Trista Papen
Away from her job and her duties as a City Councilor Trista keeps busy with her two young sons.
Councilor Papen was appointed in November, 2019 and her current term expires December 31, 2026. Her email is trista.papen@northplains.org.
Read a Q&A below with Councilor Papen to learn more about why she serves on Council, what City accomplishment she is proud of, what she's most passionate about in the community, and more.
Meet Your Council: Councilor Trista Papen
Trista Papen has served on City Council since November 2019, when she was appointed to fill a vacancy left by a departing councilor. She and her family have lived in North Plains for seven years during which time she has served on the North Plains Steering/Vision Committee, a board member of her neighborhood HOA, and prior to being appointed to City Council, was a member of the North Plains Budget Committee. Some of the most important issues Trista feels North Plains is facing are growth, economic development, expanding the Urban Growth Boundary, and the opening of the new elementary school. Away from her job and her duties as a City Councilor, Trista keeps busy with her two young sons. Her current City Council term is through December 31, 2022.Q. Why do you serve on the City Council?
A. When I first moved to North Plains, I quickly sensed the ‘small town’ community and began attending City Council and Planning Commission meetings in my spare time—not because I had negative feedback, but because I was invested in what happened within North Plains. During this time, I continued to serve on the Budget Committee and Steering/Vision Committee, learning more about North Plains along the way. A few years later, I was approached by a City Council member encouraging me to run for City Council during the upcoming election for which I humbly declined. When a City Councilor vacancy opened up, I applied, unsure of the outcome as I was breaking the societal norms as a young, female professional. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to represent our community and strive to make the best decisions for my fellow neighbors.
Q. What city accomplishment are you most proud of helping the City achieve during your time on City Council?
A. While my short tenure on City Council has been largely affected by COVID-19, I am proud of the work around several urban renewal district projects and shaping the way for improving livability within our city through fuel-tax funded improvements. I am also proud of our city staff for continuing to innovate ways to support our small businesses in town through the “Buy Local” water credit program and advocating CARES funding for North Plains businesses. While growth is inevitable in Washington County’s fastest growing town, I am hopeful careful planning during the Urban Growth Boundary expansion will solidify economic security for our local businesses.
Q. What opportunity or challenge in the community are you most passionate about and why?
A. This is a multi-faceted answer: one, I am passionate about involving more citizens in the decision-making process of our city. It is far too easy to sit on the sidelines and complain about changes within our city but never make the effort to ‘love where you live’ by becoming involved or giving feedback beyond social media. I know free time is extremely limited for some, but coming from a full-time, working mother of two young children who balances other volunteer commitments outside of North Plains, if something means enough to you, you’ll make it happen. I highly encourage everyone to attend a City Council meeting or reach out to a city leader to find an opportunity they would be a good fit for.
The other challenge I feel passionate about is uniting our community. During a walk around town, I met a family who recently moved to North Plains who expressed how intimidating it is to identify as a “newcomer” for fear of being harassed as they’ve witnessed on a local social media page. I have witnessed both new and tenured residents speak negatively have an immense respect for long-time residents and want to be respectful for emotions related to growth/change. On the flip side, I also want to align with new residents who likely also see the same value of establishing roots in a city like North Plains. My hope is new residents can continue to keep the stories of past generations of North Plains residents alive, while continuing to innovate our city.
Q. What would you say to a resident who asks you, “What is the best way to get involved within North Plains?”
A. I would welcome this question with open arms! I would ask, “What do you find interesting?” Do Excel spreadsheets full of numbers make you giddy? Apply to serve on the Budget Committee! Are you a mom of school-aged children who feels passionate about equitable park access? Participate in a Parks Board meeting! Some of these activities require a minimal time commitment but have a huge impact within our community. Or, my inbox is always welcome if you want to become involved or learn more about our city.
Q. Can you share a few fun facts about you?
A. I have a deep obsession with Target, all things pink, iced coffee, reading the fine print in documents, and scoring a great bargain! I couldn’t dedicate so much time without the support of my other half, Alex. He maintains the controlled chaos at home with our 2 and 4-year old boys while I attend meetings and events. We’ve purchased 2 homes within North Plains in the last 7 years and our ultimate dream is to retire with a small parcel of land just outside of NP city limits.
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