Friday, Nov. 5, 2021
News & Notes
The door to more affordable homes has opened in Beaverton
   REACH Community Development celebrated the completion of the Mary Ann in downtown Beaverton this week with a media day.
   The four-story building, containing 54 apartment homes, is the first affordable housing project to be constructed in Beaverton using funds from the affordable housing bond measure metro area voters passed in 2018.
   More than half of the apartments have two or more bedrooms and are for families at or below 60% of the Area Median Income level - some 30% below.
   The new apartments are across the street from Beaverton High School and within walking distance of mass transit.
   To read more, turn to Pamplin Media.
TVF&R voters say "yes" to bond renewal
   According to preliminary results, voters in the Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R) service district have approved the renewal of the agency's bond measure.
   The $122 million bond measure will allow TVF&R to:

  • Rebuild the fire station in King City,
  • Relocate an Aloha fire station to a more central location,
  • Purchase land for future stations where population growth is expected,
  • Replace aging vehicles, including fire trucks,
  • Make seismic and other upgrades to some of its firehouses,
  • and make improvements to the district's training facility.

   “We are so grateful for this show of support from our community,” said Fire Chief Deric Weiss. “Though we structured this proposal to ensure that it was cost neutral, we appreciate that our residents often have to make tough decisions about how their money is spent. Our community has consistently told us that their top priority for TVF&R is fast and effective emergency response. We will continue to use their investments wisely to fulfill this commitment.”
   To learn more about TVF&R, visit its website.
Local numbers show slow but steady decline in unemployment
   Workforce analysts Brandon Schrader and Lynn Wallis have released the latest job numbers for Washington and Clackamas counties.
   Wallis is reporting Clackamas County's unemployment rate slipped to 4.4% in September, while Washington County dipped to 4.0%.
   The state overall experienced an unemployment rate of 4.7%.
  According to the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, the state's businesses are currently looking to hire for more than 100,000 positions.
   Schrader said in his report that wages have increased 12% since 2015, with the annual income averaging nearly $80,000 a year in Washington County.
   WEA members and guests can learn more about the state economy during a Virtual Forum with Economist Josh Lehner on Thursday, November 18.
   To read more, turn to Schrader's report on Washington County or Wallis' report on Clackamas County.
Recent losses to our WEA community
   WEA staff was saddened recently to learn of the passing of Tim Ramis of Jordan Ramis.
   The staff also is mourning with the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District family the loss of former Director of Communications & Outreach Bob Wayt.
   Beaverton Police Sergeant Brian Gaunt and Forest Grove Fire Captain Rick Ilg also recently passed away.
   Ramis represented many cities in the Portland region and created a legacy with his work.
   Wayt had retired from THPRD about three years ago and touched many lives.
   He even donated the photo seen here for WEA to use in an electronic holiday greeting.
   There are others in the WEA community who are grieving the loss of colleagues and loved ones, and the WEA staff would like to extend its deepest condolences to all of you who are in a season of mourning.
Odds & Ends
  • Supply chain woes may have another challenge. The industrial vacancy rate is running low, and CBRE talked with ABC News about the market conditions for the properties that warehouse products.

  • This is the weekend when we gain back an hour of sleep, as we change our clocks back to standard time. This is also a good time to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and change the batteries in these life saving devices.
Events coming up
Wed. 11/10 at 7:30 a.m. - The Transportation Committee will meet virtually with ODOT's Trevor Sleeman. All members are welcome to attend.

Th. 11/11 Veterans Day - Thank you to all who are serving or have served in our country's military.

Wed. 11/17 at 12:00 p.m. - The Land Use & Housing Committee will meet virtually. All members are welcome to attend.

Th. 11/18 at 8:00 a.m. - A Virtual Forum with Economist Josh Lehner. To register

Fri. 11/19 at 7:30 a.m. - The Government Relations Committee will meet virtually. Please note the change in the meeting date.

Th. 11/25 & & Fri. 11/26 - Thanksgiving weekend. The WEA laptops will be closed.