The Council consists of 28 business leaders, community nonprofit representatives, educators and former elected officials. The group was assembled through a lengthy process involving Metro staff and representatives from the Initiative's steering committee, five of whom are also on the Council.

It can start with something as simple as taking up the carpet covering beautifully-aged wood floors in a historic building or removing plaster from the façade of a downtown landmark to reveal the original brick beneath. Sprucing up one building can inspire the owner next door to do the same, and before long, the entire block and beyond becomes – or goes back to – the lively downtown it once was. This is the premise that Michelle Reeves of Rethinking Urban Places is bringing to her downtown revitalization work in Tigard and Oregon City. Metro has partnered with Reeves and the two cities to promote making the most of what downtowns already have with efforts that lead to on-the-ground results.

The Building Tomorrow’s Jobs forum held Feb. 1 featured many ways the Portland metropolitan region can better position itself to be an attractive and competitive job market. Tuesday’s speakers, experts in developing economically and ecologically sustainable employment, highlighted clear opportunities for local employers to improve their triple bottom line, as well as tips for cities and counties that want to attract and retain business. Bert Gregory, an expert in developing resource-efficient structures and communities, noted that communities with ambitious objectives are doing great work in the region. "Employers are looking to locate in areas that are hip, urban and green," he said. 

The council addressed the urban growth boundary as a board for the first time at a Tuesday worksession, and at least four councilors said they were comfortable with saying the region will need about 15,000 new residential units to meet state capacity requirements.

It’s not surprising that business leaders from the southern metropolitan area were laden with big-picture questions about how Metro can help them encourage, and manage, growth. After all, the southern Interstate 5 corridor has three burgeoning cities – Sherwood, Tualatin and Wilsonville – and a swath of urban reserve land in Stafford that is decades from becoming a new  community of its own. Where other cities will refine themselves from growth on the edge, these places will define themselves with the growth that’s to come.

On Aug. 26, Metro chief Michael Jordan presented his ideas about a Community Investment Strategy to a crowd of more than 150 business leaders, public officials and other interested citizens that attended a forum sponsored by the Westside Economic Alliance and the Clackamas County Business Alliance. Read the questions presented at the forum and the responses given.

This Friday, Oct. 1, is the deadline for providing comments on how and where we should invest in important public structures and systems and how, where and if we should expand the urban growth boundary to accommodate future residential and employment growth. Take an online survey

Metro Council briefed on upcoming environmental report at Tuesday worksession. Express bus would be $328 million cheaper, but federal matches make project substantially cheaper for regional partners.

I hope you had enjoyable August and were able to get out and enjoy the fabulous array of summer events, concerts festivals and other opportunities we have in our region. It’s been a busy summer at Metro and I’ve been working hard on several important issues that affect our families and communities, including the Metro Chief Operating Officer's recommendation on a Community Investment Strategy that will help us plan for an economically strong, safe and livable region. Another important note is the opening of our newest nature park. Graham Oaks Nature Park near Wilsonville will open Sept. 18 with a day of activities.

An exploratory committee is ironing out details on a task force that could try to put the pieces of the puzzle together to steer jobs to the region. At meetings with regional stakeholders this summer, Metro Chief Operating Officer Michael Jordan has been pitching the creation of a team of 15 to 25 community sages who could tackle projects government and business alone can’t handle.