37561

Resolution

Prescribe a public hearing process in accordance with Section 13-302 of the Portland City Charter

Adopted

WHEREAS, on December 3, 2020 City Council appointed members to the 2021 Charter Review Commission as required by Section 13-301 of the Portland City Charter; and

WHEREAS, the Charter Review Commission has been diligently working on possible amendments to the Charter; and

WHEREAS, according to Section 13-302 Council should prescribe a public hearing process before proposed charter amendments are submitted to voters, and

WHEREAS, to provide interested members of the public the opportunity to provide meaningful comments on proposed charter amendments, the Council sets out the following public hearing process for the Charter Review Commission.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, Council, in accordance with the directives of Portland City Charter Section 13-302, prescribes the following public hearing process for the 2021 Charter Commission:

  • All Charter amendments proposed by the Charter Commission shall be presented to the public at two or more public hearings prior to the Charter Commission voting whether or not to submit the proposed charter amendments to the voters of the City of Portland.
  • The Charter Commission shall make the text of the proposed charter amendment and a brief impartial narrative summarizing the proposed amendment written by the City Attorney available for public review and comment at least one week before the hearing on the amendment. The Commission shall accept written comments from the public from the time the text of the proposed charter amendment is made available for review until one week after the public hearing on that amendment. The Charter Commission may take a vote to submit a proposed amendment to the voters once the time for accepting written comments set forth in this paragraph has elapsed.
  • At the public hearing(s) the Charter Commission members shall take oral and written public comments from any interested member of the public subject to time limitations placed by the Commission.
  • The public hearing(s) should be conducted either on weekday evenings after 6:00 PM or on weekends between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
  • Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the City Council encourages the Charter Commission to make its hearings accessible via electronic means.
  • The Council encourages to Charter Commission to hold any in-person public hearing(s) in different geographical locations in Portland.
  • The Charter Commission will notify local print media, online publications, and City social media accounts with notice of the public hearings.
  • The Office of Civic Life will assist Charter Commission staff in providing notification of the hearing(s) to neighborhood and business associations.
  • Notice of the public hearing(s) time, location, or how to access via electronic means shall be provided at least two weeks before the hearings and should occur in fully accessible locations.
  • The Charter Commission will review and discuss public input prior to voting whether to refer measures to the ballot.

The Charter Commission may make changes in the proposed language based on public input prior to the final vote by the Commission.

Impact Statement

Agenda Items

Adopted

  • Commissioner Carmen Rubio Yea
  • Commissioner Dan Ryan Yea
  • Former Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty Yea
  • Commissioner Mingus Mapps Yea
  • Mayor Ted Wheeler Yea

Introduced by

Requested Agenda Type

Consent

Date and Time Information

Requested Council Date