The Board of Directors of the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments is proud to present a series of Convening Sessions. These convening sessions are subject specific and are intended to enable the elected officials of the member governments to jointly identify issues and needs that are regional in scope; achieve concurrence for cooperative actions; plan and recommend governmental action in areas of intergovernmental concern such as health, safety, welfare, and growth. (MWVCOG 190 Agreement)
On October 25th, the MWVCOG hosted a convening of over 60 people representing a variety of local governments and agencies to discuss the possibility of Commuter Rail connecting the Portland metropolitan area with the Salem/Keizer metropolitan area. Hosted at the Woodburn Chamber of Commerce by Woodburn Mayor Frank Lonergan, ODOT State Rail Planner Robert Melbo shared information on a study that ODOT had done regarding commuter rail in the Mid-Willamette Valley. Representative Kevin Mannix discussed a bill that is being prepared for the 2024 Legislative session to study the extension of the Westside Express Service (WES) line to Salem. The route would use the existing Portland & Western Railroad line that runs from Wilsonville through Donald, Woodburn, Keizer, and into Salem. Recording of the October 25, 2023 Convening may be found here. Passcode: 6x+HUbTv