190476

The City of Portland ordains:

Section 1. The Council finds:

1. On March 12, 2020, the Mayor executed a Declaration of Emergency for the City of Portland due to the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus, which creates an extreme risk to public health, government and business continuity, and the local economy of the City of Portland, across the entire city.
2. On March 23, 2020, the Governor of the State of Oregon, Kate Brown, issued Executive Order 20-12, ordering the public to stay at home to stay healthy, and ordering certain businesses to close unless otherwise permitted to operate as provided by the Governor’s Executive Order.
3. The Governor of the State of Oregon, Kate Brown, has extended the statewide Declaration of Emergency through June 28, 2021, and the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners has voted to extend the County's emergency declaration to July 2, 2021.
4. The City of Portland’s March 12, 2020, Declaration of Emergency, as extended, is set to expire at 8:00 a.m. on July 1, 2021, unless otherwise extended by the Mayor.
5. Under Portland City Code and state law, the City Council has been convening Council meetings electronically whereby all members of council are attending remotely by video and teleconference, and the City has made several avenues available for the public to listen to the audio broadcast of this meeting.
6. Council meetings are available to the public on the City's YouTube Channel, eGov PDX, www.portlandoregon.gov/video and Channel 30. The public can also provide written testimony to Council by emailing the Council Clerk at cctestimony@portlandoregon.gov.
7. City Code 3.02.025 permits Council members to attend and be present at public meetings by telephone or other electronic communication when an emergency exists such that failure to allow participation by electronic communication would jeopardize the public interest, health, safety or welfare.
8. Members of City Council have appreciated the improved flexibility and equity of public participation while convening electronically. The Council desires to amend code to continue providing an option to the public to join and members of Council to attend and participate in Council meetings by electronic means. To allow evaluation of whether electronic participation by Council continues to provide satisfactory collaboration and participation once city offices begin to reopen, new code section 3.02.026 will apply instead of code section 3.02.025 until June 30, 2022.
9. Thirty days after the Governor’s emergency expires, the City will need to provide a location for the public to listen to Council meetings, even if all members of Council attend electronically. It is anticipated that this location may be provided in the Portland Building or some other location until City Hall is fully reopened. An amendment to 3.02.010 will clarify that a Council session, including the location for the public to listen to an electronic meeting, may be held in a place other than Council Chambers upon motion by Council.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:

1. City Code Sections 3.02.010 and 3.02.060 C.2. are amended and Section 3.02.026 is added as provided in Exhibit A.

Section 2. The Council declares that an emergency exists because a delay would disrupt the efficiency of City Council proceedings and ability to convene Council meetings while maintaining community health and safety; therefore, this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Council.