OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Tigard City Council Workshop Meeting Summary – September 16, 2025

City Council Workshop — Tuesday, September 16, 2025
BodyTigard, Oregon
SessionCity Council Workshop
DateTuesday, September 16, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:32:30

Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

It's 6 30, so good evening, everyone.

0:08

Um Mayor Portain Wolf is away and joining us remotely, so I've been asked to uh help facilitate the meeting.

0:18

Let me turn off my microphone.

0:20

All right, there we go.

0:22

So with that, I'm calling the city council workshop meeting to order.

0:27

Uh City Reporter Craiger, would you please conduct a raw call, please?

0:48

Councillor Robins Present.

0:52

Counselor Schlack.

0:54

Here.

0:54

Councillor Shaw.

0:57

Here.

0:58

Mayor Pro Tim Wolf.

1:01

Here.

1:04

Here.

1:05

Counselor Who?

1:07

Here.

1:07

Councilor Goodusi.

1:09

Present.

1:11

Thank you.

1:12

Would you all please stand to join me in the Pledge of Allegiance?

1:38

Next item on our agenda is call for non-agenda items.

1:42

Counselor Robbins, I believe you have one item you want to bring up.

1:46

Yes.

1:46

Thank you, Counselor Who.

1:48

Um, I adding an agenda item for the um for the council to designate the voting member for the um League of Oregon Cities conference that's coming up next month.

2:00

We have to choose amongst us who are going to attend who's gonna be the voting member who represents the council.

2:06

Very well, thank you.

2:07

We'll discuss that.

2:08

And uh City Team, City Manager, do we have any non-agenda item?

2:12

No.

2:12

Okay, with that.

2:14

Let's move on to next section, which is public comments.

2:20

So if if you want to make uh public comments, the calling number is 503 966, 4101.

2:28

And those wishing to comment should call now to get into the queue.

2:32

Anyone present wanting to comment should sign up on the public comment form at the front of the room.

2:39

All right, so um we have received four written comments uh before our Monday deadline.

2:46

Um three of them is about uh camping time, place, and manner, and one of them asking about a city response to items in the former mayor's uh resignation letter.

3:01

Okay, next item is the public comments.

3:04

So we have we have three uh people signing up for public comments.

3:12

And so the first person is uh Yasman Martinez.

3:17

Please come forward.

3:24

So good evening.

3:25

So you have uh two minutes after you state your name and where you live.

3:29

So please go ahead.

3:31

Hi, my name is Jasmine Martinez, and I'm a resident of Tiger.

3:35

Um good evening, Council.

3:37

I'm here to speak in strong support of the adoption of the proactive rental inspections program for Tiger.

3:43

The program is not about adding red tape, it's about protecting our residents, our neighborhoods, and long-term health of our city's housing stock.

3:51

Right now we rely heavily on complaints to uncover unsafe conditions.

3:55

But many tenants, especially seniors, families with children, or those concerned about retaliation, are often reluctant to report problems.

4:03

A proactive program ensures that hazards like mold, faulty wiring, and lack of heat are identified and fixed before they become an emergency.

4:12

That means that healthier families, that means healthier families, fewer cost of displacement, and less strain on city resources like fire and emergency response.

4:20

For landlords, this program protects property values and prevents small maintenance issues from becoming expensive repairs.

4:26

It also creates a level playing field.

4:28

So responsible landlords aren't undercut by those who neglect their properties.

4:33

For the community, it means safer neighborhoods, reduce blight, and stronger sense of equity, especially uh because every renter, regardless of income, deserves to have a safe home.

4:45

I know there are concerns around costs and administration, but with a fee-based tiered or phase structure modeled after aggressions program, Tiger can fully fund inspections, outreach without drawing on the general fund.

5:00

In fact, these programs often pay for themselves while delivering measurable improvements in the housing quality and public safety.

5:04

In short, this is about fairness prevention and community pride.

5:07

By adopting PRI, Tiger can make a strong commitment that every resident, whether they're owner or renter, deserves a safe, healthy, and dignified place to call home.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████37%
Public Engagement███████████11%
Housing█████████9%
Procedural███████7%
Homelessness██████6%
Community Engagement██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Water And Wastewater Management█████5%
Transportation Safety████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Tigard City Council Workshop Meeting Summary – September 16, 2025

The Tigard City Council held a workshop meeting on September 16, 2025, at 6:30 PM. The meeting included public comments, community updates, committee liaison reports, and a detailed presentation on housing policy updates. Council also voted to designate a voting delegate for the upcoming League of Oregon Cities conference.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Jasmine Martinez (Tigard resident) expressed strong support for the adoption of a proactive rental inspection program, arguing it protects tenants, prevents hazards, and creates a level playing field for responsible landlords. She noted that the program can be self-funded through fees.
  • Elise (Tigard resident) highlighted that 38.58% of Tigard citizens live in rental units and that 31.36% of households have children. She urged protection for renters, especially seniors, and accountability for landlords and property management companies, noting that rents are increasing 10% per year.
  • Jim Ahl (10-year Tigard resident, president of Wood Springs Tenants Association) spoke about the lack of affordable housing, calling it a root cause of homelessness. He expressed appreciation for the city’s work on affordable housing and urged continued focus on lower-income older adults and families.
  • Donovan Manfredi (Tigard resident) expressed concern about homeless individuals near the 7-Eleven and Just Compassion shelter, stating they do not abide by laws and that he feels the area is overrun. He urged the city to address the situation.
  • Maribel Sustwaggy (Tigard resident for 1 year 4 months) shared her personal experience: after the January 2025 winter storm, her son was diagnosed with asthma due to mold in their apartment. She asked the council to implement rental inspections and hold landlords accountable for maintenance, and to provide more support for affected families.

Community Updates

  • Chamber of Commerce (Sara Tanner, Board Chair) announced the Chamber Leadership class (applications closing soon), the Tigard Farmers Market (Sundays through October), and the State of Business event on September 24. She invited council members to attend.
  • Police Department Dashboard (Lt. Jared Prater) reported recent hiring successes: three recruits in the academy, one officer in field training, and a new officer starting soon. He highlighted the new photo enforcement vendor (Vera Mobility) with improved technology, noting that 1,418 speed tickets were issued at SW Pacific Highway and 72nd Avenue in August alone, exceeding the 2024 total of 2,437. He also announced a Family Fun Day at the police department on September 20.

Discussion Items

  • Committee Liaison Reports:

    • Councillor Godusi reported on library projects (roofing, HVAC, second-floor redesign, accessibility grant) and a Parks and Rec Board tour of River Terrace neighborhood parks and Losage property.
    • The Youth Counselor reported on the Tigard Youth Advisory Council’s plans for a clothing drive to benefit Just Compassion, focusing on men’s winter clothing.
    • Councillor Who reported on CHART meetings (safe parking discussions), updates on the two family shelters, the new reservoir, and transportation commission activities (downtown wayfinding, Nick Wilson Memorial Plaza, Tigard Cinema site park concept plan).
    • Councillor Robbins reported on the Committee for Community Engagement (supporting council goals), the Tigard-Lake Oswego Water Partnership (chlorine generation study, projects), and the Water Advisory Board (emergency preparedness, cell tower lease).
    • Councillor Schlack reported on the Urban Renewal Funding Selection Subcommittee, which reviewed current grant recipients and discussed a consolidated application process.
    • Councillor Shaw reported on the Town Center Advisory Committee and Transition Advisory Committee collaborative tour, the Safe Streets Action Plan, the Tigard Electric Transition Plan, the Murdock Street Sidewalk project, and Washington County Public Affairs Board (endorsement of CAPER report).
    • Mayor Pro Tem Wolf reported on the Audit Committee (accountant merger), Westside Economic Alliance (workforce development), and Chamber Gap Committee.

  • Housing Policy Updates:

    • Staff (Skylar Warren, Assistant Director of Community Development, and Trinity Miller, Housing Planner) presented an overview of the city’s housing work since 2018, including state legislative changes (SB 974, HB 2138, HB 2258, HB 2021). They proposed a housing portfolio work plan organized into state requirements, regional priorities, and local initiatives. The work plan includes a housing capacity analysis and production strategy (state-required), updates to comply with new laws, River Terrace 2.0 housing policy, and ongoing programs (affordable homeownership, Tigard Home Project, etc.). Additional strategies (rental registration, relocation assistance, right to counsel) were noted as lower priority due to capacity and cost.
    • Guests from Washington County (Shannon Wilson, Office of Community Development; Molly Rogers, Executive Director of Housing Authority; Lisa Varon, Real Estate Division Manager) highlighted the county’s role in funding affordable housing, awards for the Alongside Senior Housing project and Just Compassion safe parking program, and the Housing Authority’s pipeline—including the Woodspring Apartments (172 units) acquisition and rehabilitation, closing financing next week. They noted that Tigard has the second most affordable housing units in the county.
    • Council members (Shaw, Schlack, Robbins, Wolf) expressed a need for more information before concurring with the proposed work plan. They requested a clearer breakdown of required vs. optional items, financial metrics, staff capacity impacts, and potential trade-offs (e.g., property tax exemptions). Council did not take a vote on the work plan; staff will provide additional materials.

Key Outcomes

  • Designation of League of Oregon Cities Voting Delegate: Councillor Robbins moved to designate Councillor Heather Robbins as the city’s voting delegate for the upcoming League of Oregon Cities conference (October 4, 2025). The motion was seconded and passed unanimously (all ayes, no nays). Councillor Robbins will represent the council’s wishes.
  • Housing Work Plan: Council did not concur with the staff’s recommended approach but requested a follow-up with more detailed information on costs, capacity, and priorities. The housing capacity analysis and production strategy are required by the state and will proceed as mandated.
  • Meeting Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:30 PM.

Meeting Transcript

It's 6 30, so good evening, everyone. Um Mayor Portain Wolf is away and joining us remotely, so I've been asked to uh help facilitate the meeting. Let me turn off my microphone. All right, there we go. So with that, I'm calling the city council workshop meeting to order. Uh City Reporter Craiger, would you please conduct a raw call, please? Councillor Robins Present. Counselor Schlack. Here. Councillor Shaw. Here. Mayor Pro Tim Wolf. Here. Here. Counselor Who? Here. Councilor Goodusi. Present. Thank you. Would you all please stand to join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? Next item on our agenda is call for non-agenda items. Counselor Robbins, I believe you have one item you want to bring up. Yes. Thank you, Counselor Who. Um, I adding an agenda item for the um for the council to designate the voting member for the um League of Oregon Cities conference that's coming up next month. We have to choose amongst us who are going to attend who's gonna be the voting member who represents the council. Very well, thank you. We'll discuss that. And uh City Team, City Manager, do we have any non-agenda item? No. Okay, with that. Let's move on to next section, which is public comments. So if if you want to make uh 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 the public comment form at the front of the room. All right, so um we have received four written comments uh before our Monday deadline. Um three of them is about uh camping time, place, and manner, and one of them asking about a city response to items in the former mayor's uh resignation letter. Okay, next item is the public comments. So we have we have three uh people signing up for public comments. And so the first person is uh Yasman Martinez. Please come forward. So good evening. So you have uh two minutes after you state your name and where you live. So please go ahead. Hi, my name is Jasmine Martinez, and I'm a resident of Tiger. Um good evening, Council. I'm here to speak in strong support of the adoption of the proactive rental inspections program for Tiger. The program is not about adding red tape, it's about protecting our residents, our neighborhoods, and long-term health of our city's housing stock. Right now we rely heavily on complaints to uncover unsafe conditions. But many tenants, especially seniors, families with children, or those concerned about retaliation, are often reluctant to report problems.

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