Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Population Estimates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Joan Bostrom urges Polk County commissioners to verify Monmouth population estimates
Summary
During public comment at the May 6 Polk County Board of Commissioners meeting, resident Joan Bostrom said PSU population figures overstate Monmouth’s year‑round population because university students are counted at campus addresses; she cited a 2019 Johnson Economics report she said found sufficient buildable capacity in Monmouth’s UGB through 2040.
Joan Bostrom, a Polk County resident, told the Polk County Board of Commissioners during public comment that county planning should not rely on what she described as inflated population estimates for the city of Monmouth.
Bostrom disputed recent Portland State University (PSU) population figures cited in local planning, asserting that counting Western Oregon University (WOU) students at campus addresses produces an inflated year‑round population. “So using the PSU revised population for December 2024 going into 2025 … minus 1,500 off campus students, minus 1,056 on campus students equals Monmouth population at 8,900 year round true residents,” she said, arguing that the adjustment matters for urban growth boundary (UGB) decisions.
Bostrom also noted a June 2019 study paid for by the city of Monmouth, saying, “Their findings were there is currently sufficient buildable capacity within the Monmouth UGB to accommodate total projected need, and this was through 2020 through 2040.” She urged the board and county finance officials to investigate and verify the figures before relying on them for policy decisions.
The board did not take action on Bostrom’s comments during the meeting; public comment concluded and the agenda moved forward.
Context: Bostrom’s remarks focused on local population accounting methods and capacity inside Monmouth’s UGB, issues that can affect housing supply estimates and growth management decisions. No commissioners offered a formal response or direction on the record at the May 6 meeting.
