June 19, 2020
News & Notes
Today we celebrate Juneteenth and a new holiday for US Nike Employees
Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, has commemorated the emancipation of former slaves since 1866, and marks the day in 1865 when Union Gen. Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation to former slaves in Texas, the last state where emancipation was announced after President Lincoln issued the proclamation in 1863.

Nike announced this week that they are recognizing Juneteenth as an annual paid holiday in the United States.

WEA Board of Directors member, Shannon McWhinney, said, "At NIKE, Inc., we aspire to be a leader in building a diverse, inclusive team and culture. Together, we will recognize Juneteenth as a time of education, reflection and commitment to racial justice.

WEA thanks Nike for their leadership.
Land Use and Housing looks at the intersection of economic development and planning
   WEA Land Use and Housing committee members had the opportunity to meet with Cheryl Twete, Community Development Director, City of Beaverton and economic development consultant, John Southgate, to discuss how the public sector planning and economic development departments work together to assist businesses in recovery efforts due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
Several themes emerged in the discussion including how cities are looking for ways to lighten the regulatory burden for businesses and creating efficiencies in the permitting process, as well as creating synergies between planning, regulatory and economic development teams.
It was a robust discussion with input provided from both the private and public sectors. Special thanks to Cheryl and John for leading the conversation.
Josh Lehner talks about the economic forecast and what it means
    WEA held the June Breakfast Forum on June 11th. NW Natural was the forum sponsor and Legacy Health is the Breakfast Series Sponsor. The title of the event was "Regional Economic Outlook----the good, the bad and the ugly". Josh Lehner, the presenter and pictured here, is an economist with the State of Oregon's Office of Economic Analysis.

The presentation focused on the most recent economic forecast at the state and regional levels. Josh provided insights into what the numbers and trends mean tailored to our membership's interests. He then fielded a series of excellent questions from the 200+ participants.

WEA greatly appreciates Josh and has requested that he return in September for the next quarterly update to the economic forecast. If you were not able to attend this event, we encourage you view the presentation here.
King City 2020 State of the City Address
   Mayor Ken Gibson opened his 2020 State of the City with a moment of silence to recognize the murder of George Floyd and reflect on the voices asking for change.
After welcoming the audience, Mayor Gibson spoke to the work that the City has undertaken while dealing with the Covid19 pandemic.
Mayor Gibson spoke about the progress on the Transportation System Plan and the Master Plan in preparation for the UGB expansion and the ongoing process to involve the community in each step. He also focused on including affordable housing and ADUs in the plan.
It was clear that Mayor Gibson is proud of his staff, his council and the community he represents. King City has the highest census response rate in Oregon at 83.8%, they have new parks that draw all ages for sports and leisure, and they have new road projects that the Mayor claims are "award winning"---he did admit, with a chuckle, that the roads are beautiful but he is still looking for the right award to apply for.
Mayor Gibson closed with a message to all leaders -- leadership needs to step up in these difficult times. We need to own the difficult decisions that impact our communities including policing and we need to support all those that are doing a good job in keeping our communities safe.
Odds & Ends
  • Happy Father's Day to everyone. We hope you have a great weekend.
Events coming up
Wed. 6/24 at 7:30 a.m. the WEA Board of Directors will meet virtually with Port of Portland Executive Director, Curtis Robinhold

Fri. 6/26 at 12:00 p.m. the Golf Committee will meet. For more information, contact Teresa Dunham .

Sat. 7/4 Independence Day!

Wed. 7/8 at 7:30 a.m. the Transportation Committee will meet virtually. For more information, contact Pam Treece.

Wed. 7/15 at 12:00 p.m. the Land Use & Housing Committee will meet virtually. To learn more, contact KC Reinhart.

Fri. 8/28 Westside Golf Scramble for more information, contact Teresa Dunham .

To see more of the WEA calendar, please visit the WEA website .