A2 February 2025 Charbonneau Villager

By ANNE SHEVLIN

The past eight months have been a busy time for your Charbonneau Country Club board president . In May 2024 , I decided to throw my

SHEVLIN hat in the ring and run for city government . Having never served in public office before , my learning curve was pretty steep . With the advice of then-councilor and Charbonneau resident Joann Linville , I learned about running a campaign . And there was much to learn . How to raise funds , find someone to design a website and social media page , order campaign materials and schedule house parties and various appearances . I am grateful to the overwhelming support I received from many , many members of the Charbonneau community . On Jan . 6 , I was sworn in as a newly-elected councilor for our city of Wilsonville .

Now the fun begins . Our city , like many cities its size , is experiencing growing pains . Due in part to an excellent school district , many families are moving to Wilsonville for a good education for their children . A new high school opened in the district in 2023 and construction of a new primary school is underway . We have excellent parks and areas for outdoor recreation . Our business community has a strong technology sector and many people commute to our city to work . The downside to growth is additional traffic and the need for more housing to manage

the increase in population .

There is room to expand our available housing . Our new mayor and current council will be charged with determining how to manage the growth at a pace that does not overwhelm the infrastructure . One of the biggest concerns we hear about our city is a lack of a downtown with good restaurants , shopping and places to gather . The Wilsonville Town Center Plan was introduced by previous city leaders in 2017 and many hours were dedicated to receiving feedback from citizens about what they wanted to see in their city center . We heard during the recent campaign that there is a need to take a look at the 2017 plan and make adjustments , based on updated feedback . Funding the infrastructure for the plan will also be a focus of discussion for the new council .

Another area of concern is the Boone Bridge and the bottleneck traffic that occurs as cars and semi-trucks head south on Interstate 5 from cities to the north of us . Wilsonville is divided by a major highway that directly affects our city and our ability to navigate around town during peak traffic times . The Oregon Department of Transportation is currently working on design elements

Anne Shevlin being sworn in as a city councilor at Wilsonville City Hall .

STAFF PHOTO : KRISTA KROISS

of the bridge replacement project and we are awaiting a cost estimate for the new bridge . Our city leaders are working with our state and federal governments to secure funding for a new Boone Bridge , but we don ’ t have a solid timeline yet for when the replacement will begin .

Lastly , just like any medium to large city in our country , we deal with issues of homelessness , affordable housing , food insecurity , mental health and substance

The Arbor Lake Townhome Association is seeking new board members to fill the four vacant positions .

Arbor Lake Townhome Association ( ALTA ) residents interested in serving on the ALTA Board of Directors are invited to submit a letter of interest , including a brief biography , to the

abuse concerns . All of these topics are on the radar of your current mayor and City Council and we are committed to working with our county and state governments to address them .

In the meantime , yours truly has a few months left to my term as president of the board of the Charbonneau Country Club . I will have completed six years in May of this year . We are blessed with a strong board of directors and excellent staff to manage our beautiful little community . I am committed to wrapping up my time on our CCC board as I learn all about my new civic responsibilities over the ensuing months . My calendar is a little busy but I am enjoying the many new opportunities that await me . My goal as a city councilor for Wilsonville is to keep our community aware of activities in our city and to represent Charbonneau at the city level . It will be a two-way street and I commit to finding a balance between both entities .

If you have any questions , comments or concerns , feel free to reach out to me , either at a . shevlin @ charbonneaucountryclub . com or shevlin @ wilsonvilleoregon . gov .

property manager , Katie Griffiths . Learn more about the association on the ALTA website ( www . alta-hoa . org ), which includes nominating procedures and descriptions of officer roles , committees and areas of responsibility . Questions regarding the process can be answered by contacting Katie Griffiths at Property-manager @ alta-hoa . org .

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