Tigard City Council Meeting – December 9, 2025: Council Appointment Interviews and Appointment of Tom Anderson
Tigard City Council Meeting Summary – December 9, 2025
On December 9, 2025, the Tigard City Council met for a regular meeting that included public comments, a FEMA update, and a central agenda item: interviewing four candidates to fill a council vacancy and ultimately appointing Tom Anderson. The meeting began at approximately 8:00 pm and lasted into the evening, including a brief recess.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were on the agenda or discussed.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Written comments: Two written public comments received by the Monday deadline, both concerning the council appointment process.
- In-person testimony: Elise Scher spoke in support of Gabe Velasquez, describing him as thoughtful, personable, energetic, and resourceful. Bob Thompson also supported Gabe Velasquez, noting their work together on the TCAC (Town Center Advisory Commission) and praising his preparedness, knowledge, and sense of humor.
- Phone testimony: Jocelyn Keating (Jojo), a Newberg resident whose business is in Tigard and a TSAC member, expressed support for Gabe Velasquez, echoing previous speakers and noting she was wearing red in support.
Council Appointment Interviews and Deliberation
- Process overview: The council invited four of five previously selected candidates (the fifth withdrew) to interviews: Tom Anderson, Al Haddadi, Gabe Velasquez, and Kate Ristow. The order was determined by drawing names: Tom Anderson first, then Al Haddadi, Gabe Velasquez, and Kate Ristow last. Each candidate received eight questions – four provided in advance and four surprise – with two minutes per answer. After all interviews, the council deliberated.
Interview Highlights (key positions and attributes):
- Tom Anderson: Former council member; spearheaded the construction excise tax for affordable housing; supports the police station/public works bond as top funding priority; described himself as a “bridge” candidate for a one‑year term; stated he would not seek election in November 2026.
- Al Haddadi: Vice chair of the Committee for Community Engagement; emphasized data‑driven decision‑making, use of AI/machine learning for traffic, and experience with structured problem‑solving; would 100% support addressing homelessness; would seek election if appointed.
- Gabe Velasquez: Chair of the Town Center Advisory Commission (TCAC); created KPIs for accountability; supports smarter road design (roundabouts, lower speed limits, separated bike lanes) and regional cooperation on homelessness; likely would run for election if appointed.
- Kate Ristow: President of the Tigard Library Board and a nonprofit executive; emphasized strategic planning, community vision, and organizational change; top funding priorities include infrastructure and programs; would consider running for election depending on experience.
Deliberation and Voting:
- Round 1: Each council member named their top candidate (or top two). Initial tally: three votes for Tom Anderson, three for Kate Ristow, two for Gabe Velasquez, and one for Al Haddadi (some members named two). No consensus emerged.
- Round 2: Ranked choice voting (3 points for first, 2 for second, 1 for third). Result: Tom Anderson and Kate Ristow tied at 12 points each; Gabe Velasquez 8 points; Al Haddadi 4 points.
- Tie‑breaker: Council members asked the tied candidates an additional open‑ended question about their motivations and assessment of the council. After further discussion, Councilor Shaw moved support from Kate to Tom, citing the value of a “bridge” candidate who would not run as an incumbent, giving other candidates an equal chance in the November 2026 election.
- Councilor Schlack, who had supported Kate, expressed willingness to work with Tom.
Key Outcomes
- Motion and vote: Councilor Robbins moved to appoint Tom Anderson to fill the remainder of the council term from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously (7‑0).
- FEMA update: The FEMA ESA public hearing scheduled for December 9 was pulled from the agenda due to litigation uncertainty, potential dismantling of FEMA, government shutdown delays, and the ongoing DEIS process. The hearing will be re‑noticed when future hearings are scheduled.
- City Manager’s report: City Manager Trish announced the tree lighting event at Universal Plaza drew about 300 guests, and invited the community to the Menorah Lighting on December 15 at 5 pm at the same location.
Note: The meeting included a recess of approximately 10 minutes between interviews and deliberation. The council also noted they would enter an executive session after the open meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. Good evening. What did I say? Yeah. All right. Oh, thank you. Nobody ever responded to me before, so I was like, what was that? All right, I will call this uh Tiger City Council meeting to order. Uh Deputy City Recorder Bartholomew, please uh conduct roll call. Council President Wolf. Here youth Councilor Helleck. Councillor Gaducy. Present. Mayor Who? Here. Councillor Robbins. Here. Councilor Schlack. Here. Councilor Shaw. Here. And youth counselor is just walking in. So all right. Would everybody please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. All right. Council and staff, do you have any non-agenda items tonight? None from us, Mayor. All right. Seeing none, let's move move on to public comments. Public comment is the opportunity for us to uh receive feedback and to and uh it's not a dialogue. Um when you uh present your public comment, we will address the issue um later on. So if you want to provide public comments, the calling number is 503 966 4101. And those wishing to comment should call now to get into the queue. Anyone present wanting to comment should sign up on on the public comment form at the front of the room. Uh so uh we received two written public comments um by Monday deadline yesterday, uh both about counselor appointment. So next uh let's move on to in-person public comments. Uh we have two people sign up, and each of them uh when I call your name, please come forward and state your name and the city you live in. And after that, you have two minutes and uh the timers on the screen. So the first person uh I would like to invite uh up is uh Elise Scher. Good evening. Good evening, Mr. Mayor and Council members. How are you? I'm here to speak in support of Gabe Velasquez as a candidate for the vacant council seat. I've known him for four years and I found him to be thoughtful, personable, energetic, and resourceful. As you know, as you see, he knows how to rally the troops. He would be a fine addition to the Tiger City Council with his background and dedication, and I hope he gets your vote. Thank you. Thank you so much. And next person.
openpublica.com