Next Up at City Council, March 28-29, 2007

The Agenda for Portland City Council next week includes two Time Certain items:

298 TIME CERTAIN: 9:30 AM – Replace the Business License Law chapter of the Portland City Code (Ordinance introduced by Mayor Potter and Commissioner Adams; replace Code Chapter 7.02), (I can’t find any information about this on PortlandOnLine), and

299 TIME CERTAIN: 10:15 AM – Confirm appointment of Mark Edlen and Tad Savinar and re-appointment of Ernie Bloch and Carole Morse to the Regional Arts & Culture Council, terms to expire June 30, 2008 (Report introduced by Mayor Potter and Commissioner Adams). Board appointments are often on the Consent Agenda, and are rarely Time Certain items. Maybe there’s a presentation or some other event happening with this one?

Here’s an example of a common type of agenda item: Office of Management and Finance – Human Resources – *303 Create a new Nonrepresented classification of Police Human Resources Manager and establish a compensation rate for this classification (Ordinance). It’s not always in the Police department, of course. But surprisingly frequently, the City creates a new management position or classification, most often “non-represented”. These will likely be “at will” employees should Measure 26-90 pass. That means, they are specially created positions, filled by whoever the politician-in-charge wants, for as long as the politician-in-charge wants that person employed. Watch – there are a lot of them. If the Charter changes pass, I don’t know if these will be considered Budget items, subject to Council approval, or carved out of a previously-approved larger Budget and made in Administrative decisions without public notice by the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer.

A Second Reading vote is usually a formality, with no public hearing or amendments. I just noticed the typo in 306 Authorize an Intergovernmental Agreement with Multnomah County Drainage District and Peninsula Drainage District No. 2 to design and remove a food bridge north of NE 112th over the Columbia Slough and to design and replace two culverts at the Children’s Arboretum (Second Reading Agenda 273) – I don’t know if the “food bridge” was in the previous version, or if legalities require re-voting if it’s a “foot bridge”. Regardless, I’m happy to highlight this project, which represents years of work, volunteer time in stewardship of the Children’s Arboretum, and advocacy by members of the East Columbia Neighborhood Association. History ending in 2003 on Portland Parks’ site; nice article with an update here.

There are often items on the agenda that make me wish I could easily find out more. *310 Direct City Auditor to make entries in City lien docket to reflect obligations under Security Substitution Program and North Macadam Investors Funding Obligation (Ordinance), from Auditor Gary Blackmer, for example. “Lien” doesn’t sound good. “Security Substitution Program”? “North Macadam Investors Fund” always seems like it might be interesting. I don’t see anything about this on the Auditor‘s front page, or the liens page. More information, anyone?

First on the Regular Agenda after the Communications and Time Certains: 311 Revise Subpoena issued by City Council to Portland General Electric (Resolution introduced by Commissioners Leonard and Sten). Dun, dun, DUN! Now what? I don’t see anything on the “Official” web site on PortlandOnline which “provides the latest information about the City of Portland’s interest in the future of Portland General Electric Co.” Nor on Commissioner Leonard‘s site, which carries mostly links to media articles, or on Commissioner Sten‘s – last update 11/30/06. C’mon, city people, we care! We need the info!

Seems to me there have been many computer-related expenses recently. Here’s another: 313 Accept bid of Sirius Computer Solutions, Inc. to furnish Enterprise Business System Servers and related products for the Office of Technology Services with an estimated annual amount of $1,200,000. Whaddaya think, Dave Lister? Good deal?

There’s a hearing to 314 Assess benefited properties for aerial tram improvements in the Portland Aerial Tram Local Improvement District. The tram surpassed ridership estimates in February, and also exceeded the projected share of OHSU riders, at 92%. The deal for operations calls for OHSU to fund ongoing maintenance and other costs in proportion to their ridership – so this may not be good news for your health care budget. Approximately 10,000 non-OHSU tram-riders paid about $32,000 for the thrill, meaning about 20% traveled using TriMet monthly or annual passes instead of paying the $4 round-trip fare. Of course, it’s too soon to project ridership patterns after the initial interest fades, and over the summmer when all those tourists will flock to the coffee cart in the Kohler Pavilion. Except on Sundays, when the tourists will have to get the bus like employees, patients and their visitors.

We still don’t seem to know what we want on Hayden Island – except not WalMart or suchlike. *318 TIME CERTAIN: 2:00 PM – Extend moratorium on development within commercial and industrial zones on Hayden Island (Ordinance introduced by Commissioner Adams; amend Ordinance No. 180475) Commissioner Sam’s non-city site currently isn’t taking visitors, yet again.

Here’s one I like, to end my summary: 315 Authorize a $250,000 grant to the Portland Rose Festival Association for Rose Festival 2007 Centennial Celebration costs. I attended the speeches and award of the Princess role at the Wilson High School Rose Festival court yesterday. My favorite candidate didn’t win, but all six of the contenders brought tears to my eyes with their eloquence and records of community service. I would like to see a Prince Consort’s Court at the Rose Festival for its next 100 years (not a King, to keep the Queen in charge :), so outstanding young men from our high schools would be recognized, too. I think this money given to support the Rose Festival is well spent. Millions of people attend or watch on TV, and it’s a community-building event that honors tradition and brings people together.