Tualatin City Council Meeting Summary for August 25, 2025
Tualatin City Council Meeting Summary for August 25, 2025
On August 25, 2025, the Tualatin City Council held a regular meeting that included a proclamation for Constitution Week, introduction of new police K9 Drea, a presentation from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, approval of a School Resource Officer intergovernmental agreement, advisory committee appointments, and consideration of two liquor license applications. The meeting also featured council discussion on potential housing and homelessness solutions.
Proclamations and Introductions
- Constitution Week Proclamation: Cameron and Jordan, representatives of the Daughters of the American Revolution, presented a proclamation recognizing September 17–23, 2025, as Constitution Week, marking the 238th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution.
- New Employee Introduction: Chief Pickering introduced K9 Drea, a new canine officer from Golden Gate Kennels. Drea, who turned one on August 20, 2025, had already seized 135 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately $60,000 in cash. She was certified through the Oregon Police K9 Officers Association on July 31, 2025.
Consent Calendar
The consent agenda, approved by a unanimous voice vote, included the following items:
- Approval of the August 11, 2025, work session and regular meeting minutes.
- Approval of a new liquor license application for RECS (removed and heard separately).
- Approval of a new liquor license application for Glow Gifts and Candle Studio (removed and heard separately).
- Resolution 5902-25 authorizing an intergovernmental agreement with Clean Water Services for the design phase of the Martinazzi sewer trunk upsizing project.
- Resolution 5904-25 authorizing amendment one to the contract with OTEC for design of the 65th/Borough/Sagert Improvements Project.
- Resolution 5905-25 awarding a contract to McDonald and Weddell for construction of the Tualatin Police Department roof replacement.
- Resolution 5906-25 authorizing staff to submit an application for the 2025 Housing Planning Assistance Grant.
Public Comments & Testimony
No members of the public provided comments.
Special Reports: Washington County Sheriff's Update
Sheriff Massey and Chief Deputy Errol McCray provided an update on the Sheriff's Office, including:
- Jail Operations: The county jail is undergoing critical infrastructure repairs (roof, piping, fire suppression, HVAC) and currently operates at approximately 380 beds (down from 572 capacity). The jail is the second smallest per capita in Oregon. A $750,000 grant will expand the pretrial release program, bringing electronic monitoring in-house 24/7 (previously vendor monitored only weekday business hours). A jail capacity study projects a need for over 1,000 beds by 2055.
- Interagency Teams: The Community Violence Reduction Team (CVRT), formed in October 2024, has executed 68 search warrants, made 49 arrests, and seized 282 firearms. A NIBIN terminal (funded via grant) analyzes shell casings to link weapons to crimes.
- Search and Rescue: The cadet program (ages 14–17) responded to 60 time-sensitive cases. Project Lifesaver and Help Me Home tracking programs assist in locating missing persons with dementia or mental health conditions. One recent rescue involved locating a missing endangered person 30 feet down a ravine with serious head injuries.
- Drone Program: The ROVT team includes 14 deputies and officers from multiple agencies, all FAA-licensed. Drones are used for crash scene diagrams, SWAT support, and search and rescue, with strict privacy guidelines.
- Council Conversation: Councilor Brooks asked about representation of Tualatin in the cadet program (Sheriff Massey will follow up). Councilor Brooks also raised concerns about massage parlors and sex trafficking; the Sheriff confirmed detectives investigate such complaints. Sheriff Massey noted that the Sheriff's Office is statutorily required to provide a jail, search and rescue, marine patrol, concealed handgun licensing, and civil services, but patrol is optional.
Discussion Items
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School Resource Officer (SRO) IGA (Resolution 5907-25): Chief Pickering and Officer Brian Miller presented updates on the SRO program. Officer Miller reported 47 offense reports, 10 arrests, 33 supplemental reports, and 2 juvenile referrals in the 2024–2025 school year. Drug crimes typically result in education and social work referral rather than enforcement. The five-year trend shows a decrease in juvenile arrests. The IGA with the Tiger-Tualatin School District increases the district's contribution from 50% to 75% of the top-paid officer this year, with a goal of 100% in future years. Council members praised the positive relationships built by Officers Miller and Hernandez. The resolution was approved unanimously.
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Advisory Committee Appointments: The Council Committee on Advisory Appointments recommended reappointments and new appointments. Approved unanimously:
- Architectural Review Board: Skip Stanaway (reappointment)
- Library Advisory Committee: Emily Lanson (new appointment)
- Planning Commission: Justin Lindley and Alan Pericini (new appointments)
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Liquor License Applications (Items Removed from Consent):
- RECS: Councilor Hillier expressed opposition, stating that providing liquor at recreational venues is harmful to the community. The motion to approve passed 5–1, with Councilor Hillier voting no.
- Glow Gifts and Candle Studio: Councilor Hillier similarly opposed, questioning the norm of serving alcohol at a candle-making studio. The motion passed 5–1, with Councilor Hillier voting no.
Council Communications
- Councilor Brooks raised a desire for further council discussion on the safe parking program and the use of city funds to support housing solutions. She noted that after the previous informational presentation, some community members believed a decision had been made, but she felt no decision had been reached. Councilor Pratt suggested that eviction prevention might be more effective and that the issue could be revisited during the next budget cycle. Councilor Reyes and Councilor Brooks agreed that more information and a transparent conversation are needed. Mayor noted that the budget is set for this year and suggested waiting for a future work session, possibly after the grant cycle. No formal action was taken.
Meeting Transcript
Recording in progress. Good evening, and welcome to the August twenty-fifth, twenty twenty-five Tooleton City Council meeting. I'll go ahead and call this meeting to order. Our first item of business tonight is a pledge of allegiance, and I'll leave this tonight. And we have representatives of Constitution Week. Come on up. I think Cameron, you're up. You bring up your sister. All right. Welcome. Welcome, Cameron. Hello? What's your sister's name? Jordan. Jordan. Hi, Jordan. Honorable mayor and city counselors. Good evening. The celebration of the Constitution was started by the daughters of the American Revolution in 1955. The DAR asked Congress to set aside September 17th through the twenty-third every year to observe Constitution Week. The resolution was later approved by the U.S. Congress and signed into public law on August 2nd, 1956 by President Dwight Eisenhower. The Constitution was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 17th, 1787. Whereas the Constitution of the United States of America, the guardian of our liberties, embodies the principles of limited government in a republic dedicated to rule by law, and whereas September seventeenth, twenty twenty-five marks the marks two hundred and thirty-eighth anniversary of the framing of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention. And whereas it is fitting, proper to accord official requ recognition to this magnificent document and its memorable anniversary and to the patriotic celebrations, which will come commemorated and whereas public law nine one five or nine fifteen guarantees the issuing of a proclamation each year by the President of the United States of America designating September seventeenth through the twenty-third as Constitution Week. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the City of the Cons by the City Council of the City of Tualeton, Oregon, that Tualitan recognizes the week of September seventeenth through to the through the twenty-third as Constitution Week. So we have a signed version of proclamation we can get you up here. Next up, our second announcement is a new employee introduction. Police K9 Drea. Come on up. Chief Pickering. Still high energy. You know how these introductions go. Yeah. We can probably just throw her up on the table to begin with. She is so cute. Well, Mayor and Council, good evening, I'm Chief Pickering. Uh I'm excited to introduce our newest uh canine officer, K9 Drea. So K9 Drea came to us from the Golden Gate Kennels in San Francisco outside the San Francisco area. Um she turned one last week on August 20th. And what what a better way to celebrate your first birthday than to uh find and seize 135 pounds of methamphetamine and about 60,000 dollars in cash. All right. So Drea came to us uh the week of July 14th. Uh so Sam was able to work with the breeder to find the dog that was best. So that he brought up multiple dogs, and Drea from about the first hour of being out of her kennel. Uh, we knew she'd found her new home in Twalton. Um the nice thing is she came from uh the breeders uh fully imprinted on all four of the major narcotics. Uh and on July 31st of this year, she was uh certified through the Oregon Police K9 officers association, and so she holds her certifications already, and she's already been at work. So we're super excited to have her. As you can see, she's uh she does she never stops.
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