New citizen group relies on website, postcards for input

For more than six months, the Citizen Involvement Organization 5 in Tualatin has asked neighbors about their concerns, using technology and postcards.

One of the top issues on nearly everyone's list, said CIO President Robert Kellogg, was neighborhood traffic safety.

Among the paramount safety concerns, Kellogg said, is the S curve at 108th Street northbound, as it turns east to Blake Street, then turns north into 105th Avenue. The issue has long been a safety concern for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, according to the group.

CIO 5, formed in October 2011, wants to change its name to the Ibach CIO. It was one of the first of many Tualatin-area community organizations that came together late last year to respond to two concerns: “Land-use responsibility,” according to Kellogg, and “to create and enhance the spirit of the community.”

Ultimately, Ibach CIO’s goal “manifested itself in safety issues” in response to community feedback.

Finding a way to improve the 108th Street S curve issue wasn't easy in the tight city budget. According to Kellogg, postcards went to about 1,100 CIO households seeking ideas to improve the area.

“As a result of all of that input, I and a couple officers of the CIO sat down with the city engineer to talk about what funding is available, what improvements we could make,” he said. “By determining that the city had approximately $130,000 in a budget line for traffic calming projects, we thought that would be an available source of funds.”

From that meeting, the city agreed to install traffic safety measures like “bump outs” or “visual tricks” that make drivers think the road is narrowing so they naturally reduce their speed. The measures were installed on 105th Street heading south and on 108th Street heading north approaching the curve.

A pedestrian warning light system was installed through the curve.

A third improvement involves widening the street's shoulder on the south part of Blake near Garden Corner to create a "safe harbor for pedestrians and motorists."

Now the Ibach CIO is focused on improvements to Grahams Ferry Road.

Digital fliers

According to Ibach CIO Vice President Eric Johannes, a big obstacle in establishing the group as a resource has been neighborhood apathy. Luckily, technology — and the efforts of Secretary Julie Makarowsky — have proven effective.

Makarowsky spearheaded the use of Nextdoor.com, a Facebook-like site for community involvement. There, interested residents can enter their addresses to find their local citizen involvement organization. They can not only receive information on upcoming CIO meetings, but they can also do everything from submitting information on upcoming yard sales to finding information on area babysitters.

It’s a digital alternative to stapling fliers to telephone poles, Kellogg said.

More information on Ibach CIO/CIO 5 can be found on the CIO website.