Outcome of Police Internal Review hearing

Yesterday, as a result of Dan Handelman pulling this item from the Consent Agenda, the Council agreed it to make it a non-emergency ordinance; to inform the Citizens Review Committee about the change to using non-sworn officers for internal review of complaints; and to perform an audit of the process even while moving forward with changes to it.

I asked about the audit, which was funded two years ago, yet never done. Initially, someone on the Council said it was the Auditor’s responsibility. Then someone else said it had been re-assigned to Commissioner Sam Adams. Then a staff person from the Mayor’s office came to the mike, and said the matter was transferred to the Mayor “about a year ago”. She said they have been working on the scope of work.

For about a year.

In answer to a question, she said the Request For Proposals (RFP) would be issued “within the next couple of weeks”.

I’ll believe it when I see it. Please e-mail me if you see the RFP, city people.

Dave Lister has an astute letter published in Willamette Week this week. He says, “Under the current charter, Potter has the authority to put all city bureaus in his own portfolio. He could, in effect, implement this “super efficient” system on his own, appoint his own staffer to serve as the city’s CEO, and show us these wonderful efficiencies before asking us to vote.”

I’ll go further. The Mayor and his 23-person staff haven’t completed a funded audit authorized as a Council policy two years ago, in even a bureau that is always assigned to the Mayor, i.e., Police. The Mayor should hire a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to manage his ten assigned bureaus and thirteen liaison responsibilities, immediately. Nothing in the current Charter forbids such a position. Let’s see if it makes a difference having a professional administrator managing the ten bureaus the Mayor is in charge of right now, before assigning all the rest to future Mayors.

Not all Council members enjoy having bureaus to oversee. Perhaps Mayor Potter is one of those. I’m fine with the concept of some elected officials being less interested in daily operations than others. Commissioner Saltzman tends to hire good people and let them get on with his policy directions, even (he says) to the point of not knowing Parks had signed an agreement to sell part of Mt. Tabor Yards. Because of good administrators like Dean Marriott in Environmental Services, active intervention in his bureaus often isn’t needed. As Police Chief, Tom Potter had Assistant Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs to manage day-to-day administrative stuff, leaving him with more time for great leadership on important values and Big Picture direction, like Community Policing. If he wants to do that as Mayor, seeking Visions at 30,000 feet or 30 years out, there’s a place for that, a valid role for a Mayor with those interests.

Mayors without passion for the details should hire a CAO to take care of the daily grind. But that doesn’t mean we should take all bureau assignments away from the other Commissioners. Some Commissioners grow and do a better job on Big Picture policy questions precisely because they’ve learned through intervening with front-line staff on citizen requests, suggestions, and complaints. Some Commissioners have Big Picture ideas they want to help implement themselves, rather than waiting for them to be generated and/or carried out by staff and citizens. Our Charter and administrative structure should allow both types of people to offer their skills to Portland through accountable authority on the City Council.

A “Mayor’s CAO” can work with the Commissioners and bureaus, building on the very way the Office of Management and Finance was recently created to provide coordination and oversight. Even if 26-91 fails, I believe Tom Potter should hire a Mayor’s CAO anyway, responsible for taking care of his current 10 bureaus. Let’s see if we can get audits done faster than two years, with someone with experience managing large organizations attending to administrative oversight in the Mayor’s office. I’d love to see what Mayor Potter can do in a second term under the current structure, after hiring someone to relieve him from the burden of bureau chores and the details of implementing Big Picture ideas with efficiency and obvious outcomes.

I belive the current Charter allows people with many different skill sets, to fit into the five seats on the Council. The proposed change removing bureau assignments from all but the Mayor, would suit only a select type of both politicians and citizens.