Portland City Council Explores Climate Action Proposals in East Portland This Thursday Night

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Office of Mayor Ted Wheeler

Contact: Tim Becker

Timothy.Becker@portlandoregon.gov

Rose Lane Project

Margaux Weeke

Commissioner Chloe Eudaly’s Office

503-823-3064

Portland Clean Energy Fund

Eden Dabbs

L: 503-823-9908 / C: 503-260-3301

eden.dabbs@portlandoregon.gov

PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL EXPLORES CLIMATE ACTION PROPOSALS IN EAST PORTLAND THIS THURSDAY NIGHT

East Portland neighbors are welcome to attend a 6 p.m. council meeting at Portland Community College’s Southeast campus to learn about new projects that will improve livability in their community.

WHAT: Portland City Council strives to expand opportunities to connect with our community members about critical issues facing Portland. Council commissioners will hear updates about proposed actions to advance Portland’s leadership on climate change.

“As a city, we are deeply committed to protecting our environment and improving the lives of all Portlanders,” Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “East Portland is the heart and soul of the City of Portland, so it’s important we share our conversations with community members who live there.”

The first order of business is to confirm four committee members to the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) Committee.

“With this appointment, the PCEF committee is fully staffed and can begin informing the development of the PCEF program, including the grant criteria,” said Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Director Andrea Durbin. “We look forward to the day when we can announce the first set of grants to fund clean energy projects in East Portland.”

The Council will also hear an update on the Rose Lane Project, an effort led by Transportation Commissioner Chloe Eudaly to create bus priority lanes to improve public transit service across Portland.

“I am looking forward to sharing the Rose Lane Project Update with all of City Council this Thursday,” Eudaly said. “Not only will these red transit lanes lead to quicker, more reliable transit and serve as a powerful tool in our efforts to confront climate change, they are also a step forward in creating transit equity—over time, these lanes will make East Portland more accessible by transit.”

City council will also hear a progress report on the Zero Cities Initiative to develop a zero-carbon building policy road map.

WHEN: 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 7

WHERE: PCC Southeast Campus - Community Hall, 2305 SE 82nd and Division, Portland 97216

AGENDA:

6:00 p.m.  Welcome from PCC Representative

6:10 p.m.  Land Acknowledgement

6:15 p.m.  Council Opening Remarks (10 Minutes)

6:25 p.m.  Appoint four people to the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund Committee (25 Minutes)

Sam Baraso, Cady Lister and Jaimes Valdez from Bureau of Planning and Sustainability; Jenny Lee, Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon;

Nate McCoy, National Association of Minority Contractors of Oregon; Taren Evans, Coalition of Communities of Color; Lluvia Merello, Physicians for Social Responsibility

The following community members have been recommended by the initial five members of the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund Committee: 

Nominees:

Faith Graham – Director of the Network for Energy, Water, and Health in Affordable Buildings

Andrea Hamberg – Multnomah County Healthy Homes and Communities program supervisor

Jeffrey Moreland – Independent family-owned minority contractor specializing in road construction

Ranfis Villatoro – Oregon state coordinator for the BlueGreen Alliance

6:50 p.m.  American Cities Climate Challenge: Overview and Progress Report (25 Minutes)

Michele Crim, Portland Planning and Sustainability and Art Pearce, Bureau of Transportation

Portland is one of 20 cities awarded with resources and technical support to help achieve its ambitious climate goals under the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge.

7:15 p.m.  Report Update on Rose Lane Project (20 Minutes)

Jamey Duhamel; Office of Commissioner Chloe Eudaly

7:35 p.m.  Zero Cities Initiative Report (20 Minutes)

Vinh Mason, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and Oriana Magnera, Verde

In June 2018, the City of Portland became one of 12 U.S. cities to receive funding from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) to develop a zero-carbon building policy roadmap through a community collaboration process that centers on equity and is informed by technical analysis. The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) recruited Verde as an anchor partner to identify and prioritize zero carbon building policies that intersect with community priorities.

7:50 p.m.  Council Closing Remarks

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