Good evening.

Let me get this a little closer.

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

The time is 7:15.

Will our city recorder please call roll?

You're good.

Councillor Guserson?

Here.

Council President Valenzuela.

Here.

Councillor Schimmel.

Here.

Councillor Falconer.

Here.

Councillor Martinez?

Here.

Councillor Marshall.

Here.

Mayor Wenzel.

Here.

Forest Grove City Council meetings are located on the land of the Tewallaton Calapuas, who call themselves the At Pilates.

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

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

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

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

Thank you.

Okay.

We're gonna move on to item B on our agenda, which is public comment.

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

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

Zoom attendees may use a raise hand option to be called on.

We will do in-person public comment and then I will check Zoom.

Um I'm gonna just go over a couple ground rules quickly.

Public comment is an opportunity for public testimony.

The council does not respond to public comment.

We thank you for your public comment.

If you are excited or uh in agreement with words, someone has spoken.

I ask that you please snap if you want to show um support, because I understand that's important, but it's also very important that we hear each other's words.

If you are planning on showing a sign or holding up something, I ask you to do that in the back of the room so other people so we as a council can see the community.

Um again, council comments will be two minutes, and I think I'm gonna call people up two at a time, so you can just like be sitting, just maybe to help it run a little smoother.

Okay, so our first person signed up is Fernando Guterres.

Fernando, come on up to the table in the front, sir.

There's a microphone.

Just state your name for the record, and then your two minutes will start.

The next up will be Dale Feek.

Yes, please, sir.

Okay, whenever you're ready, Fernando.

Okay, I'm ready.

Okay, go for it.

I just uh you know, I've uh I came to Forest Grove back in 1964.

I think I was like 13 years old.

I've lived here for quite a long time.

So I'm kind of interested in how did the ICE system find out about Forest Grove?

Why are why are we here?

Why are they here?

And you know, that's that's basically we're way out here in the middle of nowhere.

How did they, you know, come and uh you know start harassing us or you know the way they're acting.

Yeah, I'm sorry, I can't answer your question.

I'm sorry, I don't know.

Okay, thank you, Fernando.

Mr.

Feek.

Go ahead, Mr.

Feek.

Mayor Wenzel and Councilor Council President, uh Valenzuela and Counselors.

Getting better.

Dale Feek Forest Grove since 1966.

I sent an email to representing Susan McClain, who's in the audience, and Metro Councillor Juan Garcia Gonzalez.

Uh and I she I'm on number two with what you've got right now and already sent it to you, but McLean and Gonzalez are to speak this Friday at the indivisible Forest Grove meeting.

Uh November the 14th from 430 to 6.

At the Forest Grove United Church of Christ at 2032 College Way.

Gonzalez will talk speak about the scourge of ice in West County and what we can do about it.

State Representative McLean will address SNAP delay and hunger in our community as well as health insurance and status of Oregon's health care for all.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners as one of your slides up there, get uh a declaration of emergency declaration.

Uh and I've asked you to get online and read those declarations and get the details.

I'm asking, please check on that.

And you have the links here in writing, but you have to get online.

But I sent you to read them.

One of the things that wasn't put up on your slide during the presentation was this there were two emergency uh declarations.

You talked about the one in which 200,000 pre appropriated from reserves.

That's a big deal because the budget, they don't have an adequate budget, but they're committed to this, and they went to the reserves to take an emergency action to fund to support families devastated by local ICE activities.

The one that was not on the slide, uh the Weisha County Board of Commissioners passed the 250,000 appropriations from the reserve funds to help support hungry and local families who have lost the SNAP benefits.

That's important, especially what's happened with SNAP right now.

Complexity has happened.

Thank you for listening and take action.

And thank you for your great work as a teacher.

Thank you, Mr.

Fake.

Thank you, Dale.

Our next two speakers are Kristen Ludwig and Peter Terex.

Thank you, Mayor.

Council President and members of the Forest Grove City Council.

I believe that examples of actual humans make the ICE presence real.

So I'm going to share someone's story with you.

A graduate of Forest Grove High School, OSU, and a doctorate from a prestigious university, a longtime educator and advocate in our Latino communities in Washington County.

This person wanted to come tonight and give their testimony of what they are witnessing in their community.

However, they decided to not attend due to ICE presence in Forest Grove and Cornelius.

The voice of a respected leader is silenced.

Why?

Although they are a documented human being, they are afraid as a brown person being kidnapped by masked people with unmarked cars.

That's a reality.

Look at us all here today.

To highlight what actions we can take, let me just mention a few.

Voluntary notaries who could assist parents with family preparation kits in case of emergency.

We can support parents by waiting with the kids at the bus stops because parents are too afraid to be outside their homes.

We are resilient seeking justice community.

So please join me up and activism.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I served on this council for 22 years and have worked with some of you on the dais tonight.

Others I've come to know and respect for your commitment to public service.

I'm now a neophyte member of the board of directors for the Forest Grove School District.

That in itself contains a whole slew of problems.

School district is facing this onslaught of autocracy.

We are developing, as is every other district in the state, policies and procedures to protect our students and by extension their families as well as our staff and teachers.

Pragmatically, we do this to maintain an environment where learning can take place.

We all know from Maslow's hierarchy that certain needs for a person must be met before their other educational goals can be addressed.

Personal safety and protection rank on the top of that hierarchy.

If a student feels unsafe, if a student feels threatened, if a student is concerned about family members, then that student will not be concerned with parsing sentences, conjugating French verbs, or solving quadratic equations.

And that's where you come in.

I would hope rather than a work session, you would hold a public hearing on any resolution concerning the state of emergency.

That decision will be yours.

But we should all have the pathway open for testimony on this proposal.

I know it would be awkward.

I know it could even get confrontation.

But that's what we do in a democracy.

We cannot afford to use the same weapons as those who would rather limit discussion, those who would rather name call, those who would rather do an end run around the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Plagiarize Lincoln.

We've come a long way since 1776, but the words at the end of the Declaration of Independence are as vivid and strong tonight as they were then.

And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, to each other.

Our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor.

Thank you.

Beth Genley and Melissa Tim.

Thank you.

I'm Beth Genley with Indivisible Forest Grove.

No Kings saw 800 of us at the big flagpole.

Many were protesting that ICE agents, far from lawful immigration enforcement, are indiscriminately tearing apart families and traumatizing children.

So we, outraged and heartbroken Forest Grove citizens, are attending MegroWatch and Legal Observer trainings, walking the streets outside schools to provide support and reassurance to vulnerable families, assembling and distributing whistle kits by the hundreds, and ramping up food drives to aid families afraid to leave their homes to work or shop, planning to raise money for lawyers and videoing ice activities.

So we, ordinary citizens, are stepping up legally, peacefully, sometimes despite physical risk, because our federal government is pursuing heartless and violent actions against all of us on many fronts at once, actions very similar to the list, the offenses listed in the Declaration of Independence.

We are hearing that policy discussions about ice outrages are happening statewide.

Good.

But please be clear, we need you to act.

We strongly support Mayor Wentzels' proposals and Councillor Gustafson's concerns.

We also ask that you express sadness and outrage at these offenses and sympathy and solidarity with terrified Forest Grove townspeople.

For police, what can you do for a start?

Intervene in illegal assaults as listed in Forest Grove Policy 300.2.1.

Record ice raids on your body cameras.

Officially report on ice raids to your supervisors, document the lack of visible IDs, the unmarked cars, the trashing of due process, the kidnappings, the excessive force.

Make that documentation available to the TA and other lawyers fighting this scourge.

Thank you.

Thank you, Beth.

And Mayor Winsl, Council President Valenzuela and City Councilors, I'm referencing a letter I sent to this council and to the Cornelia City Council on Friday, November 7th.

I've taught in the school district for 28 years.

I've lived in Forest Grove for 32 years.

And the collective trauma that has has in our community has multiplied dramatically in the last few weeks.

The very real fact is that members of our community are disappearing without warning, and it is tragic.

Students in our school district have returned home to no parents because both have been taken by ice.

A mom who has a child in our district and is seven months pregnant now has no husband because her husband has been taken by ice.

Last week, the partner of a school district employee was violently taken by ice near my elementary school.

Earlier last week, ICE agents were circling our school.

Earlier last week, ICE agents were circling our school, Cornelius Elementary, which is where I've been teaching for the last 15 years, stopping at the bus stops where our students where parents have to walk their students to the bus stop, especially if it's a kindergartner by by Midco law in order to get them there.

And yeah, and waving mockingly at staff members wearing the yellow vest for safety at our school staff members where they there's you know ice agent, mask ice agent.

Hey, how are you doing?

Our family resource center is collecting referral forms for families who need food pickups and food deliveries because students don't because people don't feel safe leaving their homes.

That is a district-wide organization that's housed at Cornelius Elementary.

More many schools have formed safety patrols with vests to provide visible a visible show of support to students and families as they come to and leave our schools.

These safety patrols are currently being staffed by school staff during their prep times before and after school.

Staff members are picking up and dropping off students.

Within to organize against this.

Let's get a plan.

Thank you.

Linda Taylor and Michael Johnson.

Thank you, Mayor and Counselors.

Linda Taylor, Forrest Grove.

Um, I appreciate your leadership and recognize that these are challenging and stressful times.

And that my phone just turned off.

Okay.

To be a public servant.

And it's even more terrifying still for our immigrant friends and neighbors or anyone born with brown skin, given the lawlessness of the current regime.

I deeply appreciate the inclusive community and immigration resources that are featured currently on the website of the city of Forest Grove.

They're a welcome service to our community and an affirmation of city staff and leadership's commitment to uphold the rights of all within our bounds.

And I deeply appreciate the work you're doing this evening to come up with a plan and to take action steps.

And I sounded like you're already on it, but the fact that we are a city that has a public utility is another opportunity for emergency assistance for people that funding federal energy assistance funding cuts or inability to pay utility bills as a result of employment disruptions provoked by ICE, another area of concern that they'll lose their heat.

But I wanted to share one little thing here because I didn't hear anybody talking about in terms of testifying for when you call PERK, the things that they want to know in the hotline, and this is for you and the audience.

They want to know the acronym salute, S for size of the group of ICE agents, A for the action or activity that they are doing, L for the location of the agents, U for the uniforms, such as black tactile vests and gators, T for the time and date of the event, and E for the equipment or weapons they're carrying.

So using salute as an acronym helps them have useful information for when they are trying to document and give legal assistance and other kinds of help to people that are being detained.

Thank you for your service.

Thank you.

And it has.

We talk about uh collecting information and documenting and recording, and we can all do that, uh, including law enforcement.

I don't necessarily think that we need to intervene directly at the time of the crime, and these goons are committing crimes.

And the reason I say that is simply because they're carrying AR-15s and our guys have side arms.

Uh, and they're just dumb enough to where they might use them.

So, what I suggest instead is that you take that information, find ways to get it expeditiously into the hands of the families and their attorneys so they can use it in habeas uh petitions, possible legal act or uh civic action later on.

Also find ways to facilitate the collection of the kind of information that we have collected and get that into the hands of the people who need it.

And finally, I think you can take the some of that information, take it to a judge, and if the officer feels that that he really can't risk the the criminal for arresting someone for uh, you know, without a warrant and no probable cause, and the color of your skin is not probable cause, then you can take it to a judge and see if you can't get a bench warrant or at least a citation to appear and make them come in and explain themselves.

And I'm out of time, so they'll have to do it.

Thank you.

I'm gonna read the comment.

There's public comment signed up, and I was asked to read it.

So this is what it says.

Can you say that we are more than farm workers?

Regardless of the job that we do, we are human that deserve peace and calmness in our lives.

Carol Al Alan uh Alra O'Smith.

Sorry, Carol.

I'm like the last name kind of Billy goes to cursive and it's hard for me to read.

I'm doing well, thank you, Carol.

And that's something it's just uh seven lessons to learn.

Can you believe this?

This is from a Roman Empire Emperor that was um eighteen 1,850 years ago.

And you know, it sounds like America today.

So I'm gonna read this to you.

So um it says Marcus Ari Lewis was these are the words and the advice of anyone who would be in a rush hour traffic, thankless job, and so on, what's going on?

I can either be harmed by any of them, nor one else can involve me in a shameful device, nor can I be angry with my fellow man, nor hate him.

For we have been for cooperation, just at like the feet and hands and eyelids and the upper and lower teeth.

And he goes on to say, here's the seven reasons.

Think and act with reason.

Um believed that all humans contained an element of reason which could be used to determine good and right.

It is not a sanctioned by God that anything else, such as uh praise of many, power, wealth, indulgence, and pleasure should be placed above the accordance and the reason of the common good, take a view from above.

You must always keep this in mind.

What is the nature of the whole?

What is the nature and how that nature relates to the greater nature?

Accept what you can't control.

He recognized that much of human life is beyond our control, including the behavior of other people.

However, we can still control how we perceive and react to them.

In other words, if we can control our minds and refuse to let external factors upset us, then we'll break the spell of any power those uh factors will hold, work for the common good, take pleasure and rest in one thing, making away from one communal duty to another, remembering God, and then um he stressed the so he just goes, improve your inner self, practice unconditional kindness, and be grateful for the gift of life.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Those are all the public um sign-ups.

Is there anyone in the audience who may not have known where to sign up and would like to provide testimony?

Okay, can you you can come up?

We're gonna go you and then you and then you.

So we'll have three, and then I'll ask again.

Thank you.

Uh hi.

Uh my name is Nathan at Derleth.

Um, and I will start this off by saying nothing special.

I'm a new mom.

I'm an eight-month-old, I'm a university employee here.

I've been in Forest Grove for um since 2018.

I've never attended one of these meetings before, so I didn't know what to expect.

And I certainly didn't think I was going to say anything.

Uh, the students who are here in the building know that I'm not the most talkative person in the world.

I have not recited the Pledge of Allegiance since I was a child.

That really took me by surprise, especially with the topic of tonight that we're spending most of our time talking about.

People being ripped off the streets, kidnapped, children not knowing where their parents are.

I can't imagine my son not knowing where I am.

Um, you know, we talked about you know, pledging an allegiance.

Allegiance means loyalty.

So we all stood up in here, myself included because I didn't know what to do.

Um, we pledged our loyalty to a flag that um represents, should represent freedom, should represent um the fairness and the validity of the people who look up to it, and that is not happening right now.

And I just have to say I don't know if it's required before city council meetings or what, but I would love to see that revisited because if there is anything that does not represent who we are and what we're doing, it's the Pledge of Allegiance right now.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, counsel.

My name's Justin Baer.

I've been a member of this community since 2017.

Um, I'd like to start off by just reading you a definition.

Umone who uses force or violence to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population or segment thereof to advance political or social objectives.

That's the definition of a terrorist under uniform code.

I've been to uh Lemigro Watch training with my wife.

Uh I was uh online for the Hillsborough uh state of emergency um teams meeting, whatever that was.

Um I chose to spoke here tonight because I'm tired.

I'm tired of listening to my daughter talk about friends and family in her school who are fearful of going outside.

I'm tired of having to explain why her best friend's family chooses to uh avoid public places, why they might be targeted.

And I'm really tired of hearing we just can't do something because we don't know for sure whether or not we can get away with it.

I'd remind you that uh in American history, we've faced times like this before.

And what's mattered is that the people who can take action in a definitive way.

And I would encourage you if it comes down to not having the knowledge or the resources to make good decisions to find creative ways to pull the right people in to enable those decisions.

Because ultimately, folks like you and us are the people who make the difference.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, counsel.

Uh, my name's Sean Elke.

Uh I moved here in 2018.

I'm not a natural Oregonian.

I moved here from Michigan in uh 2004.

Uh I usually don't share my personal story, but I will.

Um, I served law enforcement for 10 years.

Uh served under two joint task force in the federal government with the DEA and Homeland Security after 9-11.

And I it was an honor for me to represent them because we live by a code of honor, integrity, and most important, compassion.

We have laws that we live by.

The chief has laws that live by this city.

Getting into a battle with the federal government is probably not what you guys want to do.

And I agree with that.

I want to keep our police officers safe.

That's our army that protects us.

But we need to protect these people who come here for pursuit of liberty and happiness and peace.

They have laws that they have to live by.

These aggressive tactics must stop.

How you guys do that?

I don't know.

You're just a small city of Forest Grove.

But what I encourage you is to understand the legality of jurisdiction, understand the legalities of the laws that they are breaking.

And we need to bombard our DA with what we're seeing.

We need to bombard our governor.

And we have not heard anything from the state.

And I'm I'm actually very ashamed of our governor and the people that run the state, specifically the attorney general.

As one of the most biggest person that can really help us, and they're not speaking to the federal government.

And I'll just say an ending, identity politics is destroying our nation.

And it's sucks for you guys.

So I urge you to not make this an emotional thing, but make this a good plan.

I love the action plan that you guys I support it, and and I will be here supporting you as well.

But please bombard the DA, bombard the attorney general, bombard the governor because those back here who are afraid of don't have a voice.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other individuals in the audience who would like to get public testimony?

Yes, come on up.

I'm gonna I see some on Zoom.

We're gonna finish in person and then I'll move to Zoom.

I promise.

Hi.

Hi, thank you.

Avery grubbs.

Hi Gay.

Sorry, I haven't seen gay for a while.

Sorry.

Um so I've been in Forest Row for a long time.

I was an inclusion facilitator for the district for 20 something years.

I have a daughter.

I have a son too, is a military guy, but he's retired.

But my daughter is uh 47 and disabled.

She's had caregivers, one caregiver who's worked with her for 20 years, another one that's been with me for 10 years.

Um both of them, uh Yolanda became a citizen 10 years ago, the other one is uh born or became a citizen as a child.

Um, and they have always been able to take her out in the community because community inclusion is a big part of my daughter's life.

Um, she had a stroke about 15 years or in 2015 and became born disabled, she had autism, she still has that, but um, she became paralyzed, she's non-verbal, and they're fearful of taking her out because of their skin color, and that seems so crazy to me, but I realize how unsafe it is for her to be out because if the way these people behave to just take someone, and what because what even happens to my daughter?

I mean, I will go and get them out if I can because they're they're they're not criminals, they they're actually documented and everything.

Um but I really worry like when you're thinking of action plans, what happens to those people that those people that are being taken are caring for?

I mean, it's not their children only because that's bad enough.

There are so many other things that these people are contributing to us and to our society, and that's gonna be taken away, and to not do anything about it.

I came tonight just to try to get some answers.

What do I do?

How do we get everybody that are working with myself?

Thank you.

Okay, we're gonna move to the Zoom public comment.

I saw I thought I saw one.

If you are on Zoom and you would like to provide public comment, could you please use the raise hand feature?

Okay, Mika Mendez.

I'm gonna we're gonna promote you.

Mika, you are free to give your public comment whenever you're ready.

Thank you.

Um, I did not prepare for these, but a lot of things that I want to say has been said for a lot of the people that are here uh speaking up for us.

Thank you very much for being here.

And in being our voice, we are afraid, we are scared.

We don't know who's gonna kidnap us because people with masks, we don't know if they are ice.

I haven't seen this in for me.

I I haven't police officers are not wearing masks, so why do they have to wear masks?

Are they really what are they hiding?

Only uh people that are hiding things wear masks.

We're not taking benefits away from you guys.

We are working hard people, and it's a lot of misinformation out there about us.

And I urge you guys to uh help us to spread that we are good people, that we came here for a better life and and do our best in this country.

Uh it it's it's sad.

It's it's it's really sad.

It's really sad.

Um I work in my community and I came here long, long time ago.

And United States is changing a lot.

So do not let your country became one of those countries that we had to escape.

So please stand up.

And thanks again for speaking up for us.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mika.

Are there other individuals on yes?

Um, we're gonna promote the wait.

I think it says iPhone.

Um sorry, I mean okay.

So whenever you're ready, uh, you may go ahead and give public testimony.

Hi my name is Rosa, and I everything is really sad going on, and I understand everything, and I understand what I'm doing this, but I just want to let you guys know.

Thank you for everything you guys are doing.

I am a DACA recipient, and it's really hard to tell my parents, my kids because I'm a mother of three, saying them that maybe they can take me away and go back where I wasn't born.

I'm here since I was seven years old, so I I don't know anything.

If I go they take me back, if they're gonna take my life because I don't know anything from where I was born.

And this is pure new first girl.

I've been living here since I was seven years old.

Here's my life.

Here's where I want to be because I have my kids and I'm afraid, and my daughters are afraid that when they come back from school, they're maybe not gonna I'm not gonna be home.

And it's so hard to let them know the it could happen, but I know you guys are here for us, and you guys are supporting us by speaking from us, and I really appreciate everything I'm doing.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rosa.

Anyone in addition on Zoom who would like to get public comment.

Okay, seeing none, I'm gonna close the public comment period.

Um, we got one more.

Okay, go ahead, come on.

So you're just gonna take a seat at the table and state your name, and then you have two minutes.

Yeah, very good.

So my name is Sandra.

Um, work two jobs, so I had to miss the first part.

I don't know what's going on.

I have no prior knowledge to anything.

Um, I literally had to work my ass off to be able to be here right now at my second job.

And I just want you guys to know that I'm I'm angry.

Our people are suffering, our people are suffering, our students are suffering, they can't come to school, they don't want to come to school, and something needs to be done about it.

The city of Hillsborough is working really hard to make sure that their citizens over there are okay, that our citizens of Washington County are doing okay.

So I want to ask you guys, I don't know what's going on, but what are you guys doing?

Because I know what I'm doing.

I'm going out there, and despite being fucking scared myself to be out there, because I am their target audience.

I am a target to them.

I'm still going out there and I'm still picking up groceries for people.

I'm still going out there and I'm still trying to do my very best to help my community, even though I'm also really really scared.

So I'm asking you guys as the city, please help.

Please enact those protections for our immigrant people.

Please help.

And I know that you guys can do that.

I know that you guys can ask them to take off their masks, to show their badges, to show their names.

I want you guys to make them as uncomfortable as we are going out into the streets.

Thank you.

We had a work session prior to the public comment.

So the consensus from this council was to look towards a state of emergency.

Then to also replace our inclusive city resolution, which was 201721 with a sanctuary city, then work on codifying sanctuary city status and other protections and title that protecting forest grove ordinance.

We also agreed to draft a letter to Washington County Board of Commission commissioners asking them to suspend or cancel their contract with Flock.

And am I forgetting any we're gonna coordinate with other local municipalities, our service organizations, community-based programs, and law enforcement to elevate these things to the state and federal delegation.

Um I also think you know we are open to more suggestions.

We are a team, we all love Forest Grove, and Forest Grove is made up of many different people who bring expertise, culture, caring, and I just encourage you as individuals.

Sometimes I hear from people like, what can I do?

This seems so big.

Please volunteer, donate with Centro, volunteer and donate with Adelante, continue to shop at Latino businesses, go to Latino, you know, grocery stores.

Um I would like, you know, I'm gonna switch my jobs a little bit, but many people spoke to how this is affecting our kids, and they're completely correct.

And so if you have the time to support children to go to the teachers' unions and help us get kids to school and help them like grocery shop for their parents, then that would be very helpful because it's our kids that are hurting the most.

And I don't know how you you come back from this trauma.

I don't know how you come back for it.

Also, another resource that I would like people to know about is Oregon for All and Echo Law Lab.

Those there was a recommendation from Echo at an uh information session I attended last week.

If you have friends and and I'm sorry, but my it's my understanding that racial profiling is going on, and it doesn't matter if you're documented or not documented, get a lawyer and work with Echo before anything happens because that's what Echo is that's what the ACLU is recommending.

That's what Echo's recommending as well.

Um so again, I just want to thank you all for your public comment and for supporting us.

And we're gonna move on to item D on the agenda, which is additions or deletions.

City manager, do you have any additions or deletions?

Sorry, I think we skipped the consent agenda.

What's that?

We do have one consensus.

Oh, consent.

Oh, sorry, I skipped over C.

I'm sorry.

The consent agenda, items under the consent agenda are considered routine and will all be adopted with a single motion without separate discussion.

Counselors who wish to remove an item from the consent agenda may do so prior to the motion.

Any items removed will be discussed and acted upon following the approval of the remaining items.

What is the wish of the council?

No move.

Second.

Okay, counselor Marshall moved and council, counselor guffson seconded.

The consent agenda, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

The consent agenda is approved in a vote of seven to zero.

So wait a minute.

I'm gonna wait one minute while people are moving out.

Okay, we're gonna move on to uh item D, additions or deletions.

City manager, do you have any additions or deletions?

I have no additions or deletions.

Thank you, Mayor.

Okay, counselors.

Yes.

Okay, counselor Falkner.

I'd like to uh add the declaration of an emergency to the agenda tonight.

So I have a motion.

Does it have to be in a mo?

Yeah.

I have a motion from Councilor Falconer to add an emergency declaration to the agenda.

Is there a second?

Council President Valenzuela seconding that uh discussion.

Is there any discussion on it?

All those in favor of wait, what yeah, all those in favor of adding an emergency declaration is a resolution.

It is a resolution.

Yeah, an emergency declaration resolution to tonight's agenda.

We would place it in F two.

We place it in F2.

Please say I.

Aye.

All those opposed?

Hearing none.

An agenda item to add an emergency declaration is added to the agenda item F2.

Okay.

Any other ones from the council.

Any other additional additions or deletions?

Okay, to prepare for our council retreat in December.

We are going to begin with our department updates.

And so we're going to start with our public works annual update with our public works director, Greg Robertson.

Hello, Greg.

Good evening.

Okay.

Good evening, Mayor, members of the council.

For the record, Greg Robertson, public works director for the city.

Tonight I'm going to give you an update on departmental activities over this past year and some priorities as to what we will be doing in uh 2026.

So under goals and objectives, and I uh let me preface this by saying that projects that uh that I work on usually take three years, two to three years to develop to the point where they're actually being built.

So 2025 goals and objectives I actually kind of stole because they really weren't completely applicable to projects that were started in 2023.

But visionarily wise, they did align with uh with a couple of items.

So under goals and objectives, um uh projects that uh that we're working on uh specifically is the Council Creek Regional Trail.

I'm pleased to let you know that they're uh planning on going to bid April 1st of uh 2026 with a two-year build.

Um and that is moving along quite well.

We are partnering with them uh financially as well as um uh assisting them with a technical review of the uh the existing uh alignment and grade, and then more importantly, the uh the at grade crossings that will be uh coming, and that will be happening later in 2026, but timing-wise, it's gonna fit in very well with their uh uh with their schedule.

Next slide, please.

Under the 2040 vision plan, um, under community growth, there were several items that uh um garnered my attention that were applicable to the projects that I'm uh either currently working on or planning on working on.

And they uh they include uh prioritizing public safety improvements, ADA improvements, um uh and updates to city infrastructure to make them accessible.

Um long-term updates uh to our master plans and finally uh uh develop green and uh resilient infrastructure um uh projects.

Accomplishments for uh for this year.

Um we have uh uh finalized essentially a IGA.

Uh we're waiting on one other one on the the uh the maintenance activities for the Council Creek Regional Trail.

Um it is fully funded uh through a variety of sources, and as I said, they're planning on going to bid uh uh April of uh of 2026 and starting construction in earnest shortly thereafter.

We uh this year completed uh approximately a mile and a half of overlay throughout the city uh and did 66 curb ramp replacements to date since we started uh uh in earnest at it, we've completed nearly 500 um uh curb ramps in uh in town and have uh mostly taken care of uh our collector routes that are now uh and our trial routes that are now compliant.

And fortunately, we're uh uh the the town center project is coming to a conclusion.

We have four bricks left and uh one free well, and that'll be that.

Uh additionally, a project that uh uh we started um literally two years ago uh is now actually being constructed, and that is the expansion of the uh and remodel of the public works admin facility.

Next yeah.

Um is that gonna get done?

Uh April of 2026.

Um the uh contractor has poured uh done all the underground utilities and has poured the the slab on grade on the next one next stage will be uh framing and our uh crew is uh in tight quarters.

You can see from the photo on the left that that's their uh their lunch room, and it's about half gone right now, so it's uh a little tight squeeze for those uh for those folks.

But uh everyone's in good spirits, and the project is moving along very well with a lot of uh wonderful collaboration on the part of the architect, the contractor, and uh uh city staff.

Next slide.

Um one other project, and this one uh hope I didn't lie too much.

Um I had this slide kind of thinking we would be done with it by now, but it's got slight delays.

Um but we expect it to be finished uh uh this year.

Um and this is the emergency intertie project.

The photo here is the uh the main piping uh that will tie into the North Transmission line for the uh joint water commissions uh line out in Heather Street.

Uh this will be covered by a building, the uh concrete slab uh flooring was uh uh placed today, and they will be doing the vertical and one last thing we need to work on is the actual tie-in with JWC.

Uh we had run into a little bit of a uh uh problem there uh week before last, but we're getting it resolved.

So priorities um for the uh the coming year.

Um the the first is and this one's kind of near and dear to my heart because I'm a walker and I walk around town a lot.

Um and I observe and see uh the traffic patterns, particularly in the downtown uh more urbanized part.

Um I also know that uh both 19th Avenue and Pacific Avenue are our highest accident corridors both in crash uh volume and uh um severity.

Uh so one of the things that I uh uh am championing is looking at the uh the notion and pretty high level, but looking at the notion of uh returning the couplet from B Street to Hawthorn Street to two-way traffic.

So the the one ways would be eliminated, and it would do uh a lot, it would deal with slowing traffic down and uh uh improving at grade crossings for pedestrians and bicyclists.

There's a uh a lot of upside to be doing it.

I know it's controversial, um, but we're gonna begin with uh a planning study to sort through what uh what may need to happen and uh give a better picture of uh the mechanics involved in doing so.

Uh we'll be finishing the uh uh design on a safe routes for school.

Uh we've hired uh consultant due to uh a long-term employee getting ready to retire at the end of the year.

Um they are working with us right now to uh finalize the design.

Uh the big ticket item is dealing with uh the railroads, two of them, and getting their concurrence on uh on a design for the for the crossing, but that is uh moving along, and hopefully we can go to construction this this next year.

Uh but we'll be kind of gauged on what happens with uh uh with the railroads and their timelines.

Um we will continue our next round of overlays.

We're in curb ramps uh as our annual maintenance program.

Uh we target for about a mile and a half to two miles, depending on the road segment.

And uh have been averaging about 80 curb ramps.

Um it's probably gonna start to dwindle just a little bit because we're uh we're getting caught up actually.

Um and then uh uh a project that uh is of interest to me because I walk over at Fern Hill Wetlands and have to cross the street daily is the intersection highway uh 47 Maple and Fern Hill.

Um it is targeted for conventional traffic signal with some additional uh channelization to urbanize the crossing and slow folks down.

Uh one of the things we've been waiting on is the moving of a pole, and uh seems to me we're making some real good progress with uh uh the Bonneville Power Administration.

Um and uh they at least have an initial plan in place to uh to get it relocated early next year.

Uh that's that's a good sign, and working back.

Um, if uh all things go according to Hoyle, uh we may be able to get it out for bid uh right after the first of the year.

Next slide.

Um another project that I'm working on that I picked up from uh from Paul Downey uh is um a uh water rate and SDC study.

Uh it's been years since we've done one, and Paul had started it in 2024, and then I think this workload got so uh so heavy that uh he wasn't able to get to it.

Uh so I'm uh picking it up and getting started again.

Our goal is to uh have a work session with the council um early uh in 2026 with uh public hearing to consider those those changes.

We're in the information gathering stage right now with uh the consultant uh and are uh uh moving along in that direction.

Another project that uh um is one of those that you just fit in is uh uh we received an arts grant through the DOT to upgrade signage on our uh arterial routes in town.

Um those plans are finalized, and we are working with Washington County to uh utilize the services of their on-call contractor uh to get them installed, and so we'll be working over the the next month or two to uh get them outlined and uh get going on it.

Can I interrupt?

How much was that grant for?

250,000.

Thank you.

Um and uh uh one thing that we've been uh delaying doing anything uh with is the uh stormwater and sewer master plan.

We're back on track now.

Uh we've been waiting on uh clean water services to do the hydraulic modeling, save us the money of having to do the hydraulic modeling.

Uh so it saves the city uh a ton of money, uh, and that will be the basis for determining what uh improvements are to be made and where uh and uh that's uh moving along again now that we have the uh uh the data.

And then uh uh one project that uh is coming to a conclusion.

Uh you've probably seen around town a lot of new signs being popped up by uh uh Washington County and Grove Link for uh enhanced bus uh bus stops and uh their process.

I noticed one of the um or at least two of the uh shelters have been removed and are to be replaced with uh new a little bit more resilient ones than uh what previously had uh and that is supposed to wrap up uh I think in the next month or two.

That's all I have for you tonight.

Any questions?

I have a question.

Well, I have lots of questions, but so if you want to, I mean, if you were gonna highlight like if for the state, I'm thinking state of the city.

I like to highlight accomplishments from each department.

Which would be your top like two or three.

I have a list here, so you can just tell me I'll circle it.

Well, I think in terms of uh impact to a particular community, uh the safe routes of school is a pretty cool project.

Um it is it kids are forced to walk out on the street at that railroad crossing.

It's not ideal.

Um right-of-way is limited there.

Uh and also uh the segment from uh uh Rose Park on TV Highway to uh U Street is heavily used.

Uh in fact, when I was out grabbing some some photos, uh unintentionally I uh photographed two people on mobility devices that were actually out in the street.

Um that's not a safe situation, and this will address both of those, and that's probably not the biggest project that I'm working on, not the smallest, but uh in terms of impact to schools and uh children.

Uh that's a lot of bang for them.

Thanks, Greg.

Okay, anyone else have questions for Gabe?

Hey, good job this year.

Like you always do a really good job.

And so keep trying.

So thank you.

You betcha.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are you gonna have a ribbon cutting when you finish the admin building?

I mean, I know you public works guys like all the fanfare, the sugar cookies, like we'll be moved in and enjoying life.

They will.

I won't.

Um but yeah, we'll probably okay, good.

Thank you so much.

Okay, next up is our police department annual update.

Mayor Chief.

It's good to see you all again this fine evening.

Uh so this evening we're gonna do a quick overview of our uh annual report uh to council reviewing the uh objectives 2025 uh objectives as well as a 2040 plan.

Next slide, please.

Again, uh to brief council on uh the department goals, objectives, accomplishments, and priorities to help inform council uh for your annual retreat.

Next slide.

So our 2025 goals and objectives assigned by council was uh 3.2 is you passed the police station bond measure, which unfortunately, as you know from our earlier work session, that did not happen.

Uh we actually held our work session today to look at uh what steps we should move forward to.

So staff will take the direction given by council today and we'll move forward with that.

Uh 3.3 is implement a public safety response times dashboard.

That data has been completed.

Our communications staff will be uh placing uh both ours and fire's uh response time online uh on social media sites.

3.4 is identify code updates to improve code enforcement services staff as scheduled work session with council in January of 26 to discuss potential codes and areas for further review and discussion.

Next slide, please.

So in regards to the 2040 plan, uh our action items are under uh section two.

So we'll start out with 2.11 is increase uh enforcement of traffic laws.

2.17 is again the new police facility.

218 is prioritize staffing and equipment for public safety through workload analysis.

Explore expansion uh excuse me, 219 is explore expansion of community volunteer support functions for public safety.

Two points two one is continue to partner with other districts and agencies to improve public safety services and response times.

Next slide.

So, in regards to our accomplishments uh with the 2040 plan is so the summer we're uh we put on our first uh Pacific University intern.

What did they do?

I mentioned she was on boarded this summer.

Uh, we also have a new uh another volunteer coming on uh next week to help us with some work code analysis.

Uh we received three traffic enforcement ODOT grants.

Uh and I think we're up to like several thousand citations based on those grants.

So we've been doing a lot of work uh on traffic.

Our parking fines were adjusted by ordinance to assist in the attorney of parking violations.

One of our other accomplishments in regards to outreach is we reached 16,000 followers on Facebook.

And we uh adjudicated 10 major cases, and that might not seem a lot, but when we look at the timeline for trials, we actually had a several attempted murder murder cases as well as significant sex abuse cases that were adjudicated and uh uh prosecuted successfully.

Next slide.

So our priorities uh we'll continue to work on the 2020 workload, and we'll get that done by the end of this calendar year.

We like doing calendar year workload analysis, gives us a broader scope of the data that's out there.

Uh again, we mentioned the police uh facility, and uh big one is to ratify our labor contract.

Oh, I'm in charge.

Sorry.

Um hi chief.

So I saw on our website that there's a posting for a police chief.

Yes, okay.

So then I I feel like this is your news, but um first of all, I just want to say thank you for coming out of retirement and bringing our community back together with trusting our police department.

Um the work you did is just like amazing.

And if I had my way, I mean, I would let you retire because I you deserve it.

But I guess so.

Getting to my question.

You during your tenure as a retired revisited police chief in the city of Forest Grove.

What are a couple of things that you enjoy the most or that you're most proud of?

Well, I I have to start out with staff.

You actually have amazing staff at the police line level and experience, you know, with any agency you experiencing, you know, the good times, the bad times, transition times in regards to people leaving, coming and going.

But again, you do have amazing staff here.

You had amazing staff when I first got here.

We're very fortunate to continue to hire very good people.

That that's probably the biggest caveat.

Um not to bolster anybody's eagle, but you got a great city manager.

Uh and I mean that because I've served C's blushing over there, but I have served uh and worked with several city managers at Hillsborough, and Jesse's definitely on top of that, and as well as the collaboration between all the department directors, it's a very close-knit community.

And I know Jim and I we talk a lot and we try to collaborate on a lot of projects together as well as with Greg.

Those are probably the big things for the PD.

Thank you very much, Chief.

Oh, sorry, Counselor Schimmel has a question.

I was just ignoring him.

Sorry.

Sorry, Counselor Shimmel.

Probably should um and that probably should have followed my question because that I I want to circle back to the earlier work section.

I the uh when I I should have asked this then is what if your officer were to come upon a group of ICE agents that they believe were uh abusing their authority.

What would what would be the probable outcomes or risks if they were to intervene?

So a few weeks I'm telling me backstory a little bit.

A few weeks ago, I did direct all our officers to record any ICE uh interactions, documents.

Again, we have body war cameras by policy they need to have them on, unless they're doing juvenile or domestic type of violence, sexual abuse investigations.

Let's tell them to make sure they follow policy and again to record if they need to is to ask if there's a warrant.

Again, it doesn't mean ICE has to show us when we do a knock and talk.

If some neighbor came up and say, Let me see the warrant, we wouldn't show them.

We just let the person know that we're serving that we have a warrant and we would read the warrant.

So again, in regards to intervention, it would really be situational.

And again, we are working on a tipping point on when we should intervene.

And this has got to be a state level discussion to understand what protections officers across the board, not only in force control, but across the state that would have and where that tipping point actually would have to take place.

Though, as I mentioned in the work session in 181A, we have a duty to report report and intervene.

That does not apply to federal law enforcement.

So our current direction from our attorney general, state attorney general, that they feel that we can report.

Again, the intervene piece is the big discussion.

We're meeting with our uh law enforcement counsel Thursday, which includes Kevin Barton.

And that's probably our main discussion for folks in Washington County on where that is.

But again, that's gonna have to be a state level conversation to understand the guidance and the due to uh judicial processes that will involve officers if they intervene.

Can I ask a follow-up question here?

Well, I want to acknowledge that I appreciate that.

And you answer the second half the question about what direction or third of you need to take to do anything further, but I just an acknowledgement that based just based on not only public testimony tonight, but at Washington County and um Hillsboro, you know, pe people are are asking police to literally cite arrest a federal agent, which would effectively be asking them to violate the constitution and break the law in the process of upholding the law in the constitution.

That's that seems untenable.

And I I empathize with the position your officers are put in where they have to they're they're rarely there, but when they are they they are in is such a uh untenable situation to observe that uh and risk potentially risk their career and life in a in a group of agents with assault weapons and and not know what they are capable of doing.

Uh so I I stand by your your officers in making those decisions and and go into the extent of what the law allows you to do and and wait for further direction and um protections for you.

Uh I I just um I abhor the notion that we we have we have to expect you to risk not only your life but if those agents were to respond in a lethal manner, everyone in that surrounding area is in danger, and we would risk further escalation from the federal government, regardless of court.

So I I applaud that your officers uh have the composure and discipline to to do uphold their job, and they are upholding the constitution even in the face of a relentless government who's breaching that same uh document.

So I I think our officers are pretty uh proactive and oh sure.

Quick story if I may is we had one of our officers actually do a traffic stop on a nice vehicle uh last week because they had expired plates.

So cool.

Yes.

And we were very blessed because it was uh one of our uh officers who's from Rhine, and I'm glad he wasn't taken.

Yeah.

Well, thank you, Chief.

Any other questions?

Okay, thanks, Chief.

And we're gonna Cody's filling in for Ann tonight, and he gets to give the parks and recreation update.

I hope Ann buys you lunch.

Yeah.

Yeah, right.

I was like wink wink, push, push, and she's off on vacation having a good time, so as she deserves it, so I'll be here for you all this evening.

Thank you, Cody.

So thank you all for your time this evening, Mayor and Council.

As you know, Director Lane has asked me to stand in for her this evening.

Uh for those of you who may not know, I'm Cody Jeffers.

I'm the recreation coordinator for the parks and recreation department.

Um so I'll be reading uh Director Lane's words for you tonight, uh, as it is related to the the presentation up on the screen.

Uh so this evening I will be sharing a review and update of the 2025 city council goals and objectives specific to the parks and recreation department, a review and update on tasks identified in the 2040 vision plan for parks and recreation, as well as department comp accomplishments from 2025 and priorities for 2026.

After that, I will do my best to answer questions you all may have.

Uh anything I can't answer this evening will be noted, and happy to pass that on to Director Lane for the response.

Great, thank you.

Yeah, of course.

Purpose of tonight's presentation is to brief you all on parks and recreation goals, objectives, accomplishments, and priorities to help inform your upcoming annual city council retreat.

Of those goals related to the parks and recreation department, our goals two and four.

Goal two of the 2025 city council goals and objectives is to ensure an inclusive accessible and sustainable community within goal two, objective 2.6 is to evaluate staff capacity and administration and parks maintenance.

Goal four is to enhance recreation opportunities for all objectives of this goal are to complete parks and recreation cost recovery plan, construct East Side Park, update the parks recreation and open space master plan, and to complete the design for Kyle Park and to develop the forest grove loop trail master plan.

In addition to the City Council goals are some from the 2040 Vision Plan as well.

Goal statement from the 2040 Vision Plan states that we envision a forest grove community where everyone can enjoy safe, accessible, and inclusive recreation opportunities that enhance quality of life for all ages and abilities.

So action items for that goal of the 2040 Vision Plan include the following eight objectives.

There's quite a few of them.

So you've got our work cut out for us.

Those eight objectives are to update the city parks and recreation master plan, establish a recreation advisory committee with representatives from the city of Forest Grove, City of Cornelius, Pacific University, and Forest Grove School District in order to develop recommendations to increase recreational opportunities across our community.

Goal number three is to explore options for multi-use recreation community facility that includes space for recreation events, mentorship, education, and action.

Also to create a gathering space by developing the East Side Park, work with Pacific University on updating linking the Lincoln Park long-term use agreement, identify and reduce barriers to participation in recreation for things such as cost, transportation, awareness, availability of resources, and much more.

Also to increase access to recreation opportunities for people with varied abilities, and lastly, to host the safety town community event.

So we have a lot ahead of us, and already the parks and recreation department has accomplished two of those six objectives set forth by you all in City Council for the 2025 council goals, and we continue to make safe progress on the four objectives.

One such accomplishment is objective 4.4, and that is to complete design for Kyle Park here.

Kyle Park is approximately seven and a half acres and located adjacent to B Street storage on B Street.

Park was identified in 2016 in the Parks and Recreation Open Space Master Plan as an opportunity to develop the site as an open space greenway that provides a range of bicycling opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.

Parks recreation and open space master plan also indicates that the site should be in a quote equipped with bike trails, a bike skills area, and a bike track.

So theme of Cow Park bike.

This was done intentionally, as you might imagine, to maximize efficiency and reduce duplication efforts of these two projects as they have a heavy intersection with one another.

We began this project in October of 2023 with the hiring of ALTA Planning and Design and their comp subcontractor, Place LLC.

Since that time, the community engagement and outreach efforts have been completed as well as concept design preliminary schematic design and now a final design.

The next step in this project is a value engineer the project and to develop construction documents.

The next goal completed was objective 4.5, and that is to develop the Forest Grove Loop Trail Master Plan.

Forest Grove Loop Trail is an approximate 13-mile troop loop trail that will encircle the entirety of City Forest Grove.

It is comprised of existing trails and proposed trails that are to be connected to complete this entire 13-month loop.

Included in the plan is the development of Kyle Park into a main trailhead parking location and a bicycle creation area.

As previously mentioned, this project was awarded to Alta Planning and their subcontractors, place LLC, and design kicked off in October 2023.

Since then, we have worked with ALTA in place to complete the community engagement and outreach efforts.

We've collected a lot of data, identified and map existing conditions, establish and met with technical advisory committees and a stakeholder advisory committee.

We've determined alternate route options and ultimately establish a preferred route option.

The next step for this is to begin a multi-step design process of this trail, to continue advancing the forest loop trail project.

A request for proposal still needs to be written, and a solicitation completed for consult to do the work.

Aside from the progress made towards accomplishing specifically the 2025 City Council goals and objectives, as well as the 2040 division plan, parks and recreation department had many other notable accomplishments to highlight in 2025 report.

So among those is in 2025, over $13,000 in financial assistance has been awarded through our Fund for All Fund Financial Assistance Program.

We continue to share the program information with the public and work with the school district directly with their guidance counselors to identify participants in specific need of financial support, which has helped us connect directly to participants, namely youth and students that might not have otherwise approach parks and recreation.

We've also done a large pool pile project.

So the original tool pool tile from 1968 along the perimeter of the main pool, the competition pool was replaced, and the concrete gutter system was built.

During the required three month closure to address this project, several other maintenance and repair projects were also completed.

Some pipes in the basement were replaced, the lobby got a refresh with new paint benches, flooring, interactive pile boards, booknote, water fill station, all these things were added to the lobby.

So if you haven't been there, go check it out.

Looking in real sharp.

Through the approved funding of additional lifeguard hours, this last budget cycle, an investment has been made in expanding lifeguard skills and their training to meet current national standards.

Staff has responded very favorably to this training, and we are building confidence in their ability to successfully provide aid if needed.

The action taken to elevate and fund expanded staff training hours is a demonstration to the community of the city's commitment to ensuring that staff patrons, patrons ultimately that their safety is a top priority for the property.

Some other accomplishments and goals that we've completed is Knox Ridge Park has been completed.

The renovation opportunities for play have been expanded there.

Irrigation and drainage were previously a huge concern.

It would pool basically down there in the middle of the park there that has now been addressed.

Uh, for play and expansion to become universally accessible area-free.

Uh, has prompted a need for uh to mitigate fire risk within the forested area near that new development.

So the overall forest health is being addressed specifically by the removal of fire fuels in that area.

Um things like non-native and invasive plants and trailing ivy that is suffocated on the trees, creating latter fuels in the area.

Process of that IV removal is still underway.

Um once it is completed, the replanting of native uh plants will take place with the assistance of student clubs from Pacific University and Forest Grove School District.

Trail access and development is still underway in that area, and we'll continue to progress to the project.

With recreation programs, as is near and dear to my heart.

Um, we've had some great expansions this year in both youth and adult recreation in our summer season.

Um, we've seen an increase in attendance in our existing programs.

Um, and we've had an addition to our summer lineup.

Things included our aquacamp, toddl playtime, and seen here our adult pickleball league.

And this is just half of them.

We had 32 over the entire summer for the seven weeks, and this was very fun.

Expansions to existing programs were seen.

Camp Grove, kind of our flagship summer program has seen an addition of two weeks.

Um, and we've added a youth pickleball summer clinic that was typically otherwise just a summer program.

Community events have also seen a new addition and expansion over the years.

Uh, the first ever summer kickoff event happened this spring.

It was well attended pre-community event uh held at Rogers Park in the spring to promote summer programs and to build excitement going into that summer season.

Uh we also had Park Licks, it was another well-attended free community event.

I think I saw some of you at least one of them.

Um we had three movies showing at different varying parks, one seen here at Lincoln Park.

We hope to continue those and expand further.

So looking towards the future for the department as a whole, our top priorities in 2026 is uh to include the pool deck and locker room renovation at the aquatic center, construction of East Side Park, secure a consultant and begin the process of updating parks, recreation, open space, and trails master plan, also known as PROS, uh, to continue to expand adult recreation programming year-round recreation programming and to complete the cost recovery plan and create a short and long-term plan to address parts maintenance staff challenges.

Uh, it's been a really great rear year.

We've got a lot a lot of great things ahead of us.

Um at this time, I'd like to invite any comments, questions, and thank you for your time this evening.

Thank you, Cody, for doing this.

Um, I'm not gonna really put you on the hot seat because you're filling in for Ann, but I just want the whole council to know you, and I'm gonna hype you up because Cody organized a whole summer kickoff party that was held, I think it was like the first weekend in May at Rogers Park.

And he does just really a good job of bringing people together from other organizations.

Like he has a really good partnership with Lauren and Henry and has a good presence there.

And then he had you know, Tom bring out all the fun toys, and the kids could like sit on the mowers and like yeah, I don't I that was just such a good event, and that was all done by you.

And so I just want to say thank you.

And uh, I hope there's more to come.

And you just do a really good job at bringing people together.

You're really approachable, and every year, more and more people are using recreation, and you are to thank for that.

So good job.

Keep it up.

Sorry.

Any other questions?

Okay, you're out of the hot seat, Cody.

Thanks so much.

Thank you so much for filling in and thank you for staying late.

Okay, our last department update is from Chief Gearing on fire services, fire department update.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good evening.

Thank you.

No, Chief Garing's been here all night, and he was like last on the docket.

So thank you for being patient.

Right?

That's right.

That's right.

That's what they say.

You be the judge.

I'm like, no one's arguing with you, and Henry and Cody are both sitting there, so we're gonna go with it.

All right, let's go ahead and uh next slide, please.

So the purpose tonight is uh to talk about the uh 2025 goals and objectives, division plan, accomplishments, priorities, and then some questions if you like.

Uh next go back, let's go back a couple to the purpose.

Yep.

All right, uh, we're gonna brief the council on fire department goals, objectives, accomplishments, and priorities to help inform council's annual retreat next month.

Next slide.

Uh there are two goals and objectives for this year.

One is to conduct a fire station location needs analysis, and the other two prioritize staffing and equipment for public safety throughout uh through workload analysis.

The goal statement is community growth, and our 2040 actions are to conduct a fire station needs analysis, deploy a second fire emergency response vehicle to meet the needs of increased calls, prioritize staffing and equipment for public safety through workload analysis, explore expansion of community volunteer support functions for public safety, update the city's emergency preparedness plan in coordination with regional planning efforts, and then continue to partner with other districts and agencies to improve public safety services and responses.

All right, these are the accomplishments that uh pertain to this year's goals and objectives.

The first goal is to conduct a fire station location needs analysis.

And what we did first uh a few months ago was to consider whether or not we wanted to hire a consultant or just uh purchase the software to conduct the uh the study internally.

And uh in discussions with the city manager, uh, we landed on uh uh purchasing the software uh and and uh so we've procured the uh atom, which is the apparatus deployment analysis module from Deccan.

The cost was 17,500, and that'll give us the software for one year.

Uh the uh the cost is shared 50-50 with the rural district in uh on October 29th.

Okay, next slide.

This next accomplishment pertains to prioritizing staffing and equipment for public safety through workload analysis, or what we're referring to as dashboards.

We've acquired first watch software to better capture, analyze, and report department data.

We're gonna focus the analysis on response time thresholds that are based on local fire department standards and national industry standards, such as NFTA 1710.

We're going to utilize the dashboards to show department response times using two methods.

The first one, average response times to compare before and after levy improvements, and the second to uh show response times at the 90th percentile to compare response time capability against industry standards.

Um on a 724 basis, we'll utilize the real-time um internal dashboards to inform our firefighters of their turnout time and response time threshold compliance.

So on this last uh bullet, what what we've done is we purchased some TV monitors, and we're gonna mount those monitors in the firefighter's office and upstairs in the TV room where the kitchen is, and we're gonna show real-time 724 data and and uh show our firefighters what they're accomplishing every day.

Um they'll get to see what their what their actual performance is uh on on their own dashboards, and because of the competitive nature of firefighters, we're gonna show the the three shifts side by side, and and uh we hope that that will right uh sort of instill them to uh make improvements on their own.

Chief, did the the firefighters like they're on board with this, like the union.

I mean, there's no like it's not tied to evaluation, and there's no fear of um I don't know, like maybe putting themselves in dangerous situations to win.

Like I'm just wondering is this all like seen as a positive within the union and the very good question uh because sometimes these type of tools can be seen as uh intrusive.

Yeah, the lights on and we're watching, and what we've asked our firefighters is to uh make improvements one second at a time.

None of this is punitive.

We want them to see what they're doing, what how they're performing, and they know where they can make improvements, and uh and and that's what we're sure that they will do.

Thank you.

So this uh next slide is uh sort of a visual on the dashboard that's already up on our city's website.

This shows the uh annual response time averages on the left column.

There are the years uh showing 22, 23, 24, and then this year to date.

The next column shows code three medical, and the last column shows code three fire.

The code three calls are the uh more emergent calls.

These are the calls that are responded to with lights and sirens.

And for example, the uh code three medical.

Uh there's 25 different types of medical uh code three medical calls.

Uh those would include cardiac arrest, chest pain, breathing problems, stroke, trauma, and seizure.

And then, as I said, the dashboard shows the uh code three fire calls.

Those are all fires that are responded to with lights and sirens.

So a fire that was uh a bark dust fire would not be included in this dashboard.

All right, next slide is the uh annual incidents and responses by year on the left column, and then once again the code three medical, code three fire.

Those are the numbers for uh for those particular years.

And then in the in the last two columns, we see the total incidents and total responses.

You might be wondering what what the difference is.

Uh an incident is uh is is one call for service, and that one call for service uh might require uh multiple responses by different units from Forest Grove.

And if there were three three units that responded to that incident, it would be one incident, but three responses.

Can I ask a real quick question on your last couple slides?

Um the actual the response times.

Do you I mean I know we support areas outside of outside of our city limits, and so I was just a little bit curious about whether you in turn, I mean you didn't display it here, but do you internally sort of track in-city response time versus out of city response time just to kind of understand you know why that you know why those numbers might change or why they you know might increase or decrease?

Yeah, thank you for that.

We we uh we we aren't showing on a dashboard yet, but the first watch software that we have will do that for us.

Okay, and we are interested to see what our response times when we're receiving mutual aid are and what they are when when we're out when we're providing it to others, and and as well, we want to see what the numbers are, uh, how much aid that we're providing and how much that we're receiving.

Thank you.

So we will be tracking that.

Okay.

Uh now we'll discuss some of our accomplishments and progress that are not attached to the council goals and objectives for this year.

Um update the city's emergency preparedness plan in coordination with regional planning efforts.

So far, the following draft EOP documents have been created and revised by staff.

Those are the city um City of Force Grove emergency operations base plan, the incident command system position description and checklists, the hazard planning annex and the recovery annex, and then the documents that are still pending review are the emergency service annex, the mass care and sheltering annex, and the critical infrastructure annex.

Next slide.

Um deploy a second fire emergency response vehicle to meet the needs of increased calls.

So this was uh there was some discussion uh on this during the uh budget preparation, and there was a decision that had to be made whether or not we were going to fill those three positions that are funded by the levy.

Uh the positions were uh uh originally uh appropriated for different years, three different years.

And uh with the support of the city manager, uh the decision was made to fund those positions this fiscal year.

So um we uh held a recruit uh recruitment process that opened earlier this year, worked together with our human resources department.

Uh we accepted 108 applications, we screened those for qualifications, we interviewed 37 candidates in the first round, 18 candidates in the second round.

We conducted backgrounds on on five final candidates and made uh job offers shortly after.

The fire academy began October 6th, and graduation will take place on December 4.

Uh, and then uh once graduation takes place all three shifts will be assigned seven personnel versus the current six personnel that we have.

Yeah, that's good news.

Great.

Uh then we're gonna work uh within our staffing capabilities and within our budget to maintain two emergency response units as often as possible.

That's right around the corner.

Okay, next, please.

Uh this is to uh explore expansion of community volunteer support functions for public safety.

So I wanted to provide this graphic.

This is out of a study that the state of Oregon did.

That the uh uh fire chiefs uh conducted a study, and they focused on the the issues that are facing the fire service in the state of Oregon.

This is one of them, and it's volunteerism, and this is an issue that is affecting the fire service across the country.

Um the uh wasn't FEMA, it was uh NFA conducted a study as well, and one of their issues across this the country again is volunteerism.

So this graphic shows whether or not out of the the uh the number of chiefs that were surveyed, whether they saw changes in uh volunteerism in their departments.

And you can see the the two large bars that go across moderately decreased and significantly decreased.

That's about just over 70 percent of a decrease in volunteerism in in the state.

So providing that graphic um just to give the council an idea of uh how volunteerism has changed across the country in the state of Oregon, and certainly we've seen it here in our city.

I have a question.

It's okay.

Um has there been a kind of a research done on why the volunteer has decreased.

I know that's it's common everywhere right now.

Um but sometimes there's there's a reason for that that maybe we can work a strategy around.

Yeah, they thank you.

The um the as I recall reading the study, uh, some of the things that affected volunteerism was uh just a uh change in times and a change in priorities.

Uh people who uh work outside of the city that where they live in their commuting, uh uh the cost of living, families, uh, education, those are a lot of things that that hold people back from being able to volunteer like they once used to.

Um and I'm sure there are many other other factors, but we've we again we've seen it here in Forest Grove locally.

All right, so we've uh we've we've done a study on the realities of volunteerism.

Uh we determined the need uh here locally in Forest Grove to right size our fire department volunteer program.

We conducted an internal workshop to determine the needs for a fire department volunteer program, and we came up with three distinct needs for our department and for our city.

One first response capability in the rural district and the city.

The second is a water tender response capability, and the third ancillary responses.

So the the third would be uh non-fire fighting.

Uh it would be uh community support through the fire department for activities that that the fire department supports throughout the year.

Uh we contacted all of our volunteers to assess interest in the program, and then we updated our volunteer roster to reflect current participating members.

We have about 15 members currently.

All right, the next item is uh continue to partner with other districts and agencies to improve public safety services and response times.

Uh during the summer, we applied for a for a uh the Oregon State Fire Marshal Capacity Staffing Grant.

We were awarded $35,000 to uh increase staffing on various days throughout the fire season.

We continue to work within the existing mutual aid agreement to provide closest unit response via GPS automatic vehicle locator, and we have a draft intergovernmental agreement under review to provide various fire services to the city of Cornelius's city of Cornelius.

Some of those uh services include fire inspector and PIO duties.

Right.

Next, uh these are some various accomplishments that we've made throughout the year.

Uh respond to various major fires, including the Palisades fire in California.

Uh approximately 125,000 in reimbursements from those conflags will be received this fiscal year.

We held the annual open house with light and power and all the city departments.

We can go to the next slide.

That was well attended, and uh we had a lot of participation from all of the departments in our city.

We appreciate that.

Okay, next slide.

We'll continue on.

We transitioned services formally provided to the city of Cornelius.

Uh we held an internal promotional exam.

The Civic Academy participation.

We updated our agreement with Pacific University to provide learning experiences for the school of physical therapy and athletic training.

We completed uh labor contract negotiations, engaged in various school career fairs, and identified gaps in communications and purchased Starlink to improve connectivity and communication.

All right, next is uh these are some of the uh more significant fires.

The one on the left is the uh apartment complex there prime time.

Uh when we arrived on that fire, there were four units uh uh involved in it with with fire, four units.

Uh this was apartment complex upstairs and downstairs.

Uh very challenging.

All right, next.

So here's some uh some more accomplishments.

Uh responded to oops, I already read that.

All right, the priorities.

Uh these are some of the priorities for uh 25 and for 26 new fire engine purchase and placement into service.

We have our new fire engine.

It's uh it's almost being done outfitted.

I've been saying that for quite a few weeks now.

And uh, we're gonna put that into service uh hopefully this month.

We have our eye on November 17th, we'll see how that works out.

We'd like to invite all the council members for uh a ribbon cutting.

We'll let you know when that's gonna take place.

Uh we're going to surplus uh truck four.

We have a buyer that is interested, and uh we're working on plans to to bring that um uh the chief from that department uh to the city of Forest Grove to take a look at the truck and and hopefully um make the deal.

Uh acquire and place into service telestaff staffing software.

This is a new software that we're interested in buying that's gonna help uh reduce staff hours uh by letting a computer handle our staffing.

Our staffing can be very complex sometimes, and we'll let the computer take care of it.

It's a very good software.

Uh standardized training and timed evolutions.

Uh this is something that we've been wanting to do for quite some time, and uh that is underway.

And then a new IGA with Cornelius regarding fire prevention and PIO services, which I mentioned just a moment ago.

As always, we thank you for your support and entertaining any questions.

Thank you, Chief.

Um, I just want to make a statement to both chiefs right now.

Something like when you show the pictures of the um residents that were on fire, I was like, man, both of you all went through a pretty lengthy, lengthy list.

Sorry, I'm like stuttering my words of all your achievements.

And I just want to point out to the whole community and the council that that's in addition to the job you do of keeping us all safe.

Right, like your number one job is safety, public safety.

And I mean, no, like I'm not trying to throw shade on Parks and Rack or public works, but the like the kind of the different, you mean like their job, like their accomplishments is like what their department like is their their priorities.

So these things are also an addition.

So I just wanted to make that point.

And then if both of you could send me like any sort of data on like how many responses, how like, because I think during the stay of the city, people want to hear, like, hey, they went to they put out this many fires or they cited this many people for you know ordinances, whatever it is.

And I also want to say that uh Chief Gearing did all of these things while supporting a crew that was going through staffing like adjustments because when Cornelius passed their levy and hired a fire chief, that affected our department because of our IGA and different things.

And so he kept everyone together.

Morale is really good from what I hear.

Like all the stuff is doing really well.

So under good leadership.

Um, I appreciate it.

Thank you for the support.

Thank you.

Okay, we're gonna move on.

Did anyone else have questions?

No.

Okay, we're gonna take a quick bio break, if that's okay.

Well, it's gonna be okay.

We're gonna take a five-minute bio break.

I don't ask.

Yeah, I'm just we're gonna reconvene.

Um and we're gonna move on to item F.

F1, which is resolution.

Oh gosh, I'm serious, seriously having a hard time talking.

I'm sorry.

Resolution 2025-60 authorizing the city manager to establish a city membership to the mayor's innovation project.

Go ahead, Jesse.

Thank you, mayor, members of the council.

I'll keep this brief.

The staff report was in the council packet.

The city council does have to review and approve all of the memberships that the city enters into.

Once those memberships are approved by the city council, they get worked into the city budget and they stay into the city budget unless the city council would like to discontinue a membership at a future time.

This particular membership is for the mayor's innovation project.

The council reach a consensus at the last meeting to add this membership to the city budget and become a member of the MIP or mayor's innovation project.

Uh the MIP is a national network that supports local governments through research, peer learning, and technical assistance.

They have cohort programs, published policy research and organizational efforts on a broad range of topics.

The fiscal impact is twelve hundred and fifty dollars per year.

There is sufficient funds this year to pay for the membership during the mid-year reconciliation for the biennial budget.

This would be proposed to be added permanently to the budget uh from this point forward on a per annum basis.

With that, I'd be happy to answer any questions that the council may have.

I have a question and then a statement.

Can um this go on the does staff get a list of professional development opportunities?

Yes.

Can this be added?

Because it's my understanding that as member city, as a member city, any staff, mayor or counselor who would like to attend a conference, the the um cost of the conference is free.

Like with our with our membership, um, with our yearly membership, the registration the registration fee is waived if you're a member city.

And that also includes staff.

And so when I went in the summer, they were doing some economic development things.

There's like things going on with public safety.

So I'm just thinking, you know, if a staff can look at that, that's just also a really good opportunity.

And they do um for the council and staff, they do a winter meeting, which um coincides with the congressional wait, what is it, the city and mayor's meeting, but we're not a large enough city to be part of that.

And then they do a summer meeting.

Okay.

They're only like two days, so they're really doable.

Okay, that's my only statement.

Any questions for Jesse?

What's the wish of the council?

So move.

Okay, it was moved by Councillor Schimmel and seconded by Councillor Gussen.

Um, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed say aye.

Hearing none.

Resolution 2025-60 is approved 6-0 is approved by the Force Growth City Council in a seven to zero vote.

Moving on to item F2, which was added tonight to declare an emergency declaration to assist um with people experiencing effects of federal immigration um activity.

I'm gonna pass it over to Jesse.

So the last time the city declared an emergency declaration was during COVID.

And if my memory serves correctly, during that time, there was a work session about an emergency declaration.

And in anticipation of that, um, staff prepared a draft resolution in the event that the council at the time wanted to take some action that evening about an emergency declaration.

Likewise, we have followed suit here.

And so we have prepared a draft resolution.

I know this has not been reviewed.

It was not in the packet.

Uh, but in the event that the council wanted to add this to the agenda, staff wanted to make sure that we were prepared.

Based on the work session that we just had, um, I asked Mariah to put in the resolution number and also to put in the consensus monetary amount that I understood to be 50,000.

The council, of course, can amend this if they would like.

Um, this is a draft.

It has been um reviewed by the city attorney's office.

Um, it was in large part patterned after uh the last emergency declaration that the city did.

So a lot of the citations and references, such as ORS 401.315, point 309, emergency operations plan.

That was pulled directly from the last resolution that was done, I believe, in 2020.

This does follow the emergency operations plan outlined in 1.7.2, which has the properties of an emergency declaration.

So you'll see that this tries to follow that outline as best as possible.

So one thing about considering this is um if the council would like to pass it, it does need to be read in its entirety because it is essentially walking on uh an amendment.

And an amendment does need to be read it's read in its entirety to make sure that there is full understanding uh by the council body prior to a vote.

So with that, mayor, I'll turn it back to you.

If there's uh however you'd like to go through it, I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Um if we need to, I can also reach out to the city attorney and have them join us.

They have reviewed this document, however.

Okay, so a couple questions.

Is it oh yeah, I'll just ask the question.

When is it read in its entirety?

When we read the resolution, uh, very similar to when I read the title of the resolution, it would be read in its entirety at that point.

And you would read it or would the mayor I think either myself or Mariah would read it just as I would normally read the resolution.

Yeah.

Um, any other questions?

I've read first page.

Okay.

Mayor, can I okay?

I'll stop okay.

Stay on that because I was in the middle of reading.

Go ahead.

I was just after um former mayor truck's mentioned public testimony.

Let's wait and have that during discussion.

Do you have a question about it?

Or my question would be is that something that we want to move towards?

But if if you want to wait for discussion, that's right.

I think we can, I think we should wait for discussion because I was gonna, I mean, uh that's when we can like discuss the let's get a move a second.

Let's just keep it in.

So I guess the only other things I would mention while the council is reading through that is uh the council can amend this resolution at any time.

It can be extended if the council would like.

Uh currently it expires December 31st, 2025.

The COVID resolution that we passed earlier was, I believe, for a month for the expenditure of resources, and then it eventually got extended by the council.

Thank you, Mayor.

So if we extended it, would it just be a like how would we would just have consensus to bring that back?

Yeah, just have consensus, and then you just amend it to a time specific.

It does require in the emergency operations plan to have a time period that the resolution will be effective.

So right now it expires at the end of the year.

We just it's if council would like to put in a different date, they certainly can.

Um, it was tied mostly to the expenditure of the resources, the thought being the resources would be expended by that time.

Okay, and then we might need to re-elocate or do whatever.

Okay.

More questions, Counselor Feldmere.

Do you know you're good?

Counselor Schimmel.

Yeah.

Well, I I actually appreciate that the language would give you some latitude.

Is there anything what we discussed earlier?

Give you the I guess the outlines of where you would put the money, or would you need any more information than that?

I think this resolution stays to support community-based organization providing services in Forest Grove to those impacted by federal immigration activities.

If the council would like to kind of change the scope, the scope, the way that staff would read that would be those CBOs that are providing support activities, whether it be wraparound services, rapid response, um potentially uh food assistance, rent assistance, uh those types of services that would be utilized by those families that would be impacted by some of the recent enforcement actions.

To follow up that question, how what's the mechanism that the council has to discuss who that goes to, and then how do we protect?

I guess my concern is I don't want I don't necessarily want everyone to know exactly who we're giving the money to.

If it if it puts them at risk of not being able to help the community they're helping.

Yeah.

Um so this would authorize to say it.

This would authorize I don't want to specifically name organizations.

Okay, yeah.

This would authorize the city to enter into a contract with any community-based organization uh that would provide those services.

So let me unpack a little bit more.

How do we I mean because it has to be a decision based on I mean, does it have to be a council-based decision on who's getting the money, or is it going to be city?

Oh, I think that'd be left to the city manager.

That'd be left under this resolution.

Whoever gets the money would be left up to the city manager.

Okay, cool.

That's great.

Thanks.

Counselor Guts then.

Mayor, I I just want to confirm I understand what you said.

So you're concerned about people knowing where that money is going to for safe safety reasons.

Is that what you said?

And I want to make sure I understood what you said.

Yeah.

Okay.

Is that something we can do?

Because it's, you know, public domain, right?

Where they can I think that's what he I don't know.

Good question.

That's for Jesse.

I don't I don't know if I can the transparency people expect, especially with their money that they're, you know, their tax money.

I know, but it's community-based organizations.

I don't know.

What do you think?

I don't know.

I can't answer that question.

I'm leaving it to Jesse.

So under the emergency declaration, I think the way staff would approach this would be to reach out to some of the community-based organizations that are providing services, whether it be food, rental assistance, um rapid response, wraparound assistance for those affected families.

Uh we would engage in conversations with them about what types of services they provide.

Um, I think we would try to take a um what I would kind of characterize as a pretty broad approach in terms of trying to make sure that the money is allocated in the best manner possible to have the most beneficial and positive impact for those folks that are affected.

It may go to multiple organizations, um, likely to provide uh kind of a broad array of services that are needed.

What we're seeing right now is we're seeing organizations that are responding to um um actions that are that are being taken and and they're responding first, and then if you will, the money part is following later.

And that money part is starting to uh become more acute, if you will, now and become more evident.

Um and so this assistance would uh go to those organizations that are in need of financial assistance to continue providing those services that that we just mentioned.

Okay, hope that answers your question.

It didn't.

Basically, I was wondering if if we could keep that private where those funds are going.

I don't think we can, but I don't believe that we can.

I believe that any time we do any kind of financial transaction that is a public, we would likely enter into some form of um professional services agreement.

It could be a truncated agreement um that would explain what services would be done.

Essentially, it's a grant, if you will.

Um, so can I ask a question?

Yeah, and maybe maybe also an observation or a point.

I don't know.

I mean, it seems to me like yes, of course, any time you know, we're in we're in we do a transaction, it's a matter of public record.

Yeah, we don't put every $50,000 um payment in a resolution that goes up on our website.

We contract for all sorts of things that are under your discretion, for example, the the people who clean this building every night.

Sure.

There are there are we there's yeah, if somebody wanted that information, they'd be able to request public record, but we're not brought up.

You have to reach out for it if we're not.

Yeah, I don't I don't know that we would necessarily broadcast it, but it's probably we don't need to put it in a resolution.

Give you the authority to set the money all the time without putting it into a resolution.

Yeah, correct.

This just authorizes the expenditure of funds for those types of services.

We don't have to we don't have to necessarily say in the resolution who it goes to.

No.

Okay.

And we're good.

Everyone's good with that.

Thank you.

Um, so is there a motion?

If there, I mean, I want to don't want to is there any questions or staff any further questions?

Okay, what's the wish of the council?

Moved.

Can you sorry, one minute?

I I know who moved in, second it.

But can you scroll down so I can get the resolution number, Maria?

Sorry, I just need uh 2025-61.

Okay, resolution 2025-61 was moved by Councillor Schimmel, seconded by Counselor Falconer.

Um discussion.

Yeah, I want to you wanted to discuss the public.

Yeah, yeah.

Do we need um public testimony for this?

So this is my feeling because he did say that, and I wanted to push back like right then, but I didn't.

We did when it's a state of I thought it was a little bit interesting.

I have like two points to bring up about it.

Um during COVID, the last time the city of Force Grove did a state of emergency, we did not have a public hearing about it.

Um granted it was a little bit different, but we did not.

Um secondly, I think that we received a lot of public testimony today.

And I don't I did not hear, and I heard it in support of action of helping people, of doing similar things and in written testimony and in speaking.

A public hearing is something we can choose to do if the council wishes to do that.

For me, myself, I think, you know, I think council president Valenzuela said it during the work session.

She said if this is an emergency, we need to move on it tonight.

Counselor Falconer.

We are having a hearing right now.

Okay.

So officially we can just say because I totally agree with you.

I just want to officially say that I feel also that we just had public testimony.

Okay.

I just wanted that to be on the record.

And we made it very clear tonight.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, on the agenda tonight.

And I I personally just wanted it on the record like this.

I agree with everything you guys said.

I just wanted to voice it.

Right.

The other thing I wanted to point out too, because I think that um Mr.

Feek, you know, said, hey, the I want to just point out that this money, this $50,000 is also coming from our contingency.

It's coming from our savings account.

So we also agree with the importance.

And this is also a statement.

He I think he made in his testimony that the board of commissioners feel strongly about this because even in their budget woes, and I heard all about them today in my meeting, they you know, reached into their continu their savings to pay for this.

And I want to say we're doing the same thing, you know, with a balanced budget.

So um, so if people are wondering, like this is you, I mean, we all I well, I shouldn't say well, but people have emergency savings accounts in case something like this happens.

And so this money will not affect public safety.

It will not take money out of recreation, the cost of recreation will not increase because we're helping other community members by using our savings accounts.

I want to be really clear with that during this discussion point as well.

Okay, any other discussion items.

Go ahead.

You want to say something?

No, but thank you for that statement to make it clear for everyone.

Yeah.

You good?

Um, I just I guess I just want to share real quick, you know.

I think um, you know, we heard from so many community members tonight who are both directly and personally affected and and folks who maybe aren't.

Um but you know, the meeting that we the informational session that we went to last week, um, you know, indicated that these numbers are increasing at a rate that we've never seen before.

And this is unprecedented.

And I personally know a family that's been impacted for many months now.

And um I would never I don't I I think she probably would count herself lucky and blessed.

Um, because now she has been reunited with her children, but two of my very best friends um became the guardians of four US citizen children and have been caring for them for months while their mom was unconstitutionally detained, held without charges.

Um legally here documented, allowed to work and so the notion that I didn't hear tonight, thank goodness.

Uh and it's also misinformed that constitutional rights are being violated, and most of the people who are being impacted don't necessarily have the resources to be able to fight in court the way that my friend was able to fight because of the resources that she was connected to that she had the foresight to um to reach out and and have that guardianship in place just in case something like this were to happen.

Um so I'm just I'm really glad that we that we are doing something tonight because there are so many people in our community who would not be able to um not be able to fight that fight for four months, and their kids would be abandoned.

I can't even imagine with food insecurity, with housing insecurity, and then also thank you all very much.

The constructive conversation that we had earlier and also for the snout.

Thank you for sharing.

Um counselor Shimmel.

I just wanted to presence a colleagues suggest a conversation about this these funds with uh Suzanne West, the school district, who uh as I as they learn more about the school activation, they're providing housing assistance, utility food, uh things.

So they've effectively become their own community action because community action doesn't have the resources when called.

So that's just a consideration as far as uh activating the money local if that if there's no objection to that out.

I don't think it I think that I don't think it there's there's not a first, you know, and they are the most vulnerable right now, and I think the school basic doing everything it can I would totally support to support the for these purpose.

Okay, any other discussion?

We're gonna do a roll call vote on this.

Please.

Um wait, nope.

Sorry, skip something.

You need to read up by title only and the complete resolution.

Well, the city manager please read the entire thing and we'll um keeping track of your mistakes.

You could scroll down a little bit, please, Mariah.

Oh, the other direction, sorry.

To see the title and the other way, the other way, you gotta start at the very beginning, yeah.

There we go.

Okay.

Resolution number 2025-61, resolution declaring a state of emergency to address community impacts, the federal immigration enforcement.

Whereas the City of Forest Grove Emergency Operations Plan adopted by ordinance 2010-06, pursuant to authority granted by ORS Chapter 401 authorizes the city council to declare the state of emergency exists within the city limits, and whereas under ORS 401.309 and the City of Forest Grove Emergency Operations Plan Section 1.7.2, the declaration of a state of emergency is necessary to protect the public and property consistent with local, state, and federal law, and to ensure the city of Forest Grove has the appropriate resources to respond to the emergency, whereas increased immigration enforcement within Forest Grove has caused residents to fear leaving their homes to go to work, school, access city services, take public transportation, attend medical appointment and other necessary daily activities, and whereas recent data from the state of Oregon shows a significant impact, immigrants' health and well-being due to fear and being targeted and or detained, and whereas the foregoing circumstances constitute a significant effect on the health and well-being of the community, which provides cause to necessitate assistance from the city to alleviate the loss, hardship, or suffering resulting from such activity.

And whereas ORS 401.315 and the Forest Grove Emergency Operations Plan, Section 1.7.1 provide that the city may redirect efforts and resources, enter into contract and incur obligations necessary to mitigate, prepare for, or respond to an emergency, whereas the Washington County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency regarding federal immigration enforcement on November 4th, 2025.

Whereas the foregoing circumstances affect all the territory within the city limits, and whereas the foregoing circumstances are anticipated to remain in effect at least until December 31st, 2025.

Now therefore be it resolved by the city of Forest Grove as follows.

Section one, the city council hereby declares a state of emergency now exists in the city of Forest Grove, Oregon, encompassing all the area within the city limits, effective on this 10th day of November 2025.

Section two, the city manager is hereby authorized to take such lawful actions as necessary to minimize or mitigate the effect of the emergency in a manner consistent with the Forest Grove Emergency Operations Plan and all applicable laws in section three.

Whereas, excuse me, section three, the city manager is further granted the authority to allocate funds and authorize expenditures under this emergency declaration in an amount up to $50,000 to support community-based organizations providing services in Forest Grove to those impacted by federal immigration activities.

Section four, the city shall take all necessary steps authorized and permitted by law to coordinate response and recovery from this emergency, including but not limited to requesting assistance from the county and state agencies as were available.

Section five, the emergency procurements of goods and services are hereby authorized pursuant to ORS 279B.080 or S279C.3356 or S279.3804 and other applicable laws.

Section 6, this declaration of emergency is effective immediately and shall expire December 31st, 2025.

Section 7 is required under ORS 401.165.

The city manager is hereby authorized to submit a declaration request to Washington County in compliance with Forest Grove Emergency Operations Plan Section 1.7.2 presented this 10th day of November 2025.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, roll call vote, please.

Councillor Falconer.

Yes.

Councilor Martinez?

Yes.

Counselor Marshall.

Yes.

Councillor Gustafson.

Yes.

Council President Valenzuela?

Yes.

Councillor Schimmel?

Yes.

Mayor Wenzel.

Yes.

Forest Grove City Council approves resolution 2025-61 in a vote of seven to zero.

Thank you, everybody.

Before we go on, we it's in our part of our rules that it's 9 30.

We usually have a stop time of 9 30.

Uh is there consensus from the council to continue with the meeting to complete our executive session?

Yes.

I'm seeing yes.

Okay.

That's fine.

Okay, cool.

Um, so item G is council communications.

If you don't, I don't want to like stifle anyone, so if you don't have too much report, you can just say pass.

If you really would like to report, then give your report.

Okay.

So we'll start with council president Valenzuela.

Thank you.

Um no, I have had no meetings.

Uh, but I want to say thank you for those who attended the gathering of the groups yesterday.

I know it was Sunday.

Thank you so much for being there.

It was wonderful.

Good by the library to look at the uh the donor.

Donor that we unveiled the donor recognition.

Wonderful.

Thank you.

Counselor Falkner.

I don't have anything to report.

Okay.

Councilor Guston.

Uh, nothing to report.

And I just want to say thank you for everyone.

I know this is extremely difficult.

Um, more so for for others who are more impacted, but I really appreciate everybody uh coordinating and collaborating on this.

It's make me very proud of this council.

Thank you.

Councilor Marshall.

I have nothing to report.

Thank you.

Councilor Martinez.

Nothing to report.

Counselor Schimmel.

Okay, City Manager Report.

Friendly reminder that the retreat is December 1st, and I want to thank the directors for bumping up all of their reports and doing a great job.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, really quick.

I just want we talked about students' um delegation to NLC this March.

And so we're gonna announce the availability and process tomorrow.

Um not tomorrow, probably on the 12th.

Um all month written recommendations, essays and applications will be due.

The deadline and is December 31st, and then the council's uh student delegation selection will take place probably during um maybe we'll read, I don't know, we'll figure that out.

But it'll be maybe during a council meeting.

The city manager will designate the youth chaperones right now.

There's a spot for three in a chaperone, but I um I guess I'm asking if it's okay with the council.

If I said we would pay for the chaperone, and then there would be three students, but if I act as their chaperone, we can take four students, and then it's two and two, which makes me feel a little bit better.

I feel like a trio sometimes, one person gets left out, and then we can just get another student anyway.

I don't know how the council feels about that.

Yeah.

Yeah, okay, cool.

Um, and the mayor's youth advisory council was uh after we did the resolution, so they're also going to be included as allowed to apply.

Is that also okay with?

Okay, is there anything else I need to get consensus for before we move?

Nope.

That's it.

Thank you.

Okay, cool.

Um, yeah, and that's that's all I'm gonna report on.

So I need to read this before I adjourn the meeting.

Like Ashley told me this a while ago.

So okay.

Executive, we're gonna have an executive session immediately following this meeting.

Executive sessions are closed to the public.

No formal decisions or actions will be taken.

News media representatives may attend, but but may not disclose information discussed.

News media can request a link to attend via Zoom by emailing M Woods at ForgGrove OR.gov.

Uh the City Council will convene to hold executive session ORS 192 6602E to conduct deliberations with persons designated to negotiate real property transactions.

Okay, so immediately following this meeting, I would like us to meet in the conference room.

Thank you.

And the city council meeting is adjourned.

I'm gonna leave my stuff up here.

You're all like neat and