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04-19-2018 Council Newsletter • Coxndl Newsktkr Prvin&.o the Tsgard(_/O,Gadzad on a wee,k11,baili to 1'%ay abreaY 0�.;Ae,7 n. e-ty iiimef. April 19, 2018 1. Executive Session Material—4/24/19 match Carol Krager placed a confidential envelope in your mailbag that relates to the Executive Session on April 10. Council Calendar 24• Monday, Apr. 23 Budget Committee Mtg. 2. May 1s` & 15'Council Meetings Cancelled 6:30 p.m —Public.NYarks Please note that the Council meetings scheduled for Aud. May 1 and May 15 are cancelled for lack of items. Tuesday,April 24 Business Meeting 3. Oregon Legislative Update—`Short' Session 6:30 p.m. —Town Hall The League of Oregon Cities provided an overview of the recent"short" session, adjourned on march 3. y Monday,May 7 Budget Committee Mtg. 4. Special Event Permits 6:30 p.m. —Public tX'orks The city approved a special event permit for: Aud • Ladybug Rmn for CDH Awareness,July 21, 8:30 a.m. to noon in Cook Park Tuesday, May 8 Business Meeting 6:30 p.m. —Town Hall 5. Construction Project Update Tftef�, � Mike McCarthy attached an update on construction projects around Tigard. 6. Public Works Update An update on activities by Public Works is attached. 7. Thank You ODOT called this morning to thank the city and the Council for allowing them to use the Public Works auditorium last night for their Value Pricing Open House. Attached are two letters of praise for police seri-ice. 8. Press Release - TPD Commercial Crimes Unit shuts down counterfeit check cashing scheme 9. News a Tigard plays host to county commission debate a Three arrested in counterfeit check operation a Designer reveals plans for Main Street custom clock Z9 Regional Housing Funding update L9 Boomers and Millennials in living room death 13125 Su..Hari Blvd T'igavd,OR 97223 1 W eb -XU W ngaid 01,Wy j Phonr. 503 639 41.1 1 E.UX:503.0$4.-29, } TDD 503,684,2, .2 Item# 5 Newsletter: q�� 2018 Session . A Roller Coaster for Cities Tde 2018"short"session of the Oregon Legislature A session tax win for cities was legislation(HB 4120) that djourned Saturday,March 3,at about 5 p.m.,eight updates the lodging intermediary definition and which will ays prior to its constitutionally mandated deadline. require intermediaries like Airbnb,Home Away and VRBO Although characterized once again by many heavy policy bills, to collect taxes,file tax returns and pay taxes. Some interme- which brought into focus partisan differences,the session diaries have not been paying all cities and have been short- ended relatively amicably. changing those that do pay them. This legislation will restore For the League,it was a session of mixed results,with the pas- tax fairness among lodging providers. sage of transient lodging tax legislation,some PERS relief and In 2019,the Legislature is expected to take on significant tax an exemption for small cities from having to provide reports reform,hopefully including property tax reform. The 2019 on transportation financing. However,it was a disappointing session will likely be heavily shaped by the interim work of session because in the waning hours bills repealing a gigabit the Joint Committee on Student Success. That committee is property tax exemption and amending qualification-based modeled on the Joint Committee on Transportation,which selection statutes did not get across the finish line. successfully advanced the transportation revenue package in Despite the wins and disappointments,much was accom- 2017. The bipartisan and bicameral Student Success Com- plished in setting the stage for even more in the 2019 ses- mittee,co-chaired by Senator Arnie Roblan(D-Coos Bay) sion. Along with the additional horsepower that the League's and Representative Barbara Smith Warner(D-Portland),will policy committees and a more robust grassroots member travel across the state over the upcoming months to learn involvement program portends in terms of positive legislative about local challenges to student success. A major goal of the outcomes in 2019,the groundw=ork that was laid during the committee is to recommend a revenue package to be enacted 2018 session,even in the face of disappointment,will likely in 2019. The Legislature recognizes that education budget pay dividends going forward. woes trace back to Measures 5 and 50 property tax changes and perhaps now is the time to unwind those restrictions. Finance and Taxation Cities are encouraged to attend these meetings and encour- The House and Senate Revenue Committees spent much of age property tax reform as a benefit to schools and local the short session responding to recent federal tax changes governments. related to pass-through businesses and repatriated revenues, PERS as Oregon's income tax code is largely tied to the federal code. While property tax reform remains a top League legislative In an effort to begin assisting cities and other PERS employ- priority,the short session was not the time for such complex ers in meeting their increasing pension rates,the Legislature legislation. However,the League engaged successfully with passed two bills designed to match employer side account con- several property tax exemption and related bills. For example, tributions. Proposed by Governor Kate Brown,SB 1529 and the children's district bill was again defeated as it would have SB 1566 create and fund an account that will provide cities created further compression issues for cities. The League with 25 cents for every dollar they contribute to a PERS side worked heartily to repeal the overly generous and broken account. The fund will be capitalized with$25 million gener. gigabit property tax exemption provided to centrally assessed ated by changes in the federal tax code that resulted in funds communications companies. Disappointingly,after passing which were held overseas by U.S.interests being repatriated. the House,that bill(HB 4027) stalled in the Senate despite There are limitations,how=ever. Local side account contribu- intense lobbying efforts from local governments,schools and tions must not be derived from debt financing,and employers the governor's office right up to adjournment. The League with high unfunded liabilities will be given priority. Employers will be back in the 2019 session to address the gigabit issue,as wishing to take advantage of the matching funds will need to revenue losses are estimated to exceed$17 million annually work with PERS to develop a liability reduction plan. Finally, to taxing districts. SB 1566 reduces the amount required for an agency to open a side account from$250,000—or 25 percent of total unfunded liabilities—to$25,000. 16 LOCAL FOCUS I April 2018 www.orcities.org Transportation Two bills were introduced to address technical (HB 4059) and policy (HB 4060) imperfections in the$5.3 billion, 10-year transportation package approved during the 2017 session(HB 2017). Following hearings in the Joint Transportation Com- - mittee,co-chaired by Senator Lee Beyer (D-Springfield) and Representative Caddy McKeown(D-Coos Bay),the two bills were merged and became the omnibus"fix-it"bill,SB 4059. While containing a myriad of adjustments to 2017's HB 2017, of note to cities is Section 22,an amendment gained by the League clarifying what had been a conflict between existing Housing statute and the new law enacted last year. The 2018 session saw a continued emphasis on the need to ad- Previously,cities with populations less than 5,000 were exempt dress the housing shortage that exists across the state. Primar- from having to file statutorily-mandated financial reports on ily,the Legislature looked for additional resources and revenue the sources and uses of their street and road budgets. Not- streams that could be tapped to encourage the development of withstanding that exemption however,HB 2017 included small affordable housing stock for low-income and middle-income cities in that reporting requirement as part of an increased em- households. The Legislature also:identified ongoing concerns phasis on accountability by entities responsible for the manage- about the availability of workforce for housing construction; ment of state highway funds. The League added language to looked to increase investments in current programs;and HB 4059 continuing the exemption from these detailed report- identified the roles that the state believes local governments ing requirements on the basis that they were unprecedented must play in bringing more affordable housing units online. To and would have put an undue burden on the state's smallest provide additional financial resources,the document recording cities while providing accountability for the management of fee was increased,generating more revenue for state affordable only a small fraction of the state's highway revenues. housing programs. In addition,the Legislature allocated$1.7 In addition,the Legislature approved HB 4063,addressing million in technical assistance to the Oregon Department of the deployment of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology in Land Conservation and Development,as well as$23 million Oregon. The bill named the Oregon Department of Transpor- for emergency shelters and homelessness prevention. While tation as the lead AV program and policy agency in the state, additional state resources are needed for the remainder of and was amended to include the League on an advisory com- the biennium,the League focused on the long-term need for mittee to assist in the assessment of the long-terns effects of AV increased support from the state. deployment. Building Codes Public Contracting The state's opinion that the use of a contracted third party There were not many public contracting bills considered during to run a local building code program raises constitutional the 2018 session. However,the League,along with other local concerns has created much controversy in the building codes government partners and members,did invest considerable portfolio. This resulted in a bill,HB 4086,which ties an im- time and effort on one bill that was introduced to address local portant policy change that is needed to assure the availability government concerns over the currently-mandated process for of more certified building inspectors to perform inspections to hiring architects,engineers and several other types of profes- a requirement that several local programs significantly change sional services. The current process,commonly referred to as their city staffing structure. Because HB 4086 would have qualification-based selection,or QBS,prohibits contracting significantly impacted the local authority of cities to design and agencies from considering price prior to making an initial selec- staff their programs to meet community needs,and because the tion of a firm based on qualifications alone. League does not believe the change is based on a legal require- HB 4127 would have created an optional,alternative process ment,LOC joined vdth the third-party service providers to oppose the overall bill. This means that there will be future that cities and other contracting agencies could utilize in lieu legislation to reinstate the ability of third-party inspectors to of the current QBS process. The bill would allow cities and other contacting perform specialized inspections. In addition,significant work contacting agencies to engage in an initial qualifications- on the issue of how local programs are designed will have to only screening process. After completing that first step of the continue through the interim. process,the contracting agency could select up to three quali- fied firms with whom they would negotiate. The city could (continued on page 18) www.orcities.org April 2018 J LOCAL FOCUS 17 5E_ I .%i R E V Il .VV then ask those firms for pricing information including the contracting with an internet service provider that engages in number of hours proposed for the service required,expenses, activities such as paid prioritization,or"throttling"of Internet hourly rates and estimated overhead costs. Several meetings access—in short,does not practice net neutrality. HB 4155 were held prior to the start of session during which it became goes on to stipulate several exceptions to this restriction, clear,once again,that the bill would be met with.considerable including situations in which no alternative provider is avail, opposition. HB 4127 passed the House,but failed to pass out able,as well as other circumstances deemed acceptable by the of the Senate prior to adjournment. The League will be par- Oregon Public Utility Commission. ticipating in an interim work group on QBS and anticipates HB 4023,in recognition of the importance of the availability the introduction of legislation for the 2019 session. of high-speed internet to rural communities, also was ap- It must be noted that many cities played an active role in sup- proved in the 2018 session. This legislation authorizes local port of HB 4127. Had it not been for the efforts of more than governments to enter into agreements v:ith the state's chief 50 local governments reaching out to their legislators,the information officer,and,pursuant to rulemaking which will bill would not have been as successful as it was. The League include city input,allows municipalities to access broadband appreciates the outreach and strongly encourages cities to facilities for limited public purposes. continue to talk to legislators about the need for change to the current QBS process. Energy&Environment Arguably one of the most significant policy debates of the ses- sion was on the potential implementation of a cap-and-trade The Legislature approved HB 4155,restoring a portion of net program in Oregon. Cap-and-trade,also referred to as cap- neutrality policy recently overturned by the Federal Com- and-invest,would set a cap on carbon emissions and require munications Commission. In doing so,Oregon joins several certain regulated entities to obtain allowances for the emis- other states in seeking to restore some measure of net neutral. sions they produce. The cap would be lowered over time to ity following the FCC decision. meet specific greenhouse gas reduction targets. Two separate The new law will prohibit public bodies,including cities,from cap-and-trade bills,SB 1507 and HB 4001,were introduced, and while neither passed,there was considerable debate on •-- . �� State of Oregon State and Federal Surplus Property Program www.oregonsurplus.com 1503-378-6020 Serving Oregon agencies for over 50 years!tet us help you save on thousands of items you use every day! Federal Donation Program State Surplus Property Law Enforcement Support Office(LESO) I Ar 18 LOCAL FOCUS April 2018 www.orcities.org the details and potential policy implications of both proposals. Prior to adjournment,$1.4 million in general funds was appro- priated to create and staff a Carbon Policy Office. These funds Bill v.ill also support several studies including an economic impact analysis of a cap-and-trade program on jobs and on the state's i 20 economy. The analysis will also assess potential o I y y p opportunities Summary for carbon sequestration. In addition,it has been announced that House Speaker Tina Kotek(D-Portland) and Senate j President Peter Courtney(D-Salem)will convene and co-chair ine a new Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction. It is highly . — anticipated that this new committee will be instrumental in the ^^�� development and consideration of similar legislation during the 2019 legislative session. The League's 2018 Legislative Session Summary of Bills is Finally,the Legislature contemplated other significant environ- available online at www.orcities.org. This publication ment legislation during the 2018 session,including SB 1541, provides a detailed look at the bills the League's advocacy which authorizes the Oregon Environmental Quality Commis- team,often with valuable input and support from sion to adopt new health-based criteria for toxic air emissions. members,worked during the short legislative session. The summary includes information about both passed and Marijuana failed bills,and contains links to each bill described. SB 1544 makes a number of changes to the Oregon's recre- ational and medical marijuana programs. Of principal interest to several League members,the bill resolves a conflict between device,which is allowable under state statute. The bill also tax payer confidentiality requirements and Oregon's local goy-- exempts the operators of oversized vehicles who are required ernment budget law. Heretofore,if a city had a small number by federal law to use pilot cars from the prohibition against of recreational marijuana establishments,listing revenue from two-way communications devices while driving. a its retail marijuana tax was viewed by the Oregon Department of Revenue as releasing individual tax payer information. SB 1544 also adds resources for enforcing Oregon's marijuana laws and establishes a grant program within the state's Criminal Jus- tice Commission for police and sheriff agencies to combat illicit marijuana sales,processing and production. Oregon currently AssetWORKS produces significantly more marijuana than is consumed within the state,and continues to export large amount of product, thus drawing the negative attention of federal agencies. Guns or Property Insurance Appraisals HB 4145 prohibits persons who are subject to protective orders and those who have been convicted of misdemeanor violent offenses against romantic partners from possessing firearms or ammunition. Previously,these restrictions only applied when these crimes were committed against a person in co-habitation with the offender. The bill also requires the I Fixed Asset Inventory Oregon State Police (OSP) to enter all convictions and court Valuation orders that result in a person being barred from owning a firearm or ammunition into Oregon's Law Enforcement Data System and the database operated by the National Crime In- formation Center. Finally,HB 4145 instructs the OSP to notify all relevant jurisdictions when a person prohibited from owningConfigurable Software • • a firearm attempts to purchase one,and requires police agen- Fixed Asset&PropertyManagement cies to report on the disposition of those notifications. Distracted Driving HB 4116 clarifies that a"hands-free device"is a mobile phone feature that may be operated with a simple tap or swipe of the + finger. The change was made necessary as persons ticketed for operating a phone were able to claim that their extended con- tact with their mobile device was the operation of a hands-free www.orcities.org April 2018 J LOCAL FOCUS 19 Construction Project Update —April 18, 2018 Item# 5 � I Newsletter. MOT Olen House about Tolls on I-5 and I-205 The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) held an open house to discuss the concept of congestion pricing (i.e. Tolls) on parts of I-5 and I-205 last night at Public Works. If you missed it,jou can still share your comments via an online open house at: hM://openhouse.oregondot.org/congestion. 98`''Ave/Summerfield Drive Islands The street crew has installed new islands and stop signs in the center of 98'Ave at Summerfield Dr. This is to improve walkability by reducing driver speeds on 98`'Ave and reinforcing the need to stop at Summerfield Dr. Pavement Patching in Northern Tigard Neighborhoods This summer we will be slurry sealing many of the neighborhood streets in northern Tigard. While slurry seal is a very cost-effective way to counter the effects of weathering,it does not stop cracking.The street crew is removing and replacing areas of more heavily cracked pavement in preparation for the slurry seal work. Interstate 5 (Hwy 99W to I-205) Paving and Auxiliary Lane The Oregon Department of Transportation (01301)is adding a southbound auxiliary lane on Interstate 5 from Lower Boones Ferry Rd to I-205,improve on-and off-ramps, and repave Interstate 5 (both directions) from Hwy 99X'to I-205. Expect some nighttime lane closures through fall 2019. Wall Street (south of Hunziker) Wall Street is under construction south of Hunziker Rd. Access is available to local properties (including Potso Dog Park) but drivers should expect delays. Hwy 99W/Garrett St/School St A developer is building new`specialty retail' stores along the northwest side of Hwy 99W across from Garrett Street, near C.F. Tigard School. Site clearing is in progress, followed by pipe work under Hay 99W at night. 113th Avenue south of Durham Road A contractor is building a new subdivision along 113"Avenue south of Durham Road and is now installing pipes for water, storm, and sanitary sewer for the future new houses. Daytime delays likely. Main Street at Commercial Street Crosswalk A TriMet bus recently knocked over a sign with flashing lights at the crosswalk across Main Street at Commercial Street. The street crew has replaced the post and sign, and rill be reinstalling the flashing lights when replacement parts are received. Fanno Creek Trail (Woodard Park to Bonita and Hall Blvd to Tualatin) Design work is in progress on a project to build the remaining segments of the Fanno Creek Trail from Woodard Park to Bonita Road and build a new connection from the end of 85'Avenue (Hall Boulevard) to the Tualatin Bridge. Contact Mike McCarthy at 503-718-2462 or mikem cr,tigard-or.gov v ith questions. River Terrace River Terrace subdivisions are under construction particularly on the east side of Roy Rogers Rd south of Scholls Ferry Rd. If you have any questions,please contact Mike White at 503-718-2464. Oak Street near 90`'Avenue A contractor is installing storm and sanitary sewer pipes under Oak Street near 90`'Avenue for a new apartment complex along Oak Street. Daytime delays likely. 97th Avenue south of McDonald Street A contractor is building a new subdivision along 97/'Avenue south of McDonald St. Work began v-ith site clearing, followed by installing pipes for water, storm, and sewer for future houses. Daytime delwis likely. East Fork Derry Dell Creek Fieldwork begins this week on East Fork Derry Dell creek. This stream restoration project is to protect exposed sewer pipes and undermined manholes along this stretch of creek. Residents can expect to see Tigard staff and consultants completing field investigations along the creek and flagging vwedand boundaries. Hwy 217 Auxiliary Lanes The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is designing a project to add an auxiliary third lane on Hwy 217 southbound from Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy to Hay 99W,and Hwy 217 northbound from Hwy 99W to Scholls Ferry Rd. More information is on the project website at hwy217.org Bull Mountain Road (Roy Rogers Rd to 164`'Ave) Closure June;Tuly Bull Mountain Road will be closed from Roy Rogers Road to 164''Avenue for the months of June and July to reconstruct the road and add a traffic signal at Roy Rogers Rd and a roundabout at the new River Terrace Blvd. Public Works Update 4/19/18 Item# Here is a summary of the work happening in Public Forks. Newsletter: q CERT Class Attends Fire Safety Training in Sherwood this Week Tigard's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a volunteer group of trained and dedicated individuals who keep our community strong by connecting neighbors to help deter crime and prepare for and respond to major storms, earthquakes and other emergencies. CERT students receive 24 hours of training in basic emergency- response skills like first aid, search and rescue, and fire safety and suppression. The Spring CERT class completed fire safety training at the TVF&R Training Center in Sherwood this week, and vill complete final exercises on Saturday. ir 5 L } Earth Day Spotlight: Green Team Helps to Promote Stream Health in Tigard Formed in 2016, the City's Public Works Green Team helps to support a healthy environment for fish,wildlife and the community. The city's green team maintains natural areas built to protect water quality in Tigard.There are 149 public water quality facilities and 9.4 miles of creeks within the city. Facilities are constructed to protect our precious water resources by removing pollution from stormwater runoff before it enters into local streams and the Tualatin River. They function by slowing down, filtering, and either infiltrating runoff into the soil or releasing it into adjacent water bodies at a slower,more natural rate. t ' .. r y V 1 3 t Pictured• David Howes, Theresa Reynolds, Omar Olivera and Scott Oakland Water Division Update Field staff in the Water Division continue to replace fire hydrants in the Summerfield area near Alderbrook Drive. Crews are also inspecting and flushing hydrants along the entire stretch of Pacific Highway for proper operation. In the photo below Kay Landsiedel, Senior Utility Technician,is working on a 12" clay-valve that regulates flow throughout the city and into different pressure zones. ]Egg Hunt Photos Now Available ii yr f low r' \ 4P 1 r } v Item# � uu ■ "l� /� .I Newsle er: _1 City of Tigard April 16,2018 To: Officer April Keller Re: Letter of Recognition On April I Oth,you took a call from Umpqua Bank regarding a non-customer attempting to cash a check. The bank associate reported the check appeared to be stolen and provided a description of the suspect attempting to cash it. Upon arrival,you observed the suspect exiting the bank and stopped him a short distance away. You investigated the circumstances and quickly discovered the suspect was a transient who had been solicited by others to cash the check for them. The suspect relayed that he had been picked up in Portland, driven to another location where he received the check,and then driven to the bank with instructions to cash it after which he would receive a portion of the cash. You alerted Detective Hahn and Detective Stone of your investigation. The Commercial Crimes Unit (CCU) assisted, eventually identifying the suspects who solicited our suspect, and other transients, into their check fraud scheme. After the dust settled, three suspects from Georgia were in custody and over $34,000 in cash had been seized for forfeiture or evidence. Without your notification to CCU, these suspects would likely have been able to flee the state with their ill-gotten gains and never been held accountable. CCU would like to recognize the astute observations and your outstanding investigative work. Taking the time to dig further, trusting your investigative instincts, and conveying unusual circumstances to other investigators are hallmarks of excellent police work. Your tenacity and dogged purpose of justice reflect credit upon you and the Tigard Police Department and your actions reflect our core values of Attitude, Leadership, Integrity, Service, and Teamwork. Thank you for being a great representative of the Tigard Police Department! Sincerely, a y cAIpine Chief of Police C. Employee file Chief's file City Manager Commendation board 13125 SW Hall Blvd. • Tigard, Oregon 97223 503.639.4171 TTS''Relay: 503.684.2772 • www.tigard-or.gov Dear 4f zllfl Love, Item# Newsle er: �{'��C( Tigard Police Department = N Media Release 13125 SVb'Hall Boulevard Tigard,Oregon 97223 vum-w.figard-or.gov/police FOR - IMMEDIATE RELEASE ApH112,2018 Contact: Jim Wolf,Public Information Officer Tigard Police Department Phone: 503-718-2561 Email: jim@tigard-or.gov Tigard Police Commercial Crimes Unit Shuts Down Counterfeit Check Cashing Scheme On April 11, detectives assigned to the Tigard Police Commercial Crimes Unit arrested three suspects who appeared to be part of a counterfeit check-cashing operation stemming from Georgia. The investigation began the day prior when a Tigard Umpqua Bank employee contacted Tigard Police to advise that a subject currently inside the bank was attempting to cash a counterfeit check. A Tigard Police officer quickly arrived at the bank and arrested the suspect. Investigators were able to determine that the suspect arrested was involved in a more elaborate counterfeit check-cashing scheme being conducted in the metro area. The following day, investigators identified three additional suspects allegedly involved. The trio was arrested as they attempted to leave the area, likely back enroute to Georgia. Police followed two suspects as they departed from a Wilsonville motel in a rental vehicle and ultimately stopped them on Interstate-84 near Multnomah Falls. The third suspect was taken into custody at Portland International Airport just prior to boarding a flight to Atlanta. Police seized over $30,000 in cash from amongst the suspects.All three were lodged in the Washington County Jail in Hillsboro. Marcus R. Eppinger, 22, and Brittane D. Robinson, 20, both from Atlanta, Georgia, were charged with seven counts each of Theft I, Forgery I and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument. Rodrickus S. Robinson, 25, of Atlanta, is charged with Forgery I. As the investigation continues, additional charges may be forthcoming. Investigators learned that the trio allegedly scouted out transients in downtown Portland, who were then driven to pre-determined banks in the area and instructed to cash the counterfeit checks. The recruited transients turned over the money collected from the banks and were then paid a nominal fee for each check successfully cashed. Investigators from the Beaverton and Port of Portland Police Departments assisted with the investigation. Page 1 of 1 Item# Newslett r: 4-1 Tigard plays host to county commission debate The Times Tuesday, April 17, 2018 Eight candidates on May 15 ballot gather Friday, April 20, at Tigard Public Library. Three seats on the Washington County Commission, eight candidates and one more debate. The candidates for chairman, District 2 and District 4 will gather at 7:30 a.m. Friday, April 20, at the Tigard Public Library, 13500 S.W. Hall Blvd. All three seats are on the May 15 mail-in ballot. The forum is hosted by Washington County Thrives and co-sponsored by The Times newspaper. Candidates will respond to questions on a wide array of topics. Questions also will be taken from the audience. Admission is free with RSVP (contra.cc/thrivesforum-rsvp). Light continental breakfast will be served. American Sign Language and Spanish interpretation will be available on site. Dana Haynes, managing editor of The Times, and Yanely Rivas of Unite Oregon will co-moderate the forum. Confirmed candidate participants include County Commissioner Chair candidates Bob Terry, Kathryn A Harrington, Ryan Deckert and Shabba Woodley; County Commissioner District 2 candidates Greg Malinowski and Pam Treece; and County Commissioner District 4 candidates Jerry W Willey and Kimberly Culbertson. "Washington County Thrives is a long-standing, diverse collaborative of organizations working to improve access to essential resources that all residents need to prosper, such as affordable housing, workforce training, and early learning,"said Glenn Montgomery, executive director of Vision Action Network and co-convener of Thrives. "The collaborative recognizes that political will is vital, and this county commissioner forum is an opportunity to learn where our candidates stand on the issues." Washington County Thrives is a cross-sector collaborative co-convened by Vision Action Network and Community Action, which works to enhance the livability of Washington County by promoting investment in essential resources, such as affordable housing, workforce training, and early learning. For more information, visit vision actionnetwork.org. Three arrested in counterfeit check operation Ray Pitz Friday, April 13, 2018 Tigard detectives arrest three from Atlanta for passing counterfeit checks, finding $30,000 in cash inside their vehicles Detectives from the Tigard Police Commercial Crimes Unit arrested three suspects who appeared to be part of a counterfeit check-cashing operation stemming from Georgia on April 11. The investigation began the day prior when a Tigard Umpqua Bank employee contacted Tigard Police to advise that a subject currently inside the bank was attempting to cash a counterfeit check, according to a police spokesman. A Tigard Police officer quickly arrived at the bank and arrested the suspect. From there, investigators were able to determine that the suspect arrested was involved in a more elaborate counterfeit check-cashing scheme being conducted in the metro area and the following day, investigators identified three additional suspects allegedly involved. The trio was arrested as they attempted to leave the area, likely back enroute to Georgia. Police followed two suspects as they departed from a Wilsonville motel in a rental vehicle and ultimately stopped them on Interstate-84 near Multnomah Falls. The third suspect was taken into custody at Portland International Airport just prior to boarding a flight to Atlanta. Police seized over$30,000 in cash from the suspects. Those arrested include Marcus R. Eppinger, 22, and Brittane D. Robinson, 20, both from Atlanta. They were charged with seven counts each of first-degree theft, first-degree forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Rodrickus S. Robinson, 25, also of Atlanta, was charged with first-degree forgery. As the investigation continues, additional charges may be forthcoming. All three were lodged in the Washington County Jail in Hillsboro. Investigators learned that the trio allegedly scouted out transients in downtown Portland, who were then driven to pre-determined banks in the area and instructed to cash the counterfeit checks. The recruited transients turned over the money collected from the banks and were then paid a nominal fee for each check successfully cashed. Investigators from the Beaverton and Port of Portland Police Departments assisted with the investigation. Designer reveals plans for Main Street custom clock Ray Pitz Friday, April 13, 2018 A Portland urban designer unveiled plans for a 13-foot tall clock purchased through the efforts of the Tigard Rotary Club. Design Concept 2-Face rotating clockx'` Stainless Steel%" plates ' • Cast glass blacks Stainless steel 10.75" rAx x _ diameter cylinder Basalt plinth � . • « of + • understanding t'_.. CLVa ' COURTESY OF RESOLVE ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING - Here's a rendering of what a proposed custom clock, planned for Main Street on the side of the Symposium Coffee and Tigard Chamber of Commerce buildings, will look like. Just what a proposed Rotary Plaza downtown custom clock will look like was revealed Thursday afternoon during the weekly luncheon of the Tigard Rotary Club. The 13-foot-tall clock tower(a 10-foot-tall stainless steel post topped by a 3-foot-tall clock with the Rotary wheel logo) is planned for just off of Main Street, next to the Tigard Symposium Coffee/Tigard Chamber of Commerce building. During Thursday's meeting, Suenn Ho, an urban designer, unveiled renderings of the clock planned for Rotary Plaza, the focal point of the city's Tigard Street Heritage Trail. Ho, a principal with Resolve Architecture and Planning, was heavily involved in Astoria's The Garden of Surging Waves, which memorializes both the history and heritage of Chinese immigrants in the state. The stunning and elaborate project was completed in 2014. THE TIMES: RAY PITZ- Marland Henderson, left, who heads up the 15- - ., member Rotary Plaza subcommittee, addresses members of the Tigard ti t Rotary Club Thursday as Suenn Ho, an urban designer, looks on. Ho - unveiled renderings of a custom clock to be installed in Rotary Plaza on Main Street. She told Rotary members Thursday she was honored to be involve in the Rotary Plaza design. "The clock is currently being manufactured in Massachusetts,"she said. "The clock should arrive in Portland the first week of June." The structure will include glass work, LED lighting and Rotary Plaza signage. However, unlike many other Rotary clocks throughout the country, this one will be custom made. Fundraising to purchase everything needed for the$50,000 custom clock is being spearheaded by both the Tigard Rotary Club and the Tigard Breakfast Rotary Club. Marland Henderson, a former Tigard City Council member and contractor, who heads up the 15-member Rotary Plaza subcommittee, said what's needed now is someone to step forward and foot the bill for a $2,500 chime system for the clock. The plan is to have the clock chime each hour or play seasonal music on the hour. "It will give identify to the downtown," Henderson said of Rotary project. Meanwhile, Ho encouraged Rotary members to push forward in realizing completion of the project. "Rotary members, you lead,"she said. "When you lead, others will follow." Location Plan COURTESY OF RESOLVE ARCHITECTURE Rotary ClotA Art Fend AND PLANNING - Heres where the proposed Rotary Plaza custom clock would be located in Tigards downtown area. r y ' Metra .regional Mousing Funding U)date AL April 17, 2018 With input from experts, advocates and local - leaders, housing bond framework begins to take s shape - In March, groups advising Metro on a possible bond y: measure to create more affordable homes reviewed a range of potential housing investment scenarios that weighed the likely effects of different levels of affordability, home sizes and other factors. At the April 16 stakeholder advisory table meeting, Metro staff shared a new round of scenarios that had been refined based on feedback from the groups. "In particular, we revised some of the scenarios to reflect the directives from our stakeholders that housing bond investments should promote racial equity, serve those most in need, and serve as many people as possible," said Metro regional affairs manager Jes Larson. In addition to the refined scenarios, the stakeholder table had a first look at a potential methodology for deciding how to distribute homes created by the measure across the region. The concept included a blend of population, revenue generation and several possible measures of housing need. The concept was presented in order to spark discussion among the group -- and it did. Several group members said they would prefer a simpler approach. These members noted that the need for affordable homes is widespread, and they suggested a simpler distribution approach would be easier for the public to understand. "My simple thought is, I would do it purely based on revenue," said Milwaukie mayor Mark Gamba. The stakeholder advisory table members also discussed how their overarching values, particularly racial equity, might be reflected in a distribution methodology. One participant suggested, "If racial equity is one of our leading values, then by looking at [how communities of color are over-represented among the lowest income renter households], we might ask the question: how would the bond house the most people in the gap?" The housing bond stakeholder advisory table will meet again on May 2 to review a draft of a framework for the measure. In late May, Metro chief operating officer Martha Bennett will discuss a final recommendation with the group before presenting it to the Metro Council. The Council is expected to decide on the referral of a housing bond measure on June 7. Metro steps up community outreach and engagement ahead of possible regional housing funding measure After the Metro Council directed staff in November to explore a potential regional housing funding measure, Metro staff began to engage partners and community members in developing a possible framework for the measure. Metro's activities have included: • Monthly meetings with housing bond advisory tables, including a stakeholder group of elected leaders, community advocates and public and private housing developers, and a technical advisory table of practitioners in affordable housing finance, development and operations • Dozens of conversations with local elected leaders, jurisdiction staff and community groups across the greater Portland region at public meetings and individual briefings ■ Grants to community partners to engage a diverse range of communities in greater Portland's three counties. • Updates on Metro's housing work and opportunities for public comment at the agency's standing meetings, including Council meetings and the Metro Policy Advisory Committee (M PAC) If your agency, workplace, place of worship or other community group would like an opportunity to learn, ask questions and share your views about Metro's possible housing measure, we want to hear from you! Please contact Kate Fagerholm at kate.fa erholmnn,oreaonmetro.gov to schedule a meeting or invite us to your event. Metro to host housing panel April 18 This Thursday, April 18, Metro will host a lunch hour panel of housing experts and front line case managers will talk about the work that's underway to address greater Portland's housing crisis. The panel will also discuss the ongoing needs of community members experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless. We'll hear from experts coordinating programs in Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah Counties, along with three case managers working on the front lines directly with people in need. Panelists Marc Jolin, Portland and Multnomah County Annette Evans, Washington County Erika Silver, Clackamas County Bianetth Valdez, Home Plate Celine Mazoyer, Northwest Pilot Project Lisa Hayes, Northwest Housing Alternatives This event is free and open to the public. Lunch will not be provided, but feel free to bring your own. Please RSVP to housing(a?oregonmetro. ov to let us know you're coming. What: Panel discussion on solving the housing crisis When: Thursday, April 19, 12-1 p.m. Where: Metro Regional Center, Room 370A-B Public comment invited on draft housing measure framework On April 26, Metro will launch an online survey asking for the public's help in refining the draft framework for the housing bond measure that the Metro Council may refer to the region's voters. If the measure is referred and voters pass it, input from the survey could also help Metro implement the bond in a way that reflects residents' values. Metro will publish the survey through a partnership with Opt In and Pivot Research, an independent public opinion research firm. To register for the survey, please visit the Opt In panel website. Boomers and Millennials in living room death match Joseph Gallivan - Reporter, The Business Tribune Tuesday, April 17, 2018 Metro pols and economists meet to estimate growth and land use needs in the next 20 years. PHOTO: JOSHUA MANUS, METRO- Economists met at Metro's Council Chambers Wednesday 11 April, 2018, to give elected officials in the Portland metro region a sense of their predictions for economic and population growth in the next 20 years. (L-R) Craig Beebe, project Manager Metro (moderator); Sheila Martin, director, Portland State University Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies; Tom Potiowsky, 4 director, PSU Northwest Economic Research Center and Bill Reid, principal, PNW Economics. Portland is facing a clash royale as Millennials and retiring Baby Boomers compete for the same types of property: close-in urban dwellings where they can walk to services, see their friends and live a clutter-free existence. So said Sheila Martin, director of Portland State University's Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies. She was on a panel at Metro's headquarters Wednesday evening with Tom Potiowsky, director, PSU Northwest Economic Research Center and Bill Reid, principal, PNW Economics and also a PSU professor. Moderated by Craig Beebe, the panel discussion was entitled The Trends behind Regional Population and Employment Growth: Migration and Demographic Change. "One factor in people returning to the central cities is safety. There's lower crime,"said Martin. "As a retiree you're going to lose your license at some point, and if you want to not be isolated, you need a place that's walkable. Unfortunately, these are the places where Millennials want to live, so that sets up a competition." Martin stressed that we should continue to invest(private and public money) in our central cities. "It's been a wonderful resurgence of cities in the last two decades,"she said. Without mentioning the term affordable housing, she noted: "I worry we will end up being an enclave for the rich and we won't have options for varieties of housing that people of different incomes can afford." Regional theater The evening's talk was directed at an audience of the region's power players such as Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, Jerry Hinton of Gresham, and Linda Simmons of TriMet—all of whom want to know what big issues they will be facing in 20 years as demographics change. The Metro Policy Advisory Committee is working on its recommendation to the Metro Council for its urban growth management decision. The issue is Metro has to estimate whether to move the Urban Growth Boundary out or not to make room for more houses and factories. Last time, it did not. At that time Bill Reid disagreed, and on Wednesday he brought up the fact that the Metro region only has one plot of industrial land that is rated Tier 1. That means having power, water and roads and able to be developed in a year or two. "There's a severe supply problem, and it's holding cities back. It's a big risk for employment looking forward," Reid said. Tom Potiowsky said, a little ironically, that looking back at the Great Recession, "We learned that recessions are not a good thing." Still on the subject of recessions, Bill Reid said that the Portland area was fortunate in that when the recession hit, because of good land use planning, there were not sprawling acres of single family homes and master planned communities left vacant by bankrupt firms. However, when growth restarted and in-migration brought in new workers with money, there was not enough capacity to keep prices from rising. "Looking back on what we missed, we need to make sure we don't have a mismatch next time the inevitable business cycle happens," said Reid. r r PHOTO: JOSHUA MANUS, METRO - Economists at Metro's Council Chambers Wednesday 11 April, 2018 (L- R) Craig Beebe, project Manager Metro(moderator); Sheila Martin, director, Portland State University Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies; Tom Potiowsky, director, PSU Northwest Economic Research Center and Bill Reid, principal, PNW Economics. China Moderator Beebe asked them what big issues they were worried about for the economy. Potiowsky said it's the trade policies coming out of the White House. "Tariffs across the board, I'm worried about a trade war. And with all the goods coming from Oregon to China, we would be impacted." He added that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was "not wise to do at full economic strength, the economy doesn't need it right now." He also noted income inequality is a worry. Sheila Martin said that changing demographics will change business models—and land use. For example, healthcare. "There will not be enough hospitals to serve the aging population. On the horizon is a change for their service model, requiring less space, which will probably be better for people. Its not that much fun being in hospital." Japan is an example,with a fertility rate below replacement. Portland risks going that way. "We have to worry about the ratio of people who are working to not working, because we need workers to pay taxes and Social Security. Everyone hates in-migration, but the other situation would be difficult as well." Now hiring people like us Seattle, incidentally, was held up as a good example, since it is growing faster than Portland but has"gotten its act together with light rail." Martin also said that the way managers find employees will change. "Right now we use our social networks, which is perpetuating the look of the workforce. As we have an exodus of Baby Boomers and an increase in people of color in our population, it's essential we be more inclusive in who we hire." She said it'll be less about"whether someone fits a culture,"which is all about"looking for people who look like us." Instead it will be about training, and she cited firms that are hiring autistic people and the formerly incarcerated. "Opportunities are opened up by a tight labor market, and employers are forced to look at pools of labor they may not have considered before." Potiowsky said that while he did not suggest income redistribution at the state level, he was worried about how the middle class was not gaining good jobs quickly enough. "You don't want a situation where the Haves and Have-Nots break down into social unrest." He also said of Millennials that"This is a demographic cohort putting off traditional expenditures: car, home, starting a family." One audience member asked what the Baby Boomer median income was when they were 21, and how it compares to now. Potiowsky said he did not know, but he knew that when he was a student he felt he could never afford to buy a house but owns one now. Someone else asked about automation and how it could render unemployed millions of drivers, or"10 or 15 percent of the population." Reid said he thought that was an exaggeration, that Artificial Intelligence won't be viable for a long time. Potiowsky said he was hopeful about technology causing change. "Where did all the elevator operators go? I'm sure they found jobs eventually. Technology opens up new jobs. The problem is the transition. And public policy can help making those transitions." Gretchen Buehner of King City talked about past migration westward from Appalachia and the south during hard times. Sheila Martin said it was unlikely to be repealed soon. "Most(Oregon) in-migration is from nearby states. I don't think the jobs that are growing are jobs folks in Appalachia are qualified to take. I hope we're growing from among our own folks." Bill Reid explains why he was there Bill Reid owns his own urban economic consulting firm PNW Economics. He was invited to talk Wednesday night because of his disagreement with the previous forecast. He is also on an advisory committee for MetroScope, the model that does the forecasting, and does consulting for land use planning and public finance for some small cities around the region. For the past three Urban Growth Report processes he's worked for different interests reviewing the plan's strengths and weaknesses. Metro will be leading its regional city and county partners though the next Urban Growth Report process. Different departments are working on different scenarios. MPAC is the key advisory committee to Metro Council because most of them are elected officials. They're getting input and advice. Part of our job tonight was to chime in on different economic trends and factors that hopefully the region will be discussing as they think about how much they are going to grow over the next 20 years." "The economic and population forecasting kicks off the process. They are working on methodology and forecasting now. It's an extremely complicated and data-driven process, as it should be. What we heard about tonight is the qualitative issues around the quantitative work that Metro's economists are doing. The idea was to put some qualitative flesh on the quantitative forecasting that is going to be happening." Forecasts are always wrong, but they still need pointers. "Most of what we talked about will be short term impacts. Metro's job is to forecast 20 years of growth. You try to put rails on where growth is supposed to go." By state law, Metro's economists have to look 20 years ahead. Metro is looking at the question 'Is land sufficient to accommodate the type of growth we're forecasting?' "In 2013/14 they decided they did not need to adjust the UGB. The worsening housing affordability problem is a symptom of what I was disagreeing with."That was using 2010-2012 data, which was the worst of the recession. "Using that data is going to show results that bias probably not showing much growth. But by 2013 it was pretty obvious the growth was going to be more." The Urban Growth Report is Metro's big push for the next two years, and it takes a lot of time for all the stakeholders to review and discuss it. There were discussions of the housing affordability bond on the ballot this November, to pay for affordable housing in the three-county region in the UGB. "Mayor Doyle was grateful I pointed out we are almost down to nothing when it comes to industrial land. We're years and millions of dollars off being able to see the land there is." The region needs land for existing companies to grow, let alone attracting companies for companies from other states who might want to come here. When they see this, they move along. "We don't have place to accommodate employment growth, then we don't have jobs so people can afford housing, and we continue to be a Cupertino California, an exclusive community not necessarily dependent on jobs.We lose companies to other places and fall further down the rabbit hole of being viewed as 'There's no place to go there."'