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02-21-2019 Council Newsletter rComndlNewsletkr Prrnvded to 'be"Tigard Cit) C:aurtcri un u uveek/y baw lh .Jtq)'abreao of i1d"ent aty t 5fueJ. February 21, 2019 1. Construction Project Update Christina Zellmer attached an overview of road, trail and construction projects underway in the city. 2. Public Works Project Update Marissa Grass attached a summary of recent activity by Public Works. 3. Press Release issued by City -Woman struck by WES train in Tigard 4. News Articles ✓ Meet Tigard's newest City Councilor: Heidi Lueb ✓ TNT&R,Tigard Police&SN1A'teach hands-only CPR at Washington Square ✓ CERT to offer basic training course ✓ Tolerance is the answer,not hatred ✓ Woman in critical condition after being hit by WES train in Tigard ✓ Legislators seek resolution for Curtis Tigard Day on April 13 ✓ Tigard mayor calls out derogatory comment related to hiring bilingual speaker 5. Council Calendar Tuesday, Feb. 26 Btwsitte44 Ale Cancelled for Irick of items Tuesday,March 5 Business Meeting 6:30 p.m. —Town Hall Cancelled for lack of quorum Tuesday, March 19 Workshop Meeting 6:30 p.m.—Town Hall Tuesday, March 26 Business Meeting 6:30 p.m.—Town Hall 13125 SW`Hall Blvd.Tigard,OR 97223 1 Web Phone:303.639 41-1 1 F.._ 303 684 729717 IDD Susi 684 27-2 Item# Construction Project Update — February 21, 2019 Newsle er: I�ZJ Beef Bend east of Roy Rogers Road ! A sewer line is being installed along Beef Bend Road. Beef Bend Road is closed between Roy Rogers Road and SW Myrtle Ave through March 5th. OR99W south of Beef Bend ODOT will be doing construction along 99W between Royalty Parkway and Durham Road. Work has begun and is expected to continue through May. Intermittent southbound lane closures are expected. See project website for additional information https://www.oregon.gov/odot/projects/pages/proiect- details.aspx?project=18807 Cook Park Sewer Line A portion of Clean Water Services' West Durham Basin Improvement Program has started at Cook Park. The project is replacing aging sewer interceptor pipes that help control water flow with larger, more resilient pipes to improve wastewater capacity. Truck traffic,trail closures and detours at the park are planned through April 2019. Work began near the wastewater plant and progresses westward. More info is on the CWS website: http://www.cleanwaterservices.org/about-us/projects/west-durham-basin-improvement-program/ Fanno Creek Trail—Woodard Park to Tiedeman Ave The new bridge and trail connecting the Fanno Creek Trail straight from Woodard Park across the creek to the existing crosswalk on Tiedeman Avenue is now open. This project completed a missing link of the Fanno Creek Greenway Trail, provided an ADA accessible route where it did not exist before, increased trail safety by lining the trail up with a safe crosswalk, and provided a very clear definition of the regional trail route at Tiedeman Avenue. Most of the project was paid for with a generous$800,000. Grant from Metro. Upcoming projects in this location include safety changes at the crosswalk, adding refuge islands and more visible lighting. As soon as a long enough stretch of rain free weather happens, a new mural will also be painted on the retaining wall and bridge foundation to add character to the trail and to help discourage graffiti. Dirksen Nature Park Construction is in the final stages on a nature play area in Dirksen Nature Park south of Tigard Street. The Fanno Creek Trail and the Nature Park are open. The restroom facility is open! Portions of the trail and park may have short-term closures as construction wraps up. River Terrace Area Construction • 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. • A contractor is building a new subdivision on the west side of 150th Ave south of Hawksridge. Utility work (with traffic delays) is in progress in 150th Ave. • Bull Mountain Road Widening and Traffic Signal Construction: Bull Mountain Road (from 164th to Roy Rogers Rd) is open with a new roundabout at the future River Terrace Blvd, and a traffic signal at Bull Mountain and Roy Rogers Road. Visit GetUsThere.org for information and updates. There are other significant road, sewer and water projects underway or planned in the area. Visit GetUsThere.org for information and updates. 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 Hwy 99W, and Hwy 217 northbound from Hwy 99W to Scholls Ferry Rd. More information is on the project website at hwy217.org. 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 851h Avenue (Hall Boulevard)to the Tualatin Bridge. Contact Carla Staedter at 503-718-2788, or carla@tigard-or.gov with any questions. Taco Bell on Highway 99W Demolition has started at the Taco Bell on 99W. No traffic impacts expected on Hwy 99W, light impacts possible on SW Park St from construction vehicle traffic. Oak Street near 901h Avenue A contractor is working on Oak Street near 90th Avenue for a new apartment complex. Daytime delays likely. 76th and 79th Avenues south of Bonita Road A developer is constructing the Elderberry Ridge subdivision on the south end of 761h Ave east of 79th Ave south of Bonita Road. The contractor is waiting for a break in weather to complete the road work. Some traffic impacts expected on 79th Ave. Tiedeman Avenue and Tigard Street A developer is building a new subdivision south of Tigard Street east of Tiedeman Avenue. The contractor is working in Tiedeman Ave from 9am to 3pm installing storm and sanitary utilities. Expect delays on Tiedeman. 68th Parkway south of Hwy 99W A developer is building a new self-storage facility on the west side of 68th Parkway south of Highway 99W. Sidewalk improvements along 68th Parkway will be beginning soon. Some delays possible. SW 150th Ave south of Hawk Ridge Drive A developer is building a 180-lot subdivision on SW 150th Ave south of Hawk Ridge Drive. Grading is substantially complete, started pipe works, now stopped, but promised to resume work in January of 2019. No impacts to traffic expected. SW 121st Ave south of Springwood Drive A developer is building a 17-lot subdivision on SW 1211 Ave south of Springwood Drive. Work is nearing completion. Pavement work to repair damaged areas will effect traffic on SW 121st Ave and Springwood Dr, but work has been postponed until the weather is appropriate for paving. 72nd Avenue between Clinton St and Baylor St A developer is building a new 37-unit apartment building on the east side of 72"d Ave between Clinton St and Baylor St. The contractor has finished installing sanitary sewer service on 72nd between Clinton and Baylor. Work continues on-site as the building footprints are excavated and prepped. Expect some traffic impacts in the area as work continues. 98th Ave between Greenbure Rd and Scott Ct A developer is building a subdivision on 98th Avenue between Greenburg Rd and Scott Ct. The contractor will be installing a waterline along 98th Avenue. Some traffic impacts are expected on 98th Ave. Hunziker Road—Fields Apartments A developer is building apartments on Hunziker Rd and improvements include widening Hunziker Rd. Construction is ongoing, some traffic impacts expected. School Construction Construction continues on Templeton Elementary School, and on the new Durham Center education services building near Durham Elementary School. Tigard High School construction is in progress, with periodic sidewalk closures (with pedestrian detours) while the contractor is working in the immediate area. Item#� Public Newsletter: 4A h 0 1 _..._ __..._____._ 2/20/19 >>Thank you Volunteers!Summerlake Park Tree Planting On Saturday 102 volunteers joined Friends of Trees,Clean Water Services and the City of Tigard for a tree planting in Summerlake Park. Help was needed to plant hundreds of native trees and shrubs.This planting is part of Tree For All, a partnership which has planted more than eight million native plants in the Tualatin River Watershed since 20051 Clean Water Services, Friends of Trees,thousands of volunteers, other non-profits,city partners and private landowners are working together to continue the success of this program. ,4 1 J .T�.•r1IH r v _ f i ►i �F .1 P t >>Sign up for Spring Classes and Activities Spring is just around the corner! Want your little ones to try something new but not sure where to start?Tigard recreation is offering several spring classes for kids ages 2-12 years. Check it out here: https://apm.activecommunities.com/tigard/Activity Search 1 r��'-.g .i-'i u'•.�yk. >>Golden Egg Hunt to Return in March Tigard Parks& Rec is so eggcited to announce the 2019 GOLDEN EGG HUNT! Over the next 3 weeks Parks& Rec will be hiding a series of 6 golden eggs in a variety of parks throughout Tigard. For each golden egg Parks& Rec will share a post containing various clues about where the egg is hidden.The first one to find the golden egg receives FREE entry into the Tigard Egg Hunt and a bonus prize. Stay tuned to social media next week for details. ! sof • �� :,� Item# fter: Tigard Police Department Newsle2��1'� Media Release 13125 SW Hall Boulevard I Tigard,Oregon 97223 www.tigard-or.gov/police FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE + February 21,2019 Contact: Stefanie Kouremeds,Community Engagement Program Coordinator Tigard Police Department Phone: 503-718-2814 Email: stefanie.kouremetis@dga.rd-or.gov Woman Struck by WES Train in Tigard Tuesday Evening On Tuesday,February 19t6 at 5:48pm,Tigard Police officers responded to a report of a collision betv-een a WES Commuter Rail train,heading southbound toward the Tigard Transit Center,and a woman reportedly walking along the train tracks. Tigard police assisted Transit Police and medical personnel at the scene.The inter-agency Washington County Crash Analysis Reconstruction Team responded to assist in the investigation. The woman sustained injuries from the collision and was transported to OHSU. Page 1 of 1 Item# NewsW er--:-•�1 i ALWAAS M i 0JLJLWi Meet T.lgaff�' newest46 C-.h ���;::caor: Heidi LuebF i . BY BARRARASHFRAIAA4TIGARDIIFE that the position calls for and said that her everyone's lives better so we �.. --- Herdt Lueb broke the mold when the husband and company are fully supportive of need to hear about the issues Tigard City Council unanimously appointed her new commitment,while Lueb is already they are concerned about" ` the businesswoman to a vacant seat on the hard it work learning how the city operates, dais last month. meeting citystaff and figuring out how to A native of Cential - i. serve the public Point in southern Oregon, Not only does she bring a younger Lueb was active,in student - perspective along with business acumen 'There is a level of service that residents government in high school to the council since being sworn in Jan want and are willing to pay for,"she said. and college,graduating _ 29,she is now the second woman on the 'City leaders also must set up the city for from the University current council,which has traditionally been future generations.' of Oregon with a comprised mostly of men bachelor of science Lueb and her husband,who own two dogs degree in business I ueb and,her husband Brian moved to and one cat,are marathoners,so one of her administration- Iigard three years ago,"and I've been itching biggest issues is:,afe streets and intersections accounting,and she I to get involved,"said the comptroller at for not only logging but-Aso for people wants to be an example Grady Britton,which calls itself a Portland pushing strolleit and walking dogs City to the next generation of creative agency that.specializes in brand officials have worked to Hake Tigard more women. Heidi Lueb and hei husband Brian moved to'i igaro three years ago strategy,digital marketing,public relations walkable,"but the city is not walkable if the from Texas,and one of her favorite spots in the city is Primo Espresso,a and media strategy intersections are not safe,"she said "Strollers "It's important to have neighborhood coffee shop dose to their home Photo by Barbara Sherman will never win a battle wide a car" diversity on the City Council,and it is Besides being big UO fans and football "I applied to the(Tigard)Budget important to me.personally because maybe a season ticket holders,the Luebs also go co Committee because I thought with my Lueb.whc has participated in several litdc girl will see in me someone who looks Tigard High School home football games finance background,l could make a Ironman competitions,has Lound.drivers a little like lier and realise,the possibilities and ocher sports competitions as well "I love difference,'said Lueb,adding that during in I iga.d to be considerate,saying,"I don't of what slit can do,"Lueb said.."If people hanging ouc with the kids and getting more the inteiview process last year with(foimer) encounter nasty driers when I'm riding my look ac the City Council members,they will involved,"Lueb said "1 was in then shoes Mayor John Cook and(future)Mayor Jason bike,and,I feel safe in the community as see different perspectives,and 1 bring yet a and got support from my teachers.They Srudet,"they brought up the opening on the a woman who sometimes runs alone My different one I think in picking me,they changed.my life.I believe in the power of council I couldn't stop thinking about it.I husband and I train together,so these isdt wanted someone to,hake them better as a education thought it would be a way to get to know the much couch time'" whole. city in a different way and to give tirnt to mLr "I never thought I could be a marathoner, community and take on new responsibilities." There is probably even less now as Lueb "One of the chw..gs that impressed me but when someone briigs something to your navigates her new role at the city "I'm the mast is that people are passionate attention and tells you that you can do it, Lueb was appointed to the Budget excited to dive in,and evuryont has been so about sev-ing Tigard,and it makes me it can change your world We need to give Committee,but she applied for the council welcoming,"she said "City Manager Marry want to jump in and work with them I everyone the opportunity to contribute." seat too and became one of four finalists Wine and her.staff have gone above the call of am looking forward to getting my council interviewed at the-ouncil's Jan. 15 meetin& duty to make me feel comfortable I have met liaison appointments(to city boards and To contact Lueb,email During the council members'discussion with some of the staff and will go around to commissions)because where you really get Br , off following the interviews,Council President the different departments to know,people is in smaller groups And John Goodlouse said,"I ain looking fol a the staff is a testament co the city They care different perspective from what we have on "I also am trying to get to as many events deeply and are there for the long haul." the council.I don't want someone who thinks as possible to meet people in the community. like I think." This is especially important for me because Lueb's current goal is"to dig in and get I was not elected. I am passionate about up to speed andbe effective as gwWy as Barbara Sherman is an award- After the vote,Councilor Tom Anderson living in Tigard,and I want to make it the possible.My husband.and I feel very lucky winning journalist who has said,"Hetdr will bring strength to the table." community the residents want If people are to be here We wanted to live in a Portland worked as a reporter and editor ,someone ean contemned about somethin lse suburb d looked all around. T and at several metro-area newspapers $ '$ �., fol nearly 30 years You can reach Lueb also is willing to put in the tube a:oo.We(on the.council)want to make checker'all the.boxes" Barbara at.l NEXT ISSUE tN:AM 7, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM A FEBRUARY/MARCH nmmerf�iel d first res onders p A T WF&R, Tigard Police and Valley Catholic teach II1ored5- 1 CPRat Washington Or, ltheSummerfieldCmicAssoua: hosteda"thankyou-cMfeeforthefirstresponderswno regularly show up to help residents'nth ,er time of need EnJoying wffee and uuokies were dozens of guests �°�r l*�'"� ��ll roprese,rtingTualatm Valley Fire&Rescue,the Tigard Pohce DepartrtmeM and Metra West Ambulance,plus re �i Tiaard C4 Counulor John Goodhouse Tryaid W r"Chief Kathy McAlpine(front;Jumped into thrr photo wrth the following TdFLsR news.Lieutenant Gary Reed left),F" ghterJohnny Kila_y,Apparatus Operator Casey ValleyCathohcstudentswill!omTualatin Carpenter,RrefighterAleaanderSchmidtParamedicAnton.AnasandParamrdicJarretKeaton Vall:v Fire tic Rescue(TFF8CR)firefighters and Pharocourtesyof5i,mmedreldCrvrcAswaonon Tigard Police+.n teaching hands.only CPR to Waslungtot Square Mall guests and ictailc,s an Saturday;February 13,from 1 to 4 p-m in the area below the fond crntrt Firefighteis will be wearing red t-skirts at the:vent and,during the. month of Februaryto promote corweraation and action tegarding heart health,CPR, cardiac emergencies.and the chain of suivival Students,police officers,and firefigbtets will demonstrate how rasp it is to perform hands-only CPR by pram©ng the skill on mannequins.Pushing hard and fast in hie COMMUNITY tMERGENCY center of the chest cc,the beat of the Bee Gees — RESPONSE song"Staying Alive'rant maintain circulation and breathing for a cardiac patient until I o firefighter-paramedics active to beryn advanced Tigard (I��� medical care. to offer Basic "Washington Square is one of the most Training course frequented shopping centers in the Pordand area with upwards of several thousand . BANC skills to Become shoppers vis n g the proptity on arty given Pmpamd and Help Your Community Saturday:,"said Marra Halstead,Senior Property Manager at Washington Square "We are BY ALANWnt TIGABDCENT proud co support our local Tualatin Valley first Tigard CERT Inc.is hosting the teat CERT responders and their efforts to spread awareness: (Community Emergency Response Ieam)Basic of heat health and to teach our visitors how. Training course beginning Match 5.2019 "this to perform CPR and!av>o-savmg techniques course teaches you basic skills such as disaster With as manv shoppers that walk through oin fist and,&L-suppression ind light search and dour,we hope Washington Squares visibility rescue,to help You be prepared in cast of a lo-a will lead to moic people receiving proper CPR or regional ernergene,or disaster The seven-week tiaiamg and hopdully help save lives in the course(ti to 5 PM Buesdays)includes classroom. process" instruction,hands-on practice,and i final exerrisc putting all of-,%u,!new skills into action According to mer the American Heart Associanon,more-than 350,000 people Tigard CERT Inc is a 50i(c)(3)non-profit experience,cardiac arrest each year outside of a organization and is entirely managed and hospital setting.,9 victims chance of survival supported by volunteer CERT members decrease:by 10 pexent for each n.+unute without. CPR from die time of crest.making bystander For LULue Wanlahoa about Me Course or to intervention crucial VPhen community MOWN for the q"Ming cow,Please MR m..mbers arc willing and able to provide early Uiifs►quaWdorea 99K&s-ftV0" CPR„and.at-tomatcd external defibrillators (Ams)are readily available,the chances of a patient surviving a cardiac event mcraase Tolerance is the answer, not hatred Editorial Board Wednesday, February 20, 2019 Hate and ignorance exist in this world. Fortunately, there are good people willing to stand up to it. rI–.� FILE PHOTO-Jason Snider, elected last year as mayor of Tigard, has come out swinging against criticism of the city government's efforts to reach A! �` and include Spanish-speaking residents in the civic process. k There's been a lot of talk lately about hate speech, and the words we use. That was this subject on the mind of Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway late last month, who spoke to a crowd of people from across the country about what happened after he was faced with derogatory comments about his city last year. Speaking before the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., Callaway recalled the incident that made headlines back here at home, after someone referred to Hillsboro as "Hills-burrito"to Callaway while on a bus ride back from a Hillsboro Hops game last September. The unidentified man was surprised to learn the person he used this obviously racist epithet toward was, in fact, the city's mayor. Callaway said the man's characterization of Hillsboro was "offensive"and said he spoke to him about the city's diversity as a strength, not a weakness. He invited the man to come spend some time in his town and get to know it better. Callaway's actions were admirable, and incidents like it seem to be a common occurrence across the region. Just last week, two other elected officials in Washington County had to take similar stands against intolerance. Tigard Mayor Jason Snider wrote in a letter to constituents that the city had received hateful responses after the city announced it was looking for a bilingual person to work at city hall. "Why would you give a job to non-speaking English person instead of a citizen who needs a job and speaks English?" read a portion of an email the city received after posting the job opening. "Why not just move city offices to Mexico?" That sentiment was one that Metro Councilor Juan Carlos Gonzalez was faced with on Feb. 13, after Gonzalez who represents Hillsboro, Cornelius and Forest Grove for the regional agency—introduced himself in Spanish during a Metro Policy Advisory Committee meeting. "You need to speak English here," a visitor yelled, according to Gonzalez. Neither Snider, Callaway nor Gonzalez are taking these incidents lying down. "I want to be perfectly clear," Snider wrote in his monthly letter to constituents this month, "that Tigard is a community for everyone. We will stand up to hurtful speech and reinforce our efforts to attract a workforce that is representative of our community and nation." Gonzalez has said he plans to introduce himself at MPAC meetings from now on and said Metro would create codes of conduct to better equip Metro committees to intervene"in situations that violate our strategic plan to advance racial equity." For centuries, Oregon has been largely monochromatic. Racist laws kept many minorities from moving here, or kept the ones who did come from advancing far in our society.We've spent decades trying to shift those longstanding policies. Today, Hillsboro is one of Oregon's most diverse cities, in a county that is growing more diverse by the day. In Hillsboro, one quarter of the population is Latino. Its neighbor, Cornelius, has more Latino residents than Caucasian ones. In Washington County, one-third of residents are black, Asian, Latino and/or Native American. Tolerance is something we all need to be reminded of, it seems. People come from all over the world to experience what we have. Take a drive through Beaverton, Tigard, Hillsboro or Forest Grove and you'll find everything from halal meat markets and Vietnamese noodle houses to Puerto Rican eateries. We celebrate Latino culture each spring in downtown Hillsboro and host Native American powwows in our schools. Our cities and the county do outreach to those born in other countries and to people who speak languages other than English. There is a long, long way to go. But we're trying. And there are places where things are working well. In one neighborhood in Hillsboro, near Jackson Bottom Wetlands, you'll find neighbors from Hungary, Belgium, Nigeria, India, Mexico, South Korea, Canada, Sri Lanka, China and Barbados all living side by side.We are raising our children in a place where they can experience the world, not just through books, but through the very friends and neighbors we see every day. We agree with Snider and Callaway: Being a culturally diverse community makes us stronger, not weaker. We should be able to accept that there are others in our community who speak a different language around the dinner table. They cook food with a few different spices, they attend a place of worship that is different from your own. These things are what make our community great. What draws many to Washington County are good schools, good businesses and good places to be. What keeps us here are good people. Let's all try to be the people we want our children to look up to. Woman in critical condition after being hit by WES train in Tigard 4 #' A TriMet WES train sits in Wilsonville before heading to Beaverton in oil� May 2018.(The Oregonian/OregonLive/File) r - By Everton Bailey Jr. I The Oregonian/Oregon Live �c .. A 43-year-old woman remained hospitalized Wednesday, one day after being hit by a WES train in Tigard. ' Billie J. Hinkle Smith is listed in critical condition at OHSU Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said. Hinkle Smith was hit around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday near Southwest Commercial Street and 98th Avenue. She was seen walking on the tracks before being hit, and the train operator blew the horn prior to the crash, said Stefanie Kouremetis, a Tigard police spokeswoman. Kouremetis said she didn't know the circumstances of why Hinkle Smith was on the tracks. The WES train runs through Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville. It runs every 30 minutes on weekdays during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Legislators seek resolution for Curtis Tigard Day on April 13 Ray Pitz Wednesday, February 20, 2019 Rep. Margaret Doherty and Sen. Ginny Burdick,whose legislative districts represent Tigard want to honor longtime resident. In 2010, Curtis Tigard showed a The Times reporter what helps keep him young, lifting two 5-pound weights each day. Two local politicians have introduced a resolution to make April 13 Curtis Tigard Day. Rep. Margaret Doherty and Sen. Ginny Burdick, whose legislative districts represent Tigard, recently introduced Resolution 23 to honor the longtime Tigard resident who died last summer at age 109. The resolution praises Tigard for being a tireless and dedicated public servant, and wants April 13 to be observed because it would have been Tigard's 110th birthday. Among the language is: "Whereas Curtis Tigard's parents operated the Tigardville general store and later the town post office; and Whereas as a child, Curtis Tigard delivered the Oregon Journal on horseback; and Whereas Curtis Tigard attended grade school in Tigard and in 1926 he graduated from Beaverton High School (there was no high school in Tigard at the time)..." Tigard was still driving until he turned over his keys when he was 104. "He had a very calm personality and (was) very easygoing," David Tigard said of his father, shortly after he passed away on July 25. "He had no peer pressure." Tigard mayor calls out derogatory comment related to hiring bilingual speaker Ray Pitz Friday, February 15,2019 Jason Snider blasts comment that included,'Why not just move city offices to Mexico?' SUBMITTED PHOTO-Tigard Mayor Jason Snider Impressed with the response Hillsboro's mayor made when a derogatory description of his city was made last year, Tigard Mayor Jason Snider recently addressed comments made via email involving the hiring of a bilingual person for a city position. In his February online column in Cityscape,the city's newsletter,Snider recalled last year's response by Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway,who called out a man who he said made a racist comment on a bus after both attended a Hops game.The man referred to Callaway's city as"HillsBurrito." (One quarter of Hillsboro's population is Latino or Hispanic.) That encouraged Snider to address an email from someone who recently inquired why the City of Tigard was recruiting for a bilingual Spanish-speaking person. "Why would you give a job to non-speaking English person instead of a citizen who needs a job and speaks English?"read a portion of the email. "Why not just move city offices to Mexico?" In his column,Snider wrote: "... I want to be perfectly clear that Tigard is a community for everyone.We will stand up to hurtful speech and reinforce our efforts to attract a workforce that is representative of our community and nation." He went on to point out that anyone who is struggling to understand the value of diversity,equity and inclusion should consider that an estimated one-fifth of Tigard speaks a language other than English,the most common of which is Spanish. "Having a culturally and linguistically diverse workforce makes us stronger and promotes innovation and positive change," Snider wrote. Reached Thursday,Snider said not only did he know the story of Callaway responding to the Hops fan's comment last September—Callaway used social media at the time to call out the man's characterization of the city as "offensive" and "racist" --but also watched him recount the incident during a discussion at the U.S.Conference of Mayors held last month in Washington,D.C. "It was a big deal,"Snider said of Callaway's comments and presence on a national panel. "I tweeted it at the time and I think some others did and I was really proud of him telling the story..." In addition to remarks from Callaway,the panel included a variety of speakers including Jonathan Greenblatt,national director and CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, or ADL. "(Callaway)told his story and then I came back to this email the staff shared with me," said Snider. "I think our community is at a point where we need to move forward on diversity,equity and inclusion and when we have people making statements like that,it concerns me that not everybody is ready to embrace the future of Tigard." Snider,who was elected as Tigard's mayor in November, said diversity,equality and inclusion are part of Tigard City Council priorities and that his column generated numerous responses and emails. "I think every single one of them we received was extremely positive and supportive," he said,adding that the only negative response he saw was a Facebook post asking, "Why wouldn't you hire someone who doesn't speak English?We responded(that) 'bilingual means English and another language."' Snider said it's his belief that if you don't call out certain behavior,you're promoting it: "I just wasn't going to sit around and allow that to go by. It's the wrong message." Kent Wyatt,Tigard's communications manager,said the bilingual employee position advertised has since been filled along with other bilingual positions. Wyatt said Snider's Cityscape(which has 12,000 subscribers)column,was widely read.While the January"Mayor's Corner" had 466 views the first three days it was up,the February column had 1,861 views for the same time frame. Here are some of the responses from those who read it: • "We should never assume that if someone speaks Spanish,they do not speak English,in addition to other languages.And if an immigrant doesn't speak English just yet,give him or her time." • "Jason,this is once again,racism,and hate that is promoted and preached in today's politics.Makes it so hard to believe people can actually be that way." • "Thank you for your thoughtful response.We need leaders like you to stand strong for an inclusive and informed community. Welcoming all is a position we as Americans can fully embrace,setting the bar high." • "I just want to express my gratitude for your message and philosophy,and for your courage in posting it so articulately."