Council regular session for the year.

I'll go ahead and call the meeting to order.

First item on our agenda tonight is the Pledge of Allegiance tonight, led by Council Hilliyer.

Hi, please stand.

Remove your hats if you have one.

Place your hand over your heart and say the Pledge of Allegiance with me.

I pledge allegiance to the flag.

Thank you.

Please be seated.

All right.

That brings us to announcements.

We have two new employees that we're very eager to introduce to the community.

First up is our new planning manager, Teresa Montalvo.

And Aquila were introduced her.

Welcome, Teresa.

Hello, good evening.

But for our millions of viewers at home, my name's Aquila Herd Ravich, and I'm the community development director.

And it's my pleasure to introduce the newest member of the community development department, Teresa Montalvo.

Teresa is our new planning manager, and she started here on December 8th, 2025.

She comes to us from City of Hillsboro and brings her knowledge, skills, and abilities that we're so excited about.

They include things like her extensive land use application review, updating and writing code.

I kind of found out last week she's got a lot of experience with food carts.

She's worked on a lot of development regulations and lots of land use and transportation review.

So those are all skills that we're really excited to have.

As our planning manager, Teresa's going to be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the planning division.

She'll be the liaison to the planning commission and to the architecture review board, and she'll have oversight of long-range projects as well as current planning applications.

So she will not be bored.

No lot to do.

So I know you joined me in welcoming Teresa to Towallatin.

Thank you.

Teresa, floor is yours.

Welcome.

Yeah, okay.

Hope I don't do this every time I'm before you.

Um, thank you so much, and thanks for that nice introduction, Aquila.

Um, yeah, I'm just I'm I'm really happy to be here.

I've been in planning for a long time.

Um, but Twileton was always in my sights as a a place I would really like to work, and I'm really excited to be part of the team.

Um I think it's well known in the area.

It's kind of a small community of planning uh in a in a sense, and um I think that uh Twaleton has always been known for having a great culture, and this last month I've got to experience that.

So I'm really happy to be bringing forward hopefully to use some good projects and chip away on the work plan and just look forward to working with you in the future.

All right, great.

Well, Twalton is a much smaller city than Hillsboro.

Uh but we're growing, I would not say as fast, but pretty rapidly, especially in manufacturing industrial area that we have.

So I'm looking forward to working with you on you know building out you know our urban renewal zone to the south and to uh growing and attracting more businesses here to town uh through innovative land use and planning.

But thank you for joining the team.

And and you yeah, you it was like your second day for the breakfast, right?

You got the experience with breakfast.

Yes, I did, and I was kind of that was a great it was a very nice time to start because I'm like maybe this is all the time.

There's all these things going on, lots of lots of goods.

So I get bacon every day.

Okay, well, welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, we have another new employee that's very exciting to uh excited to start.

Our new climate action program manager, Amanda Watson, in being introduced by Sherilyn.

Welcome, Amanda.

Mayor Bubenick and members of the city council.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Cheryl Mambos.

I'm city manager here for a long, long time.

And it is my absolute pleasure to introduce the newest member of the team, Amanda Watson.

So Amanda is our long-anticipated climate action program manager.

Um so thanks to your leadership, we have adopted a climate action plan, or you adopted a climate action plan.

Because it is ambitious and there is so much to take on in Shepherd, we needed staff capacity above and beyond what existed currently.

So once again, because of your leadership, we have two new revenue streams uh that support the implementation of the plan, including hiring a program manager.

So Amanda started here on December 15th.

She comes to us most recently from the city of Lake Aswego, where she was their sustainability program manager, overseeing the city's sustainability and climate action plan.

Prior to Lake Aswego, Amanda worked for Mayor Ted Wheeler in the city of Portland as a senior policy advisor and director of livability and sustainability.

So Amanda, as you can tell, brings um bona fide chops uh to this role given her past experience and knowledge.

She has hit the ground running, and I'm super excited for what's to come for Tualaton with Amanda in this role.

So I know you will join me in welcoming Amanda to the to the city of Tualaton.

Welcome, Amanda.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for the kind introduction.

I am super excited to be here.

I'm really looking forward to working with all of you and with our community and the business community on implementing the community climate action plan, which is a really fantastic and you know ambitious plan.

And I just appreciate you know what I understand for the council's commitment and interest in this work already.

Um and so, yeah, just really looking forward to to partnering with all of you.

Um also, as was said earlier in the meeting, there's a lot of really exciting projects going on, and so it's a great time to be doing this work as we're thinking about downtown revitalization and the riverfront park and all of these ways that we can integrate climate action and sustainability into the work we're doing.

So just very happy to be here.

Great.

Because I think uh you've got we met each other at the Sustainable Cities design studio where you had great input, great questions for the students, but knowing that you weren't even here yet, it seems like, and then the emails were flowing to you from people who want to participate in climate action plan.

So people uh folks have been eagerly awaiting your arrival.

Uh look forward again working with you on this uh and other projects and you know your input into the Cora and your ideas, because one of the things that came out the other night was the idea of sustainability and green in our downtown to make us distinguish ourselves in the community.

So I see you having a lot of involvement in there too.

Great, yeah.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks.

All right, so that brings us to public comment.

So uh public comment is an opportunity for anyone to address the city council on an item that is not on tonight's agenda.

Please keep your comments to about three minutes.

We don't have our usual timer here tonight.

Uh it's been it's MIA after a previous meeting.

So Nicole's gonna do she's gonna track at the high tech way on her uh cell phone, and she'll give you a 30-second warning when you're down to your last 30 seconds again, limited, please, to three minutes.

I'll take uh public comment for folks who are in the room first, and then I'll go out to Zoom.

Uh I take both folks who are signed up and not signed up, but I do have one person signed up uh about the idea committee, and it's not about the idea committee's report tonight, it's separate.

So BJ Park.

Welcome.

Thank you.

I also brought a timer, so okay.

Let me know to respect the time.

When it begins.

All right.

My name is BJ Park.

I've been a resident of Tualaton for the past uh 13 years.

Uh, where my wife and I have raised our children, one of them was even born here in Tualeton.

I'm a proud legal immigrant from Korea.

Came here when I was nine years old.

My parents came to this country the right way, and I have profound gratitude to the United States for taking our family in.

Despite not knowing any English, I became a lawyer and specifically became a prosecutor to get back to this country, to our country, and to my community.

I've given my entire 26-year career at the public service as a result, having prosecuted the most serious offenders, including hate crime offenders.

I'm a former member of the idea committee for the past two years, and I was there from the very beginning being part of the committee to set up the idea committee starting in 2022.

However, back in November of last year, I was unceremoniously and without warning dropped from the committee under false pretenses because I opposed the subject of land acknowledgement, which we were discussing.

By the way, a white woman was uh renewed, but I was not.

So, according to those DEI rules, that is discrimination by the DEI committee.

What hypocrisy?

Full discussion on this topic of land acknowledgement has been piecemealed and delayed for months, apparently to stonewall me until they could wait out my term so that they have no opposition.

I find that disgusting.

What the advocates of this land acknowledgement want to do is before every city function or event, they want to announce that we are on stolen land, which means that U.S.

is an illegitimate country.

This is not true.

There's no basis that Tualaton is on stolen land.

And do you know who else's land acknowledgement does not have the word stolen or colonialism?

The land acknowledgement of the Confederate tribe of Grand Ron.

But apparently to the white liberals who brought the subject by the way, it was this was not brought here by uh Native Americans.

Uh the Natives own land acknowledgments is not good enough, and so they want to have their own, which I find very condescending.

As a reminder, uh this city council has no right or jurisdiction to declare the entire country a legitimate.

There's a reason why on the elections, your positions are considered nonpartisan.

In the future, I predict this committee will get more political, more extreme, not that I'm not on it, and more inappropriate without any practical solutions that actually benefit uh or help minority members.

I just want to state finally my own land acknowledgement, and speaking as a minority and a legal immigrant, is that I want to acknowledge that this land is the least racist country in the world.

The U.S.

is the greatest country to ever exist, as no other country has ever died for the freedom of strangers, including Korea.

Like most Tualton citizens, I'm proud to be an American, and we voters will not tolerate any hatred for our country disguised as some performative land acknowledgement.

That's all.

Thank you.

Come on up.

Just state your name, you don't have to say where you live.

Well, see you live in Tualton at least.

Uh hi, uh my name is Chris Paul.

I do live in Tualaton, and I just uh would like to make a point.

BJ would really appreciate you staying and listening.

Sure.

Um I just want to make a point of clarification.

I am uh a little bit saddened that this issue has arisen this way.

Um of course I will be doing my report a little bit later on, but I just want to make a quick point of clarification.

Um I don't believe BJ was removed from the idea committee uh well, uh his term expired, and he was not reappointed.

And I do not believe that to be because of his opinion on the uh the land acknowledgement.

I believe his I take his opinion very seriously, and I will cons continue to consider that opinion uh while working with the idea committee on this issue.

Uh I am not in favor of a blanket land acknowledgement.

It's just that this is an extraordinarily uh careful subject that we really do want to take our time on and do it right and do that.

Whatever we have, we end up doing is actually something that actually benefits both Tuollaton and the Native tribes.

So I want to just clarify that I do not believe that BJ was removed because of uh the um uh his his stance on the land proclamation.

Uh to be quite honest, uh BJ uh while uh having been elected co-chair with me, um, was absent for several meetings, and his uh participation uh was something to be desired.

And I think that may have some been something to do with the reason he was not uh reapproved.

If he had participated more uh frequently and with better engagement, then he might still be on the committee today.

I don't know if that was your guys' decision, but that was um what I believe the reason that he was removed.

And I'm sorry that it had to come to this, but if you had just shown up, you might still be on uh be here.

That's all I have to say.

Others who'd like to provide public comment in them in the room.

Well, I would like to respond to that briefly.

Uh I missed that.

Okay, I got four meetings.

And that was the indeed family issues.

My mother had cancer.

Six seconds.

I gotta I gotta go to the city attorney for Your Honor.

My understanding of the rules is there's one opportunity to comment at public comment.

Okay.

Okay.

There should be an investigation about that.

All right.

What he says is other folks in the room.

Do we have anybody in Zoom?

All right.

So with that, I'll go ahead and move on to consent.

Uh correct.

Yep.

So consent items.

Uh these items are considered routine.

They will be adopted by one motion unless someone on the council would like an item removed and heard separately later tonight.

Tonight's consent agenda consists of three items.

Item number one, consideration of approval of the regular meeting minutes at December 8th, 2025.

Doing business as Miller's Homestead Restaurant.

And item number three, consideration of resolution number 5940-26, authorizing the city of Twalton to accept a grant award from the state of Oregon by and through its Oregon Water Resources Department, and for the city manager to execute a grant agreement to fund the city's uh City of Twalton's water reservoir seismic battles project.

Do I have any uh motions to pull something off consent or be heard later separately tonight?

If not.

I move that we adopt the consent agenda is red.

Second.

I have a motion and a second to adopt the consent agenda is ready.

Any discussions on those motions.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

It's unanimous.

Thank you.

That brings us to special reports.

Our first special report is an outside agency grant presentation from the Pele Group.

Thank you.

Hello, Mayor and Council.

Buenas noches.

Um my name is Betsy Rodriguez Roof, community engagement coordinator for the city here.

And I'm here this evening to translate for the Pili Group.

You may notice that I will speak a little bit more than Marilou as the group has asked me to help expand on their talking points and to ensure that they um cover all of their talking points today.

And because I work work closely with the Pilly Group throughout the year, I'm very familiar with the work that they do and the impact that they have on the community.

So just so you know, I'm not adding anything on they asked me to do this.

Unless they talk about me, then I might add a little more.

So Marilu.

So hello mayor and council.

My name is Mary Ru Serrano, and I would uh like to express my sincere gratitude to the mayor in the city council for this night, and I represent the Pilly Group, and here some of the Pilly group members are in the audience along with our therapist Fernando.

So this support means so much to uh to our community for Hispanic women, and it motivates us to continue working, learning and growing together.

Thank you for believing in us and for investing in opportunities that truly change lives.

So what we do as a group in the PRILE group, we offer activities that strengthen the body, mind and spirit.

The group is led by a mental health therapist and co-facilitor Fernando that is here.

We provide workshops, Zumba classes, mental health classes, guitar classes, and we are currently working on a community cookbook created by all of us.

Everything we do has a purpose to grow together, support one another, and build uh the community.

So um especially we also the Pili Group wanted to share that especially during these times where um ICE is in the community, and so the community is um living um under difficult times and in fear.

Um they have seen in the Pili Group that their attendance is uh much lower than it has ever been due to that.

Okay, okay.

So now we will share the meaning of the group Pilar.

Pilar fue una sobreviviente de cancer.

So the meaning of the name Pilar, which Pilar in English means pillar, uh, but that was uh Pilar's name.

So Pilar is not just a name, it means pillar, and pillar Pilar was a courageous woman, a cancer survivor who founded this group alongside uh our therapist ten years ago.

When she passed away in 2020, uh we decided to name the group in her honor because that is what she was to us, a pillar.

She was a steady strength, a constant source of support and an inspiration who brought many women together.

So what we do, no, oh sorry, very covered that.

Okay.

Okay, they're all expanded.

No.

Um so the use of grant funds.

Uh the funds awarded through these grants are managed with responsibility and transparency.

These funds are used for presenter and facility fees, uh, materials and supplies for workshops, uh Zumba events, including our annual Zumbathon, which you are all invited to if you want to sweat profusely for an hour.

Um special group events.

Uh the PD group uh participates every year at Viva Twileton.

So they use some of the funds to buy supplies to be at Viva Twileton.

Um also this includes promotional material such as flyers uh to inform and reach the community.

And she brought flyers to share with you for um inviting you to Zumba.

Mayor, if you'd like to come.

Um so each uh financial contribution strengthens our programs and allows more women to benefit from this supportive space.

Um they would also like to thank me for their work.

Yeah, and to everyone.

And to everybody else, yes, everybody else.

Um now we're happy to answer any questions that you might have or comments.

Questions.

Council Brooks.

Um Gracias, thank you so much for coming.

Oh, okay.

Oh, uh after your question, uh they have someone that would like to give a short testimony of the group.

Yes.

Just I'm gonna wait.

Oh, okay.

Okay, chair.

Your poet chair.

Thank you.

Angeles Angeles.

Okay.

So Angeles.

Angeles Morales.

So this is Angeles Forales, and she would like to give a short testimony of her experience with the Pili Group.

Um Kevinus Passando Ciertos traumas, violencia domestica.

Um I would like to just uh say thank you and thank you to the group as well.

Uh this group is a group that uh helps uh women that have trauma and survivors of domestic violence.

And this group has helped us uh tremendously to be able to help uh with our emotions and everything that we are going through during difficult times, especially right now during this difficult times.

Thank you very much for the grant that you have awarded us.

Thank you.

Right.

Councilor Brooks.

Okay.

Um the time, the amount of time that you've been here and your work is always so impressive to me.

Thank you.

And I'm so glad that this group is a part of our community and really is important to me.

Thank you.

Um I always try to stop.

Oh can I start key um para ellos community.

Thank you very much.

Yeah.

Um when you said that the group numbers went down.

Can you give us an average that it was and where it's at right now?

So Dijos numbers and bajo de la tendencia quantos are los que assistenty ahora quantos I Redor de 20 Cada Sabado, pero como algunas consequencias no yegan.

So uh average was uh uh twenty people were in attendance and now um it's down to around ten people.

Okay, so fifty percent.

Um then uh also we have a council email and there's um private email, Councillor Brooks.

Um if there's things that we can do as a council or as a community to be supportive so that people feel safer to come to meetings like yours or whatever ideas people have, we really are invested in want you know, I mean the most important thing for people, as you guys know, because you've been working with a therapist for a long time is a sense of safety, and so we want to reinforce that sense of safety however we can.

Okay.

Um so electronico.

So ellos can appoy that se sienta seguros in sus reuniones, so they need a poor paracent.

Uh especially in those moments alone.

So um so yes, right now during this time um we have a lot of our members that are showing up very with a lot of anxiety and stress due to the fears and um our therapist is helping them work through it.

Um but that is definitely something that they are experiencing.

Yeah.

Um and and even with the therapist too, we'd love to be supportive however we can.

We are so glad that you're here and we um at least me um when I went to school for social work, take back the night was one of my core projects that I did, and we had like uh they went from 20 participants to two hundred the year that we did it.

Um and I just want to honor and thank all the women because I know the strength it takes to step away and get support with each other in times of crisis.

And uh anyway, respect.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm gonna speak in Spanish, that's okay.

Oh that's obviously in short, I was just telling them that thank you very much for coming here and demonstrating what the what they're doing as a group and that they continue to show up that though there's a little bit of people attending, they will it will once again be what it was before, and that we've been here in these times before, and it's been hard.

And to be strong and be strong for each other, I asked them to take my email and to share with me what their schedule is, and maybe I can also put some information out there and even show up in support to add strength to the group and what they're doing.

So Sacco.

I don't have any questions or really anything additionally to add, but just I personally want to say thank you for the work that you're doing, and thank you for um advocating for your community and bringing them together.

I think it's just wonderful work that you're doing, and it's so important to uh the community uh as a whole.

So thank you.

Okay, los game.

The one thing we hear about Twilatin is uh people just love that we we have a sense of community, and uh what you're doing is so important and such an important part of that community to support women that really need that support and to you know make them feel that this is their home and uh I'll say the two words I know in Spanish, which is gracious.

Um Kira Grade Sandro.

Thank you.

And that is my alarm because it's Friday's bedtime.

So we'll wrap it up real quick.

I want to thank you for coming tonight.

I know you were a little nervous tonight, you did great.

You know, uh congratulations on your courage, your strength for doing this, but you did terrific.

Um thank you for coming tonight and letting us know what's going on in your group.

And as Councillor Gonzalez says, I hope your numbers do come back.

Um you're doing great things for your community and for women who who've been through tough times, and thank you for doing that.

And thank you for coming again and more power to you and more strength to you, because you did great.

Nothing to worry about.

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Sadis.

I know you're gonna make me cry.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, so that brings us uh special report number two, the idea committee annual report.

Uh Chris Paul and Aaron Stimpson uh with Jerian in support.

Welcome.

Okay.

For the past two years, I've been proud to work with my fellow community members to explore and implement new ways to make Tualetin a more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible community where everyone has a sense of belonging.

Since moving here in two in 2022, I have experienced first hand how caring and welcoming the Tualetin community is, and I am grateful to be a part of it.

I would also like to introduce my fellow committee member Aaron Stimson.

Good evening.

I have served on the IDEA committee since its formation in 2023, and I'm now serving my second term.

I have dystronia, which affects my movement and speech.

But it has also given me the opportunity to engage with an advocate for members of our community living with disabilities through my work with the idea of committee and organizations such as the Distonia Medical Research Foundation.

I am proud to serve on the IDEA committee because I trust that the city of Tualeton stands by its values of inclusion and accessibility for all.

The committee recommends goals and measures to track progress, reviews city practices to reduce barriers to public participation, suggests ways to improve connections between community members and city leadership and staff, and provides recommendations on policies and practice that promote fairness, accessibility, and belonging across the community.

In 2025, the committee adopted a work plan organized around three focus areas: culture and identity, community engagement, and housing in public safety.

These focus areas guide the committee's research, outreach, and recommendations throughout the year.

The work plan is reviewed and updated annually to reflect community needs and priorities, and the current version is included with the committee's annual report.

In 2025, the committee achieved several notable accomplishments.

These included supporting city proclamations for Transgender Day of Visibility and Pride Month, conducting community outreach at Viva Tuwallatin and the concert celebrating pride, and engaging with city departments such as Parks and Recreation and Economic Development, including providing a letter of support for a parks grant and participating in the core opportunity the core opportunity and reinvestment area community advisory committee.

The committee is also the committee also expanded its understanding of food cart regulations and provided feedback on the city commun on the city's community engagement incentives policy.

The IDEA Committee is made up of a passionate group of community members from diverse ethnic, racial, gender, social, and economic backgrounds.

These varied lived experiences inform the committee's discussions as members examine city topics through many different lenses and intentionally consider the perspectives of residents who may not be directly represented on the committee.

By bringing these perspectives together, the committee works to improve the community of Tualaton for for everyone through thoughtful, inclusive dialogue and recommendations.

The committee's work extends beyond meetings with a focus on staying informed, building relationships, and being present in the community.

Members participate in events such as Pride, Viva Twiliton, the Destonia Zoo Walk, Tonga Day, and Transgender Day of Visibility to listen and connect with residents, especially those whose voices are often underrepresented.

The committee also takes concrete action on work plan priorities, including learning about affordable housing, food cart regulations, and the core opportunity investment areas, supported by presentations from city staff and community partners.

Committee members also recently participated in the visit to Chachalu to learn more about the history and living culture of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.

Looking ahead, the committee's work will continue to focus on culture and identity, community engagement and housing in public safety, and the area of culture and identity.

The committee plans to engage in community conversations around food carts and through the core opportunity and reinvestment area.

Explore how downtown to development connects to community identity, arts and culture, housing, and gathering spaces.

For community engagement, the committee will strengthen connections not only with other advisory committees and community involvement organizations, but also with community members beyond those faces.

This includes exploring new ways to improve communication, building relationships with potential partner groups and the local business community, and hosting an open house or exploring other forums to connect with Twalatin's community organizations.

In housing in public safety, the committee will engage on policy issues that impact vulnerable residents and learn more about Twiliton Police Department's community-based approach with the goal of better understanding how public safety policies affect the community as a whole.

Based on our work in 2025, the IDEA Committee makes the following recommendations to City Council.

Incorporate accessible public transportation, affordable housing, and community gathering places as part of the CORA Downtown Revitalization Plan, and when considering changes to food cart regulations in Tualatin, prioritize community members' experience and opportunities to encourage community gathering through food cart pods in different parts of town while do while supporting a diverse array of multicultural foods and participation by local vendors.

And when considering changes to food cart regulations in Tualatin, prioritize community members' experience and opportunities to encourage community gathering through food cart pods in different parts of town while supporting a diverse array of multicultural foods and participation by local vendors.

As chair, I would like to especially recognize committee member Sunny Armstrong for her leadership, dedication, and significant efforts in organizing and mobilizing the community for the concert celebrating pride, helping to create a visible, welcoming and affirming space for residents and visitors alike.

On behalf of the Idea Committee, we also like to thank the City Council for its ongoing support and collaboration, as well as the partnership of city staff, especially our facilitators, Jerry Ann Thompson and Betsy Roof.

The other advisory committees and community organizations whose time and expertise continue to make this work possible.

At this time, we're happy to answer any questions the council may have.

Thank you.

Questions?

Excuse me.

Council President Pratt.

Thank you, Council Brooks.

You mentioned, I mean, this committee was formed so we could get perspectives of a lot of different people in the community.

And without naming names, could you just give me a few of the different um groups of people that are represented on your committee?

So we have a diverse array of people, like I said, from different economic racial backgrounds.

We have people Aaron brings an excellent perspective for people with disabilities.

We have people from the LGBTQ community, we have people from the immigrant community, we have people from uh various uh language and uh ethnic uh backgrounds.

And honestly the diversity that you you we can't just categorize people as this person is gay, this person is disabled.

Like we we are not monoliths of our community.

We each bring a great intersectionality of our existence and our lived experiences.

Um this is something you you may not even uh know about me, um, but uh my uh family uh on my father's side is of uh Spanish speaking heritage, and so I never even really presented that to the committee because I'm not a Spanish speaker myself, but I do have some perspective on uh the uh lives of uh people who speak Spanish and have brown skin.

Um so there is a lot of representation about everyone, and you can't just look at a person and say this person is this.

But I think if you get a big enough group of people who actually care about diversity, then you're going to get the diversity that you're looking for.

Thank you.

Council Brooks.

I just want to appreciate everybody that serves and does leadership on the idea committee.

I think that it's such remarkable work and it takes a lot of courage to come up and sort of help lay the foundation so that we it makes our lives easier and our work easier too.

And I just encourage all of you to keep moving forward in leadership and talk to us and you know, if there's ever anything you want or mentorship or letters, let us know.

Um, we really appreciate your um your contribution to the community.

I guess my question with the accomplishments this is so impressive, and um I'm curious what the maybe something that's been the most rewarding about the committee and maybe um and maybe start with the gap, like what the biggest gap might be, like something that um that would be good for us to know that's um something that we're having trouble getting representation around or communication around or an issue that's been particularly uh tough lift.

Ooh.

But you don't have to.

I don't like to focus on the negative.

I know.

Well do that one first.

Um it's like a thorn in a rose.

Yeah.

Uh honestly, um, if we could get more engagement with the committee, if we could find ways to communicate better with the idea committee from the general public, if we could establish uh more channels of communication so that we can better hear the people of Tewallatin, I think that would be a great improvement.

Um as far as what we've done this year, what really stands out, at least to me.

Um the movement that we had earlier in February to uh get the Transgender Day of Visibility Proclamation approved, and all of the community members who came out and stood up and said this needs to happen because there is a community that is hurting right now and they need to feel safe.

And the community stood up, the city council supported us, and we held demonstrations on Transgender Day of Visibility to show that Tewalleton really is a community that cares about everyone.

And so that really, really meant a lot to me.

Thank you both so much, and everybody that's here.

And I love your voice, by the way.

It's fabulous.

Council Hillier.

Thank you so much.

We always look forward to hearing from you on seeing you folks here.

I am just curious.

I know that the so I uh have two children and they each um have unseen disabilities.

And some of that would um parlay into the transportation conversations that are happening right now in the region.

And I know that that is not on your work plan for this next year, but um I do want to be sure that that your team has the information about the listening session on the 22nd for the transportation.

I think at the housing forum, we had some members or former members of your team that were there, and I just want to be sure that um your voice gets heard um uh as you represent our community members because uh you point out you know the diversity of your team, and I would I would love it if um you felt empowered to give input on especially the transportation changes around TriMet and that sort of thing.

So it's the only thought that I have.

Thank you for your amazing work, and I look forward to seeing you at all the community events.

You're at everything, smiling and and happy.

So thank you.

Uh thank you.

And yes, um, while it might not be explicitly called out in our future plans, uh transportation is definitely on our minds, and um not only uh that it affects people with disabilities, but also uh many of the uh marginalized communities that uh we are trying to consider here um rely on public transportation.

And even I, as uh a driver, uh I have experienced quite frankly a lot better public transportation systems in other areas, and I would love to see improvement to the public transit system here.

Thank you.

Councilor Sacco.

Thank you.

Um I don't um have a lot, I don't have any questions, uh, but I just want to say thank you all for your work.

Um the idea committee meeting is um a meeting that I look forward to every single month and seeing all of you and seeing um the passion and the and the work that that you do is is really amazing.

Um and I did say this earlier tonight, um, but uh Chris is not here, so I wanted to say this um while he is here, but I just I thanked um you for your leadership around the um specifically around the um the food um drive earlier um uh it was in December, and I think uh Jerry Ann said there was a hundred to a hundred and twenty-five pounds of food approximately donated um to the Tualetan food pantry because of Chris's leadership.

Um so I just want to thank you uh for that and just your leadership in general of the idea committee.

Um I learned so much from you, and um thank you so much for the work that you do.

Thank you.

Uh for in the interest of credit where credits due, uh, the food drive was a I I believe a team effort.

I know Kelsey, our secretary played a big part in advocating for that as well.

And I was just the voice that said, hey, let's let's really do this.

But and Aaron also went around her neighborhood and collected food for the food drive.

So it was supposed to be family members.

Clearly a team effort.

I can't take very much credit for that at all.

It was really just you guys have have made an effort to bring a community together and to to say, like, let's give everyone a voice and let's give everyone an opportunity to help their community, and that's what this committees about.

And so thank you so much.

Any other comments?

Right.

I just want to thank you for coming out tonight and spending your evening with us and giving us your update.

Uh, continue on with your you know your work and looking forward to hearing your next update.

All right.

Thank you so much.

All right, so now we'll transition to general business in our agenda.

And item number one on general business is resolution 5939-26 awarding a contract with Kittelson for phase one of the TSR slash BFR slash RR project.

I think we need to throw some more acronyms in there.

If you had name suggestions, I think we'd be willing to take those.

Welcome, Mike and Abby.

Good evening.

I'm Mike McCarthy.

I work for Twalton as a city engineer.

Abby McFetterage Engineering Associate.

Thank you for having us.

And uh and as mentioned, our topic is the Tualton Sherwood Road, Boons Ferry Road, Railroad, intersection improvement concept evaluation, and yes, one of our next tests is we have to think of a better name.

Perhaps we can throw in as many letters as possible.

And so you'll have a resolution to authorize issuance of a contract with the consultant to take a closer look at the intersection.

And so tonight we'll be talking about reviewing the project location, the schedule of this, which would be phase one, and then looking at the overall project schedule.

Like if we did something big, what would it actually take?

And then consultant and staff responsibilities in that phase one, and then we'll have a chance for you to ask questions at the end.

So the project location, as I think we're all familiar, perhaps painfully familiar with some of the issues here.

Um since I've started working at Tualton, I've heard about traffic problems at this location, and I imagine you all have as well.

Um you've experienced a lot of them.

And it's also perpetually near the top of the counties list for places with the most crashes and most severe crashes.

Um we did our transportation system plan, which is updated last year.

Um sort of improvement at this intersection came up as one of the highest ranking projects on the list.

Uh it's also a heck of a place to try to walk through or across.

Um I saw one person who she managed to get across the railroad tracks, but then the train came and then she got stuck between the railroad tracks and Boone's Ferry on this very narrow piece of sidewalk.

Uh I would not want to be stuck there.

Uh it's also a very difficult place to ride a bike through.

Um, you know, as we're looking at redevelopment of our downtown area, the economic opportunities.

Um I hear a lot about fix this intersection, and people will be more interested and make it more safe, make it a better environment.

I hear about the negative effects of the traffic on the road on possibilities for businesses there.

And then when I saw that, you know, typically when a four or five-minute train comes through, it takes about 20 minutes to a half hour for traffic to get back to normal at this location.

So we've all heard about the problems here.

And the goal of this first phase is what do we as a city want for this location?

Because there's a whole lot of possible ideas for how to improve it and how to make things work.

Um we ask what does the city want?

The best group to figure out what the city wants, I think is the city council.

So we will have you pretty involved in making that decision or getting to that question.

Um this is a map through the various phases of it.

Uh it's fairly complicated with this, but if you choose to authorize the contract for the consultant, the next thing they'll be doing is looking at the various types of options.

Um could be something what I'm calling a big build, like a bridge over, perhaps with connections.

Um if you want to make downtown Tualton more walkable, put Twalton Sherwood Road into a tunnel.

And so they'll take a look at that and what would that involve.

Uh, and then also what I'm calling a smaller build, but it's really would be one of our bigger projects, would be what if we added turn lanes on the surface and left it on the surface.

And then any study like this also has to look at a no build, which is how would it work if we just left it as it is?

So that will be over the next couple months, and then we'd be coming back to you with kind of an order of magnitude estimates.

So, like this is how much it would cost for particularly the bigger options, like the bridge or the tunnel.

This is how it would address some of the existing issues and you know, some of the other uh effects that would have.

The next big question is do we still want to go ahead with one of the big build options after we know a little more of what that would entail?

If we do, we then start getting into what would that look like.

And if we were to do a big build, uh here's all the different phases we would have to go through.

Start we'd probably have to go after federal funding or outside funding, a full federal feasibility study, preliminary design, environmental permitting, uh substantial right we have to start getting property and all of that.

And then at the end we'd be able to celebrate.

This puts it on a little more of a timeline, which puts that celebration into more like the year 2037 if we do go forward with a big build because of just the sheer amount of time it would take.

Our consultant says that we could actually get it done a little faster than this.

Um, especially when we have permitting processes and applications for funding.

Um that part needs can sometimes take longer than one might think.

Uh so the the uh responsibilities of the consultant and the staff team at this point.

Uh first one is a high level analysis.

So the next step is we'll come back to you with bridge would cost roughly in this range, and it'll be a very big range, but at least give you an order of magnitude.

And these are what some of the effects would be, how it could address the issues, how it would affect our traffic flows, how it would reduce the crash rates that we're seeing, how it could work for people trying to walk across the area, what it might look like for development.

Um be presenting that in the third bullet.

If we decide to go ahead and continue looking at the big build options, we then start really assembling kind of what could they be and all of the different possibilities and ideas because there are a lot of different ideas on what we ought to do.

Uh and then we'd be working with the consultant team and a technical work group of both staff, other agency staff like Washington County, BowDot Rail, Railroad, uh TriMet is in this area, and then probably a few citizen representatives of what do we think of these options.

How do we near do we have them all on the table at first, and then how do we narrow them down to some finalists, which we'll then bring back to you.

Um once we get agreement on what the finalists are, we then take a deeper dive into what those would really be and a much more precise cost estimate and effects on how that would work.

And then we bring probably three to five of the finalists, and perhaps we're with a recommendation from the consultant and the citizen group, and then we'll be working with you on is this something that the community wants.

Um there would also be a pretty extensive public involvement phase if we decide to go ahead with the bigger build options and getting community input on how they'd be affected, what they think of some of the possibilities.

And once we get to that, the hope is to get to a this is the option that the city wants.

If it's something big, bridge, tunnel, something like that, then we're looking at how do we fund it, who do we work with.

Um if it's even a smaller add turn lanes on the surface, you know, we're still looking at a few to several years to really make it happen.

And anything that I missed.

What and what questions do you have at this point?

Questions for Mike and Abby.

So President Pratt.

Um I I'm just trying to understand the process because I know we've been we talked about this when we went to Washington, and um, so I I've thought about this a little bit.

It's like if we elevated the road, we have cross streets, if we elevate the train, can you make the West Station?

You know, there's all these what if so well that'd be the first phase.

I don't want to go out to the public and say they all say we want the elevated train and we can't even do it.

So, you know.

That's the first phase.

Okay.

Is you know, of the options, which ones are actually feasible.

Um I think what's called the rail under option where the train would actually tunnel underneath the road.

And we have a float plane there, so I don't know if that affects that.

It really does.

That would probably end up off the table.

Uh the rail over option, they're telling us we can actually get down and under the other rail line in the park, but would have a lot of effects on the station.

So the first thing that they'll be looking at is what's really actually feasible.

Okay.

I guess that's what I would like to see is like we want to know what our real feasible options are first, and then okay, of these options.

But um I mean to me it's this is our biggest problem in town.

So I think it's something.

I'll add to that too.

We did come up with a preliminary list of what we would bring to that next council meeting, and it was stuff like high level cost, construction timeline, impact area, what we're calling kind of special considerations like floodplains, so we do have an idea of a high level of what we should bring and what we should be looking at.

Right.

And just for clarity, we also talked about in that first phase one A, like um uh looking at those options like some kind of schematic or uh like a visual.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay.

Yeah, we think that's important.

Yeah.

Of that grade separated, either the the tunnel or the or the bridge.

And and those will be high level too, like with a bridge, you know.

Does it have on ramps and off rams, or is it just a bridge?

But it'll just be an example of one of the options.

Okay.

Yeah.

That makes sense.

Yes.

We figure there's kind of sort of like families of options.

Sort of the road over option and then have different variations based on connection ramps or things like that.

Okay.

And the initial renderings will be very rudimentary.

Um as we start getting to finalists, then we start getting to like real renderings of what it could look like.

Okay.

That makes a lot of sense.

Council Brooks.

Um I appreciate your presentation.

I think that it's really important to get our arms around kind of the conversation.

Um resolving our most acute intersection nexus.

All right.

Um I think that putting an effort to resolving our most acute problem is really important.

And the stuff that I get curious about is sort of like the history and when it became a problem.

How much um density did it take for it to get to the place where it was problematic like this?

Um and then also just with the ridership of the um train there with the train station and all that.

Does that train station have to stay in that place?

Um and rethinking, you know, how how creative are we when we're rethinking this?

Because it's such a especially with the Quora going on, it's such a um concentrated nexus of overlap.

And it's such a barrier to everything.

Each direction, pedestrians, community engagement, business, people that just want to go through our city.

Um so I guess for me, I think it's great that um you're starting with the high level stuff, and I'm hopeful that the people that we're working with really look at it as fresh as they can instead of, you know, I know that we're gonna end up into options, which I think is really important, but having a a variety of options because um I mean, if this was an easy problem, we would have already tackled it, right?

Yes.

Yeah.

So I think we really need some really bright people and some really creative thinkers to give us the best solutions on this.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Well, let us consider that name.

And sorry.

Um we were pretty impressed with this particular consultant team.

Um Kittelson's kind of really made their name in traffic engineering transportation planning and this kind of options analysis early on.

And they've developed a really strong road design component.

They're also teaming with two other companies that have expertise both with structures uh and um and rail.

And so they bring together a pretty good uh yeah, expertise in all the different issues here, uh, and also dealing with floodplain issues and things like that because there is so much going on at this location.

So, yeah, we actually had a lot of consultants that were really interested in this one.

I bet.

They probably have driven through and they want it better.

Um anyway, yeah, I think it sounds healthy, Romain.

I can't.

Other questions, comments.

So the only question I have, uh Mike and Abby is uh level of involvement of Portland and Western Railroad.

I know the city has struggled, Odahat has struggled with involvement with the railroad.

Um are you envisioning them being involved in this process because I hate to go down some path and then Pacific and sorry, Portland and Western says no.

So obviously they're key player if they're not going to play ball, uh, especially if we're gonna also the rail line in any way.

So are they gonna be involved at this phase, or where do you envision their involvement and that they actually attend the meeting or two?

Uh we have reached out to them and uh talk with them.

Uh got the initial, they would support any kind of a grade separation.

Because they don't have to pay for it.

Yeah.

Um they also we will be sending them all the information and inviting them to all the meetings.

Okay.

Um not sure how much they'll show up, but the the local staff have been good to work with.

Uh their national staff, I think Genesee in Wyoming uh sent us an agreement for us to then pay them to come to meetings, um, which we have not executed.

Okay.

Um but we will be trying to work with them on whatever issues, whatever um through the whole process.

Okay.

Yeah, because I know on the stories I've heard from NLC on successful um safe crossing projects, it took a level of you know significant commitment from the railroad itself to be involved.

Uh like you're saying, most of them want to be involved because it the federal government pays for most of the work, but they have to be involved fairly early to say you know that's a good or bad idea, or we won't even you know um tolerate that idea or no forget it, that's DOA.

So it sounds like you're you've got the handout, and that's the thing I'm on looking for.

Because again, I don't want to get the community all ras about you know a possible option and PW is like no.

With the um experience team that Mike mentioned, it sounds like some of the consultant staff uh they've had luck uh discussing with railroads before.

Good for them.

So some have actually worked for railroads before.

Whoa.

So yeah, we I feel pretty good about that.

We will be keeping them involved.

Okay.

Uh as much as we can.

We may be discussing that potential agreement for them to actually look at plans if necessary.

Uh we're hoping to actually get some input from them.

You know, just working together as agency and railroad company.

Yeah.

Because I I remember Rachel mentioning one time that they have no hesitancy in asking us to do something and ask us to pay for something at a crossing, but when we need their input, they ghost us.

So I know you're other questions.

Council Brooks.

To that point, um their discussion of extending the length of the train and what the impacts would be on our city.

Um with a lot of different intersections, I think that that's a really important piece to think about and um to help leverage those conversations too, because I think the community would have really strong feelings about that if we're not tying up just one intersection.

Because the length of the trains doubled.

Yep.

Right, and that is a big part of it as well.

Is and also what if there is some sort of incident with the train and ends up stop for hours.

Yep.

Um how many of our crossings are blocked, and if we have a separated, then that could really help us.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, we're trying to help them.

Have them help us help them.

Yep.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Any other questions?

Do I have a motion?

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

I mean, motion that we um adopt resolution number 5939-26.

Second.

I have a motion to adopt resolution number 59 and 39-26.

Any discussions on those motions.

Seeing none, this is a roll call vote.

So I'll go ahead and start with Councillor Sacco.

Aye.

Councilor Hillier.

Aye.

Counselor Gonzalez.

Aye.

Council Brooks.

Aye.

Council President Pratt.

Aye.

Chair votes.

Aye.

It is unanimous.

Thank you, Mike.

Thank you, Abby.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

All right.

Happy New Year.

Item number two on their general business consideration of recommendations from the Council Committee on Advisory Appointments.

That is Councilor Brooks and Councillor Sacco.

I'll start.

I'm sorry.

Council President Pratt and Councillor Sacco must think and Maria, but Maria's not here.

Right.

So here we go.

And that's Councilor Reyes.

Anyway, um I just want to be clear that the advisory committees do not select who's gonna be on the committee.

It is the CCAA.

We interview the people, we make recommendations to the council, and it's this council that appoints the people on that committee.

Um I've been on this almost since I was on council.

Councilor Brooks used to be on it, and now I'm with Councillor Sacco and Reyes.

And the whole time I've been on this committee, I we I've everybody's taken with the ultimate seriousness.

We want to appoint the best people on these committees.

And every time we've come up here, I think we've mentioned that we end up with this plethora of great people to be on these committees.

So we have a difficult choice of picking between great people.

And what we tend to do, um what we do do is we look at um well a lot of it's the person's enthusiasm, and we look at what traits they bring and skills to the committees, and that they will round out the committee and be great participant and add to the committee.

So that's how we make our decisions, and I just want to be clear about that.

Um, but tonight we have um three appointees to the budget committee, and counselor Sacco's going to go now.

Thank you.

Um so the three individuals that we have are all for the budget advisory committee um terms expiring 1231 28.

We have Chris Brun, Elizabeth Michaels, Daniel Bach Hubber.

Uh back who Huber.

Back Huber.

Thank you.

Um so with that, um, I would um like to motion that we approve the um the candidates for the budget advisory committee as read.

Second.

I have a motion and a second to approve the recommendations from the council committee and advisory appointments.

Any discussions on those motions.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed, abstentions, it's unanimous.

All right.

Council Brooks.

Um, I just want to also I'm also wondering, because things come up in life, these are volunteer positions.

Um if someone doesn't get reappointed but wants to apply again, they're free to apply again, correct?

And um their experience and passion, um, I'm sure bodes well for them.

So I you know we we wouldn't want anyone to think that they're they're being rejected or something like that.

Um because they're just very competitive volunteer positions, which is kind of interesting.

And um, and we we want the the rooms to be full during these meetings because there's so many people that would like to be on these committees, but if there's a reason that somebody couldn't come to a few meetings and they could in their life, you know, it's more stable, it's fine to reapply and become come back and be part of the committees.

So I just I want to make it really clear.

It's not like anyone ever gets kicked off a volunteer committee here in Twalton.

We we we're not doing that.

Uh that brings us to items removed from consent.

We had none.

Uh Council Communications, Council Brooks, I have a couple things that um have come to my uh awareness.

One um that I think the people might want to know about.

One is there's a Supreme Court um decision coming down the pike around the roundup um there's class action lawsuits um around the parent company's liability and whether or not um these people that have cancer and different things will be um paid.

And so um I think it's really important to note that if we have people that are utilizing things like that um at their work and stuff here.

Um for people that are making their choices at home in case something were to happen.

There's quite a few different cancers and things associated now.

Um so that's a case that people might be interested in looking at, especially with us being obesity.

Um and then the second thing that I wanted to bring up was there has come to my attention and understanding that there was an application for um a build out on the uh federal reserve in Tualeton with the bird sanctuary type place.

Um it's a battery type plant with would have overhead wires.

And I think that people in our community should know.

I don't know where it is yet right now, but I know that the company's making the rounds to our state legislators, and it's complicated because the federal agency that oversees it is of a different mindset than they were the whole time that Federal Reserve has been there.

So if anyone wants to talk to me more about that, let me know.

And but I think it affects us in our downtown redevelopment.

A federal reserve preserve.

The bird preserve in Sherwood.

Oh, the that's not in Twilighton.

Well, it's part of the Twileton.

Um yeah, it's the Federal Wildlife Preserve.

It's very small, it's out on 99.

Yeah.

Uh-huh.

And um it is the one of the smallest uh preserves, and the reason why is because the diversity of birds that migrate through our area is so large that it was very important for us to create a space for them to land and stop and move through their progression of migration.

So it's a really serious speaking of transportation issues, it's a serious transportation issue for birds.

Um, so it's a very unique situation over there because it's such a small federal owned lands, but it's federally owned, but it's very close to Twilight and yes.

Yeah, it buts up against Twilight.

And it's on that end.

Yeah.

Other comments.

I just got two quick reminders.

We mentioned in work session.

Uh January 22nd is a busy night in Twileton.

Uh TriMet will be at the library in the community room.

Uh listening to public comment on their proposed cuts from four to six.

So Twalton Library from four to six for TriMet.

And then uh Washington County Commissioner Pam Treese is running for chair of Washington County.

Uh she will be in town having an open house down the street uh from 4:30 to 6 at the Marquee Community Center.

So uh go make your comments to TriMet and then go uh speak and meet Commissioner Triese uh and see what you think about her because she is running uh against the FISA five for Washington County Chair.

Any other comments?

Council Brooks.

I had one more thing.

After um, I really appreciate our city participating with the ally training the other day, and there were things that they pointed out for cities to look at, and I was just curious if um there's any follow-up or if the people that went to that meeting wants to talk about it, if we should do a brief here to the rest of council about the information that was shared at that meeting.

Um the materials in the PowerPoint, or just what was discussed?

Whatever, yeah.

I think it's a lot of information, and um, and they covered things too, like what those cameras were that they're concerned about, all kinds of different things.

So some of it felt city related and some of it felt personally related.

So I wasn't, I mean, I'm open for a conversation too.

Right.

All right, we can do that, we can talk about it.

Um I know the the one part uh the big discussion was about the flock cameras, and we have no flock cameras in Twalton.

Uh chief confirmed that I attended a meeting with the flock people.

Um I heard Ben decide to pull out that Ben is having them removed.

Um so that was one big thing, and it's involved the city, the rest of it was uh far as I remember was you know, training the you know uh what organizations are out there to give uh folks information, support, uh coordinate, so um we can always do you want to talk about it in a work session or something or just amongst ourselves, what do you want?

Well, I mean, we could we could discuss what we'd want to talk about, but I think that there's that, and then we had that incident that I almost saw that was you know, something that is not legal in the community, and there's these incidents of violence.

Um I understand there was something that went viral that shows our police department a really great light, and a lot of people have trouble discerning those things.

So I just want to know as a body, you know, what our boundaries are and what we can and cannot say or proclaim or you know, invest in, but I don't I don't know those answers because I'm not an expert on this kind of stuff.

So I thought it was a good starting point.

And there was a lot of legal conversations with the ACLU being there as well.

So I'm just curious about that.

And then plus with your work too.

Yeah, I'm just confused that we were talking about to be clients with you.

I have no idea.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

There was like you're speaking in code.

So can you be can you spell it to me out, please?

Yeah.

We had a meeting that everyone was invited to that was broadcast throughout many cities in Washington County from Beaverton that was presenting information around how to be an ally for um people that are dealing with challenges for around immigration and also illegal things that are going on.

So there were three organizations there, and it was at our library.

Um the mayor, everybody was invited on council, so we um announced earlier that we had gone to that meeting, and so I was asking a follow-up question from that meeting.

Um what have we thought about exploring any options?

Do the people that went to the meeting want to talk about what we want to share, or do we want to share and have talk, or how do we want to do it?

But there's something about everything that's going on that makes me feel uncomfortable with um.

So not just to be clear.

So you're talking about illegal immigration in all the enforcement happenings that we're talking about?

I'm not talking about illegal immigration, I'm talking about um overreach and public safety concerns that community members have.

So one thing that we these calls that were going on that councillor Welsh and I are attending is to kind of share that information and um but the consensus is that uh as a city we have to be very careful because um we cannot inhibit, we can share information, but if a person is not here legally, this was so hard even for me to talk about this that that we know what it is.

You it's illegal.

So if you're wanting I I guess I want to be clear, what is it that you're looking for to the city to do?

To I don't I want to uh to share to share I just want to know what specifically well specifically, and I'll just say I had an incident where I almost saw these people attacking a man and like the police would never do, hitting them over the head.

There's a citizen that's a US citizen that just got shot um to death, and um we have we're leaders in our community, and we want, in my opinion, I would like to understand more about what our lane is and ways that we can tell the community, explain to the community that our police um are operating under normal um law enforcement operations, you know, they're showing their badge numbers, they're showing their faces, they're doing everything how they're supposed to do, and what we stand for and what we're not standing for.

There's so many cities that have come into problems.

So I just want to make sure that um the information around what's legal and not legal that was presented at the meeting that for the people that weren't here can be shared, and so that this uh council can deliberate on making sure our community is a safe place to be and that we stand for people's safety and well-being here.

I would want to table this for a work session then if so we can speak openly and candidly because I just don't know exactly what you're intimating.

Um I think our police officers are doing what they're supposed to be doing.

We were sanctuary city.

I just don't know what more we're not a sanctuary city, actually, we're sanctuary state.

Um are you asking that basically like maybe we have like a work session item where um the role the role of our police, what they can and can't do, what we can and can't do, and what um I guess that's what I got out of that, and then what's available to people in our community, is that what you're saying?

Yes, and maybe there's resources and things like that, but there were three different categories, and there are opportunities for people to also get educated themselves, so for that information to be out there, what people's rights are, for that information to be out there, um just all the things that people should have access to be treated legally and fairly.

That's all.

Um because the promote my own article, but the article I should put in Twalton Life addressed all that.

Yeah.

Um, what the city of Twilight and police officers are allowed to do, not do, what resources are out there.

Um but I heard Councillor Gonzalez had an ask, you know, if we were gonna if we want to talk about this more that this be addressed in work session and where we can flush it out, but uh you need three other votes to get it scheduled, and then Sherlock has to figure out where to put it in our schedule, but are the three other votes to put this on a work session to discuss it.

Councilor Sacco.

I mean I wasn't able to attend that and attend that training, and so I think having that information available for us to review somewhere if it would would be at the least um would would be helpful.

So we mean by review to discuss or to review the information, yeah.

Because I agree.

I mean, I don't know, I mean, I I guess I know uh an overview of what the police is responsible for and what you know federal what the federal agencies doing, but I really I guess don't understand councils um which I mean we're policymakers, I get that, but um I think as I mean it seems like there are situations that are escalating that uh we should be prepared to uh answer questions.

I can see where that'd be valuable and yes.

Right.

Council President Pratt.

Yeah, I I don't see where it would hurt to educate all of us and to also be one more um place of outreach to our community members.

Council Hillier.

Yeah, and I guess a a clarification are you also asking about how to become an ally, how to become a legal observer, because I think that was maybe I mean I had architectural review board that night, so I missed the opportunity for the training, but is that or and I guess what I would wonder is are there more trainings that we could those of us who weren't there could potentially get to so that we could all ha hear it from and then move into a discussion.

So I I don't know.

Yeah, it's just I think the training materials are happy to important more than more.

Yeah, I don't think the training materials are really important to share.

And then I'm not talking about like the council L being legal observers, but f if community members want to know where to go to get that information.

Um but I think as a council, we also might want to understand um you know what what is the what's happening and what um other cities and councils might be doing in this moment.

Is there a place that we can make sure that we're standing for the safety um of our community?

That's all I'm asking about.

Okay.

I got three.

I got one, two, three, about four.

I don't understand the direction.

Yeah, I know I mean it's it sounds this what I'm what I'm getting is um you know we've got we got the email back from the organizers of the event who gave us a copy of the PowerPoint presentation, um, and then the contact information of the agencies involved.

What I'm getting from Councilor Brooks is um clear definition out to the community beyond what might be published in a newspaper article on you know what this city can do, what it can't do, what the police can do, just that's what I'm getting from what your comments is just an information piece in a work session, clarity of work to city council on what are the lines between you know when the ICE and border patrol when they're doing their thing, what the Twileton police can do.

There's questions, is there anything a a city council can do?

Um to me it sounds more like an informational session than an action session.

Yeah.

Is that what you're looking for?

Yeah, things led by staff, yeah, or maybe the ACLU person could come, or the people, you know, there's three organizations that were there.

Um we could people could make a commitment to read the PowerPoint and then see what they're interested in learning more about, but we could get direction uh who's whose people I'm sorry, turn it off.

Who's people?

There's people us.

Um yeah, for the people for people that haven't had a chance to read the information.

Oh, yeah, I mean, I mean we can send the link out to all seven of us from the result of the PowerPoint and everything like that.

I think they even recorded it so you can watch it.

Yeah.

Is that what you're looking for?

I think that the if the if we want to have a discussion about what we're talking, I think there's confusion because some people went and some people didn't go.

So my first question was did the people that went want to talk about this?

And then my second question was, and it sounded like um counselor Sacco was interested in the information before making a decision.

So I think that disseminating the information to all of the counselors that couldn't be there, and especially um council I'm like not thinking of your last name right now.

Council Gonzalez.

I know that.

Counselor Gonzalez, and I'm a little like flusternels and and counselor reyes, especially since there are representatives on Metro right now.

Yeah, but I want to add a comment.

Um just to be clear, and this is not something that I'm making up.

You can just look anybody can Google and just look this up.

There is nothing that we can do at all.

There's not if a person is illegal.

This is what's even difficult for me to say if a person is illegal.

There's nothing that we can do.

If they are a US immigration green car holder, they can get legal advice become a citizen.

That is it.

There's not if we see somebody out there who who you feels we feel they're being mistreated.

Do you want to get in the way?

Do you want to be there?

Do you want to do the whistle?

I mean, there is that kind of train that I'm seeing out there, but it's making things worse for the community.

It really is.

It's putting a bigger microscope.

All of us, when we think about this, like it's gonna pass.

And if we're trying to be advocates for a community, and if some people are in here legally and ISIS chased them, what other options?

Their options is what to get legal services?

There's no amnesty.

I mean, there's no amnesty, there's asylum seekers, and those are the two distinct, and that is it.

What more can we know about this?

Yeah, I've I have a different um experience.

I don't think that um first of all, I don't want to refer to people as illegals.

Um and there's people that have been um treated in ways that um that are citizens as well, and I just think that it's important to understand where we are in this moment, how we can be connected as a community, including your position, by the way.

Um but I um I think that the information I didn't know a lot of the things that I learned at that training, and I feel like I'm a pretty well read um intelligent person with a lot of training, and I think there's a lot of information and changes that are moving pretty quickly.

Um I think we're in a moment right now that is a different moment than I've ever experienced in my life, and we're in a leadership um we're in a leadership body in a leadership situation.

You look at what Beaverton and Hillsborough wrote in to the committee that um that counselor um I want to call everybody by the first name right now.

Um that was reported on earlier, and that's it.

Um I mean, I don't think that this is that.

This is not a Rubik's Cube.

This is just being educated in a moment when I know myself, I don't feel like I understand all the things, and it's a little terrifying to me to think of you know, go see a beautiful new park and then hear that somebody's getting clobbered over the head with a gun.

It's just not okay, Counselor Sacco.

Thank you.

Um I think the information that I am most interested in is um and I I assume it's part of this information.

So yes, I would love the PowerPoint presentation, the link to the recording would be great to have additional context.

Um, is that um you know the way that this is happening is um is causing some terror and fear in our citizens, and it's not about um people that have broken a federal immigration law, it's about our citizens that are here that are seeing things driving down the road that they shouldn't see here in our city, and um how do we handle that when that's happening in our city and how do we protect innocent bystanders?

Um if somebody is going through a drive-through and um you know people drive up with masks and guns, and these they could be traumatized for life, and how are they supposed to react?

I don't know how I would react if I was sitting there and saw these masked men and guns.

Are they federal agents?

Are they some sort of organized terrorist group?

Are they uh is it gang related violence?

I would have no idea.

I don't I wouldn't know what to do.

Um, and I think that we do need to, you know, we need to educate ourselves, we need to help educate our community as possible to make sure that folks are um you know at least arming themselves with the knowledge because I understand there's not a whole lot that we can do, but we can educate ourselves and help educate our community.

Um so I think that's the least that we can do.

So, what I'll do is I'll dig up the because uh Mayor Beatty sent out a link.

Did you did you get one?

I th I thought they sent it to all attendees, but we'll do I'll find the link and then email it out to all of you so you have access to this uh so you can review the PowerPoint.

I not promising they recorded it, but I think they did.

Um, and that um all the contact information, and I can follow up with uh Mayor Beatty if there's additional resources we can you know share with all of you.

Um since she was organizing it.

Uh Beaverton is you know chest deep in this right now, um, so they have a lot of resources that I can send out, you know, courtesy of the city of Beaverton.

I I was gonna say I went like a month prior to that, I went to a presentation at Central Cultural that was for electeds that was very similar, so they might have a recording too.

We'll get that information out to you.

Is that what you want looking for?

Okay.

Yeah, then nodded.

Do your thing.

All right, I tried three times.

Sorry.

I move to adjourn.

Second.

Second.

Motion and second to adjourn.

All those in favor say aye.

Happy new year.

Opposed, happy new year.

Have a good evening.

Recording stopped.