Next Up at City Council, 6/13/07

As noted yesterday, this Agenda is considerably more user-friendly than the old format. Note that links in the right sidebar are pdf files. I’ll still be providing weekly Next Up posts, as even with attached reports for some of the items, it’s difficult for many citizens to know what’s most important in the listings.

I’m disappointed the 676 TIME CERTAIN: 9:45 AM – Accept the Portland Office of Transportation report on street paving: Street Preservation Implementation Report Plan report isn’t one of those attached. Commissioner Sam’s non-PortlandOnLine web site often is difficult to access and doesn’t carry many details in information. Searches for “Street Preservation Implementation” on Sam’s site, the Office of Transportation’s pages, and the whole of PortlandOnLine don’t turn up the document this morning.

I believe we need an ordinance requiring that any report to be discussed in a public hearing at City Council must be posted on PortlandOnLine at least two weeks before the hearing. Prior to yesterday’s posting of the agenda with links, I thought perhaps reports were up and I just couldn’t find them. The fact that there is no link to the Street Preservation Implementation Report on the official Agenda indicates to me it’s not available on the City’s web site. That’s not right. Citizens shouldn’t have to scramble like we did in January, when the Auditor’s office released a report on police shootings one hour before the hearing on it. The City has spent over a million dollars on “Visioning” and on “Community Connect”, looking for ways to engage people who haven’t previously participated in city government. Wouldn’t it make sense to ensure that once someone wants to be connected, the information is readily available to allow comments?

So, I can’t tell you what “street paving: Street Preservation Implementation Report Plan” means. Which is unfortunate, since in my mind it’s one of the most important items on the agenda, probably having practical, immediate implications for neighbors all over our community.

I read through the report on 677 TIME CERTAIN: 10:30 AM – Adopt Evacuation Annex to the Basic Emergency Operations Plan. It’s pretty much a list of who does what, if Portland needs to be completely evacuated. There is recognition the escape routes would likely be clogged by people leaving in their own vehicles, but few suggestions on what to do about that. Maybe that plan comes later.

There are several appointments/re-appointments to commissions on the Agenda: Loren Lutzenhiser, Paulette Rossi, John Tyler, and Andrea Debnam to the Portland Utility Review Board; Jill Sherman and Catherine Ciarlo to the Portland Planning Commission; Stephen Peacock to the Portland Urban Forestry Commission; and Bertha M. Ferran to the Portland Development Commission. People who volunteer on commissions donate hundreds of hours of service to Portland and other citizens. Paulette Rossi has served on the Utilities Board for years. She has amazing insights and is one of the most eloquent testifiers in three minutes at Council I’ve ever heard. Catherine Ciarlo was Executive Director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance for seven years. I served with her on the Coalition for a Livable Future’s board, and I’m delighted with her appointment to the Planning Commission.

There are lots of big money items on this week’s Agenda, in contracts and rules. Here’s a Second Reading (no testimony) from the Planning Bureau I missed by being away last week:

705 Amend an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Port of Portland related to Portland International Airport and increase allowable compensation up to $819,804 to reimburse the City for costs related to a 34-month joint City and Port planning process titled Airport Futures.

This has the potential to be a bit too cosy, in a process in which the City is supposed to be the neutral decision-maker in a land use case.

The Port is paying for the “Airport Futures” process, which is a way around the prescribed Master Plan or Conditional Use land use reviews with mandatory approval criteria in City Code. Some will say its well and good that the applicant is paying for the cost of review and the public process. But it’s all public money, and I’m not convinced there are sufficient safeguards in the Airport Futures review and approval process to ensure that community residents in North and Northeast Portland are properly heard and empowered.

Commissioner Leonard has two sidewalk-related ordinances on deck:

*715 Declare it to be unlawful to paint, tape, or otherwise mark public property or leave objects in the right-of-way without a permit for the purpose of reserving space for a parade event (Ordinance; add Code Section 14A.50. 140)

716 Direct the Portland Police Bureau to delay enforcement of Portland City Code Section 14A.50.030 Sidewalk Obstructions until adequate day-access facilities, public restrooms, and public benches are available for displaced persons

Both were covered by the O and Mercury this past week, either in the print versions and/or on their blogs.

Lots more on the Agenda this week. I encourage you to click the link and browse it yourself.