Link to Oregonian Article about A City By Choice
What they didn’t tell you…
1. A City By Choice is not only looking at forming a city. We are focused on providing the people that live, play and work North of 26 with the data to understand what our options are, how much each would cost and what are the pros and cons of each – then let us decide.
2. Yes, Beaverton is not interested in aggressively annexing you (that would be met with anger and frustration as it was 6 years ago and 2004 legislation prevents them from doing this…) – it’s easier to allow developers to annex parts of your community to their city for you.
a. Wait and allow the developers to choose the destiny of all newly and re-developed land North of 26 – it will only take time to have areas throughout our community become portions of Beaverton and we will no longer have the opportunity to cohesively seek to stand on our own.
b. The John Quincy Adams Young house annexed to Beaverton this summer.
c. Most of Cornell Rd north of 26 belongs to Beaverton already.
3. Did the Oregonian forget the article they printed in July 2010, about Mayor Doyle asking Metro for 299 acres north of 26 to be brought into their city limits and the Urban Growth Boundary? If Beaverton has no designs on areas north of 26, why do these letters appear from nowhere? Have you heard of what the status is? NO – you’re not at the table. Apparently, the Beaverton Council didn’t support this move, but if they did, you’d have no say in the manner – check out RO-63, of which Commissioner Strader fully supported and approved.
4. Did someone forget to tell you that in 2014, the interim urban service area agreement Beaverton has signed with the County will expire? The expectation is that Beaverton creates a comprehensive annexation policy with the County. What are they planning to do? Will we be removed from Beaverton’s service area? Then what? Shouldn’t either the County or Beaverton have a plan? It’s almost 2011 – don’t you think you should have a voice on what comes about?
5. Commissioner Strader says the feasibility study will cost $1 million. That’s odd, she’s never even met or spoken with A City By Choice yet – where does she get this information? Are we to continue to be governed by speculation and the fabrication of information designed to dissuade others to bring the data to the people and let them decide their future?
a. Experts in this field have given us numbers that range from $25,000 to $75,000 to do this work. This work is not easy. It requires a great deal of community outreach. When’s the last time Commissioner Strader reached out to you? It’s easier to come up with the answers behind closed doors and let you know what they’ve done, than to partner with you to find the answers you’re looking for.
6. Let’s talk about revenue streams/or funding mechanisms…
a. You provide Beaverton a revenue stream when you get a speeding ticket in front of sunset high school, or along any of the streets North of 26 Beaverton has already annexed?
b. You pay franchise fees to communication and utility companies that only go to cities – you do not benefit from these.
c. You pay taxes on the gas you use – and this money only goes to cities, not to your neighborhood.
7. Commissioner Strader feels we are satisfied with our services – she is correct with this statement, but what she omits to tell you is you don’t have municipal planning services to plan for growth, your community plan most likely covers a large amount of area you don’t identify with, since it is south of highway 26. Most likely it hasn’t been and is not planned to be updated, you do not have an elected representative from your area sitting at the table to influence MSTIP projects, and she seems not to believe in providing a gateway to our community via Bethany Blvd – her comments and actions seem to support auto-based planning decisions and methodology than to help bring this area more transit and put livability at the top of the list.
8. Yes, to Commissioner Strader and the cities, this is bad timing – Beaverton is spending hundreds of hours and an unknown amount of money – to plan the future of their civic center and the County is turning its planning energy to Tigard and the Bull Mountain area. Who’s focused on you and your future?
9. Oh, and the 61,000 number – the Oregonian reporter did not explain which zip codes he used for his analysis, in 97229 alone there were over 45,000 people in the 2000 census, but let’s not quibble – we’ll have the actual numbers from the 2010 census soon…
What they didn’t tell you…
1. A City By Choice is not only looking at forming a city. We are focused on providing the people that live, play and work North of 26 with the data to understand what our options are, how much each would cost and what are the pros and cons of each – then let us decide.
2. Yes, Beaverton is not interested in aggressively annexing you (that would be met with anger and frustration as it was 6 years ago and 2004 legislation prevents them from doing this…) – it’s easier to allow developers to annex parts of your community to their city for you.
a. Wait and allow the developers to choose the destiny of all newly and re-developed land North of 26 – it will only take time to have areas throughout our community become portions of Beaverton and we will no longer have the opportunity to cohesively seek to stand on our own.
b. The John Quincy Adams Young house annexed to Beaverton this summer.
c. Most of Cornell Rd north of 26 belongs to Beaverton already.
3. Did the Oregonian forget the article they printed in July 2010, about Mayor Doyle asking Metro for 299 acres north of 26 to be brought into their city limits and the Urban Growth Boundary? If Beaverton has no designs on areas north of 26, why do these letters appear from nowhere? Have you heard of what the status is? NO – you’re not at the table. Apparently, the Beaverton Council didn’t support this move, but if they did, you’d have no say in the manner – check out RO-63, of which Commissioner Strader fully supported and approved.
4. Did someone forget to tell you that in 2014, the interim urban service area agreement Beaverton has signed with the County will expire? The expectation is that Beaverton creates a comprehensive annexation policy with the County. What are they planning to do? Will we be removed from Beaverton’s service area? Then what? Shouldn’t either the County or Beaverton have a plan? It’s almost 2011 – don’t you think you should have a voice on what comes about?
5. Commissioner Strader says the feasibility study will cost $1 million. That’s odd, she’s never even met or spoken with A City By Choice yet – where does she get this information? Are we to continue to be governed by speculation and the fabrication of information designed to dissuade others to bring the data to the people and let them decide their future?
a. Experts in this field have given us numbers that range from $25,000 to $75,000 to do this work. This work is not easy. It requires a great deal of community outreach. When’s the last time Commissioner Strader reached out to you? It’s easier to come up with the answers behind closed doors and let you know what they’ve done, than to partner with you to find the answers you’re looking for.
6. Let’s talk about revenue streams/or funding mechanisms…
a. You provide Beaverton a revenue stream when you get a speeding ticket in front of sunset high school, or along any of the streets North of 26 Beaverton has already annexed?
b. You pay franchise fees to communication and utility companies that only go to cities – you do not benefit from these.
c. You pay taxes on the gas you use – and this money only goes to cities, not to your neighborhood.
7. Commissioner Strader feels we are satisfied with our services – she is correct with this statement, but what she omits to tell you is you don’t have municipal planning services to plan for growth, your community plan most likely covers a large amount of area you don’t identify with, since it is south of highway 26. Most likely it hasn’t been and is not planned to be updated, you do not have an elected representative from your area sitting at the table to influence MSTIP projects, and she seems not to believe in providing a gateway to our community via Bethany Blvd – her comments and actions seem to support auto-based planning decisions and methodology than to help bring this area more transit and put livability at the top of the list.
8. Yes, to Commissioner Strader and the cities, this is bad timing – Beaverton is spending hundreds of hours and an unknown amount of money – to plan the future of their civic center and the County is turning its planning energy to Tigard and the Bull Mountain area. Who’s focused on you and your future?
9. Oh, and the 61,000 number – the Oregonian reporter did not explain which zip codes he used for his analysis, in 97229 alone there were over 45,000 people in the 2000 census, but let’s not quibble – we’ll have the actual numbers from the 2010 census soon…
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