Members of the Troutdale Citizens Advisory Committee on June 4 agreed to shift from primarily passive to more proactive public outreach, asking staff to present engagement metrics and to work with the committee on in-person events tied to a pending Main Streets on Halsey corridor code amendment project.

The committee asked staff to bring data on current outreach channels — social media metrics, YouTube views, email and website hits, and in-person engagement numbers — and to describe which methods are working. "That sort of seems like the low hanging fruit as far as the data that we already have," said Committee member Kevin Minkoff, urging a baseline presentation of metrics and channels. The group also asked staff to review the city’s public-notice procedures and to compare them with state requirements.

Why this matters: Committee members said several recent state mandates and planning decisions — notably changes tied to parking and clean-energy rules — highlighted gaps in public awareness. The CAC said it can help direct citizens to legislative information and to local representatives, and can experiment with targeted outreach tactics to raise awareness before rules are finalized.

Committee members proposed several immediate actions. They asked staff to invite Marley (economic development) to present data on engagement and First Friday attendance; to provide an itemized list of current engagement methods and their effectiveness; and to prepare a short primer on how and when the public is notified about land-use actions (for example, notice radii and timelines). The committee also discussed using the local Champion newspaper, recurring CAC snippets in that paper, short social-media posts and an informational video on how to make public comments. "It's our job as citizens to be paying attention to that stuff," said Shelby, a committee member who described tracking bills and referring people to third-party bill-tracking services.

Staff previewed a linked outreach task: a code-amendment project for design standards along the Halsey corridor. Dakota, a city staff member, said the project will emphasize community engagement with downtown and corridor businesses and that consultant work will be reviewed by the planning commission and the CAC. Dakota asked the CAC to consider taking responsibility for one community event tied to the project and to meet for a preview session so committee members can answer public questions accurately at a First Friday or similar event.

Logistics and timeline: Committee members tentatively discussed showing up at First Friday events; they identified potential dates and agreed to plan a presence for the fall. Dakota said the Main Streets on Halsey work is on a schedule that could produce code drafts for public review between late summer and early fall, noting the team aims for adoption in the months following the turn of the year. Staff also said a portion of grant funding is available to spend on outreach materials and events.

Other outreach items the group discussed included: collecting data from recent volunteer applicants to learn where they heard about openings (social media, posters, Champion, word-of-mouth); testing informal public-facing materials such as a short "how to comment" video; and tabling at community events including movie nights, First Friday and Mayor Square events. Staff clarified that Kevin Mooney handles the city's daily social-media accounts and that Marley compiles some engagement reports and uses the PlaceYour platform for parks-related metrics.

Next steps: The CAC asked staff to (1) compile the list of current engagement channels and associated metrics, (2) compare the city’s public-notice practices with state requirements, (3) invite Marley to present engagement data at a future meeting and (4) schedule a CAC work session in advance of a First Friday tabling opportunity so members can prepare talking points and materials.