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Message from the Mayor
November 2009
Burnham Street Breaks Ground
At last! Construction has begun! Back in 2002, the Downtown Task Force was created to explore ways to take advantage of plans for a Commuter Rail Line through downtown. In time, the Task Force expanded its focus to improving downtown as a whole. Four years of workshops, design workshops and public hearings led to a Downtown Improvement Plan that formed the basis for the Urban Renewal District created in 2006.
The Plan outlined a green, pedestrian-friendly street showcasing Tigard’s vision of its downtown as a vibrant urban village close to amenities and transportation.
However, funding this project presented many hurdles. We debated whether to build in phases or scale-back plans. Fortune smiled upon us in the form of construction bids that were well-below what we expected. I’m happy to say that we will be able to construct a new Burnham Street as envisioned in the Downtown Improvement Plan.
This is just the first in a series of planned projects (Main Street Green Street, a public plaza known as The Heart of Tigard, and improvements to Fanno Creek Park) that over the next few years will transform downtown.
Craig E. Dirksen, Mayor
craigd@tigard-or.gov
October 2009
And the survey says...
Every two years the City of Tigard conducts a scientific survey of its residents to find out their views on the issues that the city is facing or that we will be facing in the near future, from land use to transportation, how to deal with growth to what to do about water, and at least a dozen others. This is just one of the ways that the city tries to get valuable input from its citizens about what they feel is important and where the city should focus its energies.
The formal survey takes a poll of about 400 randomly selected households within the city limits of Tigard. This random selection ensures that the data received truly reflects the views of the average Tigard resident, and not just of those who self-select themselves to be heard because of their interest or concern for a special issue or because they have the time to be active in local affairs. BUT for this to work it means that those who receive the call must be willing to take part, thus preserving the randomness of the action. So when the surveyor calls you and identifies themselves as polling for the City of Tigard, please make yourself available for the few minutes it takes to answer their questions. It just takes a little time, and it makes a big difference in our ability to accurately represent your interests and serve the common purpose.
September 2009
Happy Birthday Tigard!
Tigard was incorporated as a city on September 11, 1961 and has existed as a community since 1852, when Wilson Tigard and his family arrived from Arkansas.
When the Tigard family arrived, the area was known as East Butte, after the small hill east of Bull Mountain. The Tigard Family was instrumental in forming the East Butte School, located where Canterbury Lane now meets Pacific Highway.
By 1886, John Tigard’s general store (located by East Butte School) housed the first post office and was referred to as “Tigardville.” In 1910, the Oregon Electric Railroad built near Fanno Creek in order to spur development along Main Street. Local residents referred to this section of town as “Tigard.” Eventually the two settlements merged under the name “Tigard” to avoid any confusion for railroad passengers headed to “Wilsonville,” located farther down the line.
Since that time, the area has continued to prosper, eventually becoming the charming community we call home today. Come celebrate the city’s birthday at the 5th Annual Family Fest on September 10, 11 and 12 and be reminded of why Tigard is “A Place to Call Home!”
August 2009
“The little things mean a lot.” As we enter the last month of summer, planning begins for
school and then the holidays. I would ask you to remember that phrase and ask yourself
what “little thing” could you do to make a difference for a neighbor or your community?
As we weather tough economic times, families and friends gather to support one another.
This time of year, “little things” become “significant things,” especially when family is
far away or serving in Iraq as part of the Oregon National Guard (ONG).
Consider City Council’s contributions: In May, the city formally “adopted” the ONG 41st
Brigade Combat Team Headquarters, which is based in Tigard. In June, Council joined with
neighboring cities to proclaim Oregon National Guard Month and in July, we donated staff
expertise to planning an August event for Homefront Heroes in Oregon (H2O). Military
kids of all ages and their parents will gather in Cook Park to socialize and have fun.
This “small thing” means a lot to the kids struggling with a parent’s deployment.
What “little thing” can you contribute? Send a card or a care package to a member of the
41st while they are far from home. For more ideas, log onto the ONG Family Support Unit
at www.mil.state.or.us/ORFP/fam_supp.html
or find a different way to make a difference in Tigard.
Big or small, helping a friend or neighbor strengthens our community and makes you feel good...
and that is no small thing.
July 2009
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Grants and Economic Stimulus
Benefit Tigard
Tigard has been awarded federal recovery funds for a variety
of projects.
Details here!
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Stimulus Funding...some citizens think it is a good idea while some think our grandchildren will be stuck paying for it.
Whatever you think about American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding, our community will see a direct benefit. Already, Tigard has been awarded grants and ARRA funding in the amount of $3.8 million dollars from state and federal sources. Our partners at the county and state are also receiving funding to support a number of worthy programs. These project-specific funds will help us create new jobs, improve infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of an expanding population and promote a healthy business community.
Not only will these funds allow us to address long-awaited road improvements, but we’ll be able to invest in our long-term water system with a seismically upgraded reservoir, equip traffic patrol officers with a performance enhancing e-ticket system and support literacy through new and continuing library programs.
The Tigard City Council and staff have been hard at work searching for new and creative ways to fund improvements that are critical to meeting the needs of Tigard citizens—even if that includes looking beyond our city limits and further than the pockets of local taxpayers.
June 2009
It’s June again, and with the arrival of warmer and drier weather, more people will be sharing the road with bicycle and motorcycle commuters on their way to work and doing errands. Especially this year, with tough economic conditions and the high cost of fuel.
Included in that ridership are many of our school-age children on vacation for the summer. With this increase in two-wheeled traffic comes greater danger of accidents as we reacclimate ourselves to the presence of different types of vehicles on the street with us. So, I ask everyone to:
“Be aware, and the road share;
Bikes and cycles are everywhere!”
May 2009
In March, I had a unique opportunity to travel to Washington, DC to meet with Oregon’s legislative delegation as part of Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee for Transportation (JPACT).
Although the timing was just after the passage of the Stimulus Package, our purpose was to discuss activity after the package.
In the coming year, Congress will consider a federal transportation funding bill for the coming decade. The citizens of our region pay millions of dollars in federal taxes, and it is reasonable to expect that an appropriate amount of that money should return to us as funding for much-needed highway and transit projects throughout the metro area.
One of our messages emphasized the need for dependable, on-going funding for preservation and upgrades to our existing highway infrastructure—the very definition of “sustainability.”
Another point expressed the need for a national program of improvements to create the balanced transportation system we need to support a healthy economy in the 21st century, including funding for “Mega Projects” like the Columbia River Crossing.
Even though we were successful in communicating our message to all our Senators and Congressmen, with the economy in turmoil it is anybody’s guess how well that message will play out on the floor of the House and Senate. Only time will tell.
April 2009
In celebration of Arbor Day, the City and the Tigard-Tualatin School District (TTSD)
will be planting over 100 trees at the Alberta Rider Elementary School campus.
This expanded planting effort has been made possible through close collaboration
with Darin Barnard, the Principal of Alberta Rider, parent volunteers,
TTSD staff, and City of Tigard staff and local contractors.
The planting
palette includes mostly native trees chosen for their low water and
maintenance requirements. The trees will be provided with automatic
drip irrigation until the roots become established.
Due to funding shortages, the landscape budget was cut during the development
of the Alberta Rider campus. This tree planting partnership will provide
beauty, wildlife habitat, stormwater management, and shelter from the sun
and wind for students and neighbors of Alberta Rider Elementary.
These and other efforts throughout the year continue to demonstrate why Tigard
is recognized as a “Tree City USA.”
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