Tualatin lays out seven 2025 priorities including housing, transportation and climate action

TUALATIN, Ore. — City Manager Cheryl Lambos presented the City Council's set of seven priorities for 2025 during the April 28 work session, from neighborhood engagement and housing to transportation, environment and a refreshed city identity. Councilors offered edits, asked for clarity on implementation steps and flagged areas for follow-up.

Lambos told the council the priorities were developed at a council advance on Feb. 28 and March 1 and reflect work to align measurable outcomes and staff actions with the council's vision statements.

"There are 7 priorities, and they're the priority categories did not change from the, the what is on your placemat before you," Lambos said while reviewing outcomes and action items. She and staff described a set of actions under each priority: eight actions under neighborhood engagement, five under housing, multiple items under economic development (including food cart policy work and CORA planning), transportation (including completing the Transportation System Plan update), environment (including the Climate Action Plan and seismic resiliency projects) and parks and culture/identity actions.

Why it matters: The priorities will guide staff work and budget recommendations. Lambos said budget and budget-committee materials will identify where money is designated to support the stated priorities.

Highlights and council feedback - Neighborhood engagement: Staff emphasized continuing to prioritize street trees, sidewalk maintenance and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) work. Councilors asked that the placemat language remain concise and that the city continue to seek measurable outcomes under each action.

- Housing: Actions include examining options to diversify housing stock, monitoring legislative changes that affect production, integrating green space into development and leveraging a houselessness liaison. Lambos referenced ongoing regional coordination on supportive housing services.

- Economic development and CORA: Staff highlighted ongoing work on the CORA (core area) design and urban identity, a brand refresh and placemaking work supported by outside consultants. The food cart policy review was incorporated under economic development work.

- Transportation: Councilors pressed the city to prepare clear, measurable advocacy points and to keep the Transportation System Plan (TSP) update in an active public-engagement phase; staff said the TSP was in public engagement and prominently linked on the city website.

- Environment: Lambos said the city intends to formalize a prioritized five-year Climate Action Plan implementation schedule and add resiliency measures, such as seismic valve funding for reservoirs.

- Parks: The council flagged bond-program work, recreation program capacity and continued exploration of partnership opportunities with the school district for additional athletic fields.

- Culture and identity: Lambos said the upcoming website launch and a brand refresh will support a strategic communications plan. "I appreciate the feedback, and the time you spent really digging into into this work. And, as staff, we appreciate the direction and the, the guidance and understanding your priorities. It drives our work. So thank you," Lambos said.

What comes next: Staff said council will see budget materials and budget-committee documentation that indicate funding linked to the priorities, and staff will return with updates on specific actions and milestones. Several councilors asked staff to include measurable metrics and timelines when returning with proposals.

Ending: Council accepted the presentation and gave staff direction to pursue the action items and to return with additional detail in future briefings and the budget process.