Tigard City Council and Local Contract Review Board Meeting – April 7, 2026

The Tigard City Council met on the evening of April 7, 2026, to address a range of legislative, administrative, and operational matters. The meeting included a police unit commendation, public comment on camping enforcement, adoption of an alarm system ordinance, advancement of the city manager recruitment process, and adoption of new policies for reporting improper conduct and compensating the acting city manager. All votes were unanimous.

Recognition

• Police Unit Commendation Award: Commander Sitton presented the department's Unit Commendation Award to the Commercial Crimes Unit (Detective Sergeant Dan Swain, Detective Jordan Welch, Detective Nelson Massey, and Detective Kyle Henderson) for their work on two complex serial burglary investigations. The investigations involved numerous hours of surveillance, search warrants, and coordination across multiple law enforcement agencies, resulting in the recovery of tens of thousands of dollars in stolen property and indictments on felony charges including burglary, kidnapping, robbery, and racketeering.

Consent Calendar

• Utility Billing Contract: Approved a contract for printing, mailing, and barcoding services.
• Citywide Janitorial Services Contract: Approved a contract for janitorial services. Both items were approved unanimously by a voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Matt Rotolski (Tigard resident): Expressed concern about the lack of enforcement of camping ordinances at the water district area. He noted that police previously enforced cleanup each morning but that enforcement had stopped, leading to garbage and blocked sidewalks. He stated he was "100% for" the overnight camping rules but wanted the daytime cleanup provisions enforced. The city manager later addressed this in his report.
• Written public comments: Three written comments were received regarding funding for a full-time park ranger, concerns with camping ordinance enforcement, and a request to increase the utility bill fund size.

Discussion Items

• City Manager Report (Acting City Manager Brian Rager):

  • Recognized April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, noting blue pinwheel displays at city hall.
  • Provided an update on houseless camping at the public works lawn: increased camper numbers and belongings blocking sidewalks. Announced three changes: (1) all officers are now instructed to address violations when observed, rather than only two dedicated officers; (2) a more liberal approach to exclusions from the campsite; (3) a proposed change to the time, place, and manner code regarding storage of personal belongings on city property during daytime, to be presented at the April 21 meeting.

• Public Hearing – Ordinance to Amend Alarm System Code (Chapter 11.08): Staff (Executive Assistant Liz Upton and Commander Sitton) presented the ordinance, which updates outdated software, modernizes language, and adds an appeal process for false alarm calls. No public testimony was offered. The council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance No. 26-08 after a roll-call vote (all ayes).

• Public Hearing – City Manager Hiring Standards, Criteria, and Process: HR Director Laura Gomez and consultant Cliff Moore (Prothman) presented the scope of work, job description, and workflow timeline. Council discussed:

  • Councillor Schlack requested amending the candidate presentation from "top two to five" to "top three to five."
  • Councillor Schlack and Councillor Shaw suggested Mayor Who as the single point of contact for council input.
  • Council President Wolf asked about background checks; it was noted that the decision on who performs them can be made later. The council adopted the hiring standards, criteria, and process as amended (unanimous).

• Review of Policy for Reporting Improper Conduct and Compensation Addendum for Acting City Manager / Elected Officials:

  • Reporting Policy: Created to allow employees and volunteers to report suspected improper conduct by city officers or elected officials, with protections against retaliation. The policy applies to council members and employees who report directly to council.
  • Compensation Addendum: Clarifies that when the Assistant City Manager serves as Acting City Manager, a three-member subcommittee may award up to 40 hours of supplemental paid time off. For other city employees serving as Acting City Manager, compensation may not exceed 5% of base salary. Discussion included concerns about extended acting periods (e.g., beyond six months) and the status of the Acting City Manager under the city charter. Council adopted both policies unanimously.

• Ratification of Acting City Manager Delegation: Mayor Who reported that Public Works Director Brian Rager has agreed to serve as Acting City Manager while Deputy City Manager Trish is on personal leave. The council ratified the mayor’s action delegating the duties to Mr. Rager until further notice (unanimous).

• Appointment of Subcommittee for Acting City Manager Compensation: Pursuant to the newly adopted policy, Councillors Shaw, Schlack, and Gaducey volunteered to serve on the subcommittee to consider compensation for Mr. Rager for his role as Acting City Manager.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous adoption of Ordinance No. 26-08 amending the alarm system code (roll-call vote: 8 ayes).
• Unanimous adoption of the city manager hiring standards, criteria, and process as amended (top three to five candidates, Mayor Who as point of contact).
• Unanimous adoption of the Reporting Policy for Improper Public Officer/Public Official Conduct and the Compensation Addendum for Acting City Manager / Elected Officials.
• Unanimous ratification of Mayor Who’s delegation of Acting City Manager duties to Brian Rager.
• Appointment of a three-member council subcommittee (Shaw, Schlack, Gaducey) to determine compensation for the Acting City Manager.
• Next steps: A proposed code change regarding daytime storage of personal belongings is expected at the April 21 council meeting; the city manager recruitment process will proceed with the adopted criteria.