WEBVTT 1 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:13.718 Good afternoon. 2 00:07:13.815 --> 00:07:14.173 Good morning. 3 00:07:14.384 --> 00:07:14.935 Good morning. 4 00:07:15.048 --> 00:07:24.747 It is 10:33 on Wednesday, August I am calling to order a special meeting of the Portland City Council. 5 00:07:26.338 --> 00:07:28.050 Um, Rebecca, could you please call the roll? 6 00:07:29.374 --> 00:07:29.922 Koyama Lane? 7 00:07:30.762 --> 00:07:31.084 Here. 8 00:07:31.649 --> 00:07:32.117 Morillo? 9 00:07:33.101 --> 00:07:33.279 Here. 10 00:07:33.990 --> 00:07:34.473 Novick? 11 00:07:34.781 --> 00:07:34.894 Here. 12 00:07:35.329 --> 00:07:35.586 Clark? 13 00:07:35.682 --> 00:07:35.860 Here. 14 00:07:36.165 --> 00:07:36.454 Green? 15 00:07:37.129 --> 00:07:37.242 Here. 16 00:07:37.627 --> 00:07:38.045 Zimmerman? 17 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:38.415 Here. 18 00:07:38.961 --> 00:07:39.266 Avalos? 19 00:07:39.620 --> 00:07:39.942 Present. 20 00:07:40.408 --> 00:07:40.826 Dunphy? 21 00:07:40.987 --> 00:07:41.163 Here. 22 00:07:41.485 --> 00:07:41.838 Smith? 23 00:07:42.675 --> 00:07:42.786 Here. 24 00:07:43.461 --> 00:07:43.767 Ryan? 25 00:07:44.259 --> 00:07:44.324 Here. 26 00:07:44.845 --> 00:07:45.398 Pirtle-Guiney. 27 00:07:45.838 --> 00:07:45.951 Here. 28 00:07:47.221 --> 00:07:47.692 Thank you. 29 00:07:47.855 --> 00:07:48.423 I'm here too. 30 00:07:52.709 --> 00:07:53.713 Apologies, I didn't hear that. 31 00:07:53.795 --> 00:07:54.119 Thank you. 32 00:07:54.346 --> 00:07:55.173 Thanks. 33 00:07:56.372 --> 00:08:00.487 Um, could we please have our attorney go over the rules of order and decorum? 34 00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:04.158 Welcome to the Portland City Council. 35 00:08:04.223 --> 00:08:10.766 To testify before council in person or virtually, you must sign up in advance on the council agenda at www.portlandoregistration.org. 36 00:08:15.004 --> 00:08:15.908 W.portland.gov/council/agenda. 37 00:08:15.958 --> 00:08:18.819 Information on engaging with council can be found on the council clerk's webpage. 38 00:08:19.562 --> 00:08:23.586 Individuals may testify for 3 minutes unless the presiding officer states otherwise. 39 00:08:24.088 --> 00:08:26.285 Your microphone will be muted when your time is over. 40 00:08:26.915 --> 00:08:28.529 The presiding officer preserves order. 41 00:08:28.869 --> 00:08:38.217 Disruptive conduct such as shouting, refusing to conclude your testimony when your time is up, or interrupting other testimony or council deliberations will not be allowed. 42 00:08:39.057 --> 00:08:41.205 If you cause a disruption, a warning will be given. 43 00:08:41.638 --> 00:08:44.171 Further disruption will result in ejection from the meeting. 44 00:08:44.764 --> 00:08:48.980 Anyone who fails to leave once ejected is subject to arrest for trespass. 45 00:08:49.509 --> 00:08:52.986 Additionally, council may take a short recess and reconvene virtually. 46 00:08:53.659 --> 00:08:56.450 Your testimony should address the matter being considered. 47 00:08:56.865 --> 00:08:59.479 When testifying, 1, state your name for the record. 48 00:08:59.816 --> 00:09:01.322 Your address is not necessary. 49 00:09:01.740 --> 00:09:04.961 2, If you are a lobbyist, identify the organization you represent. 50 00:09:05.458 --> 00:09:09.866 3, Virtual testifiers should unmute themselves when the council clerk calls your name. 51 00:09:10.010 --> 00:09:10.106 Thank you. 52 00:09:10.557 --> 00:09:11.793 Thank you. 53 00:09:12.740 --> 00:09:15.116 Thank you very much, colleagues. 54 00:09:15.229 --> 00:09:30.195 We have 2 items on the agenda today, and we are adjourning our meeting in about 3 hours, but then we'll reconvene tomorrow at 2:30 if we have not concluded the business that we have before us. 55 00:09:30.884 --> 00:09:41.557 Before we open up those 2 items though for public testimony and discussion, I'd like to just take a moment for something not on the agenda. 56 00:09:42.535 --> 00:09:44.250 Do we need to approve today's agenda first? 57 00:09:45.325 --> 00:09:45.950 Am I skipping this? 58 00:09:46.029 --> 00:09:47.585 Yes, item 1 is agenda approval. 59 00:09:47.712 --> 00:09:49.461 Okay, I apologize, colleagues. 60 00:09:49.716 --> 00:09:51.320 Item 1 is approving the agenda. 61 00:09:51.961 --> 00:09:56.850 Actually, before we do that though, I'll do this before we go to approving the agenda. 62 00:09:57.652 --> 00:10:07.269 I just wanna take a moment because we had a new staff person start, our Council Operations Manager, Dana Richardson, on Monday. 63 00:10:07.365 --> 00:10:20.558 And I know some of you have had an opportunity to meet with her I think for some folks that's coming later this week still, but I just wanted to give Dana an opportunity to introduce herself in this setting. 64 00:10:21.874 --> 00:10:29.856 For folks watching or in the audience today, Council Operations is the group that does a lot of the support, especially for our committee meetings. 65 00:10:30.673 --> 00:10:41.365 And we had an interim manager when we started who was here on a limited duration, intentionally came out of retirement to work with us short-term. 66 00:10:41.429 --> 00:10:41.687 So Dana, welcome. 67 00:10:41.767 --> 00:10:41.927 Thank you. 68 00:10:42.039 --> 00:10:42.183 Thank you. 69 00:10:42.231 --> 00:10:44.972 Dana is our first permanent Council Operations Manager. 70 00:10:45.100 --> 00:11:07.527 We are very glad to have her, and I wanted to make sure we had an opportunity again for folks on Council who hadn't had an opportunity yet to meet Dana, to get to hear a little bit from you, and also for the public who are watching to just know who you are, given that you do, and your team will— your team does, and you will do so much support for the work that we do, but often behind the scenes. 71 00:11:07.654 --> 00:11:08.697 So please go ahead. 72 00:11:09.001 --> 00:11:13.618 Thank you for this opportunity, uh, Madam President, uh, Madam Vice President, and councilors. 73 00:11:14.195 --> 00:11:25.303 As the president mentioned, this is my 3rd day on the job as the Council Operations Manager, and I'm pleased to be here and eager to learn how my team can support this council in its success. 74 00:11:26.138 --> 00:11:35.355 As you probably know, I lead a team of 10 folks that are here for policy development and analysis, whether that's in your committees, in your districts. 75 00:11:35.532 --> 00:11:38.929 We have capacity in communications and coordination as well. 76 00:11:39.682 --> 00:11:40.708 So our brand is really simple. 77 00:11:41.126 --> 00:11:46.312 We're here to work for you, each of you as councilors, as the councilor— as the council as a whole. 78 00:11:47.083 --> 00:11:48.929 And I'm really privileged to be here today. 79 00:11:49.653 --> 00:11:53.024 And I told— I was told y'all will go easy on me, at least for now. 80 00:11:54.373 --> 00:11:56.798 Perfect. 81 00:11:57.102 --> 00:12:01.357 Thank you so much, um, and welcome. 82 00:12:01.792 --> 00:12:07.111 I think this is the first time that we've gotten the opportunity to, to have you here. 83 00:12:07.225 --> 00:12:12.871 I'm not sure if you were watching the committees earlier this week, but welcome and thank you for being here and being part of the team. 84 00:12:13.129 --> 00:12:13.470 Thank you. 85 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:17.163 Good luck. 86 00:12:17.259 --> 00:12:21.355 Okay, colleagues, the first item on our agenda is agenda approval. 87 00:12:22.232 --> 00:12:27.744 There has not been anything taken off the agenda or any requests to reorder the agenda. 88 00:12:28.067 --> 00:12:30.644 Do we have unanimous consent for agenda approval? 89 00:12:34.182 --> 00:12:52.386 Okay, as we move into our agenda today, we have 2 items, um, adopting an ordinance on our council meeting schedule and a resolution establishing a new council committee structure. 90 00:12:52.885 --> 00:12:59.404 Both of these items have been discussed by the full council in work sessions, but this is the first opportunity we'll have for public testimony. 91 00:13:00.164 --> 00:13:16.360 I'd like to open up, Rebecca, both items together so that if folks who are signed up to testify are interested in testifying on pieces of both, they can do that just one time and make sure to have a little bit more consistency amongst remarks there. 92 00:13:16.668 --> 00:13:18.464 Would you please open items 2 and 3? 93 00:13:19.346 --> 00:13:26.980 Item 2, adopt council regular meeting schedule pursuant to code subsection 3.02.010.C.1. 94 00:13:28.094 --> 00:13:31.225 Item 3, establish new city council committee structure. 95 00:13:32.453 --> 00:13:33.000 Thank you. 96 00:13:34.283 --> 00:13:44.130 And colleagues, we don't have our normal introductory overviews on these items because they were heard in work sessions. 97 00:13:44.259 --> 00:13:51.028 So if there are not questions before we begin, I'd like to move us straight into public testimony. 98 00:13:51.621 --> 00:13:59.160 But if there are any clarifying questions or amendments that haven't been filed that folks would like to share before we do so, now would be the time. 99 00:14:00.524 --> 00:14:01.214 Councilor Kanal. 100 00:14:01.886 --> 00:14:02.913 Thank you, Madam President. 101 00:14:03.234 --> 00:14:09.519 I just wanted to make sure that potential testifiers were aware I had pre-filed an amendment and I'll officially move it here. 102 00:14:09.727 --> 00:14:18.691 It's filed as Kanal 1 to the adopt council regular meeting schedule and it's a package that is based off of the feedback heard at the work session. 103 00:14:19.524 --> 00:14:19.750 Thank you. 104 00:14:20.407 --> 00:14:21.129 Thank you, Councilor. 105 00:14:21.208 --> 00:14:25.313 And colleagues, if you haven't had a chance to look at that, that has been filed. 106 00:14:25.361 --> 00:14:26.965 It's been up for about a week. 107 00:14:27.285 --> 00:14:33.355 And I know we had some discussion that was straightforward and everyone was on the same page and some where there were some divisions. 108 00:14:33.403 --> 00:14:38.509 I think Councilor Knoll tried to capture the things where it was mostly straightforward and folks were on the same page. 109 00:14:38.942 --> 00:14:39.264 Correct. 110 00:14:39.327 --> 00:14:39.585 Thank you. 111 00:14:39.971 --> 00:14:40.147 Okay. 112 00:14:40.388 --> 00:14:41.110 Thank you, Councilor. 113 00:14:42.475 --> 00:14:43.086 Councilor Smith. 114 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:44.210 Thank you. 115 00:14:44.803 --> 00:14:47.389 Thank you, Madam President. 116 00:14:48.014 --> 00:14:58.062 I did want to add an amendment that would include having Wednesday meetings and on the 3rd Wednesday having only one night meeting. 117 00:14:58.500 --> 00:15:01.591 So would I do that here or would I do that after? 118 00:15:01.802 --> 00:15:03.270 You could absolutely do that now. 119 00:15:03.351 --> 00:15:09.244 So that would be a floor amendment, and I'm trying to skim through this to see where that would go. 120 00:15:09.307 --> 00:15:18.298 I believe that would be in the first, therefore, A2, where it says on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM. 121 00:15:19.256 --> 00:15:20.731 And you would amend? 122 00:15:20.956 --> 00:15:28.457 And I would amend that to have all meetings on Wednesdays, and on the 3rd Wednesday we have a night meeting so that we don't have to have 2 night meetings. 123 00:15:29.226 --> 00:15:31.294 So this— I'm sorry, go ahead. 124 00:15:31.392 --> 00:15:32.256 Oh, I was seconding that. 125 00:15:32.417 --> 00:15:33.027 Is that a motion? 126 00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:35.158 It's not. 127 00:15:35.287 --> 00:15:36.616 I haven't— I did it from the floor. 128 00:15:37.291 --> 00:15:41.746 No, I know, but where were you just— Council President, you were saying— you were suggesting it could go somewhere. 129 00:15:41.794 --> 00:15:42.323 Where were you saying? 130 00:15:42.419 --> 00:15:53.520 On page 2 of— and I'm, I'm sorry, I'm working off of Councilor Kanal's proposed amendment right now rather than the original, but on Page 2 of Councilor Kanal's proposed amendment. 131 00:15:54.070 --> 00:15:58.366 Now therefore, the council directs, A, council meetings will occur. 132 00:16:00.015 --> 00:16:16.263 I believe, Councilor Smith, 1 would say on each Wednesday of the month at 9:30 with a recessed meeting, and then 2 would say on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. 133 00:16:16.311 --> 00:16:16.375 Yes. 134 00:16:17.681 --> 00:16:20.037 We have 2 meetings, one in the morning, one at night. 135 00:16:22.350 --> 00:16:25.629 So you're not proposing a 9:30 and a 6:00 PM on that 3rd Wednesday? 136 00:16:25.740 --> 00:16:26.496 Yes, I am. 137 00:16:26.561 --> 00:16:27.493 You are proposing both? 138 00:16:27.686 --> 00:16:27.846 Both. 139 00:16:27.894 --> 00:16:29.903 That every Wednesday we have a 9:30 and—. 140 00:16:29.952 --> 00:16:31.865 Not every Wednesday, but the 3rd Wednesday. 141 00:16:33.149 --> 00:16:40.749 Every Wednesday we have a, a, a city council meeting, and then on the 3rd Wednesday we have a night meeting as well as a day meeting. 142 00:16:42.429 --> 00:16:55.567 So the resolution would read every Wednesday a 9:30 meeting, the recessed session at 2:00 PM on Wednesday or 2:00 PM on Thursday, and a 6:00 PM meeting on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. 143 00:16:55.714 --> 00:16:56.119 Correct. 144 00:16:56.765 --> 00:16:59.486 Rebecca, are you capturing that or do you want somebody to send this to you? 145 00:17:01.677 --> 00:17:02.802 We do need the language sent. 146 00:17:03.364 --> 00:17:05.002 Okay, we'll work on that. 147 00:17:05.067 --> 00:17:05.228 Okay. 148 00:17:05.452 --> 00:17:08.087 So that's been seconded by Councilor Ryan. 149 00:17:08.424 --> 00:17:11.887 And I apologize, I don't think I heard a second to Councilor Kanal's original amendment that is here. 150 00:17:18.509 --> 00:17:18.758 Second. 151 00:17:19.287 --> 00:17:20.164 Thank you, Councilor Green. 152 00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:30.285 I guess I'm trying to understand, are we— because Councilor Kanal's is an amendment, so are we adding another amendment? 153 00:17:30.430 --> 00:17:30.734 Correct. 154 00:17:30.847 --> 00:17:33.117 So are we now in Councilor Smith's amendment? 155 00:17:33.568 --> 00:17:40.915 We are not in debate right now, but folks are putting amendments on the floor so that our testifiers know what the options are that they're responding to. 156 00:17:40.980 --> 00:17:41.077 Got it. 157 00:17:41.438 --> 00:17:45.378 Is there anything related? 158 00:17:48.596 --> 00:17:58.304 We have not had a consistent practice of having to offer amendments, but it is something that we have sometimes done in order to allow folks to know what is under consideration. 159 00:17:58.994 --> 00:18:10.294 I'll note that there are 2 amendments filed on the council committee structure as well, one by Councilor Dunphy and one by me. 160 00:18:10.358 --> 00:18:14.700 We'll talk about those more when we get to that discussion. 161 00:18:14.814 --> 00:18:18.249 But for folks who are testifying, I would assume that those are both in play as well. 162 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:22.420 I feel like— did you have something to add, Councilor Caramelline? 163 00:18:24.549 --> 00:18:48.338 Yes, I also will be bringing a floor amendment that I just finished today, and we'll print— I printed out for everyone around making— as we are looking to have weekly council meetings currently, it takes— can take up to 3 months for an item to be placed on the full council agenda. 164 00:18:49.048 --> 00:18:57.315 And I am looking to make an amendment to change that to 45 days as we will be meeting twice as frequently. 165 00:18:58.853 --> 00:18:59.013 Okay. 166 00:18:59.416 --> 00:19:00.287 Thank you, Councilor. 167 00:19:01.833 --> 00:19:04.555 And that's a floor amendment, but it looks like you have it on paper. 168 00:19:04.635 --> 00:19:06.198 Can you make sure that the clerk's team has it? 169 00:19:06.407 --> 00:19:06.730 Absolutely. 170 00:19:07.132 --> 00:19:07.471 Thank you. 171 00:19:08.436 --> 00:19:09.255 Councilor Morillo. 172 00:19:10.442 --> 00:19:12.623 Yeah, I just wanted to request—. 173 00:19:12.623 --> 00:19:14.018 Councilor Morillo. 174 00:19:14.386 --> 00:19:15.574 Can you hear me? 175 00:19:16.070 --> 00:19:17.289 Yeah, can you pause for one minute? 176 00:19:17.417 --> 00:19:20.786 Was there a second to Councilor Koyama Lane's amendment? 177 00:19:21.027 --> 00:19:22.470 And if not, we can do that later. 178 00:19:22.645 --> 00:19:23.608 Okay, I hear a second. 179 00:19:24.089 --> 00:19:25.211 Councilor Morillo, go right ahead. 180 00:19:25.276 --> 00:19:25.821 I apologize. 181 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:27.265 No, no worries. 182 00:19:27.361 --> 00:19:27.634 Thank you. 183 00:19:27.730 --> 00:19:29.541 Sorry, I jumped ahead on that one. 184 00:19:30.104 --> 00:19:36.309 I'm just requesting that folks send an email with the updated amendment language so that we can all see it written. 185 00:19:36.519 --> 00:19:37.625 I think that's helpful for me. 186 00:19:38.617 --> 00:19:46.124 Also, I just wanted to say if I have to be camera off for a bit, just dealing with some chronic back pain today, and I don't think the public wants to see me laying on the floor. 187 00:19:47.076 --> 00:19:50.152 So thank you, Councilor, and we absolutely understand. 188 00:19:52.009 --> 00:19:53.578 And I'll send an email your way right now. 189 00:19:55.609 --> 00:19:56.752 Councilor Knoll, are you back in the queue? 190 00:19:57.155 --> 00:20:02.294 Yeah, I just wanted to clarify, uh, because when I first mentioned it, we hadn't done the second yet. 191 00:20:02.487 --> 00:20:07.933 The intent behind that amendment was the amendment I put forward was to be friendly. 192 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:16.738 So I'd ask if my co-sponsors to that, to the ordinance, would be willing to accept the Kanal 1 amendment that was emailed out as friendly. 193 00:20:17.063 --> 00:20:18.217 Okay. 194 00:20:19.988 --> 00:20:20.833 I see nods yes. 195 00:20:22.175 --> 00:20:22.384 Okay. 196 00:20:22.820 --> 00:20:23.547 Councilor Novick. 197 00:20:24.467 --> 00:20:33.275 I just wanted to note that I'll be proposing an amendment to the committee structure as well, which my staff is going to be emailing to the clerk shortly if they haven't already. 198 00:20:33.665 --> 00:20:34.964 And then we'll distribute copies of it. 199 00:20:35.679 --> 00:20:39.722 Can you give a 2-second so that folks testifying know what that is? 200 00:20:41.450 --> 00:20:59.832 It would involve striking the idea of, actually I don't think that in the, it's formally referred to as a leadership committee, but it replaced the idea of the council president meeting with all of the committee chairs with an idea that committee chairs will meet with their counterparts in committees that have sort of overlapping jurisdictions. 201 00:21:00.885 --> 00:21:05.998 And only have one committee meet with another at a time, and the council president and vice president could attend those meetings. 202 00:21:06.431 --> 00:21:14.571 Because my idea is that the point of committee chairs meeting with each other is to exchange information. 203 00:21:14.827 --> 00:21:19.298 And I think that that's important when you've got sort of overlapping jurisdiction. 204 00:21:19.474 --> 00:21:35.680 But I don't— I think that it causes public meetings problems and also kind of exclusivity problems if there's a group of 6 people that meets, and then by definition they can't tell any of the other 6 what they met about because that would violate quorum rules. 205 00:21:35.940 --> 00:21:41.365 So I just think that we could achieve the goal of transmitting information without having a leadership committee. 206 00:21:43.690 --> 00:21:44.373 Thank you, Councilor. 207 00:21:46.263 --> 00:21:48.598 Councilor Dunphy. 208 00:21:49.227 --> 00:21:49.420 Thank you. 209 00:21:49.484 --> 00:22:01.598 Very briefly, just colleagues, I sent an— or my team sent an email around about this yesterday, but with regard to the committee structure, You'll note that the resolution as filed is pretty bare bones, and that was an intentional choice. 210 00:22:02.737 --> 00:22:10.780 I had— we pulled out any of these sort of contentious pinch points that we didn't have unanimity around. 211 00:22:11.085 --> 00:22:14.818 For example, vice chair or chair, vice chair versus co-chair models. 212 00:22:15.251 --> 00:22:21.548 And I have subsequently filed amendments so that we can individually have an up and down vote on either of those. 213 00:22:21.887 --> 00:22:28.034 The intention is that if the council decides that chair, vice chair is the model to go with, great. 214 00:22:28.130 --> 00:22:30.888 If this body decides that co-chairs are the model to go with, great. 215 00:22:31.421 --> 00:22:36.626 If we can't come to an agreement, it defaults to a position of maximum flexibility for the president. 216 00:22:37.125 --> 00:22:43.407 So as we get into this, that is what you will be seeing filed in on the item itself. 217 00:22:43.567 --> 00:22:45.095 So just wanted to clarify that. 218 00:22:46.443 --> 00:22:47.311 Thank you, Councilor. 219 00:22:47.472 --> 00:22:50.429 And was there a second to Councilor Novick's proposal? 220 00:22:52.180 --> 00:22:52.382 Second. 221 00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:53.651 Thank you, Vice President. 222 00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:58.247 Councilor Kanal, are you back in the queue or is that an old hand? 223 00:22:58.971 --> 00:22:59.616 Okay, that's okay. 224 00:23:00.842 --> 00:23:05.304 So for folks watching, I know that was a flurry of information very quickly. 225 00:23:06.075 --> 00:23:10.432 I'll try to summarize, and if I've missed something, please colleagues jump in. 226 00:23:11.107 --> 00:23:22.711 We have an underlying proposal on council meetings, which was debated in a work session, an amendment from Councilor Kanal, which has been proposed and seconded, which would capture thank you. 227 00:23:22.776 --> 00:23:24.846 —Some of the conversation from that work session. 228 00:23:25.358 --> 00:23:38.403 An amendment from Councilor Smith that we are getting written up, which has been seconded, which would change the meeting schedule to include a weekly morning meeting and once-a-month evening meetings. 229 00:23:39.141 --> 00:23:51.318 And an amendment from Councilor Koyama Lane, which has been seconded, to decrease the amount of time before the council president must schedule something at a council meeting from 90 days to 45 days. 230 00:23:52.137 --> 00:24:07.192 We have an amendment that is under Councilor Dunphy's name, which a few councilors' staff helped to put together, that is a bit of a bare-bones capturing of the conversation around committees from our work session. 231 00:24:07.882 --> 00:24:17.239 We have a proposal that I have put forward based on some conversations since that was put together with a number of councilors around another way that we could think about committees. 232 00:24:17.287 --> 00:24:17.479 Thank you. 233 00:24:18.279 --> 00:24:29.951 And a proposal put forward by Councilor Novick for that second item, the committee item around how our council's leadership meets with committee chairs. 234 00:24:31.277 --> 00:24:32.134 Did I miss anything? 235 00:24:33.846 --> 00:24:34.025 Okay. 236 00:24:35.544 --> 00:24:43.041 Just clarifying that that amendment was friendly and not seconded the package on the first one that I put forward. 237 00:24:43.903 --> 00:24:47.482 I think that we need to vote on it and not just accept it in. 238 00:24:47.980 --> 00:24:48.173 Okay. 239 00:24:49.104 --> 00:24:50.435 Just given the extent of it. 240 00:24:50.548 --> 00:24:52.699 But I do— I thought I heard a second on—. 241 00:24:52.892 --> 00:24:53.470 It was seconded. 242 00:24:53.534 --> 00:24:53.855 Okay. 243 00:24:54.336 --> 00:24:55.026 Okay, thank you. 244 00:24:55.123 --> 00:24:55.941 Okay. 245 00:24:56.743 --> 00:25:15.375 There may be other changes as we discuss that folks want to bring forward, but for our community members who are signed up to testify, this at least gives us a starting place for what the breadth of the debate is So with that, seeing no one else in the queue, Rebecca, could you please call up our first testifiers? 246 00:25:17.049 --> 00:25:21.759 Our first testifier is Terry Harris, followed by Donna Cohen. 247 00:25:22.439 --> 00:25:27.305 And excuse me, President, do you want to go to 6 minutes each or 3 per? 248 00:25:28.096 --> 00:25:31.373 Because we're combining the 2, do we have anybody else signed up to testify? 249 00:25:32.141 --> 00:25:34.087 No, these are the only testifiers. 250 00:25:34.873 --> 00:25:39.280 Give a little more time since we're opening it up on both at the same time. 251 00:25:39.442 --> 00:25:40.182 Yes, thank you. 252 00:25:40.744 --> 00:25:41.516 Mr. Harris, welcome. 253 00:25:42.512 --> 00:25:52.357 Yeah, you know, my Governance Committee testimony on Monday went 14 minutes, so cutting it in half is going to be, you know, just great. 254 00:25:53.005 --> 00:26:04.284 I appreciate the opportunity, um, as always, um, and I've had a lot of time to sort through all of this stuff, and I appreciate putting all the amendments out there. 255 00:26:06.127 --> 00:26:11.364 I'm going to testify as generally as to not get into the weeds of all your amendments. 256 00:26:12.471 --> 00:26:28.469 Um, in my assessment, the council's problem— and this is important— um, with committees and with meetings runs deeper than what scheduling consolidation or jurisdictional realignments are going to fix. 257 00:26:29.576 --> 00:26:45.371 You have some fundamental problems, fundamental questions around the role of committees and council the procedural structure to implement that role effectively, and providing meaningful, meaningful public involvement within that structure. 258 00:26:46.453 --> 00:26:56.604 Unless and until the council commits to an approach to these interconnected problems, the committee system and the council will continue to struggle. 259 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:05.159 The starting point for your committee structure discussions should be a recognition that committees are a solution and not a problem. 260 00:27:06.798 --> 00:27:12.532 So I have 4 pages of written comments in your files. 261 00:27:14.094 --> 00:27:24.862 That is not going to fit my 6 minutes, so I'm going to hit the highlights here, the headlines if you will, and will be available to answer questions. 262 00:27:26.150 --> 00:27:31.409 First of all, an increase in regular meetings is not going to solve your workload problem. 263 00:27:32.301 --> 00:27:39.422 The detailed work of committee— detailed work of governance needs to be done in committee in parallel. 264 00:27:42.890 --> 00:27:51.849 In addition to establishing the new committees, the council should commit to actually using them, and a committee of the whole will help you do that. 265 00:27:53.410 --> 00:27:58.157 Um, I had, you know, 14 minutes on committee of the whole and governance yes. 266 00:27:58.383 --> 00:27:58.864 On Monday. 267 00:27:59.811 --> 00:28:03.952 Um, and I'll just say that you have some experience with that. 268 00:28:04.708 --> 00:28:08.704 Your budget committee operated as a committee of the whole. 269 00:28:09.523 --> 00:28:13.746 You took testimony in the budget committee as a committee of the whole. 270 00:28:14.259 --> 00:28:19.541 You did your amendments, you did all of your adjustment in the budget committee as a committee of the whole. 271 00:28:20.682 --> 00:28:28.023 Then you convened from the budget committee to the regular council to pass a budget bill. 272 00:28:28.364 --> 00:28:30.303 So that's the experience. 273 00:28:30.691 --> 00:28:38.679 That can help you with broader discussions other than the budget if you implement it in rules. 274 00:28:38.938 --> 00:28:39.928 So that's all I'll say about that. 275 00:28:42.619 --> 00:28:58.967 Verbal comments and agency presentations on legislation or legislative items should be generally necessary only once, and it should be directed almost exclusively to committees. 276 00:29:00.689 --> 00:29:12.054 If the public is here to give input to the council on a legislative item, they need to know that their input is being heard in the right place at the right time by the right people. 277 00:29:13.182 --> 00:29:16.308 Doing two hearings is confusing that. 278 00:29:17.573 --> 00:29:25.201 And if you want to do things in parallel, you need to have that input in committee where the work is really being done, and that's early on. 279 00:29:26.450 --> 00:29:36.017 If you need a full council to hear a hearing, use a committee of the whole and do all the committee work at that level. 280 00:29:36.801 --> 00:29:42.778 Don't make people come twice because they don't know which, which hearing matters. 281 00:29:42.826 --> 00:29:43.067 I agree. 282 00:29:43.838 --> 00:29:52.185 And that will save you time overall so that you don't have presentations over and over again. 283 00:29:54.940 --> 00:29:59.644 Committees need to be structured to make recommendations to the full council that have consequence. 284 00:30:01.339 --> 00:30:07.057 They should be able to move things to a consent calendar or just kill things outright in committee. 285 00:30:10.769 --> 00:30:11.416 Finally, on—. 286 00:30:13.326 --> 00:30:22.976 To operate effectively, and you're going to have full council meetings weekly and not biweekly, you're going to need more committee hearings. 287 00:30:23.412 --> 00:30:27.106 The committee hearings bimonthly are not going to be enough. 288 00:30:27.510 --> 00:30:33.467 So you will have shifted the procedural bottleneck into committee now. 289 00:30:34.270 --> 00:30:54.576 I'd suggest that you can have long-form and short-form committee hearings alternating weeks so that long-form you can have lots of testimony and discussion on big things, and short-form you can do the quick little code fixes and things that get your eyes on it, but it doesn't take as long. 290 00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:59.689 Miscellaneous considerations in these last 55 seconds. 291 00:31:01.465 --> 00:31:05.018 Governance and finance probably ought to be its own committee. 292 00:31:05.453 --> 00:31:08.817 And not be relegated to a committee of the whole or full council thing. 293 00:31:09.252 --> 00:31:18.476 There are lots of small little nitpicky things in government governance and finance that deserve committee attention, not the attention of all of you every single time. 294 00:31:22.207 --> 00:31:30.767 The internal service rates discussion needs not be an entire council conversation. 295 00:31:32.008 --> 00:31:33.884 But it does need attention in a committee. 296 00:31:34.910 --> 00:31:39.287 The subquorum leadership group is a good idea, but its membership shouldn't drive the number of committees. 297 00:31:40.665 --> 00:31:50.335 There is some finesse that can be had to avoid your open meetings problems, and maybe Councilor Novick's amendment might address that. 298 00:31:51.249 --> 00:31:55.162 5 Standing committees and a committee of the whole is a nicely sized thing. 299 00:31:55.337 --> 00:32:01.584 And 10 seconds, committee chairs and vice chairs, are preferable to committee co-chairs. 300 00:32:03.338 --> 00:32:04.766 Only 9 seconds over. 301 00:32:04.943 --> 00:32:05.867 Thank you, Mr. Harris. 302 00:32:06.144 --> 00:32:07.554 We appreciate hearing from you. 303 00:32:07.618 --> 00:32:09.986 I know you've spent a lot of time thinking about these topics. 304 00:32:15.230 --> 00:32:16.215 You're good to approach, Donna. 305 00:32:18.165 --> 00:32:19.127 Next we have Donna Cohen. 306 00:32:20.569 --> 00:32:20.667 Okay. 307 00:32:20.931 --> 00:32:21.275 Welcome. 308 00:32:21.423 --> 00:32:22.900 Thank you for being here with us today. 309 00:32:23.145 --> 00:32:23.573 Thank you. 310 00:32:24.432 --> 00:32:27.790 I'm going to take a breath in between the 2 testimonies, if that's okay. 311 00:32:30.573 --> 00:32:34.461 So, um, morning, Council. 312 00:32:34.510 --> 00:32:35.607 My name is Donna Cohen. 313 00:32:36.836 --> 00:32:38.357 Uh, I'm a resident of District 2. 314 00:32:40.154 --> 00:32:42.339 I present workshops on civics to adults. 315 00:32:43.432 --> 00:32:54.022 In the how to engage with your elected officials part of my Citizen Activism 101 workshop, which I presented at Midland and Albina branch libraries this summer. 316 00:32:54.763 --> 00:33:00.432 I have always been pleased to say how fulfilling it is to speak to one's city council, county commission, et cetera. 317 00:33:00.674 --> 00:33:02.179 Would you show the picture, please? 318 00:33:03.450 --> 00:33:13.013 This is a picture I show of when several of us came to council about a very serious, as in people were dying, traffic safety issue in St. Johns. 319 00:33:14.321 --> 00:33:16.692 Our t-shirts, by the way, signified the project we were working on. 320 00:33:16.740 --> 00:33:16.855 Thank you. 321 00:33:18.646 --> 00:33:28.147 At the time, I'm actually on the schedule there, but I had spoken before and a new person wanted to speak from the neighborhood and we swapped, something which can't be done now. 322 00:33:28.698 --> 00:33:29.881 I don't quite understand that. 323 00:33:30.755 --> 00:33:38.681 Now I add a picture showing the slow process of the public communication process, unfortunately. 324 00:33:38.744 --> 00:33:45.231 Prior to 2025, my experience was that I could request a slot to speak to council and get scheduled within a week to a month. 325 00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:45.328 Yes. 326 00:33:46.167 --> 00:33:50.613 The current wait is, is over 2 months, and you're lucky if you can grab a spot at all. 327 00:33:51.159 --> 00:34:00.915 And the waitlist option, which may or may not prove useful, is exclusive to those who can get email alerts from their phones and respond within as little as 4 to 5 minutes. 328 00:34:01.269 --> 00:34:07.061 I kid you not, I have timestamp evidence of waitlist opportunities and when they are fulfilled. 329 00:34:08.009 --> 00:34:13.159 And not everyone has the luxury of flexibility for last-minute cancellations for a slot either. 330 00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:22.436 As outlined on the webpage description for this agenda item, there have been less than half the opportunities for open public comment with the new council meeting structure. 331 00:34:22.998 --> 00:34:28.590 Being able to speak to council on matters which council has yet to discuss or even be aware is critical. 332 00:34:28.670 --> 00:34:35.577 Council definitely needs to meet more frequently and thus provide more opportunities for the public to speak on any topic. 333 00:34:36.282 --> 00:34:38.556 Um, yes, the proposed ordinance will do just that. 334 00:34:38.621 --> 00:34:38.717 Thank you. 335 00:34:39.744 --> 00:34:51.137 As someone who participated in forums during the creation of the plans for the new city government and was on the speakers bureau for Portland United for Change, I was impressed at how often the issue of communication between the public and the city council was brought up. 336 00:34:51.715 --> 00:34:55.427 I commend city council for recognizing the issues addressed by the proposed ordinance. 337 00:34:55.956 --> 00:35:01.563 We're still going through growing pains in our new government— with our new government, but you're clearly trying. 338 00:35:01.820 --> 00:35:07.251 Thank you for the proposal to increase council meetings and thus Public communication with council. 339 00:35:11.956 --> 00:35:17.885 Okay, so now the, um, second ordinance on policy committees. 340 00:35:20.076 --> 00:35:35.648 Um, in regard to the policy committees, there is a discussion of whether to reduce the number of committees from the current 8, whether to increase the time allowed for the meetings, and whether to make sure there is someone from every district on all policy committees I am in support of all these changes. 341 00:35:36.788 --> 00:35:43.436 One of my main concerns is that there has not been enough— there's not been time scheduled for open public communication during policy committee meetings. 342 00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:49.827 For example, I have some thoughts and some research to share with the Housing Committee but have had no opportunity to share them. 343 00:35:49.956 --> 00:35:52.798 I wrote to all the committee members, received no response. 344 00:35:53.184 --> 00:36:03.311 I wrote again, indicating a second attempt, and received response from 2 councilor offices, both directing me to the agenda page where there was no option for open public comment. 345 00:36:04.018 --> 00:36:06.389 Neither is there an email specifically for the committee. 346 00:36:06.501 --> 00:36:10.429 In other words, the public is totally shut out for anything but an agenda item. 347 00:36:11.791 --> 00:36:31.469 Another example is that, as the issue of life and death impact to tens of thousands, not only in District 2, but all those who have family members that work at the port facilities and Rivergate Industrial Area in District 2, namely that the North Peninsula will be completely severed from the rest of Portland after the quake to come, possibly for months. 348 00:36:31.998 --> 00:36:36.206 This should have been able to be presented to the Transportation and Public Safety Committees. 349 00:36:37.202 --> 00:36:39.596 It is a separate issue from the CEI overall. 350 00:36:40.655 --> 00:36:53.327 By not being able to do so, we saw the siloing of efforts to solicit monies from the legislature, one effort by the mayor and the city as a whole, and another by the community on the North Peninsula, just D2 councilors and our state legislators. 351 00:36:53.376 --> 00:36:53.585 Thank you. 352 00:36:54.244 --> 00:36:57.264 Imagine how that looked to the State Transportation Committee. 353 00:36:58.179 --> 00:37:06.324 Now some of our leaders on the North Peninsula are seeking a Zoom meeting with the mayor and some of you councilors to smooth this out for the upcoming special session. 354 00:37:06.518 --> 00:37:08.639 We want to be on the same page. 355 00:37:09.425 --> 00:37:17.329 We have received an answer— as of yesterday, we had only received an answer from one office, Councilor Murillo, and today we heard something from D2. 356 00:37:18.085 --> 00:37:23.001 Uh, and I dropped off something in the mayor's office and Councilor Clark's office today. 357 00:37:24.833 --> 00:37:45.106 Public Communication and Policy Committees will allow input on new ideas to those council members most involved with the topic and overall provide more opportunities for public communication with, communication with council because the proposal to increase such time with the full council only brings us up to the amount that was available under our prior form of government. 358 00:37:45.831 --> 00:37:46.523 Thank you for your time. 359 00:37:48.454 --> 00:37:51.652 Thank you very much for being here, Donna, and for sharing all of those ideas. 360 00:37:51.992 --> 00:37:52.331 Thank you. 361 00:37:53.945 --> 00:37:55.077 That concludes testimony. 362 00:37:59.369 --> 00:38:12.579 Colleagues, I think we've heard a number of additional ideas, some of which have been part of our conversation and some of which have not yet thank you. 363 00:38:12.579 --> 00:38:12.579 Thank you, Councilor Herbold, for that update. 364 00:38:12.579 --> 00:38:12.719 We appreciate that. 365 00:38:12.719 --> 00:38:16.599 We appreciate the information that we get from both Terry and Donna. 366 00:38:16.599 --> 00:38:41.485 I would like us to focus first on the first agenda item, the ordinance before us, and open up discussion on— sorry, I'm losing my page here— open up discussion on the ordinance to adopt council regular meeting schedule pursuant to code subsection 3.02010. 367 00:38:44.739 --> 00:38:51.648 We have a few amendments open, but I would like to start with the amendment that Councilor Kanal has put on the table. 368 00:38:51.711 --> 00:38:53.047 He was the first to propose one. 369 00:38:53.177 --> 00:38:57.423 It also generally relates to the discussion that we've already had. 370 00:38:57.472 --> 00:39:00.184 Councilor Kanal, are you in the queue to speak to that amendment? 371 00:39:00.559 --> 00:39:00.985 I can be. 372 00:39:01.394 --> 00:39:02.755 Okay, why don't we start there? 373 00:39:03.936 --> 00:39:04.657 Thank you, Madam President. 374 00:39:07.496 --> 00:39:12.427 Colleagues, uh, today we are introducing an ordinance which would return council to scheduled weekly meetings. 375 00:39:12.507 --> 00:39:15.527 It's being proposed by Councilor Dunphy, Councilor Avalos, and myself. 376 00:39:16.088 --> 00:39:30.128 Uh, we talked through the document at a work session last week, and based on those pieces of feedback heard from colleagues, uh, I have proposed an amendment which has been, um, agreed to by both co-sponsors as well. 377 00:39:30.175 --> 00:39:30.496 Thank you. 378 00:39:31.202 --> 00:39:34.023 To reflect your feedback in it. 379 00:39:34.152 --> 00:39:38.592 It does not reflect the things that were points of contention, as the council president brought up. 380 00:39:38.657 --> 00:39:49.045 I think we can debate those subsequent to this amendment, but it does reflect everything that was discussed that was a consensus position or near consensus. 381 00:39:49.541 --> 00:39:52.090 So I'll just walk through it briefly. 382 00:39:53.148 --> 00:40:05.605 The key points here in the council findings, Section 1, It adjusts for the dates and times that have been updated since this was written in May. 383 00:40:06.168 --> 00:40:07.668 It removes references to July. 384 00:40:07.958 --> 00:40:08.797 We're past July now. 385 00:40:09.248 --> 00:40:13.253 It adds into the findings the dates that we had scheduled special meetings. 386 00:40:13.914 --> 00:40:17.992 And the key points are in the now therefore the council directs. 387 00:40:19.016 --> 00:40:22.576 And it removes D, E, and F entirely. 388 00:40:22.625 --> 00:40:22.690 Okay. 389 00:40:23.545 --> 00:40:24.014 From it. 390 00:40:25.164 --> 00:40:33.545 This is the removing the no executive sessions may be scheduled on Thursday between 2:00 and 5:00 PM unless with the written consent of at least 9 councilors. 391 00:40:33.836 --> 00:40:39.686 I'm realizing as I read this, and I'll mention now to Rebecca, sorry, Section C should also be removed. 392 00:40:40.554 --> 00:40:42.190 That's based on feedback there. 393 00:40:42.255 --> 00:40:43.583 So we'll send you that updated file. 394 00:40:45.152 --> 00:40:48.601 It removes the references to meetings on July 2nd and June 21st. 395 00:40:48.826 --> 00:40:48.969 Yes. 396 00:40:49.083 --> 00:41:17.628 That was Part E. And it also removes references to the budget-specific work sessions that are— and meetings that we'd already scheduled, which was Section F. So it narrows the field back down to the creation of a new schedule that has weekly meetings on Wednesday, the soft stop on, um, at 9 o'clock on evening meetings, and then there's updates to the impact statement to reflect everything I just said, and you can look down there. 397 00:41:18.097 --> 00:41:34.340 Finally, although this was not discussed, I did take the opportunity to clarify one item in the second and third to last lines of the impact statement, which just had the word folks, and I expanded that out to emphasize who folks refers to, which is community, councilors, and staff. 398 00:41:34.760 --> 00:41:39.244 That was not discussed, but I figured it was— it made sense to update through this process as well. 399 00:41:41.414 --> 00:41:42.603 So that's what the amendment would do. 400 00:41:42.682 --> 00:41:44.224 I'm happy to take any questions on it. 401 00:41:44.306 --> 00:41:51.510