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Council schedules work session on sanctuary-city designation after motion; staff report requested
Summary
Councilors agreed 7–0 to schedule a work session in February or March to discuss whether to designate Forest Grove as a sanctuary city; the council requested a staff report and community input before any resolution is considered.
During the regular meeting, Councilor Gustafson moved and a colleague seconded a request to add discussion of designating Forest Grove as a sanctuary city to a future agenda. Council members debated whether a staff report would be useful; Council President Valenzuela and others asked for a research and staff report on neighboring cities, legal implications and implementation options.
The council agreed to add a work session on the topic in February or March and to solicit community input and service‑provider perspectives as part of staff preparation. Councilor Schimmel asked that community voices and service organizations representing populations the resolution would aim to help be included in any preparatory outreach. The motion carried by consensus with a 7–0 voice vote.
Council members discussed whether the item should be scheduled as a work session or a regular agenda item and whether a draft resolution or staff background report should precede any vote. The council asked staff to recommend whether a work session or full agenda item would be the most appropriate forum given the scope of the issue and the potential need for a staff report.
