Tigard City Council Meeting - June 23, 2026: Proclamations, Police Chief Retirement, Splash Pad Update, and Service Studies
Tigard City Council and Local Contract Review Board Meeting
On June 23, 2026, the Tigard City Council convened for a regular meeting that included proclamations honoring Youth Councilor Asher Halleck and retiring Police Chief Jamie McDonald, public comments, a city manager report, consent agenda approval, and several discussion items on community development and urban services. The meeting lasted approximately two hours and covered a wide range of policy and operational topics.
Consent Calendar
- Library IGA (Item 1): The council discussed the intergovernmental agreement for library services. Finance Director Eric Kang (also named as Eric Ain in the transcript) stated the agreement was not perfect but necessary to protect library services for Tigard residents. Councilor Schlack noted that the council unanimously endorsed Measure 34-345 and that 60% of voters supported it, reinforcing the need to approve the IGA. The consent agenda, including multiple contracts and IGAs, was approved unanimously.
- Other Items: The consent agenda also included an IGA with Washington County for maintenance of Roy Rogers Road (enhanced pathway), an IGA with Forest Grove for shared services, and a property purchase. Council President Wolfe praised the creative partnership with Forest Grove.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Seven written comments were received regarding the library budget, social services coordinator position, homeless activities near Garden Park Place, group home requirements, Juneteenth, and the downtown reimagined project. No in-person or phone testimony was offered.
Discussion Items
- Proclamations: The council unanimously adopted Resolution 26-23 recognizing Youth Councilor Asher Halleck for his one year of service, with quotes from council members praising his engagement and commitment. They also adopted Resolution 26-24 honoring Police Chief Jamie McDonald for 25 years of service, noting he was the first officer to rise through the ranks from patrol officer to chief. Chief McDonald delivered a brief retirement address, highlighting a 10% increase in calls for service compared to last year (which was the busiest on record) and reflecting on his career.
- City Manager Report: Acting City Manager Rager announced the "One Big Fourth" celebration co-hosted with King City on July 4, 2026, including a parade, festival, and fireworks at Tigard High School. He reminded residents that all personal fireworks are prohibited within city limits.
- CDBG Joint Entitlement (Housing Planner Trinity Miller): Staff recommended continuing as a joint entitlement city in the Washington County CDBG consortium for fiscal years 2027-2029, citing low staffing and budget impact. The council concurred, also supporting exploring changes to the operating agreement to retain 65% of the allocation (up from 50%) and bundling funds in year two for larger projects. Council President Wolfe noted her role as liaison to the policy advisory board. Unanimous direction.
- Universal Plus Water Feature (Splash Pad Update) – Park Manager Rick Gruen and Community Development Director Sambo Kirkman: The splash pad at Universal Plaza was closed after discovering that the original project (built in 2022) did not undergo Oregon Health Authority (OHA) plan review. A post-construction review found the system does not meet current OHA regulations. The pad will not open this summer; staff are soliciting design engineers for corrective work and hope to bring options and a timeline to council by the end of summer. Council expressed frustration over the delay and the impact on the community, and emphasized the need for cross-departmental coordination to prevent similar issues. Councilor Robbins noted that the project manager responsible is no longer with the city. Councilor Schlack thanked staff for their work.
- River Terrace 2.0 Update – Assistant Director Skyler Warren: Staff provided a detailed recap of the planning process since 2019, including community engagement (surveys, open houses, advisory committees), policy decisions (e.g., reducing target density from 20 to 18 units per net acre, requiring undersupplied housing), and the rationale for writing new code rather than using River Terrace 1.0 code (changes in state law, housing needs analysis, narrower streets, Metro Title 13 requirements). The draft development code is expected in December 2025 (year? Actually
Meeting Transcript
So good evening. I will call this Tiger City Council and Local Contract Review Board meeting to order. City Recorder Krager, would you please conduct a roll call? Councillor Robbins. Councillor Schlack. Here. Councillor Shaw. Here. Council President Wolfe. Here. Councillor Anderson. Here. Counselor Goodesi. Present. Youth Councilor Helleck. Here. Mayor Who? Here. Thank you. Will everybody please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? All right, City team and Councilmember, do you have any now agenda items? All right, seeing none, let's move on to the next item, which is proclamation and recognition. And uh this evening, we will uh have a resolution uh recognize youth counselor Hellecks for his service. And uh I'm going to read the motion, read the proc reader resolution, and then I will entertain a motion afterwards. Whereas Asher Halleck's terms of service will end June 30th, 2026, completing one year of exceptional service to the City of Tiger, Oregon, as our youth city councilor, and whereas Youth Councilor Helleck has earned admiration of his fellow council members and city team members who have shared the following. Quote one, Asher has represented Tiger's youth with sincerity and professionalism, and have appreciated his willingness to serve, participate in council meetings, and be part of the city's decision making process. His service has helped ensure that youth voices are included in our civic and conversations, and I'm grateful for the time and energy he has given to the council and the community. And that's for me. And Councilor Shah, do you have access to the resolution in front of you? Mayor, I do not have a question. Okay, I will I will read it. That's fine. I will read it for you. I appreciate it. Youth Councilor Halleck, I truly appreciate your attendance and come commitment to showing up each and every week. Showing up matters, and you did not, you did that consistently as you grow into your next opportunity. Remember Yoda's wisdom. Do or do not, there's no try. You've taken this first step by being there. Not the next chapter is yours to own fully. You have so much potential linked to it. And that was from Councillor Shah. And Council President Wolf, do you want to read your quote? I'd be happy to. I appreciated the perspective that Asher brings to our conversations. Yeah, and then I don't see Alex here, but so I'll read on her behalf. Asher has been a consistent, involved, and passionate council leaders on to Tiger Youth Advisory Council, TIAC, for the last year. His commitment to equity, youth voice, and the democratic process is evident, as is his authentic connection to community building. His contributions to the city as youth counselor will be missed, but he will no doubt continue to play an active role as a conscientious and engaged member of the wider community. Whereas during this his turn, youth council Helleck actively participated in numerous council meetings, workshops, and community events, demonstrating a strong commitment to civic engagement and public service.
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