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Introduction
Friends and neighbors,
As we resume school, enter fall, and navigate a new stage of the COVID pandemic, I want to update you on my first nine months in office. The needs facing our city are great and there is always something more to learn about our city and my bureaus—but I’m proud of the policies and next steps we have shaped thus far.
Throughout these first months, I’ve tried to prioritize those issues that Portlanders raise most often: the housing crisis, safe communities, economic stability and recovery, and our climate emergency. Beyond these citywide concerns, I also prioritize issues that fall within my portfolio, which includes:
- Portland Parks and Recreation
- The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
- The Office for Community Technology
- Arts and Culture
My portfolio overlaps with many broader priorities—the need for equitable technology access and attention to arts in the economic recovery, for example, or the role of parks and recreation in our climate response—but it also presents distinct opportunities for me to serve Portlanders.
Today, and in future newsletters, I will update you on work I’m doing in both my portfolio and on broader issues. I hope these updates will encourage you to reach out and engage with our office, our bureaus, and our community partners. I hope you will follow me on Twitter or Facebook for more updates, and share those updates with your networks as well.
Building a city that reflects our shared values and priorities requires all Portlanders’ hearts, minds, and work. Thanks for all you already do to make Portland such a vibrant city, and I look forward to seeing you around as our work continues.
Gracias,
Your Council At Work
Housing
Portland faces a humanitarian crisis when it comes to housing. In 2016, the city declared a housing emergency, but despite actions before I joined the Council this January, the need has grown significantly. COVID contributed to housing instability, too, with even more people facing houselessness when expanded protections run out.
In May, the Council took a huge step by passing the Shelter to Housing Continuum. This important set of changes makes it easier to set up managed shelters more quickly, and with wraparound services that move people toward greater housing stability. It also directed city bureaus to identify unused land that could possibly host shelters. That process has now been completed, and Commissioner Ryan and the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) are planning six safe rest villages that will open before the end of the year. The City and JOHS, along with their many partners, will work to help our houseless neighbors access the sites as they become available. We will prioritize individuals currently at locations that present significant public health or safety risks to people living outside, and do so compassionately.
In our next newsletter, we expect to be able to share progress on the safe rest villages, as well as plans to provide our houseless neighbors respite from the cold and rain this winter.
COVID and Economic Recovery
COVID leveled our local economy, to be sure, but it only crystalized the deep economic and racial disparities that already existed. As we deal with this recent surge, and the end of expanded benefits and eviction moratoria, we must center our most vulnerable communities and neighbors.
That is why I supported a vaccine mandate for city employees and fought for a city budget that increased funding for artists and BIPOC chambers of commerce. I also pushed to spend our American Rescue Plan (ARPA) resources to support the Oregon Worker Relief Fund, small businesses in Portland, BIPOC artists and arts organizations, and undocumented business owners. And it’s why I supported continued investments to address our housing crisis, provide stabilization for families, and money to clean up trash around our city.
And moving forward, my team will be looking more closely at removing barriers to procurement, which includes changing how the City contracts so that BIPOC business owners and community organizations are receiving a greater share of our city’s business, and using that to build wealth and stability in their communities.
Community Safety
A wise leader I worked for used to say that everyone has a role in creating a safe and thriving community, and that we can incorporate the work of equity and justice into the work we do everyday. There is no doubt that in 2020, Portlanders voiced a desire to see concrete change in our public safety system. Since I took office in January, we’ve had to continue to lift up these goals while also making progress on the DOJ Settlement Agreement (oversight by the Justice Department) and engaging in the Portland Police Association contract negotiations. We’ve also faced increased gun violence, homicides, unlawful street racing and reckless driving.
In March and July, we took two significant steps. In March, we hired Mike Myers to be the City’s Director of Community Safety Transition following stints as both fire chief and emergency management director. In July, we unanimously appointed the new, independent police oversight commission that voters approved last November. Together, Director Myers and this new commission will help guide our city toward an integrated community safety system based in public health, data, transparency, respect, and trust.
Director Myers’s hire came just a few weeks after Portland Street Response (PSR) began its pilot in February. PSR reimagines who first responders are, with social workers and mental health professionals responding to mental or behavioral health emergencies instead of police. The program is currently only in Lents; in May, I voted (with Commissioner Hardesty) to expand the program citywide, but we were defeated by one vote. I’m glad that a majority of my colleagues have now joined us in supporting PSR’s citywide expansion ahead of the fall budget cycle. By diversifying our first responders, we enable police officers and firefighters to respond to situations that require their distinct professional training.
In April, I also worked on a public health response to our rise in gun violence. Our proposal aimed to get to the root of violence, and invest in community-based organizations working to change the conditions that foster violence. It aimed to add additional strategies to combat this by deepening partnerships with trusted workers on the frontline, and deepening investment in violence interruption and de-escalation strategies. In this environment, we need all partners—community, service providers and public safety—to holistically address this issue.
While it has taken longer to get money out the door than we had hoped, I’m proud that this proposal broadens our gun safety approach to include other indicators of health and safety. Elements like living wages; prosocial activities; and access to food, basic needs, parks, green spaces, housing, and economic opportunities are crucial, upstream investments. Such investments tackle disparities faced by many impacted communities and, as violence prevention strategies, must commensurately accompany investments in interventions and enforcement .
As gun violence continues to plague our city and as many officers are retiring and leaving the bureau during this critical time, we are again discussing how to responsibly move forward. I am eager to learn from the data and staffing study conducted by Director Myers to make informed decisions about staffing levels and the future work required that will move PPB to become the 21st century policing organization we know it can be. This requires work to strengthen the trust between the Council and the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), and between PPB and Portlanders. It requires collective commitment to a transparent, accountable system that respects people and keeps them safe. In our current environment, every decision should move us toward this end. Trust, accountability, and investment are all necessary to build a community safety system that reflects our shared values.
Heat and Climate Change
In June, our region saw “once-in-a-millennium” temperatures. Our systems failed many Portlanders, and we spent time afterwards making sure that would not happen again. Led by Director Myers, a citywide task force developed recommendations that guided our response to other heat waves this summer.
But what we experienced isn’t “once-in-a-millennium.” Whatever we do for the next extreme heat event (or other climate disruption) must go hand-in-hand with meaningful, long-term work to decarbonize our economy and build a resilient Portland. The City demonstrated this commitment in August by denying Zenith Energy’s land use compatibility statement for its fossil fuel terminal.
Shifting from fossil fuels also means centering more frontline voices and the perspectives of people who experience climate change first and disproportionately. The Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) is leading that work with a community-centered approach that prioritizes vulnerable BIPOC communities. In April, they awarded 45 grants ($8.6 million) for this work, and launched a mini grant program in June. They are continuing to expand their impact with a second RFP slated for later in September.
Curbing transportation emissions is critical to meeting our climate goals, and the Pricing Options for Equitable Mobility task force is exploring how best to do that. They recently made recommendations to reduce internal combustion engine driving; support more efficient ways to move people; and provide convenient, reliable, and affordable options for our community members reliant on non-auto forms of transportation. They tackled their work with nuance, critical thinking, and a commitment to Portlanders and their communities, and I was proud to support their recommendations.
In the next newsletter, I hope to update you on my future climate work, including permanently halting the expansion of fossil fuel storage capacity, and updating our Renewable Fuels Standard. As Portland’s Sustainability Commissioner, I am committed to building a more resilient, more sustainable Portland.
City Bureau Updates
Portland Parks & Recreation
My first nine months as Parks Commissioner were easier thanks to voters passing last November’s Parks Levy. When COVID hit, Parks was forced to lay off over 700 employees, close its facilities, and not operate its usual summer, fall, winter, or spring programming. But this summer, thanks to an interfund loan, Parks was able to resume some programming and pilot a “Pay What You Can” pricing model to remove cost as a barrier for underserved communities. Community partners helped us encourage underserved community members to register for summer programming and apply for jobs with the bureau. We were able to offer pop-up performances, Free Lunch + Play, camps, and lessons. We were able to open pools and begin the process of reopening community centers. I’ve seen firsthand how parks enrich the lives of Portlanders and contribute to the health of our community. This summer, they were only able to do that because of your investment—so thank you! (And next summer, we are hopeful that we will be able to resume our full slate of programming.)
As Parks Commissioner, I also get to allocate our system development charge (SDC) monies. SDCs are one-time fees assessed on new development, and they ensure that our parks and recreation facilities keep pace with our growing and changing city. Our investments will cover the whole city but especially improve facilities in North and East Portland, such as:
- The development of Mill Park
- Farragut Park’s playground expansion
- Kelley Point Park improvements
- A new skatepark at Berrydale Park
Finally, during my nine months, our Urban Forestry division has been incredibly busy. (Urban Forestry oversees and manages Portland’s canopy—218,000 street trees, 1.2 million park trees, and 2.9 million private property trees.) In February, the ice storm caused over 1000 tree emergencies and in June, the heat dome exposed the relative lack of trees in East Portland. Thanks to voters, resources from the Parks Levy will pay for more trees in East Portland and better care for our parks trees. We’ve also heard from some community members that the longer-term costs and work of maintaining street trees can be a barrier. Our hope is that the Urban Forestry’s pilot program in Lents, Argay, Parkrose, and Parkrose Heights will provide direction about how to address these concerns while adding more trees equitably, affordably, and quickly.
Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s (BPS) Shelter to Housing proposal was developed over two years and made zoning changes to facilitate setting up managed shelters with wraparound services. As it neared its council date, community members raised concerns about the potential for parks and natural spaces to be used as shelters sites, among other issues. As the BPS Commissioner, I created space for my colleagues to fully understand both the proposal and the public’s feedback, and worked to amend the ordinance accordingly. The result is a sharper and more-focused policy, better designed to achieve its truest and clearest intention.
At roughly the same time, PCEF brought its first round of grantees to council for approval. This first round of funding centered frontline communities and lifted up their ideas and approaches. The projects demonstrate ingenuity in how they confront climate changes, and that our communities can do things creatively and differently. Moreover, PCEF’s guiding principles, scoring criteria, and public feedback process reflect authenticity and an openness to new approaches. I look forward to their current RFP round, which aims to award $60 million in clean energy, regenerative agriculture and green infrastructure, workforce and contractor development, and innovation projects.
PCEF is just one aspect of our city’s fight against climate change. Last summer, the City declared a climate emergency, and in July BPS and the Bureau of Transportation reported on our progress. There is great community-centered work happening, but we know that much more needs to be done to create the transformational impact we need right now. We also need resources to do it, and that’s our next step: to prioritize the crisis with this new council, and adequately fund new policies and programs that support our city’s long-term resiliency.
In June, BPS also passed Design Overlay Zone Amendments (DOZA). These amendments allow more building projects to go directly to the permit process and provide flexibility around design standards. This joins work by Commissioner Ryan to expedite the permitting and approval processes which slow down projects or discourage them altogether.
Office for Community Technology
During COVID, disparities in access to technology have been made more visible. Pandemic life has required digital access as a baseline for basic needs and services, work, school, and socializing. The under-resourcing of digital access and infrastructure is especially problematic for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI, and other communities of color; low-income communities; the disability community; and seniors. Our Office for Community Technology (OCT) has been working, together with Smart Cities PDX, to address these disparities. I’m excited that OCT plans to hire a Community Broadband Planner this fall who will work closely with Multnomah County on affordable internet options for community members. OCT has also worked with regional partners to enroll people in the Emergency Broadband Benefit program and provide Chromebooks and training through the CARES Act. The Council further invested $3.5 million from our ARPA funds to expand this work, funding digital devices and training for low-income Portlanders. The community-led process to get these funds out the door will kick off this fall.
OCT also provides the initial authorization access for our right-of-way, an incredibly important public asset that represents 40% of the land inside Portland’s city limits! If you are unfamiliar with the right-of-way, the bureau made a simple video that explains how it works. This fall, OCT is reviewing how it manages this public asset so that every entity accessing the right-of-way plays by the same, and most up-to-date, rules. I look forward to updating you as that review takes shape.
Arts and Culture
COVID closures have been especially hard on artists and venues. We all recognize that, which is why we earmarked money from both our city budget and our ARPA funds to bolster our local artists and venues (see above). These investments will help, but restoring our arts and culture economy to its pre-COVID strength will require investments from all of us. When it is safe for you and your family, I hope you will visit galleries, attend concerts, go to the theater, and do what you can to support our artists and venues.
As Portland’s Arts and Culture Commissioner, I’d like to thank the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC), our City Arts program, Portland’s Creative Laureates, and everyone in our creative community for their work throughout the pandemic. Projects range from community healing through art to residency grants for Black artists through the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, with RACC’s Arts Impact Fund and numerous other programs helping sustain creative community members who have lost income.
In June, we selected new Creative Laureates: Leila Haile and Joaquin Lopez. Since 2012, the Creative Laureate has served as the City’s official ambassador to the broader creative community. When I took office, the second Creative Laureate, Subashini Ganesan, was in the final months of her term. During COVID, Suba led engagement efforts with BIPOC artists and creatives, advised Council Offices, and developed and implemented initiatives related to recovery and healing. Her final project, Supporting Community Healing with Art, provides grants for art-inspired projects that allow Portlanders to address grief and/or healing toward feeling connected and safe. Please join me in thanking Suba for her service, and welcoming Joaquin and Leila to their new roles!