Sherwood City Council Recap | Feb. 3, 2026
City Council talks YMCA strategy
SHERWOOD, Ore. — The Sherwood City Council met Tuesday, Feb. 3 for its regularly scheduled meeting following a work session. There was no public comment.
Mayor Tim Rosener, Council President Kim Young, and Councilors Keith Mays, Dan Standke, Taylor Giles, Doug Scott, and Renee Brouse were all present.
The council discussed the contract with the YMCA, transit cuts from TriMet, and the Linda Henderson memorial in its work session. They also voted on authorizing the City Manager to enter into a contract for the Sanitary Sewer, Stormwater, and Water System Master Plans update, as well as adopting a plan of action for control deficiencies.
The council heard the second reading of the building code updates, and voted unanimously to approve it.
They also convened in executive session to have discussions concerning real property transactions and performance evaluations.
Consent Agenda: Sewer and Water Systems, Control Deficiencies
In the consent agenda, council unanimously authorized the city manager to enter into a contract for the sanitary sewer, stormwater, and water system master plans update, as well as adopted a plan of action for control deficiencies.
The water contract to develop a master plan update is with Miami-based Consor North America, Inc. engineering firm for a base contract of $1,086,496. The funds are planned for within the city’s fiscal year 2025-2027 budget.
As for control deficiencies, the city found no direct financial impact toward implementing controls to prevent deficiencies from happening again. This comes after auditors found $294,040 of interest revenue overstated in the 2024-25 fiscal year that were not detected or prevented. There was not proper review for employee timecards; understatement of revenue from an electricity franchise fee and property tax revenue; and a misclassification in the water fund, auditors found.
Work Session: YMCA
The council discussed three items in its work session ahead of the regular city council meeting, including the YMCA contract, the TriMet public transportation cuts, and the Linda Henderson memorial.
Bess Goggins, CEO and President of the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette, said the Sherwood YMCA has 2,500 memberships, and trained 120 lifeguards in 2025. She said she’s been in the role for nine months, after leading the Boys and Girls Club of Bend for four years, and wants to remove barriers so everyone can enjoy the YMCA.
“For more than two decades, it’s been a place where families, seniors, and our youth come together for a sense of belonging, and a space to spend quality time,” Goggins said, but that after a series of town halls, “the bottom line takeaway for me was … it used to feel like the living room of Sherwood, and it no longer feels that way. So I was left wondering, what do we do next?”
One idea is to reengage the teenagers, who can walk right over from the new pedestrian bridge. Goggins said the YMCA already has a youth space, but needs a full-time director for a free teen program that provides activities they can’t get elsewhere. She said it could be difficult to engage middle schoolers who don’t have cars yet, and to find funding for the program.
“We have to figure out a way, for people who are not at the Y, to bring them to the Y, and finding those spaces is going to be incredibly important,” Goggins said.
Goggins said the YMCA staff includes a significant number of teens in their first jobs, helping them learn skills like calling out sick, showing up on time, and not being on their phones while on the clock.
“We know from the town hall that people are looking for a deeper sense of belonging; they want a place where they can connect with each other,” Goggins said. “The community is expecting reinvestment and forward movement.”
Goggins said she wants to reinvest in Sherwood’s YMCA facilities and focus on providing and deepening services sustainably and consistently. Since the City of Sherwood owns the YMCA building, she said this is a collective effort.
“I can promise that I’m going to continue learning and I want to continue showing up here,” Goggins said. “I’m still new and figuring things out, and I’m working on getting our house in order.”
City councilors suggested creating Sherwood YMCA-specific social media channels; having different website pages dedicated to different activities like dance fitness and weightlifting; and creating a safe after-school space. They also discussed collecting more data on the user funnel, and re-engaging guests who stop visiting.
Work Session: Linda Henderson Memorial
Council President Kim Young has been leading the effort to create a memorial for former councilor Linda Henderson, who passed away in May of 2025.
Since Henderson was involved in parks and arts, Stella Olson Park or the Sherwood Center for the Arts have risen to the top of choices for the memorial’s placement.
“The most support that people have had is the art center and not necessarily Stella Olsen,” Young said. “It’s a decision we need to make, but I don’t think we can go wrong. I’m probably leaning toward the Art Center at this point.”
There are a few mockups of what the memorial could look like at either location, such as changing the name to the Linda Henderson Center for the Arts, or renaming the amphitheater at the park.
The council further discussed avoiding confusion, long names, and potentially taking away the historical significance of former names.
Bibliography
https://www.sherwoodoregon.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/02-City-Council-Mtg-Agenda-02.03.2026.pdf
https://www.sherwoodoregon.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/00-02.03.2026-City-Council-Packet.pdf
Jules Rogers
Jules Rogers
Jules Rogers
