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Record of Proceedings

CEP Committee Meeting: Grant Decisions and Community Presentations - July 13, 2026

City Council — Monday, July 13, 2026
BodyForest Grove, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, July 13, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 53:48

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:06

I'd like to call to order this meaning of the community enhancement program committee meeting.

0:11

The time is 603.

0:14

And will our city recorder please call roll.

0:27

Did I mess up?

0:29

Yeah.

0:31

Okay.

0:32

Committee member Shimon?

0:34

Here.

0:35

Committee member Falconer.

0:36

Here.

0:37

Committee member Martinez?

0:38

Here.

0:39

Committee member Marshall.

0:40

Here.

0:40

Committee member Anunne.

0:42

Yes.

0:42

Here.

0:44

Chair Gonzalez.

0:46

Present, thank you.

0:47

Chair Winslow.

0:48

Here.

0:48

Thank you.

0:50

Thank you, Chair Gonzalez.

0:51

This is going to be Chair Gonzalez's last meeting because a warm congratulations as he is our new Metro Council president.

0:58

And so his replacement, Miles is in the room.

1:00

Hi Miles, thank you.

1:01

Congratulations.

1:02

So this is bittersweet uh to not have Juan Carlos on this committee anymore.

1:07

But I will not go on and on.

1:09

We'll keep on the strict time and follow the agenda.

1:12

So item B on the agenda is public comment.

1:14

Time provided for anyone wishing to speak to the committee.

1:17

Comments are limited to two minutes.

1:19

Is there anyone wishing to give public comment this evening?

1:24

Anyone on Zoom wishing to give public comment?

1:29

Okay, seeing none.

1:30

Consent agenda items considered routine that are adopted with a single motion without discussion.

1:35

Counselors may remove items prior to the motion to adopt.

1:39

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

1:45

What is the wish of the committee?

1:54

Just the minutes here.

1:55

Move to approve.

1:57

Thank you.

1:58

Committee member Falconer moved to approve, and it was seconded by committee member Martinez.

2:04

All those in favor, please say aye.

2:06

Aye.

2:07

All those opposed.

2:09

Hearing none.

2:10

The consent agenda is approved by the CEP committee.

2:15

Any additions or deletions.

2:19

Staff has no additions or deletions.

2:21

Okay, any by committee members.

2:23

Seeing none.

2:24

Presentations.

2:26

Council will hold questions until the end of each presentation.

2:29

And we're gonna begin our presentation with the American Legion Washington Post 2 and their veterans tribute park teacher concept.

2:38

And so I would invite that committee up to the table.

2:41

There are two microphones.

2:43

So if there's more than two of you, please feel free to share.

3:00

Thank you again for having us.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Parks and Recreation████████████████16%
Procedural██████████10%
Economic Development████████8%
Public Safety███████7%
Budget Equity Analysis██████6%
Youth Programs█████5%
Miscellaneous███3%
Racial Equity██2%
Summary of Proceedings

CEP Committee Meeting: Grant Decisions and Community Presentations - July 13, 2026

The Community Enhancement Program (CEP) Committee met on July 13, 2026 at 6:03 PM. The meeting included presentations from five grant recipients, discussion on the 2026-27 grant cycle, and approval of a new funding allocation. Chair Juan Carlos Gonzalez presided over his final meeting before becoming Metro Council President.

Consent Calendar

  • Unanimously approved the minutes from the previous meeting via a motion by Councilor Falconer, seconded by Councilor Martinez.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were provided.

Presentations

American Legion Washington Post 2 - Veterans Tribute Park

  • Speakers: Tim Rippe (Chair, Forest Grove Veterans Action Network), Dale Fowler (Commander, American Legion Post 2), Miguel Camacho (Place Landscaping Services, via phone).
  • Project: A tribute park honoring all six military branches, focusing on service and sacrifice rather than specific wars or individuals. Future expansion to include first responders is under consideration.
  • Status: Four sites identified at three parks; public preference is Thatcher Park. Final design expected in August, with presentations to the Parks and Recreation Commission in September and City Council in October. An Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs grant application is due in January 2027.
  • Funding: The CEP grant covers design; construction will require fundraising and possibly city master plan funds.
  • Questions: Councilor Schimmel asked about community engagement geography; the presenters noted they have not tracked survey respondent locations.

Forest Grove Elks Lodge Backpack Program

  • Speakers: Danielle, Heather, Nicole (program representatives).
  • Project: Provides food bags to students in the Forest Grove School District. Since January 26, 2026, they have distributed 2,678 bags to 129-146 students weekly, including 14 students with dietary restrictions and McKinney-Vento (houseless) students.
  • Volunteer Hours: 556 hours since late January.
  • Donations: $8,197 in food, $243 cash, $1,087 from a 50-50 raffle.
  • Expenditure: $10,346.84 of the $20,000 grant spent; on track for the year.
  • Outlook: Funds will last through January 2027; applying for additional grants and donations.

Pacific University Longhouse Project

  • Speaker: Erica Andrew (Associate Director of Development for Grants).
  • Project: A community gathering space conceived by students for cultural expression.
  • Status: Raised $20,000 from the CEP committee and $14,000 from the community. Submitted nearly $300,000 in grants—all declined. Two outstanding requests for $35,000. Timeline is uncertain due to fundraising challenges and political climate around DEI.
  • Comment: Councilor Winslow expressed hope for future success, acknowledging shifting political tides.

St. Vincent de Paul Utility Assistance Program

  • Speaker: Dave Wirtz (President).
  • Project: Provides utility assistance (specifically Forest Grove Utility) and food pantry services.
  • Expenditure: $11,314 paid since January 1, 2026, averaging $419 per household (range $77-$834).
  • Status: On schedule; grant funds will last the year. The program also supports food costs due to increased food prices.

Forest Grove Cornelius Chamber of Commerce - Small Business Incubator

  • Speaker: Unnamed representative.
  • Project: Provides free business coaching and resources to entrepreneurs. In the past year: served 300+ entrepreneurs, delivered 100+ one-on-one coaching sessions, 15 business trainings, and launched 21 new businesses throughout the region including Forest Grove, Cornelius, and beyond.
  • Languages: Services available in English and Spanish.
  • Growth: New clients primarily come through word of mouth.
  • Comment: Councilor Schimmel shared that his daughter was an early beneficiary and praised the program.
  • Question: Councilor Martinez asked for a breakdown of businesses by city; the presenter agreed to provide it.

Discussion Items

2026-27 CEP Grant Program Approval

  • Presenters: Assistant City Manager Kim Ezel, Stephanie, Joyce.
  • Overview: CEP is funded by $1 per ton of waste disposed and $0.50 per ton of putrescible waste. Eligibility requires projects to be within the Forest Grove School District boundary or benefit its residents. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, schools, and local governments. Funds cannot replace other sources and projects must be non-sectarian.
  • Funding Options: The committee debated whether to award grants this cycle or wait to accumulate funds. With approximately $46,500 available this year (and ~$100,000 anticipated next year), the committee decided to award three one-year grants of $15,000 each ($45,000 total), leaving a small balance.
  • Process: Applications will be accepted August 3 – September 11, 2026. Committee members will score and rank applications online from September 14-28. The top 3-5 applicants will be invited to present on October 12, 2026. Presentations will be 7-8 minutes with 2-3 minutes for Q&A. The committee also discussed ensuring grants benefit Forest Grove directly.
  • Consensus: The committee agreed on the process and ranking approach.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: Three $15,000 CEP grants for the 2026-27 cycle, to be awarded after presentations on October 12, 2026.
  • Approved: Timeline and evaluation process, including online scoring by committee members and ranked-choice voting to select top applicants.
  • Next Steps: Staff will begin advertising the grant cycle immediately; applications open August 3, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

I'd like to call to order this meaning of the community enhancement program committee meeting. The time is 603. And will our city recorder please call roll. Did I mess up? Yeah. Okay. Committee member Shimon? Here. Committee member Falconer. Here. Committee member Martinez? Here. Committee member Marshall. Here. Committee member Anunne. Yes. Here. Chair Gonzalez. Present, thank you. Chair Winslow. Here. Thank you. Thank you, Chair Gonzalez. This is going to be Chair Gonzalez's last meeting because a warm congratulations as he is our new Metro Council president. And so his replacement, Miles is in the room. Hi Miles, thank you. Congratulations. So this is bittersweet uh to not have Juan Carlos on this committee anymore. But I will not go on and on. We'll keep on the strict time and follow the agenda. So item B on the agenda is public comment. Time provided for anyone wishing to speak to the committee. Comments are limited to two minutes. Is there anyone wishing to give public comment this evening? Anyone on Zoom wishing to give public comment? Okay, seeing none. Consent agenda items considered routine that are adopted with a single motion without discussion. Counselors may remove items prior to the motion to adopt. Any removed items are discussed and acted upon following the approval of the remaining items. What is the wish of the committee? Just the minutes here. Move to approve. Thank you. Committee member Falconer moved to approve, and it was seconded by committee member Martinez. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed. Hearing none. The consent agenda is approved by the CEP committee. Any additions or deletions.

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