that people know.

We have the church here that people have been going to for years.

So it's just all of the small businesses that we have, all of those cultural hubs that we have are so heavily used and known within our communities, and that's a way that people have really learned to um know who people are, and even if people don't know who they are, like I have seen so many of the city staff that are still here like growing up where I'm like, I didn't know who you were, but I saw you in the parks or I saw you doing this, and now that I'm more involved in the city, um, it just I think that goes to show that you really do get to see who's out there in the community, both not just from residents, but also staff, like the library, for example, is such a crucial part.

Sorry, I'm like rambling.

I should give you all a um an opportunity.

I'll just end with the library.

I think the library is such a also like cultural hub, I would say, because for so many people that is where not just me alone, but like so many people have gone there because that's where they get their books, that's where they get their movies, that's where they get their music, that's where they get um to do out of school time activities or family activities, and it's just a block down the street from where they live.

So there's I think so much that makes Cornelius unique, but it always starts with the community that we're uh working with, and also the fact that we have had staff here, the same staff for 20 years, and so people actually get to know each other.

I'll stop there.

Who's next?

Aidan?

Council Lopez.

There's not much left to yes, ditto.

I'll say that the the city for me is full of potential.

Um just everywhere you look, there's opportunity.

Um it just it's missing the infusion of funding to really get us to that next step.

And I just see us as a city that's right to take those next steps.

I think we're we've been doing that over the last few years, but I think there's still more room for us to grow.

So for me, I'm just gonna stick with I think we we a city full of potential.

Yeah, I heard so much optimism from everyone we spoke with today.

So I would say that I heard that loud and clear from much of the community and back to the library and some of the, you know, to have the largest collection of Spanish books.

I mean, in in the state of Oregon.

That's phenomenal in this wonderful community.

So I'm sold.

Counselor.

Excuse me.

Um so I haven't been in Cornelius as long as my other two counselors here.

Um I've only been in Cornelius for about 15 years, but one thing that uh kind of speaks to me about Cornelius is the fact that where I live within either my next door neighbor or within four blocks, I've met people that have been here well, probably longer than these two.

Um my neighbor grew up, his parents had my house built.

It was their farm plot.

And they had it built in the early 70s and moved into it and then left.

And then about four blocks away, there's a man that introduced themselves to me that grew up in my house and moved into it after those first the builders had left.

Um so just introducing myself and meeting my neighbors kind of tells me that you know Cornelius is a place where people are drawn and they stay.

Um so you know, something something that I also find interesting about Cornelius is it seems to be the perfect blend of urban and rural living.

I mean, you have tractor dealers and farm plots and fields, but we also have theaters and Walmart and you know, there's there's the big city stuff, but to Eden's point too, you know, that it still feels very I guess I it was audious.

They said that you know it's very small town, and I, you know, having been involved with the city for the last few years, the things that I keep hearing from folks that are also engaged and involved is they want to keep that small town feel.

And I think that's really important to uh the residents of Cornelius as well as the the staff and the and the folks that represent the city.

So yeah, I uh I also heard that today as well as keep keep what's great, but make sure we're looking to what's possible in the future.

Mayor.

Yeah, I'll I'll see if I can plow some different ground a little bit.

Um but some of it's gonna be the same echoes as the other counselors have spoken of.

Um the numbers speak, right?

The numbers in our community speak.

Uh Latino families have been here since 96.

Um continue to come, continue to anchor themselves here.

Uh and examples that just cement that is well, we're Virginia Garcia Medical Center, right?

Of all the places and all the places that Virginia Virginia Garcia services, they chose to put their corporate headquarters in Cornelius.

And it's where they started in a in a little house and a little garage, and the community said this is the place, right?

So you got the Virginia Garcia experience.

You have Centro, right?

Um the number of times I've sat down with the Mexican consulate and signed things between us and Mexico or had them visit because this is a Latino community.

Uh Mexico has direct connections to our community.

A lot of a lot of folks here are from Jalisco.

That's a that's a common, you'll talk to people that they're like, oh, but my family is either still partially or came from you know Jalisco.

So there's that the connection, and that part of that demographics also as you look at it is we have a much higher home ownership rate, and that shows that people set their roots, right?

They're committed.

This is where we're gonna be.

They bought a home and they've passed it down, or they shared, like you talked about, Greg, about you know, that that permanency, right?

And also we're we are town for the farm community.

So we have this different link to the rural community that you don't see in Forest Grove or Hillsboro.

We have three tractor dealerships, right?

The the the Kubota guys couldn't get into town, so they're right on the border of uh Hillsboro, right?

So um New Holland, Pape.

So we got three dealerships.

We've got the first two-story um Willco.

Yeah.

The first one they built, and when they expanded that is here in town, and people come from all over to hit that Wilco because that's farm supplies and and stuff.

We've got the big coastal, right?

People come to town to go to coastal.

So, and you spoke of Walmart, that's part of it too.

The Fred Myers, the Walmart, those are people come to town to shop, right?

So it's we have this strong link to our rural community north and south of us because we are far, we are the town for farm, right?

And our history, we had all kinds of processing, right?

We we used to be the home of the hazelnut growers, right?

They they moved down to Donald, but we used to be the home for the hazelnut growers, seed processing, a lot of that stuff happened right around our town.

So you got that permanency of homeownership, you have the majority in the the the one the number I always use, and I think you were kind of hitting at it, there are just as many people claiming Latino on their census in Cornelius as in Hillsborough.

But we're 15,000 people with a majority being Latino, and they're a hundred and twenty thousand with about the same number of Latinos in their community.

So it's it's that densification that people come here and continue because it's grown while I've been here since 96.

Our actual percentage of Latino uh folks is really grown.

And now we're seeing it with folks from basically India, right?

We've got this new 3,000, you know, population in the new neighborhood, and a lot of people that have bought there are from India.

So we're we have this new growing demographic, but it's a it's the same message.

It's a community, right?

I want to be with folks that have similar interests and desires.

And when I talk to the folks, it boils down the same thing, right?

Um a safe place for their kids to grow up.

They they have a sense of community, they go to the store and the same person checks them out at the store.

That's the I think those are some of those small town things, right?

And we still have lots of room to grow.

It isn't there's not a legal firm, right?

That's advertised in town, right?

We still don't have a real lawyer.

Um, but there's there's things that can still grow, but that entrepreneurial spirit is so strong in our Latino community, right?

You had folks that came here to pick the fields because they didn't have documentation, or that's the only job they could get, or they were so for you know, working through language barrier, and then in the next generation, you have folks starting their own small business, right?

Getting out of the fields and farms and getting in and doing their own business or jumping directly into higher ed.

You know, I I I talked to you, I talked to Juan Carlos that that made that leap to education, right?

That really made the change in the family dynamic, right?

To be the first gener, and I share that with you, right?

Being the first generation of college educated and my family and how it changes things in your in your life, right?

So I I think those are the kinds of things that when I differentiate Cornelis, it's those numbers, right?

Our Latinos are and you can't say one without the other.

We also have a much lower average income.

So you have people that are working hard, right?

Some of the some of the hardest jobs or multiple jobs, and this is their anchor.

They chose to buy their home here, right?

So where they put down the roots, where are they gonna be for two or three or more generations, like you're talking about, folks?

You know, they've been here forever.

So it's that that's the kind of things.

And being town to our rural community, right?

People come here to get services.

So those are things that I feel differentiate us.

And why why would people relocate here?

Because they want they want that connection, right?

What brought my wife and I here?

She came from Klama Falls.

We were in the Aloha Beaverton area.

It didn't feel like home.

We just felt like one of a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand, right?

We just didn't feel the connection to the community.

And we came out here and started shopping a little bit and looking around, and my wife's like, this is where we need to get our home.

This feels like home.

And maybe that's as descriptive a term as anything, right?

It feels like home.

Right.

I don't know.

That brings something different to everybody, but my wife, that's how she described it.

So I'd share that.

Thank you.

Wonderful, wonderful.

Very um themes are very consistent with people that I've heard from over the um five meetings that we've had with different stakeholders.

So it's it's wonderful to hear there is that sort of centering of of who we are and who we want to be.

So that's wonderful.

Thank you for for giving time for this.

Um that really is all that I wanted to take from you tonight.

Just again, knowing how valuable your time.

Is there any last question that you have for us?

Council, any questions about the process or anything?

Our timeline is to have everything done by the end of this year.

Um it seems like a long time away, but blink, and we will be in December.

Um, so there will be uh logos and and work that we are doing with your exceptional team.

But I'm sure I will see you all again.

And I'm I'm happy if any of you have questions in the future.

Um can I suppose some of it I would say is when do we start sharing ideas or concepts with the community and where do they engage?

Because the example we talk a few of us talked about was the library, right?

And the library is the organic realization of asking people what do you want to have?

How do you want to experience what what and we had these charreds and we're pulling and voting and doing all these things, and that's why we have little conference rooms in the back of the library because we had entrepreneurs and students that are like I got nowhere to go and meet with somebody.

I've got entrepreneurs going.

I got nowhere other than Starbucks, and you can't have a quiet meeting at Starbucks, right?

No.

Um so that's why I have those rooms, right?

The the the size of our children's area in the library was influenced, right?

The features, the teen area, having a separate teen area where the teens can get off and not be in the kids' section, the differentiate really the teens and the little kids.

You know, those kind of things.

Um part of the feedback we had in the charreds.

So I'm I'm interested to see when does this start to see some light and how do we engage the community on it?

So our next uh work begins with uh designs of the logos and and we go through an internal process of matching up back to the brand foundation, coming up with logos to be able to probably work with your internal team first, and then we can look at a step in the process.

Um I don't recommend a contest and a voting on your city logo if I can make one recommendation because people tend to each like something separate, and then you start to get the ducks against the beavers if we're people get into camp.

So I think we we look at sort of uh a process, but I would love to come back again to uh the elected leaders and some of the other community members so we can look to create time for that.

Representative government.

Okay, got it.

Wonderful.

Anything else, counsel that bring up anything?

Okay.

Well, thank you for taking the time coming out this evening.

I don't I don't know where you came from, but I'm sure we're the edge of the we're not the end of the earth.

That's Forest Grove.

But uh cast on.

No.

From Eugene, but oh my goodness.

Okay.

So you are you going back tonight then?

Or of course.

Okay, I have a safe drive.

I I've make that occasionally myself on my way to Le Bine.

Thank you.

Okay, next thing up is intergovernmental agreement with Washington County Cooperative Library Service.

Maria, our library director.

Sorry, the light wasn't turning on.

Um so good evening.

My name is Maria Aguilar.

I'm the library director at the Cornelius Public Library, and I am here to uh provide an update on the library's intergovernmental agreement.

Um the purpose of it of today is to provide an update on the changes to the Washington County Cooperative Library Services, WCCLS partnership, and the Cornelius Public Library.

Uh I'll summarize the proposed changes to the intergovernmental agreements, the IGA with the Washington County for funding and governance.

Um a little bit of a background.

The WCCLS is made up of 13 city and nonprofit partners that operate a total of 16 library buildings across the county.

And there's a map you can see we're well spread out throughout Washington County.

Uh WCCLS was created in 1976.

So right now we are actually celebrating our 50th anniversary, and I thought it was really cool to know that Cornelius was one of the founding members of WCCLS along with Forest Grove.

So if you stop by the library, we have a little passport and you can get some of those history notes about um WCCLS and how it came about.

Um so you can see throughout the years uh we've expanded Toileton joined, then Garden Home, which is um a nonprofit in 2007, North Plains joined.

Um we've had some uh countywide local option levies.

They've been five years and they've passed successfully throughout the the period of time.

The last library that joined the cooperative was a Loa Community Library, which is also a nonprofit.

And most recently we had um a five-year replacement countywide local option levy that passed with 59%, and that was an increase.

Uh I know that in 2020 it was just uh a renewal levy.

So Washington County Cooperative Library Services is a department of Washington County.

Funding is provided by the countywide local option levy and general uh funds.

The advisory bodies include the executive board, which is made up of city managers or executive directors who advise the board of commissioners, WCCLS staff, and county administration, the library leadership group, which is made up of library directors who advise the executive board and WCCLS staff.

In 2024, WCCLS and partner libraries began the project to revamp the funding methodology in order to achieve better funding equity across the cooperative.

If you guys remember, there's several conversations back and forth with the county where funding was not equitable across the entire county.

So after all of those discussions, this work began in 2024.

And we partnered with Marina and company to do this.

Countywide voters approved a replacement local option option last November, which we talked about.

And partner library services, service boundaries and funding methodology were updated as a result of the work that we did with Marina, resulting in at least a 5% increase in WC WCCLS funding for all libraries.

So you can see that partner libraries receive funding from WCCLS and contribute their own funds.

There's a breakdown here of what WCCLS currently provides for fiscal year 25-26.

WCCLS provides about 30% of our funding, city contributions.

That number there also includes any indirect costs associated with maintaining the building and keeping the lights on, all of those things.

So the city provides about 70% of the total funding currently.

And city contributions are expected to go up about 13% as a result of this.

So you might be wondering what are we going to do with that extra funding?

So we are in the process of adding one full-time employee as a support specialist to to support with the outreach.

We currently don't have a bilingual person in Spanish and English providing outreach, so this will help fill the gap.

We have a big need, as was mentioned.

We have a large population of Spanish-speaking families.

So this will help support that, alleviate some of the workload that we have with other staff by distributing some of the tasks.

We're also adding 0.2 FTE hours for the library aids to support with additional programming, general library support.

This also provides an opportunity for our aides to get experience on other areas of the library and expand some of the skills that they might have.

A lot of them really enjoy the programs that we do, and so they want to spend more time in them, and this will allow us to spread and cover the gaps that we have.

With everything going on, fees have increased, so we have also had a need to increase the programming funds in order to continue to have quality performers and presenters and speakers in the library.

So we've done across the board just increasing that so that we can meet, I wouldn't say the demands, but the needs, the needs that our community has for some specialized programming, specialized skills that we've seen an increased need in our community.

With the expansion of the Drake Learning Center, we've also increased the supplies to be able to maintain the equipment that we have in there, replace as needed, and increase the consumables as we have more open hours.

We want to make sure that we're able to keep up with the needs.

Um that are in the process of that we've that have been updated.

They govern the cooperative, so there's a governance and an operations IGA.

The government's agreement covers organizational roles, meetings, elections, members' responsibilities of the board of commissioners, WCCLS, the executive board, and the library leadership group, and the perpetual term unless a member ceases to be a party of the cooperative operating agreement, or if three-quarters of the members terminate it.

It is updated periodically, often in conjunction with the operating levy.

And the last comprehensive update was in 2016.

So here's a summary of some of the revisions to the IGAs.

So for the governance, um it revised definitions, the terms, the governing body.

And for the operating IGA, it updated the definitions, so making sure that is clear that it's for the 2026 to 2031 time frame.

It updated language around ownership and management of the WCCLS information network and data protection to reflect technology changes and county policy updates.

It added language clarifying base service levels for WCCLS and partners, which right now is this is like the minimum requirement to be part of WCCLS and have our outdoors open is to be open at least 45 hours 45 hours per week, have at least one paid library staff, open at least one evening and one weekend per one weekend day per week.

And one thing that I wanted to point out, because I'm sure you're wondering.

And we are open seven days a week, and that includes three evenings.

So we are by far exceeding the minimum requirements that WCCLS is proposing in this.

So next steps is to seek the city council's approval of the new IGAs at the end of uh the June 15th meeting.

And with that, that would mean funds from uh WCCLS would be distributed to the city on July 15th.

Council questions.

Yeah.

Sorry, can you uh clarify the three percent so and then the new changes that they're proposed to have?

Peter, speak on that.

Oh yeah.

Thanks, Council President Godinez.

Uh this this was uh one of a couple of points at the staff level that that caused some um I'd say concern really, to be honest.

This this was uh one of a couple of points at the staff level that that caused some um I'd say concern really to be honest um in reality the language in the existing IGA and and I I've really tried to emphasize we we understand that it does not guarantee that three percent but it but it is a kind of a step that that establishes you know there's a number there and um it does say it assumes that county general fund transfer uh but but the language shift is is uh you know it's it it's meaningful and um I think from a from a practitioner standpoint I understand there's a reality having the county's gone through five years of of pretty major decreases and in all of their departments and so I think um you know that's that's where that's coming from but it um yeah so I guess I guess that is what I'll say and and happy to answer follow-up questions sorry I'm still wrapping my head around that I'm also processing sorry I'm still wrapping my head around that too so I'm also processing but that's something maybe we can talk about during our check in on Friday I I would say that if that was um the reason it's brought up here is this was a significant bone of contention across the county between the mayors and the county staff and county electeds of the what we saw and I'll I'll just tell you like I felt a backtrack on this and I've been very active and vocal with the county chair about bring us in the tent right they've talked about these oh we have this responsibility and we're like you know it's much easier for the mayors to stand beside you when we understand how you got to the decision when you're balancing the jail the sheriff's office the DA the library and transportation funding.

Those are all clearly responsibilities of the county but they're all services for all the citizens within the county and the biggest consumer of those the cities so we depend on that relationship between us and the county right if they don't open a pod or have to close a pod at the jail because of funding or problems with the pod that has an effect on how we can prosecute crime in our community we've had lots of discussions with the county about MSTIP money and the same with the library right and so I've encouraged them to bring the mayors in so that we can stand beside the county commission with an understanding of how they're making budgetary decisions to balance all these priorities that are obviously the county's responsibility but are completely intertwined with the city's ability to provide its services and its citizens.

So we I think we've got some ground on that it just was a real bone of contention that we weren't seeing that guarantee go forward even though maybe not every year we'd receive those kind of fund increases that the contract spoke to it previously and the new contract is very obvious speaking away from that guarantee of increase and when I talked with our county commissioner with Jerry Willie he's like hey we've you know most of the departments have suffered seven percent reductions over the last few years um the library funding went up each year but not the three percent and the biggest change like that Maria spoke to and Forrest Groves dealing with is um the equity issue right that was brought up by our previous director and our previous city manager and really argued quite fervently with the county that we weren't getting the kind of service that we deserved us or Forest Grove financially the big libraries were getting much bigger contributions and there is a running complaint and I was glad that you showed that there was increases for everybody because if you ask the city of Beaverton they took millions of dollars in cuts and I don't think they really did they still got an increase because the levy went up substantially but if you ask the mayor they got they you know they just got washed away with cuts so it's perspective and um how do you want to tell the story but um yeah it is a it is a change and I just continued to encourage the county to keep us in the loop in the discussion so that when we're when they are talking about all those different service levels that we can understand the why on why they may be adjusting certain ones maybe differently right they may not do a flat budget cut they may have to do something different um I know one of the big ones on the county is replacing the courthouse that's going to be millions and millions of dollars so that's weighing heavy on them about how do they fund that and I think you answered some of the questions through the presentation I had about what happens if the county went back to zero on the general fund contribution.

I know one of the big ones in the county is replacing the courthouse.

That's going to be millions and millions of dollars.

So that's weighing heavy on them about how do they fund that.

And I think you answered some of the questions through the presentation I had about what happens if the county went back to zero on the general fund contribution.

We'll always get the levy money for the next five years.

But there is no guarantee for the general fund.

And if it gets cut to us, it'll get cut to all the libraries.

I don't think it'll get cut.

In the old system, it could get cut kind of individually differently by different libraries.

In the new one, I think it will get more evenly cut throughout the system.

I don't know if that helps or answers any of your questions or brings up new concerns.

But that's been a bone of contention for a number of weeks that we've been discussing.

And I think we've kind of got to it.

And I think the other one you didn't talk about is the um how do we pick books going forward, right?

The the collections part of it.

And that's going to be determined over the next year as kind of a process of how we do that.

Because you know, we had guests and they spoke about our incredible.

And I will emphasize not Spanish translation, but Spanish books.

These are books written in Spanish language, published in Spanish language, not translated from something else.

And that's very important to folks that are trying to maintain that cultural link through language to their families, right?

And reading the kids' Spanish-based stories.

So that was my fear is that we would lose that ability to continue forward to really buy that kind of high quality material, house it again, and to be quite honest.

I think we lend out a lot of our Spanish language materials, not only within Cornelius, but to the county in general.

We act as a repository for those high quality books, and they go out to all the parts of the county, which helps our circulation numbers, which helps us in the formulas.

So there's there's that that's that story is still developing, but I think we understand where we are on the financial one.

Follow-up questions, concerns?

Yes.

Yes.

Um so I actually wasn't aware of that, or maybe I dismissed that part.

But so the it they're gonna change the way that we're able to collect our books.

Is it just these are the books that all the libraries are getting and libraries won't have choices, or what is it that they're talking about?

Let me jump on this one and then staff can correct me or or emphasize.

In the past, libraries might have discussed with each other what they were buying, but the example I've been using is there's a new Clifford the Big Red Dog book, and we think it's gonna be a big hit, and we go out and buy a hundred copies of it.

Previously, there may not be a good discussion with Hillsborough, Forest Grove, Sherwood, everybody.

So every librarian would pick how many copies of Clifford the Big Red Dog we need, and maybe we overpurchase as a collection because we didn't have that same collaboration in quantity purchased to look at how many really copies need to be in the system.

Because Cornelius bought a hundred, Killsboro bought 500, Forest Grove bought 200, without any kind of talk to each other on how many Clifford the big red dog books we needed of the new version.

And in the new system, I think that will be much more discuss those kind of so we'll still be able to get, I think we have a vision that we'll be able to get the kind of high quality Spanish material we've gotten in the past, but we'll also be looking and talking because purchasing will be centralized, not individualized, which is what we currently have.

The libraries each purchase their own materials and add them to the collective.

So please correct me or emphasize what I think.

Yeah.

Um so part of the work that we did with the marina and company is to look where we have some redundancies, and that was one of the areas where staff are spending a lot of time was in collection development.

Um so there were, like I don't know, 20, 20 plus librarians across the county all looking at, you know, Clifford books and buying them for their location.

And the county was looking for efficiencies.

And so that was one area that was identified.

So one of the benefits on that is that they will be able to um uh study the entire collection and evaluate what is the best use of the materials or to send them to and respond in that capacity, because one of the other things is not all libraries.

As we know, the budget is is very um tight, and so some libraries have a very healthy budget for collection development where they can buy 50 books of one title.

And then you have libraries like us and banks in North Plains where we have to decide between which book we're going to get, are there enough copies in the county that someone else can fill that that need?

Um so that is one of the other benefits with going to centralized collection development, is they'll be able to identify where are some of those needs, what are some areas within our collection that there might be gaps that we are currently not filling.

Um of the concerns within that is you do lose a little bit of that specialized um attention.

We talked about, right?

Um we know our community, we know our patrons, we know the things that they want.

So there is a little bit of a loss within that of they would not be as responsive to the needs of the community.

Uh but the the county is looking right now at how do we communicate those needs, how do we communicate what it is that our patrons want so that they can determine whether that is something that they can respond to.

So the turnaround time might be a little bit slower than what we're currently doing.

And that is a work that we're doing within the next year because that will take effect in uh fiscal year 27-28, where they are doing the centralized collection development.

Does that answer, Counselor?

Okay.

Yeah.

So that's the work for the next year is really how do we get that right balance between individual needs or desires and the the efficiency and effectivity of a centralized uh collection management purchase.

Yeah.

Could could I just uh ask Maria, could you say a bit?

Because I've asked the question probably five times because I need reminded, but should we should we want a set of a certain book, for example, for our community, and perhaps we put it in the WCCLS collection, perhaps we have it in our own.

Can you speak to that a little bit?

Yeah.

Um that's actually what I was going to follow up on is we are working on uh memorandum of agreement in terms of what because whatever the county purchases through the centralized collection development will be owned by WCCLS.

What we currently purchase with our city funds, we will remain owners of.

And we're looking into language to clarify that if we have special funds, like we all have a friends group, if they do a donation that they want to make sure we have, I don't know, a hundred more Clifford books because they felt like the first hundred weren't enough, that there is a method that we can do that, and that we have the support from the county so that we can catalog them because right now everything would come shelf ready.

So they would catalog, they were processed, they would add all of the stickers, and they would put it on our shelf.

Um and so that is in the process of being negotiated of what that would look like if there is an amount or what the process would be, how do we communicate with them so that they are aware of some of these they would be considered like special projects.

Right, because if we bought the extra 100 copies of Clifford the Red Dog, in the end, we'd want them to come back to us because at some point the books roll out of collection, and if our friends bought it, I think we'd want our friends to have the opportunity to sell them to our community or or at least have the option of we want to back or no, put them in the central and go through the central sales process versus a friend's sale process.

So I think that's one of those things we need to figure out how we get that kind of language in there that we can purchase things and they they're available to the collective, but they're really uh you know stamped it, maybe it says property of Cornelius public library, you know.

I think we were talking about earlier about um an exhibit a museum, you know, here at the at the from the the Smith family, right?

But you see it in a public museum.

How do we get that kind of balance in the between what we think we need to do individually versus what's good and efficient and effective for the entire county system?

Yeah.

And we have also been very vocal, Alisa Cornelius, about um, because I think you guys are familiar that we participate in the international book fair in Guadalajara, and that is something that we are have been asking WCCLS to consider um once they get all settled into continuing to support at the county level so that they are able to find those original language books in Spanish.

Otherwise, that would that was one of those like sticking points that I was advocating for to have funds so that we can continue to send our staff and at least support our community in that capacity.

So that that's the battle to come, right?

Is do we do we continue to host that as a service to the larger community, or do they guarantee to support that because I think the Latino community is a significant portion of Washington County and should be supported.

Well, there's other native language books out there for other parts of our community too, right?

We just talked about a growing amount of folks from Southeast Asia, right?

Yeah.

And one of the benefits that we have when we are able to go to the international book fair is they don't have just Spanish, they invite other countries.

So we do have some of the native languages that are spoken here in town.

And so when we can find them, we do purchase them for our collection.

Cool.

So we'll know this is a year ongoing thing.

So we'll know in about a year-ish where the where this ended up concluding in terms of whether they're gonna support the um what the actual purchasing of books is gonna look like, what system if they're gonna continue to support us going to the international book fair, or if that's something that we as a city will have to consider, right?

I think that um to the first question, it'll I think it's about take about a year for the centralized collections process to be ironed out.

And I think I think that that specific uh delegation trip is really important.

So the the great news here is that we're getting a significant increase in funds thanks to the voters and all of the libraries are, and so we we have more flexibility than we did.

So there is a feeling of vulnerability with the with the county contribution, but that's the reality.

You know, it's um I'll I'll take the opportunity just to highlight the fact that the county has a comparatively low permanent rate, and it makes it very, very difficult for them to meet even the basic services, and that is really what's come that and a couple of other things is what's come home to roost.

So as we hear about conversations to address the property set tax system that that hampers communities like ours and Washington County, we we need to think about things like libraries that that may be impacted as we go forward.

So thank you.

Well, we got another minute or two.

Anything else before we end this for the urban districts meeting?

Okay.

Um, we'll end the work session and we will reconvene for the urban renewal at 7, and city council is at 7.15.

So you gotta you got a hammer down there.

Welcome to the Urban Renewal Agency Board meeting.

We are meeting in person this evening in the Cornelia City Council Chambers.

The meeting is also being streamed live on TV C TV and via Zoom.

Language captions and translation services are available through Wordley.

You can use any smart device to access this service.

There is a QR code and instructions in the back of the room.

Um I will now call this uh meeting to order at 7 p.m.

All right.

Uh can we start with the roll call, please?

Member Delane.

Present.

Member Vaughn?

Present.

Vice Chair Gutin is Valencia present.

Chair Lopez?

Present.

All present.

All right, thank you.

All right, looks like uh we got one item on our consent agenda.

Um that's the first item of business.

Is there anyone who would like to make a motion?

Are there any questions regarding the minutes from May?

I make a motion to approve the consent agenda.

Motion made by board member Kulinus.

Second.

Second made by board member Deline.

Is there any other further discussion?

Seeing none.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Looks like that was unanimous.

Uh looks like it passes.

All right, thank you.

All right.

So next we have public comment.

Um the next item on our agenda is exactly that the public comment staff.

Do we have anyone online or in person that would have signed up for uh public comment?

No.

Thank you.

Okay, perfect.

So it looks like there is none.

And so now uh we're gonna go ahead and move on to uh public hearing.

So for that, uh we do have a script.

Give me one second here.

So I will now open up the public hearing.

And do any members of the city council have any potential conflict conflict or ex parte communication with regard to the proposed action?

No, no?

Okay, it looks like there is none.

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

Looks like seeing none.

Okay, so it looks like we do have a staff uh report.

Uh see, and for that we have Ellie Jones, uh assistant city manager business operations on resolution number 2026 03 fiscal year 2027 URAB budget.

Floor is yours.

Thank you.

Um so this is the final adoption stage of the fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget for the urban renewal district agency.

Um we have held public hearings on this action.

Um was held at the April 22nd, 2026 budget meeting, and the second one is tonight uh for public comment.

Um so the budget committee voted unanimously at the April 22nd meeting to approve uh the fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget and without adopting a budget, there is no authority to spend money or to levy and collect uh taxes.

So staff is asking tonight that city council approve resolution number 2026-03 as presented, and that is all I have for the public hearing.

My apologies.

Uh thank you, Miss Jones.

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

Okay, seeing none.

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

Okay, seeing none.

Uh any other comment regarding this proposal.

Okay, looks like there is none.

Uh any other further comment from uh staff?

No.

All right, perfect.

So this public hearing is now officially closed.

City council will now formulate findings and conclusions, take action by specific motion and vote.

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

Okay, moving on on the agenda.

It looks like there is no further presentations.

There is no unfinished business, and moving on to see.

Looks like we do have new business.

Ums Jones, do you have any further comments or discussions?

No, it looks like there's nothing.

Um any of any members of the board have any comments or questions for staff?

Notion.

Okay, please.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 202603, a resolution of the Cornelius Urban Renewal Agency Board adopting the budget, making appropriations, and declaring the tax increment for the fiscal year 2026-2027, and this action takes effect immediately.

It's motion made by board member Godinas.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by member Greg Vaughn or Councilor Vone.

Uh all those in favor of this motion, please say aye.

Aye.

All right, it looks like that was unanimous.

Okay, so I believe that brings us to adjournment.

So do I have a motion to adjourn this meeting?

I motion to adjourn.

Do I have a second?

Second.

All right.

Uh it looks like uh all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All right, that was unanimous.

Uh, the meeting is adjourned at 7.06.

The city council will convene its regular session at 7.15.

Welcome everyone to the Cornish City Council meeting for Monday, June 1st, 2026.

We are available through Zoom webinar, TVC TV live stream, and wordly live translation.

Information about that is available on the agenda and in the back of the room.

First up, we had a uh work session, we had an urban renewal agency meeting, and now we're here at the regular session.

First meeting call the order, and first action is Pledge of Allegiance.

Please join me.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible liberty and justice report staff.

Staff, would you do roll call, please?

Councillor Lopez.

Present.

Councillor Vaughan.

Present.

Council President Godines Valencia.

Present.

Mayor Delane?

Present.

All present.

Thank you, staff.

First up, then is oath of office for our new city councilor, or soon to be city councilor Edgar Baker.

Ms.

Bateman.

At this time, I will administer the oath of office to our newly appointed city counselor, Edgar Baker.

Please come forward.

Raise your right hand.

And repeat after me.

I state your name.

I, Edgar Baker.

Do solemnly affirm.

Do solemnly affirm.

That I will faithfully support.

That I will faithfully support.

The Constitution of the United States of America.

The Constitution of the United States of America.

And the state of Oregon.

And the State of Oregon.

The Charter and Ordinances.

The Charter and Ordinances.

Of the City of Cornelius.

Of the City of Cornelius.

That I will to the best of my ability.

I will at the best of my ability.

Perform the duties of city councilor.

Perform the duties of city counselor.

In and for the city of Cornelius.

And for for the city and Cornelius.

County of Washington.

County of Washington.

As such duties are prescribed by law.

As such duties as prescribed as law.

Thank you.

Join me in welcoming Counselor Baker.

We're going to take a couple minutes for photos while our counselor joins the rest at the daisy.

Welcome to Councillor Baker.

Did it did I little did I know seeing you as a small child running around in Emmanuel Lutheran Church that someday you'd be joining me here at the DIAs when we're in scouts together?

But here we are.

So congratulations and the the Baker family.

I recognize everyone from many scout meetings and our youth.

So welcome to see you all.

Mom, glad to see you too.

Look at look at this.

Who'd have thought, huh?

Awesome.

Well, thank you.

Um you're welcome to stay, but I understand if uh, you know, you depart at some point.

Let's go, let's go into announcements.

Uh Fridays, June through August from 4 to 8 p.m.

the Cornelis Community Market, formerly the Cornelius Farmers Market, will be at the old elementary school parking lot just across the street.

Saturday, June 6th, from 11 to 2 will be our emergency preparedness fair in the City Hall parking lot.

So just out back here.

Page two.

I feel like Paul Harvey tonight.

Wednesday, June 10th, from 4 to 7.

We'll have an accessory dwelling unit, ADU resource workshop.

And that'll be at the Cornelius City Council Chambers right here.

Saturday, June 13th, from 9 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

will be take care of Cornelius Day, and it'll be in multiple locations.

And there's a link on the agenda to sign up to volunteer.

So we encourage people to sign up.

That way we understand how many people are going to be where and doing what jobs and how you're helping out.

It's not to say that we won't accept a few people on the day of, but we it's really helpful if you sign up online first so we know where we can what which jobs we can resource.

Monday, June 15th, 6 p.m.

will be a city council work session, followed at 7 p.m.

by a city council regular session meeting.

Friday, June 19th, city facilities will be closed in observation of Juneteenth.

Friday, July 3rd, the city will also be closed in observation of Independence Day.

Monday, July 6th, dun dun dun, we'll have a city council work session, and at 7, we'll have a city council regular session.

That concludes announcements.

Takes us into public comment.

Speaking in person.

Comments are limited to three minutes.

Register to speak by filling out a form in the city council chamber and provide it to the city recorder.

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

on the day of council meetings.

Provide your name, address, and when possible, the topic of testimony.

Those attending virtually will not be able to turn on their camera during the meeting or share their screen.

Presentation materials may be submitted as written testimony via email or in person at City Hall.

Okay.

So uh public comment.

I have Jennifer Semperman.

Please uh approach.

And your topic is on the water park reservoir.

Miss Bateman, I think you'll be doing the tight uh timing, and it'll start when you start talking.

Let's make sure she's got a working microphone.

Okay.

You have your three minutes.

Thank you.

Good evening, members of the city council.

My name is Jennifer Simperman.

I am a Cornelius resident here to enter the Water Park Reservoir noncompliance evidence packet into the official record.

This packet compiles the city's water master plan data, current photographic evidence, an exposure map, administrative correspondence logs, and a petition signed by over 200 advocates calling for a transparent city-led solution to address an unmitigated lead paint hazard from the North Barlow Street Water Park Reservoir.

Section 2.4.2 of the 2017 Water Master Plan prepared by CH2 M Hill notes the failing reservoir coating is an environmental concern recognized by city staff.

Yet the city has left this hazard unmonitored for nine years as a record search revealed zero logs for soil testing or environmental monitoring there.

Additionally, the current chain link fence provides zero containment.

As paint chips drop, wind carries the lead dust through the mesh, and stormwater rushes runoff into the local one, excuse me, local watershed.

Most critically, this peeling structure sits directly across an alley from a local daycare property and directly adjacent to a playground and an off-leash dog park.

I understand that funds have been budgeted to design a replacement reservoir, and that the city is intentionally leaving the exterior as is to avoid disturbing the material.

While delaying removal prevents scraping dust, leaving deteriorating lead paint exposed to wind and rain is an active public health threat because replacement takes years.

Our neighborhood faces up to four more years of ongoing passive exposure if left unmitigated.

I am here today to focus on a solution and help eliminate a known public safety risk, representing over 200 voices collected in the last two weeks.

I respectfully ask the council to lead a transparent safety response by implementing three immediate interim protections.

Number one, install temporary containment shrouds on peeling walls to stop wind and rain from spreading toxic debris.

Number two, conduct independent soil testing along the daycare property line, playground, and dog park perimeters to establish baseline data.

And number three, to provide a clear, transparent public timeline for interim professional mitigation.

Thank you for hearing me.

Thank you for your time.

I look forward to your response to our communities communities' urgent request.

Thank you.

Staff, you have this.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comment.

Takes us on to consent agenda, City Council meeting minutes.

Do I have a motion to accept the council meeting minutes through the consent agenda?

I make a motion.

Motion by Council Lopez.

Do I have a second?

A second.

Second by Councillor Angelis.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

Passes unanimous.

We have no recognition this evening.

That takes us into presentations and appointments.

And I'm ill-prepared with my thing here.

Does anyone else have their Juneteenth proclamation up and handy?

Councilor Goodinus, do you want to start off with that one?

Sure.

City of Cornelius, Oregon proclamation, June 19th, 2026, Juneteenth.

Whereas the United States is a nation built by people from every corner of the world.

City of Cornelius, Oregon Proclamation, June 19th, 2026, Juneteenth, whereas the United States is a nation built by people from every corner of the world, and the promise of freedom and justice for all remains central to our identity and aspirations as people, and whereas the Declaration of Independence adopted on July 4th, uh 1776, affirms that all people are created equal and are endowed with unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, ideals that have been inspired that have inspired generations while also highlighting the need for continued progress towards equity, and whereas on January 1st, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that all enslaved people in Confederate held territory were to be forever free, laying the foundation for the eventual abolition of slavery, and whereas, despite the proclamation, freedom did not come immediately for all, on June 19, 1865, more than two years later, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce and enforce the end of slavery, a day that became known as Juneteenth.

And whereas Juneteenth is now recognized across the United States as a time to commemorate the end of slavery, honor the resilience of those who endured it, and reflect on the ongoing journey towards equity and dignity, and whereas the city of Cornelius is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community, and on May 1st, 2023, the City Council adopted a resolution to observe Juneteenth as a legal holiday, recognizing its significant in our collective history.

Now, therefore, we the city council of Cornelius, Oregon, do hereby proclaim June 19th of each year as Juneteenth in Cornelius and encourage all community members to honor and observe this day as a celebration of freedom, a time of reflection, and a call to continue working towards a just and equitable future for all.

Dated this first day of June 2026, Jeffrey C.

Delane, Mayor.

Thank you, Counselor.

I will take up with the City of Cornelius, Oregon Proclamation, June 2026, Pride Month, whereas the City of Cornelis values inclusion, equity, and the dignity of every resident, and recognizes that LGBTQIA plus, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and other identities, individuals have historically faced and continue to face barriers to full participation in society.

And whereas the origins of Pride Month trace back to June 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, a pivotal moment in the movement of the LGBTQIA plus rights, uh, commemorated nationally since 2000 and expanded in 2009 to honor the contributions and res uh resilience of the full LGBTQIA plus community, and whereas LGBTQIA plus residents, workers, and visitors are part of the Cornelius community, contributing to the culture, civic, and economic strength of our city, and deserve to live openly and authentically without fear of discrimination or harm.

And whereas Pride Month offers an opportunity to reflect on progress made, recognize the work that remains, and uplift the voices who continue to advocate for equality, safety, and representation.

And whereas the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed marriage equality in all 50 states stands as a reminder that the arc of history bends towards justice, and that freedom and equity are strengthened when extended to all.

Now, therefore, the city of Cornelius, Oregon, does hereby proclaim June 2026 as LGBTQIA plus Pride Month in Cornelius, and encourages all residents to join in honoring the diversity of our community by promoting equity, supporting inclusion, and working to eliminate prejudice wherever it exists.

Dated the first day of June 2026, Jeffrey C.

Delane, Mayor.

Okay, next up is City of Cornelius, Oregon Proclamation, public safety and the responsible use of fireworks.

Whereas the City of Cornelius is dedicated to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all residents and visitors, whereas firearks fireworks related fires and injury pose significant risk to individuals, pets, property, and the environment, especially during the dry summer months.

And whereas emergency responders, including the Cornelius Fire Department and the Cornelius Police Department, work tirelessly to protect our community from preventable harm and uphold public safety.

And whereas the city recognizes the importance of community education and proactive enforcement to reduce the misuse of illegal fireworks and prevent fire incidents.

And whereas responsible celebration practices contribute to a safer, more enjoyable environment for all members of the community.

And whereas the city supports a culture of safety, mutual respect, and accountability during all holidays and even events involving fireworks.

Now, therefore, we the city of Cornelis, the Council of Cornis of Oregon, do hereby proclaim our continued commitment to protect the public, preserving property, and supporting emergency services by promoting the safe and lawful use of fireworks.

We encourage all residents to celebrate responsibly by using safe and sane fireworks and reporting unsafe or illegal activity.

We invite all community members to join in safeguarding our neighborhoods through awareness, care, and cooperation, so that celebrations may be both joyful and safe for all.

Dated the first day of June 2026, Jeffrey C.

Delane.

Okay, let's see.

Got through those, we got through those.

Page three.

My goodness.

Going through stuff here.

Um next up is our public infrastructure advisory board, the PIAB appointment.

Uh there'll be no report.

Uh Susan Rush, Public Works Manager.

Uh, our recommendation is uhmit uh for position four, expiring June uh December of 2028.

Anyone wish to make the motion in support of this?

Sure, Councilor Gerdinas.

I make a motion to approve the appointment of the following public infrastructure advisory board member Amit Bat Nagar to position four to serve through 2028, and this action takes effect immediately.

Motion by Councillor Godinas, do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Vaughan.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Abstentions?

Passes unanimous.

Okay, that takes us into public hearings.

Oh boy, we got us gonna pile.

I gotta do this for each of them, don't I?

That's why I give me the generic agenda.

That's what I get paid the big bucks for.

Okay, first one is the resolution number 2026 31, fiscal year 26-27 budget.

Our staff member will be Ellie Jones, the assistant city manager from business operations.

I will now open the public hearing.

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

Okay, and I think we're all members of the community, so we're all supported the same way.

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, Mayor.

So this is resolution 2026-31, uh public hearing to adopt the fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget.

The budget hearings on this action and the use of state revenue sharing funds were scheduled at the April 22nd, 2026 meeting, and then the final public hearing is scheduled for today, June 1st, 2026.

Without adopting a budget, there is no authority to spend money or levying to collect taxes.

The budget committee did vote unanimously to approve the fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget at the April 22nd, 2026 meeting.

And staff is asking that the city council approval the resolution as presented.

It's the end of my presentation, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Council, any questions?

Seeing none, is there anyone wishing to speak in favor of this proposal?

Anyone wishing to speak in opposition to the proposal?

Any other comments regarding this proposal?

I really should have this on a loop.

Staff, any further comments?

No.

The public hearing on this matter 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 majority vote of those present.

This takes us on to resolution number 2026-32, the fiscal year 26-27 state revenue sharing.

Staff, Miss Jones.

Jones.

I will now open the public hearing.

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

Seeing none.

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.

Ms.

Jones.

Thank you.

So the first uh resolution 2026 32 is related to state revenue sharing.

The city council and the budget committee both hold public hearings on the use of state revenue sharing on an annual basis, and they approve the resolutions as necessary so that we can send them to the state.

In order to receive the state funds, the city is required to elect to participate in the state revenue sharing program, which is the purpose of this resolution tonight.

So that is the end of my presentation, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Is there anyone?

Count the council, any questions for staff on this?

Sorry, do that first.

Seeing none, is there anyone wishing to speak in favor of this proposal?

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

Any other comments regarding this proposal?

Staff, any further comment?

No.

The 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 majority vote of those present.

Takes us on to resolution 2026 33, fiscal year 2026-2027, municipal services.

Ms.

Jones.

Thank you.

So resolution number 2026-33.

Is the resolution for the city to certify the services?

Wait a second, let me do the rest of my preamble.

I'll now open the public hearing.

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

I feel like I'm in a little giant loop here.

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

Okay.

Staff will now present the staff report and application.

Ms.

Jones, please.

Thank you.

So resolution number 2026-33 is resolution for the city council to certify the services that are provided by the city of Cornelius.

All cities and counties of over 100,000 population must do the certification in order to receive cigarette gas and liquor taxes.

The city must meet the requirements set out and provide a minimum number of services.

Currently we provide police protection, fire protection, street construction, maintenance, and lighting, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, planning, zoning, and subdivision control, and one or more utility services.

So the city does provide more than enough services to receive these funds.

And city staff is recommending approval of this resolution as well.

And that is my end, the end of my report.

Thank you.

Is there anyone wishing to speak in favor of this proposal?

Is there anyone wishing to speak in opposition of the proposal?

Any comments regarding this proposal?

Great.

Are there any further comments by staff?

No.

The public hearing is officially closed.

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

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

That takes us to resolution 2026-34, fiscal year 26, 2026-2027, utility rates.

I will now open the public hearing.

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

Yeah, we're all we're all in the same thing together, so I think that's that's a clear understanding.

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

Staff will now present the staff report and application.

Ms.

Jones, you have the floor.

Thank you.

So resolution number 2026-34 is to adopt utility rate changes and system development charges passed on by Clean Water Services.

So the City Council typically reviews and approves utility rate changes on an annual basis, typically taking effect the following July 1 of each year.

The adopted budget will also include the fees that we project for 2027.

So any decline to increase these rates would mean that we may have to modify the budget as well.

We did post a public hearing in the newspaper and on the city website informing customers that this was coming to council tonight.

Some of these fees are passed through fees, and some of them are city fees.

So I will just go through each one individually in case you have any specific questions.

So water.

Sanitary sewer in relation to clean water services.

The last sanitary sewer rate was completed July 1 of 2025.

And Clean Water Services is increasing the regional portion of sanitary sewer by 4% for both base and usage fees.

Staff is recommending to pass through this 4% as presented by Clean Water Services.

Sanitary sewer in relation to the city fees.

The last increase was also July 1 of 2025.

For consistency, staff is recommending an increase of 4% to the city sewer fees as well.

Clean water services is also increasing the sanitary store sanitary sewer SDC.

The last increase was July 1 of 2025, and they are increasing that fee by 2.7% per EDU.

The surface water management fee in relation to clean water services also had the last increase July 1 of 2025.

Clean water services is increasing that regional portion of the surface water management fee by 4%.

That is also a pass-through fee.

Surface water management in relation to city fees.

The last surface water management rate was July 1 of 2022.

And staff is recommending no change to the city surface water management base fee at this time.

And per prior city council discussion and budget committee discussion, city staff is recommending an increase of 50 cents per EDU for residential customers and a dollar fifty per EDU for commercial customers.

So a customer using about 3,000 gallons a month will see an increase of about $4.02.

A customer using about 6,000 gallons a month will see an increase of about $4.89.

A customer using about 20,000 gallons a month will see an increase of about $9.11 per month.

Businesses, those changes will depend on their sewer count, their EDU count, the size of the meter.

They have multiple factors, so each of those will be individually assessed.

So we also do plan to come to council in the fall to submit to put out an RFP to do a full-scale utility rate study and also potentially involve SDCs as well in the hopes of getting a better idea with all of the city growth that we've had, all the new developments, both residential and commercial, with the hope that those fee changes would take effect July 1, 2027.

So that is my presentation, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Council, any questions?

Yes.

Mayor Counselor Vaughan.

Foreshadowing foreshadowing.

Thank you, Mayor.

So I had a question on the water rate increase that you know Hillsborough is increasing the wholesale rate by 4.5%.

I'm not proposing we know pass that fully on to uh the residents, but I notice that's the only one we aren't matching them on, right?

That's the only one that we're raising less than is being raised to us.

So I'm assuming this is taken care of in our budget, but I just was hoping to get some clarification on why that choice was made.

So when we set the utility rates, um, when we do the utility studies, those account not only the cost of the water that we have, but the capital needs that the city has, and they take multiple factors into that.

So we don't bill the customers exactly 2.99 per CCF.

We bill, I think at the moment it's $4.89 per gallon.

Um so a cubic feet is 748 gallons.

So as you can see, we bill almost double, if if not more than double what we pay in wholesale.

Okay.

I think that's clear.

Thank you.

Other questions?

Seeing none.

Is there anyone wishing to speak in favor of this proposal?

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

Any other comments regarding this proposal?

With that, the public hearing is officially closed.

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

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

Takes us on to resolution 2026-35, fiscal year 2026-2027, planning fees.

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

Seeing none.

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

Ms.

Jones.

Thank you.

Resolution number 2026-35 is for planning and development fee schedule adjustments.

In 2018, the City Council approved resolution number 2018-24, which set the development fees at that time.

So staff is proposing increases as such.

You will note that all of the fees are in whole dollars.

So what we do is we calculate the percentage increase and we lound down to the nearest dollar.

So any change is rounded down and not up.

And staff is recommending that this um percentage increase be adopted.

So that is the end of my presentation, and I can answer any questions.

Council, any questions?

Seeing none.

Is there anyone wishing to speak in favor of the proposal?

Anyone wishing to speak in opposition to the proposal?

Any other comments regarding this proposal?

The 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 denied by majority vote of those present.

That takes us to resolution number 2026-36.

Cost of living adjustment.

COLA staff, LA Jones, Assistant City Manager.

I will now open the public hearing.

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

I will note that the city council does not receive the COLA.

Our rate is already set.

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

Staff will now present the staff report and application.

Ms.

Jones.

Thank you.

Resolution number 2026-36 is requesting fiscal year 2027 cost of living adjustments.

These would be adjustments for non-represented and management employees.

The bargaining unit members are all under contract and will receive increases as stated within those contracts.

The city does strive to pay its employees a fairly living wage comparable to other public sector agencies.

The ASME union this year will be receiving a 3.1% cost of living adjustment.

And we're recommending that non-represented and management employees receive that same 3.1% cost of living adjustment.

This was included as the estimate within the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget.

And all employees will continue to pay 10% of the health care medical and dental coverage as well.

So staff is recommending that uh city council approve this resolution, and that is the end of my report.

Any questions for staff?

Okay.

Is there anyone wishing to speak in favor of this proposal?

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

Is there any other comments regarding this proposal?

Staff, any further comments?

No.

The public hearing is officially closed.

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

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

We have no unfinished business.

That wraps up public hearings.

I know you're all riveted to this.

New business.

Shocking.

Resolution number 2026-31.

Fiscal year 2026-2027 budget.

We heard a report during the public hearing.

I would entertain motions at this time for this.

Yes, Councilor Grandinus.

I'll make a motion.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026 31.

A resolution of the Cornelia City Council declaring the city's election to receive state revenues, adopting the budget, making appropriations, and levying taxes for the city of Cornelius, Oregon for fiscal year 2026-27.

And this action takes effect immediately.

Motion by Councilor Gordines.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Lopez.

Any further comments?

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

Aye.

Opposed?

Aye.

Oh, you got it.

Is that a uh no agreement?

Agreement.

Okay.

I got I got going too fast there for you.

You're slowing the trigger.

Got it.

Okay.

Planning commission.

Yep.

Okay.

So I got everybody in uh support.

Do I have any opposition?

No one saying anything else.

Okay, great.

That passes unanimously.

That takes us on to resolution number 2026 32, the fiscal year 2026-2027, state revenue sharing.

We will have no report.

It was done during public hearing.

Anyone wishing to make the motion?

Councilor Lopez.

Perfect.

And I believe, mayor, these are both resolution 2026 32 and resolution 2026-33.

Oh, in unison.

Correct.

Okay.

I'll read them both.

Is that right?

I'm seeing them on here.

They're on the same document.

Are they separate?

They have they share an agenda report, but they are two separate motions.

Okay.

Thank you for the clarification.

I will only do one then.

My apologies.

So um you'll take 32.

Yeah, I'll take 32.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026-32, a resolution declaring the city's election to receive state revenue, and the action takes effect immediately.

Motion by Councillor Lopez.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Vaughn.

Any further questions or comments?

Saying none.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

Passes unanimous.

Is there anyone wishing to make a motion?

Well, I'll go ahead and introduce it.

Resolution 2026-33, which is the fiscal year 2026-2027 municipal services.

Report was done during public hearing.

Anyone wish to make a motion?

I'll make that motion.

Counselor Vaughn.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026-33, a resolution certifying services provided by the city of Cornelius, and this action takes effect immediately.

Any further questions or comments?

Any uh second, we need a second.

Sorry, I get it.

He made the motion and it's a second.

Second.

Second getting dizzy with everybody moving here.

Thank you.

Uh motion by Councillor Vaughn, second by Councilor Lopez.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions?

Passes unanimous.

Okay.

That takes us on to 20 resolution number 2026-34.

That's the fiscal year 2026-2027 utility rates.

Uh staff report was done during the public hearing.

Is there anyone wishing to make a motion?

Make a motion.

Councilor Godiness, please.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026 34, a resolution of the Cornelia City Council establishing certain utility rates and charges for water, sanitary, sewer, stormwater, and the general service fee.

And this action takes effect immediately.

Motion by Councilor Godines to have second.

Second.

Second by Councilor Lopez.

Any other comments or questions?

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions?

Passes unanimous.

That takes us on to resolution number 2026-35.

The fiscal year 2026-2027 planning fees.

Report was done during the staff.

Do I have anyone wishing to make the motion?

I'll make that motion.

Counselor Vaughn.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026-35.

A resolution of the Cornelia City Council authorizing the adjustment of the planning and development fees based on the CPI-U Western Region.

And this action takes effect July 1st, 2026.

Motion by Councilor Vaughn.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councilor Lopez.

Any further discussion?

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

Pass is unanimous.

That takes us on to resolution number 2026 36.

Cost of living adjustment cola.

Report was given during the a public hearing.

Is there anyone wishing to make a motion?

Wow.

I can make a motion.

Yes, Councilor Goodinez.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026 36.

A resolution of the Cornelia City Council relating to compensation for cost of living adjustments for non-represented and management employees in this action text takes effect immediately.

Motion by Councillor Godiness to have second.

Second.

Second by Councilor Vaughn.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

Passes unanimous.

Takes us on to resolution 2026-37.

City manager contract amendment.

Ms.

Jones.

Our assistant city manager.

Thank you.

Resolution number 2026-37 is a contract amendment with city manager with excuse me, with the city and city manager Peter Blandham.

The original employment contract began on October 16th of 2022 with annual evaluations thereafter.

Typically we have um performance evaluations done by city, the Mailing City Council, with uh that evaluation being reviewed in executive session.

The executive session took place on May 4th of 2026, showing that the city manager's performance overall exceeded expectations.

The agreement amendment as shown in exhibit A would adjust the city manager's salary by 3.1%, similar with the AFSME union and the management non-represented that you just approved.

That would take effect July 1 of 2026.

The city will continue to contribute 4% of that salary of the new salary into the employers 457 retirement benefit plan.

Also taking effect July 1 of 2026.

The city will also increase the number of vacation hours per month from 18 to 20.

And I believe those are all the changes to the last amendment that would take place.

Council, this is uh what uh Peter and I discussed is uh recommended proposal.

Uh this is actually open for discussion.

Does anyone have any?

So basically I think staff laid it out that he gets the same raise as the rest of the minute the rest of the ask me employees and the uh general staff, the department heads.

Um that's a continuation of the contribution.

I don't know if you remember last year.

We didn't give him the same cola as the staff.

We actually gave part of it into his uh a raise and part of it into a contribution to his 457 uh savings plan.

So we did a little different for him last year.

Um and the recommendation is we just keep that at the same level as we did last year, and then as you can see, uh a little additional vacation time uh accrual each month.

Questions.

Okay.

I would entertain a motion.

I'll make a motion.

Councilor Godiness.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026 37, a resolution of the Cornelia City Council to approve amendments to the city's employment contract with the city manager, and this takes effect immediately.

Okay, that's a motion by Councillor Godinas.

Do I have a second?

Second, second counselor Lopez.

Any other comments?

Um I just was gonna say that you know it's been it's great working with you.

I'm glad we're continuing on to extend your contract.

Um I think uh the review we received was uh you know exceeded expectations, so I think this is a fair and commensurate raise and also what the city can afford.

So that's part of it.

Any other comments before we vote?

Yeah, council counselor Vaughn.

Yeah, I just want to comment that I I respect the fact you came to the same rate as the rest of the staff.

I think that speaks highly of the collaboration and the respect that the staff have for each other, too.

Um you hear all the time in the news about you know CEOs.

I realize you're not a CEO, but uh sitting in the in the head chair, you know, they they see multi-million dollar bonuses and whatnot, and everybody's like, well, what about me?

So I just want to call out that I respect that um that's the number we came to.

Um I wish that everybody could get more, obviously, but uh I think that's awesome that that's what we came to.

Just wanted to make that comment.

Anyone else?

Yes, Councillor Gordinas.

Yeah, I mean, I know we talked about this your review, and I just appreciate all the work that you do for the city.

Um you put a lot, I I know that a lot of people, maybe the audience doesn't get to spend as much time as we do with you, but I know that you wear many hats, and so one of the things that I'm hoping you'll do with those extra two hours of vacation is actually take it, and um, you know, we we talked about it a lot.

You do so much, and I just want to make sure you don't burn yourself out in the process.

So making sure that you you know work with your team to really um share those tasks where you can.

And I know you do it because you also like to be informed of everything that's going on, but I just want to make sure that you know you're in a good place to be with us for a long time.

So just appreciate you.

Thank you for everything.

Anyone else?

Yes, Councilor Lopez.

No, just that I agree with uh all the sentimental statements previously.

It's uh it's great uh having a good city manager.

Thank you, Peter.

I just showed up.

So I can't uh speak as much as the rest of you, but I remember working with you on the Cornell's 2045 Vision Committee and uh speaking with you, and your experience is uh amazing uh and really appreciated amount of work you didn't need to participate, but it was very thankful, and uh many of our community members uh appreciate you and so do I.

And and to give you credit, I mean you've been attending meetings for months in preparation for your current position.

Um years.

Yeah, yeah, I wish I was gonna drag it out that long.

But um, yeah.

So with that, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

No, no opposition.

Sounds like a pass unanimous.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That takes us on to just making sure, because we're on now like page four.

Yep, we're on page four.

Resolution number 2026-38.

Bid award for 13th and 14th Avenue improvements.

There will be no staff report.

Staff was Kevin Oppenlander, assistant city engineer.

Um council, are you prepared?

You've read through your homework, ready to make a motion on uh 2030 2638.

Great.

Who anyone wish to make that motion?

I can make that motion.

Yes, Council Lopez.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026-38.

Your resolution of the Cornell City Council awarding the bid for the 13th and 14th Avenue improvements to Pacific North Construction LLC.

And this action takes effect immediately.

Motion by Council Lopez.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councillor Vaughn.

Any further questions or comments?

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

Aye.

Opposed.

Okay.

Sounds like it was unanimous.

Thank you very much.

That takes us on to resolution 2026-39.

IGA with the Washington County for police service.

City Manager Brennham.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just a brief summary.

This is the uh when needed, which it which is essentially annually uh review and update amendment to the intergovernmental agreement that we have with Washington County for police services.

This contract was originally established in 2014, and the most recent amendment was last year in 2025 to account for a cost increase to those services.

And just to summarize, the the costs have gone up just as our especially driven by the cost of personnel, just as ours have.

Uh in 2024, the increase was 5%, 6.2% last year, and the proposal is 3.5% this year, with a proposed contract value for the next fiscal year of just over 3.4 million, and that's an increase of approximately 400,000 in two years.

So just uh kind of a high-level summary.

So that's it.

Thank you.

Yikes.

I mean, we get we get good service, but it is not inexpensive.

Um, and that increase came with no change in staffing.

That was just maintaining our current staffing levels.

So I thought that bared stating for the record.

We've not added any officers in this contract.

I don't think in the entire 10 years.

That's pretty we've had a change in who staffing, but we have not added any officers, even with the growth of the community.

I think the recognition is that when we talked about that, that we needed to do some significant um additions in fire, and that's just what we've done.

And it was thankful that the community passed the fire levy uh allow us to do that.

So um here we are.

Any questions for staff, council?

Yes, Councilor Goodinas.

Yeah, I feel like I always have this question, and um sorry, I'm like trying to think about how to formulate it, so I appreciate you all sitting here with my thoughts.

But um, you know, I appreciate all the work that has come from contracting with the sheriffs.

I know where the police, where our police system was beforehand and why we transitioned to what we have now.

But I am curious as we evolve and change and grow as a community.

Where do our where do we see ourselves, you know, in the next 10 years with the police?

Are we gonna continue to contract or do we eventually want to go back to a place where we're able to have our own police through the city?

And so those are just questions that I mean we don't need to answer right now, but uh these costs aren't going to get any lower, and I know that it'll be equally as expensive for us to run a department, but I'd just be curious to know what those numbers would look like if that one day came to fruition.

And I don't think you expect an answer on that tonight, but that's uh that's a request for action.

Council, any concerns with that request for action from staff to kind of look at you know, comparables and see where we are.

Okay.

It's it's really there are a lot of benefits to this contract and especially the individuals who are delivering the service we appreciate them very much every every day.

And and I would add on to that um it's interesting as I talk with different officers at different times right some of them are really happy they've found their niche they really like being municipal officers right we've had one I think now that's been here again for you know five or six years um officer cage they had to pry him out of here with threats of retirement kind of thing um but you know he he joined us and kind of stuck with us um it is different service and I think the officers embrace that and the ones that it find it more enjoyable professionally continue to bid in and stay and those who don't find it as good do their year and then they pivot out it's interesting because it does allow us um to provide this opportunity for officers in the county that want to experience being a municipal officer that opportunity to come in and do that kind of work with us in the city right the the coffee with the cops and the backpack programs and just on and on through all the programs that the officers do as a municipal unit and it does offer them also the opportunity to pivot back out because some of them leave because they're promoting right and they don't we lose them but we lose them differently right when we had our own police force that it was just our municipal we lost one of the things we talked about is we felt like we were training ground we'd hire these good officers in they'd go through the academy or we'd get them from somewhere else and they'd been through academy and we keep them for a few years and then we'd lose them to Hillsboro or the county and we felt like we were just like this training ground because we had so much turnover that a lot of the officers were only here for four or five years and then we lost them because we couldn't provide those growth and opportunity that you get in a larger pool.

So I think as as we think about this you know in the future um how do we do that because that's something we don't have right that's something we purposely when we restructured and contracted we really flattened out the orc because that one of the things that happened previously is we we had a lot of people working as the next level up as sergeants some some kind of management to try to keep them here give them those promotions those pay increases but then we ended up with this really kind of top heavy org and I I still think we have that same kind of problem if we don't have a larger pool.

I know you and I have talked about is does maybe it's not forest grove but maybe there's something else out there is how do we improve the western situation for Washington County how do we get to the right size pool that people do have some of these promotional opportunities and then what do we look at as the right time frame right we know in the old system we probably only could keep the good ones for four to six years if we go in knowing that then we know that we're in this kind of like continuous hiring cycle or is there some way we grow the pool a little bit and maybe we get to keep them for 10 years or or more right how do we do that because I that's that's just my concern right if we reconstitute our own we'd be right back in the same loop they leave us for one of the bigger agencies where they can promote out and you can't blame them if they're they're growing and they're progressing.

And on the the alternate side um you look at Roke right when we started the program he came in he was one of the I can't remember sergeant or lieutenant and he did real well and he pivoted out and then he ended up in the upper management the county and then we ended up with Al back as our chief and he loved it here and I think we loved having him here but eventually he pivoted back out to the county um to take you know one of the top three or four jobs in the county and he kind of in and out through us and he got to do that because we had the county contract.

So I think those are some of the things right I think we we look at that and we try to understand it.

When we basically contracted management out, and then we've basically gone back and reconstituted and um I don't think everybody got the chance, but the the city manager and I got to attend their awards banquet um this last Friday.

And it was it was awesome.

They're great group of people for the fire department hanging out with them and seeing that that energy.

Um, and I think that's it we have to reflect on what's worked in the fire department and what's working in our current contract, and then kind of look at how how would we change things going forward?

How could we be successful for both the city and the employees?

So that would be my two cents on that.

Other questions or comments, because this is a big deal.

Yes, Council Vaughn.

I realize the total sum of what our contract with Washington County and isn't labor, but it I've got to guess it's about half.

Right.

And we just voted and approved on a 3.1% increase for all of the staff of the city.

I think 3.5 is reasonable when you look at operating.

There's other costs other than labor too that are gonna go up.

I honestly would think this would be higher just with the recent fuel cost of their I don't know if the city's paying for the fuel in the in the cars or or if that's part of the contract.

So I would honestly expect we would see higher than that because of fuel and other costs, tariff costs and whatnot we've seen for just goods and services.

Um so I'm I'm happy to see the 3.5.

I think the 6.2 last year hurt, and I think that adds to the the 400,000 you referenced in two years was a big chunk of that.

But um I see 3.5 as being reasonable for an annual increase considering the number of staff um and just the the cost of everything is going up.

So just wanted to add that.

Yes, Council Lopez.

Oh, just a comment, just uh a thought as you were mentioning that the police officers that we have here like working here.

I am assuming they have a good culture in the sheriff's office, and that uh is part of it.

But I just want to make sure we add that to the communications conversation that we were having earlier about what makes cornelius different, and I think stating that uh police officers like to work, like to service the city of Cornelis is is also important.

So just adding that to the previous conversation.

Any other questions or comments?

How many police 13 counting the chief?

Uh yes, 10 deputies, corporal, a sergeant, and the chief.

So thirteen in total.

Uh I have a question.

Yes.

Um, what was the price uh how much was running our own department in 2014 versus now?

Uh counselor Baker, uh first time I've said that.

It's wonderful.

Um that's that's a that's a really good question.

I I certainly don't have that information at the ready, and I actually haven't looked at that, but I think what we could do, you know, at some point in time when we start to kind of look at the organization and everything, we can do some kind of a comparable comparison to that.

And and I actually make my own observations in the world when I see, you know, another a small uh city, some even smaller than than ours, and they'll say how much the operating budget is for their police department, which they have in-house.

And I kind of think to myself, how does that compare?

You know, and so that that will be an exercise of trying to really get a comparable uh view of that, including our own situation years ago.

I do know Sandy re uh re-establ uh reestablish or establish a municipal police department.

So it that might be something to look into.

Yep.

Thank you for those comments.

Um and I remember Britt being a lot less than this, you know.

If you told me it was like one point something or two, I wouldn't be surprised.

Um I know I did some comparables looking around at what the City Hillsboro, you just you know, do just doing the gross reality, right?

This many officers, this much.

I think City Hillsboro was less.

But then I also looked at like other members that are contracting for service and what they pay for their officer or officers, and I went, wow, more than what we're paying.

So I think there's I think there is something to be looked at.

There are opportunities, and then trying to figure out how to right size it is is one of those things, right?

It is an opportunity, and it will take us years to get it figured out.

So if we start now, we might get it figured out in time for the the end of this 10-year contract.

Yes, sir.

Sorry, yeah, just last comment because yeah, I've just hearing from everything that everyone has said, obviously, I can see like the pros and the cons of both ways.

And obviously, um, even when I've talked to the chief, there's so much that when they can't do or they need extra support, they can call in other individuals.

But and I and I love that you know, we are able to have access to different forms of technology, especially from what I've heard for investigations because of that same reason.

But also I just look at that price amount.

I divided by 13, which granted it's not all salaries, but you're looking at 262K per um, so 262,000, 100,000 per officer, which again, I know that that's not the price per the officer because there's the services and all those things, but I think even when I was looking at the budget, it was hard because all of it was just outlined as professional service fees.

So you have like part of an FTE and then the rest is just the service fees, which I know is a lot, but just like understanding how we get to that number, I think is important to help us understand what we're paying for, which again, I'm not criticizing any of the services that we're getting.

It's more of me just thinking about the budgeting side and the future for our community.

Right, and it's you know, um that's the full burden cost.

So there when we had our police department in internal, you know, um there is no more expensive person on staff than a police officer to insure, right?

Because you have somebody armed in the community.

You have vehicles, you have training, and the training has only gone up and become more restrictive.

Um the vehicles have gotten more expensive, the fuel is not cheaper, all of that, right?

So that's a it is a it is a comparable place to start, right?

So if you're looking at the Hillsborough budget versus ours or the Tiger budget, right?

You you could look at those.

Um, and some other municipalities contract with other municipalities instead of with the county.

So I think there's us, Gaston, and North Plains that all contract with Washington County, but um I think King City contracts with Tiger Twilight and somebody somebody else down there does that.

I can't remember which one, but there's some of them that are collaborative or can conjoined.

So something to look at.

Okay.

Well, yes, one more comment.

Sorry, thank you, Mayor.

Just um I can't help but just want to mention that uh it'd also be important to look at the product, um, the feeling of the community.

Um Cornelius, since we contracted the sheriff's office, you get a different feeling than when we had our own police department.

There's a lot to say for that.

Um, just make sure that we consider everything and not just the numbers.

No, no, it's it's um I I I've so I said the story, I'll say it again.

As I sat with uh the the sheriff, I said we need the same or better service, we will maintain our identity.

And uh that those were a couple of the key contributing factors, right?

Because uh counselor Baker asked, um, we weren't paying as much per officer, but our court costs, our legal fees were atrocious.

Atrocious and our overtime was incredible.

So between our legal fees and our overtime, that really um opened up the sheriff's budget opportunity to provide us, right?

The same or better service, um, maintain our identity and uh provide it here in town, right?

And that's why the cars, right?

They say corneas on them, Washington County Cornelius.

Um I've had other mayors that were like, how do you get them to do that?

Because in other places where they contract with the county for service, they're just you can't tell the difference.

They're just county cars, right?

County uniforms, county cars, couldn't tell them from anybody else.

But I think it I think it's part of that difference that our officers see and feel because they're in and it used to be really easy because the county didn't have as good a looking uniforms as we did.

So all right.

Do we pass that motion or did we just get sideways in all the comments?

Okay, so all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye, aye.

Opposed Oh, didn't we not get to the motion?

Good thing you're here and can keep us straight, man.

I'm drifting out here.

Okay, do I have a motion for uh 2026-39?

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026-39, a resolution of the Cornelia City Council amending the intergovernmental agreement with Washington County to account for an increase in the cost of police service.

And this action takes effect immediately.

Motion by Councilor Baker, do I have second?

Second, second by Councillor Vaughan.

Any other discussion?

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Abstentions?

It passes unanimous.

Okay, that takes us on to resolution number 2026-40, a land donation.

Staff, Peter Bramden, City Manager.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'm gonna pull up an image and ask uh community development director Barbara Fryer to provide you with a verbal summary.

So just give me one second, Barbara.

There we go.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor and City Council.

Um we received an email back in March from a representative of the family who asked if we would be interested in receiving these three parcels.

And if we weren't interested in it, could we recommend somebody that would be?

Um we met internally to talk about the parcels and what would we do with them.

Um, how much would it cost to maintain them?

Are there things that we could do to the properties to lessen over time our cost of maintenance?

Um we identified some potential partners and ways to minimize those costs and to potentially incorporate other city programs and volunteer opportunities at the site.

We also identified some grant programs that we could go after for different projects on the property.

The three properties are wholly within the 100-year floodplain, so they are not developable properties.

Um minimal um recreation type activity could be on the properties, but they do flood.

Um there are a few high spots, but for the most part, the properties flood in the winter, and are ideal for wetland and restoration, bird watching, um incredible bird life down there, um, potential viewing areas, uh, potential trails, demonstration gardens, and things of that nature.

And it would really serve as a high quality natural asset for the community.

The agreement provides that that is attached to the resolution provides for um due diligence from the for the city to conduct uh phase one environmental site assessment, and if necessary, a phase two environmental site assessment.

Um it would enable us to make sure that any liens on the property are cleared before we take possession of the property.

Um there are a few changes that the property owners have requested in the agreement.

The first one is that they identified they filled in the blanks, if you will.

So they identified the full title of their entity.

Um the city of Cornelius, they put in the tax lot numbers, that kind of thing.

Under item number three, they clarified that they agree that we would agree to sign an IRS form that acknowledges the donation so that they can submit that with their taxes.

Um then under number six, they asked for some additional language, and our city attorney has cleared that language.

Under item 10, they just before 5 o'clock, so around 4 o'clock, they added another couple of clauses, and we have not had a chance to have the city attorney look at that yet.

Um so that that's item number one, so it's 10B.

The applicant or the grantor also added a 12 C, which indicates that at the time of this agreement, the grantee, that would be us, intends to use this property exclusively for public purposes.

That's not a problem.

It's a floodplain.

We can't really use it to develop it anyway.

And um so there are some choices that you could make.

I did ask our attorney to get back to me, but um she was not able to get back to me today.

So you could continue this item or reconsider this item on June 15th at your next meeting.

You could agree to allow city manager um Peter Brandom to sign the agreement if the city attorney agrees with all the final clauses in this agreement.

Or you could choose not to authorize the city manager to sign the agreement.

Those would be the three main options that you have before you tonight.

Council.

Staff, can you highlight or direct or mouse over something to show us actual properties?

There's a lot of things on the screen there, and the home audience might want to try to understand what we're talking about.

Yes.

So the blue outline is an existing city of Cornelius water quality facility.

The outlined property immediately to the east of that, the large property with the big wetland, the big green property.

That is the most southern property that is the subject of the donation.

The green line in the middle is an existing pipe system that brings the water from the the that next northern property down to the southern property.

And it is owned by the city of Cornelius, the green lines.

Um throughout the year.

Until we get to hover homes.

Until we what?

Get to hover homes.

Maybe, yes.

Still but I right now they're public, they're they're they would be encumbered by public purpose use.

So that would leave them in some kind of park or protected waterway or something for the the general public.

We wouldn't by the means of the contract, uh my understanding is we would not be able to sell them or be able to um develop them other than for public use.

Correct.

Um could I just note also that um Harleman Park sits to the east and immediately abuts that northern parcel and Echo Shaw Elementary also immediately abuts the property?

And then where the yellow arrow is, there's one tax lot that actually has the clean water services pump station.

So that one is a public parcel, even though it looks like it could be a house.

It's not, it's actually.

Yeah, it's one of those where the pump station is built with the purpose of kind of camouflaging it into the neighborhood.

Yes, yes, but I just wanted to identify those pieces for you.

Yeah, I mean it's it's I was standing at Harleman Park on uh Saturday evening throwing out the ball for the Pack the Park uh for the girls' uh softball and happen to be a T-ball.

Yeah, I just threw the first pitch for a T-ball game.

Do you play that however you want?

Play that envision that in your head.

Um, but you really can't tell where Harleman Park stops in this area starts at this time of the year, right?

It's it's it's not that line doesn't show up when you walk out there.

So um, and I talked to them and they were like, well, is there recreational opportunities?

Like could they partner with us to do more some kind of sports field out there?

Maybe we can do a cricket pitch, I don't know.

Um, but even if not that, how do we do things with our our B City USA, right?

Number we're number nine in the state.

Is there stuff that we can do with that?

So I I think I think there's uh an opportunity.

Um to me, it's almost uh one of the things that rattles around in my head is we told Washington County and Thousand Friends and the Farm Bureau that we want to be responsible for these kind of lands, that we see them as a benefit, a resource, an attractant that people would come to maybe birdwatch, they may come to see the pollinators, they may that we we see these kind of properties as a treasure to be maintained, honored, and enjoyed.

So I think this to me, this is one of those opportunities that don't come along very often to you know um they don't come without burden, right?

They still have to be maintained and kept safe and whatever needs to be done for maintenance.

Um but to show you know, to actually wrap our arms around some property and show as a city as a community what we intend to do with these kind of opportunities because there's a lot of there's a lot of tall and floodplain between us and the toilet and that clean water that uh metro has that I think we would be better stewards of.

So I think this is a step in that direction.

Yes, Councilor Goodinus.

Yeah, I agree.

I would love to see that.

I mean, I remember what the Fernhill Wetlands used to be like and then what it became and so um looking at those properties and having walked them past by them a lot in my lifetime, it would be great to see something that we can actually enjoy as a community.

Um I fully support and I trust that the city manager can sign the document if the um lawyer says everything is good to go.

Um and if it's not then we'll have to come back and revisit that.

But I think that I would be comfortable um with that.

Others?

Yes, Councilor Vaughn.

Yeah, I I agree with your sentiment.

I'm I'm also I don't recall what the causeway cost to build at Mariposa, but I'm picturing the causeway walk to make something like the Fernhill Wetlands walk, right?

But it'd have to be raised because of the the wetland nature of it, but yeah, I'm picturing that with the little bump outs with people with benches can you know watch the birds and whatnot.

Um yeah, I think it's an o awesome opportunity for the city and and to your point they're you know it's an asset to the city and uh I think we would be good hosting caretakers.

Others comments.

Just a quick hob, it's a great location.

It's right next to an elementary school, the park.

Uh if you know, again, similar as um Councilor Vaughn, if you know we were fixed it up a little bit just so it's more accessible.

I mean, I can see the school doing a lot with it, doing a little field trips, studying something there.

Uh I grew up around that park.

I went to this school and I always thought it was part of the the city or the park.

And you know, we used to collect frogs there.

There used to be rabbits at some point there, and so there's a lot of opportunity there, I think.

So yeah.

Counselor Baker.

I didn't realize it was a separate tax law.

I grew up I went to Echo Shaw uh elementary school and I never realized it was separate.

Um I think this is a great opportunity.

Uh not just to connect people, um, but to also have to support our pollinators, not just bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, do you have m native plants, uh do have uh an elementary scores or people just enjoying themselves at the park, to able to look and see um more native species.

I I fully support uh the city manager being uh signing off if the uh lawyers are approved.

Okay, so it sounds like we have a concurrence of folks that are um if you feel comfortable with it and you get uh a concurrence from the legal recommendations that you can proceed and if you feel like you need to pump the brakes, then you can bring it back to us at mid-month.

Council good with that.

Do we need an official motion on that?

Okay.

Do we have uh we have to adjust the motion?

Yeah, maybe just specify I think uh Councilor Godiness, he said it first.

If you can just um verbalize that again as part of the motion, that'd be perfect.

I make a motion to approve resolution number 2026 40, a resolution of the Cornelia City Council authorizing staff to enter into a land land donation agreement with Heather Park Development Company for three properties, assuming that everything the contract is approved by our lawyers and this action takes effect immediately.

Okay.

Motion by Councilor Gerninas.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Councillor Lopez.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye aye.

Opposed?

Abstentions?

Pass unanimous.

In your hands, Peter.

Well do, thank you.

Okay, that takes us to reports.

We got 20 minutes to the hour.

City councillors, any city counselors with reports this evening.

Councilor Godinis.

I'd be shocked if you didn't.

It's the same thing as always.

I'll try to keep it short.

Just please make sure that you're being mindful of the kiddos as they're out there playing around.

And if you have kiddos, just remind them about the safety.

Um then also it's starting to get hot outside, so be mindful one of how much water you use.

Because we don't have uh, as we know, our uh snow melt was not that it's not gonna be very good this year.

So uh I can imagine that our um what is it called?

Our reservoirs are gonna get very low.

So just thinking ahead and also just making sure that you're being safe as you're out there in the sun, using sunscreen, staying hydrated, all the things, and kids are gonna be out of school soon.

So I just recommend I just want to make sure that um some people forget that the speed zones, you know, once everybody's out there, they're like, oh, I don't have to go 20 anymore, I can go 25.

But again, just be mindful there's gonna be more students out there.

There's gonna be kiddos enjoying the summer, so just please be as safe as possible when driving.

And I think that's all I have for you all.

Thank you.

Any other yes, Counselor Vaughn?

Kind of tag team onto yours there.

Um, you know, as we get close to the 4th of July, you made the fireworks proclamation earlier uh and to the low snowpack.

I visited Mount Hood just this last weekend, and it's amazing how gray that mountain is.

There's not much snow up there this time of year, which is kind of surprising.

Um in my day job, I worked for Portland General Electric, and I know that our official fire season had started at the end of May.

And I think it's gonna be a rough one, you know, because of that snowpack.

So as we get closer to the 4th of July and just recreating, just be cautious with fire and and those fireworks.

That's all.

Any other counselor reports?

Council.

I don't have a report, but can I make a comment?

Sure.

I like just for the public record.

Um I like to thank my parents, uh, my mom, my family for showing up and seeing me.

Um I like to thank uh a friend from my local Oregon politics of Oregon class for showing up.

I like to thank my professor of this class for teaching me about the mayor council system and state and local politics.

I was also like to thank my uh city staff, the rest of the city counselors for believing me for believing and me and uh picking me for this vacancy.

I will also like to thank uh give a special thanks to my teachers and professors.

Uh special thank you to my um my IEP team that was through with me through my K through to special thank you to my speech therapist, uh like Miss Stevenson.

Without them, I wouldn't be here.

Awesome.

Okay.

Any others?

We good?

Okay.

Um I'm gonna keep it short and sweet.

Like I said, I got the opportunity to uh participate last Friday with the the fire community with our uh Cornell's Firefighters um annual ball and awards.

Great great opportunity, great group to hang out with.

Um give a give a plug to Gerber.

I mean, like the the spig sponsors for that night.

Uh everybody went home with a pocket knife or two, it seemed from Gerber.

They donated lots of stuff for fundraising opportunities, so that was great.

Um just and I say some of the safety stuff, right?

Um folks are gonna be drawn to Hague Lake, right?

And there's drop-offs.

Um take advantage of the the loner um vests, right?

The flotation devices.

Um be safe out there, right?

It's gonna get hot, the hags are gonna get real popular, and there'll be lots of people out there, and we don't need to have another tragedy.

Uh those officers that work that beat at the lake, um, start out their mornings in Cornelius PD here with us, so on the Western Precinct.

So those those are um kindred officers that work that that and uh they've been very kind to me in the past when my boat broke down in the middle of the lake and towed me back to the dock.

So the uh they're they're a good group, they're hard working, they try to take and keep people safe out there.

Um our biggest park, right?

You're either people are going up now to uh um Shahalem Ridge or they're going up to Hag.

You know, they're stopping here to get gas and groceries and ice on their way out to the lake.

That's uh kind of the common thing.

You'll see lots of boats and stuff.

You'll see people with ATVs heading out to the coast and to the sand lake.

So we we continue to be not only town for the rural community, we're also like the gas, grocery and ice stop for everybody recreating in western Washington County in the coast range.

So um take time, be kind.

I know we've got the uh 35 mile an hour speed limit between us and uh Hillsboro.

I I don't know about anybody else, but I've been getting a lot of phone calls about that.

Uh in both ways.

People thinking it's great, why don't we just keep it that way?

Uh now that we've got people behaving a little bit better driving, you know, 35, 40, 45 in there instead of 50, 60 miles an hour.

And then I've got other people going, when are you gonna get those signs down so we can get back to regular speeds?

So um obviously there's there's mixed feedback.

I'm not sure what the rest of the councils received if they have on the uh speed reduction zone.

Um I think I'm gonna stop there and give over the rest of the time to the city manager if you got stuff tonight.

Thank you, Mayor.

I do just a few things.

First of all, uh thank you all for your trust and your positive comments.

Um I'm remaining very grateful to be in the position I am, and we're it's just really exciting too with the team that we have.

We've had a lot of turnover in the three and a half years that I've been here, and and everyone's it just feels like we're we're gelling and and really getting a lot done to the benefit of the community.

So I'm grateful for that opportunity.

Thank you.

Um we got some good news last week on another grant application.

So we were uh submitted an application last fall and uh credit to uh fire chief David Morris for um for finding a con consultant who really specialized in this, but we submitted an application to seismically retrofit the public safety building and found out last week we're successful, so we'll get just under two and a half million to shore up that building, and that coupled with the voter approved funds uh with our local option fire levy, we'll be able to renovate the building too, and it needs it.

It it needs to be adapted for um what is now uh uh you know more people in the building and for the police and the fire side, so we're really looking forward to getting into that work.

Um also related to TB Highway, I just wanted to note, and I've seen it myself, increased patrol uh for speeding and and safety broadly, and want to credit uh police chief uh Mitch Coley, who has kind of lit a fire under the deputies and and not just Cornelius deputies, I've noticed uh sheriff's deputies there as well, um, really active there and and certainly not trying to make make things harder for the community, but but speed is definitely an issue, especially between here and Hillsborough.

So really appreciate their efforts to do that.

It's very noticeable.

Um Barbara Fryer and I attended the International Council of Shopping Centers conference, which was enormous.

Uh we did that last week uh using some of our remaining ARPA funds, and it it was worth it.

We we definitely made a lot of connections there, uh, learned a lot.

Um probably wouldn't go back to the to the big one, that's the big one.

And I mean, if you've been to the Las Vegas Convention Center, it it's enormous and it was uh largely full.

But this organization also has regional conferences and and it's really focused on uh kind of telling the Cornelius story, especially with regards to our town center and really uh being more proactive about who might develop the uh the available space and and even existing occupied space in the future with uh commercial activity.

So a lot more to come on that.

And also just wanted to mention uh the Enterprise Zone, which is an incentive program for business recruitment in in a uh I in a identified area within a community.

Our enterprise zone, which is approved by the state under state law, is jointly held or jointly managed with the City of Forest Grove, and we were notified recently that uh the current enterprise zone expires on June 30th, and so the uh Forest Grove City Council are having conversations about that.

There are a number of things that are that are not choice at the local level with the Enterprise Zone, but there are quite a few things that are.

And so I just wanted to give you that kind of heads up that um we're we'll be having some conversations with you.

Um we won't have time before June 30th to make any changes, I don't think, but um, but probably sometime after that we'll be talking about our enterprise zone as well and how if we stay with Forest Grove or not, and all of that.

So more to come on that.

And then I just thought of this because it's uh it's been fun at home, and I thought I'd mention it.

I didn't even write it down, but we it was the last time it was really hot, and uh as I was walking down uh 13th Street one day, I noticed this really cute little young cat sitting in front of the firehouse, and he was there for a couple of weeks, and I also noticed that he wasn't fixed, and I you know, we've got a lot of fural cats down around public works.

I thought, well, I didn't want him to start creating that problem up here, and he didn't seem to have a place to go.

So I ended up taking him to the Cornelius Veterinary Clinic, and the fire team were we're really fond of him.

Long story short, he lives with us.

Um he's fixed.

He's very happy.

Um and his name is Cornelius, and he I think has become possibly the the favorite of our uh seven in-house pets.

Um so next time I'll be prepared to share a picture of him.

He's he's adorable.

So Cornelius the cat.

That's all I have.

Thanks.

Okay.

Um we we didn't touch this with a 10-foot poll, but I'm assuming the staff will come back with some kind of responses to the questions and concerns that we got raised this evening on the water park reservoir.

Yeah.

So uh is that something we would expect the 15th, or is it more like something?

We can bring something back on the 15th, yes.

Okay, sure.

Give us some at least a preliminary.

May not be the whole story, but we'll certainly have an update.

Okay, yeah.

Yeah, let's let's uh counsel, you'd like to understand some kind of staff response on this.

Okay, great.

I think that's uh we'll make some progress on that to understand.

Anything else?

Any other staff need to talk to us tonight?

Okay.

Seeing none, I would entertain a motion to adjourn.

And motion to adjourn.

Motion by Councillor Godinas.

Do we have a second?

Second.

Second by Council Lopez.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Abstentions?

We are adjourned.

852.