OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Forest Grove City Council Meeting - December 8, 2025

City Council — Monday, December 8, 2025
BodyForest Grove, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, December 8, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:42:42

Transcript — Verbatim
0:08

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

0:11

It is 7 05.

0:12

Sorry, we are a little bit tardy.

0:14

Will the city recorder please call roll?

0:19

Council President Vonzuela.

0:21

Here.

0:22

Counselor Schummel.

0:23

Here.

0:23

Counselor Falconer?

0:24

Here.

0:25

Counselor Martinez?

0:26

Here.

0:27

Mayor Winslow.

0:29

Here.

0:29

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

0:36

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

0:39

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

0:55

Under God.

0:56

Invisible with Liberty and Just.

1:03

Thank you.

1:03

Moving on to item B on our agenda.

1:05

Public comments.

1:06

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.

1:16

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

1:21

The public comment period shall not exceed 30 minutes unless a majority of counselors present.

1:26

Vote to extend the time.

1:28

Zoom attendees, please use the raised hand option to be called on.

1:32

So I'm going to start with our hang on.

1:34

I gotta find I have a lot of piles of paper.

1:37

Let me find my list.

1:38

I have a sneaky suspicion, I know who's first, but I want to confirm.

1:43

Okay.

1:43

First stop for public comment is Mr.

1:45

Dale Feek.

1:47

Those keeping score, I was correct.

2:00

Well, let's not do that.

2:01

Oh, hopefully you have good insurance.

2:02

Never mind.

2:12

Former teacher.

2:14

Mayor Winslow, since you only have two people, may I have three minutes tonight?

2:18

You may.

2:18

Thank you very much.

2:20

I've sent you three at least three emails lately.

2:24

And in the what you have in front of you is kind of a summary of that.

2:28

Uh number one is Timothy Snyder's book on tyranny.

2:31

And I'm still offering it to you.

2:33

Uh Counselor Martinez, if you want one.

2:35

Okay.

2:36

Um tyranny, 20 lessons from the 20th century.

2:40

Snyder says in lesson number nine, be kind to our language by trying to separate yourself from the internet and read books.

2:50

Books are very important.

2:51

As you know, I have a doctor's green reading education.

2:53

That's my passion.

2:54

The following is not a book that I sent to you, but Snyder reads a lot of books.

2:59

And he has written many books as a historian who speaks many languages and has spoken with Zelensky in Ukraine more than once and has visited Ukraine over 20 times.

3:08

I'm asking you as I did the county commissioners, the mayor of Hillsborough, the Mayor Beaverton, and you and Councillors, and the Environmental Quality Commission.

3:19

The same email.

3:20

Please read this email and attached and learn more about what he says about President Trump and the likely next step.

3:29

Detachment begins with in certain ways.

3:45

That fall, the German police and the SASS rounded up Jews who locked up German citizenship and dumped them on the Polish side of the German Polish border.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement██████████████████████22%
Procedural████████████████████20%
Immigration Enforcement██████████████14%
Transportation Safety████████8%
Urban Planning████████8%
Economic Development███████7%
Federal Activities██████6%
Public Safety████4%
Fiscal Sustainability███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Forest Grove City Council Meeting - December 8, 2025

The Forest Grove City Council met on December 8, 2025, at 7:05 PM. The meeting included public comments, presentations on federal advocacy, the farmers market, and the Committee for Community Engagement, a public hearing on a sanctuary city ordinance, and approval of a fire services agreement with Cornelius. All council members were present.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved unanimously (5-0) without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Dale Feek (3363 Levina Drive, Forest Grove) urged council to read his emails and a podcast by historian Timothy Snyder, warning about parallels to historical tyranny and the importance of protecting democratic norms.
  • Carol Allen (neighbor of the U Street/Highway 8 intersection) requested a pedestrian crossing, describing the intersection as very dangerous. Mayor Winslow responded that ODOT has a traffic light in its next budget cycle and that the city's public works department received a Safe Routes to School grant for sidewalk gap improvements.

Discussion Items

  • Federal Advocacy Update (Michael Skipper, CFM Advocates): Skipper reported that Forest Grove secured $2 million in federal funding in 2023 and 2024, but 2025 was challenging due to the Trump administration canceling grant programs and a full-year continuing resolution. For FY2026, the city's projects were locked out because prior FY2025 projects were prioritized. He noted that Congress has passed three of twelve spending bills and that the political landscape is uncertain, with potential for Democrats to flip the House in 2026. Councilor Schimmel asked if the contract covers immigration reform; Skipper confirmed it broadly covers city priorities.
  • Farmers Market Update (Adelante Mujeres staff): Presenters shared that 2025 attendance and vendor sales were static compared to 2023-2024, despite impacts from immigration enforcement and federal funding cuts. Nutrition incentives were a key loss. The organization faced an $800,000 budget hole from canceled federal grants. They proposed expanding the market onto College Way to relieve congestion and attract more visitors, aligning with the city's 2040 Vision Plan. Councilors expressed strong support for the market's role in food access and community resilience.
  • Committee for Community Engagement (CCE) Annual Report (Heather Finnegan, Chair): CCE highlighted its

Meeting Transcript

I would like to call to order this meeting of the Forest Grove City Council. It is 7 05. Sorry, we are a little bit tardy. Will the city recorder please call roll? Council President Vonzuela. Here. Counselor Schummel. Here. Counselor Falconer? Here. Counselor Martinez? Here. Mayor Winslow. Here. Forest Grove City Council meetings are located on the land of the Tualeton Calapuas, who call themselves the At Pilates. They are now part of the Confederate tribes at Grand Ron. Will the council and the audience please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Under God. Invisible with Liberty and Just. Thank you. Moving on to item B on our agenda. Public comments. Public comment time provided for anyone wishing to speak to City Council on an item not on the agenda or on the agenda, but not scheduled for a public hearing. Comments are limited to two minutes unless additional time is granted by the presiding officer. The public comment period shall not exceed 30 minutes unless a majority of counselors present. Vote to extend the time. Zoom attendees, please use the raised hand option to be called on. So I'm going to start with our hang on. I gotta find I have a lot of piles of paper. Let me find my list. I have a sneaky suspicion, I know who's first, but I want to confirm. Okay. First stop for public comment is Mr. Dale Feek. Those keeping score, I was correct. Well, let's not do that. Oh, hopefully you have good insurance. Never mind. Former teacher. Mayor Winslow, since you only have two people, may I have three minutes tonight? You may. Thank you very much. I've sent you three at least three emails lately. And in the what you have in front of you is kind of a summary of that. Uh number one is Timothy Snyder's book on tyranny. And I'm still offering it to you. Uh Counselor Martinez, if you want one. Okay. Um tyranny, 20 lessons from the 20th century. Snyder says in lesson number nine, be kind to our language by trying to separate yourself from the internet and read books.

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