Recording in progress.

All right.

Good evening, and welcome to the April 27th, 2026, Twalton City Council meeting.

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

First item on our agenda tonight is a Pledge of Allegiance led by Councillor Gonzalez.

One nation.

Underground.

All right, that brings us to announcements.

And our first announcement tonight is Mental Health Awareness Month proclamation.

And we have Gary from NAMI Outreach and Development.

Uh from Clackmas County.

Welcome, Gary.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Sure.

That was a really uh call-up.

There you go.

There's a button.

Okay.

Well, and thank you very much for inviting us today.

Um this, as you probably know, is Mental Health Awareness Month.

And we're here to tell you a little bit about what we're doing as uh NAMI Clackamas.

I presume you're all familiar with NAMI Clackamas because in front of you you have a bag which has things in it.

Number one, one of these.

This is everything you ever wanted to know about NAMI Clackamas.

Inside, there's a crisis communication card, which is things to say and places you can refer people to if you run into someone in crisis.

Also inside is our um uh special theater night flyer.

We have a very special theater night with Clackamas uh repertory theater that's a fundraiser for us, and on the back of it is a listing of a little bit about what you're supporting, which are some of our support groups.

And last but not least, you also have in there a genuine NAMI clackamas stress ball.

Now that guy is guaranteed to remove all stress and anxiety in 30 minutes or less, or you get your money back.

So keep that in mind.

So I'm gonna run you real real quickly through the basics about NAMI so you know what we're up to and uh what we're doing.

Uh so first question I have though is someone want to answer or throw out an answer of the average time between the time that someone suspects they might have a mental health issue and the time that they actually go and seek help.

What do you think it is?

Years, okay, how many?

Five years?

Okay.

Well, you're not really close.

It's 11 years.

Okay, now we know that that's not access, even though it's difficult.

We know that's not cost, even though it's costly.

What we know is that it's stigma, first and foremost.

And how do we how do we take care of that?

We change the conversation, we talk about it.

Okay, we bring it up, uh, we start the conversation, especially if it's appropriate.

We ask the question, are you okay if we find someone that we think is in crisis or is having some difficulty?

And what that we also want to change our language uh around referring to people as their disease, that's not what we do.

They're not schizophrenic or bipolar, they have that disorder.

Sooner we can separate people from their disease, the better we're able to participate in their recovery.

Okay, so with other language around suicide.

People don't commit suicide, they die by suicide.

You commit crimes, you commit sins, you get committed.

It's again a very judgmental word.

And what that does is it changes the perception, it allows people to seek help, and we know that seeking help, sharing stories is what really saves lives because that's what we're about.

And we're really looking to stop the stigma and really allow people to seek help.

Maybe get that 11 years down to 11 months, 11 weeks.

Who knows, maybe even 11 days.

So, what's a NAMI?

We have 600 affiliates around the country.

That means those blue and green don't mean anything, no political affiliation, no nothing.

Okay, they're just there to differentiate the states.

Uh but uh there are 600 affiliates, every one of them has uh access to the same programming.

Uh we know that peer support changes lives.

We've been at this since 78, evidenced by the fashion statement in that picture.

Those are all wearing tie-dye t-shirts, if you notice.

Okay, uh, some success stories.

My favorite is that top one, which is uh that we brought them out of a foggy depressed existence and improve the quality of their life.

That's our mission statement.

Okay, so what do we do?

We have classes, a peer-to-peer class for people with mental health issues, and a family-to-family class for everybody else.

Those are both eight-week classes.

Uh they're mostly uh both, well, they're actually they're both online and in person.

And then our basics is a six-week class for family members, caregivers, parents of younger children.

Because we know that younger children have developmental issues that may be either masking or confused with a mental health issue.

So you kind of want to know how to tell the difference.

There's no absolutes.

Also, some ways to advocate for that youngster, because we know that they don't have the language.

They just don't have the words, and the system is still not set up to meet their needs.

So that's what basics is about.

Those are the three classes we offer on a quarterly basis.

We also have regular support groups, three peer support groups for people with a mental health issues every week.

We have two family support groups, one weekly and one monthly.

We have a couple of family book clubs, LGBTQIA2S Plus support group, women-only support group, an art with heart art therapy group, gather for games, which is a gaming group online.

So we do a variety of different outreach like that, uh support groups, and we also have a suicide bereavement group that we host in our office and a compassionate friends for people who have lost a child.

We also have support for adults in custody in the jail.

We have three mental health classes a week for uh cohorts of ten adults in custody, a support group for both men and women, and a post-release support group that we just started.

That's really to serve the needs of the adults in custody because we know the jails have become the new housing for people in a mental health crisis, and yet they have no support services whatsoever in the jail.

So we're fortunate enough to have people from the jail behind it, and the former jail commander on our board of directors.

So that helps a lot.

We also have peer support specialists.

We have three on staff, they provide one-on-one peer support and services.

Uh those connect you with all kinds of community resources, uh, and they'll be there to help you navigate your way through them.

The best part about all of this community presentations, by the way, sorry, I got a slide ahead of myself.

Community presentations is something else that we do, uh, like this, but we also do longer ones.

Mental health matters in our own voice, ending the silence goes into middle and high schools uh in uh throughout the Clackham's County School Districts.

And then we have question persuade and refer, which is a great crisis intervention tool.

That number there is a number of free presentations that we gave last year alone.

Okay.

I probably gave about 60 of them myself.

So the best part no diagnosis, no referral, no insurance, no cost.

Everything I just described to you is absolutely of no cost to anybody in need.

Okay, so all you need is a need, which is the world's worst business model, you understand.

Okay, which is why we do things like fundraising.

We have a comedy night in March, we do a NAMI walks coming up.

See, I have my official Nami Walks hat on.

I'm not wearing this just to be cool.

You know, I got my Nami Walks hat.

Nami Walks is coming up uh in May on May 16th at Peninsula Park.

We have our party with a purpose gala, which is a dinner auction uh in September, and then our champion circle of monthly donors.

And then one of the things that you have a flyer for is our theater night, uh Laughter on the 23rd floor with Clackamas Repertory Theater.

Uh tickets are 25 dollars early, bird, $30 after um, I think it is uh May 30th.

Okay, but all the funds, thanks to Clackamas Rep, all the funds, not a dollar, not a proceeds, but all of it goes to NAMI.

Okay, same thing is true of our Stump Town, which is coming up in December.

We're not sure that of the date, uh, but we believe that's going to be for any uh at Stumptown Stages downtown.

So those are the things that we do.

We also use volunteers.

We love uh any of our volunteers that are willing to come forward with lived experience to either teach classes, facilitate support groups, or just help us in a variety of different ways.

Uh so we've just got it.

We just uh uh inherited what we're calling the West Wing.

It's another uh little office that's just a little uh west of our current office in the same complex.

And so we're looking for people to help us clean up and fix up and get that thing ready for habitation.

So that's one of the volunteer opportunities.

That's really it.

Uh, unless you've got any questions, that's my presentation.

We can get right to the proclamation.

That's also my little therapy dog over there.

I thought I'd bring them along just for comic relief.

All right.

Any questions for Gary?

Is that your dog?

That's my dog.

And what's your dog's name?

My dog's name is Carlin.

Carlin.

Oh, I can see that.

Named after George.

Or you got it.

That's right.

Because he makes us laugh so much.

Can you um do you know how many um when we're talking about stigma?

How many um people suffer from mental health issues?

Well, one in five people are going to experience a mental health issue in any given day, any given month and a given year.

Yeah.

So in their lifetime.

So it's basically one in five or twenty percent.

And you know, we find that uh there's a lot of comorbidity, a lot of coexisting conditions.

You know, uh, so people that are are suffering from substance misuse, uh, they typically will um 80 percent will have a mental health issue.

Uh the the vice versa is true, also.

Uh so many people with mental health issues have substance misuse issues.

Yes, we just found out too that um our firefighters and police officers are pre-diagnosed or pre-acceptive for PTSD diagnosis.

So I just think that the look of um what mental health is, and I really appreciate your discussion of not calling people their diagnosis, just like you wouldn't say that guy's high blood pressure.

That's right.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

And you know, the the thing is is that it's much more likely that you'll recover from a mental health issue than it is from cancer, diabetes or heart disease.

It's just that it's a process with mental health, not necessarily an outcome.

Yeah.

Another question.

Council President Pratt.

Oh, I'm just wondering if um the kids and younger people, if there's a little less stigma on having a mental health issue or if it's still a big problem.

Well, the answer to that is yes.

It is it is more open, they are more open about it.

There's more discussions around it, but it's still a big challenge, and there's still a lot of stigma uh around it.

You know, we have NAMI on campus clubs that we've tried to start for an example in high schools, and we've had a lot of pushback, uh, not necessarily complaints or arguments, but you know, just a lot of apathy.

Uh so yeah, it it's a it's a challenge, but it is something that is being discussed a lot more.

And we're getting when we do our ending the silence programs in the in the high school classes, we're getting a lot more uh good questions, uh, especially specifically related to their situation.

Okay, we're there's hope.

Yeah, hopefully, yeah.

Uh Council Brooks will do the proclamation.

Thanks.

Oops.

Okay.

City of Twilighton proclamation, whereas mental health is part of everyone's overall health and well-being and mental illnesses are prevalent in our county, state, and nation, with one in five adults experiencing a mental health issue every year, and whereas stigma and the resulting discrimination is a primary obstacle to early identification and effective treatment of individuals with mental illness and their ability to recover to lead full productive lives.

And whereas approximately half of chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14, and suicide is the second leading cause of death of individuals aged 10 to 14 and 25 to 34, and whereas long delays averaging 11 years occur between the time symptoms first appear and when individuals get help, and it is therefore essential to cure the stigma and discrimination that is the primary cause for those delays.

And whereas every citizen and community can make a different difference in helping cure the stigma and discrimination that for too long has surrounded mental illness and discouraged people from getting help, and whereas public education and civic engagement improves the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the city council of the city of Twaleton, Oregon, that Twalton recognizes May 2026 as mental health awareness month in the city of Twaleton to increase public understanding of the importance of mental health to promote identification and timely treatment of mental illnesses and to cure the resulting stigma and discrimination.

Introduced and adopted this 27th day of April 2026.

Thank you very much for your work.

Thank you.

We appreciate it.

It's a great organization.

Yeah, Nick, go ahead and present it.

Oh, to the picture.

Sorry.

Sorry, sorry.

Yeah.

Okay.

I'm a little late in the past.

We're just drawing out the ceremony.

Now we've been needing exercise.

All right.

Thank you, Gary.

Thank you.

Thank you, Gary.

We're gonna do some agenda maintenance here.

Uh we're gonna give the members of leap a few more minutes to get here.

Hopefully they can do it.

So I'll go ahead and move on to National Police Week proclamation.

Chief Pickering, welcome.

Well good evening, Mr.

Mayor and Council.

National Police Week is the annual observance in the United States dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

National Police Week pays tribute to the bravery, dedication, and selflessness exhibited by law enforcement officers across the nation and shows appreciation for the vital role that law enforcement plays in maintaining public safety.

Each year, during police week, the names of the officers killed in the line of duty is etched into the limestone wall of the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C.

This year, 111 names will be added to the wall, honoring those who died in the line of duty in 2025.

This memorial honors more than 27,000 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty since we become a nation.

And a side note, so back in 2019 when I was in Washington, D.C.

for the the FBI National Academy, I was there during police week.

And one of the events that goes on is the candlelight vigil, where the Capitol Mall is full of law enforcement officers and families of those who have died on a candlelight visual in one of the evenings.

On a visit to the national uh law enforcement memorial, I actually met the two stonemasons who have etched every name in the wall of the limestones.

Two guys out of Colorado who come every year and donate their time to sandblast for the names of more than 27,000 officers etched in that wall.

So on behalf of the men and women of the Tualton Police Department, I want to say thank you for your continued support and collaboration in ensuring the safety and well-being for our community.

Your dedication to fostering a partnership with law enforcement is instrumental in the mission to serve this community every day.

We truly appreciate the commitment of providing the necessary resources, guidance, and advocacy advocacy that empowers our officers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in the service to this community.

So thank you.

With that, uh Council President Pratt will read the pup uh proclamation.

Yes, and thank you to the whole police department for what you do for our community.

Whereas the Congress of the United States of America has designated May 15th as Police Peace Officers Memorial Day in honor of the federal, state, and municipal officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty, and the week in which it falls as National Police Week, and whereas it is known that on average one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 53 hours.

Since the first known line of duty death in 1791, more than 26,000 U.S.

law enforcement officers have been made the ultimate sacrifice.

And whereas law enforcement officers, including Twalton Police Officers, are our guardians of life and property and defenders of the individual rights of freedom.

And whereas the City of Tualeton is proud of our law enforcement officers and wish to recognize their commitment to the public safety profession.

And whereas the Toolton Police Department and officers provide the highest quality services and are committed to the highest professional standards, working in partnership with our community to meet the challenges of reducing crime, creating a safe environment, and improving our quality of life for all.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the City Council of the City of Tualeton that the City of Tuolleton designates the week of May 10th through 16th, 2026 as National Police Week in the City of Tualeton to call attention to our police officer, Tualeton Police Officers for the outstanding service they provided for our community.

Introduced and adopted this 27th day of April 2026.

Next up is Public Service Recognition Week Proclamation.

Uh led the discussion we led by Stacy, our human resources director.

Welcome, Stacey.

Hi, good evening, Mayor and Council, and thank you for the proclamation tonight.

Uh celebrating our city employees.

National Public Service Recogniz Recognition Week occurs during the first full week of May, and our city has the opportunity to honor our approximately 200 employees with this event.

Our employees truly are public servants who tirelessly serve our community in a variety of ways, ranging from our police staff, the library, the court, or public works, to employees who work behind the scenes who include finance, maintenance, IS, and yours truly, HR.

With our internal services.

To celebrate our employees during public service recognition week, employees will be recognized each day with small tokens of appreciation, ranging from a drink of choice from a coffee truck, breakfast treats, an ice cream social, uh, small tokens of toiletin logoed items, and a lunch served by our executive team.

This year's theme is good vibes, and each day will reflect the positivity and good vibes of our employees.

Recognizing our employees during public service recognition week is the city's small way of giving back to our employees and saying thanks for their hard work performed year-round.

Thank you again for the proclamation tonight and for helping us celebrate our employees.

Thanks, Stacey.

Uh Councillor Gonzalez will read the proclamation.

Wonderful.

Thank you.

Whereas public service is an honorable calling that involves a wide variety of challenging and rewarding professions, including providing recreational services, maintaining public safety, improving transportation, protecting our environment, and performing administrative and management activities, which are essential to efficient and affection effective operation of the government and whereas Tualeton City employees contribute significantly to the quality of life for Tualeton community with their commitment to excellence, high ethical standards, and diversity of skill and whereas excellent in the delivery of public service helps keep Tualeton strong, prosperous, and a wonderful place in which to live.

Work, play, and volunteer.

And whereas this commemorative provides an opportunity to express our appreciation for the many contributions public employees make to our daily lives.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the city of City Council for the City of Twalton, Oregon, by the Tualeton City Council that the week of May 3rd through the 9th of 2026 be public service recognition week in Twalton City of Twalton.

And the council encourages everyone to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of public employees.

Introduced and adopted this 27th day of April 2026.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

All right.

Now we're going to loop back to item number two, National Prevention Week Proclamation.

We have a member of LEAP.

Come on up.

Give me one second.

Sure.

Welcome.

So we should just introduce yourself.

Okay.

Hi, my name is Jeremiah.

I like to go by Jay.

Welcome.

I am a member of LEAP, and my whole goal and as well as every other lead member is to make sure we maintain the prevention agenda of drug use in our schools and overall our city.

Our first activity we are planning our mental health rocks for our cafe.

The goal is to paint positive messages on rocks to place around the school campus of Twilaton High School and the community at large.

Make an impact on someone's day by coming to our art cafe on May 11th and/or 22nd in room 157.

Or join us at Blender Dash upon the street on that one.

Oh, okay.

I'm sorry.

Join us at the Blender Dash to support this effort.

We will also bring this campaign to Hazelbrook Middle School on a day to be determined.

Our second activity will be Mandela Poetry.

Uh starting at May 5th from 4 p.m.

to 5 p.m.

for all ages.

Learn with others across the country during a Zoom training, how to clear your mind and use the Mandal Mandalas to focus and reflect and find your center.

Powered by the Heron Project Wellness Series, Leap and Twilighting Together, Location, Byron Elementary School, Portable One, Registration is required in advance for supplied reasons.

And our third one is the Mountain Health rally in front of Tualeton High School.

High school in May.

If you are interested in participating, helping or helping with donuts and hot chocolate, reach out to us through Sydney.

Data's undetermined, contact Cindy at Cindy at Twalaton Together.org.

And we have our flyer, which is prevention is connection.

Okay.

Join us as we bridge Mental Health Awareness Month and Prevent National Prevention Month.

Mental Health Rocks, Mandela Poetry Workshop, Mental Health Rally.

It's everything we went over.

Okay.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Council here will now read the proximity.

Not so fast.

It's my first time.

Yeah, you're doing great.

Yeah, you rock, right?

Okay.

City of Tualaton proclamation.

Whereas substance misuse and mental health challenges continue to impact communities across the United States.

According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 61.2 million or 13.3% of Americans age 12 to 20 used illicit drugs in the past year.

Additionally, nearly six million excuse me youths ages 12 to 20 reported consuming alcohol in the past month.

About 57.8 million adults experienced a mental health illness in the past year, and 29.5 million individuals were classified as having an alcohol use disorder.

Whereas commitment and support, with commitment and support, these and other substance use and mental health challenges can be prevented.

The focus of National Prevention Week is to change the prevention landscape by providing evidence-based and accessible resources to facilitate collective action and story sharing.

By showcasing the work of our partners in prevention, we can confront the societal changes, challenges surrounding substance misuse together while celebrating stories of prevention.

Whereas this is a message we need to spread far and wide, the impact of mental and substance misuse disorder is apparent in our local community.

An estimated 5,058 people in Twalton, Oregon are affected by these conditions.

And we have the power to change these numbers and more importantly, change lives.

Whereas through National Prevention Week, people become more aware and able to recognize the signs of mental health and substance use disorders.

Equally important, community members from all walks of life will learn what they can do to create a healthier tomorrow by helping to prevent these problems.

Being a shoulder for someone to lean on, leading someone to get help for a mental health or substance use or misuse issue before it worsens, setting an example by staying substance free, and other actions like this all play a role in keeping the people around us and ourselves healthy and safe.

Whereas we and others across the United States need to recognize the seriousness of substance use and misuse for youth and mental health challenges in our communities, the power of prevention, and the tireless efforts of those working to make a difference.

The small daily actions done by individuals combined with the actions of families, communities, and coalitions come together to make the larger bold movement of prevention.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the city of Tualaton hereby proclaim May 10 through 16, 2026 to be National Prevention Week, and call upon our community to join us this week in celebrating the compelling programs and events that support increasing awareness of an action around mental health and or substance use disorders year-round.

Introduce and adopted this 27th day of April 2026, City of Twilaton, Oregon.

We'd also like to say a special thank you to the mayor in his last Twiliton Life report.

The kids have all seen that, or the club, all of them have seen that, and we didn't bring our thank you note tonight, but we'd like to recognize you and say thank you for making sure that the entire community understands a little more about prevention, helping us get the word out.

My pleasure.

Thanks for coming.

All right, the last announcement is mine to make.

Behind me, you can see the board.

Uh the announcement of the state of city.

I'll be doing my last and uh state of the city on May 19th.

May 19th might sound like a familiar day because none of us anticipate or dawned upon us that that is primary night.

So it's gonna be a popular night that night.

So uh what I am suggesting is fill out your ballot, drop it off the library, and then drive on down to the grand hotel for the state of the city from 5 30 to 7 30 at the grand hotel.

Uh uh what will be involved this year is we're gonna have city council review uh what has been achieved the last year in Twalton, and then I'll reflect back on my 16 years as a city councilor and as mayor of how Twalton has changed uh over the 16 years in addition, you know, not just growth wise and population wise, but as it has become a better city with uh some fantastic uh amenities and projects that we accomplished together in city council.

So we're just inviting everyone to come that night.

The bonus that night is that we have secured sponsorship for the event, so that we'll be having uh free heavy hors d'oeuvres and adult beverages and refreshments.

Uh so if you have time, come join us.

It is a free event.

You don't have to register, just drop by the grand hotel on the 19th at 5 30.

I'll say get there early because hopefully it'll be packed.

You never know.

Uh, but again, uh get your ballot done first, then come to the event uh because uh it's gonna be a fun event and looking forward to uh you know saying hello to everyone and you know enjoying this last city council um state of the city on behalf of myself.

Uh with that we'll now switch over to the next section of special reports.

We have outside agency grant awardee, borderland free clinic.

Jordan, welcome.

Oh, public comment.

Oh yeah.

See?

I'm just going.

All right, public comment.

Uh public comments opportunity to address the city council on something that's not on tonight's agenda.

Please keep your comments to about three minutes.

Again, I have uh you don't have to be signed up.

I have no sign-ups right now.

I'll take the folks in the meeting room first and then go to Zoom.

The folks who want to comment about the uh library cooperative, we'll do that comment later on.

So do we have anyone on Zoom or the meeting of the meeting room that would like to give public comment tonight?

No.

All right.

With that, we'll move to the consent agenda.

The consent agenda are items that are considered routine.

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

Tonight's consent agenda consists of two items.

Item number one, consideration approval of the work session and regular meeting minutes of April 13th, 2026.

And then item number two, consideration of approval of late liquor license renewal for 2026.

Uh, would any counselor like an item removed and heard separately later tonight?

Seeing none.

I move that we adopt the consent agenda as read.

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

Any discussion on those motions?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Abstentions.

It's unanimous.

Thank you.

Now we can listen to Jordan about an update from the Borderland Free Clinic.

Welcome, Jordan.

For real.

Um, good evening, Mr.

Mayor and Council.

It is a pleasure to be with you and thank you for the invitation.

Um I believe I was here almost two years ago uh following a significant uh capital project uh at Borland Free Clinic, and so I'm uh grateful to be back and more so just grateful for the support of this community.

Um and for you all, some of you uh in specific ways, but all of you in terms of the grant support that we have received uh over the last few years.

Um so by way of introduction, my name is Jordan.

I'm the executive director at the clinic.

And I also have the privilege of serving on the Chamber Health and Wellness Committee, and most recently for Washington County's CHIP Steering Committee, Community Health Improvement Program.

So while not a resident, I feel very much tethered to this community.

And so I want to thank you again for welcoming in the many ways you do.

I have just a few slides to uh introduce and talk about our work.

First of all, uh we are a free clinic.

We are one of only two free clinic in the in the Portland Metro area in the Tri-County region.

Um for those unfamiliar with the free clinic space, it is uh as it sounds.

So, like we heard from Nami just a second ago, uh, there are no costs attached to uh the services we provide to our patients.

And uh while we do our best to keep external services, including prescriptions at a reasonable cost, uh we do the best uh we don't uh uh uh put any costs or burden uh financial burden on our patients.

There is, of course, other ways in which people can receive free care or discounted care, uh specifically through charity care programs like you might uh experience at hospitals or through uh FQHCs, federally qualified health centers like Virginia Garcia.

But the problem is the strain that that puts on our health care system as well as the access questions, and so while uh most recently numbers have dipped in terms of insured uh Oregonians.

Um the uh fact is that above and beyond health care insurance, uh, what we talk mostly about is healthcare access.

And so uh one of the things we uh are aware of is roughly six month waiting time uh for folks to get in to see primary care physicians, uh, and that includes myself and um uh in uh non-Medicaid and non-free clinic spaces as well as uh other issues uh accessing specialty care.

So um we have been around uh as this timeline uh states uh since early 2010s, but we didn't open until 2017.

So next year we are uh excited to celebrate our tenure uh anniversary, which is a significant milestone for us.

In 2018, we began offering our primary care services, which is the bread and butter of what we continue to do.

Um, and then as I mentioned a minute ago, post-pandemic, we were able to complete a 1.5 million dollar capital build-out to renovate our corner of a vast uh underbelly of Rolling Hills Community Church to uh present uh our patients with a uh look and feel of quality health care that they receive in our space.

Um this year we are anticipating some uh enhancements in our work and a transition phase.

We are uh looking for a our very first paid provider uh to bring on to our staff.

Um of the things that it remains unique about us in comparison to uh not just other free clinics in Oregon, but regionally, if not nationally, is that we have yet to uh hire a staff member uh who is also a physician.

And so uh we are able to do the work that we do and the extensive services you see offered here thanks to the many volunteers who contribute to our work, and that includes clinicians but also uh board members and other individuals who help in various ways.

Uh so we know it takes a village, we know it takes an army, um, and we uh are able to offer the care that we do thanks to uh many, many dedicated individuals, and so we and our patients are grateful to them.

Um we also can't do the work we do without the partnerships uh that we have, and so healthcare, as you know, is a very intricate uh system, and so the fact that we are able to uh receive in-kind services like um lab uh external labs through LabCore or relationship with Providence Internal Medicine Residency Program, so they help staff some of our clinics to you know the uh mobile offerings that uh come up to our doorstep to serve our patients.

We're just able to provide more and more through that.

And then, of course, there is the support.

Our revenue is completely grants and individuals, uh, and so uh like the city of Tualeton, we are able to do the work that we do thanks to the generous uh support of others.

Um just a little note on our impact.

Um thing I'm proud of is that we have uh grown in our services and service offerings uh every year that I have been around at the clinic, so that goes all the way back into the pandemic.

Uh last year we served over 500 unique patients.

Um, and that uh is pretty good for only 12 hours of services a week.

And so we are proud of that number and having crest that 500 mark for the first time in 2025.

Last year our patient appointment count, and so that includes returning appointments as well as individuals who we may just interact with over the phone through prescription refills or other interests.

We're over 1,300 appointments that we're able to get.

Vast majority of those, of course, are uninsured.

We do offer what we call bridge appointments for folks who maybe are on OHP or Medicaid.

But given their wait times, we you know prefer that they move on to their primary care physician.

It's just depending upon how quickly they are able to make that happen.

I mentioned the volunteers, our demographics is that we have a primarily client base of people of color, 44% of which are Hispanic, for whom we offer on site Spanish translation if needed.

We estimate there's not a science to this, but we do, or there is, but to the best of our approximation, we're able to estimate that uh last year we over offered over $300,000 in free medical care to the community.

Um I do want to point out that uh via zip code analysis, we're able to determine that about roughly a third of our patients come from the city of Towelleton specifically.

Um the last thing I want to highlight is just the headwinds that we're facing uh as a nation in terms of health care and the impact that that is bound to have on our communities.

Uh we already know about the complex healthcare environment uh in which we all reside, some of which I've already spoken about.

Um, but anything from choosing a plan to anticipated costs and determining uh and uh co-pays to navigating you know financial aid services to getting the specialty care that one needs and referrals, let alone wait times.

Um there is a uh lack of uh specialty care services that we and other federally qualified health centers are able to access these days.

There has been a program you may be familiar with Project Access that has been funded by healthcare systems over, I don't know, I want to say the last uh 10 to 15 years.

That program has been sheltered uh due to funding cuts and issues related to the health care systems.

And so that used to be our way of having patients who need external services to go into the hospitals to get donated care.

Uh right now it is um sort of everyone for themselves trying to negotiate those services and making sure that patients have a place to go.

Uh we're lobbering hard and working with PANAW to help uh resurrect that program, but it takes time.

Uh meanwhile, uh all of us are familiar with HR1, uh, the big beautiful bill.

And while uh some of the provisions uh in that have yet to come fully online, uh some have already taken place.

And so um as I understand it, we've already seen a drop in enrollment coverage from around 97% in Oregon to already around 94 to 93 percent.

Um, and that is due to things like this.

So we have an anticipated drop in Medicaid coverage due to uh uh the introduction of work requirements.

So that's roughly around 20 hours a week that individuals have to be employed in order to be eligible for Medicaid, which is already a high threshold or low, depending on how you ask the question, uh, because you can't make very much money to be on the Oregon Health Plan as it is, uh, even uh with uh bridge programming that hopefully the state continues to fund.

In addition to that, uh redetermination for continued Medicaid coverage uh is going from one year to every six months, and the administrative burden that that is going to cause is going to negatively affect people.

Um, we're also looking at funding shortages across the state uh as well as a limited eligibility for our non-citizens.

And so I have heard estimates of around 200,000 uh Oregonians will lose coverage over the next few years.

Uh obviously, those numbers are uh only guesses at this point.

Um, and uh the real data uh lags a few years, and so we will see what happens.

Um, but we should also mention that uh this doesn't just affect affect the lowest income uh individuals in our community, the loss of marketplace premiums or the tax credits for those premiums as well as uh increased premiums for everyone else is a real thing.

And so uh last I've heard your average person making under 400% of the Federal Providence line has already experienced a jump in about 50 to 200 a month in their premiums through the marketplace.

Um, of course, assuming they can get it when it's open.

Um more uh uh negative uh thing that I'll offer.

Sorry to be a downer.

Um, but uh, you know, there was just a series, if you're familiar with the health forum run by the LUN report, uh, there's just a series this last month on uh primary care in the state and how difficult it is to access.

I mentioned this a minute ago, but just to put some stats uh on the board here, you can see that primary care wait times in the Portland Metro lag behind the national average by almost uh double.

The uh acceptance rates, that is clinics that are serving Medicaid patients in the Portland Metro are uh grossly behind national average uh as well as the Medicare acceptance rates.

So you're just seeing less and less entities being there for the uh individuals who need it most.

Um so uh I would be lying if I said the free clinic is here to save the day.

That is not possible.

Um, but we are here to do our part, and we again are just so grateful for the um support that we have in this community and from this group.

Um and so yeah, we we look to uh grow, we look to expand, um, and we're hoping to you know meet that need as best we can.

Any questions?

Okay, questions for Jordan.

Council President Pratt.

I I just want to clarify, like on the Medicaid and Medicare acceptance.

So like Medicaid, you're saying that if someone had Medicaid and they went to a clinic, only eight percent of them would accept it.

Correct.

Oh my gosh.

Thank you.

Other questions.

Council Rice.

Not a question, just a comment.

Thank you for being in our community, and I am very proud of the border-free clinic that um serves a lot of people that I know within this community.

Thank you.

Other questions.

I just was excited.

I saw on Facebook the announcement when you were looking for a new provider and your ability to hire someone, uh, hopefully you can find doctors are hard to find right now, so hopefully you can find someone.

Uh the only big question I had is I remember it's been a while with the new facility and the increased amount of privacy, the ability to serve uh women, and your goal to you know increase and ratchet up your women's services.

How's that going?

Uh yeah, it's going well.

Um we have a number of uh I would say gynecological specific uh providers.

Um yeah, every every uh woman who comes through our clinic is uh um offered that service.

Um twice a year.

We offer a free full day of uh physicals as well as mammogram screenings, and that's in partnership with OHSU Hillsboro's uh mobile mammogram unit.

Um so I I don't have the specific numbers on how many increase, but uh more than half of our uh patients that I mentioned before are female.

Um and so yeah, we we we love that service, and we're grateful for this the providers that we have that are able to offer that care.

Yeah, because I appreciate once you had the the new build out that the privacy was lacking last time is now there, and um that's fantastic.

And how's the new facility doing?

I mean, it's you're still chugging away, and you haven't outgrown it yet.

No, we well, it depends on um I have some ideas around additional services, and uh there has been very, very preliminary discussions with the church around possible expansion.

But uh, as far as the space is concerned, yeah, we continue to get uh wonderful comments about um um how it looks and feels uh not just from the patients but from the volunteers who are uh um more excited to work in a space like that than our previous uh professional.

Yeah, exactly.

And so um yeah, we're really proud of the space.

Uh it is serving us very well, and yeah, we have definitely grown into it at this point.

Great.

Yeah, so thanks for asking.

Cool.

Uh anything else?

Council Brooks.

Thank you so much for your presentation.

Um that last set of stats I took a picture of because it's I think it's just so important for people to understand, and especially as we're moving forward.

Um I'm curious, why do you think that our state lags so far behind from your perspective on serving people with that around Medicare?

Yeah, great question.

I um would point specifically to a very progressive agenda around, and I don't mean that in a loaded sense, but just a very strong uh push to uh ensure more individuals in this state without enough adequate understanding of the amount of providers that are needed to support those individuals.

So I think that has been a disconnect in this state, and yes, to Mayor Frank's uh statement a second ago.

We are looking for a provider, but part of the primary care shortage is the lack of primary care providers.

And that is true across um health care, so I don't want to say it's specific to Oregon.

Um but primary care physicians, the generalists, the advanced practice folks, the folks who do a lot of the maintenance of care and of our population.

Um aren't always the best supported financially.

Um I think that that disconnect between having those basically the workforce to support the people who uh have access or have insurance has created the difficulty we're seeing.

Thank you.

Yeah.

I just want to thank you for your efforts and all your work over the years and your fundraising abilities and your leadership abilities to make the Bournemouth free clinic happen and operate, you know, here in this area, and uh being able to, you know, find that those funds to expand your you know services and hopefully find that provider.

Yeah, thank you so much.

A lot of work and I appreciate what you've done.

Thank you so much.

All right, thanks, George.

All right, so that brings us to general business item number one, uh, eviction prevention discussion.

Megan, welcome, Megan.

Okay.

Testing.

Good evening, Mayor.

Uh, my name is Megan Cohen, and I'm the homelessness city county liaison for Tiger Twalton and Sherwood.

Um, I'm just getting over a cold, so apologize if I have to take a drink of water.

Um, I'm here this evening to um, as a follow-up to my last presentation on safe parking.

Um, there was interest expressed in exploring some other options, um, including getting some more information around eviction prevention.

So that's what I'm here to do this evening.

It'll be a really high level overview of um what it sort of looks like in our area right now and um what is happening locally.

So next uh with that, I'll go to the next slide.

Um so the agenda will cover some background on eviction prevention, um, current landscape, um, towalton investments, enhancement options, and then of course, time for questions.

Should breeze through it pretty fast.

Um, so just to provide some background of why we are here this evening, um, like I mentioned, we had a safe parking presentation in August 2025.

Coming out of that, council had expressed some interest um not in looking at safe parking moving forward, but other options to support eviction prevention as sort of the underlying issue for that program.

We've also had a series of um other sort of public conversations.

One was the housing forum in December, which community development put on um really fantastic.

Thank you all for being there.

Um I think we heard from uh our community that evening about several different challenges, including um accessible transit to affordable housing being a huge barrier, which I know you all have been working on that issue with TriMet, um, hearing about the additional like utility payments that people are paying on top of their rent, um, which vouchers aren't covering, um, and then just hearing about sort of the ongoing challenges around cost of housing, finding affordable housing, um, those things as well.

And then um at the city council events in January, you all identified uh eviction prevention as one of your city council priorities, um, priority 2.4.

You'll also see I listed the priority um 2.3 on there about sort of um staying informed around SHS, including Metro, which I'll come back to later in the presentation.

And then one thing that didn't make it on the slide because it's so recent is um last weekend's uh forum at St.

Anthony and the discussion that they held on immigration housing, which I know three of you were able to make it to the best showing from all of the cities, actually, um, which is great, I think, um, for Tualeton, um, and just the challenges we heard specifically from the Latinx community there on issues that they're having with um tenancy, um with um being able to find good secure and affordable housing, and then uh sort of the challenges on top of that of immigration enforcement in the area.

So all of that kind of brings us here to chat a little bit more about um what we're looking at in terms of what's available for eviction prevention right now.

So, starting with um what are the funding streams, eviction prevention comes from sort of all the streams, federal, state, metro, SHS, we're kind of in that sweet spot, right?

Of having both Washington and Clackamas County, and then private sources such as churches.

Um all of the sources across the board have been cut in the last year by 50% or more.

Pretty serious cut.

Um, and it has had uh very felt impacts.

Need has also risen, of course.

Um right now in this moment, how do people get rent assistance?

Um there used to be sort of this process of okay.

I call community connect, um, I have to have my eviction notice.

If I have that eviction notice, then they can go through the process of paying my landlord and resolving that.

Well, last year that changed, and it was it was now you have to wait till you get to eviction court.

So when you get to eviction court, there'll be a provider there, they will be able to help forgive that uh so that you can move on from that.

Well, that is no longer available.

So, right now the really the only source of uh rent assistance outside of those private sources or local connections is that you have to be a receiving services from community action, and then they can provide rent assistance through uh the funds that they have available, which are extremely limited at this point in time.

Um, other than that, um you know we've seen our community really galvanized around doing like GoFundMe's for folks, trying to figure out how to do shared housing, get really creative.

And I think in the provider world, we sort of have two strategies.

One is just real talk with people, having conversations about paying paying for rent and getting everything else covered through any other stream.

So making sure that your food is coming from a food pantry, so you don't have to pay that cost, um, having getting utility assistance if there's a provider that's able to pay for that, um, being able to just wherever you can get those other costs covered, the primary amount that you're making should be going directly to rent because that is going to be the hardest one to cover.

So that's that's one conversation.

The other conversation is really just on safety planning, like what's next.

We know that we're not going to be able to get you out of this situation.

Um, is that is there family that you can move in with?

Is there temporary living that we can figure out for your kids?

Are there shelters that we can start to look at referring you into because we know that the shelter wait list can be anywhere from two weeks to a couple months.

So those are kind of the conversations that we're having with people who are finding themselves in the situation of not being able to pay their rent.

We've um, and that is really the primary source of eviction here in Washington County and Oregon.

So on the lighter side of things, we do have some local Twalton investments.

Um we have the Towalton outside agency grants.

Um we've been able to do a few grants to organizations like Just Compassion and Family Promise.

They're not necessarily eviction prevention specific.

Some of them do like youth programs or Motelling, but they are supporting organizations that are helping to move and use funds creatively to help people and bridge those gaps between when people might lose their housing and get new housing.

So it really does any way that we can support those organizations is always really appreciated by our providers and recognized for that investment from Towalaton.

Um there's my position, I'm just uh the problem solver, I guess, uh in this area, trying to figure out how we can connect, how we can get people into the right uh places to make sure that they are connecting with people, and that that as soon as they can get access to a service, they get it, and they're not having to wait more time.

I think that's really my ultimate goal is everybody is aware of SHS and knowledgeable about it directly in our area, which I think we've had a lot of success doing in the last year and a half.

Um, we also have our utility bill assistance program here that's run through community action.

Um, that's a great uh assistance program to be able to do some of that forgiveness around utilities.

There's different qualifications on that, but it is something that we're able to offer.

And then the last two that are sort of around this are the legislative agenda, which um has included housing and eviction prevention um and advocacy from you all, and then also investments in affordable housing like Plan Beck, of course.

Um those are all things uh that help make housing more affordable um and look at what kind of policy and change can we have here locally that that will make it a little bit easier for folks.

So we've identified a couple opportunities for enhancement.

Um, the first is just sort of continuing that legislative agenda advocacy.

I think specifically, you know, identifying um opportunities where the state can provide more funding or at least not cut more funding around rent assistance, um, anything in that area that would have an impact.

Um the second one is outreach and connections to services via our library and police.

I wanted to share one awesome thing that we've been doing for the last three months while the Tiger Library's been closed.

Um we were able to connect with several providers who have been tabling at the Twalton library, so comfort zone, home plate, and just compassion, and they've each been there once a week directly connecting with folks and trying to get them connected back to services.

It's been a really awesome opportunity.

Um, unfortunately, both comfort zone and home plate are being impacted by um by funding cuts, and so they won't be able to continue.

Um, but we've created, I think, a really great system with just compassion um and just trying to make those connections directly at the library and refer folks in.

So I think just doing more of that.

Um, we've also had really great experience with the police and when they go out like to a motel six where somebody's being asked to leave, referring them directly into emergency shelter and those types of things as well.

So I think just finding more opportunities where we can do that would be helpful.

Um, third is the involvement in decision making at the county metro and state level.

Um I think most importantly, um, the SHS RPOC committee has now kicked off in its new form.

Um so I think I could do a better job of following those meetings um and uh just following what's coming up for conversation there, um advocating for Southeast Washington County, um, and I know the mayors are really involved in that as well, um, and just trying to figure out uh what other things, what voice can we have in that process.

Um, and then the last two are really specific to Towalton.

Um there's the option to sort of focus the outside agency grant program allocations.

So we could do something like put priorities over the grant allocations and say we really want to focus on um funding housing or eviction prevention uh projects this time around, or dedicating a specific amount of those grants to that could look all sorts of different ways, I think, and or dedicating a new funding allocation specific to that.

So that's sort of the very large overview from from big to small um on uh different opportunities there are for enhancing this.

Um and with that, um, I will just turn it over to questions.

Questions from Reagan.

Council Brooks.

Thank you very much.

Um, first question is when we talk about the gap.

So you said 50% of the funding.

Um, and then there's all these access limitations and entry point limitations.

I guess the first thing is I wonder if you could just send us that in like a form because I think if we were gonna do advocacy with anybody, if we have all that information together, um we can talk about what we've heard in listening sessions from our community if we're gonna do a uh tailored approach for our community um with a community needs assessment, and then have that information.

And then I'm kind of curious what the gap amount that we've lost is about.

So if we were gonna talk about funding allocations and serve, like would it be specific service providers that we could tap?

How would we bridge those loss connections and make those determinations?

with a community needs assessment and then have that information and then I'm kind of curious what the gap amount that we've lost is about so if we were going to talk about funding allocations and serve like would it be specific service providers that we could tap how would we bridge those loss connections and make those determinations and um so would it just be a dollar ask or would it be finding out where there might be money from uh foundations or any other um unlooked at monies so that's my first question and then my second question is um what was my second can I see that one slide again the last one was this brook um well yeah I guess it was the money and the information I think that you gave us in the first point I think those were my two questions so sorry about that I know that's okay and um I appreciate you being at the um that Saturday event on the 18th um oh oh one of the other things that was brought up from that was um tailoring um resources for um landlord that's right um and the idea was that there's some landlords that are really responsive and some that aren't and is there a way of having some kind of a database some cities have done that um and I think it would be good for both education of uh programs that are available as well as um what the rights are of tenants and and then if there's been a history of really really bad things like we heard a couple stories of things that really nobody should live with that I feel thank you thank you Counselor Sacco thank you for your presentation and the work that you do um so I the um focusing the outside agency grant program allocations uh I think that's an interesting idea and um you know I would love to give to everybody that applies um and and wouldn't and I would hate to to not sort of continue what we've been been doing however um if we deem that this need is greater I would be interested in understanding how um how much we give goes to not only specifically eviction prevention but like the food pantry like you said right like that that those services help keep people housed as well and also um there are um multiple agencies that we give to that I think contribute to that but I would be interested to learn if we gave larger amounts to certain um certain agencies would they be able to do more with large you know um I guess making sure that our dollars working the hardest that it can for our community um that's what I'd be interested in learning um and then I um could you explain maybe a little bit more the new funding allocation and kind of what like how would that work what would that look like and I know you probably don't have all the details but just um just a little bit more information about that bullet.

Sure um I think if that's something you wanted to look at we could discuss some options and bring something back I imagine um we've seen some other um municipalities like Hillsboro um dedicate specific eviction prevention resources um most of them have done it um for families impacted by immigration enforcement um which was a big need um uh in the fall and so they really what they did is they just you know had a dollar amount dedicated those fundings they were direct allocations to organizations that had connections with the community and then um that those organizations were responsible for um doling out the eviction prevention rent assistance payments so I would imagine something similar could also go through a grant process too um but uh not I'm not imagining something that we would run um but that we would probably grant our contract to outside agencies that already have the ability um and the knowledge on how to do that thank you yeah thank you um for all of the above and to dovetail on um counselor Sacco's question I'm curious uh to know also in that list if there are um agencies that maybe um cater to youth um and and zero to you know 22 probably if you will um and I wonder how many youth right now do you are being impacted do you think in our community and if you don't know that's a really not on this but it's something

And to dovetail on um Counselor Sacco's question, I'm curious to know also in that list if there are um agencies that maybe um cater to youth um and and zero to you know 22 probably, if you will.

Um, and I wonder how many youth right now do you are being impacted, do you think in our community?

And if you don't know, that's a really not on this, but it's something I think about, so you can answer me later if you want.

I can get I can get more specific data.

I know that Oregon struggles with um the highest rate of youth homelessness in the nation.

Um home plate has um been reporting a lot of challenges um with serving youth.

More of them are inside families than outside, like unaccompanied youth.

Um but definitely um definitely seeing a lot of youth being impacted and having some conversations with the school district as well.

Thank you.

I know Dorian at home plate is just yeah, any dollar that goes to that place is a dollar well spent.

Um I'm kind of curious.

Um at one point we learned that there are other low-income providers here in Towalton outside of Plombeck, and I just wonder do we are they um are they as long of a waiting list kind of as everyone else, or how do we partner with them?

And I mean, I plantback has a different you know setup, and I get that, and I'm just wondering about the one or two other places here in Twalton.

I would have to go back and look.

Um I know that we have some properties that have LITEC in them, so they're not necessarily run, yeah, like by a CPA, they just have requirements in terms of um uh the uh AMI that folks are making coming into the units, so um it's less of sort of a uh dedicated process like something from CPA or reaching.

Makes good sense, thanks.

And then my final thought is um I I maybe I'm just not understanding the nuance of the term houselessness, but it seems like we focus on rent, and I wonder about people who own their homes that are behind because of all these circumstances, and are these resources the same for people who have a home and could experience houselessness?

I get that they have an investment, but I mean the goal is to not have them have to sell their home to so I was just curious about that.

Yeah, that's a great question.

It is not the same.

Um there are organizations um like open door counseling center is able to do some um mortgage assistance.

I don't know what that's looking like these days, but I know they've been able to do um some programming around that.

A lot of that is um again working with folks to um maybe think about doing shared housing or something like that as well.

Um so it's yeah, it is in sort of its own realm from the rent assistance.

Thank you.

And it just feels like that should be included in our conversations a little bit more.

I think we're gonna see shifts in the next 18 months that strongly agree.

Yeah, so I would just love us to, and even if it's learning on our own, send us education or whatever it is so that we can use the right language, but I'm pretty um passionate about that.

Thank you for all your work, and I um uh I think all your ideas are great.

I wish that I could even personally give more to some of these agencies.

So this is really important work.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Other questions?

President Pratt.

Thanks, Megan.

Um I guess um I came to eviction prevention because I talked to like just compassion some organ other organizations and said to me it's like how can we most effectively use the dollars we give to help the most people?

So that's what I'm looking for.

And I guess like, is there like um I don't know if you could do this, but like a dollar mill, like if you for every $500, it does this kind of thing, so it's real clear, yes, concrete, because I like that.

Yeah, we can definitely bring that back to you.

And then the other side of it is um on the legislative agenda advocacy and the involvement with the county and metro and the state.

Um, and I don't want to put more on you, but like if there is something upcoming where we can advocate, is that something you can like shoot an email to Mayor because he's good at sharing, and so that way, because some of us do write letters and talk to people, so we'd be glad to help advocate if it's a big issue.

I appreciate that.

Please give me more work.

I'm always happy to get more in Twalton.

Yeah, I think a good example is one of the things that I had learned about was the Portland mayor's asked to Washington County for SHS fund, and that was something that I tried to get out as quickly as possible.

So the more I can be in spaces where I can hear some of that, I'm happy to make it back to you all, and then if I can be helpful in providing more context or anything like that, I would love to do that.

Great.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Council Brooks.

Sorry.

I was the other question I had was about the utilities program that we're running.

So is there have we used all of our dollars?

How we've been how's that program been going, I guess?

That's my question.

I would have to get back to you with the exact details.

I think we do it on like a monthly allotment, and there's sort of a dedicated amount.

So I think it's been budgeted out, and I'm sure we'll expend the funds for that program.

Okay.

Yeah, I just love to see how it's going so that when we're taking all these things into consideration, if there's something that's lagging that we can understand that when we're um looking at this overall picture.

And I very much appreciate your work.

Any other questions?

Okay.

Well, very much appreciate your work as Council Brook just said, Megan.

Um, I know it's an uphill battle for you every day.

Uh you know, your job's not getting easier, you know.

Uh dollars are being cut and it's impacting people, and it's it's frustrating to both us and you trying to keep people's lives intact with dwindling resources and exceeding demand.

So I give you credit for what you do and I appreciate what you do for us.

Thank you.

I think we're lucky to be in a community that um has amazing things like Borland and those um types of services where you know when your medical costs aren't being covered, um, that can be another reason to be evicted.

So it's great to be here this evening and get to hear more about what they do too.

And um, if I um I think I've got a lot of feedback from you all this evening, so I'll take that back and then get back to you with more information.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That brings us to item number two, a review of library cooperative intergovernmental agreements between the city of Twalton and Washington County.

Presentation will be given by uh City Manager Lombos for folks in the audience who want to chat about this.

What I'm envisioning is we'll have uh Sherlin do her presentation, then I'll open the floor to focus folks who are signed up or don't have to be signed up, who'd like to comment on the presentation or their thoughts on the library cooperative IGA drafts, and then we'll go into uh QA, the counselors with Sherlin.

With that, floor is yours, Sherlin.

Thank you, Mayor Bubenick and members of the city council.

Before I um start this, I am remiss at uh in my um manager's report to not call out it's Bates' birthday today.

Bless us hard, he had to like work.

I told him like, can you send us staff?

He's like, No, there's nowhere else I'd rather be.

Anyway, so thank you for being here.

Yeah, so uh let's just jump right in.

Um I feel like I've got quite a bit of detail on in the presentation, and it's probably more detail than I would ever recommend our staff including in presentations.

However, given the visibility of this and the sensitivity around it, I thought it would be a good idea to get into some level of detail.

And um, so we're gonna talk about the background and history of cooperative agreements, um, getting here and the timeline.

Who makes up the cooperative and who's responsible for what?

And then a word about the centralized collection project, since that is called out in who's responsible for what, uh, the funding of the cooperative, which is a big piece of this, the structure, roles, and decision making, and then accountability.

Uh so just a little history of the cooperative.

So it was it was formed in 1976 after Beaverton put in uh some money for a study of library services, and then uh a number of communities went together to form the cooperative.

Um then a voter-funded tax measure for libraries in Washington County was passed in 1976.

When measures five and 50 went into place, that was rolled into the general fund of Washington County.

There's been a strong historical commitment, although not a legal commitment, which we found out a number of years ago, several years ago, that there was no legal commitment for that, but there has been a strong historical commitment to designate those funds for libraries.

So in 1977, Twellaton joined the party, and then starting in 2006, there have been a number of local option levies every five years that have been passed to supplement the funding of the Washington County General Fund.

Of the 2627 total WCCLS budget, which is over 51 million in year one of this new IGA, approximately 45% is made up of the County General Fund and 55 is the local option levy.

So we're currently under two separate IGAs.

It is a perpetual agreement between the members of the cooperative and Washington County.

The current agreement was was created in 2006, approved, and there have been two amendments since.

So one in 2007, which added North Plains to the cooperative, and then in 2016 added ALOA to the cooperative.

Right before the yeah, so 2015 when the local option levy, when we were going into that local option levy, it was it was the levy was raised to account for ALOA.

And then once that levy was passed, ALOA joined the cooperative.

So that IgA sets up governance structure, roles, and process.

So it creates a governing or says who the governing body is, the executive board, and the policy group.

The second is the public library network services and funding agreement.

So that is a five-year agreement that follows the term of each one of the levies.

And so this one we're under right now is July 1st, 22 through the end of June.

Well, it says June 20, it should say June 30 typo.

So this outlines all the operational terms, so the minimum operating requirements, ownership and management of the information network, which is a really big deal.

The services and support provided by WCCLS, the services that are provided by the member libraries, and then the funding.

So that first one there is going to be replaced by this new governance IGA, governance agreement.

It does add much more detail about roles and responsibilities.

It tightens up definitions and structure.

It goes from approximately a nine-page IGA to I think around a 20-page IGA or 16, and that is because it adds quite a bit of detail around structure, rules, and responsibilities.

It fundamentally changes the funding structure, and we'll walk through all of that.

So how did we get here?

So the funding and governance project started back in January of 2024 when it was anticipated that we were going to that the levy was going to be up at the end of it was going to be on the ballot in November of 25.

And the library director and I directly were in were directly engaged and involved hundreds of hours across the cooperative working on the funding structure and the governance project.

In October of 25, the funding allocation methodology and service boundary boundaries were approved.

We brought that to you in September of 25, and that was the basis of your support for the levy and moving forward with that amount of the levy and the allocation how it was allocated.

Of course, in November, the five-year local option levy was approved by 58% yes, so strong support throughout the county.

And then starting in January through right now, we've been working on the governance and IGA with all of the members.

So kind of a broad statement before I get into the rest of it.

So the IGAs are laid out in a structure not of my doing.

And I it it doesn't always make sense to me to my Prains.

So how I am going to go through it is kind of random because I think it like I think it will tell a better story of the cooperative and who does what and the funding.

But I think how I've laid it out, how this has been laid out is a little more intuitive, at least for me.

So who makes up the cooperative?

So Washington County, WCCLS, Washington County Cooperative Library Services, is a department of the county.

They are governed by the Board of County Commissioners, and they provide the critical infrastructure and support services that connect all the independently operated libraries into one countywide system.

And that is laid out, and we'll talk through that.

There are nine, well, there are 12 member libraries, and they're called contractors in the IGAs.

So nine cities, banks, Beaverton Cornelius, Forest Grove, Hillsborough, North Plains, Sherwood, Tigert, and Towalleton, and then three nonprofit libraries.

So Aloha, Cedar Mill, and Garden Home.

So they each have distinct service boundaries and service populations.

That is a new thing in this in this operating IGA.

We have never had service boundaries or service populations.

And so this new funding methodology is based on a clear and defensible methodology.

So section 14 of the operating agreement outlines those service boundaries and service populations.

And it does what it does not include is the area, the unannexed area in Basalt Creek.

So there is a section in section 14 of the operating agreement, section 14.5 that's called modifications resulting from annexation.

And that outlines when we annex that area in Basalt Creek that we anticipate annexing, that will be added to our service population.

Although there is not anticipated to be residents, but but it we still want to the yeah, the the part that's annexed right now is ours.

Do you want to ask a question about that?

Well, like bottom.

Oh, that's that's annexed.

That's annexed, so that's in our industrial.

Yes, exactly.

West of Boons Ferry, essentially.

All right.

So let's talk about who's responsible for what.

So this is outlined in section 12 of the operating agreement based service levels to be provided by the contractors.

This section is greatly expanded and clarified.

The only requirements before were essentially two that member libraries had to be opened 45 hours a week and have one full-time equivalent employee.

So the we spent many hours talking about what base service levels were and what was valid for that we basically would get paid paid for.

Starting so collections and materials, uh, 12.1, uh local collection comprising books, media, other materials at a minimum through June 30, 2027.

And we'll talk again about the collection centralization.

However, the at minimum doesn't just refer to the collection centralization.

It also we can provide and maintain local collection.

It's still undefined of what amount that will be because that's part of this collection centralization process, but at a minimum and potentially into the future, we provide and maintain the local collection.

We also provide and maintain, well, this is after June 30th, access to community focused collections comprising physical books and media in priority languages to meet local patron needs provided by WCCLS.

So that refers to what will happen after the centralization collection project is complete.

12.2 community outreach and engagement.

We have to provide a website that has all the information on it and also link to WCCLS.

We provide personnel, so we have to provide staffing sufficient to support 45 open hours a week.

We provide 54?

60 64.

64 open hours a week.

So we're well above, well above the base service level.

At least one full-time equivalent employee, exempt employee, so that is a supervisor, a library director, manager, supervisor, and then schedules to ensure paid staff are available during those open hours.

And then programs and services.

And then regular and consistent programming based on community demand.

You know this.

We do an amazing job at all of these things.

We are known for our programs and services.

Sarah Jesse Dawson is here.

She's our public services manager, and she brings an amazing network of program of folks that bring programs, and I I think hands down we are known for having our programs and services are what is the top, let's go with top notch.

Yes.

State of the art.

Yes.

So we meet all of these in spades.

Continuing on, and section 12 technology.

So we provide staff computers, scanners, and printers, circulation technology to support the operations, and then free public access computers with internet access.

We also provide and maintain public spaces, so access to the buildings and services, and then a minimum of 45 hours of open every week.

So a characteristic of the cooperative is that the money cannot be spent on the WCCLS money can't be spent on the building.

Routine maintenance it can be, but all the member libraries own and operate their own building.

And so we can't use the funding for land acquisition or construction.

So it is our library.

Also, in terms of what we're responsible for, so section eight outlines of the operating agreement, outlines the duties and responsibilities for the network.

So that is a huge part of the WCCLS program in and of itself, and we have duties and responsibilities associated with that.

I will say that Bates and his team have had their eyes on the IGA in terms of making sure that they have comments in that it works for us.

Back a couple sections because I wanted to talk about us first before I talked about WCCLS.

So section 10 talks about what WCCLS, the county department is responsible for.

So they're responsible for the base service levels beginning July 2027 as according to the plan right now.

Community focused collections comprising physical books and media and priority languages to meet local patron needs.

Mail service to folks that are homebound.

That is a service that WCCLS manages.

They manage the digital collection and then also digital learning tools and databases.

Community outreach and engagement, WCCLS provides a website, and then countywide engagement and partnerships.

Technology, this is a really big one.

So the Wi-Fi, online catalog access 24-7, an events calendar interface, the integrated library system.

They provide inventory tags, security tags, and all the library cards that we use, all the circulation technology, and then the information network as outlined in section seven.

In terms of operations, they also have basic policies and annual statistic requirement reporting requirements.

They also run the courier service pickup and delivery, which is an integral part of getting our getting the materials throughout the cooperative, and then facilitation of reciprocal borrowing agreements.

There's three other sections that talk about WCCLS's responsibility.

So section three is ownership and management of the information network.

Section 7 is duties and responsibilities of the network, and then the compliance with Title VII of the Title VI, I'm sorry, of the Civil Rights Act.

So just a word about the centralization project.

So this is a multi-year effort to transition from a disdecentralized model of collection management, and I know you can read as well, but to a centralized approach.

So this was identified in the funding and governance project as having the potential of saving and the what is touted as the number is $2 million savings system wide.

There has been some question of whether that is an accurate number, but the but that is the number that has been associated with centralized savings.

Currently all the member libraries manage their own physical collection.

So the digital collection is already centralized.

So we have folks in our library that work on all of that.

Acquiring, then Sarah could speak much more eloquently if you have questions about all that entails.

We spent we budget just over 200,000 in that was in 2526 for collection development.

So and we that gets allocated by youth, youth and adult and all the various collections.

The primary drivers for this effort are efficiencies across across the cooperative, so duplication of effort, every library has folks that are doing something of the same thing, and then lack of consistency in how each member library does this, and so in policy and practice.

Many of the member libraries are facing budget cuts, and the attraction of these savings is very real to them.

And so through this process, any savings realized, we are able to keep.

So the attraction for libraries that are facing budget cuts is very real.

And the centralization project is not being driven by Tualiton, as you I sure you know, but it is being driven by member libraries that both big and small that are facing real budget challenges.

So the timeline for this project started in February in discovery and readiness.

We're in that in that phase right now.

It was launched, and there's a lot of data collection.

There's a contractor, uh consultant that was hired, ARC that stands for something.

They've done site visits, they are working with our staff.

We had a number of our staff participate and give lots of good information.

They're doing a current state assessment.

When that phase is complete, then it will enter into design and co-creation, so policy and procedure framework and all of the things necessary to implement.

Ultimately leading to the goal of centralization and implementation, and the stated date has been July of 2027.

We'll say that and I it's on the next slide, but the we are very unsure of that time frame and want it to be the right approach, not the fastest approach.

And so we are advocating for an expanded timeline if it's necessary, and the consultant has said that they will recommend that if they find that that it's not workable by July of 27.

You know this, but the um the local collection is highly valued by our users.

Um the somewhere.

Hang on just a second.

Um there was a survey conducted in 2024 when we first started this uh funding and governance project, and respondents indicated that selection of materials was the second highest factor in choosing which library to visit, only second to uh location convenience.

So what we are advocating for is timeline adjustments and flexibility is needed, um a phased rollout as appropriate, so there are certainly some collections that we have that would make ultimate sense for uh uh for uh being centralized right away, um, that it's just uh there's not a lot of difference between what happens at our library versus what happens at Hillsborough versus what happens at Sherwood on some of those collections, but others uh we uh may not be phased out as as quickly or phased in as quickly.

So then a system that that allows for some local collection ownership, like I said, um we are willing to hold money and um and buy materials and have a local collection that matches our patrons and our community, and um so we're we will add want to advocate for that, and I do believe that I've we have indications that allow us to believe that that will be possible, and then a community-focused collection as informed by our staff and our patrons, and then involvement is in what is spent on collections at member libraries and input into how that money is broadly allocated among the collection areas.

I feel like I had something about hang on just a second.

Um yes.

So there are benefits to being part of the cooperative.

Um really so access to all items, and so um the um Tualeton owns right at a hundred thousand physical items is in our collection.

The cooperative members' holdings is about 1.5 million.

So we have our patrons, we all have access to all of those, those as opposed to the 100,000 items materials in our system in our library right now.

And that there's a huge benefit to uh to having access to all of that.

I know as a library user, I go on the website, look for women by Kristen Hannah, and put it on hold.

I don't know whether it's at Tualeton or at Forest Grove.

All I know is that I get a notice three days later that my book has shown up, and then oh, I see it's from Cedar Mill.

Um, and it is very seamless to the user.

I know do come in and browse, absolutely, and our local collection is really important and has to be unique to Towalleton, but there is huge value in having access to the entire entire collective.

So a little bit about the funding.

Um it's actually a big huge thing.

Uh so section 16 covers all of this and exhibit C of the operating agreement.

We presented this to you in September of last year.

Basically, it starts with our service population.

So I mentioned that our service population is about 300.

I mean, 300,000.

It's about 30,000.

And then we're given a number of FTE units, and our ours is 15.

And there was a calculation around that.

Um, and then that is multiplied by a number that so it's 128,000 and per unit, and that is an average of what the in the the members, not the non-pro not the nonprofit members, but the all the member libraries of what um an FTE is with the all the overhead.

So what it costs to provide the base service per unit.

So that's multiplied 15 times 128,000.

We get our base service allocation of 1.9 million.

Then there was a shoring up.

So they wanted uh we determined that every library would get at least a 5% bump from what we're where we are currently at.

So Tualaton in the 2526 budget is was uh at around 1.9 million, um, actually a little less.

So they gave us a 5% bump, which is 57,000.

So our proposed allocation is just a little over 2 million dollars, and that is the base for year one, and then everything escalates after on top of year one.

So year one, 26, 27, 2 million dollars and change is our allocation, and that's again documented in 16.3.1, the allocation model.

Um 16 also talks about the purpose of funds.

We mentioned this um a minute ago, the provision of library services, the base service levels, the allowable costs, so we can use that for overhead, administrative charges, routine building maintenance, furniture fixtures, and equipment.

We cannot use it for capital improvement.

Um WCCLS will maintain a three-month fund balance, which is different than what the county policy is.

It is smaller.

Um and a number of libraries argued for a smaller fund balance because um then the county has because we all have our own fund balances, and so that ended up being less than the county.

They agreed to that.

And then the funding distribution of how it how the funds will be allocated, and then the revenue in years two through five, how that would be escalated or reduced.

And there's a chart that um talks about like if the general fund, the county general fund and the levy see an increase, then our allocations increase by that same percentage.

If the general fund and the levy are flat, then our allocations are held flat.

If the general fund and the levy decrease, then our allocations are decreased by that same percentage.

Uh-huh.

Council Brooks.

I feel like it's a lot of information.

I have like questions piling up in my head a little bit here.

I just it's just as I just want to understand the first thing, which is the um amount of people that they're estimating that we have in our community.

Um I can understand for residents, but we have we always talk about we have more people that come in to work here, 30,000, I think, a day than we have residents of 28,000.

And my other question around that is um I know that we have more people that live here now than in Forest Grove.

The Forest Groves numbers are are bigger than ours for some reason.

So that was just a quick a quick look.

Um so I'm just kind of curious about those the numbers, the allocation numbers, and then I guess the reason why I just had to stop here is they're already um having a downturn in their general fund as we speak.

So I don't understand how you have a baseline.

Like I don't I don't quite understand where we are right now.

So the general fund increase or decrease is intended to be the property tax increase or decrease, and we are not in a decrease of property tax.

No.

So that yeah, so it like whatever the projection is, which they projected like four percent uh for the coming year for 2627, um the general general fund property tax increase.

So you so we're saying it's the general fund, not the reality of the general fund, but what the the property tax the factors are of the general fund?

Okay, yes, okay.

And that is certainly true for the levy, because the levy is calculated at uh like from the a pro um it's a property tax value.

Yeah, exactly.

Um that was my one, and then I have a question just about like you talked about doing our own collection, still maintaining one, or if we can get that across the um I'm confused about the collections because I know that we have like we have those book sales that we do to benefit the library, and then we have the for the foundation, um and um I'm kind of like we have a way that we can already get books um from other libraries right now.

Um so just don't understand what the difference is between centralizing our collection and having the whole like we can already act access books from other libraries right now, so I don't I don't understand the difference here exactly.

I'm just not clear.

Can we come back?

Yeah, we can.

I just am just confused.

So those are those were just my questions that came up.

Because I'm trying to hold questions to the end because she might have the answer questions.

Yeah, because she's got Sheryl's got a lot more slides.

Okay.

Just write down the questions.

Sorry.

But Council Saka, do you need it right now?

Well, just real quick, because you just like you said in the way that it's intended, the general fund is intended.

And so that uh that specific, I guess, language, is that the way it's written?

No.

Okay.

So this next slide.

Okay.

I segue.

So total projected revenue is the local oper option levy revenue plus the delinquent local option levy taxes, plus the county general fund transfer equals the total revenue.

Transfer.

And what is written in the agreement is projected county general fund transfers are determined through the county's annual budget process.

That is a risk.

It's a it's a risk.

Um the this chart is the example of what is forecast, but that is what is written.

And the county has adamantly said the board of county commissioners has said that they will not commit a dollar amount to that that it is there through their annual budget process.

So in the asks at the end, um I personally think that this is the biggest risk of the entire both of the IGAs.

If we're I said in the former slide that the 45% is the county general fund of the 51 million, and that if I mean that 45% is a lot, and if they determined that they are going to take that away, um we can't sustain our library, but nobody can.

Like that that is that is the cooperative.

Um so that is the biggest risk.

I will say that that even through these last three years of budget cuts.

So they've had the county has had huge budget holes, and they have continued to transfer from the general fund to WCCLS, and we have seen an increase every year in our allocation.

They have they have maintained that, and they have maintained their commitment to the digital collection, even in budget cuts.

So if that history is, you know, is comforting at all, they have maintained that commitment in huge budget cuts.

But the increases weren't as high as they were supposed to be.

They were not.

They were not.

We got two percent, we got two percent one year and one percent one year.

No, she's got more.

Okay, sorry.

Uh revenue from user fees.

So we retain the um uh if we collect revenues fees, we could we keep them adjustments and distributions.

So I don't think this would ever apply to us because we don't have a branch.

Lib Hillsborough and Beaverton both have branches.

Um, but if you open an additional branch, you don't get additional um money in this in the term of this agreement.

And if you close a branch, you must maintain at least one service outlet.

But um, if you close a branch, you don't get a decrease either.

And then they'll distribute the money quarterly.

Um, to talk about the structure of governance.

So um this this is the structure for the cooperative, not our local library.

So when we say the governing body is the Washington County Board of Commissioners, that doesn't mean the board of county commissioners is the governing body for our local library.

You are the governing body for our local library.

Um you determine the budget, you determine what happens, we determine what happens.

Um Tualeton staff or our our staff, but for the WCCLS, the governing body is Washington County.

Um then there's an executive board, so that's outlined in section four of the governance IGA.

It's 12 voting members representing the 12 contractors, and it's the city manager or designee, and then there's a number of non-voting members, including the Washington County administration, the WCCLS manager, and then the chair and vice chair of the library leadership group.

Then the library leadership group is also outlined in the governance um IgA, same type of thing, 12 voting members, and it's the library director or manager or designee, and then non-voting member is the WCCLS manager, and then um WCCLS is um has its own section of governance.

So the exec board roles and responsibilities have three main ones, and then there's a number of things outlined under each one of these.

Um strategic leadership oversight and accountability for the cooperative.

Um the liaison to our local organizations and governing bodies, an advisory to the board of county commissioners, the county administrator, and the WCCLS manager.

Um there's a schedule of meetings not fewer than four times a year, election of officers, quorum, voting.

I put in here one vote per member of the exec board.

There's been a movement primarily the larger libraries that has not been supported by everybody else to have weighted votes, um, and um Tualetin has not supported that, and what's ended up in the IGA is one vote per member of the exec board, and then there's some information about adding or subtracting members.

The library leadership group, which was formerly called the policy group in the existing IGA that this replaces has operational leadership and subject matter expertise for the cooperative, liaison to local staff, community members, and advisory groups, and then advisory to the exec board and WCCLS manager.

Again, there's a number of things, other things that are addressed, including that they meet monthly or as needed, and then again they get one vote each.

And there's a lot of detail under each one of these 5.4.1, and I see another typo in there.

I'm sorry.

And then WCCLS has a list of roles and responsibilities as well.

So they are responsible for funding, infrastructure, leadership, collaboration, coordination, subject matter expertise in providing infrastructure and cooperative-wide library services.

They are the steward of WCCLS resources and services that link all the libraries, and then they're the liaison between the board, the administrator, the exec board, and the library leadership.

So decision making is um is listed out fairly well.

I um the so it's in section 7 as well as an attachment A, the decision-making matrix in the governance IGA.

So collective decisions are defined as actions or recommendations that materially affect the cooperative governance governance funding and services.

And then 7.2 outlines the decision making structure, and then a voting mechanism for collective decisions.

We're requiring two-thirds majority vote.

That became very important through this process, and we all realize and agree that the two-thirds majority vote is important to maintain, and then failure to achieve a two-thirds majority vote.

Um, there's a process for when that happens.

And so then attachment A in the governance IGA talks about collective decisions and has a long list of what the collective decisions are, and then local decisions, which it has a list of of those as well, which we agree with, and then the WCCLS decisions, which are much more limited, but in paper.

And this is I'm almost done.

Section 17 of the operating agreement.

So we're back to the operating agreement, uh, talks about accountability.

So we have shared reporting requirements.

Uh we have to demonstrate compliance with the agreements related to use of the library funds and delivery of the base service levels.

We agree with this.

It is important to be accountable for all of us to be accountable.

Um, having ongoing communications, and then a cooperative process for addressing issues.

Um this did not exist anywhere in any of the IGAs.

Um it is a little loose, and we would like it tightened up to look more like a dispute resolution process.

Um, but it it is important to have something like this in uh in the IGA.

So if we were to go through the IGAs, you would see that I covered almost everything except for some of the more legalese.

Um happy to talk through any of those if you would like.

And Kevin is here, he's had his eyes on it.

Um what's next?

By May 1st, so this Friday, our feedback, our initial feedback and comments are due to the county.

So uh Kevin has had his eyes on it, like I said, information services, Bates has had has comments, our risk management team has looked at it, um, uh subject matter expert review, Jerry Ann looked at it.

We've had um others in the library with the eyes on it.

Your comments will be included in that.

Um we have two opportunities for additional work sessions if we need, and um and we can talk through that more.

On May 12th, the board is looking at it again and to discuss our feedback, and then on 26th, they are set to adopt the member recommendations and move forward with the signature process.

And then on June 30, our current levy expires.

Um I will say that it, and you may have questions about this.

It is important that we sign an IGA.

We do not want to be under the existing IGA or extend the existing IGA, the operating IGA, because the funding formula is so vastly different and is not in our best interest.

So it it it is important that at least for the operating IGA and the governance IGA is we don't have a ton of comments on the oper on the governance IGA.

But anyway, the um the current levy expires June 30th, and in order to get the money under the new formula, funding allocation formula.

Um we need to be a party to the agreement.

I'm done.

I'm sorry.

I know that was so much detail.

Oh, do I think that's the same?

Oh, yes, ask the council.

Thank you.

So this is an initial list.

So advocate for sustained commitment from the county general fund to the WCCLS.

Um, there's people running for uh county commission.

Um you have your connections.

I that is a super important aspect of that the county continues to maintain their commitment to the general fund transfer.

Also advocate that Washington County commit to maintaining community-focused local library collections and then commit to involving us in annually determining the amount to be spent on collections at our library and input into how that money is broadly allocated among collection areas, and then reinforce the need for and the importance of strong communication and ongoing collaboration uh throughout the cooperative.

That's our initial list.

All right, thanks.

All right, all right.

So I'll go ahead and open to the floor for public comment on the WCCLS draft.

Um governor's their agreements.

So I have signed up.

I have the Tualton Library Foundation, Emily.

And then after Emily, you do not have to be signed up.

You can come on up if you're in the room or raise your hand in Zoom.

Try to keep your comments to three to five minutes, please.

Well, it's a pleasure to be here this evening.

My name is Emily Yonker, and my husband and I moved to the Twalleton area about eight years ago for work purposes, and we have loved it and don't have any intention of going anywhere else anytime soon.

I have been involved on the Tualetin Library Foundation board, and I am actually the treasurer, and I'm here to represent the board.

Um we had a meeting last Thursday discussing this, and uh I have come prepared with a statement uh from our foundation.

Um as a board, we are unanimously opposed to the Washington County corporate library services intergovernment agreement as it currently stands.

The libraries in Washington County are independent community and nonprofit libraries who contract with Washington County for certain services.

We do not have a county library system, nor have the voters in the cities and service areas voted to create such a service or system.

This IGA would remove the power to purchase the materials in all the libraries located in the Washington County from the individual community libraries and give that power to the WCCLS.

While the IGA states that the individual libraries can provide input, the WCCLS can ignore that input or just go along with a couple of other libraries and what they want and not what Towalleton wants.

We believe that we should retain the community-focused local library collections within the community and not let a committee of county members who don't spend any time getting to know us or our needs make those decisions.

The IGA would take away our choice of what is or is not on our shelves.

However, it doesn't take away the accountability.

As a community library, the city retains accountability in any dispute, and we shouldn't have to defend choices made by the county.

We as the library foundation appreciate the connectivity that is provided by being a county library within Washington County.

There is great benefit in having the interlibrary lending options so that we can access all of the materials.

But we believe it is in our community's best interest to retain as much control of the library as possible without the county overreaching into areas of our community.

This is our library in our community and should remain under our control as much as possible.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else in the room would like to provide comment.

I'm not seeing hands.

Is there anyone in Zoom, Nicole?

Those folks in Zoom, this is your opportunity to raise your hand, I'll give you another shot just in case.

I've seen hands go up.

All right.

With that, we'll move on to the barrage of questions for Sherlin and/or our city attorney, because I know I've got some, but I'll open it to the floor first for questions, comments, discussion.

Council Gonzalez.

I'm gonna go with comments.

Okay.

I know that when we met initially and talked about this, we knew that it almost we're almost tied.

We have to almost do this.

We cannot fund our own library as to Walleton can, so it sucks.

Uh this organizational chart that was displayed is just so arduous.

It it reminds me of the state's general fund that when there is issues with not funding police or fire or sometimes schools, it because the general fund isn't probably funded, then we are gonna be in a bad position.

And this just adds one more service under that general fund.

I know it's a local general fund, and the WCCL has been probably funded based on what you said, but it it is a thick bureaucracy.

You know, before this had happened, to Walleton at one time maybe funded its own library, but now we'll we really truly need to think about fundraising and having our own money just to meet the gap because you know, when the general fund gets stressed for whatever reason, we will suffer.

And I hate to say it because it's it's very cynical, and I understand that, but government has a bad track record.

So and here we are gonna be part of that big pool of money.

I I really wish that um this meeting could have been broken up in two, because this was a lot of information.

Um and we could have come prepared, but I know that this needs to be signed, and it's if I had a vote right now, I'm gonna say no in me, and that's not what we're asking right now, but uh I am really concerned about this that we're gonna lose our local control, and we're gonna be having to go talk to a council person and advocate for them for what just to fund our minimum requirements that we need for our constituents.

So this is just to me a bad situation, but I understand it, and it's better bad situation.

Others, Councillor Sacco.

I have a long list, I'm sorry.

Um so in um so in the the chart that that breaks down what everybody gets.

Um I'm sorry, I should know this, but so the 17 million that goes to WCCLS.

What else that pay for?

Like in broad strokes, not in detail.

It pays for all of the stuff that they uh that that is in the operating agreement that they provide.

So um hang on.

In section 10.

Um, so it includes collection.

Um courier service, okay, which includes like facilit physical sites and all the things that go into the the equipment, um, the reciprocal borrowing agreements, the entire network.

Um just out of curiosity, how many salaries does that pay for?

How many salaries does WCCLS have?

Um I don't know.

Maybe sorry, I could get that.

But it's um fairly thin organized.

Okay.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Uh I can we can find that out.

Okay, okay, thank you.

Um I should say a lot of that is you can go to reach.

Can you go to the mic?

Sorry.

Yeah.

Um that amount is not only you know spent within WCCLS, a lot of it is redistributed among the member libraries.

So um that's not just internal spending for them.

Okay, so is that then in addition to the like because in that chart there was like you know, post all the cities, and then 17 million WCCLS.

And so I guess is more of that distributed out then.

The 17 million is WCCLS's budget, but that also includes the reserve.

Okay.

And it includes it includes their salary, it includes the fiscal sites, it includes the courier service, it includes collection, um, and all of the information network.

Okay.

So um it includes collection.

So how um so the going to this um idea of you know the centralized collection, and then we would retain some and I um of our own local collection.

What um what percentage would we then retain as our own local collection?

And how is that funding different between the centralized collection and the local collection?

That is yet to be determined, and the but the 17 million does include uh funding for a consolidated collection.

So they would they do the collection development, they would buy the materials and uh hopefully with our input and like that's what we're fighting for, but the and then the amounts for every city, we can spend that as we as we determine.

So if we want to spend it on some local collection, we can.

Okay, I believe.

I think we are still in that um all the libraries uh have had their meetings with the consultants.

We are still waiting for to hear their recommendations, but um we have in our conversations with them, we have heard um that they understand that there are a lot of individual concerns at each library.

We don't all do things the same way.

Um we um excuse me, and so um and July 1st of 2027, all the things that we still own that we purchased are still ours.

Um if there are things being purchased cooperatively that are um from the cooperative that become you know part of what's available on our shelves, the ownership right now is WCCLS, but there's they still haven't worked out mechanisms like what happens with the accession and and what happens with those items, who makes those determinations?

Um there's a lot of unanswered things um to be worked out on the plans.

Okay, that's good.

Um and so the work that the foundation does, does all that work stay within Tualetin still a hundred percent?

There's been no mention of local support groups having to um allocate centrally.

Okay, okay, perfect.

Oh yeah, as it relates to the collection and that what they purchase, okay.

Thank you.

Um so with this new agreement, are we going to see open uh fewer open hours and will our service levels decrease?

Absolutely not.

Okay.

Um what reassurance do we have?

I mean, it's part of our budget process.

It's like our our uh our like that's what we're funding.

We're funding the hours, we're funding the services, like you'll see it in the budget committee meetings and like the so if anybody had any questions and every those budget commit committee meetings are coming up in May, yes, and they're able to attend.

Yes.

Yeah, but just I want to can I dovetail to your question?

So the lo when we alluded to the general fund transfer say the county's expectations doesn't meet reality of what's gonna happen that year.

They decrease to general fund transfer, we would then have to make it up, have our budget to keep the library whole, correct?

Presumably, we take the hit for that to keep our hours and keep our library open.

If we take a cut from in our distribution from our two million dollar distribution, and so we have a 2.9 million dollar budget in the library this year, um, and we got less than two million from the county, we would have to find a way to make that up.

keep the library whole correct presumably we take the hit for that to keep our hours and keep our library open if we take a cut from in our distribution from our two million dollar distribution and so we have a 2.9 million dollar budget in the library this year um and we got less than two million from the county we would have to find a way to make that up so that your counselor suck I just want to make that point yeah thank you um so going um back to the the the biggest risk that that you mentioned um projected county general fund transfers are determined through the county's annual budget process so um so how do we mitigate those risks and besides just advocacy I mean what other steps can we take I do not have an answer for that I do not have an answer for that they have been very clear that they will not put a guarantee in to the IGA other than year one um okay I'll have to think about that for a second um so you mentioned that um there was there was a there was conversation about bringing up weighted votes um that seems a little bit um I guess I don't want to I don't want to say that anybody has poor intentions but I guess just in any context that seems a little bit like a power grab um where if you have more if you're if you're bigger um and you want more say um and then that you know and so I and I understand that that's not what was written in but um is there anything in the details that uh maybe we didn't see um that would cause pause that there are um that maybe the bigger cities are getting more than bargain for any sort of um I guess risk um with any larger cities taking more having more of a power grab in with with the way that the language is written today that that isn't that isn't I guess in our face that we wouldn't necessarily see not from towellatin's perspective um I think that is not uh so there have been issues between Bieberton and Aloha um that that is the primary um area that has been um challenging of who's responsible for what areas and that service that service area and um a Loa has been very frustrated through this process um but I none of those um I impact Walleton um any grabs I mean we've had good conversations with Tiger about Durham we've had good short conversations with Sherwood about the Basalt Creek area very collaborative discussions and I mean at the end of the day um you know is it a risk that the the bigger libraries I I mean they have their own arguments that that they provide many more resources and that they're there's a reason why they're big and that they should get more but I think the language protects that one vote okay um two more for now um so the um the boundaries so if I if I understand this correctly um previous to this agreement were we funded by by the boundary no and now we are funded by the boundary and I saw the math of course but um so if our boundary does that include our clackamas county are all of it includes all of our toiletin yes folks okay and um I guess I'm just concerned about I I think Counselor Brooks said it earlier people coming in coming I know that's with every city um however um you know just it's it's concerning that um you know how that's gonna play out as far as how many visits and and all of those things and are we really getting funded to the level that we need that we need to be funded so when we we the consultant did an extensive like equity analysis of um that took into account a lot of um a lot of different factors and ultimately it it was super unclear and it skewed the the numbers and like the it just became overburdened and so we all went back to this is the simplest clearest cleanest for most and preserves the has a a symbolism of I mean there's defen it's defensible my last question um and it's just clarification so um there was a mention of uh the funds couldn't be used for the actual buildings is that a change or is that just that's how it's always always been

Um my last question, um it's just a clarification.

So um there was a mention of uh the funds couldn't be used for the actual buildings.

Is that a change or is that just that's how it's always been how it's been?

All right, I think that's it.

Council Hillier.

Thank you.

Um so um tried not to duplicate anything.

Um so I think on page 13 you had a list of things in the um in the um what was that the operating or the sorry one of the agreements yeah the uh gov yeah the operating and so I'm curious what's the timeline to get answers on those questions as far as um sorry I kind of got out of there sorry let me pop back over there um page 13 I think it was you had said we're advocating in the collection project the time for timeline adjustment and flexibility as needed, the phased rollout as appropriate, a system that allows from for some local collection ownership, a community focused collection as informed by our staff and patrons, an involvement in what is spent on collections at member libraries and input into how that money is broadly allocated among collection areas.

So do we have a timeline for those answers?

I mean, like is it before June 30th of this year?

Well, so what the heck, right?

I mean, we're in the process of I mean we're in this centralization collection centralization project that is not supposed to, it's not gonna be like turned on until July 1st, 27.

So like we've got a year and more to go.

Um but the funding that that list of funding that goes into effect on July 1st is based on it takes into account the savings that are anticipated.

So these two million dollars a year, right?

The two million dollars a year savings, but yet we still don't have answers about any local control for that, even when we sign it, because I think it's evident we have to sign it.

I think it's certainly a can an onus on us to advocate in a whole lot of ways.

Because I mean I remember Commissioner Tree sitting here and talking about the cost of the digital collection, you know, all these different things, and it's like, well, I sure wish there'd been a little more transparency at that moment, or maybe they didn't know.

I mean, I think that's possible that you know when you have consultants, they uncover different things, and I I understand that, but I'm I'm just not sure it's in the best interests of our community, but anyway.

Um do you so we've talked about this the savings um like if um beaverton has a satellite one, they get their allocation, they close the satellite one, they still get to keep the money.

Well, so do you think that clause is an advantage or a disadvantage?

Like if we decide to shut something down and we just keep the money, do we shift it or you they have to keep one?

But if there were other examples of if you take an FTE, I thought maybe you'd said Tiger was shifting something and they kept money.

And they just with the centralization project.

So um sorry, I'm I'm sorry, I think.

No, I'm probably confused.

I'm so sorry.

Um with the centralization project, whatever savings we find locally by shifting collection development to the county, we get to keep those savings.

So the county will now be funding the purchase of the materials where we have 210,000 in our budget to fund materials.

So we technically like that's going the the responsibility and the and the county is budgeting for that, but we have it in our budget, so we could technically use it for something else.

Sure.

So when you say our budget, is that the money that when we as counselor when we as the community go through the Tualeton city budget that we allocate to the library?

It's not yes so it's not what they're giving us.

It's all kind of mixed up together but like our library budget is made up of our general fund contribution and the county the WCCLS transfer as well as Quackamas County transfer.

So those braided funds are fun aren't they but that's all part of our general fund but yes you ultimately you council ultimately decide the library budget um okay so you you think it's an advantage that the that that is acceptable that stands out to me as a concern and maybe I just am it's because I I'm not understanding the process as well but that's okay I can continue to learn more.

And I fully agree that you need to push for some sort of resolution clause in there I think that um even with the best partners clearly it sounds like Wilsonville and Sherwood are being great partners with us for all things but there needs to be some sort of the yeah I'm concerned about that's enough thanks okay I don't know I can okay counselor thank you Sherlin um and team from the library just comments and maybe a few questions of clarification so I can understand I really believe um our lar our library I've been to several of these libraries I I visit them just like Hillsborough and Beaverton I feel that our library is very robust there's always people there I'm not I mean I'm not discrediting maybe I'll go on the wrong time when I because I'm in that area a lot but it's not as robust and there's like ours and I I go based on what I see if I see a lot of people I'm like whoa there's something's going on here um when I you you mentioned something that there's gonna be a lot of um commissioners running or a lot of that going on who and I know you you mentioned the manager and library uh manager director sit on this commissioning boards is that from do we it was that the role of our library director to sit on that board of the commissioners that are making decisions the decision makers do you sit on that as so I sit on the executive board and the library director sits on the library leadership group and you are making decisions as well when you're so when they propose to say we want to add a LoA into this coalition you that's you get to say so or you get to vote on that or is that kind of like not that decision that is a board of county commissioners decision oversight in the commission.

Right but I'm wondering who are these ultimate oversight is that Commissioner Snyder I mean I mean like who and then and who else what other commissioner like the Clackamas commit like no just him just Washington County Commission.

The whole the board of commissioners so Schneider okay can we say their name Lily Safe Camtrees and Jason Snyder so they make decisions for all the libraries within our yes and they're trying to take more control over it.

Right I understand that they're trying to control but I like I thought we so no one's representing us in that like there they don't have like representations of city and I'm just I'm just trying to understand the governance and decision makers and people that decide who joins the WCCALS group like I know that aloha what it was uh added I know something planes was added uh then there weren't part of the they're not a city they're not established they're not like um I remember this I don't know if that's if I'm correct if I'm wrong you're right but I remember that that was part of the that we were talking about um sorry that um that they were gonna get a portion thank you portion of money or funds from this coalition even though they weren't part of the they were not established cities right there's three nonprofit nonprofits libraries cedar heels that's the other one Cedar Mill garden home and ALOA okay so I just want to make sure that um it I'm clear because I wanted to like because I will speak up and I know that you know so you you said if you can speak up in advocacy and do I will do that because it's not fair like we were talking about that it seems to me that it's not fair obviously um that was one clarification of decision making I saw Beaverton twice is that um

So I just want to make sure that um it I'm clear because I wanted to like I will speak up, and I know that you know, so you you said if you can speak up in advocacy and do I will do that because it's not fair, like we were talking about that.

Um it seems to me that it's not fair, obviously.

Um that was one clarification of decision making.

I saw Beaverton twice.

Is that um on the map that you showed?

Yes, they have two locations.

They have a branch, they have their main library and then a branch library.

And a branch, and they're closing one.

No, they're not closing anything.

And they're still getting funds at the it's based on service area, uh-huh.

And so their service area, and then they get every city gets to choose how they serve their area.

So Beaverton has chosen to have a branch library, and but they get the same amount of money for that service area.

Okay, so it's not like they're getting a portion of the extra money for the branch.

No, thank you.

Thank you.

All right, just clear like I say clarification because there's not a lot we should have a lot of clarification uh for me as far as decision makers and governance.

Um then if I can go and advocate because we need to um it's sucks.

And if we get to that point where we lose your if we get to the point where those two million dollars are decided that the two million dollars that we're getting from the city from the county are decided to be cut, that's gonna be the problem.

Right.

That's that's and we we still don't know where we're gonna get that if that happens.

And it wouldn't be the full two million because like I mentioned the the levy is separate.

That we're gonna get that, and so that's 55% of the total, and the 45% is the county general fund commitment.

So that's what's you know uh technically at risk at risk is the what the county general fund puts into it.

But the 55% of it, which I'm not saying that we if they if the county took away the full general fund support, it like 40 we're left with 45 percent.

I that wouldn't uh we would have a terrible time.

Right.

Like we thank you.

I hope our city people out there are listening and choose wisely in November or whenever we're voting.

Thank you.

All right.

Thanks.

Um I don't understand how the population is determined exactly.

So um I think it would be good for us to have the numbers of what our city is losing and gaining compared to the other cities.

Some of the concerns that I have in situations like this is that we'll do a really good job scrumping and saving um on programs, and then less efficient programs get funded from efficient programs until the efficient programs break, and then everything is terrible.

And I've been in libraries across the country that look um underfunded by looking at them and by being in them.

Um because they can't really afford to be keeping them up, you know.

So I think it's really great that we have a foundation.

Um I guess we're fortunate too that we have um uh a a small percentage from Clackmas County.

Um I don't really know the choice points exactly because um we have a testimony that has a unanimous vote to not sign this, and I imagine they're smart people.

So I don't know where where we would.

I don't know what the like if we didn't sign what money we have, what gaps, and how important it is to our community to have our own collection.

Um is it GoFundMe important for the library?

Like, I don't know, I don't know all these answers right now.

I do think that them releasing this at this short of a timeline is pretty bad.

I am curious if Commissioner Schneider has shown up to any library foundation meetings or concerned citizens' meetings at our library about these questions.

And I think that you know that open house type of a thing with whoever we can invite all of them to the community to ask these questions because this is a very I mean we we're losing, and then I'm just gonna speak to like the elephant in the room too.

Like uh commitment, professionalism, et cetera, of long-term employees.

Um that's hard to put a price tag on.

We're already losing in this moment, in my opinion, and it's something sideways about this whole conversation, and I don't feel clear enough on this conversation right now.

Um about what our choices actually are and exactly what the community thinks about this in this moment.

Um I don't want to be, I'm also irritated because I feel like there's been several times now where our community is like the side hustle of the county, frankly.

And um, when something's not working out at the county, somehow we're getting the the short end of the stick.

Um I don't know where why exactly that's going on, but um I think that advocacy is really important.

I'm not ready to be saying I'm doing anything for this agreement until there's some answers that we have to the questions that you've raised about having our own collection, about what determines this particular thing, what this budget shortfall has to do with this overall numbers that we're dealing with.

It's there's so much vagary, and it'd be different if you know, like we didn't just get um STIP pro programs just thrown on our list without ever even being told about it.

Um so I'm at the point where I don't trust them to follow their word, and um it seems to be getting more complicated by the day, and the biggest concern I have is doing really good work, people doing really really good work, and instead of being rewarded for it, you get penalized for it by supporting things that might not be as efficient and effective.

So those are my concerns right now.

It's not really question, I guess, but there's too many questions on this for me.

Like this is I don't think I've ever had a presentation like this here.

Thanks.

It's a present print.

All right.

Okay, so it's been a while since we got a presentation, and the last one we got, it had I'm just trying to clarify like this allocation because it showed a low getting this huge amount of blah de blah.

So are you saying that now the whole allocation is based just on this pop service area that they've determined?

The formula is based just on our determined service area.

Is that correct?

Or we're no, it's it's service area and then FTE units and then cost per unit.

All those things go into So how did they determine FTE units?

It it is a is a factor of the the service population.

So it's the same thing basically essentially.

They're just it it's okay.

That's okay.

We don't have to go into that detail, but it's more just based on that, what you showed tonight.

It's what it cost to an average cost to serve the population for the base, the base service level.

But it was looked at just where they determined a service area, not like I know there's a lot of Lake Oswego people that come to our library.

We just serviced a ton of people from Tiger.

So the actual use wasn't taken into consideration.

Right.

Okay.

So that seems a little inequitable there, but okay, they came up with a formula.

Um when Commissioner Snyder and Commissioner Therese were here, so what happened is there, you know, like you showed that money, there was an old levy, then ballot measure 50, it went in the general fund and they allocated it to what three years ago, and then all of a sudden they took some of that money because they were short, and then they passed this levy, which had a huge increase in it.

So okay, we're we're we'll be guaranteed that levy money, but when they were here, they were very clear that they would not say they were gonna, you know, that general fund money wouldn't be dipped into further.

So I have a huge concern about that.

I mean they didn't even say they'd try not to, so it seems likely that will be the outcome in future years.

Um I'm not understanding why the big rush when to allocate this money when the savings can't come until this the service starts in 27.

So that's confusing to me.

Like, why do we have to sign this IGA now when there's all these we don't even know how it's gonna work?

It's it's well we don't know how the all the collection centralization piece will work, but the the levy expires on June 30th.

Right.

And so we need to be in a new IGA to allocate the levy funding.

So is it is that all we really need to do?

Because I I we're at we're being asked to sign something that's not clear.

It's it's just I don't know how we can do that.

I mean, I it's like sign this unknown thing.

I I mean with no parameters.

It's not an unknown thing.

It that's like the centralization project is there's there are questions about that, but that is a a piece of it.

Well well, like on the well, on the other part with the voting stuff, though, it seems like um from my understanding the process so far, like you should have had your executive committee should have had votes and input, but um it doesn't seem like that's necessarily what happened, and that um input was not collected.

I mean, I'm not hearing anything about any community outreach on this other than they came and maybe talked to the councils once that I mean it's like it's it's the whole thing we fight at with the state where they just say boom, you're doing this, and and then um and on the uniqueness, you know.

I you I think you sent something that there was a survey, and I a large percentage of the people, the uniqueness, and we hear this on the CAC, the uniqueness of our community is very important to our community, and this is taking it away.

I don't I don't I I would I would push back on that that it's taking that away.

I the I mean the centralization project has some unknowns that we will continue to fight for, but the the IGA as a whole, the operating IGA and the governance IGA is much is much more clear and then what we're currently under.

The decision making process is much more clear than what we're under.

Like okay, on the operating one, then is there a um I guess I would ask that if um if that decision making process isn't fouled as it should be, what what's the um way to deal with that?

Is that uh a great question, and what's in the accountability right in the accountability section right now, it it describes a process for raising that issue.

We think there should be a stronger dispute resolution process, right?

Um yeah.

Okay, and then um back to the I'll go to the collections, I'm trying to get through this.

Um what concerns me, uh I I get I guess and I get some of the centralization of the you know the fiction and things that everybody, every library would want, but it it seems so unclear if we have any autonomy to to get the books that are like our community probably wants different books than banks would generally want, you know.

We probably want less books on agricultural things, and so I I'm concerned about that.

I'm concerned about our collection of things, our makerspace, like what what's what is getting taken away from us there?

Yeah, we don't know yet.

Um so once again, we're asking being asked to agree to what we don't know.

What so far what seems to be on what seems to be on the table.

The makerspace is a program, it is not a collection, and so that that is not that's part of library.

But yes, we have a library of things, some libraries do, some libraries don't.

We have the best board game collection in the county.

Um we have some other unique things.

We don't we believe there will, you know, that centralization won't touch those, and it will be up to us to decide that that is something we're going to continue.

That's still a TBA because the process has not been set out.

But because we own all of that now.

We own that.

I mean transferred to the county.

I know, but adding to that collection, is that something we still have the autonomy to do?

We believe so.

Yes.

We can my understanding is the budget we have, we can determine what we are what we are doing with it.

It's the mechanism.

We don't know how how deep they're going with the centralization yet.

Okay.

Um we believe we'll still have some ability to have some local.

And then is I know it started out with centralization was going to be cost saving, but then somewhere along the line or it's something that that isn't necessarily the case.

So do we know it's going to save money?

We have not ground, I have not ground-truth that.

Okay.

What there was uh an effort to understand what all of the all of the libraries were investing in collection development.

And so like nine employees here and six employees there, and four employees here.

And if the and the county is hiring like a certain number, let's say five, to do all the work of that was happening independently at all these libraries.

But they're taking funds to do that.

And that's part of their 17 million.

Um I guess I'll just get to the bottom line here.

Like if it's so unclear, but what are the ramifications if we don't sign these?

Because this is really hard to say yes to something that is like a muddle.

We don't get the funds.

Sorry, but that's the bottom line.

You know, this is from what I'm hearing, that's that's what it appears.

I I I reviewed both of these.

I have a bunch of questions for a lot of it are our legal terminology, things like the indemnification clauses and the governing and operating agreements.

They're they're substantially different and they should be substantially similar, if not the same.

I understand they might be a little different.

Uh there's some one big problem I see in here potentially.

Uh I I did note the lack of a dispute resolution process in the operating agreement.

There is a it looks like a in 17.4, there's a cooperative process for addressing issues.

Um it's a little vague if a contractor can't meet obligations under the agreement, or they have an issue with cooperative-wide policies.

But I don't I didn't see that that addressed if there was a alleged breach of contract by a contract uh this agreement by a contract or there's no dispute resolution process.

Obviously, the big question about if uh the board decides they don't have that 45% they want to allocate substantially less than we're uh we normally get, there's apparently not going to be a mediation process agreed to.

I no I haven't talked to the county.

I imagine that their reasoning would be that they have to follow budget law, they have to provide provide a balanced budget and having a contractor or contractors that could potentially subvert that and force them to divert funds to this when they didn't have it for other things.

I I would imagine they want to make those decisions, but I haven't spoken to anybody at the county.

I haven't spoken to any of the other contractor attorneys or the county attorney.

That seems like that might take a while to have attorneys agree on anything.

I don't know how many attorneys I'm even going to have to talk to.

This is true.

Uh the process of having to look at this.

But I think the the biggest thing I see in the operating agreement since section 18, that's the termination.

That's where I was going is on that.

And I won't take up the whole time here, but I the the biggest issue, and I will want to speak about this, but it says the county may terminate this agreement effective the end of any fiscal year upon 60 days notice if in the county's sole and reasonable discretion continuation of the agreement is not in the public interest or sufficient funds are not appropriated or otherwise available.

So there's a there's a non-appropriation clause, and then there's another what looks to be this public interest, which is a termination in my reading, a termination for convenience.

So the county can terminate it for any or no reason.

I'm I could read this is that the county has the ability to terminate it as to an individual contractor.

That's one things we want to talk to.

So if we had a contractor that was potentially a squeaky wheel or an executive board that were squeaky wheels, could the county using this language terminate individual contractors, which chills uh potentially the leadership group or the executive board's recommending power, any kind of maybe cooperative process for addressing issues, it might be that a contractor would not want to bring up issues if potentially the county could just terminate your participation.

And I'm I'm not saying that is how it's been well that's what lawyers to look for the worst case scenario.

But there is there is clearly a termination for convenience clause that the county can terminate this agreement either as to all parties or individual contractors for any or no reason.

Okay, and that's an issue because it affects contractors, the termination affects us much more than it affects the county.

And so the fact that our taxpayers are paying their property taxes in that library levy, they would just it wouldn't matter, they would just be paying for everybody else at that point.

Okay.

So at this point, you're gonna take our recommendation or are will our comments be shared with the county, and then you'll come back to us with whatever answers they may or may not give you.

Okay.

I guess I'll put it on another agenda.

Okay, thank you, Sherla.

Councillor Gonzalez.

Councillor Gonzalez.

Thank you.

So just to be clear, so we are the contractor, right?

So we we also can cancel in 60 days providing the proper notices, but we're still out that money.

We will still need that money to continue to fund.

And if we're paying our taxes, and we're not getting those dollars, could you even send you that even though this contractor cancels the contract, it does not affect the other contractors either.

So they get to stay in and benefit from that pool of of rep of money.

I think that's the correct reading, counselor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um so would you agree that that should also be in the um other uh outlined in the governance in both agreements?

That it's lacking in both agreements, counselor.

Are you talking about the speaking to the termination language?

Sorry, yes, I'm still on that.

But that's one of the issues we'll we'll have to discuss with the attorneys whether that needs to be in there or not.

There's several issues.

Um I've brought up a few, but uh I do understand in in the governance agreement, uh I I understand the need for a supermajority for the executive board and the leadership group uh that that serves several purposes.

You know, one if there if there are recommendations made to the ultimate decision maker here, and it is the board, uh the the executive board and the leadership group, they they essentially act as one of your boards or commission acts when they report to you as you ultimately make decisions, they make recommendations.

That's what these two groups do in these governing and operating agreements.

The board makes the ultimate decisions.

Um the supermajority it ensures that there's broad consensus among contractors and protects the minority view, uh so you don't have a group of seven uh forcing or sending this recommendations to the board as if it you had broad consensus as to all 13.

Uh but there's one issue I noticed that it may not really be an issue in all is there's a pretty complex uh collective decision matrix that maybe we don't need because I don't know how what decisions the executive board or leadership group would make that weren't really considered collective decision requiring a two-thirds majority, and there's examples given the in the addendum.

So if you get to a meeting and maybe you have the argument on whether it's a collective decision or not, and do you have just a majority vote or is a majority vote required, or do you have to have the supermajority?

There's just issues like that that are outstanding.

Thank you.

And I have one last follow-up to that.

Do you see any places where um there is any sort of um recourse if the county, if WCCLS breaks any part of this contract?

Are there and is there anything glaring or when you review it?

The there is a I think it's in the operating agreement.

But and again it goes back to whether I don't know the whether 17.4 the cooperative process for addressing issues would be if is that was that the intended mechanism for things like that if we if we allege a breach there is no technical dispute resolution process so given that this is an agreement even though again and this is one of the things I will recommend is have this attorney group is set out what our remedies are for breach.

What is what constitutes a material breach versus just a run of the mill breach that may not constitute further legal action but given the lack of any dispute resolution or remedy for material breaches I believe that technically there could be a potential for legal action to a circuit court.

Thank you very much.

Council Brooks might I have um there's also that um part in that that you're talking about the collaborative thing with the escalation um piece that it would have to go to such and such before escalation so I don't know what the definition of that is um and then the other thing is if there was ever a falling out or they determined to just cancel the agreement with us um does that mean they keep our collection like do we lose assets then you know like or is there you know if it was one year into it versus five years into it and my last question is because it just seems very strange that we pushed and we helped get this levy passed that there would be an agreement that we would be asked to participate in that puts our citizens at risk of losing their assets of their library and the money that they put into this levy.

So I don't I don't know what the it just seems like a very strange one way kind of a thing.

I don't believe that's the risk right I mean the risk is the also the millions of dollars but I mean there's if if if you can terminate a contract because of a random I just you know I don't feel like I would have these conversations if it was maybe a while ago but I um I have less trust for the county than I used to unfortunately that's a fair question counselor I I don't think that the uh if if this agreement was terminated by either us or or uh the county uh that they would have access to the uh collections that we had purchased with with city funds um I don't think that would that wouldn't necessarily be the issue and I will state that this is an intergovernmental agreement we're not having this is not a contract with a private party there is an expectation when you're entering into intergovernmental agreements of good faith fair dealing uh being reasonable with one another we have we have as you know many many intergovernmental agreements with other local government cities counties and that's the rule number one is uh you you don't you don't attempt to take advantage of another governmental entity because there are uh uh other agreements out there and uh that potentially could be affected by uh bad faith uh interactions in in one of these other agreements I and I I was just say again I think that community outreach would mitigate a lot of these problems if they would have done due diligence um we would never do something like this without community outreach um even if there was things that we couldn't bridge there's a piece about people not being able to come to their government right now and influence how their government works that is a big conversation in our communities and it feels very like authoritarian and not um approachable and like the small guy getting left out so I just feel very disappointed that they haven't come to our community to talk about this more especially since they asked for our support with the levy and kind of said they would do right by us so I'm just saying it out loud I agree with counselor Brooks I think that we went out there in good faith trusting that they're gonna support us and give us uh the funds that we need to operate and we went up there and um told our community to vote to um pass this levy and here we are in this uh situation that um there's a risk of them deciding based on this projected county general fund transfers are determined through the county's annual budget process so that I just hope that that also is also in the on their part they're um not not breaching but you know

I think that we went out there in good faith, trusting that they're gonna support us and give us uh the funds that we need to operate, and we went out there and um told our community to vote to um pass this levy, and here we are in this uh situation that um there's a risk of them deciding based on this projected county general fund transfers are determined through the county's annual budget process.

So that I just hope that that also is also in the on their part, they're um not not breaching, but you know be accountable for and in good faith of what they came here and talked about at least at one meeting that he uh Commissioner Snyder came and talked about it.

So I hope that uh by signing this agreement or IGM with all those questions that we have and all you know, clarification they honor that that they were not cut any funding for any funds from us, that they would support us in our all of our programs that we not programs, but in whatever in the the things that they fund us.

Um I just to me uh I just um I hope that we're not thinking of uh that they're not gonna come through with this.

I I I really hope that what they say they were gonna do and support us, um with the agre agreement uh comes through.

That's that's kind of like what I'm thinking in that um that it's a it was in good faith and we all went out there and rude it for that, and here we are in this situation.

I I'm just wondering like I know that's a legal term in good faith, and I mean from our lay perspective, that's where our problem lies.

We don't know that we're they're going into this with good faith because they haven't trusted been a trusting partner to us.

So what does good faith mean in the legal sense of the term?

And we've been a trusted partner.

But they have been a trusted partner.

But they they're saying we're gonna do this and can you can take it or have no money.

That's what you were hearing.

You were saying that they have not been a trusted partner.

I uh they they have come through, even when they have had budget cuts, they have increased our our allocation.

They have made a commitment in I they they have.

Like they have been uh a funding partner for us.

Well, they have been a funding partner.

I'm just saying that it feels like we're being dictated to, I guess, is my point.

I would say that there are many things in this agreement that that we advocated for and that we advocated for clarity on roles and responsibilities and that this I these IGAs are full of things that are in our best interest.

That there that there are risks, absolutely.

There are unanswered questions, absolutely.

There are things that needed to be tightened that need to be tightened up.

But this is not they're not I do not believe and that they are trying to pull the wool over our eyes on this.

But uh I okay uh that that's good to know.

I just there's so many unanswered questions that we don't know that about the centralization process.

But there are that and maybe that is just an overwhelming like we can't get past that.

But that is a a minor piece to that is a a portion, a component of these IGAs.

I get that, but it's just it's it's hard that we're supposed to be partners in this, but we're being told to sign like it's like oh just trust me kind of thing.

And and that's I feel like it's hard for us to feel like we're being responsible to our community when we're being asked to sign on to something with so many unknowns.

That's what's really tough here.

All right, because I got pages here, so be ready.

All right.

Um start off with questions for Kevin.

Uh 6.2 point one point two.

The definition of centralized collections is to be a collaborative process.

Where is that defined?

In the agreement.

And this is in the cooperative governments agreement.

What is collaborative process?

Because what I'm hearing from library staff, it has not been a collaborative process.

What was the reference again?

6.2 point one point two of the cooperative governance agreement.

It's the only mention of centralized collections in the governments agreement.

It just mattered me what's usually you have definitions, and I'm not seeing a definition of what collaborative process is, given your hearing here that there's a mistrust of the county in a collaborative process.

Mayor, I don't know.

Is that definition?

Is that not required in an IGA?

I don't believe that they think so.

I believe that they think in intergovernmental agreements that uh we always that's that's inherent in any intergovernmental agreement is that we work in good faith to collaborate uh uh and in to effectuate the terms of the agreement and to resolve disputes uh amicably, but I I agree that that's that term is not defined.

Okay.

Um moving on to the role of the WCCLS manager, and that's uh section 6.2.3.

So my question here is it's 6231 through 6235.

The WCCLS manager, based on what I'm reading here, cannot dictate policy to the executive committee nor the expertise committee.

They can suggest something, but they cannot dictate or run as an performance and administrator of the cooperative, that the cooperative itself is supposed to be running policy and services.

My fear here of getting to here is that the WCCLS manager can take on a role that I don't envision isn't appropriate in a cooperative, that the cooperative executive committee are the ones who are supposed to be driving the train, kind of like uh we're doing with you with Sherilyn, that the city council drives policy and drives uh a lot of things, and it's your job to enact it.

Same thing with the WCCLS manager, that the executive team, the executive board and leadership group is filling that role, and that that manager is not to be setting policy, defining services or creating services and pushing it down.

Correct.

Do I have that right?

Correct.

And is that what I'm seeing nothing here in 6.2.3 that gives the library the WCCLS library manager those powers?

Correct.

Okay.

Because the impression I have now is that the current one is doing that.

Mayor, I I agree with Cheryl Lynn.

That's how I'm reading it.

Uh I haven't uh this is my second reading of that particular uh uh provision, but yes, I I do agree that's the that's the most plausible reading of it.

Again, in these meetings we have with the county and the other contractors is to ensure that that's the case, that that has been an issue in the past.

We can ensure that is the role of this WCCLS manager uh and not take on any more uh or serp the power of the executive board.

Okay.

Well, I still say that that was not defined at all in the current agreement.

Okay.

Uh this is definitely for Kevin.

Uh item number 10, interpretation.

What the hell is that paragraph?

Number 10 of the cooperative governance agreement on how to interpret the agreement.

I'm not a lawyer.

Yeah, I'm not a lawyer.

Barbara's gone, what are you talking about?

It's a bunch of fluff.

I'm like, what are you talking about?

Yeah, this is a this is standard that this goes back to the working in good faith when we're going to be able to do that.

So you're you're okay with this paragraph?

I uh we see this in not maybe not all intergovernmental agreements, but in I've seen this this in a lot.

Um so if there were a dispute about what a particular provision means, is that uh well it says liberally construed in accordance with the general purposes of the agreement, so you'd go back to the uh the witnesseth statements, the whereas sections, and that would be uh potentially a way for a uh the parties to come to some mutual resolution, and for some reason, when there like I said, there is no dispute resolution clause, if there were a uh uh court or some other tri or fact involved, they might look at this this interpretation language that everybody agrees they had the opportunity to have attorneys look at it, uh so they're not uh they're not at some disadvantage.

Uh and then any ambiguities with respect to any provision of this agreement will be construed fairly as to all parties.

So that goes back to the good faith and fair dealing.

Uh how much how much weight would a uh trier fat give that, I'm not sure.

How much weight would a uh trier fat give that, I'm not sure it could come into play if there was some uh uh honest disagreement to the parties that there was some provision that was so uh vague or over broad that it was impossible for the parties to potentially resolve the issue is that that would be a potential mechanism.

All right.

Um I just want to clarification on that one.

Uh Sherlin, going back to your um structuralized collections that this the consultant would be listening to the cooperative members about a possible delay in the 2027 uh deadline, and but you mentioned someone would decide to do that.

And who is who's would that be the board?

Who decides that okay, you know what, we're gonna push pause on centralized collections for another year?

Who makes that decision?

Is it the board?

Or is it the executive committee?

Who makes that?

I mean, if if you guys decide, hey, you know, we're we're not gonna make this and we need to punt this, who ultimately makes that decision?

That was my question.

It might eventually get to the board, but I right now it is a project of WCCLS and the library leadership group and the member libraries.

So like uh the consultant is the lead, and we're all working together to uh to implement it.

So if like if it gets to a point where everybody understands that it can't be fully implemented by July of 27, at least two-thirds.

That I think that that goes through the decision making structure of the starting with the library leadership group who are involved with it right now.

Right.

Yeah, and Mayor, I agree.

If that's determined to be a collective decision, it would go through the two-thirds supermajority with the board ultimately making the actual decision.

Okay.

Final decision.

Um 12.6 public spaces.

That's operating.

Uh ultimate control of our library, the facility itself.

Can you I just want clarity that the county can't dictate to us the use of our facility?

I mean, there's certain things, minimum operating hours, stuff like that understand.

But could they again being worst case scenario, invoke a some kind of restriction or something on our public space that we don't like and don't want to happen in our library, but two-thirds of the majority of the cooperative says yes, that it's a in opposition to what us as city counselors want for our library.

I'm just kind of a little nervous at how much say the cooperative has on the public space in our library.

And is it do you again for Kevin?

Is it defined well enough for you in this agreement?

Upon initial review, I don't believe that the county would have that ultimate authority determine how we use our public spaces.

I I think it gives the uh requ it has requirements, and those are specifically set out.

That's what uh control, I guess you call it the county potentially could have over the library, but nothing else.

That seems like those kind of questions would be local decisions.

Yes.

And that would be uh solely within the power of uh if it's day-to-day operations, the manager were designate.

Um I just had it's the same note you already picked up on already 17.4 cooperative process for adjusting issues that needs clarification, but you guys already addressed that.

That you are gonna seek better clarity on how to address issues.

The termination, I also had an issue I underline or show Maria that you know in the county's soul and reasonable discretion, that's crap.

Sorry.

That's that's if you're gonna kick a contract to the curb just because they piss you off.

I'm sorry I'm saying these words, that's not right.

And that's soul and this to reasonable discretion.

Who how do you define that legally?

Well, and and again, Mayor, how how I define that that acts as a termination for convenience uh in the in the county's favor.

And perhaps they did not really realize what they were drafting, but that's that's exactly how I'm reading it.

Is that uh again for all the reasons stated uh they it acts as a termination for convenience uh for any or no reason.

Uh I would also separate that non-appropriations clause, which I do understand why they have that in there given the the 45 percent, and they'll determine how much of that goes to each contractor.

I understand that, but that those need to be separated out in my opinion.

I think that uh hopefully a few attorneys uh agree with me on that and uh rework that language definitely.

I I would not want to see a termination for convenience uh in in a contract like this.

We have other termination clauses that uh provide uh well there's mutual terminations that we can obviously we would be okay with uh but if there's going to be a termination where the the county has the the upper hand, it would I would want to see it be for a breach, a material breach of the agreement, and if we're gonna have that have a dispute resolution slash arbitration clause, so we're not uh kicked out of this uh agreement and then lose 45% of our funding potentially.

Yeah, yeah, because part of my my my network here is in the breach process that to me city council has the ultimate authority on our library, and I am not giving up, or the future city council is not gonna give up any kind of authority to an administrative board of this library cooperative.

That it's our library, we get to run it.

Yes, we abide by the cooperative collective decisions, but if we have a dispute with the a certain item that they don't have the ability to say, you know what, we're gonna take a ball and go home because we don't agree with your city council, and it's basically a match between us and the board of commissioners.

Mayor, I understand what you're saying.

I redline that too when I saw it.

I and again, I don't believe that Washington County when they drafted that, that's what they intend to do.

I I and what I've seen with every uh local government that we work with for intergovernmental agreements, we may not agree on everything, but there is an expectation, and the reality is there's there's good faith among these entities to make things work.

We have many, many intergovernmental agreements with Washington County.

Uh I think that it I'm hard pressed to find uh an instance.

I've only been here three years almost, uh, that you can't work in good faith with a county attorney or a staff member.

We try to resolve these issues before they become an issue for a governing body.

Okay.

Moving on.

And you alluded to it, or Sherylyn did attachment A, the decision-making matrix.

Yeah.

What is this?

I mean, so I understand the purpose of this, okay.

Delineate what's a collective decision, what's a local library's decision, and what's the cooperative's decision.

And it seems if you get to the bottom of the grid here, the WCCLS decisions are pretty darn limited, what they have the authority to do.

You're right.

So basically the local and collective should be running the show.

Yep.

Whereas the CC WCCLS, all they're gonna be doing is money, resource allocation, running the network, the basic stuff, and they're not gonna be doing the stuff.

Uh they're no longer making decisions on um, and I don't want to, I don't get in the weeds with library policy, but you know, the policies that are gonna be created are all done locally through the collective and not the other way around.

This matrix is words that we want.

Okay.

It's making sure it's functional.

Yeah, it's just making sure that's yeah, sure.

The only thing about that matrix that I saw was um that the rules are duplicated between two entities, so don't understand who's doing what do you have an example?

What was budget?

On a matrix.

Yeah, one was budget, and it's been a while.

Uh next page.

Local budgeting.

I thought it was maybe it was a shorter one.

It was like budgeting and equipment.

Local decisions and WCCLS decisions are the same decision making, funding decisions.

No, thanks for bringing it up.

Right, because the WCCLS gets to make their own decision.

The the department of the county gets to make that budget and dis and resource allocation, just like we get to make local budgeting and resource allocation for our for ours.

Yeah.

So I don't I I don't quite understand that because it's sort of like um decisions affect other decisions.

So if you're gonna like who's making the decision first or second, or how do you how do you um how do you do that?

You know, if somebody's making a budgeting resource allocation decision that affects everybody, and then you make your resource allocation decision that affects local um I mean that's the way it's happening now.

They have the ultimate yeah, they have the budget and they tell us how much we have to spend, and then we allocate.

And the way you do our thing, yeah, okay.

So they go first, right?

Is that how that goes?

Okay, thanks.

All right.

No, the collective decision is the funding allocation methodology and adjustments and cooperative-wide funding strategies, like that is a collective decision.

The WCCLS decision, a resource allocation decision would be whether to hire a management analyst in data collection or like or whether to hire uh an administrative assistant or like what they do with their local budget.

Okay, so the question this is something we want.

Yeah, yeah.

Because it's gonna my words better define what their role is versus the two other committees.

Absolutely.

I'm sorry, not the committees.

The collective two, you know, the two committees plus the city council absolutely great.

All right, moving on.

Exhibit D library funding allocation methodology.

Uh I'm not going to weeds on this one.

My question is is this specifically for fiscal year 26-27?

Can they change this in the next the following year?

Based on and who has who has the ultimate authority on if they want to change the funding methodology in a future year.

I know I'm putting you on the spot.

As part of the agreement, but that this is the base year.

That's the base year of the year.

This is year one.

Yeah.

What about year two?

Is determined in that section um 16.3.1 adjusted annually based on the procedures outlined in 16.3.2.

Um, and that's that based on that.

Yeah, that's the it's that chart that's so we get nothing and we get a little bit of a.

So but the the actual mechanics of the if they wanted to change like you're saying the number FT, you know, the four four and a half FT for 10,000.

No.

128.

This is set.

It's all set in the yes, the formula is set.

Okay.

Mayor, if I understand that the the board could not unilaterally change that's my question.

That we've all agreed to.

Uh that would not be a power that they would have unilaterally.

I mean, we would all we would have to mutually agree to the any amendments to this IGA.

All right.

Um getting there.

So get into the centralized collections right now, and the we've been hearing lots of concerns.

Um the emails I got are concerns about when they start making centralized purchases that they also would have the ultimate authority about the format of the collection.

It could they could go strictly all digital and ignore paper.

How how would that be handled?

Again, you probably haven't gotten to it in the the agreement on how on the type of materials they purchase, and if they go all in on digital, despite a community liking paper, how is there any discussion about that yet?

Do you have any thoughts on that, Sarah?

I just what the collection would be um or is that the whole point of this is uh is about a physical collection because so far the the the split has been that WCCLS handles the digital and the member libraries are handling every everything else, all the physical.

Um the whole point of this project is the physical collection.

I believe it's actually spelt out that it's physical collection.

So it's not it has nothing to do with the digital part, um it has nothing to do with the digital part.

Okay, so it's all hand-on books, stuff like that.

Yeah, magazines.

We don't know yet.

I mean we don't know about every single bit of it.

I mean, um, uh personally, I I think I'm watching a magazine fold about once a quarter from publication.

Um how much time we have left with it, that format is let to be seen.

But um my understanding and all the discussions about centralized has been about physical formats.

Okay.

And then on that same tangent, when they're starting to do this centralized collections, you know, we've always had the controversies over types of books that are purchased, LGBTQ plus kind of books, or books that are the community or certain part of the community feels uh are inappropriate.

Um the amount of materials you buy for foreign language speakers.

Has that been discussed in the c in the centralized collections and how is this gonna be dealt with again?

I know I don't want particularly.

It's known that that's part of the project.

Okay.

Um that each member library has their own collection development policy, and that we need some way that honors each of those.

Um that that's part of the collaborative work to come.

Okay.

Um this came up before, so say yeah, we're in year five of the agreement.

Well, it's only a five-year agreement anyway.

We're in year three.

And we decide, you know, we've had enough with the county, and we do want to terminate the agreement.

The question I have is on those items that were purchased by the county and a sitting on our shelves, do we have to give them up?

I I again, yeah, I know this is it's highly hypothetical.

Yeah, I so far the only thing that's been talked about with disposition is if it's in your building, you can dispose of them the way you regularly would.

Like for us, you know, the friends are a great partners, our schools are great partners.

I believe is that's still um going to be honored.

Okay.

Um this is so hypothetical that that that question hasn't been discussed.

Uh I don't just you know because you know, one of the things that's gonna hold up your head, okay.

Well, here, guess what?

You leave us, we're gonna come in and take a third of your brand new collection away.

I mean, we're all getting negative.

I realize we're getting super negative and paranoid.

I I but yeah, and that's not without good reason.

Okay.

And then my last one is going to Councillor Sacco's point about the power power grab that um that the four big libraries are having a lot more say than the smaller libraries.

Um I'm appreciate in the IGA that's one library, one vote because it seems recently these four big libraries had a lot more say, and we're pushing their weight around and saying suck it up, if you will.

Sorry, to the smaller libraries.

I'm gonna be frank and um about this.

That um, you know, we're the big boys, your little ones, just total line, shut up.

This is the way we want, and the one vote thing is super important that there is no factored vote.

Um agreed.

All right, so my last point, and it's not a question is we've talked about hey, how do you talk to a Washington County commissioner?

You can talk to two, actually, three candidates for Washington County Chair on the 29th, right here in Twalleton.

There's a debate that the WEA is hosting at Perlow on the 29th, which is what Wednesday at 11:30 to 1, and you get to do QA with these chair candidates.

I have registered, and I will love to ask a question.

My only concern is they filter and vet the questions that they want to answer.

But we can also put them on the put on the spot when you get them in a corner of the room, and like three of us, it can't be four of us.

Talk to that person and ask them about this.

So if you have an opportunity Wednesday at Perlowe, lunches included for the debate, this would be your opportunity to talk to the you know potential chairs and see if you can squeeze any kind of commitment out of them or a promise about the general fund.

Council Brooks.

Is the public invited to this?

All you gotta do is pay your 45 bucks.

Yeah, you can go to WA's website and you can register, and there's just a registration fee.

Okay.

And pepper them with questions.

Oh, yeah.

Uh I think that's all mine.

It's a perlow, so it's easy peasy to get to.

Can I say I'm gonna be out of town on the 11th, so I don't know where the future of this I know that we're looking for getting information back, but I thought we were also having our budget meeting on the 11th.

Um I just really want to put in there that I think that like all the other collaborative things that we do, like the roads and stuff, that there should be um community outreach when this is going on for the rest of this process of like these um this.

If we're gonna have this moving collection, I think it's really important for the community to understand this better right now.

And um I think there's a gap here that makes this more difficult than it needs to be.

And that I don't usually see the I have complaints about the county right now, but they've always come out with their you know, a poster and a this and a that.

I haven't seen that.

And so uh the last thing I'll just mention on your last slide here, Sherylan, the ASA council based on what I heard tonight.

We're in full support of the things you recommended here, and we'll do that on our as much as we possibly can and also ask you as all the questions tonight are paranoia, if you will, passing that on to at the next meeting because I don't think we we're gonna be the only library.

I know there's probably one or two other libraries that are a little bit skeptical, probably not as much as us.

I know the big libraries are uh in a whole different position because they are looking to save money, and this is their band-aid to uh fill a budget gap, but we're not in that position, so I think we have to be a little bit more sensitive, but um don't want to be the naysayer.

Um I think it just totally better word.

It's very upsetting that the library's schedule has just been miserably bad between the bond levy and all that stuff, that this has just been totally bungled by the county, and that we're waiting to the last minute to be given an IGA and given two weeks to vote on it once the commissioners have voted on a week uh to sign it and say, you know, you know, sign it or you know, pass on the money.

This could have been planned way better.

Um as the centralized collection discussion could have been started months ago and not still be dragging out because it was no surprise that we're gonna be doing this.

Uh it just bad timing, bad project management.

Um other thing that we can be brought up to the Washington County Commissioners uh on you know better that you know uh putting cities in this predicament is is crap because of their lack of planning.

Not just my statement, political statement, if you will.

Uh anything else?

Can we ask for an extension to sign this?

Because it needs to be signed by the money runs out.

Yeah.

They're waiting to the last time.

Oh, yeah, they purposely did that, which is deceitful.

And on it's it's not cool, you know.

But you know, because of that, can we ask for like a state uh like an extension to read it and be more careful on what we're signing and bring it to their attention, or is this it?

I mean, we've gotten till we've got until June 30th.

Oh then we can still talk about this later.

We could talk about it, but we'll something like that.

But we still need you're not signing it tonight.

No, no, okay, good.

So let's just then you know clarify all that and yeah, because we'll be in conversations with the attorney group with the the county administration, with and we will transmit.

We've got comments that we're transmitting, we'll transmit your concerns and feedback, and we'll be back.

Okay.

Appreciate the update.

Thank you, Sarah.

Thank you, Sarah.

All right.

So that brings, I think that's the appointment committee.

All right, item number three, consideration of not all three.

Consideration of recommendations of the consideration of recommendations from the council committee on advisory appointments.

You're gonna leave this council Sacco.

Thank you.

Um so we did have the uh CCAA a couple weeks ago um on April 7th.

Um I did want to mention that we um did start uh minutes, which are posted, thank you to Paul.

Um so feel free to review those.

Um and we of course had more wonderful folks than we could appoint.

Um, but we have um Anthony with the budget committee and Steven with the Twileton Arts Advisory Committee.

Um I did want to mention that we um did start uh minutes which are posted thank you to all um so feel free to review those um and we of course had more wonderful folks than we could appoint um but we have um Anthony with the budget committee and Steven with a Twileton Arts Advisory Committee um and so I would like to um make a motion to um approve those folks for their um for their terms I second or I move I move yeah we move she second and then I second all right I was I'm spacing this is a voice vote or a roll call just an aye aye this will voice vote voice voice all right all right all in favors of uh of uh approving the recommendations from the council committee on advisory appointment say aye aye opposed abstentions recommendations are adopted unanimously wait I haven't got to go through more things here items removed from consent we had none council communications Council Brooks I just want to say I was over at the Twilight Riverkeepers um um earth day celebration right in our community I got free trees from Tiger and their new climate action program manager so it's nice to meet them and there were other really great things there other people that were um telling us about um bees and about the fishing and mussels and all the kind of things so um they did a great job and there was a lot of people that came out thanks Council Hillier I again move to adjourn second I have motion second to adjourn all those in favor say aye aye opposed it's unanimous good evening happy birthday baits happy birthday baits almost not my birthday