Sherwood City Council Recap | November 4
Sherwood City Council talks news ideas for Old Town vision
SHERWOOD, Ore. — The Sherwood City Council met Tuesday, Nov. 4 for its regularly scheduled meeting. 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.
In a preliminary Urban Renewal Agency work session, the council discussed development of the vacant lot at the Sherwood Center for the Arts as well as the full Old Town Strategic Action Plan vision. They also heard a presentation about upcoming waterworks utility projects from Clean Water Services.
During the official meeting, the council voted on a contract for the Murdock Park master plan project, slated to begin this month. They also agree to instate a sharps collection box for used needles and other dangerous items.
At the meeting, councilors recognized Sherwood’s seventh-grade, 12-year-old Noelle Gush, who was crowned National American Miss Oregon Preteen at the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program pageant held in Seaside last June.
Her talent was a monologue from the 1995 classic movie “Clueless.” It was her first year in this competition, and she said she started doing pageants when she was six years old. She supports cats by volunteering at the Sherwood Cat Alliance Team Sanctuary and wants to be a zoological veterinarian someday. Next, she plans to attend the National Miss competition in Florida later this November.
“I clean the cat’s cages, enclosures, feed them, play with them, and I’ve been doing it ever since and I love doing it. I love interacting with the cats,” Gush said. “We do medical supplies and different things for fosters so that they have a better opportunity of living, because survival chances are really low now that it’s starting to get into the colder seasons and we’re finding animals outside. I think it’s really important.”
Work Session: Old Town Plan, Clean Water Services
In a work session Tuesday, the council heard a report on the Old Town Strategic Action Plan vision, the fourth work session on the topic.
Eric Rutledge, community development director at the City of Sherwood, said the city is nearing the end of the project to develop the action plan, and already held two open houses, a planning commission check-in, and a few citizen advisory committee meetings.
First Forty Feet, a Portland-based design agency, helped the city build the action plan. Will Grimm, co-founder and managing principal, and Jason Graf, principal and urban designer, presented the vision.
They said the project focuses on the health and growth of businesses, and preserving and strengthening Old Town as a destination by looking at options for future redevelopment.
Some ideas include extending the curbless streets up to Southwest Third Street, stimulating development on vacant sites along Southwest Pine Street, and extending Southwest Columbia Street as a new “front door” to Old Town.
Cannery Square was also discussed in the work session. The residential development phase is completed, but the plan includes a single-story retail building on the vacant gravel lot next to the Sherwood Arts Center.
The Urban Renewal Agency owns the property, but the City Council controls the zoning and the legislation. The council discussed selling it, a long-term ground lease, or having the city act as developer and operate for retail, event, or flex space — like a coffee shop or even a boutique hotel. They also talked about changing the number of stories and what the exterior design should look like.
“We have a hotel study that says we can support two more hotels,” Rutledge said.
In other news Tuesday, the council heard a report from Clean Water Services (CWS) public utility company, which provides wastewater and storm water services for 600,000 residents in 12 partner cities, including Sherwood, as well as unincorporated areas of Washington County.
In Sherwood and nearby, there are five projects in the water services plan for fiscal years 2026-2030, totaling $100.6 million. These projects include Rock Creek Trunk Phase 2; Brookman Trunk Extension; Sherwood Trunk upsizing; Chicken Creek Pump Station; and repairs, replacements, and upgrades to the Durham Water Resource Recovery Facility.
Property owners won’t be responsible for these costs through taxes, but CWS users will see the costs reflected in their water bills, according to the report from Joe Gall, chief utility relations officer with CWS.
Action Items: Sharps Collection, Murdock Park
During its regular meeting, the city council unanimously appointed Akwasi Cobbinah as the Youth Advisory Board Representative to the Transportation System Plan Update Citizen Advisory Committee.
This committee was established in May to support the update to Sherwood’s transportation system plan by gathering broad community input on transportation needs, priorities, and policies. It is a volunteer position, and Cobbinah is already an active member of Sherwood’s Youth Advisory Board.
Council also approved the city manager to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with Metro for a sharps collection box to be located at the Marjorie Stewart Senior Community Center.
This is funded through Metro by a harm-reduction grant, and is a safe place to dispose of things like used needles. It’s all part of a four-year pilot program by Metro, and has no fiscal impact on the City of Sherwood’s budget.
Council approved the city manager to enter a contract for Murdock Park’s master plan construction with Portland-based Lango Hansen Landscape Architects for a total project cost of $210,507. The city already budgeted $300,000 for this park project within its 2025-27 budget.
The proposed work includes completion of a geotechnical study; stormwater management design including a new stormwater garden and required drainage; wetland improvements; redesign of the pedestrian bridge and pond overlook; and the design of a new irrigation system, planting plan, and strategies for a future playground design.
Work at the park is scheduled to begin in November 2025, and completion is slated for May 2026.
Lastly, the council approved a first amendment to the city’s employment agreement with City Manager Craig Sheldon. This agreement adjusts paid time off, administrative leave, and salary, intended to recognize strong performance, maintain alignment with policy, and ensure competitive and equitable benefits for the position.
This includes a 2% salary raise to a new annual base salary of $211,654 for the city manager, effective August 6, 2025.
Bibliography
Agenda: https://www.sherwoodoregon.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11.04.2025-City-Council-Mtg-Agenda.pdf
Agenda Packet: https://www.sherwoodoregon.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11.04.2025-City-Council-Mtg-Packet.pdf
City Council Meeting Nov. 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I53zq3Pb0ng
City Council Work Session 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW7bazH_Vwo
City Council Work Session 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngzDqGkfjc4
Metro Sharps Disposal: https://www.oregonmetro.gov/tools-living/healthy-home/common-hazardous-products/medical-waste-or-sharps
