Forest Grove City Council Meeting - April 27, 2026

The Forest Grove City Council met on April 27, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included roll call (all seven councilors present), a land acknowledgement, the Pledge of Allegiance, recognition of employee Leo Cortez for 20 years of service, two proclamations, public comment, consent agenda approval, and several presentations. Council communications covered various city updates.

Recognition

• Leo Cortez was honored for 20 years of public service to the City of Forest Grove. Cortez holds bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering and provides GIS services and civil infrastructure inspections.

Proclamations

• Vietnamese American Remembrance Day – April 30, 2026, was proclaimed in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the contributions of Vietnamese Americans.
• Small Business Week – May 3–9, 2026, was proclaimed to recognize the role of small businesses in the community. The proclamation was read in English and Spanish.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Danielle Whiteworth, a Forest Grove resident, expressed concern about a detention operation on April 21, 2026, involving DEA, Oregon State Police, Tualatin Police, and ICE/CBP. She reported that a vehicle with Oregon plates 711 JFA (seen entering an ICE detention center) ran a stopped school bus stop sign while transporting a detainee, endangering children. She claimed sanctuary policies may have been violated and called for accountability and transparency from city officials.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved by a vote of 7–0.

Presentations

Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (MYAC) Trip to Washington, D.C.

Four students – Hazel Kiblinger, Annie Goff, Morgan Tremblay, and Maya Andrade – presented on their trip to the National League of Cities student delegation. They met with Congresswoman Bonamici for 30 minutes, discussed women’s rights and civic engagement, toured the African American Museum, and networked with lobbyists and interns. They emphasized the importance of youth involvement and learning about policy-making.

Economic Development Commission Annual Report

Tim Butleman (EDC Chair) and Miles Glowacki (Economic Development Program Coordinator) presented the annual report. Highlights included:

• Population: 27,241 (3.17% growth over 5 years).
• Unemployment: 5.2% (slight uptick post-COVID).
• Median household income: $87,933 (behind Washington County but above Oregon).
• Poverty rate: 15.3–15.4% (includes university students).
• 6,843 jobs in the city; top sectors: accommodation/food, healthcare, education, manufacturing (10%), retail trade (10%).
• 918 active business licenses, 628 with Forest Grove addresses.
• Nearly 9,800 housing units; 62% owner-occupied; median sale price ~$5,000 (likely typo; context suggests $500,000+ but not clarified).
• Industrial vacancy near zero; 78 acres entitled/under development; 16,000 sq ft under construction.
• 5 acres commercial entitled; 15,000 sq ft under construction (school district property).
• Building Improvement Grant: 9 applications in 2025, 7 in 2026.
• Ongoing efforts: boutique hotel analysis, grocery store analysis, enterprise zone, and updating the economic development strategic plan.

Library IGA with Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS)

Library Director Colleen Winners presented proposed changes to Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) for operations and governance. Key points:

• Forest Grove is a founding member of WCCLS.
• Proposed revisions clarify decision-making roles, service levels (45 hours/week, free computers), and service boundaries.
• A significant change: removing the formula for annual increases tied to assessed value, replacing it with more ambiguous language. Mayor and councilors expressed concern about loss of transparency and potential funding instability, especially given recent county budget deficit behavior (e.g., diverting MISTIP funds).
• Centralized collections are being explored by the county; Forest Grove has had initial meetings but details are unclear.
• Next steps: Feedback from member city councils will be collected by May 8, 2026 (week from Friday).

Council Communications

• Council President Valenzuela: No meetings to report.
• Councilor Falkner: Chamber workshop on recovering tariff funds; tariff impacts on JWC material costs.
• Councilor Gustison: Public Arts Commission discussed garbage can failures (warranty issues) and potential replacement; also noted Family Peace Center open house on April 30, 2026 (ribbon cutting 5 PM).
• Councilor Marshall: Tree canopy tool presented by Nature Conservancy; Forest Grove may be included in Portland region mapping.
• Councilor Martinez: Attended National Crime Victims Rights Week event.
• Councilor Schimmel: Site walk of TV Highway/Marathon project; discussed pedestrian safety concerns at the 47/8 intersection, particularly a dangerous slip lane. Councilor Falconer cautioned against removing pedestrian crossings, advocating for safety improvements instead.
• City Manager Jesse Liu: Updates on diaper drive (May 1–21), farmers market (May 6), teen driver safety event (May 9), grant applications (Safe Streets for All, BRIC), BPA pole relocation for TV Highway project, pool deck progress, parks master plan proposals (4 received), and Public Works facility nearing completion.
• Mayor Wenzel: Commented on Washington County budget meetings being rescheduled, causing frustration; attended a candidate forum hosted by Forest Grove Indivisible.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved (7–0).
• Concerns raised about the WCCLS IGA funding formula change; councilors requested more specific language before approval.
• Direction given for Public Arts Commission to seek council authorization if planning fundraising.
• Continued attention to pedestrian safety at TV Highway intersections, with potential action if ODOT does not improve striping/signage.
• No formal votes taken on presentations; items were informational.