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Troutdale extends public-safety delivery working group, adjusts membership to preserve continuity
Summary
The council voted to extend an ad hoc public safety services delivery working group charged with researching long-term police and fire service options. The resolution adjusts membership rules so a long-serving member may remain; the extension passed with one abstention.
Troutdale — The Troutdale City Council on June 24 extended the charter of its ad hoc Public Safety Services Delivery Working Group and adjusted its membership rules to preserve continuity in the group’s work on long-term police and fire options.
City staff and the mayor told the council the working group — which has met for roughly two-and-a-half years — will continue to study options including reestablishing a Troutdale Police Department, joining or forming a fire district, and other service-delivery models. Ray (city staff) said one reason to continue the group now is to keep momentum as neighboring jurisdictions consider fire-district proposals; he said joining a fire district could free up an estimated $3.2 million in the city’s next budget year, funds that the city could consider using to reestablish local police services.
Because one long-time working-group member (Rich Allen) no longer sits on the budget committee, staff proposed and the council approved a minor change to the membership rules to allow continued participation by the experienced member as a citizen representative. Councilor Allen abstained from the vote, citing a conflict of interest (Allen is the spouse of the appointee). The resolution passed on the council’s motion with one abstention.
Why it matters: The group’s work is focused on a multi-year fiscal and operational decision about how Troutdale arranges police and fire services. Continuing the working group preserves institutional knowledge and keeps the issue on a near-term timeline; staff noted possible coordination with a May 2026 vote on a fire district elsewhere in East County.
Next steps: The working group will continue meetings, gathering analysis and options for the council. Staff said the amended charter expands the working group’s task to identify “desirable and practical” law-enforcement and fire-service providers for Troutdale’s future and will report back to council with recommendations.
