Good evening and welcome to the September 8th, 2025 Towalta City Council work session.

Our first time on the agenda tonight, it's an update on a neighborhood uh transportation safety program.

Who's pitching that one?

All right.

No.

I knew it was Mike, but you never know.

Yeah.

So you can roam the room and work the room.

We don't have wireless mics anymore.

This is Mike.

And your mics are off too.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

I'm Abby McFetcher to engineering associate with the city.

And good evening.

I am Mike McCarthy, a city engineer.

Go for it, Eddie.

So tonight we're going to be giving you an update on the neighborhood transportation safety program, otherwise known as the NTSP.

Gotta have an anchor.

Okay, so tonight you can expect an update on the recently completed projects, the one ongoing project, the 2025-2026 cycle, how to submit a project this cycle, and then at the end we'll have time for questions.

So first up, we have the IBOC in Columbia Flashing Light Crosswalk, otherwise known as a rectangular rapid flashing beacon.

Or RFP.

RFB.

So as you can see in the lower right hand corner, it was installed on IBOC in Columbia.

And then in the two pictures, our engineering internerously posed for some photos.

He was a very good sport about it.

And you can see a car waiting, so it works.

Next we have the Boons Ferry signal upgrades.

So it's a little bit hard to see with the lighting, but as you can see, the arrow pointing to the red arrow.

So that's a change from what it previously was.

Drivers would see a green circular, the green circular light, and it would basically rely on drivers to see the pedestrians.

So we wanted to decrease the PED and driver conflicts.

And so that's also on the other side.

So we're just taking the choice slightly away from the driver, making it safer for pedestrians.

And then on the right hand side, you can see the map of where the RRFB was installed, and so it gives pedestrians a better walking route specifically to and from the high school.

And the idea there is that high scrollers will only have to cross one leg of Boons Ferry and IBOC.

So next we have Nyberg and 65th.

As you can see on the right hand side, the it's a little bit hard to see, but I promise the green arrow is on, so the walk sign is off.

And then this one is just slightly different depending on when the push button is pressed.

The driver will either see a yellow flashing arrow or the red arrow.

Alright, so the one we have currently going is an RFB on Hazelbrook.

So this connects the recently completed trail project under Highway 99 to existing sidewalk, as you can see in the left-hand picture.

It's a really great section of trail, but pedestrians when they come out of it are still a little bit isolated, so it just gets pedestrians back to sidewalks.

And then this also gets middle schoolers back on the same side as Hazelbrook Middle School.

So hopefully we're decreasing any unsafe crossings along that road.

Okay, so the 2025-2026 cycle, a couple reminders about the program.

We have 150,000 per fiscal year.

So that's design, construction, any data collection we need, that all goes for the 150,000.

The guiding principles on which the suggestions are evaluated are safety, equity, feasibility, and impact.

And then the advertising phase is September 2025.

So right now, um, I would encourage all of you to submit any ideas that you have and encourage others to do so.

Um then the survey is open year-round, but we needed a cutoff date, so if someone submits October 1st, that's great.

I just won't be looking at it until next year's cycle.

Alright, so I'm sure you guys are wondering how do I submit a project?

Or how do I help someone submit a project?

I appreciate you asking.

So if you type in to your preferred search engine to Walton NTSP Towalton neighborhood transportation safety program, I see some people squinting.

I apologize for how small it is.

But you just type that in and then you see our city website pop up and it says neighborhood transportation safety program.

So you click on that link and then it'll take you to our website and it'll have the program's web page.

And at this point it takes you to the English version.

But if you see that small line of text, the orange text under the title, that um I don't have the exact translation, but it basically says if you would prefer to see this in Spanish, click here, takes you to the Spanish version.

So whether you're on the English site or the Spanish site, you scroll to the bottom and you click the click here, we want your feedback.

And then it takes you to this really awesome survey that GIS put together for us.

So it actually is map based.

So if you have a certain sidewalk panel that's driving you nuts, or if it's if you don't want to just say the stretch of road, you can put a specific pin of where your suggestion is.

And then for me, it's also very helpful so I can group things together on a map.

If for some reason that's not working, or maybe folks just feel more comfortable describing it, we have the text box below it.

Um, and then throughout the survey, it asks a couple questions of what kind of suggestion is it?

You know, is it ADA?

Is it bike lanes, is it speeding, whatever it may be?

And then you get through that, and then at the bottom, um, you can either choose to remain anonymous, or if you want to be contacted for questions, um you can put in your info, but it does have that anonymous option, and then you could click submit, and then I will be reading it in October.

All right.

Are there any questions?

Or actually, Mike, do you have anything to add?

Covered it pretty well.

I I really love this program.

So questions for Abby.

President Pratt.

Well, first of all, thank you for two things for that project at Hazelbrook Road because I needed to use a cross-shot there this summer, and there wasn't one.

And so I understand the need.

We just got 90% design, so we're getting close.

Yeah, that's great.

Um, and the other one is explaining how to get to the survey or to submit, because sometimes we just say do this and don't explain how.

Um, I'm wondering, like when people submit things, I have two questions.

First is how do you use those criteria and how do you kind of weigh which project if you get too many projects?

And then my second question is if you get a project that let's say it's gonna cost 250,000.

Do you do think consider doing part of it if it's a looks like a really great project, or how does that work?

So I'm gonna go back to the site.

So we do evaluate all the projects on safety, equity, feasibility, and impact.

They're generally broken up into equal categories.

Um we try to have it, we try to keep bias out of it, but at some point, once we kind of score everything, we bring the top list to our steering committee because there are cases like that where this is a really great project, but we just can't do it necessarily with the program, but then it does bring it to our awareness.

Right.

Um, so that is part of it, and then I try to keep bias out of it by relying on like more data.

So we have like our equity map, so that's pretty clear-cut, and then for speeding concerns, we usually collect speed data for impact.

That one's a little bit more subjective, but it's if it's at the end of a cul-de-sac, it's not gonna have the same impact as something on Boone's Ferry.

So the questions?

Okay, Council Gonzalez.

Thank you very much.

So just to get ideas, I've had some people send me emails requesting speed bumps for X reasons.

That would be one of those that would qualify for that.

Yes, and we don't have an official policy on something like that yet, but I think we're trying to do first speeding concerns.

I know we also receive them.

Um we would prefer passive speed reduction measures instead of those more active measures.

Um so depending on the data, we would probably need to look at something like if it's specifically speed bumps.

If we got that request, we would probably just look as look at it as speed reduction measures.

Yes, okay.

Okay, thank you.

But this this is a great resource.

That's the place to put to to request it.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, thank you very much.

Always interesting.

Um what if people don't have the ability to um go online and submit a request?

Is there a phone number that they can call?

So I'm well, I guess I'm listed on the website.

Um, but if it's someone who doesn't have access to the internet, maybe um I believe I'm listed just as the program manager, so if they would like contact the city somehow, it could get to me, and then I could submit the project on their behalf.

For people who use technology, we prefer to have them submit, but there is they could call me, or if it goes to Mike or someone else in the engineering department, it would get to me eventually.

Um I'm not sure if you're thinking like maybe printed hard copies somewhere.

No, I would say like uh I know by my neighborhood there's a sign that says sometimes when the cities were doing something, there's a sign, and maybe uh and it sends you to like a website and maybe add a phone number that says or call the city at 503 da da program department or the transportation department, whatever it is that were your departments called.

Yeah, we're something like that.

We did put yard signs out that have a QR code, but I'm not sure if there's I can't remember if they have my contact information on them.

Do you remember?

I don't remember that just thinking I I just I in that neighborhood around IVOC, there's that complex where there's it's the Grams Ferry um area, and I know there are a lot of older folks, and I see them with their flip phones.

So I was wonder if they're like maybe they're not really interested in.

I mean, I see them walk around, but just a couple of them, not a lot.

So say that in case people want to make phone calls, like where do they call or yeah, so call the city and then ask for I think it would eventually find its way to me, but we can definitely brainstorm more ideas to get in touch with more people.

Yeah, and they can always call us too, and then we'll say send them to you guys.

You guys know where I work, so thank you.

Other questions or comments?

Council Brooks.

Thanks for the presentation.

Sorry as I was having a power issue at my house.

Um for um the safety um piece, do we also track um accidents?

Uh yes, that is something I look at.

Okay.

So if it once I have the list, that's why the map is super helpful, so I can get kind of a general sense of like which projects are on which roads, and then we can look at the crash reports.

Okay.

And then um for the equity, I had a couple questions on that.

Um we have a map where we have gaps for ADA accessibility.

Um we do have uh maps where we facilities meet ADA or don't meet ADA.

Uh so those do come into play.

And so that is part of what we look at also.

Okay.

And then um, I mean, I would love to see that actually at some point if there's any way I can get one.

I think it's on our GIS.

Okay.

And then um for the also for the equity.

I'm just wondering if there's anything that's gonna be left after the projects that we're doing in Las Casitas.

There are some we I think we're fortunate we have pretty good like pedestrian and bike network.

Um, there are definitely some gaps still.

Um I use a lot of the figures from the TSP, um, and then I kind of like overlay them with the higher equity needs areas, and there are some deficiencies.

I just imagine that it might be a good time with dovetailing for efficiency since we're already having things torn up over there, and um I just wasn't sure how that all goes in with feasibility.

Um then um my other question was around community outreach.

If we do specific, you know, dovetailing on what Council Raya said for people that are more doing surveys as much.

And uh groups like that, just for you know feedback if they have thoughts and they don't have to go to all the trouble or even the poll center at the lunch thing that they do.

Um you know, to just grab those seniors.

Because I think sometimes they're the ones and we don't want to see fall or um and then okay, so then my last question is actually for Kevin.

So if a counselor wanted to put an idea into that program, would it be better for us to be anonymous?

Yeah, thank you, Counselor Brooks.

I can't say that it would be better.

Uh I would have to think more uh a little bit more closely about the counselor getting involved with that, but uh I I would not recommend this point uh uh inserting anything anonymously.

Okay.

Thank you.

We I have to admit we tend to not pay much attention to the names as we're looking at the projects.

Uh it's more just project by project and just looking at each one independently.

I usually hide those columns unless I have questions.

Okay.

Yeah, sometimes we will call to ask, did you mean here or did you mean there?

Yeah.

Which hopefully gets taken care of with the map-based survey.

Um but yeah, I don't know for the most part, or I don't look at who's submitting it.

Okay, yeah, because I just would never want the optics to be like, I want everything my way, or if you're helping somebody else, that it's your idea when it's not your idea, all that kind of stuff.

So okay, that's good to know.

That's all thanks for all the work.

I love the presentation.

Council Hillier.

Thank you.

Um I love the logo.

But um also I'm just curious.

Could you please remind me what the process is?

If there is a high volume of incident, traffic incident or infractions or whatever in a certain area.

Um, what is the process?

Is that a separate process than this?

This is like for community input, but are we actively looking at intersections from your department for for places there may be more accidents, and we need to make corrections.

Could you help me with that, please?

I don't remember.

I'd say generally, yes, but I'm gonna turn it to Mike.

Sure.

So we work with the police department and we get a summary of all the crash reports each month, and then we start looking through for any sort of locations that keep popping up.

Um they also know to call us if they are seeing a pattern somewhere, and we meet with them every couple months just to talk through all of the different things we deal with.

And so if there is a crash pattern, you know, we'll flag it, and then we can try to deal with that independently.

Um a little bit about the project selection.

Um so the projects were on the previous year's list carry over into the new year, and then so each year we're looking at up to a couple hundred projects, and some of those are not within the scope of the program, things like fix the traffic on I-5 or some of them aren't real.

Some aren't site-specific enough, like too many people speeding around town.

Um, so those we can't really address with the program.

And then we try to we have a number of duplicates as well.

And then we take that list, we do the technical evaluation, we take a look at the crash data, we'll typically put out uh traffic counters and measure speed, and then consider that uh if someone's complaining about speeding, we'll try to see how much what level of speeding is happening, and then we get to a top dozen or couple dozen, uh, and then we work through that with our project committee about what can we actually do the most to really help and where can we most effectively use the taxpayer dollars.

Any other questions?

Council Brooks?

Yeah, um I had one other one that people have asked me about because it's in my neighborhood where there's gaps in actual sidewalks, and I think that sometimes maybe there's not even enough lawn to put in a sidewalk, but is there an opportunity of striping it or doing something you know, for um I I guess my thought is I'm just wondering if we have gap maps for ADA and if we have gap maps for the sidewalks in the neighborhoods.

Um, for um I I guess my thought is I'm just wondering if we have gap maps for ADA and if we have gap maps for the sidewalks in the neighborhoods.

Oh, we do have gap maps for the sidewalks, and uh it's in the transportation system plan.

And then if that project you know ends up being selected, and unfortunately, out of a couple hundred, we can only actually do a few a year.

Um, one of our first questions is would it be better to put the sidewalk in, or do we have the right-of-way?

Do we have what we need, or is it better to try to just stripe something along the road and make a walkway separated?

They have their advantages, they have their disadvantages.

So we would typically look at all options available to try to solve what we see as the underlying need.

I think I think that too, not necessarily what is submitted is something like the thing that we'll do, like going back to the speed bones, how it would just be a general speed reduction thing if it was a pedestrian concern.

If someone specifically asked for a five-foot-wide striped pedestrian area, we would still look at just general pedestrian facilities.

Okay.

Thank you.

So sorry, I had that come to me from a constituent.

My follow-up question is just you, Mike.

You just mentioned on average how many projects get done because it's shocking when you get in the city council that you realize 150,000 dollars doesn't go far on somebody's construction projects.

So, what's like the average project cost that gets done, and how many can we knock out a year on average?

I'd say one and a half, one or two.

If we're doing an RRFB, it usually takes the full budget.

Um, but things that we can coordinate on the county on with the county on, um, like the two signal projects.

Um, we can do a lot more of those.

So things like signal upgrades or like striping is really advantageous to make the dollars go a little bit further.

Umfortunately, some of the best projects do take kind of that full amount, though.

Right.

Well, the the what's nice about this project, it is like intelligence gathering that you know what's out there, what's bubbling, so you can keep an eye out for grant opportunities or other funds, but at least we at least you're aware of what the community's looking at, you know, what they want to have addressed.

Yeah, we don't have all the money, but at least we're aware of it, and if something pops up that we can address it, you know, concurrent construction or something like that.

I think that's the best part of this tool, just knowing what's out there versus being clueless.

Yeah, I feel like I have a much better understanding of the city's needs from reading the suggestions, and especially in like the comment box about what people are feeling and experiencing.

Um, I know we try to generally avoid scope creep, but if there ever is like good projects, but they can't get funded through this.

It could be opportunities to add a little bit in.

Oh, and occasionally there are things that we can just take care of operationally, like we've gotten some requests of there's a street light out, and so we just say okay, you know, let's get it to BGE to put this relay light back there.

Okay, yeah.

Great.

Well, thank you, Abby.

Thank you, Mike.

Thank you very much.

All right.

Thank you.

Uh next item on our agenda is the legislative agenda preparation.

Making in Cody.

Welcome.

Hello, Mayor.

Hello, council.

I'm Megan George, I'm the deputy city manager in Twalleton, and I'm here with Cody Field, our policy analyst in community development.

And we are here tonight because we ran out of time at our last council meeting when Thorn Run was here.

Uh, as you recall, Thorn Run gave their legislative recap from the long session in Oregon as well as an update on our federal activities.

So our goal tonight is to have a brainstorming session with you all about our 2026 legislative priorities on both the state and the federal side.

So I'm gonna cover the state, and Cody will cover the federal.

And we don't have a ton of detail to share with you at this point because you got an extensive um update from Thorn Run out of last meeting, but we do have some discussion questions to prompt you.

So I'll get started.

All right.

Um, so on the state side last year, uh, not too far away from where we are now, uh, the council had a few brainstorming sessions about a legislative agenda, and one of the things you all did was decide on some policy themes or areas where the city council agreed that these were important themes for the community to care about and for our legislative agenda to follow.

Those themes were transportation, housing, social services, resiliency and emergency preparedness, environment, downtown revitalization, local control and unfunded mandates, and capital projects.

That led in part to the creation of our 2025 legislative agenda for the state.

Based on large part on Thornrun's recommendation and the timing of going into the long session where the state of Oregon adopts their budget, our agenda comprised funding for three different projects.

Of course, the seismic valves, which we were successful in at 1.75 million.

Quick update on that project.

We had our kickoff call with the Oregon Water Resources Department last week to begin the process of getting our grant agreement in place.

So things are moving along there.

Second project was the Veterans Plaza shade structure, and the third project, we didn't put on our agenda, our public agenda for the legislature.

It was kind of a back pocket type of thing in case transportation projects became incorporated in the transportation package, which more to come, but uh we did not end up pushing for that in the last session.

So moving forward, there's a few things that came up during the last session that we expect will come forward again.

Uh either because there was a lot of momentum, they got pretty close, or they're just reoccurring.

Um of those is transportation funding.

So I think you all have probably been following the news.

There's been a lot of news lately.

Um we did not pass a transportation package in June, and we have thus far not passed a transportation package in August.

So I believe the date that we're coming back is September 17th for the Senate to weigh in.

So transportation funding is a big theme.

Um, of course, the package that they're considering uh later this month isn't intended to cover all of the transportation needs.

It's kind of a stopgap measure to make sure that they're not laying off folks from ODOT.

Um, some of those big projects would not be included that were promised in the 2017 transportation package.

Megan.

Yeah.

Can you advance the slides?

Oh, are they not going?

No.

Oh, there we go.

That's why you've been gesturing at me.

I I try my best to, you know.

Thanks, Don.

Um, all right.

Uh the next theme would be the state's budget.

Um, the latest revenue forecast was just released not too long ago, and things look worse than they looked in May when we got the last revenue.

Um, that is in part entirely due to federal government policy.

Um, the impact to the state of Oregon is in the billions of dollars, and it is less because we are projected to receive a little bit more income, but it is still tremendous.

So that's one of the themes we expect the legislature to continue to pick up.

Uh, transient lodging tax is another one.

Um, there are a couple bills related to TLT, um, one of which made it pretty close to the finish line, further certainly than it's ever been before.

Uh, this bill would have changed the funding allocation uh dedicated to tourism from its current 70% to 40%, which would have provided more flexibility for cities and other recipients of that fund.

Rent assistance or eviction prevention is something that came up.

There was a significant cut at the state level and at the federal level, so there are fewer dollars available.

Um, we've watched programs at community action reduce and eliminate their funding dedicated to this purpose, and so we think that that's likely to come up again.

Uh, economy stimulants.

This comes from Thorn Run speculation.

Um, kind of anything that they can do to get the economy going, which they anticipate will have positive repercussions for everybody else.

Um, so throughout the state, anything to stimulate the economy.

And then the last item that there's been some rumblings about, which you may or may not be familiar with, but um, an advisory opinion from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission earlier this year advised that uh there were some ethical concerns with providing food to city councillors and city staff.

Um so the rumor is that may be taken up at the next session.

So just a couple of the things that we're expecting.

Um, as you all know, there's always surprises, so I'm sure this list is very incomplete.

All right, the discussion questions on the state side that we've got should look familiar.

I pulled most of them from last year, kind of the same questions.

What keeps you up at night?

Um, I hope it's not your dog barking.

Uh, what issues do you want to be in the loop on?

What are the issues that if we don't talk about them, we being the city of Dwalton, nobody else will.

What issues are the highest priority?

And are the policy themes still relevant?

And Mayor, before I turn it over to you for council's discussion on this question, our timeline for adopting the legislative agenda.

Um, we are tentatively scheduled to come back before the council at the end of November, um, either with a draft agenda for the council to discuss, or depending on how tonight's discussion goes, a draft agenda for you all to adopt.

We've still got a little bit of time before the end of the year.

Our goal is to have the 2026 state and federal agendas adopted between December and January, so that we're ready to go for the short session and just the next calendar year.

So discussion at this point, high level is great commentary on the policy themes, which I'll pull back up on the slides.

Because we're going into a short session, Thornrun's advice is not to focus on specific funding asks, which is different than their advice last year.

If there is a particularly timely need that's dire, they said that that's okay to submit, but largely that the legislature would not be looking at funding individual project requests.

So strategically, they recommend we don't then make one of those requests.

However, there's many other policy areas that the council has expressed interest and concern with.

So happy to hear any and all ideas.

And with that, I'll turn it over to you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Council President Pratt.

I'm interested in the short session.

Did Thorne run are they not expecting any discussion on housing?

I kind of surprised me.

Yeah, I think they may expect discussion on housing.

They didn't have anything specific at the moment, but housing has certainly been a recurring policy goal of the governor and others of the legislature.

So I believe there probably will be discussion.

Okay.

Oh could I mean one of my areas of concern is um about measures 550 and then 47 is that more than 50% turnout, right?

They all are kind of making it difficult for cities if we bring in residential housing, our costs exceed generally the revenue we could bring in to cover the services that are needed.

So that's a big one for me, and eviction prevention is another one.

Others, Councilor Brooks, and then Councilor Reyes.

Um as far as what keeps me up at night, I would say that when I see like these images of Portland burning down and this kind of fake news and um sort of these, and and what I heard when I was at the conference in Columbus with other cities that were experiencing feeling like they were being attacked by their own federal government, um, and how we as a city are prepared to handle unprecedented and tough situations on all levels, like whether it's you know, actions or um strategy or supporting each other or all those kinds of things, that's something that is what keep keeps me up at night, and um making sure that our local residents feel safe and protected.

I think that when we're looking at an economic downturn, which we see from the numbers right now, um, and property values in some of our areas are already falling, um, which hasn't happened for a long time in our experience, my experience.

Um, that um you know, I go into that food clothing shelter place, but I also go into the safety place because that's where the next step down is for people, and also feeling hopeless.

Um I too am very concerned about prevention.

I'm very concerned about our gap in social services.

I think also the emergency preparedness and resiliency that as a city we want to just be spot on around that, especially with the cuts in FEMA.

Um, and then I too want to see things that would help stimulate the economy and help our community feel good about that.

I will say I went to the dry cleaners the other day, and they were so thankful that they got the grant in the COVID time from the American Rescue Act, and they didn't know.

I've been a long time customer, but they didn't know I was on city council.

I have to bring in a sweater that had city council on it, and they were so lit up about it, and they said I wish we could have something now.

Um so I think that thinking along those lines for our small businesses.

Um then I also am curious, and I don't know much about this, but from conversations with other city leaders, there's um some cities that have sister cities, and there seems to be a benefit to doing that and taking more of a leadership role in reaching out across our boundaries to um connect and stimulate those relationships and those economic opportunities.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Counselor Brooks mentioned a lot of things that I've been thinking about too, what keeps me up at night.

Um of the things that I wrote down would be um mostly businesses living, leaving our community or leaving the state where um we're losing jobs, and in the midst of that, we lose people, people leave, and that obviously makes it harder.

Um so I feel like if we lose this business, people follow work, and so I feel like um I came here for work, so I feel like if the company or the organization that I work for will shut up, close those doors and leave, then that would be I will have to do the same thing.

So I think that um I think of that of um how do we recover from that?

How do we get these businesses back?

Um, the little mommy shops that mom and pop shops that were closed during COVID that have not been recovered.

And are we ever gonna get those those things back?

I mean, like even little restaurants or abandoned buildings, above just that kind of makes me it looks sad and depressing when you see it.

Um like the downtown area where it's been like since Hagen's or left, or um, it's just been kind of lonely for a long time.

Then the Starbucks closed down, and then um all these like FedEx moved somewhere else to the other side, but it's just still it just looks very abandoned and lonely, so it makes it look like things are kind of being depressed.

Um so I see that a lot.

Um, but I I I do want us to be a little bit more open to businesses so we can draw um people here into not just our city but our state, and that that would definitely improve the the cost of living and improve life here.

Um I I put here I don't there's some mandates that I think they're good, there are other ones that are I feel like if you're not gonna fund us, then why are you mandating us to do that?

Like so it does, it's not that it keeps me up at night, but I do see it like irrational sometimes.

Um that's those are things that I and I am I fear also for the downtown area not to ever pick up in our area and and be the what we really want it to be the thriving community that we want.

I fear that that's not gonna happen, or it may not happen ever in my lifetime.

So I'm just I I mean I think about that negative stuff, and when that kind I just don't go down on a spiral of like negativity, but then I have to like cheer myself up.

Um yeah, definitely that those are things that I feel like oh man, what if this happens and everything shuts down and then we're done?

Um and just just the way I see people around in our community a little bit sad, and it's like we're almost in denial that there's gonna be some kind of financial crisis, like so kind of some some kind of positive things need to come out from somewhere, and positive means jobs and people are being happy, going out and eating uh to local restaurants that they support, that they you know, buildings have people and foot traffic, and I know sometimes we hate it, but it is actually good for other businesses that are in our community.

So those are things that I think about, and um I always wonder if we're gonna lose everything we work hard for in just a little bit of just in this you know, snap of a finger, and yeah.

So I don't think I'm in the position where I can say, oh, I am fine if the world falls apart now.

I think we're we're all looking at that.

I I look at everything that's our disasters, everything that happens around my community.

So yeah, I mean we have to look at all that, but mostly the economy, and I think as long as we have jobs and people think of jobs, roof over your head, food on the table, um, way ways of moving, going to work, coming back, taking their kids to school and their activities.

I think that makes people a little bit more hopeful.

So those things that provide that, that's what I I would like to see.

Council Hillier.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um I uh believe that the policy themes that you have listed are still in my mind, they still are rise to a priority for me.

They still are rise to a priority for me.

Some I feel like we could probably impact more than others.

What keeps me up at night?

I probably won't go through the full list because you know, time.

But I think that a couple of my um colleagues have uh talked about hope and the coping skills and the things that it's gonna take when economy, when there's uncertainty, when there's things like this, people turn to the uh potentially unhealthy or higher risk coping uh strategies.

And I think that we need to especially invest in populations that we already know are potentially at risk for isolation, such as our senior population, but certainly our youth.

We look at the positive youth development numbers and and understand how many kids feel hopeful and different things right here in our own community, and those numbers are plummeting.

And I think the fact that we don't provide year-round um uh a center for our youth or community center is really um at this point becoming a high risk in our community, in my opinion.

And I think it's time for the city to start working with willing participants that are that are wanting to move some of those things forward and making that a priority because um you know we talk about um you know alternative to college um jobs and skills training, and I think the chamber's doing an incredible job with the industrial division and those sorts of things, those aren't the only jobs that are out there.

And if we don't have kids that are clean and sober and have a positive adult in their lives and a variety of things, I'm not sure they get to lead their full, you know, live to their best lives and also become the best community members that we want to have here in our community.

So um that is just literally just the top of what keeps me up at night.

And I think if we don't start talking about those that things, then they won't they're not going to be discussed.

And um, so as far as highest priorities, I think we have to look at the highest impact populations.

And to me, right now, um, rent eviction and or excuse me, no, you know what I'm saying.

Uh golly, so what's my words?

I get uh emotional about some things, but so I apologize.

Um the housing issues, I think are really top of mind to me, and um how we can impact that.

And I've been asking around a little bit more to try to understand the um eviction assistance versus the pod plan and some of those other things, and I would like to see us continue the work that you um that that you've all started and and those conversations and put our money where our mouth is, come the budgeting process for some of those things.

So that's those are my thoughts.

Thank you.

Others uh in no particular order.

Uh housing in terms of housing.

Um we've seen a series of bills that have removed home rule and keeping an eye on it further attacks on our home rule.

We'll all hearing from the folks around IBOC and how happy are about the state law that we can do nothing about the legislature and the governor have a you know this goal to have all this housing up here at our expense.

Um it's an admirable goal.

We want housing, but you can't trounce on home rule, and um you can hope and believe that developers will build these things, and we're not seeing that happening, so keeping a track of that.

Uh TLT is very important for uh my fellow mayors on the coast or in a city that is heavily dependent on the tourism industry.

They have pots of money they can't spend because of the restrictions and they need to fund their police force, fix their roads and stuff because those are the folks who are using the tourists are using it, uh, not their residents.

So TLT is important.

Um I'm dreading the budget cuts that are imposed gonna be coming down the line, and further cuts in human social services, housing, transportation, and by doing that, the increase in unfunded mandates.

Uh so I want to definitely want to keep track on when they figure out how much they have to cut.

Obviously, one of the biggest things is gonna be hit is the organ health plan, but um they're gonna be having to cut from other things.

Uh also want to keep uh as was mentioned about jobs.

Doubt's gonna happen in the short session, but there's a groundswell of how do we make Oregon more competitive, especially in land use.

Doubt's gonna happen in the short session, but there's a groundswell of how do we make Oregon more competitive, especially in land use.

Twenty years companies were flocking to Oregon to set up businesses, and now they're moving to Washington and out of state because the perceived anti-business perception that there is out in Oregon and coming up with that new grand scheme of uh start landing in a new generation of companies, manufacturing, industrial, whatever it be, to come to Oregon and make it friendly again.

Um we can we can uh get those seeds going in the short session so that in 2017 long session we can discuss it.

Uh as far as transportation, they're just barely gonna get this across the finish line in two weeks.

I doubt they're gonna touch this during the short session because this is something they're gonna punt to 2027, but again, we have to start those discussions during short session on those things we're looking forward to in that 27 package.

Uh knowing that I know uh Tornrun gave us the calendar, what short session starts in February, but we need to start talking to our legislators November, December, when they're starting to meet and come up with their bills and stuff like that.

Uh so those are the things I'm looking at in terms of uh what will happen in short session, um, the OGEC issue.

Uh Representative Bowman is taking that straight on.

He told me it's one of the things he's gonna take care of.

We also have the issue of uh serial meetings that I don't know if that's gonna be resolved in the short session or eventually it'll go away on its own uh from OGEC because of discussions.

Um but those are the things that uh a top of mind for me right now.

I think 503020, they're not gonna touch.

It's just a matter of um you know getting the money in coming up with the program for EVs, you know, all the to-do work they're gonna have to do to implement this bill and keeping on top of it.

Uh because we're certainly gonna hear from folks, especially every hearing the double.

I mean, it might be on people who are the hybrid, not the hybrids, we call them the the hybrids are EV and gas.

They're gonna get a double wobble, making sure it's fair, and then um start hearing, of course, rural Oregonians who have to drive further.

So uh they're gonna pass the bill, but we want to be uh they're probably tinkering with the implementation of it during the short session.

That's it for me.

Councillor Gonzalez.

So thank you very much.

I I'm in agreement with the twin web policy themes that we've laid out.

Sounds good to me.

It's um I think it's support it.

But what keeps me up at night, he had asked is I want businesses to come in to to Oregon to Twilight and I want us to be more favorable.

Uh what keeps me up at night is the potential overreach of too much government.

You know, I I hear the stories of my colleagues here, and I agree with all of them, but government is not meant to be fixed all for everybody.

And I worry about that.

I worry that we we have to stick to what government's for transportation, infrastructure, jobs.

Okay.

We are not here to fix everybody's problems.

I wish we could, but the reality is we can't.

And it's horrible to see what's happening in the economy right now, but unfortunately it's a recalibration that needed to happen.

Government's been fat on the hog for many, many years.

And it's evident because we can't even sustain our own selves on our own collected money that we're collecting for the state.

We have to tax, levy, increase fees.

It's across the board.

Government is not the solution for all of our problems.

We need to help people, yes, I do agree with that.

But I worry that government, because of what's going on, will begin to overreach.

Uh we'll begin to uh want to tax more, want to give more, and it's and it's not meant for that.

We're supposed to deal with infrastructure.

Let's encourage the jobs to come back.

Let's encourage uh safety, let's encourage transportation.

It's those things that we should be sticking to.

Um stick within our budget.

That's what I worry about.

I don't think you still have night.

So thank you.

All right, because we have Cody Slash to do his part.

So thanks.

Um I know that there's in um a conversation around internships and apprenticeships federally and from the NLC.

So I think that's um when we're looking at just efficiencies within the city government, and also I think that it would be helpful after going to the AI training that we uh utilize new tools for ourselves as well to be efficient and effective.

And then I also like to lean in the idea of innovation and technology, because I think that's the kind of corridor that Toalton actually is.

And I would say that something like eviction prevention is something that will end up costing our society and our government less by preventing housing people in jail and housing people in other places and having people go to the hospital for health care because people are going to be less covered.

So I couldn't disagree more that health and well-being of our constituents are not important.

And I don't think that any of this is necessary, and that we are pulling money out of our communities, and there's not it's not getting us out of debt.

So I'll just say that.

Thanks.

Okay.

I think we'll transition to the federal side now.

Great.

Thank you so much.

So we're going to do a similar brainstorming exercise, but for the federal legislative agenda, and just to set the stage, a quick reminder of the priorities you adopted in 2025 for that federal legislative agenda.

So obviously, we put in a funding application for the 65th Borland Sagart project.

We put in a request for $3 million.

Representative Salinas was able to get us $250,000.

So that is uh significantly lower than our asks.

So one question that remains outstanding related to this is whether or not to accept that $250,000 award and move forward to decline, but to go out for that same project again in the upcoming legislative session, or to decline and uh just let it go and fund it locally.

So those are some key questions to answers.

Uh they all have their pros and cons, of course.

Um moving on to the non-project priorities.

The first was increased funding for community development block grants.

That's a key funding source for community-based projects, and despite uh some concern about that program possibly being eliminated.

The House and the Senate numbers were both positive as Thornrun indicated in their update.

So that was 3.3 billion in the House and 3.1 billion in the Senate.

Next priority was continue funding for the community fueling infrastructure program.

The courts have gotten involved here, and some of the NEVI dollars have been unfrozen and are beginning to flow, so there's reason to remain hopeful that the funds for our tank up project will eventually find their way to us.

The third was continue funding for the railroad crossing elimination program.

Obviously, that's of interest right now with our Twalton Sherwood Boons Ferry Road Grade Separation Feasibility Study Project getting underway with the RFP out and applications being reviewed.

So there was talk of this program being a limited eliminated so far, it has not.

Next slide.

So what keeps you up at night?

What issues do you want to be in the loop on?

What are the issues that if we don't talk about them, no one will, and what issues are the highest priority?

And obviously, as Thornrun noted in their presentation, it feels a bit weird having gone through the cycle not being awarded, gone through the cycle, being awarded much less, but as they emphasized, it's always good to have something in your pocket to not miss out on opportunities.

I'll add really quickly.

So we're hopeful that council will give us some feedback on whether these priorities still look good, whether you'd like to add additional or remove priorities, and in particular on that project funding request, ask where the council's feeling about going out for the 2026 process in terms of resubmitting this project or looking at a different option.

All right.

That it just seems like normally there's more clarity if there's support for transportation projects at the federal level, and it seems like it's a day-to-day answer.

So that's my concern.

And I I would like to further explore what you were saying about if we um don't take that 250,000 dollars, like how that helps or hurts us with moving forward, because obviously maybe that can do a study, but um not much more.

So would that um keep us from getting the full amount that we really need?

I think there are a couple ways to look at it.

One accepting the money would likely federalize the project, which would ultimately make it more expensive and would extend the timeline of the project, and having such a small amount of money, the question is is it worth those costs and that and that time delay?

Um the other question is going out for another shot at this particular project would essentially push the project out even further, waiting to know if we were going to be awarded funding or not, whereas funding it locally would increase the ability to deliver it on a tighter timeline.

I'll add um in talking with Thorn Run um's team about this project.

I think I strategically I I think there's some issue with us both accepting funding this year and resubmitting the project at a lower funding ask.

So if we went out for 2.75 million the following year, in part because there's timelines associated with spending the money, and that would split it up over two funding cycles.

Um we also asked for money for construction of a project.

We guaranteed as part of our request that we would spend it on the studies, that would be our match.

And so I don't think we'd be able to use that 250 for a purpose different than what we said we'd use it for.

Um I think that what they would share is that it's everything that's happening there is is really uncertain for for everybody involved, and so I'm not sure that we would burn any bridges or damage a relationship if we were to make the decision to not accept the funding at that level.

Um I think that would generally be a risk, but given the current context, I think it's very explainable.

And then my other question, and I'm done here, but um I have such a and I don't know if we can do anything at the federal level, but with all these FEMA cuts, I mean we have a duty for public safety and to be resilient and prepared if something happens, and now we've got this um safety net from the federal government we can't rely on.

And is there I don't know if there's anything we can do uh with that to help kind of make it clear that this is a giant concern.

Yeah, thank you.

Um I can see a few things here changing to in my mind uh as priorities.

What keeps me up on nine o'clock, and I think I've said it, but it's because of I know that people move where there are opportunities more opportunities, and um so to me, my protecting us, it's two out of ten, which I'm responsible, I think, uh, for this community is a priority.

And um, I definitely want us to protect us from the ability to offer taxes.

Like to me, that's a high priority now because of what's happening around in the federal government that there's doings.

I I I wanna be able to say that we are uh open to receive businesses, we're open and and be able to provide jobs to our community people here.

So there's those those things come up.

us to protect us from um the ability to offer taxes i like to me that's a high priority now because of what's happening um around in the federal government that there's doing I I I want to be able to say that we are uh open to receive businesses we're open and and be able to provide jobs to our community people here so there's those those things come up like I say like keep seeing me up at night be businesses leaving because once they leave people tend to follow that and start selling their homes or start selling getting in following whatever that goes because that's how it is I mean that's that's how migration happens so I always feel like that's something that's less in my mind it's been like that for a little while just thinking about um hearing so anything that kind of helps us provide as a city uh protect local government ability to offer tactics have municipal bonds of course we want that because it will protect us um and I don't know if there's any like there that we can add as far as also um being an um friendly how do we be if there's anything out there or language or wording or lobbying for being an open for a business kind of city so I think it's good I I just don't know how with the changes um I don't know if that's if it's how relevant everything else is just that's my thought thank you so federal counselors help me questions or comments feedback council hillier thank you um so I guess I have a funny question um if we think probably the amount of 2500 is what's gonna rise to the level that are is being funded at this point what project do we have at that level that we could move forward could we move forward in one of the categories the um veterans plaza arch like is that something we could move over to the federal side this is probably a very ignorant question um and I apologize but I'm just wondering if that's what we think is going to happen and we can make an appropriate case for it why wouldn't we try to fit a round hole and a round peg and a round hole I can respond to that we did ask um about the shade structure at the Veterans Plaza um both to Thornrun and I believe to um representative Salinas's office previously and there wasn't a great fit programmatically for it in addition traditionally the advice has been to make a bigger request because of the process involved with accepting federal funds those smaller asks haven't traditionally been kind of worth the effort um I know in the last two funding cycles ago the city of Tiger was the recipients of several requests many of which were small and anecdotally staff shared that it wasn't worth the effort to do it at that level however the context has changed so we can ask Thornrun again and see if they have any advice related to that.

Yeah or I I suppose that's an example there may be others that are more appropriate and then we can braid funds with something so that it I appreciate that it would federalize it however there could be some different opportunity and you have the pulse better than I do probably on what some of those projects would be so I I suppose I I don't um see any reason to make any changes to what you have I I appreciate um I don't know that there are things that I um feel like I need to have the my pulse on any better than I really do appreciate the emails and the updates and I would ask that those continue to come at both for the both the state and the federal and yeah thank you.

Thank you.

Council Brooks thank you for the presentation Cody um I what keeps me up at night around this is I want first of all the amount of cuts that we're gonna see for education and health services and what kind of vulnerabilities that's gonna leave us no matter how many businesses we bring in with our community so um also just this thing where people are just kind of disappearing and like I just heard about a violinist who's held for two weeks um with 80 people and no pillow and so how do people know what the rights are and how do we protect our community um from you know bad actors I guess and then um my uh so I do believe that those are infrastructures as well so as these cuts are coming through and very targeted towards our region um how do we think around ways of helping for stop gaps with um people that all of a sudden have catastrophic health bills or um kids that you know whose um education is services are gonna go down those kinds of things um while people are dealing with economic hit from what we're dealing with where we're gonna lose I forget how many billions of dollars as a state like in the billions though so um my uh

Um how do we think around ways of helping for stop gaps with people that all of a sudden have catastrophic health bills or um kids that you know whose um education is services are gonna go down, those kinds of things while people are dealing with the economic hit from what we're dealing with, where we're gonna lose I forget how many billions of dollars as a state, like in the billions though.

So my uh wonderings around how we bump up our area.

I mean, one thing that I will say is I don't think that we're seen as business unfriendly, and I know that we've had businesses come in here for quite a while now, um, and that we have land for businesses to develop.

So those kinds of things are you know, I think we've been doing a good job and we'll continue to.

I think when we're looking at the downtown redevelopment, um dovetailing that with the fact that we have two national trails coming right into our city, which is pretty unique with the Ice Age Trail and now the national water trail, the Twalton River, and how can we leverage that in federal conversations around funding, especially with the economic perspective while still keeping our um environmental goals in place?

Um and then with innovation, and again with that um apprenticeships uh information and AI information, things like that that could help us be uh leaner and meaner and prepared, and then anything that would help us be more efficient and effective at creating communication around in all languages around people's you know, rights and also just anything that connects community and person together, like so that people feel not that hostility.

There's people serving in government right now that are having death threats, all these kinds of things, and we've been really fortunate here, and I think that we want to really maintain that we're welcoming and that we're one community and that we care about each other, no matter you know, any of this sort of um divisive rhetoric that I don't want to have any part of other comments on the federal level.

I agree we let the 250,000 dollars go.

I mean, we like a million dollars go before that, and we didn't we never got the award for the Boone's Ferry Road improvements, so um, and you know, city staff maybe look for the new project if there is one.

We don't have to we don't have to come up with one, but there's one out there that works well.

Um, based on the emails we're getting from Thorn Run, the community improvement process or projects.

Um it's getting a little bit of traction as a budget sweetener to get votes in DC.

So um if that does stay intact or actually get enacted on what's assumed why I'm assuming it's gonna be another consumer resolution, uh, that we have a project ready to go, we just move on to another one.

Um obviously continuing support for CDBG, the CFI, um railroad crossing, uh because you know every budget year is a new budget thing in DC, so we constantly have to go back and make sure uh things haven't changed because it's constant chaos in DC right now.

But those I think we're we're pretty good with our agenda here, uh, and just find another CIP project that we can work on.

Um I think was it Don you sent the whoever sent the Rachel, whoever sent the you know the dollar breakdown that you know how much more it would cost us for the three million dollar project saying like Mike, yeah, Mike, and then uh it's like inviting ODOT to be at the table and watch your you know costs exp, you know, explode and the delays.

So uh that would be my two cents on this.

All right, thank you, Mayor and Council.

Uh we'll come back at a future meeting with a draft agenda on both the state and the federal side.

I think a lot of things similar to what you've seen already on our agendas, and we'll look for adoption.

All right.

Thank you both.

Thank you.

I don't think you're going far, right?

I'm not.

In fact, I'm not even gonna pretend to get out.

All right, so next item up on our agenda tonight for work session is the allocation of funds for outside agencies.

This is our ever famous Excel spreadsheet exercise.

Indeed.

So um I don't really have a presentation for this one.

Um I will give good compliments to Nicole who administers our outside agency grant process.

Uh she put together this spreadsheet.

In your packet, I believe you have all of the applications from the agencies.

In total, there was over a hundred thousand dollars in requests in this year's budget cycle.

We have fifty thousand dollars budgeted.

So I'll leave it to the mayor to facilitate, but as I enter uh projected funding levels, the 50,000 should go down.

So hopefully my spreadsheet works.

All right.

So uh oh, Council Hilliard.

Uh Mayor, I thank you.

I believe that I need to recuse myself for this conversation.

Okay.

Is it acceptable to stay on the dais or no?

She can't vote on it because she's generally uh you require to remove yourself from the dais when you recuse yourself, but yeah, you're just about it.

All right.

So my first suggestion would be like we always do, it seems like every year is go down the list and put in the dollar massive awards to the folks last year, the prior awardees, and that could be our starting point.

There are a couple that didn't reach by last year.

That's why you have balance.

Is that the cutter balance?

You have $5500, yeah.

So you you in the red you see at the top, there's about five thousand or not, about there is exactly five thousand five hundred dollars left remaining.

That's because several of the agencies who received funds last year did not reapply.

Did you get meals and wheels?

There were two, I think you meals on wheels and middle.

They didn't meals and wheels didn't reapply.

No, because we have the new program at the one.

Oh, great, great.

Okay.

All right.

And mid still reapply because they looked at one specific project.

Yeah.

Okay.

So that again because why did it be?

Their application from the previous year was for a specific project which was completed and they did not have another project that they wanted to request funding for.

Okay.

So we've got uh some dollars left over.

That's not saying we can't further adjust because we have some new uh applications, so I'll just go, you know, as we usually do, we uh just round robin this uh and advocate for different dollar amounts and reallocations and for different agencies.

So I'll go ahead and open to the floor uh some folks who uh especially the ones that are the new grantees or new uh uh requesters, I should say, on whether or not you want to add those or not.

Can you scroll down to the bottom, Megan?

Is that too small?

Nope.

So the new ones are on the bottom.

You see there's Twalton together, Twalton Valley Pride are new, uh right connection is new.

Just compassion, just compassion and last fast pitch stock.

The fast pitch.

And NNC reapplied this.

NNC, yeah, reapplied.

Council Brooks.

Um I just want to start with putting a plug-in for the right connection, especially with the um cuts that they received.

What do we have left?

Five thousand five hundred.

Um and since they're new, maybe I don't know, like two thousand to start.

I'm just throwing this out.

You guys and I'm sorry, I'm having trouble with my laptop doesn't work in this room anymore, and now I've got to use my phone.

Council Brooks that's closer back here.

Oh, okay.

Thank you.

Yeah.

That's my starting point point.

Okay, go ahead and throw that in.

Right.

So that gives us three something.

Three thousand five hundred.

Others.

Councillor Gonzalez?

I like to put in just to round out the number there for Tualton together.

That's what I could put in.

How much?

I would say the full the full amount.

3100.

Yep.

I would also like to see a reduction.

Maybe a reallocation of the funds.

Scratch that.

I'll come back.

Thank you for that.

Go ahead.

Put the 3100 in there.

So that's 400 left.

Okay.

Kelsa Brooks.

I'd like to see 400 go to Tualeton Valley Pride.

Since they're just starting off.

Okay.

Okay, can you scroll up a little bit and make it?

It's so hard to see.

You can have it.

It's right here.

So one of my suggestions.

For community warehouse, I don't want to totally penalize them.

I mean, they close down here.

So obviously they're not surveying as means our residence as they used to.

They're not.

So I'd wouldn't mind taking some of that money and you know redistributing it.

If can go ahead.

Oh.

Yeah, I was thinking if we are gonna distribute, restribute some of that community warehouse.

I like to see it on the food for the food pantry.

I don't know if they um the food pantry has initially they do, sorry.

We get the money.

Um right, but I would I I would like to ask for six thousand.

Um maybe a few, some like five hundred there, and and maybe the other one will go to um another community community partner, which I would say Orling for Clinic or things.

I guess another one that's here in our in our city.

Let's go ahead and put that in there for now.

So 500 and not zero, it's five hundred.

Add 500 here.

Yes.

And the other one I maybe shameless plug here, but uh neighbors nourishing communities.

That's also uh a food-based program.

Yeah.

So what do we do?

There's zero right now.

We've got all the mini.

We'll take that from the food pantry.

Or take the 500 for the food pantry.

So put the 500 there and can I go?

Yeah.

Um the one that we haven't put any money into that I think hopefully we put like a thousand into, and I don't know where it's coming from, but is just compassion because if you read their materials, they will want to provide temporary hotels for families in specifically in Tualatin with children under age 18.

And I think that's pretty important.

That means money has to come from somewhere else.

So maybe some more program.

I don't know, like 500 from Love Inc.

We want to wait till they actually do this, do this, and maybe next year if they want to like no, they want the funds to be able to do this.

Right, I know, but I'm sure they're asking other organ other um grantors.

So maybe um give them a year and see if they come back next year, or does that make sense?

Are we gonna be seed money for them?

If no, I believe so.

They will use the money specifically that we give them specifically to provide housing up to the amount we give them.

So if we give them a thousand, that's all they they're gonna provide.

So it's gonna be limited, but it to me it's better than nothing.

There's people that are in these dire situations, and it would help them, and we're really not covering that anywhere else.

Children under 18 families with children under 19 in Twalaton.

So go ahead and let's spitball for now, throw a thousand in there.

Yeah.

And what are we over?

1,000.

1,000, yeah.

So like 500 from loving, maybe spreadship.

Yeah.

Well, I believe we have minus 1,000.

Yeah.

500 from the second.

That's my half of it right there.

So Council Brooks says 500 from Low Bink.

Yeah.

And then what do we have at the bottom?

I don't want to take from oh, we only have 500.

Maybe Pilly Group can um split us.

Is there also like uh they're good, a mentor kind of how much of the game?

Can you double check my math?

I have you at 50,500.

Short 500.

We're short 500, yeah.

About uh 500 from smart.

Yeah, that's what's gonna ask what's smart.

That's just there.

Well, we believe we're at 50,000.

You know, we auto summon at the bottom too.

Yeah.

Let's try that.

Ta da.

All right.

So can you scroll start from the top, make it so we can see?

Yeah.

Thank you.

Uh so zero for Fast Pitch Softball Association, 4,000 for Borland Free Clinic, 2,000 for community partners for affordable housing, 500 for community warehouse, 2,250 for domestic violence resource center, 4,500 for family peace center, the formerly the family justice center of Washington County, 5,250 for Family Promise of Twalleton Valley, 0 for the Good Neighbor Center, 1,000 for Just Compassion, 500 for Love Inc., 0 for well, never mind, 500 for neighbors nourishing communities, 2,000 for the Peeley Group, uh 2,000 for ride connection, 2,500 for the Sexual Assault Resource Center, 4,500 for Smart Reading, 2,500 for the Foundation for Tiger Towalaton Schools, 4,000 for Tiger Towalaton Family Resource Center.

I just said that.

5,000 for the Towalton Food Pantry, uh 3,500 for Twalton River Keepers, 3,100 for Towalton together, and 400 for Towalton Valley Pride.

Everybody okay with that?

Can't see it.

Yes.

Okay.

All right.

Got what you need.

I did.

Um so this will be on your consent agenda for the following meeting.

Thank you.

This is so hard.

All right.

Uh next item is request for review of toll ordinance rates.

Mr.

Hudson.

Thank you, Bear.

I'm Don Hudson.

I'm your assistant city manager.

City City Manager's a deep.

And in front of you tonight is a request to review the tow ordinance.

Usually I don't even need a mic, but I think they require that I use it.

Yeah, we'll try that.

Don't you need to sit up here too?

No, it's not.

I was trying to get away with not having to move, but I mean I don't mind.

No, I think you're uh so back in October of 2013.

The council adopted an ordinance that created the towing from private property uh chapter of the TMC, chapter 8-05.

Uh it ensures particular things regarding towing off private property.

Uh as you can see in the staff report there.

It does require tow companies to obtain a license before being able to uh tow vehicles from a private parking facility within the city of Tualeton.

It does require tow companies to obtain a license before being able to tow vehicles from a private parking facility within the city of Twilight and we currently have 10 tow companies that are licensed to tow from private property.

In the municipal code, there are five fees that are set.

That's put this is what the tow companies can charge.

This is for after hours release, a hookup fee, mileage fees, release at scene fee.

And a storage fee.

Back in July, we received a letter from Beaverton Towing, use which I have attached to the staff report.

I've also attached the ordinance itself.

They are requesting a review and adjustment of the current rate structure, the letter lists suggested updated rates and notes of the current rates that are allowed under the municipal code.

Since this is an ordinance, we are seeking guidance from the council of what you want to do with this request if you want to come back or leave it as is.

Discussion.

Council Brooks.

Is this the only so we have how many tow companies?

We have 10 companies.

Correct.

I mean, that's kind of interesting.

Other comments?

Discussion questions for Don.

My question is I know that seems a long time since we adjusted their rates.

And I know given work I've done with the city of Portland and stuff, that uh those tow contracts are updated usually annually or biannually.

And I know Washington County uses tow services and stuff like that, so um it seems funny that yeah, just one company asked that the multiple other companies would ask also for the rate increase.

Um also also realize one, maybe they're not a they don't tow here anymore.

They may be on the initial list and have walked away because the rates haven't kept up, and maybe Beaver and Towns the only one who is continuing to tow.

Uh so it's or considerations in my mind.

So if we were to say update the ordinance to just the rates, what's the level of effort for city staff?

Oh, you're gonna say something.

It would just be making the change of ordinance coming back to you with that ordinance in front of you.

With the different rates, correct.

Okay.

Other thoughts?

Council Brooks.

Um, well, I would be curious if the other um towing companies are in fact still operating.

Um and I would want to know comps rather than just going with this, because these are really big hikes, and I think that towing cars affects you know, people that are um the le you know, the least able to afford them, you know.

It's like where are we putting um signs is where the kids are parking for the school, you know, for school and where people are in apartments.

So I just want to be mindful.

If it's just one company, they don't always have the best reputation, nothing against this company by the way, but there are companies that have been cited for gouging and for having a lot of not good practices.

So I just want to be mindful of what we're doing and not hike breaks rates for people if like other cities are kind of in line with us, or if the other companies are working here without a problem, um, that kind of thing.

I know that's a little bit more research instead of just taking this and copy and pasting it from their letter, but um I mean, as a social worker, I don't have that much sadness about that because I always have to prove that things work and never get what I ask for 100%.

And yeah, um I I think Councilor Brooks made a good point because I mean these were rates were set in 2013.

So we're talking 12 years, and some of these don't even increases don't even look like they've kept over inflation, but it is kind of a regressive thing.

But I would be curious what other cities are charging.

So we tend to do that, kind of look to see that we're in line with our surrounding communities.

So hearing council rant.

I I too agree that um we should uh I would like to see other if this is something that's just not just change it for one person or one company that reaches out just suggesting.

I mean it's going from 55 after hours to from 25 dollars to 55.

That's like more than 100% increase.

And I I feel like we just does affect people that don't have a home with their own parking spot with their, you know, that it will affect other the community that don't necessarily have their home with a parking spot designated for them.

So I'm a little bit compassionate.

I feel like we we need to be a little bit more cautious on just saying yes based on one suggestion.

Right.

So I'm hearing uh if staff could allocate some time to Council Gonzalez.

Uh so this is very expensive.

This did this does affect the marginalized communities significantly.

But speaking of personal experience from growing up and you know, when I look at these fees pragmatically, uh they look they look fair to me what they're charging right now, right now.

You know, and uh I'm not even I don't even want to wait for other research.

Is this gonna be a no for me?

Because when I look at these fees right now and how expensive they are, and and I drive a lot, we have a lot of trucks out there.

This is outrageous.

And and and and I've been again, not speaking of this specific company, but in general, you know, there's a bad rapidone companies, they're just very not nice, unbendable.

Um I look at the fees that they're charging, they seem pretty reasonable to me right now.

I'm not gonna go for any increase.

Um I do want to see what uh the market is saying to to come from perspective.

Um, but I'm I'm good with the fees the way they are now.

So it's gonna be a solid no for me.

No ambiguity there.

Okay, Council Hillier.

Um I'm curious how many cars get towed regularly in Twalton.

Do we know?

I don't have that information, and it's not something I don't believe the police department would track because this is just off private property.

Because these are private property.

Oh, excuse me.

So this is like when you park in someone's store illegally and they have you towed.

That's just these kind of toes.

Um I'm happy to look at different rates from other communities are not hard, or excuse me, they are not easy for me to pull up city codes.

I tried a few times for other city codes.

I I'm not finding them easily, so I apologize for that.

I don't have a suggestion, but um I I do not uh think the rates that are being uh offered are reasonable.

Okay.

So I'm here and yes, go ahead and do get what the market rates are for these kind of tows, also find out who's still operating in town, and then bring us back as an information item, you know, where we're at.

Uh it sounds like a majority is not super favorable to raising the increases unless they're fair and we can see uh what other cities, the counties are charging for this, and make sure it's I guess you know big time equitable.

Council.

Sorry, I just wondered has the city been contacted by private properties saying they're having an issue getting tow truck companies to come in and tow for them.

Not to my knowledge, but I have not, I would not necessarily hear that either.

Okay, thank you.

Okay.

So you have what you need for this?

Uh yeah, so I'll get staff to do a little research and come back.

And as far as the the number of companies, it is an annual license.

Okay.

That's a renewed.

So my assumption is the 10 that have renewed their active licenses, but I don't otherwise have any other information for how many are out there telling.

Right.

All right.

Thank you, Doc.

Uh let's see.

So that brings us, I think that's everything on the work session, right?

All right.

So that's uh next item is council meeting agenda review, communications, and round table.

Um so uh we'll have Councilor Gonzalez, you can do the purge of allegiance tonight.

Uh and then we have some proclamations which I've already handed out.

So uh Council President Pratt will be doing the National Preparedness Month.

Council Hilliard will be doing the 9-11 proclamation, and we have a tag team effort on the uh uh Hispanic month recognition, and that'd be Councillor Reyes and Councillor Gonzalez.

Uh as far as the consent agenda, anyone have any questions or issues with the consent agenda?

All two items of it.

All right.

Uh and with that, I'll go ahead and start the council round table.

And since Don't told me he wanted to go first, we'll let Don go first.

I thought maybe you're gonna make me go last because I said I wanted to go further.

I would just talk about flow.

Okay.

So thank you, uh counselors.

Yeah, since Sherilyn's gone this evening is my responsibility to give you the manager's orders.

I think she quoted the assistant uh manager's report.

I've got a number of things that staff uh gave me information on to share with you this evening.

Uh so the school district is having their back to school nights since school is back in session.

Uh the community engagement team is attended back to school nights at Twalton High School, Hazelbrook Middle School, and Bridgeport Elementary School.

Uh the Byram Elementary School back to school night is coming up on September 18th.

Uh several staff joined by Council President Pratt and Councilor Hillier joined the all staff.

Welcome back celebration on October 27th at the high school.

My understanding is that went very well.

Another reminder with school being back in session is that the speed zones around schools have been activated again.

So please uh yourselves and everybody paying attention online.

Uh please please slow down and be careful through those zones.

Uh keep our keep our students safe.

It is that time of year for CIO meetings.

Uh so the next quarterly CIO land use meeting is Wednesday the 17th.

The commercial commercial CIO annual meeting is Thursday, September 25th from 3.30 to 5.

Mayor Bubenick and Council President Pratt will be presenting along with her renewal economic development manager Sid Sin.

Uh the next CIO leadership meeting is the 2nd of October.

It's a Thursday, Thursday, and they'll be discussing options for updates to the CIO boundary map among other topics.

Uh lastly on CIO meetings, the Martin Ozzy Woods CIO annual meeting is Thursday, October 9th from 6.30 to 7.30 with a social from 6 to 6 30 p.m.

preceding and mayor bubenick is one of the presenters.

He's going to be busy with CIOs, it seems like this next month.

I know Megan has sent out to all of you about the gathering market and uh booth that the city will be having city council will be having.

The booth is scheduled at the next two gathering markets on September 14th and September 28th.

The market goes from 10 a.m.

to 2 p.m.

outside the Winona Grange.

Uh, we're still looking for one hint-hint volunteer for this coming Sunday, September 14th to join the mayor.

Uh Council President Pratt and Councilor Hillier are scheduled for the following market on September 28th.

If you have any interest or available or your or you're available, please contact Megan.

Uh some library updates.

The Tualeton Library and the Friends of the Library will co-host the Twalton Chamber AM networking event on Friday, September 26th.

Uh also some other library updates.

So the lighting project, so we were closed this last week.

It re the library reopened on Saturday as scheduled.

Uh the project included replacing a lighting control panel that was no longer serviceable.

Led to some LED upgrades and exterior lights, and they are replacing the art lights in the team room.

That is still uh to be done, but I believe that I think is happening this week.

The summer reading program was very successful.

2,296 readers signed up.

1864 logs were turned in, which accounted for 31,066 hours of reading in our community.

Uh so very well done at library.

Usually we are one of the top libraries in the in the county as far as summer reading program.

Uh the Twalton CERT and the library are co-hosting the Twalty Emergency Preparedness Fair on Saturday, September 18th from 11 to 2.

Hopefully, I didn't uh rain on any parade with that one.

Uh so a couple of project updates.

So the Nyberg Creek Trail, which will be going from the east side of I-5 under uh into on this side for so go from 65th Avenue and connect to Sagert near the Orchard Hills apartment.

Uh that project has started and it'll be about a six-month project.

The in-pipe project uh right out here will start in this month, and it'll be about a three to four-week project.

And lastly, on your council agenda next week, you will see a resolution for accepting a grant for the badge access program here in this building primarily.

It is a uh state homeland security program grant, which comes it's federal passed through the state.

It's a hundred and twenty-five thousand dollar grant.

We have a fifty thousand dollar uh match, so the the total project's 175,000.

It is not uh we're not in danger of uh being clawed back, like with some of the and some of the types of uh clauses that are in those grant agreements that we're seeing now will not be part of this.

So you'll see that grant agreement on your council agenda next month or next meeting.

At that, I'll be happy to turn it back over to the rest of the council.

Thank you.

Council Hillier.

Thank you, Mayor.

On August 28th, the WCCCA um had a board of commissioners meeting that approved uh the uh contract for the people who work there.

Uh so it's the only formal meeting that I had.

Council Rayas.

No formal meetings in the last two weeks.

Thank you.

Council Gonzalez.

I had no formal meetings I've had.

Council Brooks.

Um, thank you, Mayor.

On the 27th of August, um, I was there with you and Council President Pratt Pratt at the Family Promise Grand Reopening, which is a really nice event.

Um, and other people talk about it too, but their new kitchen is amazing.

Um, and it was a really good turnout.

Um concurrently um or right afterwards, I jumped on the National League of Cities NBC Leo meeting, and we they talked about the um summer uh summit that they had and their goals and um policy changes around leadership for the uh organization on September 4th um was uh National League of Cities first tier suburbs and also the Perlow AI class for the titanium um, which also you guys were at, and uh it's great to be part of that organization, and I felt that I learned a lot about AI from um NJ Shelby, and she's part of the neuroproductivity um that's her group, but it was um I think that there's a way to for me personally, anyway, to uh spend less time sorting through emails and um doing some things that uh are really big time wasters so that I can do the things that are really more important.

Um and that's just the start of what I learned there, and I think that it is a good thing to get on board with and understand more about the uh sixth, which was over the weekend.

I went out to the meet and greet in Stafford.

Um there were other electeds there from our city, and then also um I had a nice opportunity to talk to um Clackamas County Commissioner Schrader, and um might work together with her on something.

We have to talk about it, and then um former mayor um Russ Axelrod was there and told talk to us about some things um around the Willamette River money that was allocated by the state, like 42 million.

So I was assuming that it was part of the project that he's been working on for a really long time, but it's part of a new trust group, so I think understanding the dynamics over there more clearly.

There's three organizations a consortium, a trust, and historical preservation.

I think um I feel like I need an organizational chart and understanding of what's actually going on over there a little bit, even though we've gone to presentations about the what's going on over there, especially since they have such a big amount of money that they're gonna be um utilizing in the area, and our river connects to that river.

So I think it's an interesting conversation.

Um, and I also know that people from our heritage um society uh participate with the one of the groups as well.

Anyway, that's all I've got.

Thank you.

Okay, President Pratt.

Um on the 26th, I went to the the lunch at the Wanita Post Center because the mayor sponsored it, and he wasn't gonna eat egg salad, so someone had to take one for the team.

But actually, the food was the food was excellent.

I was super impressed, and the people there were wonderful, and I you always meet people there and get a whole new life story that's amazing.

That's amazing.

Then yeah, on the 27th, I know Cindy, or Councillor Hillier and Megan and Betsy and I were all at the welcome back celebration at the high school.

Then on the 27th, uh Family Promise Open House was amazing, and Mayor Bubenick and Councillor Brooks were there with a lot of other electeds.

Then of course Labor Day Weekend was the transportation bill kicked the can to the 17th.

We had our um committee advisory committee downtown revitalization meeting, and it's kind of exciting because we're going on to phase two now.

Then I had my C4 meeting, and I handed out everybody um the strategic plan for Clackamas County, so you could look through that.

Um my question to them is as they develop affordable housing and development.

Are they gonna include road infrastructure?

And I got a no answer.

So no surprise there.

Um and then um we talked about our C4 goals, and one thing like we do a little a lot with um housing and some with economic development transportation, and um we've kind of learned through the whole um opposition to tolling that we could be a big advocacy group if we work together.

So that's something we want to look at on all these issues.

Then um the historical society fundraiser was a lot of fun.

Mayor Bivenick and Councillor Hilly was there, and for the second year in a row, Councillor Hillian and I were outbidding each other on the same item.

And then um, yeah, um the Stafford Hamlet community event on Saturday was great.

It was fun.

We had great food, there were great people, and um the only thing I didn't appreciate, Councilor Brooks was the bees.

All right.

Uh on the 28th of August seems a long time ago.

Uh the MMC meeting, we had um representatives from TAC uh technical advisory committee, but it's really not a TAC in the judicial sense, it's a Boston-based consulting firm.

They have a contract with Metro to do system mapping on the support of housing services measure, and they're going out and meeting with groups to uh the system mapping is a way to assess a complex system.

So they're trying to explain how system mapping working to get people involved.

Uh they're talking to obviously the counties are talking to the city mayors right now.

And first time I ever did this, everyone, everyone, I might be the last one who hasn't done this a Menti poll.

So they implemented a Menti poll, something over the web where you they give you um suggestions of what's important to you, what's not important to you, what do you think should be focused in, and it merges them together so they don't have to write it all down.

It was an interesting exercise, but long and short.

Uh you know, this consulting firm is working on getting better buy-in on what should be the output of the supported housing services measure and getting more buy-in, if you will, from all the different levels of folks who will be involved with that.

Uh we discussed the short session coming up, same thing like we did tonight.

Uh, you know, the MMC looked at what its legislative agenda would be for the short session in 2026, and we all were exasperated about the transportation package.

Um later that afternoon, uh GPED, the Greater Portland Economic Development uh district.

We had a meeting.

I'm on the board of that, had a fantastic presentation.

We were just talking about apprenticeship apprenticeships.

So workforce systems of Southwest Washington, WSU Vancouver, and the Columbia Riva Columbia River Economic Development Commission, uh, people known as the C R E DC.

They have a summer internship program, sonar internship program that's been run since 2020, and it's called the Future Leaders Product Project.

They were able to procure $685,000 in grants from the JP Morgan Chase Foundation, and they got a CPF funding from Senator Maria Cantwell.

Uh so they fund internships every summer for not-for-profits and BIPOC slash women-owned businesses.

Um the average mini grant is for $4,500, and they award that agency $380, uh, $3,800 for this summer, which is $19 now for 200 hours of service, plus $700 in taxes, or uh to cover taxes or additional hours that that agency would like it.

And I'd love to see if there's something we can get you know stood up here on this side of the river, but it's an example of what can be done with internships, uh, especially with gobs of money.

Uh and so that was pretty cool.

And then we got an e uh the economic development agency, of course, is the overseer from the federal government of the economic development uh in here in Portland for the Portland region.

Uh the Portland region just got a three-year grant for $225,000 that'll be implemented through Greater Portland Inc.

to run the development district.

Uh they had to go through the fantastic exercise of changing their DEI language in order to get the money funded, uh, but they successfully did so.

Uh other folks mentioned the fantastic AI uh Perlow seminars that the chamber gave on the fourth.

The Heritage Evening was fantastic, was sold out, the worst dad jokes ever from Tom Sweringer.

Oh my god, he wouldn't he wouldn't stop.

And Loyce, yeah, Loyce's joke.

And then uh the Stafford Hamlet uh meet and greet.

I want to I will really want to uh thank uh Rich Fiale Farms for hosting that.

It just gives you a chance to see what's out there in Stafford and actually hear from the folks who are out there and um the grumblings about the Stafford Road Project and the impacts on the region.

Uh but the worst part about it is that neither Rich or I won the Powerball, so our evil scheme of how to pool our money will not happen this year.

And make a difference in the region.

Uh and then today we I attended the aging task force where there was a discussion over uh our sidewalks and street trees.

Uh Nick and Rachel have been terrific with informing the aging task force on what's going on with the sidewalks uh and the 1.2 million dollar program that'll be coming towards us fairly soon on fixing the worst you know cracks and lifts that are in the city.

Uh and their request is how can they get more involved, how can they get the story out, what the impacts are about you know who owns what on sidewalks, where are the rules about street trees, so they're a willing partner to get the word out and they just want to be involved.

With that, that's all I have.

Anything else for tonight's work session?

I'll just mention that it's a sidewalk program's coming on your next council meeting.

So they're pretty excited.

All right, so that with that I'll go ahead and close the work session for this evening.

We'll go ahead and take a six minute break and we'll reconvene for our city council meeting at seven o'clock.