01/15/2025 - Minutes
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MEETING DATE/TIME: Wednesday, Jan 15, 2025, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
MEETING LOCATION: Tigard City Hall, Town Hall
Members Present
Stacey Ghoddusi
Ali Haddadi
Jeremy Hajdu-Paulen
Kristi Allen
Caitlin Johnson
Shaila Kotadia, Chair
Connie Ramaekers
Maria Rue
Israel Jacquez
Not Present
Rafael Palacios Cortés
Rachel Roundy
City Team Present
Nicole Hendrix, Team Liaison
Kent Wyatt, Manager Communications
Kim Ezell, Program Manager, Strategic Initiative
Meeting start: 6:00 pm
Welcome (Shaila Kotadia, Chair)
Shared Agreement and Agenda Overview: A reminder to volunteer, emphasizing the importance of
attendance and the consequences of absenteeism. Additionally, a brief discussion on improving
communication among members.
Member Introductions (All)
Members self-introduction, the area of neighborhood they live in, and in what ways they engage (service,
interest, passion) with the Tigard community.
Neighborhoods represented include Summer Lake, Riverview Estates, Twality/Templeton, Bull Mountain,
Durham, and Metzger.
City of Tigard
Committee for Community Engagement Minutes
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Members' involvement in community engagement includes various sponsored activities throughout Tigard.
These activities occur in locations such as the library, downtown, and parks, including events like Balloon Fest,
El Tigre, and Halloween on Main Street. Additionally, community roundtables, Tigard High School's STUDD
(Stop Tigard Underage Drinking and Drugs) program, and the Tualatin Valley Community Band are also part of
the engagement efforts. Other initiatives involve the Bull Mountain Homeowners Association (HOA), efforts
addressing homelessness, the Farmers Market, and Persian Community Cultural celebrations. Furthermore,
events sponsored by the United Methodist Church, such as the Virginia Garcia mobile clinic, an Immigrant
Community "Know Your Rights" event, and Safe Parking initiatives, contribute to community involvement at
Washington Square Mall.
Liaison Update Announcements & Meeting Recap (Nicole Hendrix)
Update and announcement: Welcome CCE new members, Rafael Palacios and Maria Rue. The committee has
two vacancies for Isaiah Jackman and Diego Rivera. Recruitment interviews were scheduled for Jan 25, 2025.
Upcoming events: Community Service Grant Application is open through Feb 15, “Chat with the Chief”– Jan
16th, MLK Weekend of Service – Jan 18-20, Tigard Service Request Kick Off – Jan 28th. Local resource cards for
food pantries, meals, clothing, etc are now available!
Topics follow-up from November’s meeting: 1) Safe Parking Progress: Kim Ezell provided a report in today’s
meeting 2) Nicole shared our concerns with the Chamber of Commerce about the traffic safety concerns on
Main Street during Trick-or-Treat and the Farmers Market signage. 3) The CCE Council Annual Report
presentation took place on December 10th. Shaila and Caitlin revised the PowerPoint based on feedback from
members. 4) Laura Pena will share about the equitable engagement project as part of onboarding with the
new members. 5) Service Request Feedback success metrics, system testing timeline, the privacy policy, and
required fields marked with an asterisk were reviewed by the City’s IT and legal team. Nicole will give a
presentation on established metrics in a future meeting. User Acceptance Testing resulted in 800 requests
submitted.
Events announcement: “Women in Sports Symposium” on Feb 7th, 9 am at the Deb Fennell Auditorium and
“Northwest Equity Summit” on May 20th, Shaila is a presenter.
2025 Agenda Look Ahead:
Chair/vice Chair elections, Transportation Projects, Budget Process, Council Goals 2025-27, Transportation
Projects, Service Request Portal Metrics & Post Go-Live Update, Accessing Emergency Resources/Climate
Resiliency, Community Events Support & Planning (ongoing) and Houseless Task Force, and 4th of July
planning.
Equitable Engagement ( Kent Wyatt, Laura Pena)
Laura Pena provided an update on the planning of community roundtable discussions. The outreach efforts
will focus on community groups that have limited connections with the city. Planning packets were distributed
and reviewed. Members were asked to provide feedback on logistical guidelines, including participant
attendance, event locations, and scheduling, proposed agendas, necessary materials, and evaluation questions
for the events.
The proposal discussed indicates that each group will consist of 8-10 people, with meetings held at individual
organizations. These groups can meet in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings, and food will be provided.
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Facilitators Christine and Laura, along with Kent Wyatt from the City and representatives from each
organization, will lead the discussions. Participants will receive a stipend for their time and expertise, ranging
from $75 to $100, depending on the budget. An invitation flyer will be posted at each organization for people
to sign up. Interpreters will be available upon request. The agenda is set for two hours, covering introductions,
project background, the purpose of the engagement, and its significance. There is also an idea to potentially
invite participants to attend a Council meeting.
Members were asked to review and comment on survey questions about physical safety, housing, and food
security. This data can be used to inform the council on policies and decisions.
Houseless Task Force Update (Kim Ezell)
The discussions of the Houselessness Task Force are currently on hold until the newly formed Council
establishes its goals and direction. In the meantime, the Community Houselessness Assessment & Response
Team (CHART), led by Megan Cohen, will continue its work, focusing on increasing community engagement
with non-profits serving our city.
Later this year, the newly formed Climate Action Task Force will begin its initiatives. In February, the Council
will review a new community outreach program related to facility modernization called the "Building a Better
Tigard Project." Engagement for this project will start in early spring, leading up to a ballot measure vote in
Spring 2026. Additionally, a Safe Parking open house will be hosted by the Tigard United Methodist Church on
January 29th at 6 PM in the library. CCE committee members are encouraged to attend and provide feedback.
November Meeting Minute Review & Action (Chair, All)
Membership discussions:
Positions previously held by Isaiah Jackman and Diego Rivera will be filled through upcoming interviews.
The Chair called for a motion to replace committee members Jennifer Callaway and Allie Alexander due to
their three consecutive unexcused absences, as outlined in Section 8 of the bylaws. Israel Jacquez seconded
the motion, with the support of the committee members present. Recruitment for their replacements will be
conducted in the same manner as backfilling positions.
Nicole will convey the feedback from CCE members expressing their desire to participate in the interview
process and contribute to the interview questions with the mayor. They highlighted the importance of
clarifying candidates' roles and expectations.
The Chair called for a motion to approve November’s meeting minutes. Connie Ramaekers moves to approve
seconded by Ali Haddadi. The meeting minutes were approved as read.
CCE Elections ( Shaila Kotadia, Chair)
Chair and Vice Chair Nominations: Shaila and Jeremy were nominated but both declined. Members voted to
elect Caitlin Johnson as Chair and Ali Haddadi as Vice Chair, and both accepted.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 7:27 pm