Lents, sidewalk repair and formalization of the Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing.

Press Release
Published
In this article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor Wheeler Introduces Five Notable Items in City Council This Week

This week’s agenda includes job creation in Lents, sidewalk repair and formalization of the Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing.

Portland, OR—Five notable items are coming to City Council this week, as introduced by Mayor Wheeler’s Office. A description of each is below.

Item 932 – Metro Grant for Expanding Opportunities for Affordable Housing in Faith Communities

  • This ordinance will authorize the director of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to execute agreements with nonprofits in accordance with a $125,000 Metro grant for the Expanding Opportunities for Affordable Housing in Faith Communities Project.
  • The purpose of the Expanding Opportunities for Affordable Housing in Faith Communities Project is for the City to partner with the faith community to develop a system to connect faith communities with developers that need access to affordable land. This model is intriguing because the development costs are reduced due to there being no or minimal land acquisition costs.
  • The director of BPS will be authorized to work with nonprofits with missions that include serving low-income households, communities of color or immigrants and refugees, as they are uniquely positioned to partner with the City to ensure this Project is informed by input from these communities.

Item 936 – Eliminate Limited Property Tax Exemptions

  • This resolution will terminate limited tax exemptions for properties under the Homebuyer Opportunity Limited Tax Exemption Program.
  • In 1991, the Oregon Legislature passed legislation allowing local jurisdictions to forgo a portion of property tax revenue for a defined period of time as an incentive for housing development and homeownership assistance.
  • This action removes properties which do not meet the owner occupancy requirements or are selling to over-income homebuyers. This is the result of ongoing reviews to ensure program compliance to effectively promote first-time home ownership opportunities for low and moderate-income homebuyers.

Item 945 – Sidewalk Repair Projects

  • This ordinance will authorize $15 million of long-term bonds for local improvement and sidewalk repair projects.

Item 951 – Lents Stabilization and Job Creation

  • This resolution will direct staff to enter into a “Declaration of Cooperation,” which is the City’s commitments for the Lents Stabilization and Job Creation Collaborative with Oregon Solutions.
  • In 2016, the Lents Collaborative was designated and tasked with exploring strategic and cost-effective ways to keep neighborhoods affordable and diverse, support job growth and business investment, mitigate flooding, and restore natural floodplain functions along Johnson Creek.
  • Over the last two years, the City and Oregon Solutions have engaged multiple state and federal agencies, researchers, community stakeholders, and hundreds of business owners and residents in a process to identify solutions to advance the community’s goals.
  • The result of this process is a Declaration of Cooperation outlining the priorities for action and specific commitments each of the project partners has made. Commitments include measures to help create jobs, preserve affordable housing options for residents, and enhance and improve community access to natural areas.

Item 952 -- Item Formalization of the Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing (PCCEP) Plan

  • This resolution will approve changes to the Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing Plan.
  • Based on recommendations from the PCCEP Facilitators based on best practices, the changes give the Committee a chance to maximize community engagement, as well as make it easier for PCCEP members to fully participate in the process.
  • The PCCEP Facilitators began work in May. They took a trauma-informed approach to outreach, and prioritized outreach to people with mental health conditions, people with a disability, youth, the houseless community, the LGBTQ community, immigrants and refugees, and the black, native and latinx communities. The City received over 100 applications from a diverse pool of applicants.Mayor Wheeler completed interviews last week and will be announcing appointees and alternatives within the next two weeks.

###

See something we could improve on this page? Give website feedback.