Metro (Oregon regional government)
| Metropolitan Service District |
|
| overview |
| Formed |
1993 (1993) |
| Preceding agencies |
Metropolitan Service District (1979–1992)
Columbia Region Association of Governments (1966–1978)
Metropolitan Service District (1957–1966) |
| Jurisdiction |
Portland metropolitan area |
| Headquarters |
Portland, Oregon |
| Employees |
750 (2011-12 fiscal year, 0.9%)[1] |
| Annual budget |
$389 million (2011-12 fiscal year, 9.7%)[1] |
| executives |
Tom Hughes, President
Suzanne Flynn, Auditor |
| Website |
| www.oregonmetro.gov |
Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area. It is the only directly elected metropolitan planning organization in the United States.[2]
History and evolution
Metro in its current form evolved from Columbia Region Association of Governments (CRAG) (1966–1978) and a predecessor Metropolitan Service District (MSD) (1957–1966).[2] Measure 6, a 1978 statewide ballot measure established Metro, effective January 1, 1979. In 1992 voters approved a home-rule charter that identified Metro's primary mission as planning and policy making to preserve and enhance the quality of life and the environment, and changed the agency's name to Metro. This charter was amended in November 2000 when Ballot Measure 26-10 was passed by voters, although the principal changes did not take effect until January 2003.[3] The measure eliminated the Executive Office and reorganized executive staff. The position of Executive Officer, elected by voters, was merged with that of council presiding officer, chosen annually by fellow Metro councilors, creating the position of Metro council president.[3] As of 2002, the agency had about 700 employees.[3]
The agency's first president was David Bragdon, who served in the office from January 2003 until September 2010.[4]
According to the 2010 census, the average district population is 248,362 and the current population is as follows:[5][6]
| District |
Includes (as of 2010) |
2010 Population |
Change since 2000 census |
| 1 |
Fairview, Gresham, Maywood Park, Troutdale, Wood Village, Happy Valley, Damascus, Boring and portions of East Portland |
253,858 |
+2.21% |
| 2 |
Gladstone, Johnson City, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Rivergrove, West Linn, a portion of Southwest Portland and unincorporated parts of Clackamas County, including Stafford north of I-205 |
230,157 |
-7.33% |
| 3 |
Most of Beaverton and all of Durham, King City, Sherwood, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville, plus portions of Stafford south of I-205 |
248,541 |
+0.07% |
| 4 |
Northern Washington County, including cities of Cornelius, Hillsboro, Forest Grove, and northwest portion of Beaverton, plus communities of Aloha, Bonny Slope, Bethany, Raleigh Hills, West Slope, Cedar Mill and Cedar Hills |
272,566 |
+9.75% |
| 5 |
All of North and Northwest Portland and portions of Northeast, Southeast and Southwest Portland (including downtown) |
245,890 |
-1.00% |
| 6 |
Portions of Southwest, Southeast and Northeast Portland |
239,159 |
-3.71% |
Since the 2010 census revealed districts 2 and 4 populations changed by more than 5%, Metro boundaries had to change.[6] In May 2011, Metro announced changes in its district boundaries, ensuring that effective January 2013 all districts are within 3.5 percent of the average district population. The changes include the following:[7]
- District 1 will no longer include Happy Valley (now in District 2) and Maywood Park (moved to District 5);
- District 2 will include all of the Stafford area within Metro’s jurisdiction (the portion of Stafford south of Interstate 205 was previously in District 3);
- District 4 will be entirely within Washington County.
- District 5 will also include an area in Washington County north of U.S. 26 and north and east of the Beaverton city limits (the Cedar Mill area), which was previously in District 4.
- District 6 will be entirely within Multnomah County.
As July 2011, the start of Metro's 2011-12 fiscal year, Metro had a $389 million total budget, down 9.7% from the previous year; allowed headcount was 750, down seven employees from the previous year.[1]
Areas of responsibility
- It provides land use planning and is responsible for maintaining the Portland-area urban growth boundary, a legal boundary which separates urban from rural land, and is designed to reduce urban sprawl. It coordinates with the cities and counties in the area to ensure a 20-year supply of developable land.
- It is the metropolitan planning organization for the area, responsible for the planning of the region's transportation system, though TriMet operates most of the region's buses and the MAX Light Rail system.
- It manages several park facilities, including Blue Lake Regional Park, Cooper Mountain Nature Park, and Oxbow Regional Park, Howell Territorial Park, Glendoveer golf course, the Sauvie Island and Gleason Memorial Boat Ramps, Chinook Landing Marine Park, the Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area, Government Island, Beggars-tick Wildlife Refuge, and 14 pioneer cemeteries in Multnomah County, including Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery, Lone Fir Cemetery and Gresham Pioneer Cemetery.
- It is responsible for maintaining a closed landfill, St. Johns Landfill, and owns and operates two garbage, hazardous waste and recycling transfer stations.
- It owns and operates the Oregon Convention Center, Oregon Zoo, Portland Center for the Performing Arts, and Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center.
- It is responsible for planning for regional fish and wildlife habitat protection.
- It has the authority (so far, un-exercised) to take over operation of the regional transportation authority, known as TriMet.
- It is responsible for the region's Geographic Information System (GIS) and maintains the Regional Land Information System (RLIS).
Structure
Metro is governed by a council president elected region-wide, currently Tom Hughes, and six councilors who are elected by district (Shirley Craddick, District 1; Carlotta Collette, District 2; Carl Hosticka, District 3; Kathryn Harrington, District 4; Rex Burkholder, District 5; and Robert Liberty, District 6). Metro also has an auditor — currently Suzanne Flynn — who is elected region-wide. Each serves a four-year term. The council appoints a chief operating officer and an attorney.
Master plan
Metro's master plan for the Portland region includes transit-oriented development: this approach, part of the new urbanism, promotes mixed-use and high-density development around light rail stops and transit centers, and the investment of the metropolitan area's share of federal tax dollars into multiple modes of transportation. Metro's master plan also includes multiple town centers, smaller versions of the city center, scattered throughout the metropolitan area.
In 1995 Metro introduced the 2040 plan as a way to define long term growth planning. The 2040 Growth Concept[8] is designed to accommodate 780,000 additional people and 350,000 jobs by 2040. This plan has created some criticism from environmentalists, but few consider it a threat to Portland's legacy of urban growth management.
An April 2004 study in the Journal of the American Planning Association tried to quantify the effects of Metro's plans on Portland's urban form. While the report cautioned against finding a direct link between any single one policy and any improvements in Portland's urban form, it showed strong correlation between Metro's 2040 plan and various west-side changes in Portland. Changes cited include increased density and mixed-use development as well as improved pedestrian/non-automobile accessibility.
Cities served by Metro
Metro serves 25 cities in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties (as well as unincorporated parts of those counties):
Districts
Metro districts and the councilors representing them as of February 2011:
- Shirley Craddick (Fairview, Gresham, Happy Valley, Maywood Park, Troutdale, Wood Village, Damascus and portions of East Portland)
- Carlotta Collette (a portion of southwest Portland and most of urban Clackamas County including Gladstone, Johnson City, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Oregon City, Rivergrove and West Linn)
- Carl Hosticka (Deputy President) (portions of Washington and Clackamas counties and the cities of Beaverton, Durham, King City, Sherwood, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville)
- Kathryn Harrington (Northern Washington County, Cornelius, Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Northwest Beaverton, Aloha, Bonny Slope, Raleigh Hills, West Slope, Cedar Mill and Cedar Hills)
- Rex Burkholder (Northwest Portland, North Portland, Northeast Portland, downtown Portland, a portion of Southwest Portland and a portion of Southeast Portland)
- Barbara Roberts (portions of Northeast, Southeast and Southwest Portland)[10]
As of January 2013, the districts will change:[7]
- District 1 will include all of Fairview, Gresham, Troutdale, Wood Village and Damascus, Boring and unincorporated areas in Multnomah County east of Gresham and Troutdale. It will also include all of Portland east of 122nd Ave. (and east of 112th Ave. south of Foster Road). District 1 will no longer include the cities of Happy Valley (now in District 2) and Maywood Park (now in District 5).
- District 2 will include all of Happy Valley, Gladstone, Johnson City, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Rivergrove and West Linn, along with many unincorporated areas in northern Clackamas County. It will also include a portion of Southwest Portland and unincorporated Multnomah County to the east and south of Interstate 5 and south of SW Canby Street east of Brier Place. The district will include all of the Stafford area within Metro’s jurisdiction (the portion of Stafford south of Interstate 205 was previously in District 3).
- District 3 will include all of Beaverton to the south of Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway/Farmington Road east of Watson St., south of Broadway between Watson St. and Cedar Hills Blvd., and to the south of Tualatin Valley Highway west of Cedar Hills Blvd. It also includes of Durham, King City, Sherwood, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville, plus the unincorporated communities of Aloha (south of Tualatin Valley Hwy., which was previously in District 4), Raleigh Hills (south of Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy.), Bull Mountain, Garden Home and Metzger. It will no longer include any portion of Stafford.
- District 4 will include all of Forest Grove, Cornelius and Hillsboro. It will also include a portion of Beaverton and unincorporated areas in Washington County to the north of Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy./Farmington Rd. east of Watson St., north of Broadway between Watson St. and Cedar Hills Blvd., and to the north of Tualatin Valley Hwy. west of Cedar Hills Blvd., except for the community of Cedar Mill lying north of U.S. Hwy. 26 and north and east of Beaverton city limits, which will become part of District 5. District 4 will include the unincorporated communities of Aloha (north of Tualatin Valley Highway), Raleigh Hills (north of Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway), Bonny Slope, Bethany, West Slope and Cedar Hills. District 4 will be entirely within Washington County.
- District 5 will include all of North and Northwest Portland, all of Southwest Portland north of U.S. Hwy. 26 (including downtown), and all of Northeast Portland north of Interstate 84 and west of 122nd Ave. District 5 will include Maywood Park, which was previously in District 1. District 5 will also include an area in Washington County north of Hwy. 26 and north and east of the Beaverton city limits (the Cedar Mill area), which was previously in District 4.
- District 6 will include all of the east side of Portland south of Interstate 84 and west of 122nd Ave. (except for the portion south of Foster Rd. and east of 112th Ave., which will be in District 1). District 6 will also include all of Southwest Portland south of U.S. Hwy. 26, west and north of Interstate 5 and north of Canby St. east of Brier Pl. District 6 will be entirely within Multnomah County.
See also
References
External links