OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Forest Grove City Council Meeting - July 13, 2026

City Council — Monday, July 13, 2026
BodyForest Grove, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, July 13, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:16:21

Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

Thanks for bearing with me.

0:07

I'm a little bit late.

0:09

I would like to call this meeting to order.

0:12

It's 7 08.

0:13

Will our city recorder please call roll?

0:16

Counselor Schimmel?

0:18

Here.

0:18

Counselor Falconer?

0:19

Here.

0:20

Counselor Martinez?

0:21

Here.

0:21

Counselor Marshall.

0:22

Here.

0:23

Mayor Wenzel.

0:24

Here.

0:25

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

0:38

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

0:41

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

0:47

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

0:52

To the Republic for which it one nation under God, indivisible, liberty investment problems.

1:04

Thank you.

1:05

There are no proclamations this evening, so we'll move on to item B on the agenda, which is public comment.

1:11

Public comment time provided for anyone wishing to speak to the council on any item not scheduled for a public hearing.

1:17

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

1:23

The public comment period shall not exceed 30 minutes unless extended by the council.

1:30

Our first person and only person as of right now signed up for public testimony is Mr.

1:36

Dale Feek.

1:45

Good evening, Mr.

1:46

Feek.

1:47

Good evening, Mayor Wenzel and Councillors.

1:50

Dale Feek.

1:51

May I have three minutes?

1:52

You may.

1:53

Thank you very much.

1:54

I have two topics.

1:56

Uh, one is the forest group permanent supportive housing update.

1:59

The second is uh current situation and what others have a right to expect us and what we have a right to expect from others.

2:07

The uh people on the agenda today is Jill Chin and Lisa Varn are representing the county.

2:13

It has to do with Forest Growth Permanent Supportive Housing Update.

2:15

I made a little bit of public comment about county.

2:18

You know, it's going to be Jim's automotive, they're gonna refurbish that and have a great program.

2:23

So it's great that you're supporting that, and the county is supporting you and you're supporting each other.

2:27

It's great.

2:30

Uh Mortimer J.

2:31

Adler, prominent philosopher, uh, has written the book called Aristotle for Everybody Difficult Thought Made Easy.

2:41

And he says, based upon everything that's been read, uh, that's the only book that's ever is morally sound, undogmatic, is Nicomedian ethics written in the uh fifth century by Aristotle.

2:57

And Adler updated it so it's current for women and blacks and everybody else.

3:03

Okay.

3:03

So, because of the current political climate, please consider his words of wisdom below.

3:10

What do others have a right to expect from us?

3:13

From Aristotle, everybody difficult thought made easy.

3:17

That we keep the promises we make to them.

3:20

That we tell them the truth when telling a lie.

3:24

Telling a lie would hurt them in some way.

3:28

That we're return anything we have borrowed and promised to return.

3:32

That we pay our debts to them, that we do not steal what belongs to them, that we do not injure their health, damage their bodies, or kill them.

3:43

And what's happening in the world, we really have to consider that.

3:46

That we do not interfere with their freedom of action when their conduct in no way injures us.

3:53

And eight, that we do not make false statements that would injure the reputation or give them a bad name.

4:00

Adler says all these things are more of the same sort can be summed up by saying that others have a right to expect from us that we might that we do nothing that might impede or obstruct their pursuit of happiness, nothing might interfere with or prevent their obtaining or possessing the real goods they need to make good lives for themselves.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing██████████████████████22%
Community Engagement████████████████16%
Procedural██████████████14%
Tourism Development████████████12%
Public Engagement███████7%
Transportation Safety███████7%
Public Safety███████7%
Parks and Recreation█████5%
Homelessness████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Forest Grove City Council Meeting - July 13, 2026

The Forest Grove City Council met on July 13, 2026, at 7:08 PM. The meeting included a public comment, presentations on regional transit, housing, and tourism, and approval of multiple ordinances and resolutions. All votes were unanimous (5-0).

Consent Calendar

  • The consent agenda was approved by a 5-0 vote with no items removed.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Dale Feek spoke on two topics: first, he expressed support for the Forest Grove Permanent Supportive Housing project, noting collaboration between the city and county. Second, he shared philosophical reflections based on Aristotle's ethics, urging the council to consider mutual rights and obligations, including keeping promises, telling the truth, and not interfering with others' pursuit of happiness.

Discussion Items

  • Metro Update: Council President Juan Carlos Gonzalez (Metro) and new Metro Councilor Miles Palacios presented. Key updates included:

    • TV Highway Transit and Safety Project: $100 million raised locally, $150 million from federal government conditional on $50 million from the state. Construction expected spring 2028, service by 2030.
    • Housing Accelerator Fund: $5 million one-time grant program for technical assistance on housing production. Applications open summer 2026.
    • Supportive Housing Services (SHS) oversight: New Regional Policy Oversight Committee formed; 13 more meetings before renewal ballot.
    • Parks and Nature Levy: Expiring in 2028; current rate 9.6 cents per $1,000 assessed value ($28/year average, raising $19 million annually). Proposed adjustment of 2-3 cents for inflation and growth.
    • Regional Refresh Fund: Up to $5,000 per project for cleanups, graffiti abatement, etc. Only 12% of funds went to Washington County; no applications from District 4 in last year. Council encouraged staff to apply.

  • Tourism Update: Amanda Yakos (Chamber of Commerce) presented a vision to make Forest Grove a destination for overnight stays. Key points: leveraging wine country, sake brewery, historic downtown, and year-round events. Marketing strategy includes KPIs for accountability. Council expressed support and noted partnership opportunities with Pacific University.

  • Forest Grove Permanent Supportive Housing Update: Jill Chen (Deputy Director, Washington County Housing Authority) and Lisa Varen (Real Estate Division Manager) presented. The project at 3127 Pacific Avenue will provide 44 studios/one-bedrooms for people exiting homelessness. Partners include Central Cultural, Transcending Hope, Walsh Construction, Scott Edwards Architecture, and Care Oregon. Funding: $2.5 million pre-development loan from Housing Authority Board, plus 9% low-income housing tax credits and $4 million gap financing from the state, plus rental assistance. No local SHS funds needed. Project timeline: community engagement and design over next 6-8 months, building permit winter 2027, construction start fall 2027. Councilor Martinez asked about inclusivity; staff clarified residents are referred through coordinated entry but will be integrated into the community via services. Councilor Schimmel suggested community engagement with local agencies. Discussed potential variances (balconies, playgrounds) due to population needs.

  • Ordinance 2026-03: Amend the Comprehensive Plan Map to remove General Industrial designation from territory to be removed from urban planning area. Approved 5-0.

  • Resolution 2026-32: Approve intergovernmental agreement with Washington County for CDBG program administration for plan years 2027-2029, with option to extend to 2032. Approved 5-0.

  • Resolution 2026-33: Place a measure on the November 2026 ballot for general obligation bonds to finance a new police facility. Estimated cost $29.5 million, cost to average homeowner $193/year ($17/month). Currently facility built in 1977, 12,120 sq ft for 42 personnel, with 34 deficiencies. New facility would be 45% larger. Construction could begin early 2028, occupancy 2029. Approved 5-0.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Approved 5-0.
  • Ordinance 2026-03: Approved 5-0.
  • Resolution 2026-32: Approved 5-0.
  • Resolution 2026-33: Approved 5-0.
  • Directives: Council encouraged staff to apply for Metro's Housing Accelerator Fund and Regional Refresh Fund. City manager reported on upcoming events: BBQ with the Blue (July 18), National Night Out (August 4), police facility tours during farmers market (August 5), Civics Academy applications open August 3, community open house tentatively October 27. Public works improvements: parking added 20 spaces downtown, new wayfinding signs, East Side Park under construction, Rosegrove mid-block pedestrian crossing underway, Northwater transmission line connection completed. Library: record book sale ($6,900) and 1,362 summer reading signups. Council recessed until after summer break.

Meeting Transcript

Thanks for bearing with me. I'm a little bit late. I would like to call this meeting to order. It's 7 08. Will our city recorder please call roll? Counselor Schimmel? Here. Counselor Falconer? Here. Counselor Martinez? Here. Counselor Marshall. Here. Mayor Wenzel. Here. We acknowledge the land on which Forest Grove is located, located, rests on the traditional village sites of the Atphalati, a tribe of the Calapua who originally inhabited the Tualeton Plains, including Forest Grove. They are now part of the Confederate tribes of Grand Ron. Will the audience and council please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of the mayor. To the Republic for which it one nation under God, indivisible, liberty investment problems. Thank you. There are no proclamations this evening, so we'll move on to item B on the agenda, which is public comment. Public comment time provided for anyone wishing to speak to the council on any item 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 extended by the council. Our first person and only person as of right now signed up for public testimony is Mr. Dale Feek. Good evening, Mr. Feek. Good evening, Mayor Wenzel and Councillors. Dale Feek. May I have three minutes? You may. Thank you very much. I have two topics. Uh, one is the forest group permanent supportive housing update. The second is uh current situation and what others have a right to expect us and what we have a right to expect from others. The uh people on the agenda today is Jill Chin and Lisa Varn are representing the county. It has to do with Forest Growth Permanent Supportive Housing Update. I made a little bit of public comment about county. You know, it's going to be Jim's automotive, they're gonna refurbish that and have a great program. So it's great that you're supporting that, and the county is supporting you and you're supporting each other. It's great. Uh Mortimer J. Adler, prominent philosopher, uh, has written the book called Aristotle for Everybody Difficult Thought Made Easy. And he says, based upon everything that's been read, uh, that's the only book that's ever is morally sound, undogmatic, is Nicomedian ethics written in the uh fifth century by Aristotle. And Adler updated it so it's current for women and blacks and everybody else. Okay. So, because of the current political climate, please consider his words of wisdom below. What do others have a right to expect from us?

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