Five things you may not know about Clackamas County

Five facts I learned from Commissioner Lynn Peterson, at April’s Coalition for a Livable Future Summit:

1. Clackamas County is second only to Marion County in leading agricultural producion counties of Oregon.

2. Clackamas County is losing 10% of its General Fund because of the loss of federal timber replacement dollars.

3. The county is home to 370,000 people now, which is expected to double in the next 20 years. Or she may have said 40. Pretty darn quickly, anyway.

4. The City of Damascus had 10,000 residents when it incorporated in 2004; the new city is projected to accommodate 50-60,000.

5. The City of Milwaukie re-organized its Neighborhood Associations, drawing each boundary to match that of one elementary school. The Neighborhood Associations meet in the school, and may apply for grants to be used for the school, the neighborhood, or both.

I thought one of the most profound things Commissioner Peterson said wasn’t about Clackamas County in particular, although she certainly has a firm and wide knowledge of what’s going on there. The most impressive suggestion she made, was that every community and neighborhood meeting should have a facilitator helping to structure participation and outcomes. People need facilitators to reach results sooner, and to see elected officials, staff, and citizens working towards outcomes and held accountable for them. Avoiding wasting time will encourage citizens to attend and become invested in our communities, and be worth the investment in the long run, she said.