LETTER FROM THE MAYOR
August 2020
STEVE CALLAWAY, MAYOR
It is my pleasure to introduce the updated Hillsboro 2035 Community Plan. This edition includes new strategies and actions culled from nearly 8,000 ideas shared by thousands of people since the 2035 Community Plan was adopted in 2015.
In Hillsboro, we pride ourselves in being an inclusive and equitable community as reflected in this quote from the City’s Equity and Inclusion Statement: “Equity work aims to remove barriers and eliminate social and economic disparities by centering those who have been excluded from the decision-making process”. These periodic vision plan updates are one of the many important ways we demonstrate this as it offers new and traditionally underserved community members an equal opportunity to help inform the ways we act to bring our vision to life. The update process also ensures we’re incorporating the most up-to-date approaches and information as we evolve over time.
Long-time vision observers may notice one particularly significant modification to this edition. Environmental sustainability-related actions were sprinkled throughout the original 2020 Vision. However, by 2015, community interest in sustainability had grown significantly and a Sustainability Task Force was formed to develop a comprehensive Community Environmental Sustainability Plan (ESP). Over five years, the Task Force has overseen implementation of more than 50 programs and projects to improve the environment communitywide and has identified new initiatives to build on this progress. Rather than update the ESP as a separate document, we have integrated environmental stewardship into the Community Plan, to ensure all of our sustainability objectives – social, economic, and environmental – are housed under one umbrella: “Our Shared Vision for a Sustainable Future.” A new Environmental Stewardship Committee will continue to track existing performance indicators and advise City Council on related project and policy opportunities.
I also want to acknowledge the unique moment in which we’re releasing this plan. Most of the ideas were conceived at a time when a global pandemic was the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. Some actions might seem trivial given the new and pressing needs of today. Indeed, COVID-19 has been devastating for many, and we hesitated to ask partners to take on new actions given the uncertain future we face. But eventually, our team started making calls, and before long those calls became Zoom meetings and so on. What we learned is that people value and take solace in our long-term vision. Yes, we should and will continue to prioritize resources to help the community recover from this crisis. But we also need to keep moving forward. Hillsboro will rebound. It is now more important than ever to build an inclusive, engaged, and prosperous community ... together.
Finally, I want to thank all of the amazing people who make visioning work for Hillsboro, including the community members who share their ideas and inspiration, the Oversight Committee, Outreach Team and others who make sure the work gets done and, ultimately, the community partners and volunteers who implement the actions that make realizing the vision possible. On behalf of the entire City Council, I want to express our gratitude and reaffirm our support as we continue to move Hillsboro forward together.
Sincerely,
Mayor Steve Callaway
