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Sherwood council liaison says council drafting charter amendments to restore local public engagement on land use
Summary
Councilor Giles told the planning commission the city council is preparing two charter amendments aimed at preserving local public engagement on land‑use and housing decisions, citing state-level changes that limit outreach; council hopes voters will decide.
Councilor Giles, serving as the council liaison at the meeting, told the Sherwood Planning Commission that the city council is drafting two charter amendments to secure a local legal basis for broader public engagement on land use and housing matters.
"There have been several laws that have been passed by Salem that limit our ability to do public engagement about land use and certain types of housing," Giles said, adding that the council wants more community involvement and plans to propose amendments for voters to consider. He said lawyers were present and that council leadership has been working on the language since the last meeting.
Giles framed the amendments as a means to restore or clarify local practices for public involvement that the council and community consider important. He invited questions and noted the council’s interest in giving residents more opportunity to weigh in on projects.
The planning commission members thanked the council liaison for the update and encouraged continued council attention to tree code and public engagement during budget and work‑program planning. The transcript does not record a timeline for when the council will formally place amendments on a ballot; Giles urged residents to watch council meetings for next steps.
