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Home My WebLink About03/19/2025 - Minutes 1 MEETING DATE/TIME: Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. MEETING LOCATION: Tigard City Hall, Town Hall Members Present Alireza Haddadi, Vice Chair City of Tigard Committee for Community Engagement Minutes Caitlin Johnson, Chair Christina Putterman Connie Ramaekers Israel Jacquez Jeremy Hajdu-Paulen Marinda Bottesi Rachel Roundy Rafael Palacios Cortés Stacey Ghoddusi Stephanie Godfrey Shaila Kotadia Not Present Kristi Allen Maria Rue City Team Present Heather Robbins, Council Liaison Jeannette Shaw, Alternate Council Liaison Nicole Hendrix, Team Liaison Kalina Plath, Budget Manager, Finance Judi Martin, Community Engagement Coordinator, Community Development Leandro Barrientos, Digital Communication Coordinator, Communications Laura Pena, Consultant, Enviro Issues. Tiffany Gehrke, Principal Transportation Planner, Community Development Meeting start: 6:00 pm Welcome (Caitlin Johnson, Chair) New members introduction: Stephanie Godfrey, Christina Putterman, and Marinda Bottesi. New council liaison: Heather Robbins, serving a 1-year term. 2 A special thank you goes to Shaila Kotadia for her past service as Chair of this committee. Quick review of the shared agreement and a reminder to everyone about the volunteer signup portal, which offers numerous opportunities throughout the year. Member Introduction (All) Questions/follow-up Equitable engagement work status/update. Celebrations and Curiosity The recruitment process for Tigard’s City Manager is underway. Join CCE for a social gathering on April 24th at the Tigard Tap House from 4 PM to 6 PM. Additionally, we will celebrate Persian New Year at Cook Park on April 5th. Tigard High School is hosting events entitled “Building a Resilient Future for Our Youth” on April 17th and a Coalition Relaunch meeting on April 16th. Let's also celebrate the Fanno Creek Trail and enjoy the sound of frogs welcoming spring! Members are eager to engage and become more involved. Leandro Barrientos is organizing the Diaper Fundraiser Drive 2025 to support four non-profit organizations. Concerns/Curiosity Crime activities in Tigard, a monthly statistical report is posted on the Police Department webpage in the Information & Resources section under “Police Transparency & Data” and at the Council meeting. Liaison Update (Nicole Hendrix) The following events took place recently: the “Building A Better Tigard” project, which involves the construction of a new facility for the Public Works and Police Departments; the “Tigard Leadership Connections” meeting, where the Mayor met with the Board and Committee Chairs; Parks & Recreation Spring events; a Youth Advisory Council Mental Health event; Volunteer Appreciation Day; and various events featured in the “City Scape” e-newsletter, which is now available in Spanish. “Building A Better Tigard” project (a new facility building for the Public Works and Police Departments), “Tigard Leadership Connections” ( Mayor’s meeting with the Board, and Committee Chairs), Parks & Recs Spring events, Youth Advisory Council Mental Health event, Volunteer Appreciation Day, and various events posted on the “City Scape” (city’s e- newsletter) and is now available in Spanish. One committee position is currently open. No interviews are scheduled at this time. Updates from the Past Meeting: Nicole has drafted the CCE Neighborhood Map. Regarding equitable engagement, Laura Pena has incorporated feedback from focus group planning into the programming. There are no updates from the Houseless Task Force. The agenda for the May meeting will include the following topics: Equitable Engagement, Council Goals for 2025-27, Community Events Support & Planning, Service Request Portal Metrics & Post Go-Live Update, Accessing Emergency Resources/Climate Resiliency, and the City Facilities Building Better Tigard project. Equitable Engagement (Leandro Barrientos, Laura Pena) A report will be presented later this summer to the Mayor and City Council, focusing on recommendations to enhance engagement with marginalized and underrepresented communities. Laura and Dr. Moses have been compiling data from interviews with internal stakeholders and small group discussions with community representatives. They have also participated in various community events, including Black History Month celebrations, Spanish and Persian speaking gatherings, the Vietnamese Heritage event at the Jeffrey Allen 3 Gallery, and meetings with the Summerfield Civic Association. The outreach efforts are centered on BIPOC business owners and library patrons from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and languages. Project timeline: April: Drafting recommendations, May: Gathering feedback from various internal stakeholders on the draft recommendations, June: Updating the report, June/July: Presentation to the Council, August: Celebrating project completion Feedback from focus groups highlights barriers to engagement, trust, and participation. Community members expressed a desire for increased visibility of city leadership and more direct involvement from elected officials and staff at community events and cultural gatherings. They emphasized the importance of hands-on communication and active listening by city leaders in planning and providing financial support. Additionally, there is significant interest in establishing a community cultural center to host cultural events. Budget Process -Engaging Community (Kalena Plath) The community is encouraged to participate in the budget process by attending online or in-person meetings. An overview of the final budget packet will be presented at the "Budget Meets Coffee" event. Nicole will share the meeting date and time once they are available. For those interested in discussing the budget, keep an eye out for the 2026 "Budget In Brief," which is an abbreviated document that will be available soon. The goal is to allow the public to provide input on services and the limited funding available, which is affected by capped property taxes and the increasing demand for services due to growing housing needs. The city’s general funds receive $0.17 for every dollar collected from property taxes, which is allocated for Police, Parks and Recreation, Library services, and Infrastructure. According to the data presentation from the 2025 budget, the annual revenue breakdown is as follows: 16% from Property Tax, 15% from Licenses and Permits, 44% from Charges for Services, 14% from Intergovernmental sources, 6% from Franchise Fees, 4% from Interest Earnings, and 1% from Fines and Forfeitures. The budget requirements (expenditures) include: Operations: $120,674,219, Capital Improvements: $55,816,895, Debt Services: $9,966,016, Contingency: $3,807,535. The total reserve for the future is $171,404,874, with a fund transfer amounting to $51,027,543, leading to total requirements of $412,697,082. The budget committee consists of an equal number of city councilors and community members, and there is currently one open alternate position. A budgetary request has been made to allocate funds for staffing programming activities and services at the Senior Center. Kalena will present this question to the budget committee. Rafael Palacios Cortés has been invited to attend meetings on April 26, May 12, and May 19. The City currently contracts with Meals on Wheels to operate the Senior Center. Transportation -Safe Streets for All ( Judi Martin & Tiffany Gehrke) Tiffany Gehrke presented on engagement in transportation related to three projects: “Safe Streets,” “72nd Pre-Design,” and “Electric Mobility.” Information about these projects can be found on the city’s website, where the public is encouraged to ask questions and leave comments. The goal of the Safe Streets initiative is to achieve zero fatalities by the year 2040. A safe systems approach is implemented to educate the community about safe driving, roadways, speeds, and vehicles. Outreach efforts took place at the Tree Lighting ceremony in December 2025. The feedback from the City Council, the 4 Transportation Advisory Committee, the Task Force, and the public is taken into consideration. There is also a partnership with driver education providers and the Police Department. The Electric Mobility and Curbside Management project is initially focused on the Tigard Triangle, aiming to promote and expand access to e-bikes, electric scooters, and similar modes of transport. This project is scheduled for completion this summer. Several outreach events were conducted, including participation at El Tigre, the Tigard Farmers Market, and the Tigard Get Together. Key takeaways from the outreach indicate that we remain car-dependent, there is a need for managed parking, and the expansion of the “Power to the Pedal” initiative to fill transit gaps. The 72nd Ave Pre-Design Project is currently in the design phase, and the city is actively seeking construction funding. Community engagement is ongoing, with focus group meetings being held along 72nd Avenue. More details about outreach plans can be found on the city's website, where flyers and short videos will also be utilized to reach a wider audience. Council Goals 2025 – 2027 (Council Liaison) Meeting Minute Review and Action (Chair, All) The Chair made a motion to approve the minutes, which was seconded by all members present. The minutes were approved as read. Adjournment (Chair) Meeting ended at 7:35 pm