Washington County News September 2026
County may create data center task force
County Commissioners Nafisa Fai and Pam Treece have asked Chair Harrington to create a task force to guide a discussion on how the county handles proposals for data centers. Currently there are no facilities in unincorporated county, only in cities, primarily Hillsboro. Treece’s press release on the request was posted on her Facebook page. The proposal will be discussed at the Board of County Commissioners Work Session on September 1.
Transitional Housing update
In March 2025, Washington County purchased the former hotel on Cornell Rd. near the Highway 26 overpass to establish a Transitional Housing facility for unhoused people who also have substance abuse problems. The program will provide supportive, safe stable housing along with recovery services. Helping Hands will be the onsite manager of the facility.
As the Cornell Road Transitional Housing project moves forward, with the expected opening in early 2027, a series of Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) meetings have brought neighbors together with program providers. Each session brings more information and insight about how it will work. The GNA has been in development since October 2025. The current draft of the GNA is available online here. Elements include expectations for residents, services offered to promote recovery and independence, and neighborhood safety measures (cleanliness of the surrounding area, how to report issues etc.).
During the latest meeting on August 18, we learned more about how residents would live. Each floor of the facility will be a “community.” Building communities within the population helps support recovery by encouraging communication and peer support. There will be a kitchen where they can make their meals, with a free food pantry on the main floor to provide ingredients. Residents will be allowed pets and service animals.
If you want additional information or to be added to the interested parties list, please contact Homeless_Services@WashingtonCountyOR.gov.
WCSO Watch
Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) offers tips to help you stay prepared, stay informed, and keep yourself and your neighborhood safe. As students head back to school, we’re also reminding everyone to slow down and follow traffic laws around school buses to help keep children safe.
Be prepared: See something, say something. Staying prepared isn’t just about having a go-bag or a family communication plan, it’s also about keeping an eye out for what’s happening around you. One of the simplest and most effective preparedness actions anyone can take is reporting suspicious or unsafe activity when you notice it, so if you SEE something, SAY something! Preparedness isn’t just about response—it’s about prevention. Your vigilance can identify safety trends, help adjust patrols proactively, protect vulnerable areas, and strengthen overall community readiness.
Know when to report: If you witness an emergency or crime in progress, call 911. If you observe a crime that has already occurred, call our non-emergency dispatch at 503-629-0111. Examples of non-emergency calls include abandoned vehicles, suspicious persons or vehicles, or stolen packages.
Official channels matter: While we share safety tips on social media, it’s important to remember that we cannot monitor posts on these platforms by others. So posting something on Facebook is helpful to neighbors, but unless you report it to WCSO, nothing can be done.
Traffic Safety: School Buses
Stay alert and follow traffic laws when stopping for school buses. When a bus has red flashing lights and its stop arm extended, all drivers behind the bus must stop until the lights stop flashing. On two‑lane or multi‑lane roads without a median, drivers must stop, regardless of which side of the road they are on. For divided highways, only drivers traveling in the same direction as the bus must stop. If the median is less than 20 feet, all traffic must stop. If you’re driving on the opposite side of a divided highway with a median 20 feet or more, you don’t need to stop but should proceed with caution.
