Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/19/2026 - Minutes1 MEETING DATE/TIME: Wednesday, Aug 15, 2026, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. MEETING LOCATION: Tigard City Hall, Town Hall / Virtual Members Present Stacey Ghoddusi – Vice Chair Stephanie Godfrey Ali Haddadi- Chair Israel Jacquez Shaila Kotadia Caitlin McKinley Sunshine Navarro Shively Maria Rue Not Present Connie Ramaekers Jeremy Hajdu-Paulen Councilor Anderson City Team Present Nicole Hendrix, Team Liaison Amber Bell, Reader Services Manager Jeanne Peloquin, Program Coordinator Meeting start: 6:00 pm Member Updates, “What Are Your Celebrations, Concerns, or Curiosities Regarding the City?” (All) Concerns & Celebrations Members shared a variety of personal and community-related curiosities, questions, and celebrations. Ali shared that he has withdrawn from his City Council campaign due to family and work commitments. Members also discussed the upcoming school year, El Tigre, and the opportunity to connect high school students with the Vietnamese Cultural Arts Alliance through an arts program. Several members celebrated the strong interest in the upcoming City Council election and the opportunity for community members to participate in local government. Library staff celebrated the success of the Summer Reading Program and the opportunity to connect with community members, while others shared appreciation for summer vacations and returning to work refreshed. Liaison Update, Announcements & Upcoming Activities (Nicole Hendrix) Nicole provided updates on upcoming community events, including Parks & Recreation programming, El Tigre Fest on October 3, Meet Up with the Mayor on September 24, and the City of Tigard Committee for Community Engagement Minutes 2 Tigard Farmers Market, which continues through October. She discussed the value of attending the Farmers Market as an opportunity to hear directly from community members, including recent conversations around e-bike safety. Nicole also provided an update on CCE reappointments and the City's newly standardized board and committee bylaws. She explained that they are trying to stagger terms to avoid having large numbers of members rotate off the committee at the same time. The new bylaws will take effect in January 2027. Nicole will send term impacts to members before next meeting. The committee will likely begin preparing its annual report to City Council in November. Nicole also thanked Maria for suggesting that a printed copy of the City's budget book be made available at the library. The library has arranged to make copies available, including a circulating copy for community members. Regional Airport Expansion & Flight Path Concerns The committee discussed concerns about proposed changes at the regional airport and the potential impacts on surrounding communities. Members raised concerns about increased flights, noise and air pollution, aircraft residue, and potential impacts to property values and quality of life. The proposed flight path was discussed, including aircraft descending to approximately 1,500 feet over the Bull Mountain and Cooper Mountain areas. Members noted that the Hillsboro City Council recently expressed strong opposition to the proposal during a public hearing. The next hearing is scheduled for October 6, when a decision is expected. Members interested in the issue were encouraged to stay informed and participate through public comment, petitions, and testimony. Nicole offered to research the issue further and determine whether Tigard City Council is aware of the proposal and whether additional information should be provided to Council. Members also discussed potential noise mitigation measures that could be considered if the proposal moves forward. Community Citizenship Class Volunteer Opportunity A community volunteer opportunity was shared for a citizenship class beginning August 26 at St. Anthony. The approximately 12-month program will support individuals with temporary work visas or permits as they prepare for the citizenship test. Volunteers are especially needed to provide one-on-one assistance to participants. Sunshine expressed interest in volunteering and shared that she had previously reached out about helping with the program. Israel encouraged her to attend the first class, with volunteers asked to arrive around 5:15–5:30 p.m. for a brief orientation before the 6 p.m. class. Members noted that additional volunteers would be helpful in providing individualized support to participants. Library Update & Strategic Planning (Jeanne Peloquin & Amber Bell) Jean Peloquin and Amber Bell provided an update on the library following its reopening and shared findings from recent community engagement. Members of the community highlighted the library's collection, welcoming environment, free programs and resources, and its importance as a free and accessible place for families to gather and connect. 3 Community feedback also identified opportunities for improvement, including longer or earlier library hours, additional programming for specific audiences and age groups, expanded collections and e-books, maintaining library funding and staffing, bringing back the lobby café, and improving accessibility for people with mobility and neurodiversity needs. Safety and ensuring the library remains a welcoming environment were also identified as important themes. As part of the strategic planning process, the library plans to rewrite and simplify its mission statement, moving from the current lengthy statement to a short, memorable statement that clearly communicates the library's purpose and community value. The updated mission will help inform the library's values, strategic objectives, and future actions. Staff are currently analyzing feedback collected through multiple engagement activities, with upcoming workshops planned to involve community members, community organizations, and library staff in developing the plan. September will be National Library Card Sign-Up Month, with this year's theme, “Your Library Card Hits All the Right Notes.” Staff encouraged anyone without a library card to visit the library and sign up for a free card. The library will also recognize Banned Books Week in October, celebrating intellectual freedom and the right to read. AI Literacy & School Partnerships Library staff shared that basic AI literacy programming has been incorporated into the library's technology programming for several years. These programs help community members understand how AI tools work, how they can be used, and what risks and considerations to keep in mind. Staff noted that the library is interested in understanding AI while taking a cautious approach to its use and follows the City's AI policy. AI will not be used to write the library's strategic plan. The committee also discussed opportunities for the library to provide information literacy programming in local schools, particularly around researching information online and identifying misinformation. Library staff noted that they already conduct classroom visits at TTSD schools and provide book talks and information about library resources, although staffing and capacity limit the library's ability to develop new curriculum. Maria noted that TTSD already incorporates information and digital literacy into school library, technology, and other classes. Embedding Equity in CCE The committee continued discussing how to embed equity into CCE’s work, building on recommendations from the City’s equitable engagement assessment that were incorporated into the committee’s bylaws. Members discussed the importance of considering who is and is not represented in City projects and programs and expressed interest in shared learning opportunities to build a common understanding of equity concepts. Members emphasized the value of considering equity early in the planning process. Ideas included creating a simple equity-focused worksheet for staff or presenters to complete before bringing an item to CCE, helping the committee better understand what equity considerations and community engagement have already occurred and provide more meaningful feedback. Members also discussed whether a similar tool could be used more broadly by City staff. The committee discussed incorporating brief equity learning opportunities into future meetings and potential coordination with the Equity Advisory Committee. Members agreed that developing 4 an intentional approach to this work would be helpful, with an equity-related question potentially included at the next meeting. Annual Report Update Staff provided a brief update on the City’s approach to its annual report. The City previously used a report card based primarily on specific metrics tied to the City’s strategic plan values. Feedback indicated that while the report card was useful to view, it did not provide enough context or meaning. The City is therefore transitioning to an annual report with more narrative, accomplishments, and context to help residents better understand the City’s work throughout the year. Feedback from the previous discussion emphasized the importance of transparency and authenticity, particularly in communicating about the City budget and changes in City staff and Council. Staff will continue developing the report and plan to share a draft with CCE for feedback. The committee also discussed the potential for collaboration between CCE and the Equity Advisory Committee. The Equity Advisory Committee is finalizing its charter and will primarily focus on internal staff work. Staff noted that there may be opportunities for the committees to connect once CCE has clarified its goals and specific requests related to embedding equity into City processes. July Meeting Minutes The committee reviewed the July meeting minutes. No corrections were noted, and a motion was made to approve the July minutes.