• Community involvement update
• CPO/CCI history and current situation

Community involvement update

By Virginia Bruce, former Chair, CPO 1

Now that the original Community Participation Organization (CPO) system has been shut down (see below), former CPO leaders want to continue to work with our neighbors—to help you get to the right county agency to solve issues; to understand local consequences of county actions; to meet candidates, local representatives, and service providers; and to share news that affects our neighbors.

We have discussed new ways to engage our neighbors—in-person and zoom meetings, social media discussion groups, outreach to community groups and schools—but nothing has been decided. We would welcome feedback on how you would like to stay engaged. We also welcome neighbors of all ages and backgrounds to help us implement plans. Email me if you have ideas.

We have obtained the email list (through a Freedom of Information Request) that the county used to announce CPO 1 meetings. Our first email will offer the opportunity to “opt out” since we don’t want to bother people who aren’t interested. But for those of you who want to stay in touch, we will send emails when we have information to share, likely once a month or less frequently.

CPO 1 and CPO 7 both have Facebook pages. We may change the names in the future, and we may create groups as well as pages to enable members to post, rather than just comment. You’re invited to visit these: we have been posting updates on development, opportunities to participate, and other community news.

CPO/CCI history and current situation

Since the 1980s, there were two parts to the Washington County’s public participation program: the Washington County Committee for Community Involvement (WCCI) to meet Oregon Land Use Goal 1 requirements, and the volunteer-run Community Participation Organizations (CPOs). Over a dozen local groups came together to hear information and provide input on matters, primarily land use—development projects and roads, for example— that affect their lives. CPO 7 represented Bethany and Rock Creek, and CPO 1 included Cedar Mill, Cedar Hills, and Bonny Slope.

In January 2026, the Board of Commissioners (BCC) adopted a resolution to dismantle the WCCI and CPO programs. Leaders were summarily informed that “county staff does not have the bandwidth to ensure community members will be involved in all phases of the planning process.”

The functions of the WCCI have been assigned to the nine-member Washington County Planning Commission which is still attempting to determine what this means in practical terms. It definitely will not address local development, only long-range planning issues.

The county’s Ordinance 915 was approved at the August 25 BCC meeting, formally removing all mention of the WCCI and CPOs from all county policy documents. The Ordinance will become effective on September 24.

Exactly how the new program will work has not been determined, but instead of the CPOs, there will be four regional groups (one for each Commissioner district), meeting every other month. Topics and programs will be designed by county staff. The name chosen for the program is Strengthening Participation and Reaching Communities (SPARC). The first meeting is scheduled on September 3 for Commissioner District 1, represented by Nafisa Fai, at the Aloha Community Library.

Ex-WCCI members have written to the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) objecting to the dismantling process and the creation of a new (truncated) program. It explains how the new system doesn’t meet the requirements of Goal 1 (community participation in land use issues). LCDC must approve a municipality’s changes to their Goal 1 compliance program. While it is unlikely that LCDC will reject the WC plan, the leaders felt it necessary to be on the record.