October 4th & 5th, 2023
October 4th & 5th, 2023
City Council Transition Updates... Frog Ferry... Citizen Review Committee... PPB procurement... Oregon Archives Month... HUD Continuum of Care... Indigenous People's Day
Dear Readers,
There’s not a lot of hot local policy-making action going on this week, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about some of the programs, existing policies, and events that popped up instead.
Don’t forget—you can support indie media and civic engagement by becoming a paid subscriber for as little as $2.50 a month!
Yours Truly,
Chloe
Portland City Council Transition Updates
Mayor, City Commissioners Clash Over Portland Government Transition (Willamette Week) The Mayor is right—and I don’t say that very often—Council needs to start preparing for transition ASAP, including work on new offices and chambers to accommodate the expanded Council and hiring a City Manager. Taking back all the bureaus would be a bold flex, but it would give Wheeler the power he’s been missing at City Hall. The suggestion that new members of City Council could manage with a single staff member is absurd, even with a radical restructuring of administrative support. Our current Council is small, inadequate, and requires an inhuman amount of work for Commissioners and their staff. We should not be passing that legacy along to the new Council.
How different will Portland's government be in 2025? Here's what we know (KGW)
Draft Chart Recommendation (City of Portland) Read the recommendations from the City’s transition team.
City of Portland Draft Organizational Chart Public Comment (City of Portland) You have until 5pm, Thursday October 5th to comment!
Portland City Council
Wednesday, October 4th, 9:30 AM
Communications
822
Request of Sorin Garber to address Council regarding funding for the Frog Ferry pilot (Communications) I grew up on a river, my dad’s extended family were serious boating enthusiasts, and my dad worked for the family business responsible for excavating the site that would become Tom McCall Waterfront Park. When I visit other river cities, I am often filled with envy at how much more accessible, vibrant, and fun their riverfronts are. I’ve advocated for projects aimed at enlivening our waterfront, such as the never-to-be “flotel” (the zoning is still in place, so perhaps someone will make it happen someday!) and the Human Access Project. Some of my most treasured memories include swimming in, traveling across, or paddling down bodies of water. So, I want to love the Frog Ferry, and sure, I’d pay $3 to ride a ferry down the Willamette, probably several times a year, but I don’t see it filling a need in our transportation system when you can drive, bus, or bike the same distance in less time. The size of the operation is also so small it wouldn’t scratch the surface of Portland’s congestion issues for years to come. That’s not to say I’m against it, but I struggle to justify the investment of public dollars in this project, but I’m always open to differing opinions.
Time Certain
828
10:25am: Appoint Mike Walsh to the Citizen Review Committee for a term to expire October 1, 2026 (Resolution) Mr. Walsh is a highly qualified and worthy appointee who brings the kind of expertise and analysis to the complicated issues surrounding policing and public safety that Portland needs.
The eleven-member Citizen Review Committee (CRC) was established in 2001 to “help improve police accountability, promote higher standards of police services, and increase public confidence.” The volunteer members are appointed by City Council and perform the following functions:
Gather community concerns about police services.
Help the IPR Director develop policy recommendations to address patterns of problems with police services and conduct.
Review and advise IPR and IA on the complaint-handling process.
Hear appeals from complainants and officers and publicly report its findings.
FYI: The advocacy powerhouse, Candace Avalos, who has recently announced her run for City Council District 1, is the current chair.
Regular Agenda
831
Authorize acquisition of shields for research and development by the Special Resources Division (Ordinance) Portland Police don’t have time to respond to actual crimes, but they do have time to test out different types of shields for future clashes with Portlanders exercising their constitutional rights. Snark aside, I really included this just to give a shout-out to my former Policy Advisor, Hannah Holloway, who crafted the ordinance for my office passed by City Council in 2020, which requires Portland Police to daylight purchases of certain types of munitions and military-grade weapons to Council. There turned out to be so little we could do to regulate or reform the bureau, this was one of the few wins we had with PPB during my tenure.
City Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution Requiring the Portland Police Bureau to Provide Munitions Transparency (City of Portland)
Recent settlements against Portland police surpass $6.7 million (Street Roots) Protest claims are only a portion of the $6.7M in settlements the City has made on behalf of PPB. This article gives a very helpful breakdown and analysis of the claims.
Wednesday, October 4th, 2:00 PM
Time Certain
834
Adopt the FY 2023-24 Fall Supplemental Budget and make other budget-related changes (Ordinance) Nothing stands out as being particularly controversial or egregious. Worth a look-see for budget wonks.
Update the Fund Statement of Purpose for the Recreational Cannabis Tax Fund to allow the City Budget Office to establish set aside funds for an operating reserve policy (Ordinance) The Recreational Cannabis Tax Fund doesn’t have a reserve fund, and this ordinance will establish one. It’s hard to imagine a time when it would experience a shortfall, but it’s the fiscally responsible thing to do.
Thursday, October 5th, 2:00 PM
No session scheduled.
Multnomah County Board of Commissioners
Thursday, October 5th, 9:30 AM
Consent Agenda
C. 1
Proclaiming October 2023 as National Cyber Security Awareness Month in Multnomah County, Oregon
We’re all vulnerable to breaches in our online security. Here are the four steps recommended to protect yourself:
Use strong passwords
Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Recognize and report phishing
Update software
Learn more here from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
C. 2
Proclaiming October 2023 Oregon Archives Month in Multnomah County, Oregon
Oh, how I love an archive! October is American Archives Month and Oregon Archives Month, with events happening across the country and throughout the state. There doesn’t seem to be a central place for Oregon events, but check out your favorite libraries, archives, and heritage organizations for more info.
Oregon Heritage Organizations (Portland-Area Archives) Heavily focused on the Portland area and the I-5 corridor. COVID has disrupted events and programming over the past three years, including the biennial Archive Crawl, and sadly this site hasn’t been updated since 2021, but it’s still a useful resource for locating archives.
American Archives Month (National Archives) The National Archives is celebrating American Archives Month throughout October.
National Archives Blogs (National Archives) Peruse 20 different blogs from the National Archives, including my favorite—The Text Message!
Pieces of History—Holding it Together (National Archives) No matter how niche your interest is, chances are there’s a related archive. I have a thing for vintage office supplies and paper ephemera, so it was a treat to stumble upon this collection of entries about paper fasteners!
Regular Agenda
R. 3:
Notice of Intent for HUD Continuum of Care Funding The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) established the Continuum of Care (COC) program in 1994. Our homeless population has more than doubled since then.
Continuum of Care (CoC) Program (HUD Exchange) Here’s a handy overview of what the COC does.
What Will It Take to End Homelessness in the US? (Giving Compass) Short answer: $20 billion. How much foregone tax revenue goes toward subsidizing middle and upper-class homeowners? Over $28 billion.
HUD Announces $2.8B in annual funding to help people experiencing homelessness (HUD) HUD Announces Less 15% in Annual Funding Needed to End Homelessness—there I fixed it for them.
Metro Council
Thursday, October 5th, 10:30 AM
Presentations
3.1
Indigenous Peoples Day While not recognized as a federal holiday, Indigenous People’s Day has been federally recognized as a national holiday since 2021, it is also recognized by the State of Oregon.
Unlearning Columbus Day Myths: Celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day (National Museum of the American Indian)
Goodbye, Columbus? Here's what Indigenous Peoples' Day means to Native Americans (NPR)
Indigenous Peoples Day Marketplace (Indigenous Marketplace)
Wonk Out!
In other river-related news, River Protectors Want the Pamplin Empire to Fork Over Ross Island (Willamette Week) following a toxic algae bloom caused by stagnant water on the island.
Reclaiming Ross Island (Portland Audubon Society) by former Conservation Director Bob Sallinger
I don’t usually cover school board issues, but School Board Chair Gary Hollands Has Big Plans for a Vacant PPS Site (Willamette Week), and they are highly questionable.
Portland Public Schools Teacher, Air Force Veteran Join Crowded City Council Race (Willamette Week) So far, 20 candidates have filed to run for Council seats and two for Mayor. It’s getting especially crowded in District 3!
Class-Action Lawsuit Challenges Portland's New Anti-Homeless Camping Ordinance (Portland Mercury) They had to know this was coming.
Facing a $32 Million Shortfall, PBOT Leaders Issue Grim Forecast for Portland’s Transportation Future (Portland Mercury) Hoo boy. We’re going to have to get our priorities straight and get serious about the future of transportation infrastructure funding. Newsflash: it cannot be centered on adding capacity for driving and parking cars.
Portland approves 5-year, $750 million climate action plan (OPB) This is the City’s overhaul of the voter-approved Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF). PCEF is just transition in action, centering communities that have been the most harmed by environmental destruction, underinvestment, and other racist public policies, and who are most likely to be left behind in the transition to a green(er) economy without policies in place to ensure their benefit and inclusion.
Commissioner Gonzales described PCEF as enshrining “permanent racial grievance,” stating that poor people of all races are adversely affected and that the “strictly racial framing” is “problematic”. This is the man who voters replaced Jo Ann Hardesty, who was instrumental in the development and passage of PCEF. This utter lack of racial analysis and understanding is inexcusable in 2023. Question: WHAT IS COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ DOING FOR ANY POOR PEOPLE ANYWHERE?