Next Up at City Council, 12/17-18, 2008

The Portland City Council Agenda this week lists a very, very rare event: An evening hearing, outside City Hall.

1770 TIME CERTAIN: 6:30 PM – Adopt the East Portland Action Plan as a touchstone and guide for work programs of City bureaus and other agencies, and as a participatory and advocacy tool for community stakeholders (Resolution introduced by Mayor Potter)

It is sad this meeting seems likely to be snowed out or attendance affected by the cold. Update 5:38 p.m. – The meeting has been postponed. New date to be announced. Great project, excellent precedent doing the hearing in the affected community.

On Wednesday morning, two Time Certain items:

1725 TIME CERTAIN: 9:30 AM – Accept amendments to the Mt Tabor Park Master Plan (Report introduced by Commissioner Saltzman)

1726 Affirm the recommendation of the Mt Tabor Yard and Nursery Planning Group to support ongoing efforts to redevelop the Mt Tabor Central Yard, Nursery and Long Block (Resolution introduced by Commissioner Saltzman)

1727 Affirm management authority for certain City property in the vicinity of Mt Tabor, including the Mt Tabor Yard, Nursery and Long Block (Ordinance introduced by Commissioner Saltzman)

I regret I have not had time to look into the proposal. I followed the process over the past year or more, and I hope the outcome is good.

1728 TIME CERTAIN: 10:15 AM – Create Portland Commission on Disabilities (Resolution introduced by Mayor Potter and Commissioners Adams, Fish, Leonard and Saltzman)

1729 Confirm appointments of Polly Livingston, Jan Campbell, Joe VanderVeer, D’Norgia Price, Veronica Valenzuela, Joan Hansen, Julie Bergstrom, Carrie Jo Stairs, Denise Spielman, Ann Balzell and Sara Beth Weiner to the summary Portland Commission on Disabilities, terms to expire July 1, 2009 (Report introduced by Mayor Potter and Commissioners Adams, Fish, Leonard and Saltzman)

I am especially interested in this item, as Mayor-elect Adams has assigned the Commission on Disabilities to my portfolio. Thanks to all for the good work done to form the Commission, and to the valued citizens serving on it.

Next, expansion of a program to help students get to school:

*1751 Authorize an Intergovernmental Agreement with Portland Public Schools and the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon to expand a pilot program to offer fareless public transportation for students at five Portland high schools and 11 alternative/charter high schools with the intention to measure results and expand the program as appropriate (Ordinance introduced by Mayor Potter and Commissioner Adams)

And passage of relief for small business owners:

1752 Amend the Business License Law to accelerate the timing of the First Year Adjustment Credit to one tax year, clarify special industry apportionment rules and clarify the effective date of the change to an after the fact tax (Second Reading Agenda 1706; Ordinance introduced by Mayor Potter and Commissioners Adams, Fish, Leonard and Saltzman; amend Code Sections 7.02.610 D and 7.02.860 C)

I’m told this doesn’t change the amount of the tax, but shifts it to be paid at the end of the year rather than in advance.

Here are two that for the past two years in writing this piece, I would have skipped over. Come January, I will be responsible for knowing exactly what these mean and why they make sense for taxpayers… and telling you:

*1758 Authorize a Letter of Agreement with the Bureau of Emergency Communication and AFSCME, Local 189-2 to pay Call Taker Certification Pay upon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training certification (Ordinance)

*1759 Authorize and amend contracts to extend the health and welfare contracts administered by the Bureau of Human Resources, Benefits and Wellness Office (Ordinance; amend Contracts)

I bet you can hardly wait.

A continued hearing on Skidmore/Oldtown code amendments has been rescheduled from Thursday afternoon, but not to a particular date. I had to leave the initial hearing in November, because I found it too frustrating to have to sit and listen without being able to participate either as a citizen organizer or on the Council. Looks like I may get to help formulate the solutions after January 1, 2009.