Aloha's Community Participation Organization Faces its End in Proposed Program Restructuring
Updated 1/28/26: [PRESS RELEASE] The resolution and order for the modifications was approved unanimously by the Board of County Commissioners on January 27.
Major changes to Washington County’s decades-long community involvement programs have some concerned about reduced public access and involvement in County issues. Proposed changes would restructure how Community Participation Organizations and the Committee for Community Involvement interact with the County.
The County says the changes are meant to modernize the framework and benefit community members. Some CCI and CPO leaders are concerned about the effects the changes would have on their communities.
The Board of Commissioners currently plans to vote whether to approve program changes at their January 27 Commissioners meeting.
What Are the CPOs and the CCI?
The CPO program began in Washington County in the 1970s. At its start, groups were formed mostly in service to unincorporated areas, like Aloha, which have few other civic opportunities to come and work together on their specific community’s needs.
CPOs are public volunteer-led groups of neighborhoods where community members can meet, get notices about local County updates (like land-use plans) and other County business. Over time, the program grew with more groups. Currently, the County has 13 active CPOs.
Unincorporated communities, like Aloha, have few other civic opportunities to come together.
Aloha belongs to CPO6 along with Cooper Mountain and Reedville. CPO6 meetings are often held every month at the Aloha Community Library.
The CCI is a group of community member volunteers that serves as an advisory body to the Washington County Board of Commissioners. Many of the CCI leaders are also the Chair of their area’s CPO.
The proposed changes are being made as a result of several issues such as regulatory factors, budget limitations, and logistical challenges.
The Proposed Changes
If the changes are approved by the Board of Commissioners, the County would begin in March to transition to the newer structure in the Fall.
The Committee for Community Involvement (CCI) would start transitioning its duties to the County’s existing Planning Commission in March and essentially disband in its current form.
Additionally, instead of 13 CPOs based on geographic communities, the proposal would reorganize into four County-led groups based on the commissioner districts.
During a presentation on December 2, 2025, the County said that the changes would be a more efficient model. Each district would host one consolidated CPO that meets every other month. The districts would all be given the same information.
The County hopes the proposed changes will benefit community members with:
Clearer navigation and stronger connection to district commissioners
More relevant agenda content
Greater transparency through standardized note-taking
Increased access to cross-department expertise
Predictable meeting structure
Since the groups would be based on commissioner district boundaries, people living in Aloha and the adjoining neighborhoods would go from having one localized Aloha group run by volunteers to being split between into whatever County-led districts their address falls under.
There are also many unknowns and questions, for example where in-person meetings for each district will be held. Due to the changes being transitioned over several months, there may be additional details decided on as the process unfolds.
Update 1/23/26 from Office of Access and Opportunity:
“Residents throughout the County, including those in Aloha, are free to engage with their County government about all manner of local concerns using all of the channels listed on the County’s website. The public is also free to learn about and engage with the Board of County Commissioners by reviewing meeting agendas and minutes, watching live-streamed meetings, attending and communicating in-person during these meetings and reaching out directly to members of the Board of County Commissioners. These channels of communication with the Board can be found on the County’s website as well.”
Reactions to the Proposal
Current CPO and CCI members have mixed opinions about whether these changes are positive or negative, and some are concerned that the County has not informed the public adequately about them.
CPO 14 leader Ayla Hofler spoke at the January 6 Board of Commissioners meeting about her concerns that the changes would get rid of local level choice and instead rely completely on appointed government personnel.
“There’s not going to be any free voice here,” Hofler said. “You’ve got a conflict of interest here and you’re destroying the private sector from speaking anymore about county operations and land use practice.”
Vice Chair of CPO7 and CCI representative Mary Manseau also spoke at the January 6 meeting, and said while she was looking forward to seeing changes happen in the current system, she believes the public needs to be better included in the decision about changes.
“For an organization that is formed by the county to include community engagement, I’ve been really disappointed.”
“Community members have really been left out of the conversation about what sort of change we’d like to see,” Manseau said. “It’s really been something that’s been missing and, you know, for an organization that is formed by the county to include community engagement, I’ve been really disappointed.”
Updated 1/23/26:
The Office of Access and Opportunity said that there were many opportunities provided for the community to share their thoughts and feedback regarding the proposed changes to the CPO and CCI program. They said opportunities included an online survey (with 203 responses), an in-person listening session in October (with six attendees), and virtual listening session in November (with about 25 attendees).
The County said that though there would be changes to the CPO/CCI program, it also has multiple other ways for the public to engage and be involved such as constituent emails, town halls, informal workgroups, boards and commissions, the civic leaders programs and more.
County Commissioners also seem to have varying opinions about whether or not to approve the proposal right away or to hear from the public for more input. The Board moved to delay the vote until January 27.
On Tuesday, January 20 at the CCI leaders meeting, members encouraged the public to tell the County Commissioners any concerns they have about the changes and to speak up about the importance of good communication from the County.
Community members interested in voicing their opinions, questions, and concerns on the subject can reach out to the Board of Commissioners in several ways:
Sign up to speak during public comment in-person or over Zoom (if the Board allows public comment on this issue at the January 27 board meeting). How to testify: https://washingtoncounty.civicweb.net/document/311591/
Use the Constituent Inquiry online form: https://forms.co.washington.or.us/form/constituent-inquiry
Call the Commissioners’ office: 503-846-8681
Write the Commissioners an email: bcc@washingtoncountyor.gov
More Info:
Cedar Mill News Editorial: Community participation program—as we know it—likely to end soon
Slides from the Presentation at the January 6 Board of Commissioners Meeting: CPO Modernization Project Update (Slides 8-14)
2016 Final Report to the Board of County Commissioners - Community Participation in Washington County Transition Planning Process
December 2 BCC Work Session Agenda w/ Program Changes Info
January 6 BCC meeting on Youtube
January 20, CCI meeting discussing the substance and process of the changes to the CPO program [VIDEO]
Hello Aloha Free Press,
The Washington County Committee for Community Involvement - WCCI - met on January 20 and discussed the substance and process of the changes to the CPO program. A recording of our meeting is posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q22AYrfNdjs