City Council Packet - 05/20/2008
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Tigard Workshop Meeting - Agenda
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE/TIME: May 20, 2008 - 6:30 p.m. - Workshop Meeting
MEETING LOCATION: City of Tigard - Town Hall, 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223
PUBLIC NOTICE:
Times noted are estimated.
Assistive Listening Devices are available for persons with impaired hearing and should be scheduled for
Council meetings by noon on the Monday prior to the Council meeting. Please call 503-639-4171, ext. 2410
(voice) or 503-684-2772 (TDD - Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf).
Upon request, the City will also endeavor to arrange for the following services:
• Qualified sign language interpreters for persons with speech or hearing impairments; and
• Qualified bilingual interpreters.
Since these services must be scheduled with outside service providers, it is important to allow as much lead
time as possible. Please notify the City of your need by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the meeting by
calling: 503-639-4171, ext. 2410 (voice) or 503-684-2772 (FDD - Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf).
SEE ATTACHED AGENDA
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - MAY 20, 2008
City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 www.tigard-or.gov Page Tof2
City of Tigard
Tigard Workshop Meeting - Agenda
W ftiln
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE/TIME: May 20, 2008 - 6:30 p.m. - Workshop Meeting
MEETING LOCATION: City of Tigard - Town Hall, 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223
6:30 p.m.
• > EXECUTIVE SESSION: The Tigard City Council may go into Executive Session. If an Executive
Session is called to order, the appropriate ORS citation will be announced identifying the applicable
statute. All discussions are confidential and those present may disclose nothing from the Session.
Representatives of the news media are allowed to attend Executive Sessions, as provided by ORS
192.660(4), but must not disclose any information discussed. No Executive Session may be held for
the purpose of taking any final action or making any final decision. Executive Sessions are closed to the
public.
1. WORKSHOP MEETING
1.1 Call to Order - City Council
1.2 Roll Call
1.3 Pledge of Allegiance
1.4 Council Communications & Liaison Reports
1.5 Call to Council and Staff for Non-Agenda Items
2. MEETING WITH OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REGION 1 MANAGER -
JASON TELL
• Staff Report: Community Development Department
3. PRESENTATION ON TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN TIGARD: CURRENT STATUS AND
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
• Staff Report: Community Development Department
4. DISCUSSION ON COUNCIL TASK #13 - PURPOSE OF CITIZEN CONFERENCE
• Staff Report: Administration Department
5. ADJOURNMENT
I: \ADM\Cathy\CCA\2008\080520P.workshop.doc
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - MAY 20, 2008
Cityof Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 503-639-4171 www.tigard-or.gov Page 2 oft
City of Tigard
Tigard Workshop Meeting - Agenda
LIr i i f l_
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE/TIME: May 20, 2008 - 6:30 p.m. -Workshop Meeting
MEETING LOCATION: City of Tigard - Town Hall, 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223
PUBLIC NOTICE:
Times noted are estimated.
Assistive Listening Devices are available for persons with impaired hearing and should be scheduled for
Council meetings by noon on the Monday prior to the Council meeting. Please call 503-639-4171, ext. 2410
(voice) or 503-684-2772 (TDD - Telecommunications Devices for the Deao.
Upon request, the City will also endeavor to arrange for the following services:
• Qualified sign language interpreters for persons with speech or hearing impairments; and
• Qualified bilingual interpreters.
Since these services must be scheduled with outside service providers, it is important to allow as much lead
time as possible. Please notify the City of your need by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the meeting by
calling: 503-639-4171, ext. 2410 (voice) or 503-684-2772 (TDD - Telecommunications Devices for the Deao.
SEE ATTACHED AGENDA
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - MAY 205 2008
City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 503-639-4171 www.tigard-or.gov Page 1 oft
City of Tigard
Tigard Workshop Meeting - Agenda
`lSQC~'u.
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE/TIME: May 20, 2008 - 6:30 p.m. - Workshop Meeting
MEETING LOCATION: City of Tigard - Town Hall, 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223
6:30 p.m.
• > EXECUTIVE SESSION: The Tigard City Council may go into Executive Session. If an Executive
Session is called to order, the appropriate ORS citation will be announced identifying the applicable
statute. All discussions are confidential and those present may disclose nothing from the Session.
Representatives of the news media are allowed to attend Executive Sessions, as provided by ORS
192.660(4), but must not disclose any information discussed. No Executive Session may be held for
the purpose of taking any final action or making any final decision. Executive Sessions are closed to the
public.
1. WORKSHOP MEETING
1.1 Call to Order - City Council
1.2 Roll Call
1.3 Pledge of Allegiance
1.4 Council Communications & Liaison Reports
1.5 Call to Council and Staff for Non-Agenda Items
6:35 p.m.
2. MEETING WITH OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REGION 1 MANAGER -
JASON TELL
• Staff Report: Community Development Department
6:55 p.m.
3. PRESENTATION ON TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN TIGARD: CURRENT STATUS AND
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
• Staff Report: Community Development Department
7:41 p.m.
4. DISCUSSION ON COUNCIL TASK #13 - PURPOSE OF CITIZEN CONFERENCE
• Staff Report: Administration Department
8:25 p.m.
5. ADJOURNMENT
1:\ADM\Cathy\CCA\2008\080520 workshop.doc
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - MAY 20, 2008
Cityof Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 503-639-4171 www.tigard-or.gov Page 2 of2
Agenda Item No.
Meeting of A4,do / .2 f a 00
City of Tigard
r Tigard Workshop Meeting - Minutes
,
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE /TIME: May 20, 2008 - 6:30 p.m. -Workshop Meeting
MEETING LOCATION: City of Tigard - Town Hall, 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223
1.1 Mayor Dirksen called the meeting to order at 6:26:24 PM
1.2 Deputy Recorder Krager called the roll.
Present Absent
Mayor Dirksen ✓
Councilor Buehner ✓
Councilor Sherwood ✓
Councilor Wilson ✓
Councilor Woodruff ✓
Staff present: City Manager Prosser, Engineer Duenas, Assistant Community Development Director
Bunch, Risk Manager Mills, Right-of-Way Administrator McCarthy, Assistant Planner Daniels and
Deputy Recorder Krager.
1.3 Pledge of Allegiance
1.4 Council Communications & Liaison Reports
1.5 Call to Council and Staff for Non-Agenda Items: None
These items were heard in reverse order.
`-2. MEETING WITH OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (ODOT) REGION 1
MANAGER - JASON TELL
ODOT Region 1 Manager Tell complimented City of Tigard staff on their presentation about traffic statistics.
He commended Tigard and the Council for stepping up and passing a 3 cent fuel tax to provide funding for
improvements to the Greenburg Road/Highway 99W/Main Street intersection and said, "Tigard has a story to
tell Salem and Washington, D.C."
He referred to a letter to ODOT from Mayor Dirksen requesting that ODOT help the City make up the
difference between the project cost and the proposed shortfall of gas tax money. He responded to the letter by
saying all of ODOT's funds are committed through 2013 and then in 2014 his budget will drop. He said
ODOT cannot give more funding but he wanted to discuss oppominities that might help Tigard.
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL MINUTES- MAY 20, 2008
City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 www.tigard-or.gov Page 1 of 6
He listed three main opportunities:
• The process for the next round of MTIP funding is beginning now.
• State leaders say transportation is at the top of the agenda for the next legislative session.
• Every six years there is a federal bill funding transportation. Debates will begin again next year and
Oregon has some influential senior senators.
ODOT Region 1 Manager Tell suggested that Tigard:
• Look at MTIP money available now and how fast it is being spent; maybe some funds should come out
of corridor funding.
• Discuss with Metro the idea of shifting Greenburg Road funds.
• Position itself with a list of ready to go projects in case funding pools become available.
Councilor Woodruff noted that Tigard's gas tax was controversial but the public is supportive as long as the
City uses it for what they said they would. He said matching funds from the State would recognize that kind of
risk and he wished ODOT had such a program Region 1 Manger Tell said he agreed but the Commission sets
their policy and one factor used is leverage.
Councilor Buehner expressed concern about legislative preemption for local taxes which would preclude such
leverages. She asked for Mr. Tell's support for a state gas tax that does not have this preemption.
Mr. Tell said these traffic problems cannot be solved with just federal or state money. He said a combination is
needed to get the most for the money.
Mayor Dirksen reiterated that Council would like to meet with the Commission and.has have invited them, but
they have thus far been unable to attend. Mr. Tell said he will share this and try to get the Commission
members who live closest to the Tigard area to join in a discussion with Council. Councilor Sherwood
expressed a willingness to work around the Commission's schedules if that will facilitate their participation.
Councilor Wilson asked how some projects such as the Sellwood Bridge are deemed by Multnomah County as
regional. He suggested that if the Sellwood Bridge is regional, so is Highway 99W.
Mayor Dirksen asked Mr. Tell about expensive rural or Eastern Oregon projects that get funding while busier
roads such as Highway 99W through Tigard do not. He said this calls into question for him how decisions are
made. He also mentioned a bypass near the City of Redmond. Mr. Tell explained that local government came
up with a portion for Redmond bypass, which also had congressional earmarks.
Councilor Woodruff asked, "Is Region 1 getting their share of ODOT funding?" Mr. Tell said the method of
dividing the modernization funding is complicated and can be based on several things. He said their current
share is 38% and was unsure if there was any talk about revisions. Councilor Buehner asked if there is a policy
requiring ODOT to review and adjust regional funding, based on changes in population for example. He said
he would check on that and respond to Council.
Mr. Tell said he felt ODOT and Tigard had a good working relationship and he wanted to capitalize on this.
He gave credit to staff and Council for getting a handle on tough issues and said, "You have found a way to
translate complicated transportation issues into something the public and legislators can understand. We need
to work together with the story you've got and turn it into a strategy with specific requests so Tigard can be
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL MINUTES- MAY 20, 2008
city of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 1 www.tigard-or.gov Page 2 of 6
right there when requests are being made. You've got a good shot at getting them." Councilor Woodruff
asked if he could identify any groups or processes where Tigard is not adequately represented. Mr. Tell said the
legislature will be taking a serious look at transportation so make sure federal and state representatives are aware
of Tigard's needs.
*3. PRESENTATION ON TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN TIGARD: CURRENT STATUS AND
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
Engineer Duenas introduced Project Engineer McCarthy who did much of the research for this presentation as
well as for the baseball type factoid cards about Tigard Transportation Issues. Engineer Duenas said almost
every survey identifies traffic congestion as an overriding concern. He gave a PowerPoint presentation defining
congestion and pointing out Tigard's traffic trouble spots. A copy of the presentation is in the City Recorder's
Office.
Engineer Duenas said that as traffic volume approaches capacity, delays begin and motorists seek alternate
routes. This causes more accidents to occur. He said when demand exceeds capacity there are definitely more
delays and even more accidents as traffic starts cutting through neighborhoods. He gave some statistics:
• Highest traffic volume in Oregon on Interstate -5 is south of I-fighway217 in Tigard.
• Highest volume on Highway 217 is between Highway 99W and Greenburg Road in Tigard.
• The second highest traffic on a through lane in Oregon is on Highway 217 between Highway 99W and
Greenburg Road in Tigard.
• The busiest five-lane arterial in the state (with crosswalks and private accesses) is Highway 99W in
Tigard.
He showed a slide highlighting major arterial congestion on
• 72nd Avenue Interchange with Highway 217
• 99W/Main Street/Greenburg Intersection and 99W/Hall Intersection
• Greenburg Road near Washington Square.
Councilor Buehner asked if there were supposed to be flyover ramps on 72nd and on Greenburg/near
Washington Square over to Cascade. Engineer Duenas said that these ideas to keep 217 from being a service
road were discussed but are not scheduled as yet. He said the expansion of Nimbus through to North Dakota
has become very expensive.
Engineer Duenas described congestion relief projects which include Highway 217 Improvements, Light Rail
Southwest, and the I-5/Highway 99W Connector. He said policies that help reduce congestion are managing
access, coordinating signals and connecting sidewalks.
Councilor Buehner referred to slides showing accident locations and said when she was on a County committee
in 2000 there were serious discussions regarding McDonald/Gaarde and McDonald/Hall. She asked Engineer
Duenas if these changes were represented in Washington County's plan and he replied that they were not.
Councilor Wilson told staff he would like to see trip generation land uses relative to other areas in the region.
Engineer Duenas asked Mr. McCarthyto work on this. Councilor Wilson asked who pays for bus pull-outs on
Highway99W. Engineer Duenas said the City has to pay for them and they significantly impact properties,
such as those on Hall Boulevard and 99W. He said Tri-Met has mixed feelings about bus pull-outs because they
make it harder for buses to get back into traffic.
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL MINUTES- MAY 20, 2008
City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 www.tigard-or.gov Page 3 of 6
Councilor Sherwood recommended that Council start writing to Congress describing how Tigard has come up
with funds for a particular project, is seeking other funds, and needs help. Councilor Wilson suggested that
prior to doing that, the City prepare a carefully packaged list of projects with cost estimates. He said if the City
moves ahead with their paid part-time mayor proposal, the mayor could become a lobbyist for Tigard
transportation projects. Councilor Woodruff recommended that Representative Galizio and Senator Burdick
be invited next time ODOT Region 1 Manager Tell is on the agenda. CityManager Prosser said copies of the
letter sent to Mr. Tell were also sent to Representative Galizio and Senator Burdick Mayor Dirksen requested
that a copy of the presentation tonight be sent to them.
4. DISCUSSION ON COUNOL TASK # 13 - PURPOSE OF CITIZEN CONFERENCE
Risk Manager Mills said Council identified hosting a citizen conference as one of their 2008 Goals and Tasks
and asked Council for further definition regarding the purpose and desired outcome of this event.
She recounted the history of the annual Fanno Creek Conference, which started in the late eighties as a round
table opportunity for Tigard citizens to discuss local issues. Topics included:
1988 Revitalization of Downtown Tigard, funding a rec program
1989 Promoting a community image
1990 Western bypass
She said the Fanno Creek Conference was held for seven years and after the Conference was discontinued
a process called Tigard Visioning began which was used for ten years. She noted that for the past year the
Comprehensive Plan update was constructed to include community input.
Councilor Sherwood said Council's goal was to seek better ways for citizens to get involved. She said she
was frustrated by Fifth Tuesday meetings where complaints are aired but there often is a lack of positive
feedback She said she would like to find a more productive wayto encourage citizens to think of
solutions to problems.
Councilor Woodruff said the purpose of Fifth Tuesday meetings is to give people a chance to speak about
any issue they want and he was not concerned that complaints are expressed. He said he favored any forum that
giving citizens the opportunity to give feedback on what is going on in the community and to get involved in
developing policies and goals.
Councilor Buehner described a citizen involvement process used by Portland in the eighties. She said citizen
input was sought through live public access television programs, which included a call in phone number for
those who couldn't be present. She said this method was used to obtain citizen input on budget funding
shortfall issues and suggested this as a method Tigard could use.
Councilor Wilson agreed with Councilor Buehner on getting more involvement for big picture issues such as
the upcoming financial situation. He said he did not seethe urgency inputting together a conference this year.
Councilor Sherwood agreed, suggesting a large conference be planned for one to two years out to talk about the
financial picture and get input from citizens on what the City should focus on.
Councilor Woodruff recommended using Risk Manager Mills and Assistant City Manager Newton as
facilitators.
City Manager Prosser remarked that the conference format was not so much the issue as it was developing a
mechanism that engages citizens in a conversation or discussion allowing an in-depth exchange of
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL MINUTES- MAY 20, 2008
City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 1 503-639-4171 www.tigard-or.gov Page 4 of 6
information. He said new technologies present opportunities to engage citizens who have not been
involved before. He suggested a single event where the public can join the discussion on-line and brainstorm
solutions.
Councilor Sherwood said the Fanno Creek Conference was just one example of a way the community could
come together and exchange ideas about specific issues. She noted that the Transportations Financial Strategies
Committee came up with the idea for the gas tax and held meetings for citizen input. Responding to a question
from Risk Manager Mills about the same people being involved all the time, Councilor Sherwood said there
were some activists who repeatedly attend Fifth Tuesday meetings to speak on their issues.
Councilor Woodruff said Council was not disparaging the committed people who have been involved over the
years but, but wants to include people who have not been as involved.
Risk Manager Mills asked if how to engage new members of the community was an issue.
Mayor Dirksen said, "It is. How can we engage citizens that we have not been able to before? I was envisioning
a one-day, no commitment conference, modeled after the League of Oregon Cities Conference. Staff could put
out some information and ask what people think We could hold breakout sessions or round table discussions.
Offer lunch. Trying to do one this year is too soon."
Councilor Buehner said the technology could help involve people with young children or who have other
difficulties attending in person.
Risk Manager Mills suggested different ways to reach populations that may not want to take a Saturday and
attend a conference, such as a Webinar or a way for people to text in their continents and questions.
Councilor Sherwood suggested using Parks and Open Spaces as 2009's Conference topic, but leaving room for
issues citizens bring up.
Councilor Wilson said the context of this discussion was the budget because by the time Council addresses the
budget each of the departments has prepared theirs. If the City did this outreach far enough in advance there
would be enough time to incorporate something into a budget. He said this would be a way to test big ideas
such as expanded municipal court or a park and recreation program that might require a new funding source.
Risk Manager Mills summarized Council's desires:
Involving new people as well as those that are already involved
Using multiple methods to engage different age groups
Tuning it to allow programs to be budgeted
Choosing topics is important but leave some room
Having the neighborhood groups participate, especially in publicizing
Including Youth Advisory Council to help draw in youth
Working closely with Committee for Citizen Involvement
Councilors Sherwood and Buehner said they were willing to serve on a conference committee.
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL MINUTE S- MAY 20, 2008
City of Tigard _ 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 503-639-4171 www.tigard-or.gov Page S of 6
5. ADJOURNMENT
Councilor Woodruff moved for adjournment and Councilor Sherwood seconded the motion. All voted in
favor and Mayor Dirksen adjourned the meeting at 8:22:02 PM.
a
Carol A. Krager, Deputy Oty Rec ?der
Attest:
114~5"
Mayor ity of Tig"gard
Date: N.IG/ l a, o160'I
ADM\Cathy\CCM\2008\080520.works hop.doc
TIGARD CITY COUNCIL MINUTES- MAY 20, 2008 _
City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 503-639-4171 www.tigard-or.gov Page 6 of 6
Agenda Item # C;z
Meeting Date May 20, 2008
COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
City Of Tigard, Oregon
Issue/Agenda Title Meeting with Oregon Department of Transportation Region 1 Manap"et, Jason Tell
of Iwe,
~G t
Prepared By: A.P. Ruenas Dept Head Approval: City Mgr Approval:
ISSUE BEFORE THE COUNCIL
Continuing dialogue with the ODOT (Oregon Department of Transportation) Region 1 Manager, Jason Tell, to discuss
various issues of importance to both the City of Tigard and ODOT.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
That Council continue discussions with the Region 1 Manager to facilitate the close coordination and partnership with
ODOT needed to implement key projects aimed at improving traffic circulation on Highway 99W, Hall Boulevard, and
on other arterials and collectors within the City.
KEY FACTS AND INFORMATION SUMMARY
Council last met with Jason Tell, the ODOT Region 1 Manager, at the Council meeting on June 19, 2007, The
meetings with the Region 1 Manager are part of an effort to establish a closer working relationship with ODOT
staff, to share information of significance, and to help resolve issues that may need direction from top management
in ODOT. The periodic meetings began with Matthew Garrett, the previous Region 1 Manager and now ODOT
Director. Council is continuing that dialogue with Mr. Tell via periodic meetings (every six months or so) for
discussion of current and potential issues. Attempts to schedule the meeting earlier in 2008 were not successful
because of schedule conflicts. This is the first opportunity for Council to meet with Mr. Tell this calendar year.
Some of the issues of significance for discussion at this meeting are:
■ Even though 99W is a State highway, the City established a 3-cent local fuel tax to provide funding for
improvements to the Greenburg Road/Highway 99W/Main Street intersection. Collection of the tax began
in April 2007. The City anticipated revenue of $4.5 to $5.0 million over a 5-year period to fund those
improvements. However, collections to date indicate that the 5-year revenue stream will yield a total of
approximately $3.5 million. The City will not have sufficient funds to construct the improvements needed.
A revenue bond issued from that funding source would most likely provide a net amount of $3.0 million or
less. The preliminary cost estimates prepared by the City's design consultant, W&H Pacific (also the
consultant for the Hall/99W project), indicate that approximately $4.5 million in 2008 dollars will be needed
to design, acquire right-of-way, and construct the project. The funding shortfall is $1.5 to $2.0 million,
considering the time value of money and debt service for a potential revenue bond.
ODOT is currently contributing up to $750,000 towards the Hall/99W intersection project (funded
through Washington County's Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program) currently under design
for construction to begin in late 2008. It is in the best interest of both ODOT and the City to have the two
intersections improved in tandem. This funding shortfall presents an opportunity for the City and ODOT
to establish a partnership for improvement of the Greenburg/99W intersection. ODOT participation in
making up the shortfall will ensure construction of the improvements. Mayor Dirksen sent a letter dated
May 6, 2008 to Mr. Tell requesting ODOT participation in funding the project.
• The recently completed Highway 99W Corridor Improvement and Management Plan identified a package
of projects for future implementation. Funding will be needed to design and construct these projects. The
City will be looking to partner with ODOT in funding some of these improvements to alleviate congestion
on Highway 99W. The City has $1.6 million in MTIP (Metropolitan Transportation Improvement
Program) funding to apply to one of the projects on the list. Additional funding will be needed to do more
of the high priority projects identified in the Plan.
• The development of the Tigard Triangle has been significantly constrained by the lack of capacity on
Highway 99W and the 72°d Avenue interchange with Highway 217. The City and ODOT staff have been
dealing with this issue on a project-by-project basis. The update of the City's Transportation System Plan
will take a closer look at how the Triangle can be developed given the inability of the adjacent major
systems to accommodate major developments. This issue will require serious discussions with ODOT and
policy decisions that will affect future development in the Triangle. ODOT participation and cooperation in
these discussions will be essential to successfully overcome these major hurdles.
• ODOT, Washington County, and the City began exploratory discussions (initiated and led by ODOT staff)
in January 2006 regarding conditions under which jurisdiction for Hall Boulevard could be transferred to
either the City or the County. No progress has been made beyond the initial discussions. There is a general
understanding that Hall Boulevard will have to be significantly improved before the City would consider
accepting jurisdiction for that street. If ODOT is still pursuing transfer of Hall Boulevard, the City is
receptive to continuing those discussions so that the conditions for the transfer of the street can be clearly
defined.
The periodic meetings with the ODOT Region 1 Manager are highly important in keeping the lines of communication
open between ODOT and the City. This close coordination between ODOT and the City will continue to receive
strong emphasis as improvement projects are selected for future implementation to alleviate congestion on highways
and arterials that are under ODOT jurisdiction but adversely impact intra-city circulation.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
N/A.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS
Funding for major projects to improve Highway 99W meets the Council goal to "Pursue opportunities to reduce traffic
congestion in Tigard."
ATTACHMENT LIST
Letter dated May 6, 2008 to Jason Tell Requesting Funding Participation in the Greenburg Road/99W/Main Street
Improvements
FISCAL NOTES
The current estimate for the Greenburg Road/Highway 99W/Main Street intersection improvements is $4.5 million.
The 3-cent local gas tax is expected to raise $3.5 million over a 5 year period. This revenue will not be sufficient to fund
the project. The funding shortfall is between $1.5 and $2.0 million. Additional funding is needed to meet this shortfall
and ensure construction of the improvements.
I: tenglgustcoundI agenda summaries\&20-08 meeting with odot region 1 manager, jason tell.doc
City of Tigard, Oregon 13125 SWHall Blvd. Tigard, OR 97223
May 6, 2008
Jason Tell
Region 1 Manager JIGARD,
Oregon Department of Transportation
123 NW Flanders
Portland, Oregon 97209-4037
Dear Mr. Tell:
Highway 99W through Tigard is the busiest 5-lane State highway (with cross streets and
generally unlimited private property accesses) in the State transportation system. As you
know, capacity improvements to the Highway 99W/Hall Boulevard intersection are being
funded through Washington County's MSTIP 3 program. The project is in the design stage
for construction to begin sometime in late 2008. That intersection and the existing
intersection of Highway 99W with Greenburg Road and Main Street are the most highly-
congested intersections in the City. The improvements to the Hall Boulevard/Highway 99W
intersection will not be fully effective in improving circulation and relieving traffic congestion as
long as the bottleneck at the Greenburg Road intersection remains.
The City of Tigard is committed to the construction of corresponding improvements to the
Greenburg Road intersection. Even though 99W is a State highway, the City took the initiative
to provide funding for the project by establishing a 3-cent per gallon local fuel tax with revenue
dedicated solely to that project. Collection of the tax began in April 2007.
We had anticipated revenue of $4.5 to $5.0 million over a 5-year period to fund those
improvements. However, collections to date indicate that the 5-year revenue stream will yield a
total of approximately $3.5 million. The City will not have sufficient funds to construct the
improvements needed. A revenue bond issued from that funding source would most likely
provide a net amount of $3.0 million or less. The preliminary cost estimates prepared by the
City's design consultant, W&H Pacific (also the consultant for the Hall/99W project), indicate
that approximately $4.5 million in 2008 dollars will be needed to design, acquire right-of-way,
and construct the project. The funding shortfall is $1.5 to $2.0 million, considering the time
value of money and debt service for a potential revenue bond.
This funding shortfall presents an opportunity for the City and ODOT to establish a
partnership for improvement of the Greenburg/99W intersection. ODOT is currently
contributing up to $750,000 towards the Hall/99W intersection project. The City Council is
reluctant to consider either extending the period of collection for the fuel tax beyond the
current 5-year period, or increasing the amount of the fuel tax per gallon without first
exhausting other potential revenue sources for the project. We feel ODOT should
contribute funding to make up the shortfall and ensure construction of the improvements. It
is in the best interest of both ODOT and the City to have the two intersections improved in
tandem.
Phone: 503.639.4171 . Fax: 503.684.7297 . www.tigard-or.gov TTY Relay: 503.684.2772
We therefore request ODOT participation in funding the Greenburg Road intersection to
the maximum extent feasible. Improvement of both intersections will alleviate traffic
congestion in this area by improving traffic circulation across and along Highway 99W north
of the viaduct to the Highway 217 interchange.
We look forward to your early response on this request. The City Council is currently
scheduled to meet with you on May 20, 2008. The potential revenue sources to address the
funding shortfall on this highly important project will be a key topic in the discussion.
Sincerely,
Craig E. Dirksen
Mayor
c: City Councilors
Craig Prosser, City Manager
Tom Coffee, Community Development Department Director
&o-Agusdn P. Duenas, P.E., City Engineer
Mike McCarthy, Project Engineer
Matthew Garrett, ODOT Director
Ginny Burdick, State Senator
Larry Galizio, State Representative
t:teng~gusVetterst2008 correspondenmVetter to jason tell regarding funding for greenburg road-99w intersection project.doc
Letter to Jason Tell Regarding Funding for Greenburg/99W Intersection
Page 2 of 2
Agenda Item #
Meeting Date May 20, 2008
COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
City Of Tigard, Oregon
Issue/Agenda Title: Traffic Congestion in Tigard
Prepared By: Mike McCarthy Dept Head ray City Mgr Okay Of
ISSUE BEFORE THE COUNCIL
This informational presentation outlines the current state of traffic congestion in Tigard, describes what the City is
currently doing about it, and explores possible ideas to reduce that congestion.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
That Council discuss the information presented and use it for their information as they make decisions regarding
transportation issues.
KEY FACTS AND INFORMATION SUMMARY
Tigard is at the crossroads of I-5, Highway 217 and Highway 99W. The highest traffic volumes in the State pass
through this area. As a result, the City of Tigard and surrounding jurisdictions face horrendous traffic congestion
issues. City Council, in recognition of these issues, established a Council goal in 2008 to"Pursue opportunities to
reduce traffic congestion in Tigard."
This informational presentation provides a better understanding of the traffic congestion problem and what can be
done to alleviate it by showing existing traffic volumes on major roads in Tigard, identifying locations where traffic
congestion exists or will soon exist, and exploring possible actions that could be taken to alleviate that congestion.
Because most of the major highways and freeways are under Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) or
Washington County jurisdiction, it would be in the best interest of ODOT, Metro, Tigard and other local
jurisdictions to collaborate on developing solutions to some of these problems. The information in this presentation
can be used to explore development of partnerships with those jurisdictions aimed at resolving these transportation-
related issues.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
N/A
COUNCIL GOALS
This addresses Goal 1: "Pursue opportunities to reduce traffic congestion in Tigard."
ATTACHMENT LIST
Powerpoint Presentation - Traffic Congestion in the City of Tigard
FISCAL NOTES
While there is no cost for this presentation (other than staff time to put it together), some potential solutions would
have considerable cost.
i:tenpNgus%council agenda summariesg5-20-08 traffic congestion in Ward ais.doc
Traffic Congestion
in the City of Tigard
4 , Nil
May 20, 2008
Defining Congestion
❖ Capacity is the maximum rate at which
vehicles can reasonably traverse a point or
section of roadway under prevailing
conditions
❖ Volume is the number of vehicles actually
getting through a point or segment of
roadway
1
Defining Congestion
❖ Actual Demand is the number of vehicles
arriving at a given point on the roadway
❖ Latent Demand is the number of vehicles that
would use a point or section of roadway, but
choose not to because of anticipated
congestion or because they are delayed in
upstream congestion
Defining Congestion
❖ Volume/Capacity Ratio =
Vehicles getting through
Vehicles that could get through
❖ Demand/Capacity Ratio =
Drivers wanting to get through
Vehicles that could get through
2
Defining Congestion
❖ As Volume Approaches Capacity:
Traffic delays develop
Drivers find alternates
°
Accident rates tend to increase
°
Defining Congestion
❖ When Demand Exceeds Capacity:
Significant delays develop
Drivers find alternates
m
• Accident rates tend to increase more
°oo Traffic and neighborhood issues develop on
alternate routes
3
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Three Types of Congestion
Segment
Example, I lw 2117
Intersection
Fxarnple: l lwN 99W % hall Blvd
Arterial
F-Nample: 72W tkvc at Hwy 217 (4 sionals to etherl
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Traffic Volumes in ` iLya -
i 5 n + .a 325.000
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4
Traffic Volume Factoids
Based on ODOT's most recent Transportation Volume Tables
❖ Question: Where is the highest traffic volume
on Interstate 5 in Oregon?
❖ Answer: South of Hwy 217, abutting Tigard,
I-5 carries 155,800 vehicles per day.
Traffic Volume Factoids
Based on ODOT's most recent Transportation Volume Tables
❖ Question: Where is the highest traffic volume
on Hwy 217?
❖ Answer: Between Hwy 99W and Greenburg
Rd in Tigard, the daily volume is 116,400
vehicles.
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Question: Where is the second highest traffic volurne
per through lane in Oregon?
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Tratfic Volumes III TiO'W'd
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Traffic Volume Factoids
Based on ODOT's most recent Transportation Volume Tables
❖ Question: What is the busiest 5-lane arterial (with
cross streets and private accesses) state highway in
Oregon?
❖ Answer: Hwy 99W in Tigard. Between 68t" Pkwy
and I-5, this highway carries 53,800 vehicles per day,
more than any other 5-lane arterial state highway in
Oregon.
❖ This is also more than any freeway in Oregon outside
the Willamette valley.
Traffic Volume Factoids
❖ Question: In Washington County's most
recent traffic volume data, where was the
highest volume measured?
❖ Answer: On Scholls Ferry Road west of
Nimbus Ave, along the city limits of Tigard,
where 39,100 vehicles per day were counted.
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Three Types of Congestion
Segment
Example: Ilwti 217
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Intersection
Example: llwN 991Y i ball Blvd
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Ailerial
?sample: 72111 Ave Lt Ihvy 217 {4 signals together}
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Solutions for Congestion
❖ Three Ways to Reduce Congestion
Build more and wider roads to accommodate those
wishing to drive
00o Reduce the number of people driving during
congested times
Manage the existing system to be as efficient as
possible - which often means difficult decisions
Solutions for Congestion
Segment
Add Capacity - Additional Lanes
Provide Alternate Routes - Parallel Roads
Provide or Improve Alternate Modes - Rail, Bus,
Bike, Ped, etc.
Access Management - increase capacity by
reducing conflict points. (close, limit,. or.combine...
driveways, medians, etc.)
12
Solutions for Congestion
Intersection
Add Capacity - additional lanes or turn lanes
Traffic Control Changes
00o Geometric Improvements - turn radius, etc.
Access Management - increase capacity by
reducing conflict points (close or limit driveways,
medians, etc.) especially near the intersection
Solutions for Congestion
❖ Arterial
Remove interruption points - consolidate intersections
Add Capacity - Additional Lanes
Provide Alternate Routes - Parallel Roads
•m~ Improve Alternate Modes - Rail, Bus, Bike, Ped, etc.
Access Management - increase capacity by reducing
conflict points (close or limit driveways, medians, etc.)
13
Solutions for Congestion
Reduce the Need to Drive
Provide Better Alternates - Better Transit
If people live closer to work, they drive less
(approximately 25% of trips are to and from work)
•oe If essential services (school, grocery store, park, bank,
library, pharmacy, shopping mall, etc.) are closer to where
people live, people drive less (approximately 75% of trips
are for non-work purposes)
If people have freedom to work flexible schedules, they
drive less at rush hour
If people live in a nice place to walk, they drive less
What Are We Doing About
Congestion?
~sR1\
14
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MMMMI I
Solutions for Congestioll
~'e Planned Congestion Relief Prqjects
i
Hall/99W
Greenburg/Main/99W
99W Improvement and Management Plan
1-fall/McDonald Fight TUrn Lane
MSTIP Protect- Walnut St
72nd,/Dartmouth
Transit projects - Commuter Rail
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Solutions for Conprestioll
Potential uttlre 'rode is `0 Congestion Relief
Widen orcld Capacity to.
„a Dwham Road find better ct»tnection tct I-
-Bonita Road
Hatt Boulevard
Reconfigure Had/flunziker/ScoClins
Greenberg Road t'Fiedeman to Shade Lane)
721,11 Avenue
i
w~ access, Mgt and Intersection Improvements on 999
Walnut Street Extension
`Small Fix' Solutions
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16
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Poten in] Rea)ic nal 2'ro'leCt`
Il y 217 lutprONela.lds ".k
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Solutions For ("onaestion
Current policies that helm reduce congestion
Access management (linuttngdriveiaa%sl
I3tuldius Sidewalks' and bike laces
Keeping tiur streets safe and pleasant
Requiring sidewalks and bike lanes as l nn of development
f;ncouraging development where People can Ike. work, and slurp in
the saute neit„hborhood
Supporting transit
Actively seeking ' hooding forcapacit) projects
Supporting rem ional congestion relief projects
Pursuin 'small fines' vnaller prof. cc, ac kek congestion paints
i
17
Solutions for Congestion
❖ Potential Policies that could help reduce congestion
Incentives for the private sector to reduce driving needs - flexible
schedules, telecommuting, ridesharing, retail changes, etc.
• If essential services (school, grocery store, park, bank, library,
pharmacy, shopping mall, etc.) are closer to where people live,
people drive less - land use planning and zoning
Incentives for development design that reduces the need to drive
❖ Education - help people see the real cost of driving
Address mobile phone use, `dashboard dining', etc. - distracted
drivers use up more capacity than attentive drivers
❖ If people live in a nice place to walk or bike, they drive less
Aggressive access management
Aggressive development of transit options
Support and promote regional congestion solutions
Traffic Congestion
in the City of Tigard
May 20, 2008
4
Irv
18
Agenda Item # L
Meeting Date 5/20/08
COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
City Of Tigard, Oregon
Issue/Agenda Discussion of Council Task #13 - P ose of Citizen Conference
Prepared By: een Mills Dept Head Approval: _J City Mgr Approval: c)p
ISSUE BEFORE THE COUNCIL
Define purpose and identify outcomes/expectations for citizen conference as identified in Council Task #13.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Discussion with Council.
KEY FACTS AND INFORMATION SUMMARY
City Council identified several goals and tasks for focus in 2008. Staff wishes to obtain further direction from Council
on Task #13; "Restart the Fanno Creek Conference." For staff to best meet Council's expectations for task
accomplishment, a discussion with Council is needed to further define:
■ Purpose of event
o What is not working now that a citizen conference (or other venue) would resolve?
■ Desired outcome or result of event
o What would be different after a successful event?
Tigard's Historical Approach to Citizen Involvement
Since the Fanno Creek Conference was originally developed to provide an opportunity for citizens to have input on
issues of the community, it is helpful to look at Tigard's history of working closely with citizens to promote citizen
involvement. Following are highlighted efforts used over the last several years.
■ Neighborhood Planning Organizations (NPOs) started in 1973
■ Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) started in 1975
■ NPOs & CCI reestablished/revitalized in 1982
■ Citizen Involvement Teams (CITs) replaced NPOs from 1992-2002
■ CCI reactivated in 2004
The City also instituted several venues over the last two decades to engage larger groups of citizens in meaningful two-
way discussions about topics of concern and interest. These included:
■ Fanno Creek Conference (1988-1994) - Conference was held for seven years. It was started by City Council with
the purpose of creating an annual opportunity for "grass-roots involvement for all interested Tigard citizens" to
"provide an open forum so major issues of the community could be discussed by citizens".
■ Tigard Beyond Tomorrow Vision (1997- 2006) - The visioning process was in place for ten years with regular
citizen input through meetings, citywide communications and periodic surveys. The purpose of this process was to:
• Address Tigard's future in a more proactive way
■ Get citizen issues/concerns on the table in a public forum
■ Recognize and fold citizen issues and staff issues into one process; and
■ Develop a course of action to actually identify and accomplish the issues.
■ Tigard 2027 - Tigard's Comp Plan 2006-Present - Tigard's process to update the Comp Plan is constructed to
address not only land use matters but to fold in the community vision. This ensures the visioning work under
Tigard Beyond Tomorrow is formalized into goals, policies and action measures. This process fulfills the
purposes listed above for Tigard Beyond Tomorrow and also continues regular input from and communication
with, citizens including periodic surveys. As the title indicates, this process is proposed to be in place and
updated regularly through 2027.
• 5`h Tuesday Council Meeting (2004-Present - Members of the Tigard City Council are available when there is a
5`h Tuesday in a month to hear and discuss citizen concerns, issues, or input on City-related matters. Proposed
discussion topics are limited to City of Tigard issues. A trained facilitator is present to encourage open dialogue
and equal participation. The meeting is a public meeting and topical minutes are kept. A quorum of Council is
not needed to conduct the meeting. Council encourages citizens to attend the Fifth Tuesday Meeting to take
advantage of the opportunity to meet the Council members and interact in a relaxed setting.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
N/A
CITY COUNCIL GOALS
Council Task #13 - Restart the Fanno Creek Conference
ATTACHMENT LIST
None
FISCAL NOTES
None
City of Tigard, Oregon 13125 SW Hall Blvd. Tigard, OR 97223
May 16, 2008' =
SUPPLEMENTAL PACKET
Dexter Johnson FOR `
Legislative Counsel (DATE OF MEETING)
S-101 State Capitol
900 Court Street, NE
Salem OR 97301
Re: Request for Comments on Ethics Law Issues
Civic-minded citizens of Tigard, including the City Council, wish to express our concern
over what we presume are some unintended consequences of the recent modification to the
State's ethics laws enacted by the 2007 Legislature. The concern surrounds the impact the
new requirements are having on volunteerism in our City and around the entire state. Like
most cities large and small, the functioning of our municipal government and in fact the
democratic process itself depends upon the willingness of citizens to volunteer in various
capacities. Many of the new ethics requirements are viewed by some as being too onerous
and too personally invasive, and act as a deterrent to new potential volunteers, and have
even led to the resignations of some existing officials of long standing.
As burdensome as some of the other new rules are, the real crux of the matter is in regard to
the inclusion of public disclosure documents of the naives of family members who don't live
in the submitter's household. In many cases, they may not live in the public official's
jurisdiction, and may not even reside in the State of Oregon. As such, the benefit of their
exposure is unclear at best. One complaint is that while an individual who decides to
become active in their community may need to have his life exposed to the public forum for
the good of that public, one's relatives have not made that decision and their private lives
should remain private. I feel confident that I speak for most of my colleagues when I say
that this kind of invasion of people's personal lives is unwarranted and creates varying levels
of distress, from general discomfort up to being unable to tolerate the intrusion at all, which
had led to the resignations.
We would encourage the Legislature to reconsider its recent action and to enact new
legislation that removes this requirement and creates an environment in which those of us
who choose to serve our communities are held accountable but at the same time we and our
families are treated with respect.
AA
aig E. Dirksen Sy !ey Sherw od
C-Or Mayor C President
Gretchen Buehner ick Wilson Tom Woodruff
Councilor ouncilor Councilor
Phone: 503.639.4171 . Fax: 503.684.7297 www.tigard-or.gov . TTY Relay: 503.684.2772
City of Tigard, Oregon 13125 SW Hall Blvd. • Tigard, OR 97223
SUPPLEMENTAL PACKET
FOR -9ti aU ago
May 19, 2008 (DATE OF MEETING)
Dexter Johnson
Legislative Counsel
S-101 State Capitol
900 Court Street, NE
Salem, OR 97301
Re: Request for Comments on Ethics Law Issues
We, the undersigned Tigard Planning Commissioners, concur with the Tigard City Council's May 16
letter commenting on the Ethics Law issues. We, too, believe this is an unnecessary and unwanted
invasion of our privacy, encourage you to reconsider this action, and request that you enact new
legislation removing this requirement.
Thank you for your consideration.
Jodie Inman Dav' alsh
President, Planning Commissio Vic dent, Planning Commission
Tom Anderson Rex Caffall Marg et Doherty
Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner
J
Karen Fishel Stuart Hasman Matthew Muldoon
Co ssioner Commissioner Commissioner
Jer my Ve yea
Co issioner
Phone: 503.639.4171 . Fax: 503.684.7297 www.tigard-or.gov . TTY Relay: 503.684.2772
` WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
"Conservators of the Peace"
Sheriff Rob Gordon Undersherifl? David Hepp
May 5, 2008 SUPPLEMENTAL PACKET
FOR -y" '1 U,~
Mayor Craig E. Dirksen (DATE OF MEETING)
City of Tigard
13125 SW Hall Blvd.
Tigard, OR 97223
RE Your letter of April 21, 2008 - Evidence of Tax Inequity
Dear Mayor Dirksen,
About two weeks ago, I was given a copy of your letter dated April 21, 2008, addressed to Mark
Cushing. The letter was copied to about 40 other people. Because I disagree strongly with the data
you use to make your points regarding public safety, and because in a later public meeting you
reinforced your belief in the accuracy of your letter, I feel compelled to respond to you formally with
accurate public safety data. Although 1 feel you have reached faulty conclusions throughout your
letter, I will primarily respond to your comments related to police and public safety services.
This letter is a response to you. It is not intended to reflect negatively on the Tigard Police Departrnent
or its members. 1 have the highest regard for the Chief and the officers of Tigard PD and hold them in
high esteem.
1 will begin by discussing officers employed per 1,000 residents. Alone, it is one of the worst methods
to evaluate proper staffing levels of any police agency (though one widely used and easy to calculate).
You are correct in describing the basic formula used in reaching one deputy per thousand. ESPD was
designed to fund about half of that (currently at.56 per 1000). General fund (GF) deputies, measured
only against the. unincorporated population make up another.56 deputies per thousand - but that is a
false measure. It is false because many of the GF deputies provide countywide law enforcement
services, and should not be measured against only the unincorporated population. Saying that, with
our approved funding levels (about 1.1 deputies per 1000), we are able to achieve our public safety
goals in unincorporated Washington County.
Similarly, contrary to statements in your letter, Tigard PD does not maintain a un8orned police level of
1.4 officers per 1000 city residents. Several of your officers are management level police, several are
detectives and not uniformed patrol, some are contract officers and not working inside the city limits,
and some are limited geographically to the business community. It Is my opinion that the Tigard Police
Department is a fine organization, and like the Sheriff's Office, is able to achieve the public safety
goals for their community at their approved staffing levels. My point is not to debate statistics, but to
instead to point out that the numbers are relatively meaningless.
Your letter also flatly states that Tigard citizen have 37% 'greater' police coverage than the Bull
Mountain area. Using your officer per thousand foglc, we could conclude that the cities of Gaston and
Banks (who choose to contract for enhanced police service through the Sheriffs Office) have equal to
or "greater' police service than Tigard, as their officers per 1000 population is higher. Of course that
conclusion would be incorrect as neither of those cities have 24 hour patrol in the cities.
Our average patrol strength at any given time is 20-30 deputies. Tigard's average patrol shift has five
or six officers. Creative statistical reporting could allow me to say that the unincorporated Bull
Mountain residents have up to 500% "greater" police coverage than do the citizens of Tigard. That
also would be an inaccurate claim.
215 SW Adams Avenue, MS #32 • Hillsboro, OR 97123-3874
phone 503.846.2700 fax 503.846.2604 www.co.washington.onus/sheriff
Evidence of Tax Inequity - Page 2 of 5
On another issue, your conclusions as to what t believe about law enforcement services in Washington
County are inaccurate factually, as are the opinions you attribute to me. As clarification, here are my
views on some of the responsibilities of the Sheriff:
• The Sheriff, a countywide elected official is statutorily "the chief executive officer and
conservator of the peat er (ORS 206.010) of the county- Duties in that capacity include:
• Arrest and commitment to prison (jail) of all persons who break the peace, or attempt to-break
it, and all persons guilty of public offenses.
• Defending the county against those who, by riot or otherwise, endanger the public peace or
safety.
• Execute the process and orders of the courts of justice or judicial officers, when delivered to
the sheriff for that purpose.
• Execute all warrants delivered to the sheriff for that purpose by other public officers, according
to law.
• Attend, upon call the circuit and justice courts and obey its lawful orders of direction.
• Cooperative work relationships and resource sharing with agencies throughout the criminal
justice system, including municipal police agencies.
• , Providing direct police services to the unincorporated populations.
• Support municipal agencies in a variety of different ways, depending .on the needs of the city.
This support could be direct uniformed response, special teams assistance (narcotics, riot and
disorder response, fraud and ID theft, gang enforcement, tactical response, negotiator
response, major crime investigations, forensic services, etc.), records support, statistical
analysis and crime trend review and reports, training, internal affairs investigations, enhanced
police response to major events, etc.
• Search and rescue services.
+ Transportation of prisoners to other county jails, state penitentiaries, juvenile facilities and
mental facilities throughout Oregon.
• Transportation of fugitives captured-in states other than Oregon.
• Operation of the county jail system including the care and upkeep of all county prisoners.
Your letter continues with my "view" that I provide jail services to the cities and that I have concluded
most jail inmates come from the cities. You state that my implication is "patently offensive", and that a
cursory look at County records befies the fact Your conclusions once again are incorrect.
Simple math should tell you that because there are more people inside cities than out, we would
expect about 6096 of our jail population to be the result of police activity inside city limits. This would
be true if our arrest rates per 1000 people were the same - but they are not In the unincorporated
areas, our arrest rate per 1000 population is about 1.5. In the city of Hillsboro, the rate is closer to 2.5
per thousand, with Beaverton at nearly three per 1000. In the most recent tax incidence study
coordinated through the county auditor, the back-end services of the criminal justice system
(prosecution, parole and probation, juvenile services) were supplied to city initiated police activity
about 70% of the time. 1 believe that number is acc tirate and that about 70% of our jail population has
its roots from events that started inside city limits.
Your next implication is that the Tigard pope respond to a large number of calls in the urban
unincorporated areas. You imply that by stating that last year (2007), Tigard City Police responded to
calls outside your city limits 864 times. I believe that most readers of your WW would most likely
conclude that Tigard Police in some way subsidize county law enforcement services. That would be
an incorrect assumption.
The following are accurate reflections of WCCCA CAD data from 2007:
Evidence of Tax Irby - Pegs 3 of 5
• In 2007, Tigard City Police responded to the urban unincorporated area of Washington County
for 57 public demand events. That means that the call for police service was initiated through
the dispatch center.
• In 2007, Tigard City Police, through setf4nitiated activity (usually a traffic stop) initiated another
225 contacts inside the urban unincorporated areas of Washington County.
• In 2007, Tigard City Police handled 113 activities inside the city of Tualatin.
• In 2007, Tigard City Police handled 40 activities inside the city of King city.
• In 2007, Tigard City Police handled 700 activities inside the city I'imits of Beaverton.
• In 2007, Beaverton City Police handled 805 activities inside the city limits of Tigard.
• In 2007, King City Police were involved with 774 activities inside the city limits of Tigard.
In 2007, Sherwood City Police were involved with 30 police events inside the city limits of
Tigard.
: In 2007, Tualatin City Police were involved with 180 police events inside the city limits of
Tigard.
• In 2007, Washington County deputies were dispatdied to 181 cage inside the city of Tigard
(including inmate transports).
• In 2007, Washington County Sheriff's deputies made 2,205 self-initiated stops inside the city
of Tigard.
The above statistics are accurate. The conclusions I draw from them are that the system is well
balanced, and is working as it was designed to work. They do not summarize the totality of services
the Sheriff provides, nor do they alone, prove anything at all about the quality of police services in any
of our jurisdictions.
As I mentioned earlier, 1 am convinced that officers per 1000 are a terrible way to measure police
services in any community. In a paper authored by John Campbell, of Campbell DeLong Resources,
Inc., referencing a late 1990's study, he notes that New York City had almost five officers for every
thousand residents. They had a fairly low crime rate, but it was almost the same as San Diego with
only 1.7 officers per thousand. He noted that in Portland, Oregon the overall crime rate was higher
than both of these communities, when they had nearly two officers for every 1000 residents. The
crime rate in Portland is lower today than it was in that time period, and the officers per 1000 have
actually decreased.
As John Campbell concludes, it is time we stop asking questions such as, 'Do we have as many
officers as the next town?" The question instead should be," What will it take for us, in this community,
to achieve ourpublicsafety goals`?
In your letter, you limit yourself and your readers to concluding one or more of five conditions exist.
You state those as:
1. Residents of the urban unincorporated areas are not receiving all the urban services they
need.
2. Residents of the urban unincorporated areas are receiving urban services, which they do not
fund.
3. Residents of the city are receiving urban services that they do not need
4. Residents of the cities are not receiving fug value for the tax dollars they provide.
5. The county is more efficient at providing urban services than cities.
I submit that this list is a pretty good start at looking at conditions that may exist, but it is not at all
complete. It is also possible that
1. Residents of urban unincorporated areas are receiving fewer services than cities provide, and
are satisfied with that level of service.
Evidence of Tax Inequity - Page 4 of 5
2. Residents of the cities are receiving some services that are duplicative and unnecessary.
3. There are some urban services that are provided more efficiently by service districts or
contract services (TVI=&R. Tualatin Valley Parks and Recreation, and some crater districts are
examples).
4. There are inherent inefficiencies, and therefore wasted tax dollars, when agencies take on
duplicative full service responsibilities. In Washington Canty, there are 10 dice agencies
with 10 police chiefs and 10 command staffs, 10 lawyers and 10 policy manuals. Tigard is a
well-structured municipal agency, but because of their relative small size they have 'a ratio of
one command officer (command officers are lieutenants and higher rank) for every 12.5
employees. As an agency gains in size, they do not need to maintain that ratio and thus save
proportionate dollars. As an example, the Sheriffs Office has a command officer ratio of 1 to
37. Size matters when determining the efficiency and effectiveness of such complex and
potential high liability agencies.
5. Cities in Washington County provide different ser vices and service levels. Efficiencies in
providing these services also vary. If this is true, then some cities might be the best providers
of some urban services, while others may not be.
The final substantive bit of information that I will provide to you for your consideration deals with law
enforcement services provided by my office that we consider being countywide services- I am not
implying we pay the entire bill for such services in all cases - but in the examples I mention, the
Sheriffs Office is the primary supplier of staffing and supervision, or we represent the county on
region-wide teams. The list includes:
• U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force membership. This group will seek out and arrest any
wanted fugitive from any Washington County agency - one detective.
• Civil enforcement deputy. Although this deputy is counted as a general fund enforcement
resource, he works only on countywide civil issues. By law, this deputy must be police
certified - one deputy.
• Commercial Motor Carrier Enforcement. Weights and measures enforcement for trucks using
Washington County roadways - one deputy.
• Drug Court. This deputy assists monitoring of clients throughout Washington County who are
assigned to the drug court. A countywide program that has been successful in stopping these
folks from re-offending in and out of cities - one deputy.
• Emergency Management We have several staff members assigned full time to emergency .
management, one of whom is a certified dice officer and represents countywide law
enforcement emergency management responsibilities - one deputy.
• FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. Region-wide monitoring of potential political and ecological
terrormsfs - one detective.
• Fraud and ID theft team - four detectives and one sergeant
• Tactical Negotiations Team (SWAT) membership and supervision - one full time sergeant - 18
of 31 police officers are sheriff's deputies.
• Hostage Negotiation Team. Supervision provided by the Sheriffs Office (part-time duty) -13
of 17 police officers. are sheriffs deputies.
• Forensic and identification services. This service is available to every police agency. We
provide four criminalists', three crime scene technicians, one fingerprint ID technician, and one
sergeant.
• Interagency Gang Enforcement Team - one sergeant and three deputies.
• Marine Patrol. Seasonal patrol at Hagg Lake, patrol of the Tualatin River (mainly looking for
marijuana grows) - translates to one full-time deputy
• Transport services for city arrests - two deputies.
• Interagency Narcotics - one sergeant, five deputies, and one support staff remember.
• Sex offender registration.
0 Sex offender compliance checks (including predatory sexual offenders).
Evidence of Tax Inequity - Page 5 of 5
• Major Crime Team supervision - one sergeant (part time duty) and several detectives as on
call.
• Crash Analysis and Reconstruction Team - supervised by a Sheriffs Office sergeant with
much of the equipment is county owned.
• County Mental Health Liaison. This deputy attempts to contact mental health patients who are
high users of 911 or police services. Reduces the calls to municipal agencies - one deputy.
• Mobile Response Team - a 4D-peen riot and crowd control team. All are sheriffs deputies.
• Search and Rescue - Supervised by WCSO sergeants, with four deputy advisors assigned to
supervise taw enforcement explorers.
• Rural law enforcement services. These deputies have typically been funded by all county
residents (similar to our taxes paying for State Troopers in outlying rural areas of Oregon).
• Immediate support - the Calvary - to any requesting agency.
• RCFL (Regional Computer Forensics Lab) - one deputy is assigned to this regional team.
I supply this information to you because you and some other city officials often overlook the fact that
my office does indeed supply law enforcement services on a countywide basis. Should the Sheriff, for
some reason, not be able to provide these services, it is logical to assume city agencies would have to
increase staffing, and supply these services - or we could choose to do without them. I suspect that
many of the services would have to become duplicative, which would create additional inefficiencies
and higher taxes.
In dosing, you will note I have not copied this letter to the 40 members of the urbanization committee,
although I will as a courtesy copy it to county officials. As 1 mentioned to your city manager, Craig
Prosser, the data I speak of in this document is open to review by your staff or by any other person. It
is accurate- I believe that your letter needs to be corrected, but I suspect there are ways to do that
other than by trading public documents back and forth.
1 am hopeful that after you read this, you and I can set a short meeting and discuss some options to
met that end.
1 remain optimistic that the urbanization work group will eventually result in service improvements to
the citizens of Washington County.
Sincerely,
r--
Rob Gordon
RGlkmb
cc: Robert Davis, County Administrator.
Tom Brian, Chair
Andy Duydc, Commissioner
Roy Rogers, Commissioner
Desari Strader, Commissioner
Dick Schouten, Commissioner