Happy weekend, Hillsboro readers. Let's get caught up on another week in local news:
Consultant: South Hillsboro development 'not financially viable' without public assistance or reducing profit expectations
A consultant hired by the city of Hillsboro to identify a funding strategy for South Hillsboro's transportation and parks has determined that near-term development "is not financially viable...without some level of public assistance or a reduction of profit expectations by the developer," documents show.
The draft report from Lake Oswego-based FCS Group, released to The Oregonian/OregonLive in partially redacted form, recommends the creation of a local improvement district in South Hillsboro to help pay for roads. The consultants also recommend the city consider charging South Hillsboro residents $10 per month on top of the city's already-rising street fee to pay for transportation improvements.
To pay for parks, FCS Group recommended that Hillsboro officials phase in system development charges (SDCs) - which are the per-household fees developers pay for the infrastructure burden created by new residents - over seven years rather than levying the full amount right away. The local improvement district and any street fee surcharge to pay for transportation would also mitigate for reducing or phasing in SDCs.
Oregon Sen. Chuck Riley's Small Business Advisory Council includes Andy Duyck, Hillsboro businesspeople
Washington County Chairman Andy Duyck is among the 11 members of a new Small Business Advisory Council created by state Sen. Chuck Riley (D-Hillsboro).
Riley narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Bruce Starr in November's race for Senate District 15, which covers Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Cornelius and North Plains. The septuagenarian, a former computer programmer, previously represented District 29 in the Oregon House of Representatives.
Joining Duyck on the Small Business Advisory Council are Tina Jacobsen, the owner and operator of Hillsboro's Jacobsen's Books and More; Mark Smith, owner of Summit Natural Energy in Cornelius; and John DiFalco, the owner of Forest Grove-based Waltz Sheridan Crawford Insurance.
Here is the full list of committee members.
Abu Rasheed Express, a Mediterranean restaurant, comes to downtown Hillsboro
A new Mediterranean restaurant will attempt to succeed in a downtown Hillsboro space where a similar eatery did not last long.
Abu Rasheed Express opened its doors in the former location of Greek Gyros Express, at 315 E. Main St. between Third and Fourth avenues. Greek Gyros Express was at the location for less than two years.
Meet all 8 candidates running for the Hillsboro School Board in May
The filing deadline to run for the Hillsboro School Board has come and gone, and the final number of candidates competing for three positions stands at eight.
Two incumbents -- board Chair Kim Strelchun and Vice Chair Wayne Clift -- are seeking re-election, and another position was left wide open after current board member Adriana Canas announced that she would not run in the May 19 contest.
Here is a list of the candidates for each of the three open positions on the seven-member board. Stay with The Oregonian/OregonLive and the Hillsboro Argus over the coming months for ongoing coverage of the election.
Hillsboro City Council cranks 2015 priority list up from 10 to 11
The Hillsboro City Council has cranked its annual list of priorities from 10 items up to 11.
The list provides city staff with policy direction regarding spending decisions and often serves as a message to citizens about the council's overarching goals.
Hundreds of millions at stake for Hillsboro, Washington County as lawmakers consider Gain Share changes
SALEM -- When the Oregon Legislature approved the Gain Share program in 2007, lawmakers assumed the drain on the state's general fund would be "modest," Sen. Ginny Burdick (D-Portland) told the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue Wednesday morning. The forecast back then showed a $4.5 million impact over the 2011-13 biennium.
They never expected that three Gain Share payments between 2012 and 2015 would surpass $74 million, with Hillsboro and Washington County, "one of the richest counties in Oregon," receiving nearly 99 percent of the funds to date, said Burdick, whose district includes the Washington County city of Tigard.
"I regret my vote [in favor of the program]," Burdick said. She is now pushing a bill that would reduce Hillsboro's and Washington County's Gain Share allocation in the 2015-17 biennium from $94.2 million to just $5.6 million - still more, she added, than originally predicted in 2007. Burdick's Senate Bill 848 also has the support of Rep. Peter Buckley (D-Ashland) and Rep. Ann Lininger (D-Lake Oswego).
But 11 other senators - including revenue committee chair Mark Hass (D-Beaverton) and vice-chair Brian Boquist (R-Dallas) - have lined up behind Senate Bill 129, a proposal strikingly similar to one Washington County made at the tail end of the 2014 short session. Like SB 848, the bill would decrease the Gain Share revenue sent to Hillsboro and Washington County, but by a far less drastic amount. The Hillsboro and Oregon chambers of commerce, the Hillsboro schools, the League of Oregon Cities and the Association of Oregon Counties also support SB 129.
What do you think? What did I miss? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
-- Luke Hammill
lhammill@oregonian.com
503-294-4029
@HlsboroReporter