OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Forest Grove City Council Meeting – June 8, 2026

City Council — Monday, June 8, 2026
BodyForest Grove, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, June 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 43:30

Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

Good evening.

0:07

I'd like to call to order this meeting of the Forest Grove City Council on June 8th, 2026.

0:13

Will our city recorder please call roll?

0:16

Councilor Gustafson?

0:18

Here.

0:19

Council President Valenzuela.

0:21

Here.

0:21

Councillor Schimmel?

0:22

Here.

0:22

Councilor Falconer?

0:24

Here.

0:24

Councillor Martinez?

0:25

Here.

0:25

Councillor Marshall?

0:26

Here.

0:27

Mayor Wenzel.

0:28

Here.

0:29

We acknowledge the land on which Forest Grove is located, rests on the traditional village sites of the Appalachi, a tribe of the Calapua who originally inhabited the Twalaton Plains, including Forest Grove.

0:41

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

0:45

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

0:52

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

0:58

To the Republic for which it stands one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice.

1:38

Okay, come face this way.

1:40

So we are here tonight.

1:41

We have to start our city council meeting the best way possible, and that's by recognizing a very long time volunteer of the city of Forest Grove.

1:52

Mr.

1:52

Hatch has volunteered to do numerous things for the city of Forest Grove, and he is beloved by very by very many people in our community.

2:00

Tonight, we are recognizing him for 38.

2:05

That's eight more years of like most retired people.

2:18

So thank you so much.

2:19

Thank you for representing Forest Grove.

2:21

Thank you for volunteering all these years of service.

2:24

And with that, I would like to present to you this award.

2:35

Okay, do you want to say I volunteered for 38 years?

2:45

I don't want to say anything else.

2:46

He's like, I said it all.

2:48

Thank you very much.

2:53

The next item on the agenda are proclamations.

2:57

We have three proclamations this evening.

3:00

We're going to begin with Juneteenth.

3:04

Whereas on June 19th, 1865, more than two years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to spread the news that slavery in the United States had ended.

3:19

And whereas June 19th was coined Juneteenth and became a time of joyous celebrations for freed slaves and their descendants, commemorated through family cookouts, faith services, music, storytelling, and the color red as a symbol of resilience.

3:37

And whereas Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery, recognizing the high price black Americans had paid for civil rights and equal access, and is an occasion to honor and reflect on the significant contributions of black Americans to our nation.

3:54

And whereas Juneteenth evolved into a way for black Americans to pay homage to ancestors and celebrate black culture, liberation, and achievements, living on to become the longest running black American holiday, with this year marking its 160th anniversary.

4:16

And whereas the nationally recognized holiday is an opportunity to celebrate human freedom, reflect on the grievous and ongoing legacy of slavery, and redacate ourselves from rooting out the systemic racism that continues to afflict our society as we strive to deliver full promise of freedom and equality for all Americans.

4:40

Now, therefore, the City Council of the City of Forest Grove does hereby proclaim June 19th as Juneteenth in Forest Grove, Oregon, Washington County, and urges all citizens to become more aware of the significance of this celebration in black history and in the heritage of our nation.

5:14

Okay, let's see here.

5:16

There we go.

5:19

Considering 19 June of 1865, sold de la Union at Galveston, Texas, for defunding la noticia delesclavitude in Stados Unidos.

7:25

In Forest Grove, Oregon, in the Condado de Washington, exhortamos a todos los ciudadanos tocar major conciencia sobre el significado de celebration in the history of the community Afro-American and the legal nation, is nuestra responsibility guarantee racial yet in Forest Grove and the Mundo.

7:49

In testimony of the Ciudad Forest Grove, Oregon, in this 8 June 2026, Nestra Alcaldesa Malinda Wenson, Council President.

8:11

Our second proclamation this evening is Gun Violence Awareness Month, whereas gun violence touches every segment of our society and impacts people of all ages, it increases the probability of death and incidents of domestic violence, raises the likelihood of fatality by those who intend to injure others and among those who attempt suicide.

8:44

And whereas the 12th National Gun Violence Day awareness is June 5, 2026 and honors the many lives that have been cut short by gun violence in our country and supports efforts to reduce gun related crimes in the United States.

9:02

And whereas it is important to recognize community organizations which assist families that have been directly impacted by gun violence and provide a continuum of care for grieving parents or spouses who must continue to provide for surviving family members.

9:19

And whereas support for the second amendment rights of law abiding citizens goes hand in hand with keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people.

9:30

And whereas the city supports continued statewide efforts to strengthen gun safety laws and excuse me and educate the community on safe gun storage.

9:41

Now therefore the City Council of the city of Forest Grove does hereby proclaim June 2026 as gun violence awareness month in Forest Grove, Oregon, Washington County, and urge all citizen business organizations and agencies to work collaboratively to reduce gun violence in our community.

10:03

And our last proclamation for the evening is Pride Month.

10:08

Whereas the month of June was designated Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall Riots, a series of demonstration led by black and brown transgender women occurring in June 1969, and generally recognized as the catalyst of the U.S.

10:27

gay rights movement.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████████████38%
Public Engagement███████████████15%
Racial Equity██████████10%
Arts And Culture█████████9%
Public Safety████████8%
Budget Equity Analysis████████8%
Technology and Innovation██████6%
Transportation Safety██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Forest Grove City Council Meeting – June 8, 2026

The Forest Grove City Council met on June 8, 2026, to recognize a long-time volunteer, adopt three proclamations, approve several intergovernmental agreements and resolutions, and receive updates from council members and the city manager. All votes were unanimous (7-0) unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent agenda, comprising routine items, was approved unanimously (7-0) by motion of Councilor Martinez and second by Council President Valenzuela. No items were removed for separate discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Dale Feek spoke during public comment, expressing support for the three proclamations (Juneteenth, Gun Violence Awareness Month, Pride Month) and thanking the council for including a Spanish translation. He then read a lengthy statement from Robert Roush criticizing the Trump administration and calling for high voter turnout in the 2026 midterm and 2028 presidential elections to strengthen democracy.
  • No other members of the public or Zoom attendees offered comment.

Proclamations

  • The council read and adopted three proclamations:
    • Juneteenth – Proclaiming June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth in Forest Grove, marking the 160th anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States.
    • Gun Violence Awareness Month – Designating June 2026 as Gun Violence Awareness Month and urging community collaboration to reduce gun violence.
    • Pride Month – Proclaiming June 2026 as Pride Month, recognizing the LGBTQ+ community and calling for inclusivity and acceptance.
  • All proclamations were approved without separate votes.

Discussion Items

  • Library Cooperative Operating Agreement (Resolutions 2026-23 and 2026-24):
    • Library Director Colleen Winters presented two resolutions for a five-year cooperative governance agreement (2026–2031) between Forest Grove and Washington County on behalf of WCCLS. Key changes include updated terms, baseline service levels, service boundaries, and a funding formula that increases Forest Grove's contribution by 24% in the first year (from $1 million to $1.24 million). The city must approve by June 30, 2026, to avoid disruption of library services. Councilor Schimmel commented on the importance of cooperative work. Both resolutions were approved 7-0.
  • IT IGA with Tigard (Resolution 2026-25):
    • Assistant City Manager Kim Ezel presented a partnership with the City of Tigard for IT services, valued at $144,000, funded by the city's information systems fund. The agreement is expected to save the city approximately $96,000 compared to a private firm. Councilor Gustafson praised the creative solution to long-standing IT staffing challenges. The resolution was approved 7-0.
  • Mid-Biennium Budget Transfers (Resolution 2026-26):
    • Kim Ezel explained that the resolution adopts budget committee-recommended transfers for the 2025–27 biennium. The budget committee unanimously recommended approval on May 12 and 19, 2026. A roll call vote resulted in unanimous approval (7-0).
  • Solid Waste Rate Increase (Resolution 2026-27):
    • City Manager Jesse reported that Metro is increasing the solid waste tipping fee from $162.14 to $176.70 per ton, effective July 1, 2026. Waste Management proposes passing only this increase through, with an average rate increase of 3.5% (ranging from ~2% to ~4.5% depending on fee type). Recycling fees remain unchanged. The resolution was approved 7-0.

Council & City Manager Reports

  • Council Communications: Several council members reported on recent meetings and activities, including the library commission, policy advisory board, Chamber of Commerce, EDC, and a celebration for Carlos Gonzalez's election as Metro President. Councilor Schimmel noted support from the Chamber for the police facility bond.
  • City Manager Report (Jesse):
    • Senators Merkley and Wyden requested $2.96 million for the TV Highway project in the Senate appropriations bill; the House request is $1 million. Reconciliation will determine final amount.
    • Washington County is holding an open house on June 11, 2026, regarding the Highway 47, Fern Hill, and Maple intersection redesign; construction could begin as early as 2027.
    • The city approved a letter of intent for a $20 million FEMA BRIC grant; staff will submit it May 2026.
    • The public works building is ahead of schedule (completion by end of July vs. August).
    • The annual pavement overlay and curb ramp project was advertised June 3; bids due June 2026.
    • Fire department staffing improved from 35% to 94% readiness (29 of 31 days in May) thanks to levy-funded positions.
    • The city pool reopened May 26 ahead of schedule after renovations.
    • Daybreak Rotary Club partnered with parks to beautify the north entrance sign.
  • Mayor’s Announcements:
    • Noted upcoming ODOT summer projects with major closures in the Portland area.
    • Recognized Annie Gough (Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council member) as recipient of the Friends of the Library Scholarship.
    • Encouraged attendance at the Washington County open house (June 11), the Habitat for Humanity fundraiser, and the Boarding Commission volunteer thank-you reception (June 18).

Key Outcomes

  • All resolutions (2026-23 through 2026-27) were approved by a unanimous 7-0 vote.
  • The city manager is authorized to sign the library cooperative agreements, the IT IGA with Tigard, and the solid waste rate adjustments.
  • The meeting adjourned to a work session on enterprise zones.

Additional Notes

  • The meeting included a land acknowledgment, Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of a 38-year volunteer, Mr. Hatch.
  • The consent agenda was approved without discussion.
  • No public hearings were held; the public hearing item was converted to a discussion due to no contested issues.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I'd like to call to order this meeting of the Forest Grove City Council on June 8th, 2026. Will our city recorder please call roll? Councilor Gustafson? Here. Council President Valenzuela. Here. Councillor Schimmel? Here. Councilor Falconer? Here. Councillor Martinez? Here. Councillor Marshall? Here. Mayor Wenzel. Here. We acknowledge the land on which Forest Grove is located, rests on the traditional village sites of the Appalachi, a tribe of the Calapua who originally inhabited the Twalaton Plains, including Forest Grove. They are now part of the Confederate tribes of Grand Ron. Will the audience and the council please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. To the Republic for which it stands one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice. Okay, come face this way. So we are here tonight. We have to start our city council meeting the best way possible, and that's by recognizing a very long time volunteer of the city of Forest Grove. Mr. Hatch has volunteered to do numerous things for the city of Forest Grove, and he is beloved by very by very many people in our community. Tonight, we are recognizing him for 38. That's eight more years of like most retired people. So thank you so much. Thank you for representing Forest Grove. Thank you for volunteering all these years of service. And with that, I would like to present to you this award. Okay, do you want to say I volunteered for 38 years? I don't want to say anything else. He's like, I said it all. Thank you very much. The next item on the agenda are proclamations. We have three proclamations this evening. We're going to begin with Juneteenth. Whereas on June 19th, 1865, more than two years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to spread the news that slavery in the United States had ended. And whereas June 19th was coined Juneteenth and became a time of joyous celebrations for freed slaves and their descendants, commemorated through family cookouts, faith services, music, storytelling, and the color red as a symbol of resilience. And whereas Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery, recognizing the high price black Americans had paid for civil rights and equal access, and is an occasion to honor and reflect on the significant contributions of black Americans to our nation. And whereas Juneteenth evolved into a way for black Americans to pay homage to ancestors and celebrate black culture, liberation, and achievements, living on to become the longest running black American holiday, with this year marking its 160th anniversary. And whereas the nationally recognized holiday is an opportunity to celebrate human freedom, reflect on the grievous and ongoing legacy of slavery, and redacate ourselves from rooting out the systemic racism that continues to afflict our society as we strive to deliver full promise of freedom and equality for all Americans. Now, therefore, the City Council of the City of Forest Grove does hereby proclaim June 19th as Juneteenth in Forest Grove, Oregon, Washington County, and urges all citizens to become more aware of the significance of this celebration in black history and in the heritage of our nation. Okay, let's see here. There we go. Considering 19 June of 1865, sold de la Union at Galveston, Texas, for defunding la noticia delesclavitude in Stados Unidos. In Forest Grove, Oregon, in the Condado de Washington, exhortamos a todos los ciudadanos tocar major conciencia sobre el significado de celebration in the history of the community Afro-American and the legal nation, is nuestra responsibility guarantee racial yet in Forest Grove and the Mundo.

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