Hillsboro City Council Meeting and Housing Production Strategy Work Session - October 7, 2025\n\nThe City Council of Hillsboro, Oregon, convened on October 7, 2025, for a regular meeting followed by a work session on the Housing Production Strategy (HPS). The regular meeting included public comments, approval of the consent agenda, adoption of library rules, and a city manager report. The subsequent work session focused on revisions to the HPS in response to a remand from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). Council members engaged in detailed discussion on housing needs, action items, and next steps.\n\n### Consent Calendar\n- The consent agenda was approved unanimously via roll call (Mayor Pace, Councilors Harris, Sinclair, Salgado, Case, Ambry; Councilor Alcare absent).\n- Resolution 2901, adopting library administrative rules on collection development, unattended children, and gallery space/exhibits, was adopted unanimously.\n\n### Public Comments & Testimony\n- Dirk Knutson (resident/broker): Expressed concern about the proliferation of data centers in Hillsboro (20 existing, 10 planned), citing grid instability, loss of industrial land, and missed franchise fee revenue (estimated $50–70 million/year). Urged the city to consider imposing franchise fees on data centers as communication companies and to establish a committee on energy policy. He noted he has written an initiative petition on the matter.\n- Kanishkan Tamilarasan (resident): Presented the Seva Diwali food drive (September 20–November 10, 2025), aiming to collect non-perishable vegetarian food for local pantries. In 2024, the drive collected over 8,000 pounds in Oregon and 700,000 pounds nationally. Invited council and community to participate.\n- Jaime Miranda (MN Marketplace representative): Thanked the council for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion and invited them to the 25th anniversary celebration of MN Marketplace (October 25–26, 2025), featuring folkloric groups, live music, step dancers, and community art.\n\n### City Manager Report\n- City Manager Robbie Hammond clarified a helicopter circling downtown was Hillsboro Aviation performing infrared calibration, not police-related.\n- Announced the library’s “Library of Things” community voting on Engage Hillsborough (through mid-November; over 800 responses already).\n- Promoted the Hillsboro Fire & Rescue open house on October 11, 2025, at Ronler Acres Fire Station #3 (10 a.m.–2 p.m.).\n\n### Work Session: Housing Production Strategy (HPS) Update\n- Presenters: Paul Runge and Alex Joyce from Cascadia Partners (urban planning consultants) presented the revised HPS following DLCD’s remand in April 2025. City staff (Becky Catino, Dan Retic, Dan Diaz) also participated.\n- Context: The original HPS was adopted by the previous council, submitted to DLCD, and remanded with two conditions: (1) remove Action 2.2 on urban growth boundary (UGB) expansions from the HPS (though UGB expansion remains possible via other processes), and (2) clarify actions, timelines, and alignment with identified housing needs.\n- Housing Needs Overview: The Housing Needs Analysis (HNA) projects a need for approximately 14,000 housing units over 20 years (2023–2043) using a statutory 0.7% growth rate, though the city’s historical growth is ~1.6%. Needs break down into: ~37% affordable (<80% median family income, MFI), ~21% middle income (80–120% MFI), and ~42% market rate (>120% MFI). Cost burden is prevalent: 43% of renters spend >30% of income on rent, with higher rates among Black households. Seniors and people with disabilities also face housing challenges.\n- Revised Actions (20 total): Presenters walked through changes, emphasizing strengthened commitment language (e.g., “will” instead of “may”), addition of an opportunity/vulnerability analysis for zoning (Action 1.1), density bonuses for affordable and accessible units (Actions 1.2, 1.3), refined middle housing standards (Action 1.4), streamlining design standards (1.5), adopting a user-friendly code (1.6), permit process barrier removal (1.7), pre-approved ADU plans with universal design (1.8), land inventory for affordable housing (2.1, 2.2), partnerships for affordable homeownership (3.2), equitable development strategy for 10th Avenue/Avenida Diaz (3.3), fee studies (4.1, 4.2), tax exemption programs (4.3, 4.4, 4.5), infrastructure investment analysis (5.1), exploring regional revenue sources (5.2), completing a year-round homeless shelter (5.3 – already underway/funded), and directing resources to supportive/accessible housing (5.4). Some actions are “exploratory” (studies), others “committal.”\n- Council Discussion: Councilors asked about definitions of affordable, middle, and market-rate housing (based on percentage of MFI and cost burden), the relationship between growth rates and need, and the timeline for implementation. City staff clarified that the HPS will include a work plan with years for initiation, adoption, and implementation. The equitable development strategy will come back as a separate work session. The homeless shelter is fully funded. Public comment on the revised HPS will open for two weeks starting the week of October 13, 2025, with a final adoption hearing scheduled for December 2, 2025.\n\n### Key Outcomes\n- Consent agenda and Resolution 2901 adopted unanimously.\n- Council received the revised HPS presentation and provided feedback; no formal action taken during the work session.\n- Next steps: Public comment period (mid-October), informal DLCD review, possible additional revisions, and council adoption expected in December 2025.\n- Council members emphasized the importance of clear definitions and alignment between actions and affordable housing outcomes.