Metro New Look Regional Forum

Dear 2006 CLF Regional Livability Summit Participant,

Thank you again for helping make this year's Summit such a huge success. We're already using your thoughtful ideas and great input from the event to inform our work.

As you may recall, two of the big regional planning discussions that were discussed at the Summit and that we are following closely this year and next are Metro's New
Look and its Regional Transportation Plan Update. The New Look, an update of our region's long-range land use plan, is being driven by Metro's newest population
projections, which indicate that the region will add one million new residents in the next 25 years. The RTP Update is looking at how to invest our region's
transportation dollars as we grow, while taking into account other important future trends like peak oil and dwindling transportation funding from the federal and state
levels.
Metro has scheduled a Regional Forum on Friday, June 23rd to help gather ideas from the community to inform these important decisionmaking processes. According
to its website: "This forum will offer an opportunity for you to join other leaders and innovators from throughout the region to take a new look at the critical regional decisions that will shape the livelihoods and lifestyle choices
of today's residents and future generations."

Sounds like a great opportunity for citizen participation, doesn't it? Except that Metro wants you to pay $30 for the privilege! While this is inconsistent with the
Coalition for a Livable Future's mission and objectives and may actually violate Oregon's Open Meeting Law, we do think it's important to participate in the
forum, and make sure that the interests of sustainable and just communities are well represented.

So, I'd like to encourage all of you to attend and share your expertise and experience at the forum. AND I'd like to encourage you, especially those of you from non-profits or who are living lightly, to register through Metro's
scholarship option. Metro staff says that it will waive the $30 fee for everyone who requests a scholarship.

To request a scholarship, e-mail Cecily Norris at NorrisC@metro.dst.or.us or call her at (503) 797-1864 with your name and contact information. If you are
philosophically opposed to paying, like us, you might mention this to Cecily, and send a copy of your message to the Metro Council members:
bragdond@metro.dst.or.us
burkholderr@metro.dst.or.us
libertyr@metro.dst.or.us
hostickac@metro.dst.or.us
parkr@metro.dst.or.us
newmanb@metro.dst.or.us
mclains@metro.dst.or.us

Hope to see you at the Regional Forum on the 23rd. And please forward this announcement to your networks and members.

Jill Fuglister
Executive Director
Coalition for a Livable Future
310 SW Fourth Ave., Ste. 612
Portland, OR 97204
voice: 503-294-2889
fax: 503-225-0333
web: www.clfuture.org

The purpose of the Coalition for a Livable Future is to protect, restore, and maintain healthy, equitable, and sustainable communities, both human and natural,
for the benefit of present and future residents of the greater Portland metropolitan region.