As many of you have heard, I will be stepping down from the Metro Council in the next few months so that I can enjoy the new home my husband, Dave Mayfield, and I have purchased in Corvallis.
It’s been hard, on so many levels, to get to this point. We love our Milwaukie home, our gardens and our wild woods out back leading down to Johnson Creek. We love living in Milwaukie, a community that is growing, but still retains the small town character that we love.
It will be hard to leave behind some of the work I’ve focused on at Metro. We’ve brought attention and support to the Willamette Falls Legacy Project and created a stunning design for the Riverwalk and other public access. That attention and support means that there are many advocates now who will continue to push for economic development and public access at the falls.
In my decade on the council, I’ve seen some great work: Metro’s increasing commitment to racial equity, innovations on cutting tailpipe emissions and improving transportation funding, and new ways to approach planning for Oregon’s land use, for now and in the future.
I’ve seen the opening of some special places, like Canemah Bluff in Oregon City and the White Oak Savanna in West Linn. Our parks system is truly an asset to our region. I would say I’m going to miss them, but I know I’m going to visit them on return trips to Portland.
I don’t know when we’ll be moving to Corvallis full-time. That will depend on the sale of our home. Once I do know, I will be formally notifying the council of my resignation. I want to thank Council President Hughes, former Council President Bragdon, and the 10 councilors I’ve served with for their support in my service to the people of District 2, and the region. And I want to thank the dozens of city councilors, mayors, county commissioners, neighborhood leaders, Metro staff and more that I’ve had the great privilege of working with this past 10 years.
Together, we’ve made such huge strides in making this region a great place. It’s been wonderful!