78-2023

PP&R and its design consultants engaged the public through the focus groups, open houses, and online surveys to reach the final preferred design for the project. Community engagement for the Project began in 2015 and was completed 2019. In April of 2017, PP&R and the Project Team conducted multiple rounds of public outreach to gather feedback on proposed design alternatives for the master plan.

Public comments were received through the “Party in the Park” open house and on-line survey; social media; tabling outreach at three local farmers markets; focus groups conducted in Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese; and meeting with PP&R staff, the Explore Washington Park board, and the Champion Committee.

Over 2,000 people participated and gave their opinions. Throughout the planning process, PP&R presented information to Arlington Heights, Sylvan-Highlands, and Goose Hollow-Foothill’s neighborhood associations.

The community weighed in on three alternative designs. Community feedback resulted in the final preferred design. In addition to the stakeholders identified above, this long robust community engagement period involved Metro (zoo), Japanese Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, Tri-Met, Explore Washington Park, and the World Forestry Center. Additionally, the project included review with the City ADA advisory committee, and two additional public workshops were held for visitors to the Portland Children’s Museum and World Forestry Center. The project maintains an active website that allows the community to provide feedback through construction. The above stakeholders and organizations all have significant employee diversity and equity goals, and their responses are reflective of these diverse opinions.

The construction contracting community, including contractors certified with the State of Oregon as minority, women, and emerging small businesses became involved when the Chief Procurement Officer advertised and publicly noticed the project on the City’s Online Procurement System on October 26, 2022.  A public notice was also posted in the Daily Journal of Commerce on October 26, 2022.

Potential bidders were able to review the competitive solicitation, ask questions, provide comments and submit a bid in response to the Invitation to Bid (ITB).  Proposals received resulted in the award of the construction contract.  Procurement Services managed the procurement process.  No protests were received.

The City’s equity in contracting aspirational goal of 20% of the hard construction costs for subcontractor and supplier utilization of firms certified by the State’s Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID) applies to this project. Faison Construction, Inc. has committed to subcontract 24.83% toCOBID Certified firms as follows:

Faison Construction, Inc. acting as the prime contractor intends to self-perform 33.6% of the work and to subcontract 41.57% to the following non-certified firms:

Faison Construction, Inc. is located in Portland, Oregon, and  a State COBID Certified DBE/MBE contractor and is an African American male owned firm. They have a current City of Portland Business Tax Registration and are in full compliance with all of the City’s contracting requirements.

No known persons or groups will be testifying.

No future public involvement is anticipated or necessary for this request.