Hillsboro City Council Meeting Summary - October 20, 2026

The Hillsboro City Council convened on October 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting featured the presentation of the Arts and Culture Endowment Awards, a proclamation for National Arts and Humanities Month, and the annual report from the Hillsboro Community Foundation (HCF), which highlighted over $579,000 in community distributions. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to public comment on airport development, data center regulations, immigration enforcement activity, and city staffing decisions. The council adopted a second reading of an ordinance regulating data and energy storage facilities and approved mid-biennium position reclassifications for the Water and Library departments.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved unanimously with Item 4.4 removed for separate discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lynn Coffin (Virtual): Expressed support for a moratorium on new airport buildings and a community advisory committee. Urged code changes to prevent large-scale corporate aviation developments.
• Dirk Knudsen (Virtual): Thanked council for the data center moratorium. Raised concerns about unfettered operation of emergency diesel generators during power outages and a disconnect between the city and Clean Water Services regarding data center wastewater discharge containing PFAs.
• Tino Sentino Juarez (Virtual, Carpenters Union): Questioned whether funds directed to the Hillsboro School District include language to safeguard local workforce, family wages, and community benefits.
• Marla Vick (In Person): Commended city staff for professionalism and efficiency. Recalled disruption at the previous meeting and expressed appreciation for the council's public forum.
• Eileen Heinz (In Person): Argued the AI industry is in a financial bubble, making massive data center investments risky. Stated the city lacks proper expert advice on the future of AI.
• Mr. Brown (In Person): Described an epistemic crisis around data centers and public safety. Advocated for police abolition, citing traffic stop disparity data from the county.
• Simone Campbell (In Person): Questioned the hiring of an assistant city manager linked to an Ashland separation agreement and challenged Mayor Pace's political endorsements and prioritization of data centers over housing.
• Carolyn Concepcion (In Person): Urged council to decrease the proposed 608-acre data center acreage cap to preserve employment land for industries with high worker density.
• Antonia Lopez (In Person): Demanded a red moratorium for rental assistance, criticizing the city's response to the immigrant crisis under the state of emergency.
• Jenna (In Person): Criticized the city for a delayed and insufficient response to increased ICE activity near schools, demanding immediate public guidance and action.
• Ronnie F. (In Person): Argued the city's sanctuary city status must be meaningful. Criticized police cooperation with ICE and urged the council not to extend the police lease.
• Denise Kerr (In Person): Criticized local candidates, the Clean Water Services scandal, and development decisions involving the fairgrounds and data centers.

Discussion Items

• Item 4.4: Mid-Biennium Position Reclassifications (Library & Water Departments):
  • Councilor Harris expressed deep concern over mid-budget staffing changes, warning of cumulative cost increases impacting future taxes and utility rates.
  • Library Director Tammy Wallin stated the consolidation of two part-time digital navigator positions into one full-time role improves employee retention and provides benefits without increasing the total FTE, fulfilling a critical community need.
  • Nikki from the Water Department explained the reclassification of a vacant GIS position to a principal engineer role addresses workload from aging infrastructure without adding a new position, with costs partially offset by Joint Water Commission partners.
  • CFO Michelle Waring explained the changes are budget-neutral within the current biennium due to vacancy savings and represent a very small fraction of the total personnel budget.
  • Councilor Salgado requested historical data on the frequency of mid-cycle reclassification requests.
  • Outcome: Motion to approve the reclassifications and associated budget revisions passed.
• Item 7.2: Data and Energy Storage Ordinance (Second Reading):
  • Councilor Sinclair received confirmation from the City Attorney that the off-site transfer provision had been removed from the final ordinance being voted on.
  • Councilor Case confirmed the 1,000-foot buffer around residential zones is retained with an expiration date of October 31, 2027, pending a Phase 2 study.
  • Councilor Ambry clarified the definition of "public benefit" in the context of exemptions from accessory energy storage acreage limits as conditions imposed in land use decisions for the public good.
  • Outcome: Ordinance No. 6521 was adopted by a vote of 7-0.
• Item 8: Grant Policy Language:
  • Resolution No. 2938 adopting updated grant policy language was approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinance Adopted: The City Council adopted Ordinance 6521, establishing new regulations for Data Storage and Processing and Energy Storage and Generation facilities, including a temporary 1,000-foot buffer.
• Staffing Approved: The council approved the mid-biennium reclassification of positions in the Water and Library departments.
• Grant Policy Updated: The council approved an update to the city's grant policy language (Resolution 2938).
• Council Comments: Councilor Harris requested support from colleagues to refer a project scoping a lighted crosswalk near Century High School to the City Manager.
• City Manager Report: Celebrated the city's 150th anniversary, the dedication of a new mural on the Civic Center parking garage, and the winners of the Picture Hillsborough and Permanent Art Collection awards.

Advice and Information

• The council acknowledged receipt of the Bienestar 2026 annual report.