OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Forest Grove City Council Meeting – October 27, 2025

City Council — Monday, October 27, 2025
BodyForest Grove, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, October 27, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:26:09

Transcript — Verbatim
0:04

Good evening.

0:05

Oh, wait for a minute.

0:07

Good good evening.

0:08

I'd like to call to order this meeting of the Forest Grove City Council at 7.06 p.m.

0:13

on October 27th.

0:16

Will our city recorder please call roll?

0:19

Councillor Gesterson.

0:20

Yes, here.

0:21

Council President Valzone.

0:23

Here.

0:24

Councillor Shimon.

0:25

Here.

0:26

Councillor Falconer.

0:27

Here.

0:27

Counselor Martinez.

0:28

Here.

0:28

Counselor Marshall.

0:29

Here.

0:30

Mayor Wenzel.

0:31

Here.

0:31

Forest Grove City Council meetings are located on the land of the Tualeton Calipuas who call themselves the Atphalati.

0:38

They are now part of the Confederate tribes of Grand Ron.

0:41

Will the audience and the council please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance?

0:48

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

0:53

And to the Republic religious stands, one nation, under God, individual liberty, and justice world.

1:02

Thank you.

1:12

Okay, item B on the agenda is public comment.

1:15

Time provided for anyone wishing to speak to city council on an item not on the agenda or on the agenda, but not scheduled for a public hearing.

1:23

Comments are limited to two minutes unless additional time is granted by the presiding officer.

1:28

The public comment period shall not exceed 30 minutes unless the majority of counselors present vote to extend the time.

1:35

Zoom attendees may use the raise hand feature to be called on.

1:39

Our first person signed up for public comment is Dale Fake.

1:58

Good evening.

2:19

Timothy Snyder, who you know, read the book on Tyranity, 20 Lessons 20th Century, also wrote the book on freedom.

2:32

And he I attended the Forest Grove, Hillsborough, and Beaverton No Kings Rallies.

2:41

They were great.

2:42

But Timothy Snyder attended the rally in Cincinnati, Ohio.

2:49

And he introduced that rally and gave a seven-minute and thirty minute speech.

2:55

What I've given you in your packet is the link to that speech.

3:00

Seven minutes and thirty seconds.

3:01

It's a good summary of all those rallies and what's happened in the United States.

3:05

I really encourage you to open that and listen just for seven minutes and thirty seconds.

3:41

So I made a document of that that's also in your pack.

3:45

I'd encourage you to like take a look at that.

3:49

He is speaking.

3:54

And we're looking forward to having sign one of my books, but also to learn how he's going to inform us of how we can be better citizens.

4:02

Thank you.

4:03

Thank you very much.

4:05

Our next public comment is Silas.

4:09

Is it Ruleis?

4:11

Rules.

4:12

Oh, come on up.

4:15

Please have a seat right in front of me.

4:17

And then state your name for the record, and then you can go ahead after that.

4:23

Uh yeah, I'm Silas Rule.

4:25

And good evening, Mayor Wenzel, City Council members, and Forest Grove community members.

4:30

My name is Silas, and I am an athlete.

4:32

I play soccer, baseball, basketball, and swim with the Forest Grove Swim Club Dragon.

4:37

The youth sports team in Forest Grove has changed my life for the better.

4:41

I've heard that First and Recreation Department wants to charge nonprofit youth sports organizations more, which would most likely increase registration fees.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████████████████25%
Community Engagement███████████████15%
Legal Affairs██████████████14%
Public Engagement██████████10%
Procedural███████7%
Administrative Services███████7%
Parks and Recreation██████6%
Environmental Protection█████5%
Youth Programs████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Forest Grove City Council Meeting – October 27, 2025

The Forest Grove City Council met on October 27, 2025, at 7:06 PM. The meeting included public comments, presentations on the city's watershed and Clean Water Services partnership, council member communications, and a city manager's report. No formal votes or resolutions were taken during the meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Dale Fake urged the council to watch a seven‑minute‐and‑thirty‑second speech by historian Timothy Snyder on freedom and citizenship, and encouraged the council to become better citizens.
  • Silas Rule, a youth athlete representing multiple nonprofit youth sports programs (soccer, baseball, basketball, swim club, water polo, lacrosse), presented a petition signed by youth athletes opposing proposed increases in field and pool rental fees by the Parks and Recreation Department. He argued that higher fees would likely lead to increased registration costs for families, especially those with multiple athletes, and would risk excluding kids from participating in affordable, inclusive community programs. He asked the council to reconsider the fee changes.

Presentations

Civics Academy Recognition

The council recognized the first graduating class of the Forest Grove Civics Academy. Mayor Wenzel thanked Stephanie and Joyce (communications team) and department directors for creating the program. Graduates received certificates and cards of appreciation.

Forest Grove Watershed Annual Report

Barry Sims, the city’s contract forester, presented the annual update on the watershed (4,225 acres). Key highlights:

  • 2025 activities: thinned 110 acres, completed 8 acres of small patch cuts and 9 acres of variable retention; net revenue to the city was $900,000.
  • The watershed remains Forest Stewardship Council certified; a recent audit found no issues.
  • Plans for 2026‑27 focus on never‑thinned areas, similar volumes, and updating the timber inventory.
  • Mayor Wenzel praised the watershed’s management and invited the public to future tours.

Clean Water Services Annual Update

Joe Gall (Chief Utility Relations Officer) and Rick Shanley (Interim CEO) provided the state‑of‑the‑partnership presentation. Key points:

  • Clean Water Services serves 600,000+ residents in urban Washington County; Forest Grove is a partner city.
  • Upcoming major investments in Forest Grove: the Ripple lab (new lab relocating to Forest Grove, opening late 2026/early 2027); a $19 million clarifier upgrade at the Forest Grove wastewater resource recovery facility; and a new Council Creek Pump Station to serve West Forest Grove.
  • A feasibility study on billing alternatives will be conducted; currently the city bills on Clean Water Services’ behalf.
  • The West Basin Master Plan is being finalized; it will coordinate with the city’s long‑term development plans.
  • Fernhill natural treatment system now attracts 250,000 visitors annually.
  • Councilor Schimmel asked about workforce development opportunities at the new lab; Shanley said it is “aspirational” but the lab is primarily for compliance.

Discussion Items

Council Communications

Council members gave reports on board and committee activities. A significant discussion arose from Councilor Schimmel’s comments about an email correspondence that he believed contradicted the council’s August 25 work session consensus on downtown redevelopment and partnerships. He argued the email misrepresented the council’s direction and undermined the city manager’s authority. He requested that the council reaffirm (1) council and city manager authority under the charter and council rules, and (2) the August 25 consensus on goal 1.8 (relating to financial partnerships). Councilor Martinez and others noted that the council had already sworn to uphold the charter and that the consensus had not been formally challenged. Councilor Gutison clarified that her email to the city manager was only to request a correction to a staff member’s misstatement about having signed a confidentiality agreement, not to undermine consensus. Councilor Schimmel expressed concern about a “bad culture” and “perpetual harm.” No formal motion or vote was taken; the matter was left for future consideration.

City Manager Report

City Manager Jesse reported:

  • Bonneville Power Administration assigned a project manager to the Highway 47/Fern Hill project, ordered poles for relocation, and a spring outage is planned; the project is back on track (saved nearly a year).
  • IT improvements under Eddie Littlefield (CJIS, Windows 11 upgrades, server patching).
  • GIS services RFP expected in November/December.
  • Public safety response time dashboard data is ready for website posting.
  • Development code amendments will go to the planning commission on November 17 and a council work session on November 24.
  • The light and power low‑income solar project is completing environmental review; final design and construction will follow verification of congressional funds.
  • Library volunteer recognition dinner (October 22) had ~60 attendees.

Key Outcomes

  • No votes were taken during the meeting.
  • BPA Highway 47/Fern Hill project is back on track; a thank‑you note to BPA was suggested and supported.
  • Council retreat scheduled for December 1, 2025 (5:30–9:30 PM).
  • Mayor’s Innovation Project membership ($1,250 annual fee) received general support; a resolution authorizing membership will be brought to a future meeting.
  • The council approved the mayor’s request to use city letterhead for college recommendation letters for three Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council seniors.
  • The city will ensure applications for three student slots at the National League of Cities conference are distributed to youth board/commission members and the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council.
  • No action was taken on the proposed fee increases for youth sports organizations or on the concerns raised by Councilor Schimmel.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Oh, wait for a minute. Good good evening. I'd like to call to order this meeting of the Forest Grove City Council at 7.06 p.m. on October 27th. Will our city recorder please call roll? Councillor Gesterson. Yes, here. Council President Valzone. Here. Councillor Shimon. Here. Councillor Falconer. Here. Counselor Martinez. Here. Counselor Marshall. Here. Mayor Wenzel. Here. Forest Grove City Council meetings are located on the land of the Tualeton Calipuas who call themselves the Atphalati. They are now part of the Confederate tribes of Grand Ron. Will the audience and the council please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic religious stands, one nation, under God, individual liberty, and justice world. Thank you. Okay, item B on the agenda is public comment. Time provided for anyone wishing to speak to city council on an item not on the agenda or on the agenda, but not scheduled for a public hearing. Comments are limited to two minutes unless additional time is granted by the presiding officer. The public comment period shall not exceed 30 minutes unless the majority of counselors present vote to extend the time. Zoom attendees may use the raise hand feature to be called on. Our first person signed up for public comment is Dale Fake. Good evening. Timothy Snyder, who you know, read the book on Tyranity, 20 Lessons 20th Century, also wrote the book on freedom. And he I attended the Forest Grove, Hillsborough, and Beaverton No Kings Rallies. They were great. But Timothy Snyder attended the rally in Cincinnati, Ohio. And he introduced that rally and gave a seven-minute and thirty minute speech. What I've given you in your packet is the link to that speech. Seven minutes and thirty seconds. It's a good summary of all those rallies and what's happened in the United States. I really encourage you to open that and listen just for seven minutes and thirty seconds. So I made a document of that that's also in your pack. I'd encourage you to like take a look at that. He is speaking. And we're looking forward to having sign one of my books, but also to learn how he's going to inform us of how we can be better citizens. Thank you. Thank you very much. Our next public comment is Silas. Is it Ruleis?

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