Tigard City Council Workshop - March 17, 2026
Tigard City Council Workshop – March 17, 2026
The Tigard City Council held a workshop on March 17, 2026. The meeting included updates from community partners, a police dashboard report, a presentation from TriMet on proposed service cuts, a seasonal park ranger pilot program report, and a joint discussion with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board regarding the Lasich property. No formal votes were taken, but council members expressed support for continuing exploration of the Lasich property concept.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were submitted in writing or offered in person or by phone.
Community Updates & Presentations
- Tigard High School Theater Department: Theater teacher Tori Lee Scholes and Thespian board president Vera Hardy highlighted accomplishments, including being a National Honor Society, four-time state tech champion, and three international competitors (one won superiors in solo acting and makeup design). They organized a haunted house that collected 400 pounds of food (feeding 10,513 households/48,858 individuals) in partnership with Pact with Pride. Their recent musical "9 to 5" included a feminine hygiene product drive for local shelters. They expressed a desire to partner further with the city.
- Tigard High School Envoy: Becca Kasravani reported on spring events: graduation June 5 at 7 p.m., course selection underway, athletic updates (dance team state competition, tennis invitational win, lacrosse tournament, track and field meet). ASB president and vice president elections results: Sidney Jewell (president) and Gabriel Musangu (vice president). Prom is May 2 (location: Oregon Zoo).
Police Department Dashboard Report
- Commander Brad Sitton presented the February 2026 dashboard. Key data points: Dispatch calls and self-initiated calls both increased, indicating proactive policing. Response times decreased across all priority levels, with priority four calls (e.g., animal calls, abandoned vehicles) seeing a 22% decrease. Arrests increased 16% year over year (February 2025 vs 2026), with misdemeanor and citation arrests up. Year-to-date arrests are up 18.22% compared to the same two months last year.
- In response to Councilor Gaducy’s question about enforcement of time-place-manner regulations at the public works lot (homeless services area), Commander Sitton noted challenges: constant rotation of new arrivals, sidewalk width (96 inches vs required 48 inches ADA), and increasing unaddressed canine presence. Education and exclusion (as last resort) are the primary tools. Councilor Wolf asked about the exclusion process; Commander Sitton explained it is a graduated approach before criminal trespass.
Council Board & Committee Liaison Reports
- Councilor Robbins: Library board reported Express Library had over 1,100 visits in first month, 269 story time attendees, 20 tech help sessions, 53 teens in winter reading challenge. Immigration committee surveyed on continuation.
- Council President Wolf: Attended chamber’s governmental affairs meeting (legislative debrief, bond measure). Also attended governor’s prosperity council listening session on business climate, workforce, tools for growth. Will attend WEA policy conference.
- Councilor Schlack: Housing/homelessness task force charter development; transportation advisory committee discussed the "Building a Better Tigard" bond, McDonald Street project, downtown roundabouts.
- Councilor Gaducy: Parks and Rec advisory board discussed Fanno Park; water advisory board recommendations on water emergency preparedness.
- Mayor Wu: Reported on joint town hall with state legislators; short session successes (TLT share, ethics clarification, recreational immunity, economic development bill with one-year pause on data center incentives). Attended regional transportation meetings on TriMet service cuts and Regional1 Act projects.
TriMet Budget & Proposed Service Cuts
- TriMet representatives (JC Veneta, Tom Mills, Director Robert Kellogg) presented on a $300 million deficit and proposed cuts totaling at least 10% service reduction. Context: record teleworking (Oregon #2), downtown Portland vacancy 34.7%, fare revenue down $60M/year, inflation up 56% (2019-2025), $700M capital maintenance backlog. Cuts needed by July 2028.
- Proposed changes affecting Tigard:
- Line 45: terminate at Washington Square (lose service on SW 121st and Walnut), operate only during rush hours serving schools.
- Line 39/97: restructured to only go to Barber Transit Center (not downtown), requires transfer to Line 96 express.
- Line 76: extended to Sunset Transit Center, improving one-seat ride to Cedar Hills Crossing.
- Line 76 will no longer serve Oregon City due to low ridership.
- The plan currently achieves about 5-6.5% savings; additional cuts likely if state transportation bill fails. Council President Wolf asked about Tiger-specific feedback; Tom Mills said they reviewed 8,100 comments and found no disproportionate burden on vulnerable communities. Mayor Wu expressed concern for transit-dependent riders (35% of ridership) and urged innovation like the SPOT pilot program. Director Kellogg warned that these may be the beginning of deeper cuts.
Seasonal Park Ranger Program Pilot
- Parks and Recreation Manager Rick Gurin and Park Ranger Jordan Gordon presented results of the first year. Data: 2,700-plus documented interactions, including 125 dog-off-leash encounters, 37 smoking violations, 4.23 miles of social trails mapped, graffiti management, camp cleanup cost reduction from $8,000 average to $1,100. Jordan serves as a positive presence and liaison between PD and parks. Currently seasonal (April-December). Parks Board Chair Ellen Brown advocated for converting to a full-time position with an additional seasonal. Council members praised the program but noted budget constraints; some requested more internal cost-efficiency data before committing to expansion.
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Annual Update & Lasich Property
- Board Chair Ellen Brown summarized accomplishments: system plan update, tree board duties, grant support, public input vetting (e.g., pickleball, dog park battery storage proposal). Advocacy notes: Parks is a core service, currently funded below bottom quartile compared to peer cities.
- Rick Gurin presented a concept for the Lasich property (zoned exclusive farm use): community-supported agriculture, demonstration gardens, native plant nursery, river access, potential community gardens. Council members expressed support for continuing exploration (Councilor Wolf, Robbins, Gaducy; Councilor Schlack wanted more information). Discussion also touched on ball field loss at Fowler Middle School and potential partnership with school district on Dirksen property. Mayor Wu asked about funding levy; board chair opposed a levy due to uncertainty and competition with other ballot measures, but some council members noted the need for voter input on park funding priorities.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken.
- Council expressed general support for continuing discussions on Lasich property concept and directed staff to return with more details (including long-term costs).
- Council acknowledged the seasonal park ranger program’s success but deferred any decision on making it full-time to the April 14 budget discussion.
- Mayor Wu offered to advocate for TriMet funding at the state level.
- Council is scheduled to discuss park funding in more depth on April 14.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good evening, everyone. I will call this uh Tiger Workshop uh meeting to order. Deputy City Recorder Bartholomew, would you please conduct a roll call? Councilor Schlack Councillor Shaw absent. Council President Wolf here. Councilor Anderson absent. Councilor Gaducy. Present. Yes, Councillor Halleck also absent. Mayor Who? Here. Councillor Robbins. Here. All right. So everyone, please stand and uh join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. All right, so the team and council, do you have any now agenda items? None from us, Mayor. All right, seeing none. Let's move on to public comments. The public comment period provides an opportunity for members of the public to address the city council. While it is not dialogue, either I or staff will follow up to address the issues brought forward in these comments. The calling number is 503 966 4101. And those wishing to come and 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. First is uh written public common. Uh we receive no written public comment by the Monday noon deadline. Uh let's go on to in person. And I see nobody sign up, so let's move on to phone or video comments. Uh Mr. Miller, are there any callers in the queue for phone testimony? We have no callers, Mayor. Thank you. Uh all right, let's move on to City Manager Report. Acting City Manager Trish will give us a brief report. Good evening. Good evening. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Council, staff, and community members. Happy St. Patrick's Day to those who celebrate. Great. Thanks, Jason. Um over the past decade, Tigered Recreation has grown in incredible ways as we celebrate this year 10 years of serving our community. In 2016 to 2017, uh, 10 years ago, the city hosted just five special events each year, and today that number has grown to 28 community events, including including seasonal celebrations, concerts, movies, and pop-ups. Recreation programming has expanded from uh no in-house programs a decade ago to more than 40 programs today, along with 11 camps offered during spring break and summer, and scholarship awards have increased from 21 awarded in 2019 to 47 this last year. This allows more Tiger families to participate. I also want to flag that we're celebrating 25 years as a tree city USA community, a national recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation that honors cities committed to strong urban forestry programs and investing in the care and celebration of trees. Together, these milestones highlight Tigers continued commitment to a healthy connected community. And on a night where we're talking about parks and recreation, uh, what an evening to celebrate. Thank you very much.
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