City of Gresham

When: Sat, Apr 16, 2022 9AM-12PM
Where: Columbia View Park
1000 NE 169th Ave.
Get Map!

Join us at Columbia View Park to plant trees in celebration of Arbor Day. Make a lasting contribution to the health of our community by planting a tree.

RSVP by April 8

• Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided.
• The City will provide tools.
• Please bring your own gloves.

For more information, contact Tina.Osterink@GreshamOregon.gov or 503-618-2392.

Learn more about Arbor Month

Gresham is a proud member of Tree City USA.

Get involved, Make a difference When: Tue, Apr 19, 2022 6PM-8PM Where: Online meeting Get Map!

How to attend the meeting

Watch the meeting online.

How to provide testimony

• To testify during a Council meeting, provide testimony in writing to City Recorder Susanjoy Wright at Susanjoy.Wright@GreshamOregon.gov 24 hours before the meeting to allow the testimony to be forwarded to the City Council.
• If you're unable to provide written comments in advance, notify the City Recorder at 503-618-2697 24 hours in advance of the meeting so we can provide alternate arrangements.

General meeting information

Regular Council meetings allow necessary City business to be dealt with, such as citizen recognition, citizen advisory committee reports, bid awards, resolutions, ordinances, public hearings, etc.

For more information contact the City Recorder at 503-618-2697.

Read more about Council meetings.

Get involved, Make a difference When: Tue, Apr 19, 2022 4PM-5:30PM Where: Online meeting Get Map!

Council work sessions allow City Councilors to receive updates from staff on key operational and policy issues.

Watch the Council work session online.

For additional meeting information, visit the Council Meeting Agendas and Videos page.

For more information contact the City Recorder at 503-618-2697.

Read more about Council meetings.

When: Wed, Apr 20, 2022 7PM-9PM Where: Online meeting via Zoom Get Map!

The Finance Committee advises Council on City financial matters. Finance Committee meetings take place on the third Wednesday of the month from 7:00-9:00 pm.

How to participate

See the meeting agenda on the Finance Committee web page for log-in and call-in information.

Instructions for residents wishing to testify

• Written testimony: Please send your written testimony to Budget and Finance Director, Sharron Monohon
  at Sharron.Monohon@GreshamOregon.gov no later than 24 hours before the meeting to allow the testimony to be forwarded to the Finance Committee.
• Oral testimony: Please register your name, email address, phone number and subject matter to Budget and Finance Director, Sharron Monohon at Sharron.Monohon@GreshamOregon.gov no later than 24 hours before the meeting.
• People who are unable to access the meeting via Zoom are encouraged to notify the City by calling 503-618-2890, 24 hours in advance of the meeting so that the City can provide alternate arrangements.

For more information about the Finance Committee or this meeting, contact Sharron.Monohon@GreshamOregon.gov.

Get involved, Make a difference When: Wed, Apr 20, 2022 6:30PM- Where: Online meeting via Zoom Get Map!

How to attend the meeting

• For meeting log-in/call-in information, please see the meeting agenda on the Design Commission page.
• If you are unable to access the meeting via Zoom, you may contact Carrie Osborn at Carrie.Osborn@GreshamOregon.gov 24 hours in advance of the meeting so the City can provide alternate arrangements.

How to provide testimony

• To testify during a Design Commission meeting, provide testimony in writing to Carrie Osborn at Carrie.Osborn@GreshamOregon.gov 24 hours before the meeting to allow the testimony to be forwarded to the Design Commission.
• If you are unable to provide written comments in advance, or are unable to access the meeting via Zoom, notify Carrie Osborn 24 hours in advance of the meeting so we can provide alternate arrangements.

General meeting information

The Design Commission is the primary advising subcommittee to the City Council on design excellence for the built environment of the City.

For more information about this event, contact Carrie Osborn at Carrie.Osborn@GreshamOregon.gov.

Get involved, Make a difference When: Mon, Apr 25, 2022 6:30PM-8:30PM Where: Online meeting via Zoom Get Map!

How to attend the meeting

• For meeting log-in/call-in information, please see the meeting agenda on the Planning Commission page.
• If you are unable to access the meeting via Zoom, you may contact Amanda Lunsford at Amanda.Lunsford@GreshamOregon.gov 24 hours in advance of the meeting so the City can provide alternate arrangements.

How to provide testimony

• To testify during a Planning Commission meeting, provide testimony in writing to Amanda Lunsford at Amanda.Lunsford@GreshamOregon.gov 24 hours before the meeting to allow the testimony to be forwarded to the Planning Commission.
• If you are unable to provide written comments in advance, or are unable to access the meeting via Zoom, notify Amanda Lunsford 24 hours in advance of the meeting so we can provide alternate arrangements.

General meeting information

The Planning Commission advises the City Council on long-range, comprehensive planning and land use issues within Gresham.

For more information about this event, contact Amanda Lunsford at Amanda.Lunsford@GreshamOregon.gov.

Spring Meeting Notice When: Mon Mar 14, 2022 7PM-8:30PM Where: Online meeting via Zoom (Zoom Link Coming Soon) (New to Zoom? Go to https://zoom.us/join) Dial-in Zoom +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) Meeting ID: 864 2480 4501 Passcode: 061657

Neighborhood Meeting, Everyone's Invited

Join Your Neighbors. Get involved. Make a difference!

Save the date
Be sure to save Monday Mar 14th at 7PM for the Wilkes East Neighborhood 2022 Spring Meeting.

Agenda

• Downtown Rockwood update.
     Emily Bower, City of Gresham
• NE 172nd Avenue concerns.
  Clackamas to Columbia Project (181st Ave).
     Chris Strong, City of Gresham
     Transportation Division Manager
• Q & A
• Neighborhood news and more

Who should attend?
Participation is open to all residents who live, own property or a business, organization, church or government agency within our boundaries

Be Part Of Your Community. Plan To Attend.

Watch for these red & white Meeting Signs the week before our meeting. The signs were purchased with assistance of the City of Gresham Neighborhood Grant Program, and with volunteer hours to set them out and retrieve them. Signs Now NW also made a generous contribution to this project.

Mark your calendar. See you there!

Questions or comments?
Contact Wilkes East Neighborhood by email at info@wilkeseastna.org, or by postal mail to: Wilkes East Neighborhood, 17104 NE Oregon St, Portland Oregon 97230

Congressman Earl Blumenaur and Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall tour Downtown Rockwood in 2021

By Emily Bower, Executive Director, City of Gresham

In 2003, Gresham voters approved the establishment of the Rockwood-West Gresham Urban Renewal Area authorizing the investment of $92 million into a 1,211 acre area in West Gresham. However, the urban renewal area will expire in 2023. This would leave approximately $37 million unutilized dollars due to delays from the Great Recession in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Gresham proposes extending the urban renewal district to 2029. The extra six years would allow the City to invest approximately $37 million in new projects and to continue funding projects in the Rockwood-West Gresham Renewal area. To date, urban renewal has brought in new development, businesses, schools, after-school youth programs, helped with storefront grants and apartment restoration. With a little more time, imagine the projects that could be tackled in the future – using money that is already set aside.

Urban renewal does not increase your property taxes.

How it works:

• It dedicates funds to an identified neighborhood so a city’s urban renewal agency can focus on improving the area.
• It is often used to provide infrastructure to help spur economic development.
• Urban renewal changes how the existing taxes paid on a property are divided out amongst different taxing districts like the City and Multnomah County.

• As public and private investment stimulates growth in the district and the value of properties improve, money becomes available to use on the projects.
• Urban renewal in Gresham can provide funding for projects sooner.

Boys and Girls Club, Rockwood ribbon cutting. Funded through Rockwood West-Gresham Renewal Plan. Photo: City of Gresham

For more information on this effort go to: https://greshamoregon.gov/Urban-Renewal/

By Lee Dayfield
Wilkes East Resident
Charter Committee Observer

Finally after almost a year and a half the new Charter Review Committee (CRC) is up and running. Currently there are 12 people on the Committee and two positions need to be filled.

The first meeting of the CRC was held by zoom on January 10th and the second meeting is scheduled for February 7th at 6:00pm. To receive notices regarding the CRC you must send a request to Margaria Contreras at Margaria.Contreras@greshamoregon.gov or Dara Halligan at Dara.Halligan@greshamoregon.gov. The webpage for the CRC on the City's website is https://greshamoregon.gov/City-Charter/. There you can find Meeting documents which should contain the agenda which has a link for the meeting. At some point they will be posting recordings of the zoom meetings and possibly minutes. A link to the Charter and previous changes is also on this page.

During the January meeting Joseph Andaya was elected Chair and Jack Ardner was elected Vice Chair. They agreed to allow for public comment at the beginning of meetings but it is unclear how to register for testimony at this time. It should be posted on the webpage at some point.

City Attorney reported that the City Council, by Resolution 3478, asked the CRC to specifically consider and recommend either an at large or district system of elections. A recommendation to be delivered to Council by Jan. 31, 2023. Currently we have an at large system.

Dr. Todd Lochner and Dr. Ellen Seljan from Lewis & Clark have been hired to assist the CRC. They are experts on election systems and will give presentations to the CRC on that topic. You won't want to miss this meeting.

The Urban Renewal Dept. wants to give a presentation to the CRC. My guess based on discussions I have heard at a City Council meeting is they want to discuss changing 36A Urban Renewal, (b)(1) which states "council shall refer to the electors any ordinance adopted after November 1, 1986, approving an urban renewal plan or a substantial change in such a plan."

There is a public discussion group on NextDoor regarding Charter Review with almost 200 people which has had some interesting discussions about the Charter.

Spring 2022 Newsletter "Diversity, Harmony, Community - Together 'WE' can make a difference!”

Read it now!

Spring 2022 Newsletter Inside This Issue: Speeding on NE 172nd Ave Meet Gresham’s City Manager Wilkes East Land-Use Update Proposed Urban Renewal Extension Gresham Charter Review Committee

Download your copy here. (includes active web links)

Newsletters are a regular publication of the Wilkes East Neighborhood Association. They are hand-delivered to over 1,500 residences and businesses in our area 3 times per year, timed to correspond with our general meetings.

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