Tigard City Council Meeting – November 18, 2025

The council meeting on November 18, 2025, covered the city manager's resignation, public comments on homeless services, departmental updates from police and municipal court, approval of consent items, and a detailed discussion on the River Terrace 2.0 Parks System Plan, including trade-offs between housing density and park acreage. No final decisions were made on the parks plan, but staff were directed to provide cost-benefit analysis of options.

Consent Calendar

• Temporary lease of TCDA property for Costco employee parking (not storage) – approved unanimously after Councillor Schlack clarified the restriction. Mayor Who confirmed staff verification that use is limited to employee parking.
• Resolution to apply for DLCD Technical Assistance Grant for a feasibility study on establishing a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district in River Terrace 2.0 – approved with a second (vote: all ayes). The resolution does not create a TIF district; any future decision will return to council.

Public Comments & Testimony

• In-person comment by Mahmoud (Mo), a Tigard resident staying at the public works camp, expressed concerns about the dismantling of the campsite and alleged mismanagement at Just Compassion shelter. He called for a vote to change management under Director Mori and stated he was ejected without due process (no written notice or appeal opportunity). Staff will follow up.
• Two written public comments (received by Monday noon deadline) expressed concerns about River Terrace Parks and city funding priorities.

Discussion Items

• City Manager Resignation: Mayor Who announced that City Manager Brent Stockwell resigned effective immediately; council accepted. Acting City Manager Emily Trish will continue as interim. Council will begin discussions on long-term leadership.
• Police Department Update (Chief McDonald): Presented October 2025 dashboard showcasing consistency of call response across the city via mapping of traffic/person/property calls. Year-to-date self-initiated activity up 5%; dispatch calls up 4.5%. Community engagement contacts reached 11,502 (up from ~9,000 last year), aiming for 12,000. One officer (first week of Nov) had 23 calls, visited 18 camps, issued 1 exclusion. Photo enforcement camera at Hall/99W is flashing excessively due to recalibration issue; new vendor is responsive. Exciting updates on new police/public works facility model unveiled at community event; Councilor Wolf noted many officers in training/academy. Officer Julianne Erickson graduated police academy and is back in field training.
• Council Liaison Reports:
  • Councilor Shaw: Attended Economic Development Strategic Plan Workshop and Transition Advisory Committee – ODOT update on 217 overpass delayed to end of month. Youth Council clothing drive ends Nov 19; teen movie night with Family Promise on Nov 28.
  • Council President Wolf: Westside Economic Alliance exploring 501c3 addition to apply for grants; Chamber public policy committee discussed street fee model (wants clarity on alternatives). Councilor Schlack and Wolf will present on “Building a Better Tigard” on Dec 18.
  • Councilor Schlack: Planning commission (Nov 3) unanimously recommended annexation of Sanders parcel and legislative annexation of River Terrace 2.0; both come to council Dec 2. Also attended Town Center Advisory Commission – discussed homelessness response in TIF districts and 72nd Ave redevelopment.
  • Councilor Gadussi: Parks & Rec Advisory Board discussed pickleball court conflicts at Summer Lake (parking enforcement, program scheduling). Library levy passed (19% of library funding); inclusive tech station arrived; roofing continues.
  • Mayor Who: Regional meetings highlighted county budget challenges; Metro exploring SDC funding oversight. Home Building Association 2026 housing forecast: Portland Metro lost 16,000+ jobs; population growth stalled; housing demand rising due to shortage and smaller household sizes; fewer than 20% of listings affordable to median income households.
• Municipal Court Update (Judge Oberdofer & Operations Supervisor Fenton):
  • Photo enforcement rebooted after vendor switch (paused March–Aug 2025). From Aug–Oct 2025: 3,495 speed citations (vs. 2,318 same period 2024, ~40% increase); 1,578 red light citations (vs. 1,304). In-person stop cases rose from 2,273 (FY24) to 2,695 (FY25). Traffic ticket diversion: 356 enrolled; 178 awaiting trial. Payment plans available ($25/month minimum, lower possible with judge approval). Judge noted code violation case (fat, oil, grease) handled fairly; respondent said it was fair despite losing. Court rewriting rules for clarity, creating templates. New electronic DMV conviction process will eliminate paper for most citations.
• Capital Improvement Plan Update (Joe Wisoski): Covered six systems – water, sewer, stormwater, transportation, parks, facilities. Key projects: 560 East Pressure Zone Consolidation (Bull Mountain waterline) to begin winter; Red Rock Creek waterline relocation final phase to start summer; new technology approach for pipeline renewal (not meeting 1-mile/year). Emergency water main replacement at Mary Woodard school completed before school year. Cured-in-place pipe lining for sewer/stormwater infiltration reduction. Stormwater: Red Rock Creek stabilization under construction; 121st Ave bridge bank stabilization at 90% design; Dartmouth/99W flooding repair folded into ODOT ADA ramp project. Transportation: pavement management program out for bid; Hall Blvd/FAFL traffic signal design kicking off; North Dakota Street Bridge replacement got $8M RFFA funding (3-year federal availability); Tigard Street bridge at 90% design, construction phasing starting summer 2026; ADA curb ramp program red but catching up. Murdoch Street sidewalk/stormwater and Temple-to-Tualatin Safe Routes to School project punch list finishing. Street light replacement bid came in $1M under budget. Parks: Dirksen Nature Park delayed due to Clean Water Services pump station coordination; Steve Street Park/trail at 90% design; Cook Family accessible boat ramp completed; Began Park coordination with Clean Water Services trunk line. Facilities: Library HVAC under construction; roof replacement near completion; city facilities modernization project update Dec 16 with possible referral to February ballot.
• River Terrace 2.0 Parks System Plan (Senior Planner Gata & Parks Manager Gruen):
  • Proposal reduces park acreage per 1,000 residents from original concept plan (down to ~1 acre/1,000 from 2+ acres) by eliminating some community park land and only counting publicly accessible natural areas. Instead, more trails (4–6 miles) and larger, higher-quality neighborhood parks (8 neighborhood, up to 1 community park, 3 urban plazas). Community park would be 10–12 acres (size of Blueberry Hill).
  • Staff highlighted trade-offs: maintaining fewer acres reduces land available for housing/commercial, but also lowers maintenance costs. Current park system has 608 acres, 20 FTE maintenance; River Terrace 2.0 would require additional 6–8 FTE. Parks SDC and PARF methodologies need updating citywide to ensure sustainable funding.
  • Council discussion: Council President Wolf concerned about balancing housing with open space, noting one chance to get it right. Councilor Schlack emphasized need for community park as non-negotiable due to high density housing and lack of private yards. Councilor Shaw questioned cutting park acreage without developer input; wants holistic citywide approach. Councilor Gadussi supported community park but noted Lausich property could supplement acreage. Mayor Who requested visual cost-benefit comparison of options (e.g., sports field vs. affordable housing trade-offs). Staff will return with more analysis.

Key Outcomes

• City manager resignation accepted; acting city manager appointed. Council to begin process for permanent leadership.
• Consent agenda approved: temporary lease of TCDA property (for Costco employee parking) and DLCD technical assistance grant for River Terrace TIF feasibility study.
• No formal vote on parks plan; staff directed to provide council with detailed options comparison (cost, SDC implications, maintenance, and impact on housing/commercial land) before final adoption. Next update scheduled for late January/February 2026.
• Upcoming council actions: Dec 2 – annexation items (Sanders parcel and River Terrace 2.0 legislative annexation); Dec 16 – city facilities modernization project update (possible February ballot referral); Feb 2026 – street maintenance fee discussion.
• Community engagement: Police Chief McDonald reported 11,502 community contacts year-to-date, aiming for 12,000 by year-end. Youth Council clothing drive and teen movie night scheduled.