Last November, Martinazzi Woods Community Involvement Organization (CIO) held its first virtual annual meeting on Zoom. Usually, CIO annual meetings are held in person in an appropriate community room setting. But this year, with COVID restrictions, we were not allowed to gather in person, so we took our show into cyberspace.
The meeting was held Nov. 12, and included a packed agenda ranging from updates from local government service providers to our annual CIO board elections. The City of Tualatin provided the Zoom account, with assistance from Megan George, Deputy City Manager. The meeting was advertised in the City newsletter (Tualatin Today), on Facebook, NextDoor, through postcards mailed to Martinazzi Woods residents and through yard signs. Attendance was over double the attendance of our last in-person meeting.
Government speakers and topics included Tualatin Police Chief Bill Steele addressing community-police relations and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Public Affairs Officer Stefan Myers discussing recent wildfires and property protection. Assistant Community Development Director Steve Koper spoke on the Basalt Creek Development, and Tualatin City Council members Valerie Pratt and Paul Morrison gave Council updates. Barbara Bracken from Tualatin Neighborhood Ready also spoke about citizens getting prepared for natural disasters.
The “chat room” feature allowed for Q&A in the virtual setting for real-time responses from our speakers. Megan George was also very helpful in answering questions from a City perspective and supplying locations of additional information. Even virtual elections were not difficult.
CIO meetings are a great way to catch up on what’s happening in your neighborhood and also get answers to specific questions. I urge you to encourage your CIO board to conduct a virtual annual meeting. Information on your CIO and its board members can be found under the Community section of the City of Tualatin website at: www.tualatinoregon.gov.
In other CIO news, two CIOs have new presidents. Jeanine Juliana will lead Midwest CIO, which hosted a virtual Open House for Midwest neighbors on Feb. 9. Meanwhile, Byrom CIO Vice President Alex Thurber agreed to assume the president’s role since Steve Caporale is moving after many years of leadership.
