Committee for Community Involvement - Feb. 17, 2026

Agenda

Minutes

CCI Attendees: Karen Bjorklund (Chair), Pat Erdenberger, Marrion Kaufman, Bill Merchant, Amy Nichols, Brent Parries (Vice-Chair), Gordon Slatford, and Danielle Weber

Absent: Stephanie Carkin

Attending PGA Staff: Tonia Holowetzki, Ed Nieto 

1. Welcome, Introductions 

Chair Bjorklund welcomed CCI members and PGA staff. 

2. Approval of Meeting Minutes

Vice-Chair Parries motioned to approve the January 2026 meeting minutes, and Pat Erdenberger seconded the motion. The committee unanimously approved the minutes. 

3. Public Comment

There were no public comments.

4. From CCI Bylaws: Update on CCI biennial process for CPOs to select the CPO Representative to C4 (Clackamas County Coordinating Committee)

Ed shared the final voting results, which confirmed that Pamela Burback was elected Representative, and Pat Erdenberger as Alternate. Members agreed that Pamela and Pat should be profiled in the upcoming CPO Notes Quarterly newsletter.

5. From CCI Action Plan: Address protecting neighborhood/community livability in the Zoning Ordinance

• Update on scheduling the 2026 CCI work session to bring together CPOs and the Planning Department to take examples of subjective elements of livability and create objective standards for the Zoning Ordinance.

Ed informed members that, due to the workload in Planning & Zoning, Jennifer Hughes and Karen Buehrig won’t be able to attend a CCI-proposed livability standards workshop with CPO members until April 2026 at the earliest.

• Planning education for CPOs in advance

As a plan in the meantime, members discussed options for preparing for the workshop with Planning & Zoning. The discussion included a proposal to invite members of the Planning Commission to an upcoming CCI meeting to provide further education for CPO members on the possibility of turning subjective livability standards into objective standards, along with the challenges and processes involving the Planning Commission.

Ed agreed to reach out to Planning Commission members Gerald Murphy and Tammy Stevens (both former chairs of the Commission) to potentially attend the March meeting and share their insights.

6. Re: CCI Bylaws: PGA audit recommendations to all ABCs to review bylaws, including scope and other required elements

Tonia summarized an audit of advisory board bylaws conducted by PGA, which revealed inconsistencies and gaps. She said the goal of the audit is to standardize bylaws across all advisory boards, with a focus on adding language addressing conflicts of interest, clearer purpose statements and community engagement components.

Karen said the audit could provide CCI with an opportunity to address its scope, since PGA changed CCI’s scope in 2023. Karen and Bill discussed the potential for CCI to review and potentially revise its bylaws as part of this process, while also considering a broader scope for the committee's role beyond CPOs and land use issues.

7. From CCI Action Plan: Comment on Draft 2025 CCI Accomplishments & 2026 CCI Action Plan report to Commissioners

Committee members approved of the items in the draft and agreed that no further changes were necessary. Ed and Tonia agreed to send the final version to the commissioners and post it on the county website.

8. PGA Updates

• Volunteer Recognition Program

Tonia presented a draft of a new volunteer recognition program, which will be proposed to the BCC in April, during National Volunteer Month. She added that if the commissioners approve the plan, PGA will likely spend a few months putting it in place.

Tonia confirmed there is a role for CCI in the program, which will be determined in future discussions.

• Report on Facility Renaming Policy process

While noting that it is an ongoing conversation with county staff, Ed told committee members that he had a discussion with DTD about what happened to CCI’s recommendations regarding the renaming policy. He added that the lack of a formal process for CCI recommendations submitted to the county appeared to play a role in CCI’s recommendations not reaching commissioners and Administrator Schmidt, who had requested them.

Tonia agreed with Ed’s assessment and added that she will consult Finance Director Elizabeth Comfort to learn more about the recommendations after they were sent to Finance.

9. New business for future agendas?

Karen told members to expect more from the 2026 Action Plan on upcoming CCI agendas. Bill and Pat mentioned two upcoming town halls on the county’s policy for short-term rentals, including an in-person event in Welches on April 1.

The meeting adjourned at 7:47 p.m.
Next meeting: Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 6–8 p.m. via Zoom.