WEBVTT 1 00:05:56.648 --> 00:05:58.386 We ready to get going? 2 00:05:58.514 --> 00:06:01.490 Keelan, ready? 3 00:06:05.319 --> 00:06:05.401 Good. 4 00:06:08.593 --> 00:06:10.149 I'm going to turn that up. 5 00:06:10.197 --> 00:06:10.440 There we go. 6 00:06:10.521 --> 00:06:17.399 Welcome to the Wednesday, January 28th morning session of the Portland City Council. 7 00:06:18.122 --> 00:06:19.120 Keelan, could you please call the roll? 8 00:06:19.170 --> 00:06:19.394 Roll call. 9 00:06:22.927 --> 00:06:26.653 Present. 10 00:06:27.300 --> 00:06:27.315 Aye. 11 00:06:27.379 --> 00:06:27.994 Pirtle-Guiney. 12 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:29.220 Here. 13 00:06:32.447 --> 00:06:36.449 Commissioner Ryan might be joining online, but okay. 14 00:06:38.112 --> 00:06:41.064 Uh, Koyama Lane. 15 00:06:42.372 --> 00:06:42.502 Here. 16 00:06:43.517 --> 00:06:43.776 Here. 17 00:06:44.083 --> 00:06:44.922 Here. 18 00:06:46.358 --> 00:06:46.586 Here. 19 00:06:47.317 --> 00:06:47.757 Here. 20 00:06:48.309 --> 00:06:48.795 Zimmerman. 21 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:49.202 Here. 22 00:06:49.836 --> 00:06:50.177 Dunphy. 23 00:06:50.891 --> 00:06:51.574 And I am here. 24 00:06:53.577 --> 00:06:56.947 And will the city attorney please read the code of conduct statement? 25 00:06:57.978 --> 00:06:58.446 Good morning. 26 00:06:58.785 --> 00:07:00.461 Welcome to the Portland City Council. 27 00:07:00.654 --> 00:07:07.115 To testify before council in person or virtually, you must sign up in advance on the council agenda at www.portland.gov/council/agenda. 28 00:07:10.872 --> 00:07:14.605 Information on engaging with council can be found on the council clerk's webpage. 29 00:07:15.341 --> 00:07:19.331 Individuals may testify for 3 minutes unless the presiding officer states otherwise. 30 00:07:19.988 --> 00:07:22.247 Your microphone will be muted when your time is over. 31 00:07:22.872 --> 00:07:24.699 The presiding officer preserves order. 32 00:07:24.987 --> 00:07:34.714 Disruptive conduct such as shouting, refusing to conclude your testimony when your time is up, or interrupting other— others' testimony or council deliberations will not be allowed. 33 00:07:35.403 --> 00:07:37.519 If you cause a disruption, a warning will be given. 34 00:07:38.016 --> 00:07:40.649 Further disruption will result in ejection from the meeting. 35 00:07:41.146 --> 00:07:44.728 Anyone who fails to leave once ejected is subject to arrest for trespass. 36 00:07:45.418 --> 00:07:48.677 Additionally, council may take a short recess and reconvene virtually. 37 00:07:49.432 --> 00:07:51.648 Your testimony should address the matter being considered. 38 00:07:52.161 --> 00:07:54.216 When testifying, state your name for the record. 39 00:07:54.329 --> 00:07:55.742 Your address is not necessary. 40 00:07:56.336 --> 00:07:59.002 If you're a lobbyist, identify the organization you represent. 41 00:07:59.468 --> 00:08:03.129 Virtual testifiers should unmute themselves when the council clerk calls your name. 42 00:08:03.401 --> 00:08:03.790 Thank you. 43 00:08:05.004 --> 00:08:05.959 Thank you very much. 44 00:08:06.704 --> 00:08:09.456 Colleagues, our first item is agenda approval. 45 00:08:09.634 --> 00:08:14.084 Are— is there any, uh, request to amend the agenda or change in any way? 46 00:08:14.894 --> 00:08:18.129 I do not see anybody getting excited to change the agenda. 47 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:21.040 Uh, so do I have unanimous consent to approve the agenda? 48 00:08:21.747 --> 00:08:22.529 I see some nods. 49 00:08:22.887 --> 00:08:24.404 The agenda is approved. 50 00:08:28.410 --> 00:08:30.781 Keelan, can we please call item number 2, public communications? 51 00:08:34.777 --> 00:08:36.998 Item number 2, public communications. 52 00:08:37.143 --> 00:08:39.606 First up, we have David Pearl. 53 00:08:43.948 --> 00:08:44.375 Welcome. 54 00:08:44.947 --> 00:08:48.267 Please, uh, make sure to introduce yourself for the record, and time is yours. 55 00:08:51.429 --> 00:08:54.554 Name for the record, David Pearl, District 1. 56 00:08:55.384 --> 00:09:06.277 What we are witnessing is the Stanford Prison Experiment playing out in real time against our people, providing no accountability or consequence to those with no moral compass and a desire for sadism. 57 00:09:06.923 --> 00:09:24.592 ICE is shooting our people in broad daylight, brutalizing, gassing, and maiming protesters, abducting people from their homes and vehicles, ripping children out of schools, and sending our family and neighbors to foreign detention camps with no due process, whose conditions are so egregious, inhumane seems like a compliment. 58 00:09:24.674 --> 00:09:25.200 Councilmember Herbold. 59 00:09:26.023 --> 00:09:33.986 And yet our mayor and city council continue to treat this as business as usual, providing Susan Collins-esque statements of being deeply concerned. 60 00:09:34.227 --> 00:09:40.634 Instead of fighting for your community, you have devoted more time to bickering and quarreling over who will be the leader of your chamber. 61 00:09:41.517 --> 00:09:45.740 Ironic, as not a single fucking one of you has actually shown what it takes to lead. 62 00:09:46.573 --> 00:09:48.227 I do not give a fuck what your title is. 63 00:09:48.421 --> 00:09:49.640 I do not care what your salary is. 64 00:09:49.785 --> 00:09:50.716 Order, could you please? 65 00:09:50.974 --> 00:09:51.166 Yeah. 66 00:09:51.711 --> 00:09:52.706 We are broadcasting. 67 00:09:52.754 --> 00:09:54.469 We have language requirements. 68 00:09:54.517 --> 00:09:57.643 Please keep it professional to the extent possible. 69 00:09:57.883 --> 00:09:58.283 Thank you. 70 00:09:58.668 --> 00:10:04.408 What I care about is your ability to stand and safeguard your constituents' rights, liberties, and well-beings in a time of crisis. 71 00:10:05.160 --> 00:10:11.301 I was arrested by ICE back in June, and not a single agent of any of the 7 reports was even from Oregon. 72 00:10:12.070 --> 00:10:23.274 The reality is there is a very good chance that Jonathan Ross and the other murderers masquerading as ICE were in our city— sorry, were in our state not too long ago to properly learn how to cull dissent. 73 00:10:24.158 --> 00:10:31.163 Let it be known that this is blood on the hands of anyone in a position of power that has refused to actively listen to the warnings and cries of its constituents. 74 00:10:32.032 --> 00:10:43.022 Revoking the ICE permit should be without question a priority, but our Mayor Keith Wilson needs to step up, have town halls, and start showing that he has the necessary resolve to fight this regime. 75 00:10:44.081 --> 00:10:47.215 Renee Goode and Alex Preddy's murders cannot just be a statistic. 76 00:10:47.714 --> 00:10:49.480 Their deaths cannot just be a tragedy. 77 00:10:49.787 --> 00:10:53.355 This needs to be a call to action to actually step up and fight for your people. 78 00:10:53.741 --> 00:10:54.469 Thank you. 79 00:11:00.173 --> 00:11:03.231 Next up, we have Mark Porras, Portland Cop Watch. 80 00:11:04.885 --> 00:11:05.176 Good morning. 81 00:11:05.225 --> 00:11:05.740 Can you hear me? 82 00:11:06.255 --> 00:11:06.724 Yeah, go ahead. 83 00:11:07.965 --> 00:11:08.544 Fantastic. 84 00:11:08.610 --> 00:11:09.142 Good morning, Council. 85 00:11:09.254 --> 00:11:10.157 My name is Mark Porras. 86 00:11:10.285 --> 00:11:12.768 I use he/him pronouns, and I'm a member of the group Portland Cop Watch. 87 00:11:13.662 --> 00:11:18.654 Since 1992, Portland Cop Watch has been working towards a police bureau that's free of brutality, corruption, and racism. 88 00:11:19.505 --> 00:11:26.298 As we are part of a peace group, we believe that when there are interactions with police, everyone should be able to go home safe at night, civilians and police officers. 89 00:11:26.812 --> 00:11:32.643 That's what we wished for the 2 officers who were shot and wounded last week, and for the suspect who PPB took into custody on Monday. 90 00:11:33.124 --> 00:11:40.557 I'm here to follow up on a letter we sent a couple weeks ago to Mayor Wilson, the 5 members of the Community and Public Safety Committee, and the Portland Committee on Community Engaged Policing. 91 00:11:41.150 --> 00:11:49.113 The gist of our letter was that we learned from Assistant Chief Hughes at the last Community and Public Safety Committee meeting that bargaining between the city and PPA began on January 12th. 92 00:11:49.160 --> 00:11:49.288 Thank you. 93 00:11:49.802 --> 00:11:53.302 As far as we know, there has been no community engagement around these negotiations. 94 00:11:54.057 --> 00:12:04.059 We attached a copy of a January 2020 Bureau of Human Resources report summarizing public input the city received at 2 listening sessions, one in November and one in December of 2019. 95 00:12:04.653 --> 00:12:12.328 Each of the listening sessions was attended by 75 to 100 people, and the community input was then presumably used to inform PPA contract negotiations. 96 00:12:12.923 --> 00:12:18.076 We pointed out that the director of independent police review is stepping down, and his last day was on Friday, January 16th. 97 00:12:18.125 --> 00:12:18.284 Thank you. 98 00:12:18.846 --> 00:12:31.370 We stated that the new Community Board for Police Accountability, CBPA, is not yet meeting, and the Office of Community-Based Police Accountability, OCPA, does not yet have a director since that person is going to be hired by the community members who make up the CBPA. 99 00:12:32.188 --> 00:12:40.350 Since the last PPA contract was fully bargained, the PPA attempted to put forth a ballot measure that would have stripped the vast majority of power from the Community-Based Police Accountability system. 100 00:12:40.993 --> 00:12:44.568 Their effort failed because the language they proposed for the ballot measure was extremely misleading. 101 00:12:44.616 --> 00:12:44.729 Thank you. 102 00:12:45.226 --> 00:12:49.304 When a judge ruled that they needed to change the language, the PPA abandoned their effort. 103 00:12:50.043 --> 00:12:56.787 This afternoon, you'll have a work session with the folks from the OIR group who recently submitted their 9th report on officer-involved shootings and critical incidents. 104 00:12:57.428 --> 00:13:05.568 The report covers incidents from 2019 to 2022, but leaves out 2 shooting deaths of men who were in mental health crisis, Robert Delgado and Michael Townsend. 105 00:13:06.018 --> 00:13:10.979 For the first time in 15 years, the city refused to provide cases to OIR that were still being litigated. 106 00:13:11.270 --> 00:13:14.511 This is maddening, and OIR made that clear in their report. 107 00:13:15.147 --> 00:13:29.125 To tie this back to PPA contract negotiations, recommendation number 8 in the OIR group's 2012 report was that the city should work with PPA and PPCOA to remove the 48-hour rule restriction on interviewing involved officers in shootings and in-custody deaths. 108 00:13:29.793 --> 00:13:32.543 We hope that at least some of you have read the 2020 BHR report. 109 00:13:33.087 --> 00:13:43.950 If the city is not planning on providing ample opportunity for the community to share their thoughts on how they want to be policed, In order to inform PPA contract negotiations, please at least consider this suggestion from us. 110 00:13:44.416 --> 00:14:01.883 Please implement the OIR group's 14-year-old recommendation and help the Bureau become the learning institution that it claims to be by ensuring that it has the most timely and important information it can get from officers in order to avoid future loss of life, their perceptions of what happened as soon as possible after using deadly force. 111 00:14:02.172 --> 00:14:03.426 48 Hours is too late. 112 00:14:03.474 --> 00:14:03.586 Thanks. 113 00:14:04.085 --> 00:14:04.245 Thank you. 114 00:14:06.193 --> 00:14:06.631 Thank you, Mark. 115 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:09.714 Next up, we have John Hollister. 116 00:14:32.825 --> 00:14:37.048 My name is John Hollister, and I'm from District 4. 117 00:14:40.577 --> 00:14:55.075 Um, so the couple things I want to comment on is first the, um, the breakup of the Peacock Caucus and, and what that means to me. 118 00:14:57.500 --> 00:15:03.885 The, um, what it means to me is that, and I'm very happy about it, that you all agree to no longer have secret illegal meetings. 119 00:15:05.649 --> 00:15:19.345 Um, and Mitch, you may agree to not be any secret illegal meetings going forward, but the fact that you're part of DSA and everything I've read about that, they control your messaging. 120 00:15:19.556 --> 00:15:35.389 Um, A few things that I'm waiting for is there was a vacation, a trip with wives to Vienna, and $47,000 was spent. 121 00:15:36.097 --> 00:15:37.177 And I've seen no report. 122 00:15:37.256 --> 00:15:41.220 I've seen nothing written of the findings of that. 123 00:15:42.947 --> 00:16:00.023 But what I did is I did a Google search for free and found out that the key element that makes the Vienna social housing, which I'm now an absolute proponent for, What makes it successful is they have 2.5 times the police per capita that Portland does. 124 00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:08.447 So when I'm hearing you say you're pro-social housing, I'm hearing you are pro-police, and that makes me excited. 125 00:16:11.191 --> 00:16:16.384 And yet the— you've reduced— you voted to reduce the police force. 126 00:16:18.442 --> 00:16:25.827 The— before the 2022 cuts, The 911 response time was under 7 minutes. 127 00:16:26.586 --> 00:16:28.361 Today it is over 20 minutes. 128 00:16:29.168 --> 00:16:36.727 When I'm having my worst day in my life, I want to have, I want to have quick response, and that does not provide quick response. 129 00:16:36.873 --> 00:16:42.644 We simply do not have a large enough safety, large enough safety officers. 130 00:16:45.306 --> 00:16:55.384 One thing that I also noted on Was your comment about Big Pink that when it sold for 10 cents on the dollar? 131 00:16:55.705 --> 00:16:56.460 Here's something I saw. 132 00:16:56.926 --> 00:17:11.378 Dunphy, it also potentially makes us less attractive to new development because these moneyed interests who would buy new, who would build, are instead just going to buy old. 133 00:17:11.941 --> 00:17:17.272 I think the sale of Big Pink at such a discount relative to its previous valuation is a really good thing. 134 00:17:17.747 --> 00:17:20.162 I'm not sure what type of economist would think that. 135 00:17:22.490 --> 00:17:32.558 And Mr. Zimmerman, I just want you to know that I'm running a pro-District 4 campaign and for all of you. 136 00:17:32.929 --> 00:17:37.183 And it is a Mitch Green out program. 137 00:17:37.861 --> 00:17:38.532 Thank you very much. 138 00:17:42.991 --> 00:17:44.866 Next up, we have Sage Joyce. 139 00:17:54.736 --> 00:17:55.186 Good morning. 140 00:17:55.784 --> 00:17:56.606 Thanks for being here. 141 00:18:01.890 --> 00:18:02.827 My name is Sage Joyce. 142 00:18:03.297 --> 00:18:09.445 On January 3rd, 2026, ICE murdered Geraldo Lunos Campos at a detention camp in Texas and lied that it was suicide. 143 00:18:10.093 --> 00:18:16.923 On January 7th, 2026, ICE shot and killed Renee Goode in Minneapolis and lied that it was self-defense. 144 00:18:17.180 --> 00:18:26.526 On January 8th, 2026, CBP shot Luis David Nino Moncado and Yorelenis Betzabet Sombrano Contreras here in Portland, claiming self-defense. 145 00:18:26.974 --> 00:18:32.611 On January 14th, 2026, Victor Manuel Diaz died at Camp East Montana with ICE claiming suicide. 146 00:18:33.076 --> 00:18:39.788 On January 20th, 2026, ICE agents in Minneapolis detained 5-year-old preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos. 147 00:18:40.286 --> 00:18:43.971 He is currently being held at the inhumane daily detention facility in Texas. 148 00:18:44.308 --> 00:18:52.402 On January 22nd, 2026, ICE agents in Minneapolis detained 2-year-old, 2-year-old Chloe Renata Tipan Vilacis and flew her out of state. 149 00:18:52.883 --> 00:18:58.092 On January 24th, 2026, CBP shot and killed Alex Pretty in Minneapolis and lied that he was armed. 150 00:18:59.133 --> 00:19:05.400 These inhumane acts just in the first 4 weeks of 2026 are not even almost the beginning of ICE's atrocities. 151 00:19:05.688 --> 00:19:09.759 And if you think that ICE will not kill people and detain children in Portland, you are a fool. 152 00:19:09.823 --> 00:19:10.015 Thank you. 153 00:19:10.689 --> 00:19:27.903 I am an early childhood educator here in Portland, and I have taken unpaid time off work this morning to urge you to pursue the legal avenues that have been presented to you time and time again by your constituents, the people whose constitutional rights you have sworn under oath to protect, to revoke the conditional use permit for the McAdam ICE facility. 154 00:19:28.577 --> 00:19:35.675 Yesterday's letter from Councilor Green and Councilor Murillo urging the mayor to enforce detention facility impact code is a step in the right direction, and I am grateful. 155 00:19:36.045 --> 00:19:37.522 Having said that, it is not enough. 156 00:19:37.971 --> 00:19:57.785 ICE's use of chemical weaponry in Portland is a symptom of a much larger problem, which is that there is a federal agency authorized to use full force to kidnap as many people as they can get away with, to kill, shoot, mace, gas as many people as it takes to scare the community into silence, to lie, deflect, wrongfully accuse as much as they can in an attempt to justify their inhumanity. 157 00:19:58.651 --> 00:19:59.709 ICE doesn't care about the laws. 158 00:19:59.772 --> 00:20:01.200 ICE doesn't care how many people they have to kill. 159 00:20:01.536 --> 00:20:05.528 They have military weapons and a fascist administration defending them and encouraging them. 160 00:20:05.784 --> 00:20:15.380 In the so-called sanctuary state of Oregon, they operate out of their home base in Portland Our city is under attack, and it will take more than fines to protect it. 161 00:20:16.180 --> 00:20:25.390 Portland City Council failed its constituents and the entire state of Oregon in 2011, and today the violence that ICE is carrying out in Portland constitutes an emergency, but you, City Council, are failing us once again. 162 00:20:25.420 --> 00:20:32.779 You should be combing through every piece of city code, calling every contact you have, pulling every string you can get your hands on to get ICE out of Portland. 163 00:20:32.839 --> 00:20:37.579 You should be pounding on Permitting and Development's door demanding the commencement of the reconsideration process. 164 00:20:37.579 --> 00:20:39.920 You should be storming into the mayor's office demanding that he collaborate with City Council to pass emergency legislation to stop ICE from building a new facility in Woodlawn. 165 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:39.960 Councilwoman Johnson. 166 00:20:41.829 --> 00:20:43.119 Legislation shutting down the facility. 167 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:44.319 You have power. 168 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:45.599 Your hands are not tied. 169 00:20:45.660 --> 00:20:47.380 It is your job to protect the city of Portland. 170 00:20:47.730 --> 00:20:49.099 Your hands are not tied. 171 00:20:49.099 --> 00:20:49.608 You are cowards. 172 00:20:50.019 --> 00:20:51.099 You are afraid to stand up to ICE. 173 00:20:51.099 --> 00:20:52.349 You are afraid to stand up to your community. 174 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:54.559 But the people of Portland are not too afraid to act. 175 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:55.519 We are the ones in the streets. 176 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:58.839 We are the ones getting tear gassed on the weekends and showing up to work on Monday. 177 00:20:58.839 --> 00:21:01.549 We are not too afraid to fight for our neighbors, to fight for your constituents. 178 00:21:02.220 --> 00:21:03.539 We will get ICE out of Portland. 179 00:21:03.539 --> 00:21:06.769 We will not rest until the McAdam ICE facility is shut down, and neither should you. 180 00:21:07.140 --> 00:21:08.819 How much Portland blood has to be on your hands? 181 00:21:11.953 --> 00:21:14.478 Thank you for being here this morning. 182 00:21:16.926 --> 00:21:18.584 Next up, we have Deborah Heyman. 183 00:21:25.655 --> 00:21:26.034 Good morning. 184 00:21:26.788 --> 00:21:27.296 Thank you for being here. 185 00:21:29.112 --> 00:21:30.125 Good morning, councilors. 186 00:21:30.239 --> 00:21:32.846 My name is Deborah Heyman, and I'm a resident of District 1. 187 00:21:33.683 --> 00:21:50.448 I'm here today because I and many others have repeatedly reached out to each of you regarding our serious concerns about the McAdam Ice Most of you have not responded, and those who have allege that you have no authority to influence a process already underway with the Portland Permitting and Development Department and the city administrator. 188 00:21:51.041 --> 00:21:52.133 That response is troubling. 189 00:21:52.886 --> 00:21:55.549 You are treating this as if it is a private business matter. 190 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:56.384 It is not. 191 00:21:56.882 --> 00:22:05.240 When a facility operates through city permits, relies on city infrastructure, and causes documented harm to residents, it becomes a public safety issue. 192 00:22:05.305 --> 00:22:05.449 Thank you. 193 00:22:05.882 --> 00:22:09.459 PP&D and the city administrator are not elected officials. 194 00:22:09.875 --> 00:22:17.397 There is no clear way for community members to contact them, no transparency around timelines, and no opportunity for public accountability. 195 00:22:18.135 --> 00:22:20.974 You are the elected representatives of the people of Portland. 196 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:29.748 It is your responsibility to ensure that our voices are heard within city government and to provide clear, timely information about matters that directly affect our safety. 197 00:22:30.244 --> 00:22:33.998 Creating a page on the city website does not count as effective action. 198 00:22:34.061 --> 00:22:34.398 Thank you. 199 00:22:34.977 --> 00:22:38.731 The McAdam ICE facility presents a clear and ongoing danger to our community. 200 00:22:39.085 --> 00:22:49.098 This has become even more evident since federal agents shot 2 Portlanders earlier this month, and since we've seen ICE's escalation of violent tactics in Minneapolis over the past few weeks. 201 00:22:49.757 --> 00:22:56.705 Federal agents at the McAdam ICE facility have consistently violated the 12-hour detainment limit legally set by this body. 202 00:22:57.443 --> 00:23:01.295 ICE officers have assaulted people peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights. 203 00:23:01.777 --> 00:23:09.358 And federal agents have repeatedly deployed tear gas, poisoning nearby residents, especially those living in the Grays Landing affordable housing complex. 204 00:23:10.130 --> 00:23:21.840 Portland City Charter, Chapter 2, Article 1, Section 2-105, which outlines this council's specific powers, explicitly grants the council police, safety, and regulatory powers. 205 00:23:22.275 --> 00:23:34.769 These include the authority to protect public health and safety, regulate buildings and land use, prevent and abate nuisances, Keep public spaces safe, and regulate dangerous materials and activities that pose risk to residents. 206 00:23:35.363 --> 00:23:42.957 According to the council's own governing document, addressing the dangers posed by the McAdam Ice Facility is not outside of your authority. 207 00:23:43.390 --> 00:23:45.926 It is squarely within your responsibility. 208 00:23:46.922 --> 00:23:53.616 I am asking you to stop deflecting responsibility to unelected departments and to act as the representatives you were elected to be. 209 00:23:54.131 --> 00:23:58.048 Use your authority to demand transparency and timely and effective action. 210 00:23:58.112 --> 00:23:58.384 Thank you. 211 00:23:58.722 --> 00:24:03.653 Do your duty to intervene to protect the health, safety, and civil rights of your constituents. 212 00:24:04.039 --> 00:24:04.813 This is urgent. 213 00:24:05.731 --> 00:24:06.117 Thank you. 214 00:24:09.269 --> 00:24:10.608 Thank you for being here this morning. 215 00:24:11.721 --> 00:24:13.060 That completes communications. 216 00:24:13.803 --> 00:24:14.287 Thank you. 217 00:24:16.481 --> 00:24:20.028 Colleagues, item 3 on our agenda is committee referral report. 218 00:24:20.431 --> 00:24:25.357 For colleagues and for folks watching at home, my office has referred several items to committees this last week. 219 00:24:25.423 --> 00:24:26.984 They are listed on our agenda on there. 220 00:24:27.114 --> 00:24:28.305 Some of these items have already been heard. 221 00:24:29.987 --> 00:24:41.061 Those items are listed in the committee referral report, which is available online, portland.gov/auditor/council-clerk/committee-referral-list. 222 00:24:42.605 --> 00:24:45.923 Can we please move to the first, uh, to item 4, the time-certain item? 223 00:24:46.053 --> 00:24:48.259 Are we at time for that? 224 00:24:48.388 --> 00:24:48.452 Yeah. 225 00:24:48.630 --> 00:24:49.130 Okay, great. 226 00:24:49.773 --> 00:24:54.316 Uh, item 4, 2025 Steve Lowenstein Trust Award. 227 00:24:55.724 --> 00:25:03.750 Colleagues, this morning we're welcoming representatives from the Steve Lowenstein Trust to present their annual award for distinguished service to those in the community most in need. 228 00:25:04.311 --> 00:25:08.050 Here to present the award are Joe Herzberg, board president, and Margie Harris. 229 00:25:09.351 --> 00:25:10.250 Margie or Margie? 230 00:25:10.634 --> 00:25:10.907 Margie. 231 00:25:11.196 --> 00:25:11.453 Cool. 232 00:25:11.694 --> 00:25:13.828 Margie Harris, board member of the trust. 233 00:25:14.182 --> 00:25:15.513 Joe, Margie, welcome. 234 00:25:15.851 --> 00:25:18.612 And oh, I'm sorry, there's a third person whose name I did not call. 235 00:25:18.692 --> 00:25:19.365 I apologize. 236 00:25:20.039 --> 00:25:20.297 Welcome. 237 00:25:20.410 --> 00:25:21.374 Please introduce yourselves. 238 00:25:22.369 --> 00:25:24.232 Hi, I'm Joe Hertzberg. 239 00:25:26.210 --> 00:25:26.932 Lainie Tepper. 240 00:25:27.494 --> 00:25:28.040 Margie Harris. 241 00:25:28.538 --> 00:25:29.020 Thank you. 242 00:25:30.162 --> 00:25:37.473 And this is the 34th time that we've presented the Steve Lowenstein Award at a meeting of the Portland City Council. 243 00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:48.709 I hope that you come to see this as past councils have, as an opportunity to celebrate the spirit of Portland and affirm the true riches of our city. 244 00:25:49.422 --> 00:25:51.085 Um, could we have the first slide? 245 00:25:55.069 --> 00:26:02.749 Okay, I'm gonna, uh, just take a minute to talk about Steve Lowenstein because I don't think any of you knew him personally. 246 00:26:03.250 --> 00:26:04.134 Maybe Steve. 247 00:26:04.795 --> 00:26:11.509 Um, Steve packed a remarkable career into 52 years on the planet. 248 00:26:12.040 --> 00:26:25.185 He helped create the Peace Corps, worked with the Ford Foundation in Ethiopia and Chile, He was the father of legal services in Oregon, founding both the Oregon Law Center and the Oregon Law Foundation. 249 00:26:26.164 --> 00:26:29.387 He wrote the definitive history of Jews in Portland—. 250 00:26:30.671 --> 00:26:31.200 In Oregon. 251 00:26:32.034 --> 00:26:38.223 But we're here because he spent 6 years in Portland City Hall as Mike Lindberg's chief of staff. 252 00:26:39.009 --> 00:26:48.471 He was universally liked and respected because he was trusted as a straight shooter, A consensus builder and a passionate champion of social justice. 253 00:26:49.132 --> 00:26:49.824 Next slide. 254 00:26:53.318 --> 00:27:05.452 When Steve died, he endowed a trust fund to annually recognize, in his words, that person who demonstrated the greatest contribution to assisting the poor and underprivileged in the city of Portland. 255 00:27:06.926 --> 00:27:12.044 This year, Laney joins a distinguished group of local treasures, many of them unsung. 256 00:27:12.108 --> 00:27:12.288 Thank you. 257 00:27:13.219 --> 00:27:17.478 It's been an honor and a privilege to give them just a bit of the recognition they deserve. 258 00:27:18.138 --> 00:27:25.463 You certainly recognize some of the names on this list, but you might not have at the time that they received the award. 259 00:27:26.539 --> 00:27:36.338 And just an interesting little footnote, our 2022 honoree, Eric Knox, is featured on the front page of the Oregonian this morning. 260 00:27:38.218 --> 00:27:44.179 Selecting the honoree is the most humbling and rewarding thing I do all year, along with my fellow trustees. 261 00:27:45.237 --> 00:27:50.621 Uh, Jamal Folsom and Destiny Magaña-Pablo are here today. 262 00:27:51.246 --> 00:28:03.232 Other trustees are Art Alexander, Monica Geraki, Michelle Harper, Paul Kelly, Mark Jolin, Adrian Livingston, Shelley Romero, and Charlie Williamson. 263 00:28:04.483 --> 00:28:07.952 Adrian and Mark are past recipients of the award. 264 00:28:08.338 --> 00:28:09.431 Could we get the last slide? 265 00:28:10.329 --> 00:28:18.279 Just want to put our web address and CLEAR Clinic's web address on there for a moment. 266 00:28:19.018 --> 00:28:24.847 And Margie Harris will introduce Lainie Tupper, the recipient of the Steve Lowenstein Award for 2025. 267 00:28:26.164 --> 00:28:26.727 Thank you, Joe. 268 00:28:27.674 --> 00:28:30.067 Thank you to the council for hosting us this morning. 269 00:28:30.259 --> 00:28:33.214 It is a tradition that we are here to present this award. 270 00:28:33.616 --> 00:28:37.646 And this, as Joe said, is the 34th award. 271 00:28:38.755 --> 00:28:40.778 I am also a member of the board. 272 00:28:41.339 --> 00:28:46.798 I think Steve wanted his friends to continue meeting and serving in this capacity. 273 00:28:47.987 --> 00:28:54.603 I'm pleased to introduce and to honor Lainey Tupper, director of the CLEAR Clinic. 274 00:28:55.308 --> 00:28:58.327 And following my brief remarks, Lainey will make her own. 275 00:28:58.986 --> 00:29:00.690 And share more about the clinic. 276 00:29:01.316 --> 00:29:10.510 Prior to this time, we presented Laney with a $10,000 honorarium, which is part of the recognition through the trust. 277 00:29:11.923 --> 00:29:20.863 Laney, as an immigration attorney, you have chosen to use the law as a tool to obtain social and racial justice for others. 278 00:29:22.855 --> 00:29:44.021 You and your staff and the volunteers of Clear Clinic, many of whom are here today, recognize the inherent inequities and barriers of our legal system, and you work tirelessly to relieve people of their legal burdens, to right historic wrongs, and to facilitate change for the better. 279 00:29:45.208 --> 00:29:55.189 Founded in 2020, Clear Clinic is a nonprofit collective of legal workers and every day provides legal services to people who need them the most. 280 00:29:56.087 --> 00:30:00.247 And who otherwise would not be able to access or afford them. 281 00:30:01.403 --> 00:30:20.397 This legal assistance gives second chances to our most vulnerable Oregonians and extends a lifetime—a lifeline—to them that helps to protect, defend, and enable all members of our communities to live safer, more stable, and full lives. 282 00:30:21.696 --> 00:30:35.660 Clear Clinic protects the legal rights of tenants, provides services to the LGBTQ community, and importantly focuses also on our immigrant neighbors. 283 00:30:35.772 --> 00:30:39.945 I feel like the stage was set for that in the prior comments today. 284 00:30:41.818 --> 00:30:52.744 As Lainey has said to me, Clear Clinic is focused on protection and It's not just, Laney, your ability to envision what needs to be done. 285 00:30:53.084 --> 00:30:57.431 It's also your ability to actually do what needs to be done. 286 00:30:59.214 --> 00:31:04.823 I think of you as a person who is compelled and propelled to do good for others. 287 00:31:05.642 --> 00:31:10.741 Your nature is humble and your advocacy is tenacious and fearless. 288 00:31:12.496 --> 00:31:17.786 One person identified you as the spiritual center of Clear Clinic. 289 00:31:18.442 --> 00:31:32.067 I think that is because this— of the shared views people have of your generosity, your commitment, and your tireless work on behalf of those who are most vulnerable. 290 00:31:33.109 --> 00:31:39.424 You are a person of true character and integrity, a beacon for those who need it the most. 291 00:31:40.250 --> 00:31:44.535 That is how you are made, and that is how you operate in the world. 292 00:31:45.521 --> 00:31:57.016 I want to thank you on behalf of the Lowenstein Trust, and we hope that our support, which is small in comparison, helps you to continue the work that you do every day. 293 00:32:00.126 --> 00:32:01.402 Thank you so much, Margie. 294 00:32:02.224 --> 00:32:05.644 That was really overly kind, and I appreciate it so much. 295 00:32:06.435 --> 00:32:17.528 You can rest assured that the honorarium will go straight back to assisting our clients and the residents of Portland in relieving some of the legal barriers that you mentioned. 296 00:32:18.538 --> 00:32:21.008 Good morning, councilors and friends. 297 00:32:21.744 --> 00:32:33.976 On behalf of the entire team at the CLEAR Clinic, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the trustees of the Lowenstein Trust and to City Council for this honor and for hosting us today. 298 00:32:35.226 --> 00:32:42.567 We founded the CLEAR Clinic in 2020 as a scrappy, all-volunteer crew out of Portland Community College. 299 00:32:43.631 --> 00:32:46.214 Would folks from the CLEAR Clinic raise your hand? 300 00:32:53.630 --> 00:33:02.557 Many of us, myself included, started as volunteers, and many of the people you see today have been with us since our very beginning in 2020. 301 00:33:03.784 --> 00:33:10.709 We began with a simple but radical premise that every single member of our community has inherent value. 302 00:33:11.553 --> 00:33:27.161 And we believe that no one deserves to be held back by legal barriers or by the cycles of instability created by criminal records, eviction histories, and the complex immigration system that prevents our neighbors from participating fully in our community. 303 00:33:27.980 --> 00:33:57.474 Our work feels especially relevant to today's City Council meeting given, as Margie mentioned, the ongoing pressure to protect our, our Portland residents from ICE and from ICE enforcement actions, brutal ICE enforcement actions, and the continued discussion of slowing the inflow into homelessness, which I'm also on deck to testify about later. 304 00:33:59.077 --> 00:34:08.153 Although I didn't have the pleasure of meeting him, I understand that Steve Lowenstein believed that the law should be a tool for the many, not just for the few. 305 00:34:08.251 --> 00:34:08.347 Thank you. 306 00:34:09.306 --> 00:34:18.969 At CLEAR, we share that belief, and we therefore prioritize keeping our legal assistance free and open access as a meaningful form of community care. 307 00:34:20.202 --> 00:34:39.260 Uh, two— incidentally, two of our main, uh, grants that allowed us to move from an all-volunteer crew to what we are now, which is a staff of 30 legal workers, uh, came from the City of Portland, from the cannabis tax funds and from the Portland Housing Bureau, ARPA, and now rental registry funds. 308 00:34:40.748 --> 00:34:53.661 Whether we at the CLEAR Clinic are clearing a criminal record, preventing an eviction, or protecting our community from deportation, deportation and ICE detention, we aren't just filing paperwork or appearing in court. 309 00:34:54.114 --> 00:34:57.820 We're restoring dignity and strengthening our whole community. 310 00:34:59.152 --> 00:35:02.447 We believe that our work now is more critical than ever. 311 00:35:03.467 --> 00:35:12.262 In recent months, we've seen our mission impeded by cruel federal policies and enforcement actions that seek to dehumanize our neighbors. 312 00:35:13.481 --> 00:35:19.601 But they have fundamentally misunderstood the strength of this community and the depth of our resolve. 313 00:35:20.690 --> 00:35:31.619 This award goes to our staff, like I mentioned, of over 30 legal workers who are deeply dedicated to showing our community that they are priceless and cherished. 314 00:35:32.351 --> 00:35:36.706 This is also for the thousands of clients who trust us with their stories. 315 00:35:38.266 --> 00:35:49.242 As we look toward the challenges of 2026, we do so with a determination to continue tearing down the legal barriers created by oppressive systems, including our legal system. 316 00:35:50.224 --> 00:35:57.860 We are reminded again and again that to build a strong community, we need each member to be able to shine. 317 00:35:57.909 --> 00:35:58.282 Thank you. 318 00:35:59.097 --> 00:36:05.842 Our legal work aims to help achieve that goal, and we are honored to be here in community with all of you. 319 00:36:06.788 --> 00:36:12.701 Thank you for believing in our work and for helping us carry Steve Lowenstein's legacy forward. 320 00:36:13.775 --> 00:36:18.358 Thank you so much for being here this morning and all the incredible contributions you are leading in our community. 321 00:36:18.485 --> 00:36:21.947 We need it, and I'm so glad that we're able to recognize you right now. 322 00:36:22.347 --> 00:36:23.068 Vice President Clark. 323 00:36:24.190 --> 00:36:24.590 Thank you. 324 00:36:24.976 --> 00:36:31.141 Council President, I just want to say congratulations to you and appreciation to the board members that are here very much. 325 00:36:31.478 --> 00:36:33.307 Um, thank you so much for your determination. 326 00:36:33.485 --> 00:36:35.266 Thanks for everybody for showing up today. 327 00:36:35.764 --> 00:36:39.088 It couldn't have been better timed, and I really appreciate what you do. 328 00:36:39.536 --> 00:36:43.405 It's vital right now, and your determination is so important to us. 329 00:36:43.454 --> 00:36:45.155 So thank you so much for being here. 330 00:36:45.847 --> 00:36:46.327 Thank you. 331 00:37:11.608 --> 00:37:17.588 We have traditionally offered a picture to be taken by the— for the council and others. 332 00:37:18.530 --> 00:37:20.960 If you're interested in that, we can take a few minutes. 333 00:37:21.313 --> 00:37:29.139 Otherwise, those who are here who are part of the representatives from Clear Clinic will simply assemble outside and we'll take a photo there. 334 00:37:29.364 --> 00:37:34.128 Yeah, we're going to take a 3-minute recess, come out here and take a photo. 335 00:37:34.548 --> 00:37:34.806 Okay. 336 00:37:34.856 --> 00:37:35.130 Thank you. 337 00:37:35.179 --> 00:37:35.824 We'll take a picture. 338 00:37:36.387 --> 00:37:37.394 Oh yeah, let's go out in the— Yeah. 339 00:37:37.460 --> 00:37:38.385 Okay, great. 340 00:37:38.677 --> 00:37:39.309 Fabulous. 341 00:37:39.489 --> 00:37:39.992 Back in 3. 342 00:43:32.539 --> 00:43:34.172 And we are back. 343 00:43:34.349 --> 00:43:34.646 Welcome back. 344 00:43:34.695 --> 00:43:37.753 Thank you, everybody, for that quick break. 345 00:43:39.849 --> 00:43:40.096 Welcome. 346 00:43:40.161 --> 00:43:42.067 Keelan, can we please move to the consent agenda? 347 00:43:43.425 --> 00:43:45.911 Is there anything on the consent agenda that has been pulled? 348 00:43:46.492 --> 00:43:47.509 No, nothing. 349 00:43:47.655 --> 00:43:48.364 Nothing's been pulled. 350 00:43:48.606 --> 00:43:48.768 Okay. 351 00:43:49.010 --> 00:43:52.851 Colleagues, do I have unanimous consent to adopt the consent agenda? 352 00:43:53.027 --> 00:43:54.507 Oh, oh, sorry, Council President. 353 00:43:54.570 --> 00:43:57.320 We will need to do a roll call vote for consent agenda. 354 00:43:57.385 --> 00:43:57.641 Oh, great. 355 00:43:57.706 --> 00:43:57.867 Yep. 356 00:43:59.474 --> 00:44:00.697 Okay, let me pull it up here. 357 00:44:03.606 --> 00:44:03.623 Aye. 358 00:44:04.606 --> 00:44:04.880 Smith? 359 00:44:05.461 --> 00:44:05.510 Aye. 360 00:44:06.364 --> 00:44:06.735 Kanal? 361 00:44:07.074 --> 00:44:07.123 Aye. 362 00:44:07.655 --> 00:44:08.461 Pirtle-Guiney? 363 00:44:08.849 --> 00:44:08.978 Aye. 364 00:44:09.719 --> 00:44:10.045 Ryan? 365 00:44:11.641 --> 00:44:11.657 Aye. 366 00:44:13.561 --> 00:44:14.115 Koyama Lane? 367 00:44:14.782 --> 00:44:14.831 Aye. 368 00:44:15.500 --> 00:44:18.253 Murillo? 369 00:44:18.594 --> 00:44:18.643 Aye. 370 00:44:20.538 --> 00:44:20.862 Novick? 371 00:44:21.105 --> 00:44:21.153 Aye. 372 00:44:22.012 --> 00:44:22.418 Clark? 373 00:44:22.887 --> 00:44:22.936 Aye. 374 00:44:23.617 --> 00:44:23.846 Green? 375 00:44:24.188 --> 00:44:24.351 Aye. 376 00:44:24.922 --> 00:44:25.297 Zimmerman? 377 00:44:28.626 --> 00:44:29.092 Consent. 378 00:44:32.596 --> 00:44:32.643 Aye. 379 00:44:33.664 --> 00:44:38.521 The consent agenda is approved with 11 yes votes and 1 absent. 380 00:44:38.844 --> 00:44:41.079 Can you please read item number 7? 381 00:44:44.230 --> 00:44:59.530 Exempt certain code requirements under City Code Chapter 17.93, Renaming City Streets, for the proposed renaming of a portion of Southwest Jackson Thank you, colleagues. 382 00:44:59.610 --> 00:45:01.507 This is the first reading of an ordinance. 383 00:45:01.572 --> 00:45:10.307 We have Claire Adamsick with Council Operations to give us a report of the bill that came out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. 384 00:45:10.536 --> 00:45:11.447 Claire, please take it away. 385 00:45:12.579 --> 00:45:18.045 Council President and councilors, for the record, Claire Adamsick, Council Policy Analyst and staff to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. 386 00:45:18.882 --> 00:45:29.556 The ordinance before you Document number 2026-008 was heard in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on January 12th, where it was referred to full council with a recommendation to pass. 387 00:45:30.389 --> 00:45:42.197 The ordinance waives 3 requirements in City Code Chapter 17.93, which is renaming city streets, as a component of the process to rename a portion of Southwest Jackson Street to Southwest Rose Hill Street. 388 00:45:42.983 --> 00:45:48.847 The ordinance would exempt the current street renaming proposal from Portland State University from the following code requirements. 389 00:45:50.777 --> 00:45:51.648 And there's 3 that I'll read. 390 00:45:52.067 --> 00:46:01.056 Subsection 17.93.010.a, which requires that the person after which the street will be renamed has been deceased for at least 5 years. 391 00:46:01.829 --> 00:46:11.916 Subsection 17.93.020, which requires that the name of any street must be the same for its entire length and does not permit renaming only a portion of the street. 392 00:46:12.728 --> 00:46:22.362 And finally, subsection 17.93.060, Which requires that an existing and newly proposed street name— a street name sign be posted for 5 years. 393 00:46:23.452 --> 00:46:28.503 Sorry, the existing and the newly proposed street name sign be posted for 5 years following the approval of the street renaming. 394 00:46:29.353 --> 00:46:35.414 The full impact statement on this item includes information on financial and budgetary impacts, as well as community impacts and community involvement. 395 00:46:36.505 --> 00:46:43.367 At the committee meeting, no one provided verbal testimony, and one person provided written testimony on this item prior to the committee action. 396 00:46:43.431 --> 00:46:43.896 Councilmember Herbold. 397 00:46:44.137 --> 00:46:50.266 I'll also note that 6 community members were invited to provide verbal testimony at the committee meeting on January 12th. 398 00:46:50.940 --> 00:47:20.208 The general themes of the testimony included acknowledging the harms and trauma caused by Andrew Jackson, after whom the street in discussion is currently named, an opportunity for community healing by honoring the contributions and legacy of Etowah Rose Hill, a member of the Indigenous community and Portland State University community, and concern regarding renaming the non-continuous portion of Southwest Jackson Street below 6th Avenue Thank you, Claire. 399 00:47:20.786 --> 00:47:23.253 Vice President Clark, you were— this came out of your committee. 400 00:47:23.333 --> 00:47:24.295 Anything to report? 401 00:47:25.016 --> 00:47:26.202 Thank you, Council President. 402 00:47:26.297 --> 00:47:50.240 I would just like to add that in addition to what Claire has offered about the technical side of this, this was a very moving day in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee where we were actually able to do something that seems small but very meaningful, This is really only 3 blocks that we're changing the name of, and it was really the Native community that requested the name change. 403 00:47:51.317 --> 00:48:02.672 I want to also compliment PBOT at this point because they've had a temporary pause on processing street renaming because of resource constraints. 404 00:48:02.800 --> 00:48:20.818 But given the unique circumstances of PSU street naming and the tremendous community support which we saw evidenced As I discussed in our committee meeting, the former council had directed staff to process PSU's application, and it's a long, arduous process. 405 00:48:21.494 --> 00:48:27.996 But since then, PBOT staff have been working with PSU to help them complete the necessary steps to make this change. 406 00:48:28.333 --> 00:48:29.697 But it was a very moving day. 407 00:48:30.003 --> 00:48:34.643 It was absolutely the right thing to do, and we're very proud to be doing it. 408 00:48:34.820 --> 00:48:35.719 Thank you. 409 00:48:36.429 --> 00:48:37.682 Thank you, Vice President Clark. 410 00:48:39.030 --> 00:48:46.032 Um, colleagues, before we move to testimony, I want to open it to, uh, any technical or clarifying questions from councilors. 411 00:48:47.094 --> 00:48:49.539 I see that we have PBOT folks in the room if there's any. 412 00:48:51.159 --> 00:48:56.788 Seeing nobody jumping into the queue, Keelan, do we have folks signed up for public testimony? 413 00:48:59.925 --> 00:49:01.643 Yes, we have a couple people signed up. 414 00:49:01.773 --> 00:49:02.623 Let me pull it up here. 415 00:49:07.650 --> 00:49:10.300 First up, we have Modesta Mentone. 416 00:49:20.777 --> 00:49:21.911 Thank you so much for being here. 417 00:49:34.773 --> 00:49:34.983 Thank you. 418 00:49:35.663 --> 00:49:42.313 My name is Modesta Minthorn, and I am currently the executive director for tribal relations at Portland State University. 419 00:49:43.800 --> 00:49:46.579 Good morning, council— council folk. 420 00:49:47.751 --> 00:49:56.043 Um, I am here today to strongly support the renaming of Jackson Street to Rose Hill Street. 421 00:49:56.943 --> 00:49:59.110 Street names are more than just addresses. 422 00:49:59.192 --> 00:50:01.938 They are monuments we interact with every day. 423 00:50:02.532 --> 00:50:06.563 They tell us and our children who we honor and whose legacy we value. 424 00:50:07.123 --> 00:50:20.431 Currently, this street honors former President Andrew Jackson, whose administration was responsible for policies that caused immense suffering and displacement to Native communities and was also known as the Indian Killer. 425 00:50:21.088 --> 00:50:27.630 Continuing to honor this legacy sends message— sends a message that Indigenous pain is secondary to tradition. 426 00:50:28.463 --> 00:50:30.804 Conversely, Rose Hill represents the very best of our city. 427 00:50:30.853 --> 00:50:31.478 Councilmember Loretta Smith. 428 00:50:32.472 --> 00:50:40.105 As a leader in Indian education, Rose fought not for oppression of others but for the elevation of our Native students. 429 00:50:40.650 --> 00:50:44.010 They spent their life building bridges in Portland. 430 00:50:44.764 --> 00:50:51.239 Renaming this street is a small administrative change but a massive symbolic step towards healing and inclusivity. 431 00:50:51.994 --> 00:50:55.418 Let's align our city map— our city's map with our city's morals. 432 00:50:55.851 --> 00:50:57.764 I urge you to vote yes on this name change. 433 00:50:57.811 --> 00:50:58.085 Thank you. 434 00:50:58.344 --> 00:51:01.617 Thank you so much for being here. 435 00:51:05.550 --> 00:51:09.833 Folks, I unfortunately do need to note that we don't allow clapping in the chambers. 436 00:51:10.092 --> 00:51:14.474 Uh, if there are, uh, less audible versions of showing your appreciation, absolutely great. 437 00:51:14.556 --> 00:51:15.170 Thank you very much. 438 00:51:15.461 --> 00:51:15.981 Apologize. 439 00:51:17.715 --> 00:51:18.996 Next up, we have Anne Cudd. 440 00:51:23.199 --> 00:51:23.983 Welcome, President Cudd. 441 00:51:24.750 --> 00:51:25.190 Good morning. 442 00:51:25.726 --> 00:51:27.552 Good morning, councilors. 443 00:51:27.664 --> 00:51:32.440 My name, for the record, is Ann Cudd, and I serve as president of Portland State University. 444 00:51:33.737 --> 00:51:47.773 For years, students and elders have had to enter a space designed for Indigenous healing and success on a street named after Andrew Jackson, the architect of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. 445 00:51:49.039 --> 00:51:52.628 By finalizing this change, we are not just updating a sign. 446 00:51:53.126 --> 00:52:01.135 We are aligning our city's physical geography with its stated values of equity and historical truth. 447 00:52:02.516 --> 00:52:12.563 2 Of the 3 blocks we are asking to rename are located within the Portland State University campus, abutting the Native American Student and Community Center. 448 00:52:13.525 --> 00:52:28.762 The center, which at PSU we call the NASC for short, is a gathering space that celebrates and empowers student success through culturally relevant programming, academic support, and intergenerational community engagement. 449 00:52:29.947 --> 00:52:42.190 Preserving and perpetuating intertribal connection for Native American, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander students, and our allies through tradition, ceremony, and storytelling. 450 00:52:43.648 --> 00:52:52.007 This renaming effort has been a years-long advocacy campaign Led by Indigenous staff, community members, and students. 451 00:52:52.891 --> 00:53:04.342 While the city previously paused street renaming applications due to capacity constraints, the council's decision to make an exception for this 3-block section was the right one. 452 00:53:05.403 --> 00:53:13.385 It recognizes the unique significance of this location and the profound impact this change has had on the Indigenous community. 453 00:53:13.434 --> 00:53:13.594 Thank you, Mayor. 454 00:53:14.722 --> 00:53:25.432 Renaming Southwest Jackson Street to Southwest Rose Hill Street is an important step in making our city a place where everyone can feel that they truly belong. 455 00:53:27.079 --> 00:53:35.659 In tribal custom, the word Itway is used before the name of someone who has passed as a sign of respect when speaking about them. 456 00:53:36.896 --> 00:53:44.677 I had the honor of meeting Itway Rose Hill before she passed, And I was very impressed by her kind and strong presence. 457 00:53:45.786 --> 00:53:51.264 Renaming this street after Itway Rose Hill is a deeply fitting tribute. 458 00:53:51.987 --> 00:54:00.855 She was a cultural keeper and a former NASC student coordinator who served as a vital mentor to generations of Native students. 459 00:54:01.771 --> 00:54:07.619 She was a driving force behind the vision for the NASC, advocating for its creation. 460 00:54:07.956 --> 00:54:12.159 From the 1980s until it became a reality in 2003. 461 00:54:13.510 --> 00:54:27.003 Itway Rosehill's life work has been about cultivating a sense of belonging and representation in a city that sits on the traditional homelands of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, and many other indigenous nations. 462 00:54:27.650 --> 00:54:33.518 It's exciting when our public spaces reflect the leaders who have worked to preserve and perpetuate these cultures. 463 00:54:35.733 --> 00:54:45.827 Lastly, I want to offer my thanks to PBOT and especially Cynthia Castro for working to ensure this renaming proceeds and receives the care and attention it deserves. 464 00:54:46.181 --> 00:54:49.893 Thank you, councilors, for your commitment to this historic transition. 465 00:54:50.117 --> 00:54:50.824 Thank you. 466 00:54:52.931 --> 00:54:53.547 Thank you very much. 467 00:54:54.719 --> 00:54:56.481 Next up, we have Xavier Stickler. 468 00:55:00.079 --> 00:55:00.644 Welcome, Xavier. 469 00:55:02.860 --> 00:55:06.530 Good morning, President Dunphy, Vice President Clark, and councilors. 470 00:55:07.284 --> 00:55:15.429 My name is Xavier D. Stickler, and I'm the Vice President of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, a student at Portland State, and a person of mixed race and Indigenous heritage. 471 00:55:16.326 --> 00:55:24.166 Today I'm representing the Downtown Neighborhood Association's enthusiastic and ecstatic support for renaming Southwest Jackson Street to Southwest Rose Hill. 472 00:55:24.983 --> 00:55:34.344 Presently named for President Andrew Jackson, Jackson Street in the downtown travels east from Southwest Park Avenue to 5th Avenue, Passing Portland State's Native American Student Community Center. 473 00:55:35.150 --> 00:55:49.063 It is the opinion of the DNA that is unacceptable and improper for our city's cornerstone space for members of the Native community to be on a street, the name of which honors a man who was instrumental in perpetuating systemic violence against First Nation people. 474 00:55:50.699 --> 00:55:54.780 To be memorialized in a street is a signifier of positive contribution to Portland. 475 00:55:55.251 --> 00:56:00.516 For President Jackson, slave owner, white supremacist, killer, This is simply not the case. 476 00:56:01.577 --> 00:56:08.630 For Itway Rose Hill, an educator, a guide, a creator, a champion of knowledge and community, this is emphatically the case. 477 00:56:09.610 --> 00:56:24.619 I can only describe the idea of replacing the name of a man with such a legacy with that of a woman who embodied love, charity, and dutiful advocacy for Native people as just, prudent, necessary, and in being in the spirit of what we hold dear as Portlanders. 478 00:56:25.373 --> 00:56:37.226 This segment of public right-of-way is only 3 blocks long, and renaming will affect only a few properties but will result in a tremendously positive symbolic impact to the downtown area, to PSU, to our Native neighbors. 479 00:56:38.045 --> 00:56:50.797 The Downtown Neighborhood Association urges City Council to approve these technical ordinances so that staff and the community may continue the work of completing the street renaming application procedure, gather signatures, and finish this process of healing. 480 00:56:51.054 --> 00:56:51.327 Thank you. 481 00:56:52.434 --> 00:56:56.942 This is a grassroots community-led effort which has the strong backing of the downtown neighborhood. 482 00:56:57.711 --> 00:57:07.289 By moving forward with these ordinances, you help create a place in our city that is for everyone, that honors the people who have been here since time immemorial and are still here. 483 00:57:08.315 --> 00:57:16.434 The Portland of tomorrow is one that elevates the voices and missions of people like Wayrose Hill, and with these votes, that tomorrow can start now. 484 00:57:17.043 --> 00:57:17.701 Thank you very much. 485 00:57:18.340 --> 00:57:19.346 Thank you for being here this morning. 486 00:57:24.210 --> 00:57:25.836 Next up we have Solen Herring. 487 00:57:28.849 --> 00:57:29.090 Good morning. 488 00:57:29.445 --> 00:57:29.960 Good morning. 489 00:57:30.235 --> 00:57:30.911 Thank you for being here. 490 00:57:30.960 --> 00:57:31.250 Go ahead. 491 00:57:31.458 --> 00:57:32.489 Thank you for having me. 492 00:57:33.472 --> 00:57:43.204 Honorable City Council members, my name is Solen Herring and I'm a student at St. Mary's Academy, located less than half a mile from the PSU Native Student American Student and Community Center. 493 00:57:44.338 --> 00:57:45.766 I have lived in Portland my entire life. 494 00:57:46.521 --> 00:57:49.601 Growing up, I spent time downtown with my father when he would bring me to work. 495 00:57:50.291 --> 00:57:57.465 Today, I travel downtown daily as a student and as a participant in World Oregon's Young Leaders in Action program, which is based downtown. 496 00:57:58.380 --> 00:58:04.590 Through these experiences, I have witnessed how downtown Portland has changed over time as its populations and needs have shifted. 497 00:58:05.362 --> 00:58:10.400 As a person commuting there daily, I experience it with a deeper understanding of both its challenges and its strengths. 498 00:58:11.235 --> 00:58:17.369 While downtown Portland has changed over the years, I have consistently seen how community remains the foundation that allows it to endure. 499 00:58:18.557 --> 00:58:22.603 Despite these changes, the one constant that has remained is the strength of community. 500 00:58:23.518 --> 00:58:30.456 Downtown neighborhoods, regardless of the challenges they face, are sustained and uplifted by the people who live, work, and learn there. 501 00:58:31.708 --> 00:58:34.855 Feeling safe and supported in one's environment is essential. 502 00:58:35.641 --> 00:58:39.030 Especially for students and community members who rely on these spaces every day. 503 00:58:40.219 --> 00:58:46.467 I'm fortunate to attend a school where I'm supported by a strong, safe community located within the Clean and Safe District. 504 00:58:47.447 --> 00:58:53.615 This experience has shown me how meaningful safe, intentional spaces can be and why they should be accessible to all. 505 00:58:54.739 --> 00:58:59.800 The PSU Native American and Student Community Center serves as an important cultural and community hub. 506 00:59:00.684 --> 00:59:04.065 It should Thank you. 507 00:59:05.347 --> 00:59:14.659 I believe that renaming Southwest Jackson Street to Southwest Rose Hill Street would be a meaningful step towards affirming that safety and strengthening the sense of community in downtown Portland. 508 00:59:15.523 --> 00:59:24.755 Street names carry history and symbolism, and this change would help affirm the presence— the importance of Native presence, culture, and community in downtown Portland. 509 00:59:25.699 --> 00:59:32.670 I respectfully submit this testimony in support of exempting certain code requirements for the proposed renaming of a portion of Southwest Jackson Street. 510 00:59:33.057 --> 00:59:34.496 And ask for your consideration. 511 00:59:35.257 --> 00:59:37.407 Thank you for your time and your service to our city. 512 00:59:38.329 --> 00:59:39.039 Thank you very much. 513 00:59:42.840 --> 00:59:44.014 That completes testimony. 514 00:59:44.610 --> 00:59:45.110 Thank you. 515 00:59:46.061 --> 00:59:50.219 Colleagues, do we have any questions, comments, concerns, or short stories? 516 00:59:50.961 --> 00:59:51.670 Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 517 00:59:53.139 --> 00:59:53.978 No short stories. 518 00:59:54.106 --> 00:59:56.623 I do have a question for PBOT though. 519 00:59:57.333 --> 00:59:57.527 Great. 520 00:59:57.590 --> 00:59:58.547 Do we have PBOT folks in the room? 521 00:59:58.746 --> 01:00:00.331 Oh, I see a lot of them. 522 01:00:00.396 --> 01:00:00.793 Come on up. 523 01:00:04.550 --> 01:00:11.708 And while they're coming up, I will just express my gratitude for everybody who is here today to testify and everybody who's worked on this. 524 01:00:13.320 --> 01:00:19.521 This is fantastic community building and community organizing work, and I appreciate seeing this before us today. 525 01:00:19.603 --> 01:00:20.856 I'm excited to support it. 526 01:00:21.451 --> 01:00:26.452 I do have a question about street names though, and this street name in particular. 527 01:00:26.516 --> 01:00:26.612 Yes. 528 01:00:27.599 --> 01:00:40.469 As I look at the map, I see the 3 blocks in the downtown area that are Southwest Jackson, and I see 3 blocks just on the other side of I-405 that are Southwest Jackson right now. 529 01:00:41.449 --> 01:00:51.797 Is there anywhere other than those 6 blocks, the 3 we're looking at renaming and the 3 just west of 405, that are jackson street in Portland? 530 01:00:52.199 --> 01:01:01.425 And I, I'll just I'm asking this because one of the things that I love about Portland is how easy it is to wayfind here because we do have consistency in our street names. 531 01:01:02.010 --> 01:01:14.824 I understand that before us we have 3 blocks, but I am wondering if this is something where we might want to suggest that folks look more broadly if there are only 3 other blocks of a Jackson Street within the City of Portland. 532 01:01:17.210 --> 01:01:19.454 Good morning, Council President, members of council. 533 01:01:19.501 --> 01:01:20.884 For the record, I'm Anthony Butek. 534 01:01:21.266 --> 01:01:28.603 Acting City Traffic Engineer, I think the 2 segments you mentioned are the only 2. 535 01:01:29.391 --> 01:01:35.748 So the blocks on the west side of 4 or 5 that you mentioned are the only ones that would not be renamed. 536 01:01:36.456 --> 01:01:36.777 Okay. 537 01:01:37.018 --> 01:01:38.543 I look forward to supporting this today. 538 01:01:38.608 --> 01:01:52.503 And Council President and Council Vice President, Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, if it is deemed appropriate by my colleagues to have the conversation at some point in the future once we do pass that 5-year mark. 539 01:01:52.940 --> 01:02:02.956 I think that in order to both uphold our values as a city and also maintain our ease of wayfinding, we might want to revisit those other 3 blocks at some point in the future. 540 01:02:04.000 --> 01:02:04.353 Thank you. 541 01:02:06.652 --> 01:02:07.599 Thank you, Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 542 01:02:07.775 --> 01:02:08.242 Councilor Green. 543 01:02:10.121 --> 01:02:10.684 Yeah, thanks. 544 01:02:10.909 --> 01:02:24.130 I, I echo the I just want to thank the students and the organizers who fought really hard for this. 545 01:02:24.563 --> 01:02:28.596 I want to thank the Downtown Neighborhood Association for engaging these students. 546 01:02:29.880 --> 01:02:39.085 I think not every neighborhood association does the best work they can do to bring in young people into the work, and DNA has always done that as far as I have experience. 547 01:02:39.132 --> 01:02:39.936 So just thank you for that. 548 01:02:39.985 --> 01:02:40.434 Councilmember Herbold. 549 01:02:41.847 --> 01:02:49.429 Eatway Rose Hill was, was a visionary leader, and I think this is the bare minimum we can do as a city to honor the contribution. 550 01:02:49.476 --> 01:02:52.320 So thank you, President Cudd, for coming in and supporting this. 551 01:02:52.512 --> 01:02:56.061 And colleagues, I hope we support this ordinance. 552 01:02:56.143 --> 01:02:56.463 Thanks. 553 01:02:57.282 --> 01:02:57.958 Councilor Green. 554 01:02:58.150 --> 01:02:58.711 Councilor Novick. 555 01:03:00.077 --> 01:03:07.998 I just wanted to give my heartfelt thanks to everybody responsible for this, for giving me an opportunity to vote to take Andrew Jackson's name off of something. 556 01:03:09.074 --> 01:03:15.860 When I was running for US Senate in 2008, one of my platform planks was taking Andrew Jackson off the $20 bill. 557 01:03:17.346 --> 01:03:19.215 And I still hope that we will get there someday. 558 01:03:19.297 --> 01:03:20.958 But thank you so, so much. 559 01:03:21.619 --> 01:03:42.606 And I also think it's particularly important to take Jackson's names off thing now when JD Vance has argued that Andrew Jackson's defiance of the Supreme Court And sending the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes from the southeastern United States to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. 560 01:03:43.681 --> 01:03:50.141 Vance said that Jackson's defiance of the Supreme Court should be a model for the Trump administration in defying court orders. 561 01:03:51.070 --> 01:03:56.456 So this is a particularly appropriate time to excise Andrew Jackson's name off something. 562 01:03:56.985 --> 01:04:01.159 And I thoroughly agree with Councilor Pirtle-Guiney that we should take his name off the remainder of the street. 563 01:04:01.628 --> 01:04:05.702 And if there's some way to expedite that process, I'd be excited about that. 564 01:04:06.106 --> 01:04:07.697 But thank you so, so much. 565 01:04:09.096 --> 01:04:10.146 Thank you, Councilor Novick. 566 01:04:10.309 --> 01:04:10.922 Councilor Kanal. 567 01:04:11.780 --> 01:04:12.829 Thank you, Council President. 568 01:04:12.976 --> 01:04:14.769 Uh, thank you all for being here. 569 01:04:15.280 --> 01:04:22.864 Uh, Edway Rosehill was a cherished community leader, and today I'm proud to honor her legacy by, in a few minutes, casting a vote aye to clip the red tape holding up the process. 570 01:04:22.945 --> 01:04:27.699 I want to, um, also praise Cynthia Castro and everyone who was involved in the community engagement. 571 01:04:27.797 --> 01:04:33.014 This is an example of community engagement done right, and in the city we don't have a lot of those, so we should praise them when they come. 572 01:04:33.641 --> 01:04:40.769 Um, I also want to thank, uh, Serena Fasthorse, Sandy B. Altman— for Altman, sorry— for community leadership and advocacy. 573 01:04:41.509 --> 01:04:43.547 And, and thanks to everybody who testified for being here. 574 01:04:43.836 --> 01:04:51.400 Um, I want to particularly shout out someone— always nice to see someone from World Organs Young Leaders in Action come here and be a young leader in action. 575 01:04:51.849 --> 01:04:53.590 So that's always great too. 576 01:04:53.590 --> 01:04:57.400 And I agree with Councilor Pirtle-Guiney that we should revisit the other 3 blocks. 577 01:04:57.869 --> 01:05:02.880 It's already been said, so I won't go into super, a lot of detail about it, but Andrew Jackson was a despicable president. 578 01:05:03.409 --> 01:05:09.230 He enslaved people, he attacked indigenous people, including dozens of policies, obviously the Indian Removal Act of 1830. 579 01:05:09.230 --> 01:05:31.503 And I think at a time when we're seeing our current president committing violence against immigrants and people of color, violence against indigenous people, continuing both from the federal government and within society at a time when educational funding is being slashed and DEI work is being scrutinized, hidden, or stopped, and at a time when that current administration praises Andrew Jackson, as Councilor Novick put it, uh, this is an act of solidarity and resistance that's, that's important, uh, for Indigenous students. 580 01:05:31.711 --> 01:05:40.507 Seeing community names and culture is an important signal that you matter, um, and that we support your academic success as well as your success beyond academics as well. 581 01:05:40.925 --> 01:05:41.326 Thanks. 582 01:05:42.112 --> 01:05:42.320 Thank you. 583 01:05:42.369 --> 01:05:42.994 Councilor Kanal. 584 01:05:45.534 --> 01:05:50.239 Colleagues, seeing no one else in the queue, this is the first reading of a non-emergency ordinance. 585 01:05:50.432 --> 01:05:53.398 It will move to second reading at our next hearing. 586 01:05:53.833 --> 01:05:54.623 Thank you very much. 587 01:05:58.280 --> 01:05:59.711 Keelan, can we please read item number 8? 588 01:06:00.581 --> 01:06:06.168 Assess property for sidewalk, curb, and driveway repair for the Portland Bureau of Transportation. 589 01:06:07.059 --> 01:06:10.213 This is the second reading of a non-emergency ordinance. 590 01:06:10.809 --> 01:06:13.291 Um, is there any discussion on the item? 591 01:06:16.177 --> 01:06:19.864 Seeing none, Keelan, can you please call the roll? 592 01:06:25.085 --> 01:06:25.134 Aye. 593 01:06:26.146 --> 01:06:26.163 Aye. 594 01:06:30.068 --> 01:06:30.228 Aye. 595 01:06:31.782 --> 01:06:31.849 Aye. 596 01:06:32.188 --> 01:06:32.239 Aye. 597 01:06:37.266 --> 01:06:37.315 Aye. 598 01:06:41.414 --> 01:06:41.463 Aye. 599 01:06:43.032 --> 01:06:43.079 Aye. 600 01:06:45.061 --> 01:06:54.012 The ordinance passes with 12 yes votes. 601 01:06:55.206 --> 01:06:55.512 Thank you. 602 01:06:55.867 --> 01:06:57.449 Can we please read item number 9? 603 01:06:59.842 --> 01:07:14.275 Establish City Council's priorities for the allocation of approximately $20,700,000 in unspent rental services office funds and urge the mayor to reflect these priorities in the proposed budget. 604 01:07:15.496 --> 01:07:17.567 Thank you, Keelan. 605 01:07:17.742 --> 01:07:22.847 Colleagues, this is our continuation of our conversation that we had last Wednesday. 606 01:07:24.001 --> 01:07:32.090 We are continuing this primarily today in order to be able to hear the remainder of folks who signed up to testify and were unable to on that Wednesday evening hearing. 607 01:07:32.846 --> 01:07:52.233 Additionally, it is my hope that we will be able to get to a discussion of amendments today and that the next steps following this will be that we— this is our bite of the apple, that this is— that we are going to have to have a conversation about the ordinance that will be coming forward to allocate these dollars. 608 01:07:52.666 --> 01:07:54.255 But I'd really like this to be the Yes. 609 01:07:54.336 --> 01:08:02.726 —At the time that we are having these discussions and we do not try and relitigate it in a couple of weeks when we have to approve the funding mechanism of it. 610 01:08:03.644 --> 01:08:11.420 To that end, we also have some additional legal advice from our city attorneys about what these dollars can or cannot be used for. 611 01:08:12.860 --> 01:08:22.257 First, though, I am going to turn this over to Councilor Avalos with regard to her amendment that was introduced last week and Councilor Avalos. 612 01:08:22.851 --> 01:08:23.333 Thank you. 613 01:08:23.992 --> 01:08:28.152 So you all have in your inbox a new amendment. 614 01:08:28.537 --> 01:08:38.512 And so procedurally, we first need to— the sponsors of last week's amendment want to retract that because we're gonna replace it with the new one that I'll introduce in a moment. 615 01:08:39.395 --> 01:08:44.568 But I believe that requires unanimous consent or a vote depending on—. 616 01:08:44.921 --> 01:08:51.100 Yeah, my understanding is that to withdraw an amendment that is open It would require unanimous consent. 617 01:08:51.917 --> 01:08:53.938 Is that— I do not consent. 618 01:08:53.985 --> 01:08:59.034 Okay, then we have to move to a vote in order to withdraw the amendment that is on the table. 619 01:08:59.275 --> 01:08:59.773 Thank you. 620 01:09:00.318 --> 01:09:05.542 Yeah, and to be clear, we are re— we are taking off the amendment from last week. 621 01:09:05.847 --> 01:09:10.432 I can explain in a moment what the new amendment has and why, but we need to do that. 622 01:09:10.592 --> 01:09:12.484 We need to remove the old one in order to talk about the new one. 623 01:09:12.917 --> 01:09:13.061 Correct. 624 01:09:13.141 --> 01:09:14.889 Kind of information. 625 01:09:15.402 --> 01:09:21.782 Could we please get the information about the difference before we take that vote so that I understand what I'm voting on? 626 01:09:21.909 --> 01:09:23.192 Fair, absolutely. 627 01:09:23.337 --> 01:09:23.898 Thank you. 628 01:09:24.635 --> 01:09:26.751 Yeah, so then, all right, I'll go ahead and introduce the new one. 629 01:09:26.863 --> 01:09:27.359 Does that—. 630 01:09:27.408 --> 01:09:30.757 Sure, yeah, let's discuss it and we won't move it yet, but let's introduce it. 631 01:09:31.046 --> 01:09:36.609 Okay, and then I'm gonna pass around a hard copy of it so folks can have it in front of them if that is desired. 632 01:09:37.345 --> 01:09:46.131 All right, so as far as the new amendment goes, first I want to start by acknowledging that this process has not been simple. 633 01:09:47.220 --> 01:09:54.337 At our last meeting and again today, we are hearing extensive public testimony and community members have made it clear how much is at stake. 634 01:09:54.916 --> 01:09:57.801 That kind of engagement is democracy at work, even when it's messy. 635 01:09:58.587 --> 01:10:11.170 My co-sponsors, Council President Dunphy and Councilor Smith, and I have taken time to consider the feedback raised by colleagues and to work with staff and community partners to bring forward a revised package to the original resolution and to last week's amendment. 636 01:10:11.811 --> 01:10:16.604 Now, this amended proposal before you today is a good faith effort to respond to what we heard. 637 01:10:17.100 --> 01:10:22.373 It seeks to balance the urgent need for immediate renter supports with housing priorities raised by other council members. 638 01:10:23.046 --> 01:10:29.329 It does not include everything that I personally would choose, but it is a package that I believe we can stand behind together. 639 01:10:30.180 --> 01:10:36.622 The revised package includes rent assistance, eviction prevention, affordable housing development, and down payment assistance. 640 01:10:36.671 --> 01:10:36.798 Thank you. 641 01:10:37.296 --> 01:10:40.314 Priorities our community has consistently asked us to address. 642 01:10:41.005 --> 01:10:44.103 The proposal responds directly to concerns raised by colleagues. 643 01:10:44.680 --> 01:10:48.597 And as far as I'm concerned, compromise is not about abandoning values. 644 01:10:48.710 --> 01:10:54.393 It is about finding a path forward that allows us to act with urgency while respecting the range of priorities on this council. 645 01:10:55.275 --> 01:10:57.570 I will always, of course, fight for what East Portland needs. 646 01:10:57.619 --> 01:11:00.814 And right now that means keeping people housed and preventing displacement. 647 01:11:01.215 --> 01:11:06.720 So this amended package here reflects listening, collaboration, And a commitment to move forward rather than delay. 648 01:11:07.795 --> 01:11:11.083 I will just point out the highlights of what are changed. 649 01:11:11.195 --> 01:11:17.115 So we are going to the original Slow the Inflow resolution, and we made the changes from there. 650 01:11:17.453 --> 01:11:24.239 It felt untenable to start that negotiation from last week's package, as there were a lot of issues that people had with it. 651 01:11:24.657 --> 01:11:35.557 And so we went back and we allocated the dollars from the, Emergency housing vouchers, which was totaled $9 million, and we reallocated that in a couple of ways. 652 01:11:36.180 --> 01:11:58.417 We put $5.6 million of it towards the Broadway Corridor Affordable Housing Project and added an additional stipulation that if matching funds are not secured by the December 31st date, that the funds will be returned back into items 1 through 3, which are rent assistance for tenants, individuals experiencing homelessness, and rapid rehousing. 653 01:11:58.514 --> 01:11:58.627 Thank you. 654 01:11:58.750 --> 01:12:11.220 We also added back in funding for $1 million in gap funding for the Williams and Russell project and $1.5 million in gap funding for the SEI project. 655 01:12:11.630 --> 01:12:22.869 And then with the remaining $900,000, I distributed that— we distributed that, apologies, as we increased the $250,000 for down payment assistance to $750,000. 656 01:12:23.649 --> 01:12:25.210 So $500,000 went there. 657 01:12:25.210 --> 01:12:27.079 And then we added $400,000. 658 01:12:27.079 --> 01:12:27.119 Thank you. 659 01:12:27.966 --> 01:12:29.104 Thank you. 660 01:12:29.970 --> 01:12:35.340 To Section 4, which is about eviction, and we changed the language a little bit. 661 01:12:35.500 --> 01:12:41.832 I changed it to model a bit of how Councilor Novick's amendment was structured that we were going to discuss last week. 662 01:12:42.168 --> 01:12:52.317 And so it is now for eviction defense services administered by the Housing Bureau for eviction defense contractors and new funding for— to launch the right-to-counsel pilot. 663 01:12:52.364 --> 01:12:56.663 So I increased that from $1.5 million to $1.9 million. 664 01:12:58.720 --> 01:12:59.903 Those are the changes. 665 01:13:00.243 --> 01:13:04.087 And then I think, Councilor Smith, are you gonna add some comments on that or Courtney? 666 01:13:04.152 --> 01:13:05.020 No, I support that. 667 01:13:05.164 --> 01:13:05.631 Okay, sorry. 668 01:13:05.984 --> 01:13:07.189 Then that is the change. 669 01:13:07.413 --> 01:13:07.671 Thanks. 670 01:13:08.619 --> 01:13:09.809 Thank you, Councilor Avalos. 671 01:13:09.921 --> 01:13:10.466 And I just will—. 672 01:13:10.644 --> 01:13:11.238 Oh, I have one more thing. 673 01:13:11.382 --> 01:13:11.655 Sorry. 674 01:13:12.314 --> 01:13:12.622 One last thing. 675 01:13:13.139 --> 01:13:26.965 On the last page, because last week's amendment included the section where we combined the 2 amendments to remove the section about the revolving loan fund, described last week, uh, it's just not feasible anymore. 676 01:13:27.318 --> 01:13:28.635 And so we have to remove that. 677 01:13:28.715 --> 01:13:32.809 So instead of making it a separate amendment, we just bundled it into this new one as well. 678 01:13:32.873 --> 01:13:34.221 So that's the change on the last page. 679 01:13:34.302 --> 01:13:35.185 You'll see that strikeout. 680 01:13:35.523 --> 01:13:35.699 Thank you. 681 01:13:36.069 --> 01:13:36.855 Thank you, Councilor Avalos. 682 01:13:37.032 --> 01:13:46.970 I just— I want to reemphasize that, uh, this truly is a compromise package based on what we as the, the original sponsors heard from both public testimony and from our colleagues. 683 01:13:47.404 --> 01:13:49.186 Um, I don't love everything in this at all. 684 01:13:49.972 --> 01:13:53.402 But I am eager to get as much help into the community as quickly as possible. 685 01:13:53.738 --> 01:13:56.109 And I think the compromise at this moment is a really good thing. 686 01:13:57.023 --> 01:14:15.979 Prior to jumping into our testimony, I would like, for the purposes to make sure that folks who are testifying understand the facts that we are dealing with, we have Adrian Delgado from the City Attorney's Office who has some legal review for us so we can understand some of the specifics of what these dollars can or cannot be used for, for testing. 687 01:14:17.623 --> 01:14:25.028 So if anybody— Adrienne, I don't know if you are able to give us a very brief overview, or if colleagues have any questions prior to hearing testimony. 688 01:14:29.273 --> 01:14:29.887 Good morning. 689 01:14:30.146 --> 01:14:32.493 Adrienne Delgado, City Attorney's Office, for the record. 690 01:14:33.953 --> 01:14:41.192 I'm just going to give a very broad overview of advice that's been circulated under attorney-client privilege to all of the council members. 691 01:14:42.149 --> 01:14:50.456 So the Rental Services Office is a fee fund, is based on a fee of rental registration fees. 692 01:14:51.467 --> 01:15:02.762 So while council can expand through ordinance what the money has and what the fund has originally been used for, which was Rental Services Office, it's still restricted as its use of a fee. 693 01:15:02.875 --> 01:15:08.208 So all of those expanded uses would need findings in an ordinance. 694 01:15:08.539 --> 01:15:15.909 And so, like, reasonably related. 695 01:15:15.909 --> 01:15:23.449 And so we can work on those in a subsequent ordinance, um, you know, if this amendment passes. 696 01:15:23.489 --> 01:15:24.289 Thank you. 697 01:15:24.289 --> 01:15:25.390 Thank you. 698 01:15:25.390 --> 01:15:27.750 Uh, Councilor Novick, is your question for legal counsel? 699 01:15:27.750 --> 01:15:29.149 Uh, no. 700 01:15:29.149 --> 01:15:29.810 Okay. 701 01:15:29.810 --> 01:15:31.619 Councilor Smith, is your question for our legal counsel? 702 01:15:31.829 --> 01:15:32.449 No. 703 01:15:32.449 --> 01:15:33.810 Councilor Clark? 704 01:15:33.810 --> 01:15:33.989 No. 705 01:15:33.989 --> 01:15:34.050 Councilor Sameer Kanal? 706 01:15:34.050 --> 01:15:34.069 No. 707 01:15:34.112 --> 01:15:37.641 Okay, any questions for our legal counsel at this moment, folks? 708 01:15:38.381 --> 01:15:38.524 No? 709 01:15:38.845 --> 01:15:45.104 Okay, before I will get to the, the 3 folks in the queue, thank you, Adrian, for being here in case there are other issues that do come up. 710 01:15:45.569 --> 01:15:46.694 Um, Councilor Novick. 711 01:15:47.817 --> 01:15:49.726 Um, I, I just have some questions. 712 01:15:50.000 --> 01:15:57.798 I, I, I found last week's proposed amendment, I found the dollar figures really easy to follow, and I find this proposal harder to follow. 713 01:15:57.863 --> 01:16:06.587 So, um, with— if what I'd like you to do is sort of go through last week's proposal and ask sort of step by step how it's been changed. 714 01:16:06.698 --> 01:16:07.115 Sure. 715 01:16:07.966 --> 01:16:16.141 So the first chunk of last week's proposal was affordable housing development that added up to $7.6 million. 716 01:16:16.381 --> 01:16:19.315 Is that still the same or has that been increased or decreased? 717 01:16:20.533 --> 01:16:20.694 Same. 718 01:16:21.689 --> 01:16:22.104 Same. 719 01:16:22.409 --> 01:16:26.208 Sorry, trying to get the other document in front of me so I can follow along. 720 01:16:26.724 --> 01:16:33.649 And then the next section is rent and financial assistance, a total amount of $8.5 million. 721 01:16:33.712 --> 01:16:36.056 Has that been increased, decreased, kept the same? 722 01:16:39.002 --> 01:16:48.564 So let me rephrase this because I think the point of this new amendment is that we did not start from that last amendment. 723 01:16:48.711 --> 01:16:52.716 We went back to the original slow the inflow resolution and changed from there. 724 01:16:53.358 --> 01:16:57.404 It's hard for me to make that exact one-to-one because that's not how we approached this new one. 725 01:16:58.078 --> 01:17:08.176 But in general, we were able to— I think it went up maybe just by $500,000 because we kept the $9 million for rent assistance programs that was in the original, and we didn't touch that. 726 01:17:08.434 --> 01:17:14.054 The only thing we touched was the $9 million for the emergency housing vouchers, and that's where we added the affordable housing projects. 727 01:17:14.454 --> 01:17:18.998 And then with that extra $900,000, we just dispersed it into defense and homeownership. 728 01:17:19.046 --> 01:17:19.175 Thank you. 729 01:17:19.979 --> 01:17:20.220 Okay. 730 01:17:20.717 --> 01:17:28.720 And then, um, well, last week you had under additional tenant affordable housing supports— I'm going to ask about these individually because they're really 3 separate things. 731 01:17:29.458 --> 01:17:42.650 Uh, last week it said $1.9 million to the tenant eviction defense, and then this seems to say it's changing $1.5 to $1.2 million, and this seems to say it's changing $1.5 to $1.9. 732 01:17:43.117 --> 01:17:43.920 Quite the same. 733 01:17:44.240 --> 01:17:53.529 How did we get from I actually like the idea of raising it to $1.9 million, but I just want to make sure that that is what we're talking about, an increase from last week of $1.2 million. 734 01:17:53.529 --> 01:17:54.630 Oh, okay. 735 01:17:54.630 --> 01:17:55.800 Now I figure I get it. 736 01:17:55.930 --> 01:17:59.670 Originally you started at $1.5 million, then you went down to $1.2 million, now you're going up to $1.9 million. 737 01:17:59.670 --> 01:18:15.279 And then the other difference is that originally it was $1.5 million just for the right-to-counsel pilots, but we added the $400,000 and then we made it both eviction defense contractors so that they have flexibility to offer it to common law, to Oregon Law Center, But also that they will still have money to do the pilot. 738 01:18:15.939 --> 01:18:16.220 Okay. 739 01:18:16.220 --> 01:18:17.300 Yeah. 740 01:18:17.300 --> 01:18:26.159 Um, and then, um, is, is the $1.4 million for affordable housing portfolio stabilization tactics still there, or has that been altered in some way? 741 01:18:26.159 --> 01:18:27.300 That's still there. 742 01:18:27.300 --> 01:18:28.439 That's still there. 743 01:18:28.460 --> 01:18:32.659 And it's still $1 million to down payment assistance loan programs? 744 01:18:33.119 --> 01:18:33.779 No. 745 01:18:33.779 --> 01:18:34.260 No. 746 01:18:34.260 --> 01:18:34.960 Oh, that's— okay. 747 01:18:34.960 --> 01:18:36.420 $750,000. 748 01:18:36.420 --> 01:18:37.659 $750,000. 749 01:18:37.659 --> 01:18:43.046 Yeah, because in the original it was $250,000, and so we added $500,000 to it and made it Okay. 750 01:18:43.595 --> 01:18:46.868 Well, we took money off from the $1 million. 751 01:18:47.061 --> 01:18:52.990 We took $250,000 off last week's amendment, and that's where that extra money came from. 752 01:18:53.462 --> 01:18:53.802 Okay. 753 01:18:55.395 --> 01:19:13.666 I have to say I'm still a little numerically confused because what I see is a $7.6 million that stays the same, an $8.5 million that goes up to $9 million, a $1.2 million that goes up to $1.9 million, And a $1 million that goes down to $750,000. 754 01:19:13.842 --> 01:19:24.551 So it looks to me, I mean, just looking at last week's document, that we've had like $1 million in increases and $250,000 in decreases. 755 01:19:25.368 --> 01:19:31.380 I think the biggest difference is that the original Slothian Flow didn't have any of these development projects. 756 01:19:31.876 --> 01:19:39.747 And so, and then the emergency housing voucher money that was going to go to Home Forward, that $9 million was, you know, a point of contention. 757 01:19:40.115 --> 01:19:55.260 And so we started from that pot to be able to fill back in some of the projects that we felt were, you know, we wanted to prioritize as well as, you know, once we got those projects down, like I said, there was this extra $900,000 and then we just put it into down payment and to eviction. 758 01:19:55.307 --> 01:19:56.944 So then everything else stayed the same. 759 01:19:57.858 --> 01:19:59.173 Okay, thank you. 760 01:20:00.345 --> 01:20:01.034 Thank you, Councilor Novick. 761 01:20:01.131 --> 01:20:10.515 And colleagues, we hopefully just this moment right now, we can do some more clarifying questions, but not statements because we do have still over 40 people to testify. 762 01:20:11.367 --> 01:20:11.479 Testify. 763 01:20:11.529 --> 01:20:12.581 So, um, Councilor Smith. 764 01:20:13.407 --> 01:20:13.730 Thank you. 765 01:20:13.957 --> 01:20:15.658 And I just wanted to follow back up. 766 01:20:16.063 --> 01:20:21.704 This was a, um, an amendment with— sponsored by the District 1 councilors. 767 01:20:22.122 --> 01:20:33.390 And what we thought was that this resolution urges the mayor to allocate approximately $20.7 million in available funds from the rental services offices. 768 01:20:34.217 --> 01:20:38.983 And this resolution includes an amendment added by the District 1 councilors. 769 01:20:39.655 --> 01:20:46.835 And so for me, this joint resolution is something that we wanted, that our constituents asked us for in District 1. 770 01:20:47.891 --> 01:21:07.259 And we understand why we didn't have any specific projects for District 1 for development, but we understand that affordable housing is very much needed not only in District 2 and District 3, but it is also needed Um, really badly in District 1. 771 01:21:07.886 --> 01:21:14.599 So for me, the slow— the inflow for homelessness, the struggle is real for a lot of folks. 772 01:21:15.161 --> 01:21:37.711 And we hope that collectively the resolution and amendment emphasizes upstream evidence-based investments designed to prevent displacement, stabilize renters, and respond to the scale of housing instability That everyone is facing here in Portland, particularly amid ongoing uncertainty around the federal funding. 773 01:21:38.386 --> 01:21:54.738 So Council President Dunphy and Councilor Avalos, we will continue to stand together on this last amendment, hearing those voices from the community last week and hearing from the voices of our colleagues. 774 01:21:54.881 --> 01:21:55.106 Thank you. 775 01:21:55.492 --> 01:22:12.466 We urge you to support this after this testimony is given because it is— it needs to be urgently put out onto the streets so that people can— who are facing eviction right now, that those folks are able to get funding that they need to stay in their homes. 776 01:22:13.301 --> 01:22:13.685 Thank you. 777 01:22:14.663 --> 01:22:15.515 Thank you, Councilor Smith. 778 01:22:15.770 --> 01:22:16.349 Councilor Clark? 779 01:22:16.524 --> 01:22:17.456 Vice President Clark? 780 01:22:17.792 --> 01:22:19.717 Thank you, Councilor President. 781 01:22:19.975 --> 01:22:20.969 Just 2 quick questions. 782 01:22:22.045 --> 01:22:25.186 This doesn't have anything going into the general fund, is that right? 783 01:22:25.412 --> 01:22:26.314 No, it doesn't. 784 01:22:26.717 --> 01:22:29.554 And was that— was taken out? 785 01:22:30.368 --> 01:22:30.712 Correct. 786 01:22:31.465 --> 01:22:31.710 Okay. 787 01:22:32.086 --> 01:22:41.307 And can I ask a question about 5B, this language that makes this appropriation contingent on state action? 788 01:22:41.923 --> 01:22:42.846 What's the thinking there? 789 01:22:43.766 --> 01:22:50.350 So when we talked with Prosper about what they needed for the Broadway corridor, One, it couldn't just be any amount. 790 01:22:50.398 --> 01:22:55.979 It had to be specifically $5.6 million because we were negotiating whether we could give them $1 million or $2 million. 791 01:22:56.332 --> 01:23:10.546 But without the $5.6 million, they can't use that as leverage to ask for the other $6 million that they are trying to ask the governor for, and also to access the revolving loan fund at the state to complete the rest of the amount of the gap, right? 792 01:23:10.610 --> 01:23:12.856 Because it's like $20-some million is the gap. 793 01:23:13.176 --> 01:23:16.805 And so the $5 million plus the $6 million Plus whatever else from revolving loan funds. 794 01:23:16.902 --> 01:23:28.773 So, but understanding that, you know, the state is broke and we're not really sure, uh, if that, uh, is going to come through, right, if the governor is going to keep that, um, part of the deal. 795 01:23:29.078 --> 01:23:34.957 And so we wanted to make sure that this wasn't just going to sit in a pot doing nothing if that deal doesn't come through. 796 01:23:35.118 --> 01:23:48.028 So we put it a contingency of the end of this year, and then if it does not go through, then it goes back into the first 3 pots, which are rental assistance those different 3, um, the rental assistance in those 3 categories for numbers 1 through 3. 797 01:23:48.889 --> 01:23:49.520 Okay, thank you. 798 01:23:52.686 --> 01:23:53.217 Councilor Green. 799 01:23:54.134 --> 01:24:04.226 Yeah, I want to move to testimony, so I'll just ask my questions and the sponsors can, um, think about it during testimony and then maybe be prepared to answer the question when we get into discussion. 800 01:24:04.338 --> 01:24:16.074 But, um, I'd like to know more about specifically which parcel at the Broadway Corridor is is proposing to be funded on this, what are the AMI levels, who's it for, those sorts of things. 801 01:24:16.252 --> 01:24:18.753 Some information about the capital stack, because I don't know any of that. 802 01:24:19.716 --> 01:24:20.887 So, and this is a lot of money. 803 01:24:21.225 --> 01:24:25.251 So I would like, if y'all could provide that information when we get into discussion, that'd be really helpful. 804 01:24:25.555 --> 01:24:25.667 Thanks. 805 01:24:25.716 --> 01:24:26.341 Point of order. 806 01:24:26.614 --> 01:24:31.458 Council President, excuse me. 807 01:24:32.453 --> 01:24:39.371 Cornell Wesley, the head of Prosper Portland, sent you an email this morning, and it It identifies where, where the monies are. 808 01:24:39.420 --> 01:24:43.069 So if you look at your email, um, that might help you out a little bit better. 809 01:24:45.222 --> 01:24:46.462 I don't see that. 810 01:24:46.898 --> 01:24:51.279 I did not receive an email from Cornell Wesley, but if you could forward that to me, that would help me out. 811 01:24:52.631 --> 01:24:53.436 Perfect. 812 01:24:53.921 --> 01:24:54.864 Thank you, Councilor Green. 813 01:24:55.548 --> 01:24:56.087 Councilor Ryan. 814 01:24:57.244 --> 01:24:59.201 Yes, thank you, Council President. 815 01:24:59.921 --> 01:25:05.288 Um, I just have a basic question, first of all, for the Chair Avalos of the Housing Committee. 816 01:25:05.777 --> 01:25:07.362 Who was this compromised with? 817 01:25:09.829 --> 01:25:25.563 This was a combination of public testimony that we heard, y'all's ideas, like $5.6 million for Broadway is definitely not my idea, you know, changing the eviction language so it could be more inclusive of how Steve Novick entered it. 818 01:25:25.610 --> 01:25:30.787 So it's a combination of all those things, wanting to make sure that District 2 got gap funding for their projects. 819 01:25:31.300 --> 01:25:32.456 Of Williams and SEI. 820 01:25:33.287 --> 01:25:36.381 So this was a combination of the voices that we heard. 821 01:25:38.159 --> 01:25:50.627 Okay, and so I see that some of the ideas from last week, Novick's legal amendment, I'm glad that we're actually back in our wheelhouse, which is building. 822 01:25:51.161 --> 01:25:57.466 So I'm very supportive of what's going on with the parcel down in Northeast, down in the Broadway corridor. 823 01:25:59.020 --> 01:26:02.880 And of course, down payment assistance is also in our wheelhouse to build generational wealth. 824 01:26:03.622 --> 01:26:09.738 I do have a question, but there was no compromise with the mayor's office on the request for general fund? 825 01:26:10.881 --> 01:26:17.292 We did not give him the general fund, but we did keep all of the money he asked for, for the shelter, people moving out of shelter. 826 01:26:19.148 --> 01:26:23.328 Yeah, so that is the mayor's piece, but no, not to the general fund. 827 01:26:23.505 --> 01:26:27.009 And part of that is because of the guidance that we got from the lawyer around the general fund. 828 01:26:27.887 --> 01:26:30.631 In point of order, um, what was that guidance? 829 01:26:30.729 --> 01:26:34.886 Maybe that should be— it was out on the public record at the last meeting and I don't recall. 830 01:26:38.613 --> 01:26:39.747 Sorry, Councilor, I missed your question. 831 01:26:39.813 --> 01:26:40.087 Say it again. 832 01:26:40.202 --> 01:26:44.189 The legal advice that you said you listened to about the general fund? 833 01:26:45.449 --> 01:26:52.431 Our city attorneys coming up to the dais to— I haven't heard anything about that, so in this meeting, of course, I want to ask that question. 834 01:26:52.512 --> 01:26:54.686 I assume others Might not know either. 835 01:26:55.184 --> 01:26:55.552 Thank you. 836 01:26:55.649 --> 01:26:57.395 And it's in your inbox as well, correct? 837 01:26:57.507 --> 01:26:58.277 We sent a memo. 838 01:26:58.677 --> 01:27:08.387 Yes, I sent you a memo, um, yesterday, uh, yesterday, Councilor Ryan, and I can resend it to you with detailed analysis. 839 01:27:08.501 --> 01:27:09.173 I'll find it. 840 01:27:09.365 --> 01:27:11.161 Uh, I've had some technical issues. 841 01:27:11.273 --> 01:27:12.907 I will, I will go back and look at it. 842 01:27:13.435 --> 01:27:16.256 And you're, you're the attorney for the Housing Bureau, correct? 843 01:27:16.801 --> 01:27:17.681 Right, correct. 844 01:27:17.842 --> 01:27:21.131 Um, for the record, Adrian Delgado is the Attorney for the Housing Bureau. 845 01:27:22.014 --> 01:27:27.537 Um, so are you seeking an answer just for clarification right now on general fund limitations? 846 01:27:27.649 --> 01:27:37.780 Made a point that it sounded like it suggested that the reason there's no general fund is because of some legal advice, so I just want to connect those dots based on what I thought I just heard. 847 01:27:38.648 --> 01:27:39.532 Yeah, absolutely. 848 01:27:39.917 --> 01:27:49.005 Um, it's the reason the money can't go into the general fund is because the rental Registration is a fee, and there are legal limitations on the use of a fee. 849 01:27:49.967 --> 01:28:05.286 It needs to be used in a way if it goes if we impose a fee as a city and it's used for general purposes that are unrelated to the purpose of the fee, which is rental registration in this case, it starts to look like a tax, an improper tax. 850 01:28:05.847 --> 01:28:10.247 And so we do have some legal parameters on the use, and general fund is one of those. 851 01:28:11.067 --> 01:28:28.070 And does this date back then to the original intention of the designation of these funds back when we received the ARPA money for rental assistance and for housing in general, and we chose, we chose certain buckets and rental assistance was one? 852 01:28:29.226 --> 01:28:47.060 I think it relates back to the original imposition, like when the fee was originally adopted, And so there's this series of— yeah, there's ordinances, a few ordinances where the fee was established, and it was limited for Rental Services Office at that time to keep it really narrow. 853 01:28:47.206 --> 01:28:50.864 It doesn't mean that there are not other related uses for affordable housing. 854 01:28:52.100 --> 01:28:58.905 In this case, the ones that are before council today would be legal with, with an ordinance expanding those uses. 855 01:28:58.985 --> 01:29:14.341 So some legal findings, but general fund starts And just to make sure that this is a case— I've been here long enough to know that there's a lot of smart attorneys in the city, and sometimes they don't always agree with each other. 856 01:29:14.730 --> 01:29:16.774 I think that's part of going to law school, correct? 857 01:29:17.246 --> 01:29:20.539 Um, is the city attorney in agreement with, with your opinion? 858 01:29:22.400 --> 01:29:24.292 Um, I have consulted Robert. 859 01:29:24.422 --> 01:29:26.557 I believe we're in agreement. 860 01:29:26.605 --> 01:29:33.363 Of course, I'd like to let him speak for himself, but we did, um, I did consult with Robert and his name is also on the memo that went out. 861 01:29:33.604 --> 01:29:36.440 Okay, just wanted to make sure we didn't have to backtrack on that. 862 01:29:36.520 --> 01:29:44.645 So this goes back to decisions that were made, I think it was 3 years ago, on the designations of these funds at that time. 863 01:29:45.221 --> 01:29:47.400 And so I, I'm just clarifying that. 864 01:29:47.704 --> 01:29:59.429 And then I'm hearing officially that the legal advice from the city is you cannot, uh, suggest to use this money in the way that that the mayor outlined in his email to all of us that made it to the media a couple days ago. 865 01:29:59.845 --> 01:30:01.452 Okay, is that— that's all. 866 01:30:01.740 --> 01:30:02.014 Thank you. 867 01:30:02.881 --> 01:30:04.390 Council President, I just have a point of order. 868 01:30:04.631 --> 01:30:04.807 Yeah. 869 01:30:05.690 --> 01:30:32.795 Given that information that was just said, and since the attorney's here, my point of order, I guess, is the administrative fee, or that was used as the calculus for that general fund before the administration Based on this statement, are we to presume that there is no ability for any department to take any administrative processing fee off the top of— in order to run the program? 870 01:30:32.890 --> 01:30:37.831 That seems like a major change in the way we budget this city. 871 01:30:38.569 --> 01:30:45.047 And if that's the new legal advice that's happening in real time on the dais, I feel like it's an important calculus. 872 01:30:45.159 --> 01:30:48.225 I was hoping to expand since we're in that realm right now? 873 01:30:48.868 --> 01:30:51.677 Is that a point of information then, not a point of order? 874 01:30:52.207 --> 01:30:53.074 Because that's a question. 875 01:30:53.171 --> 01:30:55.354 Sure, Councilor, whatever you want. 876 01:30:55.500 --> 01:30:57.811 Well, I want to follow the rules, that's all I want. 877 01:30:57.908 --> 01:31:00.846 So, Council President, um, Adrian, what is your reaction to this? 878 01:31:00.895 --> 01:31:07.912 Yeah, I don't— I don't— I mean, when we— yeah, thank you, Robert. 879 01:31:08.681 --> 01:31:22.318 I was going to say, I don't want to— I mean, the The analysis that we did was just on use of the rental services fee, and I think we did give a path forward for pulling an administrative fee into the general fund. 880 01:31:22.738 --> 01:31:30.605 If you want further analysis that really drills down into how much administrative— I mean, it really comes down to like, what is the use for administrative? 881 01:31:31.201 --> 01:31:35.496 And I think that I need to better understand, is it PHB's administrative fee? 882 01:31:35.706 --> 01:31:36.525 Is it going back to the general fund? 883 01:31:36.590 --> 01:31:36.686 Thank you. 884 01:31:36.943 --> 01:31:47.800 I don't want to suggest that this should be taken to apply to every fee and every administrative cost in the city. 885 01:31:50.728 --> 01:31:51.338 Hello. 886 01:31:56.448 --> 01:31:58.667 For the record, I'm Robert Taylor, the city attorney. 887 01:31:59.164 --> 01:32:00.814 I heard Councilor Ryan's question. 888 01:32:00.863 --> 01:32:02.333 For the record, the city attorney is not the city attorney. 889 01:32:03.326 --> 01:32:05.672 Ms. Delgado is an excellent lawyer. 890 01:32:06.542 --> 01:32:08.439 She prepared the memo at my direction. 891 01:32:09.113 --> 01:32:11.509 I reviewed it and approved it before it went to the full council. 892 01:32:13.220 --> 01:32:17.432 Um, and is there anything else I need to say to support you here? 893 01:32:18.494 --> 01:32:21.036 No, if you'd like to add anything with the administrative fee, but I—. 894 01:32:22.359 --> 01:32:41.640 So there is an issue where, and the budget office has, has talked about this, where Um, you could perhaps swap some of the administrative fee for general fund, and that would allow you to free up some general fund for uses elsewhere. 895 01:32:43.250 --> 01:32:49.386 But it would require the budget office to do the analysis of what exactly is available to do that swap. 896 01:32:49.596 --> 01:32:52.118 But that is another option that's available to council. 897 01:32:53.881 --> 01:32:54.471 Thank you for that clarification. 898 01:33:01.010 --> 01:33:02.161 Thank you, Council President. 899 01:33:02.372 --> 01:33:04.868 Um, just a couple of questions. 900 01:33:05.539 --> 01:33:12.557 First, is this the same document that was handed to us that was posted online just before the meeting this morning? 901 01:33:13.073 --> 01:33:13.750 Correct, yes. 902 01:33:13.975 --> 01:33:14.201 Okay. 903 01:33:15.069 --> 01:33:30.900 And am I correct in reading that we have returned, different from the Amendments 1 and 2 that you brought forward, to funding over a 3-year period, that this funding is again stretched over 3 years instead of used immediately? 904 01:33:31.494 --> 01:33:34.768 Correct, as was informed by Ruth that we were able to do. 905 01:33:35.810 --> 01:33:42.454 Okay, but the 1 and 2 that we had been looking at previously spent all the money immediately. 906 01:33:43.193 --> 01:33:54.009 Yeah, and to be clear, this original was put together with the help of the Housing Bureau, and we added those lengths of time specifically at their direction for what they felt was the way that they could get out the dollars. 907 01:33:54.855 --> 01:33:57.720 Because by putting it all in one year, they couldn't get it all out. 908 01:33:57.947 --> 01:34:04.998 So since we went back to the original, we didn't— the way that the other amendment last week was structured is— yeah, so we just were scrapping that. 909 01:34:05.369 --> 01:34:08.880 We're going back to the original and made the changes to that $9 million. 910 01:34:09.234 --> 01:34:09.475 Okay. 911 01:34:09.701 --> 01:34:14.631 And I understand that you don't want to compare to the 1 and 2, but that's what we all last saw. 912 01:34:14.728 --> 01:34:16.750 So that's kind of where my brain is going from. 913 01:34:16.831 --> 01:34:26.594 And there was a question about certain fund changes, and I don't I don't think the answer around the stabilization, the portfolio stabilization funds was clear. 914 01:34:27.076 --> 01:34:30.595 I heard one of you say that remains the same and one say it doesn't. 915 01:34:30.676 --> 01:34:45.731 By my reading, compared to, again, the D1, 1, and 2, that is cut back in half to $750,000 from the $1.4 or just over, just under in half from the $1.4 million that we saw last week. 916 01:34:45.796 --> 01:34:46.279 Is that correct? 917 01:34:46.327 --> 01:34:46.824 That is correct, yes. 918 01:34:46.970 --> 01:34:47.868 Yes, that is my mistake. 919 01:34:47.965 --> 01:34:50.036 I didn't have it in front of me when I was answering that and I couldn't. 920 01:34:50.131 --> 01:34:50.453 Okay. 921 01:34:50.838 --> 01:34:53.422 And then just a question on Broadway. 922 01:34:54.369 --> 01:34:59.137 The funding for Broadway expires at the end of the calendar year. 923 01:34:59.845 --> 01:35:13.618 Do we expect the legislature to take action on this in their short February session, or is it more likely that they would take action in the long session and we actually need that to expire at the end of the fiscal year to align with the opportunity for legislative dollars? 924 01:35:14.481 --> 01:35:19.216 We expect that it would happen this year, and if it does not, then the money goes back to rental assistance. 925 01:35:19.947 --> 01:35:20.695 That is the agreement. 926 01:35:22.502 --> 01:35:25.555 Okay, that— when you say that— That's what we wrote. 927 01:35:25.750 --> 01:35:29.529 When you say we expect that, have we had conversations with the legislature? 928 01:35:29.707 --> 01:35:43.453 Because my concern— and I'm not opining on whether Broadway should or shouldn't be in there— but if we think we are putting up the money to try to leverage state money and we don't think they are having that conversation in February, we are very close to the deadline. 929 01:35:43.582 --> 01:35:44.672 To that session already. 930 01:35:45.106 --> 01:35:53.055 My concern is that that's not actually a real proposal, and I want to understand what in here is a real proposal and what's not. 931 01:35:53.359 --> 01:36:02.238 Well, I think everything is a real proposal, and we talked to Cornell and Prosper, and that's why we came to that decision, because he said that they were going to push for it in this year. 932 01:36:02.511 --> 01:36:08.630 And then therefore I said, okay, if by the end of this year you do not get it done, then it has to go back to rental assistance. 933 01:36:09.192 --> 01:36:10.715 They're looking to do it this year. 934 01:36:11.099 --> 01:36:12.398 Okay, thank you, Council President. 935 01:36:12.462 --> 01:36:15.811 I'll have more questions later, but in terms of technical, those are my questions. 936 01:36:15.939 --> 01:36:22.592 I do just want to reflect on the fact that this is very different than what we had before us last week. 937 01:36:22.657 --> 01:36:30.368 And again, I know that for the folks who are bringing the proposals forward, this feels like a return to the original and not that different. 938 01:36:30.431 --> 01:36:43.235 But I, when we get to the point of voting on do we pull something off the table and all of that, I'm very interested in having everything open on the table and not pulling things off so that we can have a robust discussion. 939 01:36:44.296 --> 01:36:44.729 Thank you. 940 01:36:45.340 --> 01:36:46.367 Thank you, Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 941 01:36:46.560 --> 01:36:49.048 Councilor Kanal— oh, I'm sorry, Councilor Smith, is that a legacy hand? 942 01:36:49.514 --> 01:36:49.755 No. 943 01:36:50.011 --> 01:36:50.590 Okay, Councilor Smith. 944 01:36:50.637 --> 01:36:58.457 No, and just to, um, Council President— uh, Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney, um, it is— it does revert. 945 01:36:58.521 --> 01:37:02.261 We do understand there's— there is an ordinance This is a resolution. 946 01:37:02.551 --> 01:37:08.725 So understand that there is an ordinance that will reflect what the, what the laws of the land will be. 947 01:37:09.365 --> 01:37:30.715 So, but this is just to level set our intention that we want— we would like to direct some of those resources, and we cannot mandate it, but we want to be able to direct to say this is where we wanted it to go, with the understanding That we can only do 1 year. 948 01:37:31.324 --> 01:37:35.226 And that's the reason why, you know, so no worries. 949 01:37:36.542 --> 01:38:03.960 We do recognize that we know that we can't appropriate over 3 years, but we want the intention to be known so that as we're preparing those out years, that the mayor, as he's preparing his budget, that he understands that these are the Ways that we wanted to spend money towards rent assistance and some of those other financial stabilization methods that you were talking about. 950 01:38:07.707 --> 01:38:09.100 Thanks for the response, Council President. 951 01:38:09.422 --> 01:38:11.900 Councilor, thank you for that clarification. 952 01:38:12.322 --> 01:38:31.854 I just want to note that my— the reason I asked the question is that I actually am very concerned about not spending all the money in the first I think we have many opportunities before us, and I actually preferred a proposal that had us spending all the money in one year, not for legal reasons, but for policy reasons. 953 01:38:32.046 --> 01:38:33.685 But I appreciate that explanation. 954 01:38:33.734 --> 01:38:35.855 And we came to a consensus between us. 955 01:38:35.904 --> 01:38:40.511 I mean, there are things that folks didn't want, that they wouldn't move on. 956 01:38:42.759 --> 01:38:53.957 As a person who knows how to count, That we have to make sure that everybody's— at least they get a little something of what, what they want. 957 01:38:54.697 --> 01:39:07.814 And, um, I was not happy with, with the, uh, notation about the Broadway corridor, um, but in order to get this through, they were not happy with the Broadway corridor, period. 958 01:39:08.119 --> 01:39:13.939 But they came to a consensus that we can do this if there is this note. 959 01:39:14.475 --> 01:39:27.871 So, you know, everybody has to come to the table being prepared to give up something, and I would have preferred to appropriate the entire amount in one year, but, you know, that wasn't my call. 960 01:39:30.341 --> 01:39:31.773 Thank you, councilors. 961 01:39:34.020 --> 01:39:35.284 Councilor Smith, do you have anything else? 962 01:39:35.634 --> 01:39:35.734 No. 963 01:39:35.817 --> 01:39:36.483 Okay, Councilor Kanal. 964 01:39:37.203 --> 01:39:37.381 Thanks. 965 01:39:37.430 --> 01:39:42.256 Just to— I will have questions for the attorneys later, but I want to make sure that I'm understanding correctly. 966 01:39:42.305 --> 01:39:43.568 So I have a procedural question first. 967 01:39:44.409 --> 01:39:45.909 We're in the middle of testimony right now. 968 01:39:45.974 --> 01:39:48.733 We paused prior to the beginning of testimony. 969 01:39:48.796 --> 01:39:53.443 There was an amendment, a sponsor amendment, that's Avalos, Dunphy, Smith 1 and 2. 970 01:39:54.185 --> 01:39:56.905 There was also Councilor Novick, and these were all just floated. 971 01:39:56.954 --> 01:39:58.493 They weren't formally made yet, right? 972 01:39:58.979 --> 01:40:02.186 Now there is a conversation about whether or not to withdraw that. 973 01:40:02.268 --> 01:40:02.349 Yes. 974 01:40:02.802 --> 01:40:08.555 In order to allow for subsequent introduction, again, probably at this moment floating it, of it. 975 01:40:09.296 --> 01:40:09.970 Is that correct? 976 01:40:10.275 --> 01:40:10.774 I'm not clear. 977 01:40:10.854 --> 01:40:17.640 Did we actually formally move the first amendments or were they just introduced for the purposes of discussion? 978 01:40:19.578 --> 01:40:20.341 I don't recall. 979 01:40:22.689 --> 01:40:27.854 So the first 2 amendments were moved and seconded last week, but there was no vote called. 980 01:40:28.837 --> 01:40:32.171 But we're, we're not currently discussing those amendments. 981 01:40:32.235 --> 01:40:35.828 We're still on the testimony and the underlying conversation. 982 01:40:35.876 --> 01:40:36.265 Is that correct? 983 01:40:37.239 --> 01:40:37.319 Yes. 984 01:40:37.837 --> 01:40:42.494 Then my understanding of Robert's Rules is that the sponsors can withdraw it without needing unanimous consent. 985 01:40:43.981 --> 01:40:48.077 And I wanted to ask that question because we shouldn't have to vote on it. 986 01:40:48.126 --> 01:40:49.389 We can just get to what we're getting to. 987 01:40:52.145 --> 01:40:57.238 So procedurally, last week, Amendments were moved and seconded. 988 01:40:58.378 --> 01:41:02.377 Those can be withdrawn by the sponsor at any time before the vote is taken. 989 01:41:03.051 --> 01:41:03.389 If you want to—. 990 01:41:03.436 --> 01:41:04.158 We don't need a vote. 991 01:41:04.577 --> 01:41:09.521 You don't need to— you don't need to vote to remove those pending items. 992 01:41:09.956 --> 01:41:10.083 Great. 993 01:41:10.277 --> 01:41:26.238 Okay, so then maybe just for ease of understanding what we're doing, uh, my suggestion to the council president would be to confirm that the 3 original sponsors of that amendment Avalos, Dunphy, Smith 1 and 2 are able to withdraw that, and then we can float the next amendment and get back to testimony. 994 01:41:27.685 --> 01:41:28.841 That sound appropriate, Robert? 995 01:41:28.889 --> 01:41:29.403 Is that right? 996 01:41:29.966 --> 01:41:34.815 The sponsors of those amendments can withdraw them at any time before a vote is taken. 997 01:41:35.972 --> 01:41:36.904 That's what we're doing then. 998 01:41:37.161 --> 01:41:38.542 We are withdrawing that amendment. 999 01:41:39.587 --> 01:41:40.952 Great, thanks. 1000 01:41:41.113 --> 01:41:45.899 I will wait on the legal questions until we're actually post-testimony because folks have been waiting. 1001 01:41:48.119 --> 01:41:49.948 Yeah, last 2 comments in the queue. 1002 01:41:50.110 --> 01:41:51.711 Councilor Novick and then Councilor Zimmerman. 1003 01:41:53.119 --> 01:42:04.762 Um, I— yeah, I wanted to get to public testimony, but I just wanted to say that I proposed, um, $4.14 million to the general fund based on my understanding that the administration was saying that that was legal. 1004 01:42:05.521 --> 01:42:08.541 Um, and now it's not clear. 1005 01:42:08.670 --> 01:42:17.557 You seem to be saying, well, it's not unless there could be some swap With, let's see, what was the language specifically? 1006 01:42:19.189 --> 01:42:29.287 That if we were able to swap out general fund that's currently in the rental services fund, then maybe something could go to the general fund, but no statement about how much money that might be. 1007 01:42:30.649 --> 01:42:38.591 So for one thing, Administrator Lee, I just wanted to ask you, is it still the administration's position that some of this money should go to the general fund in one way or another? 1008 01:42:38.640 --> 01:42:38.688 Yes. 1009 01:42:39.277 --> 01:42:46.487 Or do you think that, uh, um, or, you know, is the administration now, based on this legal analysis, withdrawing that suggestion? 1010 01:42:47.884 --> 01:42:54.289 The administration at this current time is not withdrawing that, uh, recommendation at this point in time, no. 1011 01:42:55.045 --> 01:42:55.204 Okay. 1012 01:42:55.270 --> 01:42:56.457 Say that again, I couldn't hear you. 1013 01:42:56.537 --> 01:42:58.577 The administration is not withdrawing that. 1014 01:42:59.300 --> 01:42:59.524 Okay. 1015 01:42:59.909 --> 01:43:07.139 I just wanted to get that out on the table because if the idea of money to the General Fund was off the table, then People who are testifying wouldn't have to think about that. 1016 01:43:07.252 --> 01:43:13.121 But based on that statement and my inclination, I want to keep the idea of money to the general fund alive. 1017 01:43:13.170 --> 01:43:17.350 So I want that to be something that testifiers, you know, have in mind and might react to. 1018 01:43:17.529 --> 01:43:17.788 Thank you. 1019 01:43:17.854 --> 01:43:19.411 Thank you, Councilor Novick. 1020 01:43:19.475 --> 01:43:20.172 Councilor Zimmerman. 1021 01:43:21.664 --> 01:43:23.694 Thank you, Councilor Novick. 1022 01:43:23.792 --> 01:43:25.761 I would be supportive of that if you move that amendment. 1023 01:43:27.328 --> 01:43:32.029 I appreciated last week's amendment. 1024 01:43:32.190 --> 01:43:33.063 I thought it was very clear. 1025 01:43:33.845 --> 01:43:40.545 And while I wasn't consulted on that, what you all came up with was more clear. 1026 01:43:41.091 --> 01:43:46.293 This newest version is not something I think is as clear, and I think it does delay implementation of dollars. 1027 01:43:47.213 --> 01:43:50.264 So at this point, I'm going to move Avalos-Dunphy-Smith 1 and 2. 1028 01:43:50.748 --> 01:43:51.394 I'd like a second. 1029 01:43:52.938 --> 01:43:53.533 Second. 1030 01:43:56.529 --> 01:44:00.154 Can our own bill that we don't want be moved by somebody else? 1031 01:44:00.314 --> 01:44:01.780 I'll rename it Zimmerman 1. 1032 01:44:04.034 --> 01:44:05.003 I don't agree to that. 1033 01:44:05.085 --> 01:44:05.956 So, Robert? 1034 01:44:07.667 --> 01:44:14.063 Uh, it is a— it is appropriate for somebody to take— I mean, they— he can do what he's doing. 1035 01:44:14.225 --> 01:44:14.288 Yes. 1036 01:44:14.451 --> 01:44:15.453 Right, like he did last time. 1037 01:44:15.502 --> 01:44:17.587 He can copy and paste and write it, do a different thing. 1038 01:44:17.780 --> 01:44:17.829 Yeah. 1039 01:44:17.943 --> 01:44:18.588 Cool, thanks. 1040 01:44:18.734 --> 01:44:18.912 Got it. 1041 01:44:20.529 --> 01:44:26.838 Okay, with that, let's move to public testimony, please, and we will debate amendments if we have time at the end of this. 1042 01:44:31.962 --> 01:44:33.105 Wow, buttons. 1043 01:44:33.234 --> 01:44:34.668 Can we call it 5 at a time, please? 1044 01:44:35.250 --> 01:44:35.490 Yes. 1045 01:44:35.894 --> 01:44:39.246 If you get a second for that, do we need to make sure we got a second for our new one? 1046 01:44:39.295 --> 01:44:40.164 Because I don't think we did that. 1047 01:44:40.862 --> 01:44:43.171 We haven't moved them, we just introduced them at this time. 1048 01:44:43.283 --> 01:44:43.574 We can—. 1049 01:44:43.606 --> 01:44:45.594 Well, you just gave a second to that last one. 1050 01:44:45.641 --> 01:44:45.819 That's fair. 1051 01:44:46.175 --> 01:44:50.239 You want to make sure if they're both on the table, then we need to be on the table. 1052 01:44:50.485 --> 01:44:50.730 Okay. 1053 01:44:51.369 --> 01:44:52.171 So could I have a second? 1054 01:44:52.515 --> 01:44:52.777 Second. 1055 01:44:53.498 --> 01:44:53.904 Thank you. 1056 01:44:54.587 --> 01:44:56.712 I'm sorry, who was the second for—. 1057 01:44:57.329 --> 01:44:57.784 Koyama Lane. 1058 01:45:02.567 --> 01:45:03.943 Okay. 1059 01:45:04.591 --> 01:45:08.847 Okay, um, and then, uh, Council President, to confirm, it's 90 seconds? 1060 01:45:09.122 --> 01:45:10.542 Yes, we've reduced to 90 seconds. 1061 01:45:10.979 --> 01:45:11.382 Thank you. 1062 01:45:12.109 --> 01:45:20.711 Our first 5 testifiers are Skyler Cruz, Jonathan Greenwood, John Hollister, Michelle Ajami. 1063 01:45:23.596 --> 01:45:26.461 Lily Burnett. 1064 01:45:42.322 --> 01:45:43.435 Oh, go ahead, go ahead. 1065 01:45:43.630 --> 01:45:47.942 Okay, uh, Council President Dunphy, city councilors, my name is Lily Burnett. 1066 01:45:47.989 --> 01:45:48.587 I am a small business owner from D1. 1067 01:45:51.194 --> 01:45:54.172 I'm also a parent and community member. 1068 01:45:56.069 --> 01:46:04.250 I have written and rewritten thoughts on what to give for my testimony multiple times as the goalposts have moved. 1069 01:46:04.958 --> 01:46:38.149 But as a small business owner, I think the essence of what I want to say is, given this one-time-ish influx of funds and given the given the amount of suffering we are likely going to see increase over the next 5 years or however long it would take to build some of these affordable housing projects, it would be imperative to invest this money now in keeping Portlanders who are housed housed and keeping them in that housing. 1070 01:46:38.597 --> 01:46:45.296 It is not good for my business to have people entering homelessness faster than they are able to be receiving services from the city. 1071 01:46:45.344 --> 01:46:46.099 Councilwoman Loretta Smith. 1072 01:46:46.837 --> 01:46:54.135 And to put our money elsewhere right now feels like an irresponsible use of limited public dollars. 1073 01:46:55.779 --> 01:47:06.194 I really hope that the money for Broadway Corridor gets removed from this ordinance because that's not what the money is intended for. 1074 01:47:06.954 --> 01:47:12.976 I think building affordable housing is really important, but I think this money should be spread out across the city, not concentrated. 1075 01:47:13.042 --> 01:47:13.819 Councilmember Loretta Smith. 1076 01:47:17.467 --> 01:47:24.806 Thank you, Lily. 1077 01:47:28.882 --> 01:47:29.288 Go ahead, John. 1078 01:47:34.412 --> 01:47:48.435 I don't know how to do— I'm gonna— I want to say something before I say something, and, um, So in my first testimony, I was traumatized by Councilor Lane. 1079 01:47:49.673 --> 01:47:55.036 With— Councilor Lane, I was traumatized by your thumbs down. 1080 01:47:55.534 --> 01:47:57.421 That was incredibly unprofessional. 1081 01:47:57.502 --> 01:48:01.422 I'm not leaving the caucus, so I wanted to make sure you knew that. 1082 01:48:01.826 --> 01:48:05.359 Oh, so that— but no, so you have no idea of the trauma of my childhood. 1083 01:48:05.836 --> 01:48:15.212 So doing that as a professional up there, as supposed to be a leader, was very, very unprofessional and it was very intimidating. 1084 01:48:15.952 --> 01:48:25.007 And although I'm still here making this, I am shaking now and you're giving me a smug look and it is so bad. 1085 01:48:25.586 --> 01:48:26.774 I— Get the timer started, please. 1086 01:48:27.930 --> 01:48:29.279 This counts towards testimony. 1087 01:48:43.630 --> 01:48:46.421 Do you want to take a break and come back? 1088 01:48:58.377 --> 01:48:59.719 Yeah, I want to take a break and come back. 1089 01:49:04.688 --> 01:49:05.966 Can I do that? 1090 01:49:09.606 --> 01:49:11.161 Um, shall I call the next? 1091 01:49:11.327 --> 01:49:12.304 Go ahead and call the next, please. 1092 01:49:14.439 --> 01:49:37.811 Um, checking to see if Skyler Cruz, Jonathan Greenwood, Michelle Alajami, next up we have Maddie Garrison, Michelle Hornbeck, Ami Bigos, Jay Amechi, Joy Jackson. 1093 01:49:47.341 --> 01:49:48.337 Thank you. 1094 01:49:50.412 --> 01:50:00.917 All right, Crystal Otero, Sandra De La Rosa. 1095 01:50:13.064 --> 01:50:13.547 Do I go now? 1096 01:50:14.792 --> 01:50:15.180 Yeah, go ahead. 1097 01:50:15.681 --> 01:50:19.872 Okay, hi, I'm happy to be here on different circumstances. 1098 01:50:20.470 --> 01:50:22.072 My name is Crystal Otero. 1099 01:50:22.168 --> 01:50:23.155 I'm a resident of Portland. 1100 01:50:25.409 --> 01:50:37.427 Historically funding— excuse me— historically housing system funding for families has been prioritized for rent assistance over building out a family shelter system. 1101 01:50:39.114 --> 01:50:50.061 In the coming In the coming years, I think data indicates we will see an increase in homelessness likely at— by 2 to 3% year over year for maybe the next 3 years. 1102 01:50:51.842 --> 01:50:55.479 The current waitlist for a family shelter spot is 6 months. 1103 01:50:56.966 --> 01:51:09.484 The scale of need for rent assistance is illustrated by 211 service data from 2021, which is the central line Anyone in the city can call and request rent assistance. 1104 01:51:10.368 --> 01:51:15.328 In 2021, the line received 26,000 calls for rent assistance. 1105 01:51:15.426 --> 01:51:17.865 That's an average of 71 calls per day. 1106 01:51:18.796 --> 01:51:27.547 Our economic conditions currently are mirroring—they're the same; they look like—the volatility of the pandemic era. 1107 01:51:28.126 --> 01:51:31.225 So the 2021 call data represents a likely. 1108 01:51:31.481 --> 01:51:34.019 Baseline without the pandemic-level resources. 1109 01:51:34.516 --> 01:51:39.734 Historical data reveals a racial divide in how residents interact with our housing system. 1110 01:51:40.072 --> 01:51:49.514 White residents more frequently use emergency shelter, while BIPOC families rely heavily on rent assistance, making up an estimated 65% of recipients. 1111 01:51:50.028 --> 01:51:56.417 In 2024, Black renters were more than twice as likely to get an eviction notice than white residents in Oregon. 1112 01:51:57.858 --> 01:52:09.136 Um, I recommend the entire $20 million be dedicated to establishing a rent assistance sustainability fund, allowing for year-over-year rollover and interest accumulation. 1113 01:52:09.560 --> 01:52:10.570 Thank you so much. 1114 01:52:13.399 --> 01:52:15.006 Joy is joining us online. 1115 01:52:15.931 --> 01:52:16.451 Welcome, Joy. 1116 01:52:22.614 --> 01:52:24.067 Mom, I'm so glad you called. 1117 01:52:25.510 --> 01:52:31.119 You can now get up to $30,000 in life insurance coverage for health insurance. 1118 01:52:31.201 --> 01:52:32.077 This is amazing. 1119 01:52:35.329 --> 01:52:47.250 All right, so next up, uh, let's see here, uh, Emily Comey. 1120 01:52:59.043 --> 01:52:59.381 Welcome. 1121 01:52:59.782 --> 01:53:00.471 Thank you very much. 1122 01:53:00.744 --> 01:53:01.081 Good morning. 1123 01:53:01.145 --> 01:53:04.914 My name is Emily Comey, and I'm an eviction defense attorney at the Commons Law Center here in Portland. 1124 01:53:05.300 --> 01:53:11.380 I'm testifying today in support of the Slow the Inflow resolution, specifically in support of the resolution's proposed right-to-counsel pilot program. 1125 01:53:11.893 --> 01:53:19.144 My team at the Commons already runs this type of program here in Multnomah County where we provide free representation for tenants facing eviction at our legal clinic. 1126 01:53:19.672 --> 01:53:23.283 For over 3 years, we've done this— what, what this proposition aims to do. 1127 01:53:23.684 --> 01:53:28.416 At both the downtown and East County courthouses, we represent unrepresented tenants facing eviction for free. 1128 01:53:29.217 --> 01:53:36.404 While some programs are able to assist people before they have to appear at court for a hearing, the reality is a great majority of tenants still go unrepresented. 1129 01:53:36.902 --> 01:53:39.917 While almost every landlord has a lawyer, very few tenants can afford one. 1130 01:53:40.431 --> 01:53:44.617 We started this clinic in response to our community's very real unmet need. 1131 01:53:45.016 --> 01:53:52.551 By far, Multnomah County's rate of residential evictions exceeds any other county in Oregon, and the vast majority of these evictions are filed for non-payment of rent. 1132 01:53:53.032 --> 01:53:58.369 We've seen tremendous success through our model, namely that 75% of our clients are able to retain their housing. 1133 01:53:59.685 --> 01:54:02.842 Our goal is to be as low barrier as possible when it comes to representation. 1134 01:54:03.292 --> 01:54:08.677 We meet most of our clients on the morning of their first appearance, and we do not screen for income at the clinic. 1135 01:54:08.966 --> 01:54:17.850 This allows us to help fill a huge gap in tenant representation, namely that many people are just over the income threshold to qualify for legal aid but do not make enough money to afford a private bar attorney. 1136 01:54:18.524 --> 01:54:29.242 In a typical day at clinic, we inform tenants of their rights, negotiate on their behalf with landlords' attorneys, help them come up with contingency plans, and connect them to various social service programs. 1137 01:54:29.755 --> 01:54:32.658 Above all, we provide our clients a chance to be heard and advocated for. 1138 01:54:33.590 --> 01:54:39.364 Most of the tenants that I've met at our clinic are being evicted because of one or two negative life events that set them back. 1139 01:54:39.752 --> 01:54:48.287 Maybe their loved one has died, they were laid off from their job, they got into an accident and were in the hospital, and more recently, they could not go to work for fear of abduction by federal agents. 1140 01:54:49.250 --> 01:54:50.734 The truth is most of us renters are—. 1141 01:54:50.960 --> 01:54:52.429 Sorry, we gotta have you wrap up. 1142 01:54:52.573 --> 01:54:52.912 It's okay. 1143 01:54:53.315 --> 01:54:53.993 Thank you for your time. 1144 01:54:54.606 --> 01:54:54.945 Thank you. 1145 01:54:55.188 --> 01:55:06.260 Okay, I'm just gonna do a quick last call for Maddie Garrison, Michelle Hornbeck, Nami Bigos, Jay Amici. 1146 01:55:09.654 --> 01:55:10.931 Sandra De La Rosa. 1147 01:55:11.886 --> 01:55:12.969 Crystal Magana. 1148 01:55:14.020 --> 01:55:16.135 Okay, we'll move on to Andy Miller. 1149 01:55:16.935 --> 01:55:18.582 Madison Moskowitz. 1150 01:55:19.840 --> 01:55:20.613 Tanisha Renee. 1151 01:55:24.695 --> 01:55:28.100 And John, do you want to— are you ready to give your testimony at this point? 1152 01:55:29.036 --> 01:55:29.786 I'm going to give it a try. 1153 01:55:29.970 --> 01:55:30.119 Okay. 1154 01:55:35.198 --> 01:55:42.610 I apologize for my, uh, my severe reaction to, um, your behavior, Kamala Lane. 1155 01:55:43.030 --> 01:55:48.139 And, um, apparently I still have some, uh, childhood trauma issues to work on. 1156 01:55:48.769 --> 01:55:50.417 My mother used to do that same look to me. 1157 01:55:51.208 --> 01:55:54.890 So, um, yeah, so that's maybe why I just— it just triggered me so hard. 1158 01:55:55.663 --> 01:56:05.747 Um, The, the city is going to come up, you know, when the mayor puts his budget together, about probably $100 million short for next year. 1159 01:56:06.520 --> 01:56:10.412 So the— I feel like you're a bunch of kids that found some money and let's go spend it. 1160 01:56:11.201 --> 01:56:23.175 And the thought of having money go to the general fund and to be prepared for next year's unbelievable shortfall may be really, really a good thing to look at. 1161 01:56:23.238 --> 01:56:23.368 Thank you. 1162 01:56:24.600 --> 01:56:31.148 Um, so the, um, uh, just come on, Elaine. 1163 01:56:31.212 --> 01:56:38.069 Just, just be aware of what you're— as an authoritative figure, uh, how you affect people. 1164 01:56:38.680 --> 01:56:48.104 And the— and that type of leadership right there, I, I, I can personally blame you for some of the, uh, overtake of last— Thank you for being awake today. 1165 01:56:51.501 --> 01:56:51.854 Oh, perfect. 1166 01:56:51.917 --> 01:56:52.367 Good morning. 1167 01:56:52.462 --> 01:56:53.793 My name is Tanisha Renee. 1168 01:56:53.905 --> 01:57:16.257 I'm the Chief Operations Officer at Williams and Russell, where we are building 20 homes for purchase and 85 apartment homes for rent for displaced residents and their descendants from the Albina area, where 171 families and 36 businesses were displaced by Emanuel's expansion that never happened, and that land sat vacant for 50 years. 1169 01:57:16.369 --> 01:57:16.530 Thank you. 1170 01:57:18.533 --> 01:57:22.349 The journey for homeownership can be long and hard for so many of us. 1171 01:57:22.542 --> 01:57:29.882 My personal journey took me 7 years with the support and resources of Portland Housing Center and the Preference Policy Depot. 1172 01:57:30.716 --> 01:57:38.105 As an Air Force veteran, I live by our core values, which are integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. 1173 01:57:38.730 --> 01:57:43.701 I particularly resonate with service before self because the kindness of strangers got me here today. 1174 01:57:43.765 --> 01:57:43.908 Thank you. 1175 01:57:44.505 --> 01:57:48.286 I currently live and purchased my home in historical Vanport. 1176 01:57:49.130 --> 01:57:58.728 But more than that, I now dedicate my time on the Portland Housing Center board and the oversight committee to help others achieve their dream of homeownership. 1177 01:58:00.529 --> 01:58:14.006 The money for homeownership, or the money that would be allotted for homeownership today, would not only help displaced residents purchase but return home where they work, They play and they send their children to school, but they rarely own. 1178 01:58:14.518 --> 01:58:18.283 I thank you for your time and your consideration on this matter, and I hope you have a wonderful day. 1179 01:58:19.710 --> 01:58:20.511 Thank you so much for being here. 1180 01:58:21.969 --> 01:58:23.650 Oh, oh, I'm sorry, go ahead. 1181 01:58:23.795 --> 01:58:24.260 Yeah, please. 1182 01:58:24.917 --> 01:58:25.782 Councilors, good morning. 1183 01:58:25.894 --> 01:58:34.145 My name is Madison Moskowitz, and I'm testifying as government relations manager for REACH Community Development, one of Portland's largest housing nonprofits. 1184 01:58:34.225 --> 01:58:42.534 We help over 2,500 Portlanders afford homes in all 4 Districts, and I'm testifying in support of Slow the Inflow with some reservations. 1185 01:58:43.225 --> 01:58:52.890 The preservation and stabilization proposal is crucial because persistent vacancies hammer properties' financial stability and imperil the continued existence of affordable homes. 1186 01:58:53.404 --> 01:58:55.877 It's less expensive to preserve existing than to build new. 1187 01:58:56.520 --> 01:59:00.195 We hope portfolio stabilization efforts can be expanded in the future. 1188 01:59:00.935 --> 01:59:03.889 REACH strongly supports rent assistance and eviction prevention. 1189 01:59:04.243 --> 01:59:15.779 We appreciate Councilor Avalos' focus on stabilizing renters before an eviction is filed, and we urge you to create a system that to connect affordable housing residents directly with rent resources. 1190 01:59:16.454 --> 01:59:19.748 We also recommend connecting rent assistance to the mayor's housing strike team. 1191 01:59:20.230 --> 01:59:27.912 We're working to fill vacant units, but residents need rent assistance and appropriate services to achieve long-term stability. 1192 01:59:28.185 --> 01:59:29.599 You have an opportunity to align assistance. 1193 01:59:29.680 --> 01:59:35.944 Assistance here to prevent evictions and reduce vacancies, which stabilizes properties and keeps home— homes affordable in the long term. 1194 01:59:36.521 --> 01:59:50.158 Finally, it's grossly unfair for councilors to, in a non-public process, throw gap financing at specifically named projects, some of which could rent at up to 120% area median income. 1195 01:59:50.497 --> 01:59:51.252 That's not affordable. 1196 01:59:51.957 --> 02:00:00.636 As a key part of Portland's homelessness prevention and affordable housing system, REACH needs an opportunity to advocate for our residents to benefit from public dollars. 1197 02:00:01.314 --> 02:00:07.597 There ought to be a competitive public application process through Portland Housing Bureau for those dollars, not backroom deals. 1198 02:00:07.954 --> 02:00:08.344 Thank you. 1199 02:00:08.603 --> 02:00:08.863 Thank you. 1200 02:00:09.171 --> 02:00:09.885 Thank you for being here. 1201 02:00:12.239 --> 02:00:12.854 Go ahead, Andy. 1202 02:00:14.746 --> 02:00:20.939 Good morning, Chair Dunphy, President— Vice President Clark, members of the council. 1203 02:00:21.039 --> 02:00:21.447 Good morning. 1204 02:00:21.886 --> 02:00:23.466 For the record, my name is Andy Miller. 1205 02:00:24.020 --> 02:00:26.087 I'm the executive director of Our Just Future. 1206 02:00:26.560 --> 02:00:39.083 We work every day to improve housing security in East Portland, where, as you all know, rents are rising fastest, incomes are lowest, and far too many families are hanging on by a thread right now, especially families of color. 1207 02:00:39.952 --> 02:00:48.356 I'm here in strong support of what was the compromise amendment from Councilors Avalos, Dunphy, and Smith, and may now be Councilor Zimmerman's amendment. 1208 02:00:49.198 --> 02:00:53.131 Council's focus on slowing the inflow into homelessness is exactly right. 1209 02:00:53.788 --> 02:00:55.248 Investing now makes sense. 1210 02:00:55.715 --> 02:01:04.479 Eviction prevention, rental assistance, and affordable homeownership support will make an immediate difference for families who are one crisis away from losing their homes. 1211 02:01:05.088 --> 02:01:12.778 These are the families we serve every day— seniors, immigrants, working parents, people with disabilities who want nothing more than stability. 1212 02:01:13.612 --> 02:01:20.690 While the city is staring at competing budget needs, I want to remind the council that these dollars were intended to be restricted housing funds. 1213 02:01:21.235 --> 02:01:28.457 The rental registration fee is legally required to go into the housing investment fund and to be used to help low-income Portlanders access housing. 1214 02:01:29.082 --> 02:01:31.570 Using these funds to keep people housed is not optional. 1215 02:01:31.667 --> 02:01:33.351 It's exactly what they were promised for. 1216 02:01:34.298 --> 02:01:42.483 We strongly support the increased shelter-to-housing investment, especially after mid-year cuts destabilized providers like us and residents alike. 1217 02:01:42.884 --> 02:01:46.639 Housing investments attached to shelter are what end homelessness for real people. 1218 02:01:46.976 --> 02:01:50.423 And free up shelter capacity without having to expand beds additionally. 1219 02:01:51.502 --> 02:01:54.885 The funding to stabilize existing affordable housing is also urgent. 1220 02:01:54.965 --> 02:02:05.488 We ask council to direct PHB to work with affordable housing— affordable housers to structure a housing stabilization investment to stabilize the most challenged properties. 1221 02:02:05.844 --> 02:02:06.262 Thank you. 1222 02:02:06.956 --> 02:02:07.423 Thank you very much. 1223 02:02:09.454 --> 02:02:12.019 We're going to go back to Joy Jackson. 1224 02:02:18.208 --> 02:02:18.899 Joy, you're muted. 1225 02:02:20.167 --> 02:02:21.051 Sorry about that. 1226 02:02:21.115 --> 02:02:22.994 Hi everybody, thank you for having me. 1227 02:02:23.604 --> 02:02:33.692 I would like to touch on the last-minute cut to rent assistance, um, in this resolution are deeply disappointing. 1228 02:02:34.287 --> 02:02:51.921 Renters living on low income need intermediate solutions and We need the funds to be allocated to eviction defense, tenant education and empowerment, housing vouchers, and other homelessness prevention services. 1229 02:02:52.498 --> 02:02:55.582 We are identified on original resolutions. 1230 02:02:55.646 --> 02:03:00.865 So I am an employee with Community Alliance of Tenants. 1231 02:03:00.947 --> 02:03:02.520 I've been there for 9 years. 1232 02:03:03.033 --> 02:03:04.416 I enjoy helping people. 1233 02:03:04.479 --> 02:03:04.784 Thank you. 1234 02:03:05.269 --> 02:03:07.662 Um, and educating them on their tenant rights. 1235 02:03:07.712 --> 02:03:12.872 So I just, um, want this to be right. 1236 02:03:13.438 --> 02:03:19.949 And, you know, um, the last-minute cuts on rent assistance is, is deeply disappointing. 1237 02:03:20.224 --> 02:03:20.707 Thank you. 1238 02:03:21.899 --> 02:03:22.319 Thank you, Joy. 1239 02:03:23.043 --> 02:03:23.543 Thank you for being here. 1240 02:03:26.939 --> 02:03:34.061 Okay, next up we have Liz Foster, Mitzi King, Andrea Knight. 1241 02:03:35.461 --> 02:03:36.248 Heather Riggs. 1242 02:03:38.131 --> 02:03:38.998 Tanner Bellow. 1243 02:03:40.622 --> 02:03:41.234 Go ahead, Mitzi. 1244 02:03:44.069 --> 02:03:44.326 Okay. 1245 02:03:44.809 --> 02:03:48.302 Hi, uh, my name is Mitzi King and I live in District 4. 1246 02:03:48.657 --> 02:03:51.555 I own a business in District 3 and I'm a landlord. 1247 02:03:52.311 --> 02:03:55.701 My spouse and I own multiple rental units across Portland. 1248 02:03:56.010 --> 02:03:58.987 I support the the Slow the Flow resolution. 1249 02:03:59.260 --> 02:04:07.337 We pay the fee to this fund, and we've had tenants use Section 8 assistance and know how important it is for people to have support. 1250 02:04:08.077 --> 02:04:16.300 Um, every day I drop my kids off at school on my way to work, and it's devastating to see so many people in our community living outside. 1251 02:04:16.926 --> 02:04:27.962 The fact that this city can do something to help prevent more folks from becoming homeless and help people get into housing and is considering putting that money somewhere else is inhumane. 1252 02:04:28.716 --> 02:04:38.792 Anything that our city can do to help people from losing their housing, get rental assistance, get eviction support and protections should be done. 1253 02:04:39.016 --> 02:04:42.809 Please, please pass this resolution for direct housing assistance. 1254 02:04:43.259 --> 02:04:45.894 And I say no for the money going to the general fund. 1255 02:04:46.423 --> 02:04:51.319 I also have lived in Portland 30 years, and even though affordable Affordable housing is an important venue. 1256 02:04:52.104 --> 02:04:55.903 We know how long it takes to get that built, and people need help now. 1257 02:04:56.192 --> 02:04:57.858 Times are so tough. 1258 02:04:58.578 --> 02:05:04.220 OPB reports that 1,400 people enter homelessness a month in this area. 1259 02:05:04.283 --> 02:05:04.940 It's awful. 1260 02:05:05.341 --> 02:05:07.744 So please maintain our humanity, Portland. 1261 02:05:08.434 --> 02:05:13.337 Um, so for this particular, you know, resolution, please pass it. 1262 02:05:13.721 --> 02:05:20.819 Thank you so much, and thanks for everyone who shared their Thank you so much for being here. 1263 02:05:22.448 --> 02:05:22.755 Go ahead. 1264 02:05:23.759 --> 02:05:25.539 Morning, councilors, and thank you for your time. 1265 02:05:25.765 --> 02:05:25.961 Morning. 1266 02:05:26.090 --> 02:05:31.221 My name is Tanner Battle of District 3, and I urge you to vote yes on the proposed budget and fund a right-to-counsel program. 1267 02:05:31.770 --> 02:05:41.115 For the past 18 months, I've worked as an eviction defense attorney with the Commons Law Center, and I can tell you that our program is the only one of its kind in the state of Oregon that is already providing a right-to-counsel model. 1268 02:05:41.496 --> 02:05:47.171 Our clinic, working out of the courthouse 4 days a week, provides free legal services to those facing eviction for nonpayment. 1269 02:05:47.828 --> 02:05:49.529 We do not screen people out of our program. 1270 02:05:49.769 --> 02:05:55.269 If you're facing eviction for nonpayment, you qualify for our services regardless of income level or other factors. 1271 02:05:56.086 --> 02:06:03.125 Within the span of our client's first appearance, we conduct intake interviews, consult with them on their situations, and help them achieve the best possible outcome. 1272 02:06:04.023 --> 02:06:18.770 For many, this is just limited scope representation, as that's all that's needed to buy them more time or allow them to get out of the apartment Where resources and capacity allow, we work with clients beyond their first appearance, providing full-scope representation. 1273 02:06:19.119 --> 02:06:22.850 All of this is our program's current operation with very limited funding. 1274 02:06:23.060 --> 02:06:36.220 The funds in this budget proposal would allow us to dramatically scale up such that we could cover all first appearance days, help more clients at those days, and help more clients in a full-scope capacity, primarily expanding in East Portland, an area facing the highest eviction rate, with the highest number of homeless people. 1275 02:06:36.220 --> 02:06:36.260 Thank you. 1276 02:06:37.533 --> 02:06:41.458 Again, I urge you to pass the proposed budget and fund a right-to-counsel pilot. 1277 02:06:41.797 --> 02:06:42.122 Thank you. 1278 02:06:43.430 --> 02:06:45.061 Thank you very much. 1279 02:06:45.972 --> 02:06:47.113 Andrea is joining us online. 1280 02:06:51.560 --> 02:06:53.612 Hello, my name is Andrea Knight. 1281 02:06:53.854 --> 02:06:57.587 I am a tenant education specialist for Community Alliance of Tenants. 1282 02:06:58.056 --> 02:07:01.337 I work on the hotline talking with people facing evictions. 1283 02:07:02.619 --> 02:07:09.180 The last-minute cuts to the City of Portland's housing program The cuts to the rent assistance in this resolution are deeply disappointing for many reasons. 1284 02:07:10.078 --> 02:07:16.694 Renters living on low incomes need immediate solutions and support to prevent homelessness. 1285 02:07:17.626 --> 02:07:28.528 We need the funds to be allocated to eviction defense, tenant education and empowerment, housing vouchers, and other homelessness prevention services that were identified in the original resolution. 1286 02:07:28.576 --> 02:07:28.784 Thank you. 1287 02:07:30.006 --> 02:07:34.743 As an example, a senior citizen I spoke with recently is in dire need of rent assistance. 1288 02:07:35.145 --> 02:07:40.269 He fell behind because his Social Security check came in on the 9th while rent was due on the 5th. 1289 02:07:40.590 --> 02:07:46.180 He had trouble getting the late fees paid, and the property manager refused to accept partial payment. 1290 02:07:46.774 --> 02:07:48.974 He was unable to catch up over the next couple months. 1291 02:07:49.439 --> 02:07:54.692 The late rent fees piled up and now owes over $700, which he cannot afford. 1292 02:07:54.739 --> 02:07:54.900 Thank you. 1293 02:07:55.944 --> 02:08:01.067 He is now facing eviction court and is in dire need of rent assistance to fill the gap. 1294 02:08:01.788 --> 02:08:06.831 While we are in need of new affordable units, this fund is not the best way to move forward. 1295 02:08:07.408 --> 02:08:12.980 Please focus on eviction prevention, housing vouchers, and tenant education services. 1296 02:08:13.671 --> 02:08:17.894 The city of Portland absolutely needs help right now. 1297 02:08:19.226 --> 02:08:20.494 Thank you so much, Andrea. 1298 02:08:22.792 --> 02:08:26.570 Uh, last call for Liz Fostier, Heather Riggs. 1299 02:08:27.958 --> 02:08:36.587 Next up we have Sandra Comstock, Riley Gombart, Diana Rempe, Lainey Tupper, Vivian Lyon. 1300 02:08:41.391 --> 02:08:41.729 Welcome. 1301 02:08:42.359 --> 02:08:42.664 Go right ahead. 1302 02:08:44.618 --> 02:08:45.453 I wasn't up next. 1303 02:08:45.912 --> 02:08:45.944 No. 1304 02:08:46.293 --> 02:08:47.231 Well, you're sitting down first. 1305 02:08:51.626 --> 02:08:55.305 My name is Riley Gombartz, and I work as an attorney at the Commons Law Center. 1306 02:08:55.550 --> 02:09:07.057 I'm here today to explain why the courthouse-based limited-scope eviction defense model is essential to the success of a right-to-counsel pilot and why it has produced outcomes no other model in Oregon has achieved at scale. 1307 02:09:07.832 --> 02:09:13.545 Before the Commons Law Center began operating its courthouse clinic, eviction representation in Multnomah County was extremely limited. 1308 02:09:14.143 --> 02:09:20.371 In 2023, only 535 tenants facing eviction had legal representation, about 6% of all cases. 1309 02:09:21.109 --> 02:09:28.734 After the clinic launched, representation increased to 1,875 tenants in 2024, a 250% increase. 1310 02:09:29.215 --> 02:09:35.073 During that same period, default judgments dropped by 25% and eviction judgments dropped by 31%. 1311 02:09:36.453 --> 02:09:38.364 Those changes didn't happen by accident. 1312 02:09:38.476 --> 02:09:55.353 They happened because tenants were met in person at the courthouse At first appearance, when representation is most critical, traditional legal aid models generally offer two options: brief advice by phone or full-scope representation, and is only available for households below 125% of the federal poverty level. 1313 02:09:55.706 --> 02:09:59.090 That work is important, but it leaves a large number of tenants unserved. 1314 02:09:59.716 --> 02:10:06.260 In 2025, 30% of tenants assisted by the Commons Law Center had already tried and failed to obtain legal help before their eviction hearing. 1315 02:10:07.253 --> 02:10:08.858 The courthouse clinic fills that gap. 1316 02:10:09.162 --> 02:10:10.189 The Commons Law Center provides. 1317 02:10:10.733 --> 02:10:16.800 In-person limited-scope representation to tenants who arrive at court without a lawyer, regardless of income eligibility. 1318 02:10:18.970 --> 02:10:28.283 And if the goal of a right-to-counsel pilot is to increase representation, reduce evictions, and slow the inflow into homelessness, the courthouse limited-scope clinic model is already proving that it works. 1319 02:10:28.604 --> 02:10:28.862 Thank you. 1320 02:10:29.087 --> 02:10:29.472 Thank you. 1321 02:10:29.634 --> 02:10:31.773 And just for the record, uh, you are not me. 1322 02:10:32.463 --> 02:10:33.349 We look very identical. 1323 02:10:33.412 --> 02:10:34.845 It's close, it's close. 1324 02:10:35.037 --> 02:10:35.407 I get it. 1325 02:10:43.381 --> 02:10:45.212 Sorry, I'm trying to bring some levity to the room. 1326 02:10:45.278 --> 02:10:46.913 Appreciate everybody. 1327 02:10:47.568 --> 02:10:48.253 Thank you guys for being here. 1328 02:10:48.302 --> 02:10:51.215 Please go ahead. 1329 02:10:52.994 --> 02:10:54.677 Hello, members of council. 1330 02:10:54.759 --> 02:10:59.547 I'm testifying on behalf of my colleague Diana Rempe of Streetbooks. 1331 02:10:59.726 --> 02:11:06.819 We are a mobile library working with folks on the outside and on the margins in Portland. 1332 02:11:07.237 --> 02:11:10.421 They are on a library shift currently, so I'm testifying on their behalf. 1333 02:11:12.731 --> 02:11:22.336 As I said, with Street Books, we strongly support the original Stop the Inflow resolution with its focus on rent assistance and eviction defense. 1334 02:11:22.899 --> 02:11:25.849 We do not support the proposed amendments to the resolution. 1335 02:11:26.203 --> 02:11:27.621 Looking at you, Councilor Zimmerman. 1336 02:11:28.458 --> 02:11:45.689 It is critical that this money go into At Streetbooks, we have spent the last 15 years working out on the streets, and we have watched as the population of people experiencing houselessness has grown exponentially. 1337 02:11:46.373 --> 02:11:47.548 And it is only getting worse. 1338 02:11:48.359 --> 02:11:51.845 We are out on the streets 5 days a week in 13 different locations. 1339 02:11:52.024 --> 02:11:57.965 Every shift we meet people who are newly houseless, people who tell us stories of job loss or sudden catastrophic health events. 1340 02:11:58.046 --> 02:11:58.533 Councilmember Herbold. 1341 02:11:59.382 --> 02:12:05.926 We hear stories of people's inability to make rent payments and their unsuccessful search to find a more affordable place to live. 1342 02:12:06.519 --> 02:12:09.052 We meet them shocked and confused on the streets. 1343 02:12:09.630 --> 02:12:12.020 This resolution offers a lifeline for people. 1344 02:12:12.516 --> 02:12:14.987 We are not here to argue about whether we should build more housing. 1345 02:12:15.099 --> 02:12:18.931 Of course we should, and the city budget should reflect that commitment. 1346 02:12:19.668 --> 02:12:25.024 This resolution is about helping people right now, reducing the number of people falling into houselessness. 1347 02:12:28.210 --> 02:12:34.289 Thank you so much. 1348 02:12:34.289 --> 02:12:35.590 Go ahead. 1349 02:12:35.590 --> 02:12:42.300 Hello, my name is Julia Wynette, and I'm an eviction defense attorney at CLEAR Clinic. 1350 02:12:42.689 --> 02:12:46.229 I'm testifying in Lainey Tupper's place. 1351 02:12:46.229 --> 02:12:52.270 As you know, Lainey was already here receiving an award but had to go back to running our organization. 1352 02:12:52.829 --> 02:12:55.470 I was also previously an eviction defense attorney at the Commons Law Center, and I'm here today to testify on behalf of the Portland Bureau of Transportation. 1353 02:13:01.399 --> 02:13:13.569 Our housing justice team at Clear Clinic is deeply committed to providing both legal services and financial assistance to our neighbors to keep them housed. 1354 02:13:13.569 --> 02:13:18.899 We've been doing this for over 4 years now with funding from Portland Housing Bureau. 1355 02:13:19.310 --> 02:13:27.069 These services are highly effective in keeping folks housed, benefiting the individuals, their families, our community writ large by preventing houselessness and increasing economic stability. 1356 02:13:27.069 --> 02:13:27.109 Thank you. 1357 02:13:28.743 --> 02:13:41.087 According to the council, the budget includes funding for the work of the council to support this work, to prioritize funding immediate rent assistance and eviction prevention services, which are essential to our clients' survival. 1358 02:13:42.970 --> 02:13:54.940 We are disappointed about the shift of some of these funds away from immediate rent assistance and eviction prevention, but we're testifying today in strong support of specific items in the budget amendment for eviction prevention, rent assistance, and housing assistance. 1359 02:13:55.100 --> 02:13:56.787 Assistance and eviction legal defense. 1360 02:13:57.381 --> 02:14:12.805 We're proud to be a housing— Portland Housing Bureau eviction legal defense provider, but we know that we and all of our fellow PHB providers do excellent work to keep our neighbors housed and also that people fall through the cracks and end up in eviction court without any legal help. 1361 02:14:13.287 --> 02:14:18.829 So I want to highlight the important safety net that the Commons provides, and that's all I've got today. 1362 02:14:18.990 --> 02:14:19.103 Thank you. 1363 02:14:19.152 --> 02:14:20.051 Thank you so much for being here. 1364 02:14:20.356 --> 02:14:20.871 Thank you. 1365 02:14:23.619 --> 02:14:25.479 Vivian Lyon online. 1366 02:14:32.988 --> 02:14:33.921 Vivian, you're muted. 1367 02:14:34.597 --> 02:14:34.855 Here we go. 1368 02:14:35.886 --> 02:14:36.386 Can you hear me? 1369 02:14:36.787 --> 02:14:37.560 Yeah, we can hear you. 1370 02:14:38.221 --> 02:14:38.704 Okay, great. 1371 02:14:39.203 --> 02:14:40.283 My name is Vivian Lyon. 1372 02:14:40.331 --> 02:14:41.055 I'm in District 3. 1373 02:14:41.136 --> 02:14:44.457 I'm the Legal Services Director at CLEAR Clinic Housing Justice Eviction Defense. 1374 02:14:44.748 --> 02:14:46.701 Julia Winnett is one of my teammates. 1375 02:14:47.329 --> 02:14:49.685 I've held this position since March of 2022. 1376 02:14:49.993 --> 02:14:51.171 I was on the Rental Services Commission from 2020 to 2023. 1377 02:14:51.219 --> 02:15:07.579 I'm honored to I had been planning to recommend that last week's amendment be largely replaced with a slightly amended version of the original proposal, uh, keeping the funding for the Commons Law Center rather than a right-to-counsel pilot project. 1378 02:15:07.579 --> 02:15:13.079 The Commons Law Center has been on the ground at Multnomah County Eviction Court most weekday mornings for years now. 1379 02:15:13.079 --> 02:15:14.319 They're already doing the work. 1380 02:15:14.319 --> 02:15:16.989 We don't need to waste time getting a pilot project off the ground. 1381 02:15:17.380 --> 02:15:21.460 The kind of fuller scope that we at the CLEAR Clinic and those at Oregon Law Center are proposing is a right-to-counsel pilot project. 1382 02:15:21.460 --> 02:15:21.500 Thank you. 1383 02:15:21.976 --> 02:15:32.597 And MPD do is indispensable, but there's clearly a need for legal professionals at the courthouse to provide legal advice to tenants facing imminent eviction who haven't yet been connected to legal services. 1384 02:15:33.016 --> 02:15:36.703 The Commons has led the way in providing these services on a shoestring. 1385 02:15:37.122 --> 02:15:42.695 They've done more than their fair share to empower tenants at eviction court in their very hour of greatest need. 1386 02:15:44.289 --> 02:15:57.421 I urge you to remove— I, in addition to recommending that the Commons Law Center be, um, prioritized rather than simply a pilot project. 1387 02:15:58.386 --> 02:16:13.038 I urge you to remove the Broadway corridor money and focus on using this money for, uh, to keep people housed and to provide eviction defense at all points of intervention, including at the courthouse. 1388 02:16:13.476 --> 02:16:19.128 Please listen to tenants and those serving them Thank you, Vivian. 1389 02:16:24.840 --> 02:16:31.115 Okay, next up we have, um, Squire. 1390 02:16:31.180 --> 02:16:33.587 Squire, have you— did you— okay. 1391 02:16:34.945 --> 02:16:44.342 Um, followed by Lou Church, Christian Rusby, Jeremiah Bullock, Edith Gillis. 1392 02:16:48.349 --> 02:16:50.522 Hello again, members of the council. 1393 02:16:51.889 --> 02:16:57.754 Uh, my name is Squire and I'm a librarian with Streetbooks, a mobile library serving people living outside and on the margins. 1394 02:16:58.527 --> 02:17:07.118 I support the original Slow the Inflow resolution prior to the amendments that were made at the cost of low-income renters facing imminent evictions today. 1395 02:17:08.149 --> 02:17:10.742 Every day we are seeing people lose their housing. 1396 02:17:11.117 --> 02:17:15.206 Every day we are witnessing the inhumane sweep of our unhoused neighbors. 1397 02:17:15.799 --> 02:17:22.179 Every day we are hearing the stories from our patrons of losing everything over and over and over again. 1398 02:17:23.254 --> 02:17:25.665 These overwhelming losses are absolutely avoidable. 1399 02:17:26.645 --> 02:17:30.066 Our current system is creating more houselessness than it is preventing. 1400 02:17:30.903 --> 02:17:35.530 Preventing evictions before they occur is the most effective way to protect low-income renters. 1401 02:17:36.430 --> 02:17:51.105 Rent assistance is so very necessary to support people close to houselessness As living costs continue to rise and funding for rent assistance continues to be cut, we must redirect funds to eviction prevention and rent assistance. 1402 02:17:51.763 --> 02:17:54.856 Mayor Wilson, we do not need any more temporary shelters. 1403 02:17:55.049 --> 02:17:57.389 We need permanently affordable housing now. 1404 02:17:58.335 --> 02:18:06.478 And yet in the past 5 years, the city has spent $325 million solely on sweeps and shelters rather than help people stay in their housing. 1405 02:18:07.167 --> 02:18:11.576 It's disgusting to see you engaging with bootlickers and right-wing provocateurs punching down upon the people of Portland. 1406 02:18:11.625 --> 02:18:14.766 Councilmember Wilson, upon the most marginalized and vulnerable. 1407 02:18:15.391 --> 02:18:16.481 Housing is a human right. 1408 02:18:16.995 --> 02:18:22.510 Local funding is an investment in our future and in our reimagining of the future of our city. 1409 02:18:22.781 --> 02:18:24.402 Everyone is fairly housed. 1410 02:18:24.626 --> 02:18:25.011 Thank you. 1411 02:18:25.907 --> 02:18:26.212 Thank you. 1412 02:18:26.950 --> 02:18:30.204 Go ahead. 1413 02:18:31.102 --> 02:18:36.377 I'm Lou with Portland Gray Panthers as a member group with Molly Hogan's Welcome Home Coalition. 1414 02:18:36.729 --> 02:18:41.594 Gray Panthers absolutely Council allocating $21 million approximately to fight evictions. 1415 02:18:42.414 --> 02:18:45.851 2 Points today, Panthers generally and a specific anti-eviction campaign. 1416 02:18:46.590 --> 02:18:53.159 First, we want to thank council members who've talked with Panthers at PSU or on Gray Panthers talk radio before and after the election. 1417 02:18:53.272 --> 02:18:57.094 Thanks to Annalita, Alana, Mitch, Olivia, and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson. 1418 02:18:57.593 --> 02:19:06.487 Some politicians so far, Dan Ryan, Eric Zimmerman, Loretta Smith, Steve Novick, have been MIA with Panthers On housing. 1419 02:19:07.016 --> 02:19:08.845 Stop evictions, stop the sweeps. 1420 02:19:09.567 --> 02:19:22.882 Panthers absolutely oppose the proposed eviction February 24th proposed by Ivory Matthews of Emma, a Gresham tenant, age 65, by the sketchy landlord outfit Home Forward, also known as Home Backward. 1421 02:19:23.202 --> 02:19:29.138 For years, this quintessential sketchy landlord Home Forward keeps evicting Emma over time to tear down her building. 1422 02:19:29.218 --> 02:19:29.315 Thank you. 1423 02:19:29.362 --> 02:19:30.037 The mayor has been silent on this issue. 1424 02:19:30.407 --> 02:19:31.040 Over and over again. 1425 02:19:31.153 --> 02:19:31.574 Enough. 1426 02:19:32.286 --> 02:19:45.037 For the current resolution, Panthers oppose efforts by what you might call submarine maneuvers, perhaps, by Zimmerman and Novick to take money away from rental assistance vis-à-vis sketchy amendments. 1427 02:19:45.472 --> 02:19:49.443 Stop crypto— stop crypto-fascist evictions. 1428 02:19:49.637 --> 02:19:50.038 Enough. 1429 02:19:51.886 --> 02:19:52.352 Thank you, Lou. 1430 02:19:54.601 --> 02:19:57.031 Okay, last call for Christian Raspi. 1431 02:19:57.523 --> 02:19:59.841 Jeremiah Bullock, Edith Gillis. 1432 02:20:00.132 --> 02:20:03.503 Um, we'll go back to Sandra De La Rosa. 1433 02:20:07.750 --> 02:20:08.203 Sandra here? 1434 02:20:10.943 --> 02:20:11.657 Ah, here we go. 1435 02:20:16.186 --> 02:20:17.570 Okay. 1436 02:20:17.653 --> 02:20:19.166 Good morning. 1437 02:20:34.271 --> 02:20:50.533 Before I start, may I ask for reasonable accommodation, a little bit of patience and understanding due to neurological, uh, Absolutely. 1438 02:20:50.647 --> 02:20:51.056 Stuff. 1439 02:20:51.415 --> 02:20:51.855 Take your time. 1440 02:20:51.936 --> 02:21:00.501 Um, I came here to, to tell you the testimony from last council meeting. 1441 02:21:01.721 --> 02:21:02.992 However, that was traumatizing. 1442 02:21:03.168 --> 02:21:04.229 You guys, you guys were all there. 1443 02:21:06.200 --> 02:21:07.604 Um, shoot. 1444 02:21:08.155 --> 02:21:17.873 Um, so I'm— I have a quick version, but I'll— I'm gonna I guess I'm asking before I start. 1445 02:21:19.649 --> 02:21:28.824 I think it's crucial for me to tell you my testimony because I'm speaking to you now from this side of the table instead of that side of the table. 1446 02:21:30.337 --> 02:21:34.783 And if I can say the whole thing, you'll understand. 1447 02:21:35.815 --> 02:21:36.281 Absolutely. 1448 02:21:36.411 --> 02:21:39.208 Do your best and you're doing great. 1449 02:21:40.496 --> 02:21:43.501 Okay, uh, thank you. 1450 02:21:44.069 --> 02:21:47.090 Okay, so what time is it? 1451 02:21:47.155 --> 02:21:48.015 Yep, there's the timer. 1452 02:21:49.219 --> 02:21:58.016 Oh, um, good afternoon, Council President Dunphy and Councilor Zimmerman. 1453 02:21:58.291 --> 02:22:03.736 I'm here specifically to testify in support of Section 9 regarding the rental assistance allocation. 1454 02:22:06.193 --> 02:22:07.703 My name is Sandra De La Rosa. 1455 02:22:07.783 --> 02:22:12.152 I'm a peer support specialist in 97209, that is the Pearl. 1456 02:22:12.602 --> 02:22:22.157 I speak to you as a former board member of Central City Concern, the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council, and Multnomah County Behavioral Health Advisory Council. 1457 02:22:22.254 --> 02:22:32.066 I worked on the Housing is Healthcare with Senator Merkley in Washington, D.C., and I was highly involved in supporting HB 2001. 1458 02:22:32.130 --> 02:22:32.259 Thank you. 1459 02:22:32.870 --> 02:22:44.547 If it weren't for my care team, housing case manager, counselor, and peer support specialist, I would not be here alive today, right now. 1460 02:22:46.352 --> 02:23:00.816 However, even though the best team cannot overcome a broken system, especially when management prioritizes rigid outdated rules, this is complete contrast and opposite of their own mission statements. 1461 02:23:02.969 --> 02:23:06.112 I know why people drink, do drugs, and why they commit suicide. 1462 02:23:06.649 --> 02:23:08.033 Nobody asks why they are homeless. 1463 02:23:08.481 --> 02:23:14.106 It is because constant restarting is really traumatizing and it breaks people's spirits. 1464 02:23:14.851 --> 02:23:26.329 Even as a stroke survivor, and I suffered a cardiac arrest due to this exact kind of stress, basically I'm asking It's a solution, okay? 1465 02:23:26.572 --> 02:23:33.460 It's in the housing bill to have everybody use the FMRs updated to 2026. 1466 02:23:33.525 --> 02:23:35.237 We're not living in 2022. 1467 02:23:35.690 --> 02:23:37.159 That is why people are on the streets. 1468 02:23:42.948 --> 02:23:46.429 And the fair access to housing, this just happened to me. 1469 02:23:47.299 --> 02:23:50.022 The providers, they ignore the 3-year lookback. 1470 02:23:50.102 --> 02:23:50.407 Councilor Smith. 1471 02:23:51.170 --> 02:23:56.068 For misdemeanors, and they create permanent shadow ban or unhousing. 1472 02:23:56.117 --> 02:24:08.129 The reality is it traps people in the cycle of homelessness indefinitely, regardless of the recovery or growth, and ignores the protection the City of Portland explicitly put in place for its citizens. 1473 02:24:10.716 --> 02:24:20.799 I'm here today not as a disabled individual, but as a peer support specialist who sees how these barriers impact anyone trying to survive the housing system. 1474 02:24:24.102 --> 02:24:33.132 When providers use the '22 rent standards instead of the '26 for grants or vouchers, they aren't just making a mistake. 1475 02:24:33.278 --> 02:24:39.278 They are creating an impossible hurdle for every person in this city who relies on housing assistance. 1476 02:24:42.039 --> 02:24:50.719 And also, I'm speaking for the, the people that didn't get to make it through the system. 1477 02:24:50.801 --> 02:24:52.688 And I always— I haven't always been in the system. 1478 02:24:54.070 --> 02:24:55.655 I was over there on that side. 1479 02:24:57.270 --> 02:25:03.023 And, and for those who think that free housing or whatever, I used to, you know, judge too. 1480 02:25:03.120 --> 02:25:13.100 But I want— I'm literally wanting to get into a swimming pool so I could rehabilitate myself, get on my feet, literally get my— on my feet and get out of the system. 1481 02:25:13.858 --> 02:25:17.075 So I hope I have to get to the last thoughts here. 1482 02:25:17.448 --> 02:25:18.256 Wrap this up if we could. 1483 02:25:21.166 --> 02:25:24.471 Oh, oh, vulnerable people count. 1484 02:25:24.890 --> 02:25:25.454 They count. 1485 02:25:25.695 --> 02:25:32.637 And so do I. I am standing here today— well, sitting here today for every person who didn't survive the stress of the system. 1486 02:25:33.350 --> 02:25:34.498 I am their voice today. 1487 02:25:34.888 --> 02:25:38.759 I'm asking you to enforce the 2026 FMRs universally. 1488 02:25:40.128 --> 02:25:48.630 I trust you, the council, on this because— well, it was to the mayor— because of his passion on the subject. 1489 02:25:49.099 --> 02:25:52.429 I trust this committee will ensure these agencies live up to their missions. 1490 02:25:52.897 --> 02:25:56.584 This will be your success and our success as a community. 1491 02:25:58.102 --> 02:26:05.286 And if we work together, the city council and the community, then that's unity. 1492 02:26:05.350 --> 02:26:08.371 And that's what— that's when we can truly say community is unity. 1493 02:26:08.424 --> 02:26:08.579 Thank you. 1494 02:26:09.020 --> 02:26:12.385 Thank you so much for being here today. 1495 02:26:12.450 --> 02:26:12.824 Sorry. 1496 02:26:13.263 --> 02:26:14.384 You're doing— you did great. 1497 02:26:15.469 --> 02:26:22.166 Sorry. 1498 02:26:23.958 --> 02:26:38.250 Uh, next up we have Leslie Kochan, Azalea Renfield, TJ McHugh, Lucas Von Hell Acheson. 1499 02:26:41.355 --> 02:26:43.524 And Keelan, how many more folks do we have in the queue after that? 1500 02:26:44.087 --> 02:26:46.159 Okay, about 7. 1501 02:26:47.253 --> 02:26:53.047 Okay, um, I'm going to let, uh, these folks give our— give testimony, and then we're going to do a quick bio break for everybody. 1502 02:26:55.773 --> 02:26:56.842 Whoever wants to jump in, please. 1503 02:26:59.433 --> 02:26:59.909 Middle, you're up. 1504 02:27:01.778 --> 02:27:02.806 Good morning, council members. 1505 02:27:03.239 --> 02:27:06.162 My name is Lucas Angel Latchison, and I'm currently in District 4. 1506 02:27:06.788 --> 02:27:13.805 I'm a paralegal at the Commons Law Center, a 503 nonprofit organization that offers assistance with tenant evictions. 1507 02:27:14.318 --> 02:27:19.825 Our clinic's unique approach to limited scope and full scope representation enables us to assist numerous households in Multnomah County. 1508 02:27:20.581 --> 02:27:26.408 Although we primarily help households through eviction clinic, we also represent communities through our eviction clinic hotline. 1509 02:27:27.003 --> 02:27:37.978 We are unable— if we're unable to take on a community member on as a client, we refer them to other organizations offering eviction defense or rental assistance, many of which we have built close relationships or even developed partnerships with. 1510 02:27:38.733 --> 02:27:49.565 Specifically, we have partnered with organizations like the Cupcake Girls, which offers assistance to community members in the sex industry or victims of sex trafficking, as well as organizations that offer eviction defense such as the Underdog Law and the CLEAR Clinic. 1511 02:27:50.254 --> 02:28:00.470 We most recently partnered a— we most recently partnered with Blanchet House, We're offering assistance with eviction expungement, which is a major barrier that keeps our community members from being housed. 1512 02:28:00.935 --> 02:28:11.613 We strongly believe that creating relationships and partnerships with— will help fill the necessary gaps that these households face in an FED action and help prevent them from being evicted. 1513 02:28:12.143 --> 02:28:17.818 Once evicted, so the social services and aid that many of these households rely on to live and support can become much harder to obtain. 1514 02:28:18.236 --> 02:28:31.072 This makes it a nearly impossible task for these community members to get back into housing and reobtain the social services and aid Keeping and making sure that our community members stay housed will not only help the city financially in the long run, but will also help clear up an already congested, overworked court system. 1515 02:28:31.510 --> 02:28:33.659 I'm advocating for the Right to Counsel pilot program. 1516 02:28:34.000 --> 02:28:35.099 Thank you very much for your time. 1517 02:28:35.600 --> 02:28:36.198 Thank you very much. 1518 02:28:37.150 --> 02:28:38.007 Also, great timing. 1519 02:28:42.506 --> 02:28:43.859 Hi, good morning, councilors. 1520 02:28:44.117 --> 02:28:47.966 Um, thank you for your— the work that you're doing during this incredible moment in time. 1521 02:28:48.174 --> 02:28:49.250 My name is My name is Angelita Renfield. 1522 02:28:49.639 --> 02:28:51.170 I'm the CEO of Williams Russell. 1523 02:28:52.159 --> 02:28:56.200 I'm here in support of the resolution to support investments in all housing. 1524 02:28:56.520 --> 02:29:03.020 It is evident here in this council chambers that housing continues to remain a matter of contemporary policy. 1525 02:29:03.520 --> 02:29:04.440 It is here to stay. 1526 02:29:04.440 --> 02:29:05.200 It is not going anywhere. 1527 02:29:06.079 --> 02:29:13.709 There are simply not enough dollars to do all the work that we are charged to do, but we're doing it one chip at a time. 1528 02:29:13.959 --> 02:29:14.180 Thank you. 1529 02:29:14.190 --> 02:29:28.143 I also want to encourage us all not to see any type of housing assistance or housing down payment assistance or housing homelessness and shelters or rent assistance as competing priorities. 1530 02:29:30.014 --> 02:29:31.043 It's all one and the same. 1531 02:29:31.959 --> 02:29:34.458 We're all at various levels in need of housing. 1532 02:29:35.610 --> 02:29:41.345 So not only is it a matter of contemporary policy, it's also Maslow hierarchies of needs. 1533 02:29:41.927 --> 02:29:42.333 Shelter. 1534 02:29:45.825 --> 02:29:50.568 Long before we come here, housing still was important. 1535 02:29:51.233 --> 02:29:58.977 So when we hear people testify through emotions, passion, anger, it's because we're trying to do the best we can. 1536 02:30:00.281 --> 02:30:09.426 And you all said it was such a large charge to make a decision that really impact hundreds, if not thousands, of people in this city limit. 1537 02:30:11.219 --> 02:30:12.356 I stand by the resolution. 1538 02:30:12.813 --> 02:30:15.006 It's not perfect, but it's getting us somewhere. 1539 02:30:15.543 --> 02:30:18.144 I thank you all for coming together to help us get where we need to get. 1540 02:30:19.638 --> 02:30:20.360 You have the dais. 1541 02:30:20.787 --> 02:30:21.130 Thank you. 1542 02:30:21.869 --> 02:30:22.246 Thank you. 1543 02:30:22.673 --> 02:30:23.345 Thank you so much. 1544 02:30:25.913 --> 02:30:26.612 Good morning, councilors. 1545 02:30:26.710 --> 02:30:35.600 My name is TJ McHugh, here on behalf of the Portland Metro Chamber, representing more than 2,300 businesses Over 80% of them small businesses across every industry. 1546 02:30:35.659 --> 02:30:39.149 We advocate for policies that support economic vitality, community health, and shared prosperity. 1547 02:30:40.500 --> 02:30:45.350 I want to thank Councilors Zimmerman and Smith for refocusing this resolution on building more housing. 1548 02:30:45.520 --> 02:30:54.030 The chamber strongly supports the Smith amendments providing gap funding for the Broadway Corridor, William and Russell, SEI's Northeast 13th Avenue Homeownership Project, and Urban Plaza. 1549 02:30:54.600 --> 02:30:58.420 These investments will put shovels in the ground quickly, delivering housing, jobs, and private investment. 1550 02:30:58.420 --> 02:30:58.459 Thank you. 1551 02:30:59.329 --> 02:31:00.700 Thank you. 1552 02:31:00.700 --> 02:31:01.120 Thank you, Mayor Wilson. 1553 02:31:01.120 --> 02:31:01.120 Councilmember Herbold. 1554 02:31:01.120 --> 02:31:01.120 Thank you, Mayor Wilson. 1555 02:31:01.120 --> 02:31:05.540 Portland has been in a housing emergency since 2014, yet our actions do not reflect that urgency. 1556 02:31:06.360 --> 02:31:11.350 Housing costs are roughly 30% higher than the national average, while new development here has nearly stalled. 1557 02:31:12.180 --> 02:31:17.500 Housing costs are a primary driver for homelessness and economic instability, and they stem from a decade of underproduction. 1558 02:31:18.520 --> 02:31:24.219 To spur growth, council must urgently remove barriers to restart housing production at a scale of at least 6,000 units per year. 1559 02:31:24.736 --> 02:31:38.771 That means pausing new rental regulations, review existing regulations, modernizing parking rules, enforcing a 120-day permit deadline, restoring the multi-program at 120% AMI, and ensuring inclusionary requirements are fully cost offset. 1560 02:31:39.765 --> 02:31:41.981 Housing supply is the foundation of affordability. 1561 02:31:42.479 --> 02:31:43.893 Council must act and act now. 1562 02:31:44.406 --> 02:31:44.727 Thank you. 1563 02:31:46.093 --> 02:31:46.702 Thank you, TJ. 1564 02:31:47.569 --> 02:31:49.127 Stephen is joining us online. 1565 02:31:50.577 --> 02:31:51.209 Welcome, Steven. 1566 02:31:59.540 --> 02:32:02.531 Yeah, good morning. 1567 02:32:02.676 --> 02:32:04.204 It is still morning for 3 more minutes. 1568 02:32:06.511 --> 02:32:11.325 Uh, my name is Steven Crawford and I am the legal director at Fair Housing Council of Oregon. 1569 02:32:12.389 --> 02:32:25.459 Uh, we understand we're, uh, adding our voice to the chorus of disappointment That has been proposed in this fund. 1570 02:32:25.459 --> 02:32:33.129 But we're also speaking today to encourage the council to adopt a modest revision to ensure equal access to housing in Portland. 1571 02:32:33.860 --> 02:32:42.000 So FHCO is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to ending discrimination and housing discrimination in Oregon through education, investigation, outreach. 1572 02:32:42.000 --> 02:32:44.170 We're already a grantee with the City of Portland. 1573 02:32:44.170 --> 02:32:44.209 Thank you. 1574 02:32:44.209 --> 02:32:44.489 And we're also a grantee with the Oregon Department of Housing and Under Urban Development. 1575 02:32:44.606 --> 02:32:48.734 That grant, we provide housing education opportunities in numerous venues throughout the city. 1576 02:32:49.360 --> 02:32:54.818 We process and investigate allegations of discrimination by housing consumers and community advocates. 1577 02:32:55.701 --> 02:33:02.671 We provide audit testing of the Portland rental housing market and advocate on behalf of housing consumers, most of whom are facing housing instability. 1578 02:33:03.489 --> 02:33:09.606 In Portland in 2025, we processed discrimination complaints for 430 complainants. 1579 02:33:10.059 --> 02:33:12.719 Provided direct assistance to over 82 households. 1580 02:33:13.385 --> 02:33:17.777 That assistance oftentimes results in retaining housing assistance. 1581 02:33:17.873 --> 02:33:22.351 In 2025, we suffered some major cutbacks to our budgeting. 1582 02:33:22.545 --> 02:33:34.179 We lost our federal funding for, frankly, political reasons, um, and that is forcing us to make cutting stuff— setback, uh, staffing cutbacks. 1583 02:33:34.950 --> 02:33:48.298 We're requesting that As part of this package, the council consider a $200,000 investment to Fair Housing Council to ensure that housing stability is provided equitably to Portlanders in the city. 1584 02:33:48.540 --> 02:33:48.768 Thank you. 1585 02:33:49.917 --> 02:33:50.452 Thank you, Steven. 1586 02:33:53.477 --> 02:33:55.121 That completes testimony for this panel. 1587 02:33:55.186 --> 02:34:05.806 For this panel, we will be coming right back, but colleagues, I'm going to give us a 5-minute bathroom break, let our staff go and stretch their legs for a second, and we will be back Uh, let's call it 12:05. 1588 02:34:06.783 --> 02:34:07.043 Thank you. 1589 02:34:08.281 --> 02:34:08.721 Spring. 1590 02:34:09.081 --> 02:34:09.406 Yep. 1591 02:40:22.965 --> 02:40:24.216 We are at 12:06. 1592 02:40:24.263 --> 02:40:25.112 We're coming back in. 1593 02:40:25.306 --> 02:40:26.443 We got some folks online. 1594 02:40:26.507 --> 02:40:27.117 We got quorum. 1595 02:40:27.870 --> 02:40:28.238 We're coming back. 1596 02:40:30.604 --> 02:40:32.490 We are back, ladies and gentlemen. 1597 02:40:32.781 --> 02:40:35.552 Going to get the rest of our testimony done. 1598 02:40:36.459 --> 02:40:41.451 Keelan, if you could please call up whoever is left, or I guess we had 7 left, so the next panel. 1599 02:40:41.645 --> 02:40:42.498 All right, thanks. 1600 02:40:43.288 --> 02:40:46.195 Um, just last call for, uh, Leslie Kochan. 1601 02:40:48.477 --> 02:40:50.245 Um, Cameron Graham. 1602 02:40:50.760 --> 02:40:51.836 Okay, moving on. 1603 02:40:52.840 --> 02:40:53.352 Oh, sorry. 1604 02:40:54.190 --> 02:40:54.492 Cameron. 1605 02:40:54.793 --> 02:40:55.029 Cameron. 1606 02:40:55.212 --> 02:40:55.917 Great, thank you. 1607 02:40:57.900 --> 02:40:59.395 Thank you for being here, and thank you for waiting. 1608 02:40:59.781 --> 02:41:00.567 Great, thank you so much. 1609 02:41:01.676 --> 02:41:02.304 Am I ready to go? 1610 02:41:02.720 --> 02:41:03.219 Jump on in. 1611 02:41:03.283 --> 02:41:03.604 All right. 1612 02:41:04.152 --> 02:41:09.379 Hi, I am Cameron Graham, Executive Director and Staff Attorney for the Commons Law Center, and pronouns are she/her/hers. 1613 02:41:10.368 --> 02:41:14.665 Um, obviously I'm here to support, uh, the Slow the Flow amendments. 1614 02:41:15.227 --> 02:41:20.290 Um, I was originally here to talk about how we fit into, um, the $1.2 million. 1615 02:41:20.629 --> 02:41:26.612 Um, I would also like to talk about how We fit into the right of counsel— right for counsel, rights to counsel, excuse me. 1616 02:41:27.228 --> 02:41:31.119 As my predecessors and colleagues have already said, we are already implementing that model. 1617 02:41:31.833 --> 02:41:37.824 And when I've met with other people doing this work, there's no need to redo the model. 1618 02:41:37.888 --> 02:41:38.986 We can hit the ground running. 1619 02:41:39.034 --> 02:41:42.625 In fact, we again do this every day, as my colleagues have said. 1620 02:41:44.341 --> 02:41:45.377 You've heard about our model. 1621 02:41:46.363 --> 02:41:49.019 We are in-person, we are free, we are trauma-informed. 1622 02:41:49.951 --> 02:41:53.369 We are on the front line, and I think our stats speak for themselves. 1623 02:41:53.481 --> 02:41:57.781 I know we've had some testimony and also have sent packets to all of the councilors. 1624 02:41:58.855 --> 02:42:02.402 The Commons is dedicated to access to justice and is evidence-based. 1625 02:42:02.931 --> 02:42:07.534 We are dedicated to helping our community and to be flexible and responsive to community needs. 1626 02:42:08.306 --> 02:42:14.256 Our model is based on community feedback data from the Oregon State Bar and the Portland State Urban Planning Department. 1627 02:42:14.561 --> 02:42:15.028 Thank you. 1628 02:42:16.504 --> 02:42:25.608 Both organizations have identified a gap between traditional legal aid services and private bar attorneys, which again is about 80% of those who need legal assistance. 1629 02:42:26.459 --> 02:42:40.442 And we are collaborative and dedicated to helping the city of Portland and the people living in it to be able to maintain housing and to be able to fill their life goals and do that in the least trauma-informed way— in the most trauma-informed way. 1630 02:42:40.570 --> 02:42:40.811 Thank you. 1631 02:42:41.293 --> 02:42:41.694 Thank you so much. 1632 02:42:43.605 --> 02:42:55.726 Next up we have Cecilia Powers, Felisa Higgins, Sean Perry, Noah Kone, Freda Walker. 1633 02:43:00.148 --> 02:43:03.757 Uh, may I go? 1634 02:43:04.628 --> 02:43:04.933 Wonderful. 1635 02:43:05.691 --> 02:43:06.787 Yeah, good afternoon. 1636 02:43:07.140 --> 02:43:08.558 My name is Sean Perry of District 3. 1637 02:43:09.185 --> 02:43:12.439 I'm a paralegal with the Commons Law Center working in the Tenant Eviction Defense Program. 1638 02:43:13.208 --> 02:43:15.114 Our mission is to provide access to justice for all. 1639 02:43:15.932 --> 02:43:22.148 We hope to empower tenants, avoid evictions, and mitigate the long-term impact of evictions on a tenant's record. 1640 02:43:22.966 --> 02:43:28.237 I'm here to advocate for the resolution generally and specifically for the funding the right to counsel pilot. 1641 02:43:29.150 --> 02:43:32.933 What separates our firm from other nonprofits is our in-person clinic. 1642 02:43:33.397 --> 02:43:38.655 3 Days a week, we are at the Multnomah County Circuit Courthouse And one day a week at the East County Courthouse. 1643 02:43:39.568 --> 02:43:45.519 We provide limited scope representation for tenants who are required to appear for the first appearance hearing facing eviction. 1644 02:43:46.480 --> 02:43:49.463 75% Of our clients retain their housing. 1645 02:43:50.234 --> 02:43:55.173 Last year, we assisted over 1,000 households facing eviction for mainly non-payment related issues. 1646 02:43:56.247 --> 02:43:58.733 The work we provide for our clients does not end at clinic. 1647 02:43:59.390 --> 02:44:02.037 Our team members perform 2 and 4-week post-clinic follow-ups. 1648 02:44:02.084 --> 02:44:02.245 Thank you. 1649 02:44:02.822 --> 02:44:12.725 We believe it's important to remind tenants of their legal rights, to provide more agency resources, or if needed, get them in touch with other legal representations. 1650 02:44:13.461 --> 02:44:22.307 Unlike the many tenants our firm helps, landlords have more funds available to hire an attorney or agent to represent them and navigate the legal process on their behalf. 1651 02:44:23.333 --> 02:44:31.326 There needs to be more resources for the people who are facing an eviction, whether that is to provide rental assistance, relocation assistance, Or to provide legal representation. 1652 02:44:31.924 --> 02:44:38.867 If we do not allocate these funds properly, there will be more evictions and more tenants will be displaced from their homes and become houseless. 1653 02:44:40.081 --> 02:44:43.319 I urge you to vote yes on the Right to Counsel pilot, and thank you very much. 1654 02:44:43.628 --> 02:44:44.146 Thank you so much. 1655 02:44:45.529 --> 02:44:46.302 Cecilia? 1656 02:44:48.466 --> 02:44:49.498 Oh, Cecilia, go ahead. 1657 02:44:50.564 --> 02:44:50.950 Thank you. 1658 02:44:51.370 --> 02:44:52.065 Good morning, y'all. 1659 02:44:52.420 --> 02:44:52.935 Good morning. 1660 02:44:52.985 --> 02:44:54.727 I'm a resident of District— good morning. 1661 02:44:55.192 --> 02:44:55.771 District 2. 1662 02:44:56.075 --> 02:44:58.291 I work at Fair Housing Council of Oregon. 1663 02:44:59.111 --> 02:45:02.868 I'm one of the 2 statewide enforcement investigators. 1664 02:45:03.686 --> 02:45:06.994 HUD has gutted our main source of funding, and now I'm on the verge of being laid off. 1665 02:45:07.781 --> 02:45:09.066 I accepted a layoff offer. 1666 02:45:10.109 --> 02:45:21.765 Um, I've had a short bout of housing precarity about 15 years ago, and that alone was enough trauma to propel me into working in housing advocacy for The last 15 years. 1667 02:45:24.222 --> 02:45:29.596 When I got to Portland, I helped launch a ballot measure to initiate a right-to-counsel movement. 1668 02:45:30.393 --> 02:45:31.172 It was unsuccessful. 1669 02:45:32.170 --> 02:45:43.177 Prior to that, a certain law center who is very smart and has their ears to the ground consulted with me and some of my comrades who had started a tenant union on building a program to help tenants at the courthouse. 1670 02:45:45.190 --> 02:46:03.683 FHCO would be We get referrals from all the law offices who have spoken today, including Oregon CAT, which is not a law office, but, um, because we occupy a very important and nebulous space of advocacy within the safety net. 1671 02:46:04.471 --> 02:46:21.094 I've helped countless tenants avoid eviction by providing discrimination-based defenses, I've even helped many tenants stay on their vouchers. 1672 02:46:22.082 --> 02:46:26.977 I've also helped homeless tenants seek settlements that have gotten them the funds to get back in housing. 1673 02:46:27.649 --> 02:46:37.264 I urge this council to support us by approving additional funds so I can keep doing this crucial work, because it's workers like me who make all these plans that are abstract actually work. 1674 02:46:37.726 --> 02:46:37.972 Thank you. 1675 02:46:38.219 --> 02:46:38.665 Thank you, Cecilia. 1676 02:46:38.713 --> 02:46:39.027 Councilor Smith. 1677 02:46:42.639 --> 02:46:42.945 Elisa. 1678 02:46:43.011 --> 02:46:46.198 Hi, Council Chair Dunphy, members of the council. 1679 02:46:46.245 --> 02:46:47.855 For the record, my name is Elisa Higgins. 1680 02:46:48.001 --> 02:46:51.754 I am a registered lobbyist with the City of Portland for SEIU Oregon. 1681 02:46:52.688 --> 02:47:00.804 We represent 85,000 members across the state and many in the Portland metro region. 1682 02:47:01.225 --> 02:47:16.371 I have prepared some written testimony that I'm happy to send to your offices so we I don't have to take up the time, but I want to just say that I appreciate the difficult position that all of you are in because you have to do all of the things. 1683 02:47:17.288 --> 02:47:21.994 And I believe that Amendment 2025-478 does do all of those things. 1684 02:47:22.251 --> 02:47:27.293 You have to provide tenants protections through the legal system that we have. 1685 02:47:27.791 --> 02:47:30.972 You have to give people eviction prevention. 1686 02:47:31.021 --> 02:47:31.117 Thank you. 1687 02:47:31.727 --> 02:47:41.012 And make sure that there is eviction prevention, especially given the cuts that have both happened at the state level, but as well as the continuous attack from the federal government. 1688 02:47:41.622 --> 02:47:49.220 And you have to invest in building affordable housing and at the same time keeping a functioning shelter system running. 1689 02:47:49.895 --> 02:47:56.610 I believe that this amendment accomplishes some of those things, not nearly enough in any of these areas. 1690 02:47:57.203 --> 02:47:58.970 And I know that you're under very tight budget constraints. 1691 02:48:00.159 --> 02:48:09.941 But we— I believe strongly that the money that is set aside for the development is a helpful protection for our future, especially when it comes to workforce housing. 1692 02:48:10.440 --> 02:48:17.620 And I think that there's been a lot of discussion about the affordable housing capital stack, which we need all of the above. 1693 02:48:17.861 --> 02:48:22.904 So I would just encourage your support, and again, I'm happy to submit written comments. 1694 02:48:23.065 --> 02:48:23.884 Thank you, Felisa. 1695 02:48:25.477 --> 02:48:30.305 Uh, checking for Noah Kone, Freda Walker. 1696 02:48:31.768 --> 02:48:36.773 Okay, followed by Steph Ralph, Kimberly Horner, and Kurt Krieger. 1697 02:48:37.805 --> 02:48:38.433 Go ahead, Steph. 1698 02:48:39.920 --> 02:48:40.886 Hey, quick like a bunny. 1699 02:48:41.064 --> 02:48:43.610 Uh, good afternoon, President Dunphy and members of council. 1700 02:48:43.657 --> 02:48:46.849 My name is Steph Ralph and I come before you today as a resident of District 1. 1701 02:48:47.444 --> 02:48:54.228 I urge you to support the Slow the Inflow resolution as originally proposed by all 3 of my District 1 representatives For which I thank them. 1702 02:48:54.757 --> 02:48:57.147 It is a thoughtful response to our neighbors' immediate needs. 1703 02:48:57.804 --> 02:49:06.459 I am primarily concerned that the recently proposed amendment redirects over one quarter of these funds, the largest line item in this resolution, to the Broadway Corridor Project downtown. 1704 02:49:06.717 --> 02:49:17.682 I understand that the PROSPER funds are contingent on an ask to the legislature, uh, based on this morning's conversation, and if that request is not funded, it goes back to rental assistance at the end of the calendar year. 1705 02:49:18.483 --> 02:49:26.260 Families receiving eviction notices don't have until the end of the year, and I respectfully submit to you that these funds have been sitting in been fallow for long enough. 1706 02:49:26.756 --> 02:49:32.954 District 1 is the most diverse district in the city, and our median income is about $30,000 lower than the rest of Portland. 1707 02:49:33.260 --> 02:49:39.730 That means rental assistance and other supports for low-income renters would be equitably distributed to our historically underinvested communities. 1708 02:49:40.388 --> 02:49:48.691 East of 82nd Avenue is also where a strong plurality of Portland's school-aged children live, and housing instability has profound impacts on educational attainment. 1709 02:49:48.738 --> 02:49:50.087 So, um, Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane. 1710 02:49:50.843 --> 02:49:51.599 Thank you so much. 1711 02:49:51.727 --> 02:49:57.213 Please pass the resolution with those funds redirected back to the programs that will help low-income families, uh, housed. 1712 02:49:57.519 --> 02:49:59.336 Thank you for your time and your service to the city. 1713 02:50:00.350 --> 02:50:00.769 Thank you, Steph. 1714 02:50:01.993 --> 02:50:02.799 Kurt. 1715 02:50:06.989 --> 02:50:07.763 Kurt, you're muted. 1716 02:50:08.649 --> 02:50:09.135 Sorry. 1717 02:50:09.814 --> 02:50:11.203 Hello, my name is Kurt Krieger. 1718 02:50:11.269 --> 02:50:16.637 Good morning, or now afternoon, uh, Council President Dunphy, members of council. 1719 02:50:16.993 --> 02:50:20.227 Uh, my name is Kurt Krieger and I am speaking for Hacienda CDF. 1720 02:50:20.319 --> 02:50:34.780 I'm Councilor Mitch Green, a community of color based in the Cully neighborhood, 6700 Killingsworth, Northeast Killingsworth in District 2. 1721 02:50:34.780 --> 02:50:38.940 I wanted to speak briefly about capital financing. 1722 02:50:38.940 --> 02:50:45.250 There's been a lot of conversation about the Broadway corridor, and there are many projects that are of great need in the city. 1723 02:50:45.479 --> 02:50:46.059 So I wanted to speak so briefly about capital financing. 1724 02:50:46.059 --> 02:50:46.100 Thank you. 1725 02:50:46.245 --> 02:51:08.757 I don't think it's appropriate to pick winners and losers here today, but I did want to speak on behalf of the, of the resolution as amended and ask that you consider a project that Hacienda is working on, which is a completed but vacant 8-story building in Northeast Portland, also District 2. 1726 02:51:09.592 --> 02:51:12.335 It's at 5627 North Minnesota Avenue. 1727 02:51:12.415 --> 02:51:13.763 The previous developer defaulted. 1728 02:51:13.860 --> 02:51:14.148 Thank you. 1729 02:51:14.968 --> 02:51:22.219 The, um, the bank and the investor have taken it back, and, uh, it can be placed into service this year. 1730 02:51:23.150 --> 02:51:38.331 Uh, so instead of putting forth projects that are multiple years away from assisting people, Hacienda would very much like consideration for $3 million for what they call Monarca, something named for the, uh, the monarch butterfly. 1731 02:51:38.957 --> 02:51:50.138 And I'd like to, uh, also support the Thank you, Kurt. 1732 02:51:50.994 --> 02:51:56.397 Okay, um, last call for Freda Walker and Kimberly Horner. 1733 02:51:59.069 --> 02:52:02.031 And with that, testimony is completed. 1734 02:52:03.148 --> 02:52:03.811 Thank you. 1735 02:52:04.670 --> 02:52:08.004 Um, I just want to start by thanking everybody who came and testified, both Thank you. 1736 02:52:08.051 --> 02:52:14.490 Both last week and this week, it has been— required a lot of patience and flexibility from the public as we have figured this out. 1737 02:52:14.716 --> 02:52:18.281 And colleagues, I also want to thank you for your patience and your flexibility in this process. 1738 02:52:18.713 --> 02:52:20.479 Nothing about this is going how it should. 1739 02:52:20.977 --> 02:52:25.489 We should never find $20 million that is dedicated to serving our people. 1740 02:52:26.180 --> 02:52:32.570 And I want to let you know that the process around this also wasn't how I would have liked to have seen it go. 1741 02:52:34.208 --> 02:52:40.836 It is unlikely, but certainly possible, that there is a couch cushion somewhere in the city that has other dollars sitting in it. 1742 02:52:40.965 --> 02:52:55.313 And if that becomes the case, as we are checking every couch cushion and auditing every fund and determining where every dollar is supposed to be, it is my dedication to you that we will change the process and it'll be different if we do find those funds going forward. 1743 02:52:55.408 --> 02:52:57.447 But we are doing the best with what we can right now. 1744 02:52:58.522 --> 02:53:11.861 I think we can all agree And I think we've heard from both testimony and every amendment and every comment on this dais that we are in multiple crises right now, and there are countless problems that we could be solving with finite dollars. 1745 02:53:12.685 --> 02:53:28.260 And let me be very clear, this $20.7 million will not solve any of these problems in a meaningful way, and it won't even meet the gap that we saw in budgets cut last year, and it certainly won't meet the gap that is likely to happen next year. 1746 02:53:29.222 --> 02:53:33.012 But we have to do the maximum good with the minimum dollars that we have here. 1747 02:53:34.103 --> 02:53:47.155 As we have said, this is a compromise, and I have deep concerns about some of the parts of this, but I'm ready to support the compromise package because we need to move this forward and we need to get these dollars out. 1748 02:53:47.268 --> 02:53:52.549 I agree that there are conversations about getting the dollars out in year 1 versus year 3, and that we are going to need to have those conversations. 1749 02:53:52.997 --> 02:53:53.559 Conversations. 1750 02:53:54.168 --> 02:54:05.505 I also— I just will note that the Broadway corridor has units available up to 120%, which is deeply concerning to call that affordable because in most of the city, 80% is considered affordable. 1751 02:54:05.635 --> 02:54:11.006 And in my district of District 1, 60% is considered affordable or considered market. 1752 02:54:11.102 --> 02:54:12.995 I apologize. 1753 02:54:13.427 --> 02:54:22.774 And lastly, I wish that there was some sort of callout in this for a District 1 project, but the reality is there There's not any construction on this scale happening in District 1 right now. 1754 02:54:23.065 --> 02:54:25.559 We got to go where the dollars are, where the projects are. 1755 02:54:26.671 --> 02:54:28.183 All of these projects should happen. 1756 02:54:28.924 --> 02:54:30.037 All of them are amazing. 1757 02:54:30.295 --> 02:54:34.712 All of them meet the different ways we are approaching the homeless and housing crisis. 1758 02:54:36.100 --> 02:54:38.099 And the situation we are facing is deeply unfortunate. 1759 02:54:41.005 --> 02:54:53.626 I, uh, before we, uh, move to councilors' debate, I would like to pull up— I had my staff, uh, pull together a document that we shared with everybody to try and compare the different amendments that are on the table because there's a lot of moving parts. 1760 02:54:53.674 --> 02:54:57.140 And I'm hoping, Keelan, if we could pull that up on the screen for folks to see. 1761 02:54:58.072 --> 02:55:20.395 We laid it out so that folks can see the original proposal, what is now being called the Zimmerman Amendment, the Novick Amendment, and the District 1 Councilor's Amendment, the new one that was addressed today, to try and lay out in the buckets sort of very clearly where are these dollars going and where Where have they moved across that? 1762 02:55:21.936 --> 02:55:26.657 When we get that up on the screen, I will then turn it over to colleagues for debate. 1763 02:55:26.721 --> 02:55:28.263 If folks want to jump in the queue, you're welcome to. 1764 02:55:28.327 --> 02:55:29.662 I see there are already 2. 1765 02:55:32.103 --> 02:55:35.990 I want to give just a second before we get this up, before I call on you, Councilor Koyama Lane, if that's okay. 1766 02:55:39.319 --> 02:55:39.911 And again, patience. 1767 02:55:40.157 --> 02:55:41.292 Thank you for the patience for everybody at home. 1768 02:55:41.342 --> 02:55:41.457 Thank you. 1769 02:55:41.834 --> 02:55:48.040 As we have figured out both technology and moving to our first virtual meeting and a whole lot of things through this. 1770 02:55:48.121 --> 02:55:50.922 It's been a learning experience, friends. 1771 02:55:52.577 --> 02:55:53.194 Yes. 1772 02:56:07.612 --> 02:56:12.078 I know everybody up here also likes Excel, so—. 1773 02:56:12.789 --> 02:56:16.356 As the music guy, I would like some transition music for future meetings, please. 1774 02:56:16.486 --> 02:56:17.356 Working on it. 1775 02:56:17.486 --> 02:56:18.358 I'm working on it. 1776 02:56:40.095 --> 02:56:53.188 Just very quick, for the— to help frame the conversation, I've asked my aide, Eben Hoffer, to come up and walk us through the document that he created just to help everybody make sure we're all on the same page, including everybody at home. 1777 02:56:53.509 --> 02:56:55.530 Eben, please take it away. 1778 02:56:55.577 --> 02:56:56.524 Hello, everyone. 1779 02:56:56.861 --> 02:56:58.145 I'm Eben, for the record. 1780 02:57:00.077 --> 02:57:00.593 Ebenhofer. 1781 02:57:00.706 --> 02:57:07.434 We have— so I've created a very rough rundown of allocations between these different versions. 1782 02:57:08.191 --> 02:57:18.754 This is not considering some of the granular breakdown of which organizations may be providing rent assistance, and it's not considering the year 1 versus over year 3 considerations. 1783 02:57:18.834 --> 02:57:24.334 It's really trying to just bucket things in a general way so that you can see it visually. 1784 02:57:25.760 --> 02:57:27.111 So please don't consider this law. 1785 02:57:27.386 --> 02:57:28.465 It's not and can't be. 1786 02:57:29.736 --> 02:57:33.166 But hopefully it's an assistance to everyone to see where things are going. 1787 02:57:35.014 --> 02:57:39.810 We are looking at the original resolution, the amendment now called Zimmerman 1. 1788 02:57:41.636 --> 02:58:00.425 I believe— I'm not sure where we're at procedurally, but the amendment to Zimmerman 1 called Novick 1 Which can be considered if Zimmerman 1 is adopted, and the new District 1 Councilor Avalos-Smith-Dunphy 3. 1789 02:58:00.476 --> 02:58:01.954 So the things that we had— is that clear? 1790 02:58:03.510 --> 02:58:03.629 Yeah. 1791 02:58:03.867 --> 02:58:04.564 Thank you so much. 1792 02:58:08.450 --> 02:58:09.373 Are we able to share that? 1793 02:58:09.470 --> 02:58:10.379 Is it working on it? 1794 02:58:12.550 --> 02:58:14.286 In the interest of time, Councilor Koyama Lane. 1795 02:58:15.278 --> 02:58:15.685 Oh, here we go. 1796 02:58:15.751 --> 02:58:19.111 Hey, look at— see, that's all I have to do is I have to move on and then technology works. 1797 02:58:21.129 --> 02:58:25.766 Okay, there we go. 1798 02:58:27.059 --> 02:58:43.938 So colleagues can see we have, uh, as Eben said, we've re— uh, bundled the different types of funding that we were trying to, uh, compare like with like to give everybody a rough sense of where we started, where we went, and where we arrived this morning. 1799 02:58:44.763 --> 02:58:50.406 And we— I'd like to just leave this up on the screen while we begin council conversation. 1800 02:58:50.454 --> 02:58:51.941 So Councilor Koyama Lane, please kick us off. 1801 02:58:53.930 --> 02:58:56.518 Thank you, Council President, and thank you so much to community. 1802 02:58:57.197 --> 02:58:58.166 Thank you for showing up. 1803 02:58:58.475 --> 02:59:03.425 It's not lost on me that many of you have taken time off work, time away from your families to be here. 1804 02:59:04.158 --> 02:59:04.728 It means a lot. 1805 02:59:05.788 --> 02:59:07.628 The goal should not be complicated. 1806 02:59:08.358 --> 02:59:19.600 The goal in using this money should be keeping elders, families, people with disabilities, people at risk of eviction housed right now, this winter, full stop. 1807 02:59:20.500 --> 02:59:22.683 That is what renter-paid dollars should do. 1808 02:59:23.470 --> 02:59:29.831 And honestly, that's what our constituents are clearly asking for, and that's what, very importantly, evidence tells us works. 1809 02:59:30.618 --> 02:59:32.513 I want to remind us that these are one-time funds. 1810 02:59:33.172 --> 02:59:37.890 This is an opportunity to stabilize Portlanders during a very unstable Scary time. 1811 02:59:39.126 --> 02:59:48.744 Let me be clear: something like rent assistance is not a permanent entitlement; it's a short-term intervention that gives Portlanders breathing room and some dignity. 1812 02:59:49.865 --> 02:59:58.010 When you give people direct assistance, you allow them to make their own choices—to stay near their kids' schools, their doctors, their jobs, their community. 1813 02:59:58.522 --> 03:00:01.905 That flexibility is not a flaw; it's literally the point. 1814 03:00:02.353 --> 03:00:02.915 Prevention work. 1815 03:00:02.979 --> 03:00:10.034 Works because it meets people where they are before the system has to pay far more to respond to the crisis. 1816 03:00:10.772 --> 03:00:14.316 I want to speak about this Broadway Corridor project specifically. 1817 03:00:15.663 --> 03:00:21.468 And as we're hearing some of this testimony now, other projects are reaching out because they too have funding gaps. 1818 03:00:21.836 --> 03:00:26.213 So it is concerning to me why the Broadway Corridor project is being prioritized here. 1819 03:00:26.968 --> 03:00:40.593 Our housing bureau has already committed Up to $37.5 million, I think that's right, plus another $4.5 million in TIF dollars for a total of about $42 million to this project. 1820 03:00:41.363 --> 03:00:51.862 So why are we pulling dollars intended to help low and moderate income renters and redirecting, redirecting them to a development that is already heavily subsidized? 1821 03:00:52.585 --> 03:01:01.617 Why are we doing this instead of housing vouchers, rent assistance, rent buydowns, or other proven interventions that directly support people instead of investors. 1822 03:01:01.970 --> 03:01:05.933 Councilor Zimmerman, this proposal came out of the Finance Committee on January 12th. 1823 03:01:06.061 --> 03:01:09.889 I want to ask directly, how does this prevent people from falling into homelessness right now? 1824 03:01:10.296 --> 03:01:11.887 And do you have data to support that claim? 1825 03:01:13.190 --> 03:01:15.997 People clearly are showing up to testify in force. 1826 03:01:16.853 --> 03:01:23.380 I think like many of you, I have hundreds of emails in my inboxes— my inbox right now asking me to protect low-income renters. 1827 03:01:24.397 --> 03:01:35.757 And overwhelmingly, constituents are concerned and very frustrated and angry that once again it feels like there are backroom deals that are made to benefit developers over everyday Portlanders. 1828 03:01:36.351 --> 03:01:41.766 They're really tired of decisions being shaped behind closed doors and then presented as an accomplishment. 1829 03:01:43.242 --> 03:01:49.586 I've heard from many constituents that that's what they're seeing, and they're saying this doesn't feel transparent, it doesn't feel fair. 1830 03:01:50.051 --> 03:01:51.530 That frustration is justified. 1831 03:01:51.818 --> 03:02:02.127 So if this council is going to decide that preventing evictions and keeping people housed is not the priority, then I want my colleagues up here to be honest about that. 1832 03:02:02.495 --> 03:02:03.748 Put your name on it, councilors. 1833 03:02:03.924 --> 03:02:04.551 Own it publicly. 1834 03:02:04.664 --> 03:02:09.111 Don't just go to Councilor Avalos behind closed doors and pressure her. 1835 03:02:09.641 --> 03:02:14.185 Don't ask renters to pay the price while pretending it's about balance and compromise. 1836 03:02:14.522 --> 03:02:14.924 Thank you. 1837 03:02:17.012 --> 03:02:18.200 Thank you, Councilor Koyama Lane. 1838 03:02:18.859 --> 03:02:24.384 Uh, colleagues, I apologize, I clicked on something and my queue went out of order. 1839 03:02:25.042 --> 03:02:25.718 I'm going to do my best. 1840 03:02:25.765 --> 03:02:28.463 I believe it's Councilor Avalos next, or is it Councilor Green? 1841 03:02:28.576 --> 03:02:29.331 Oh, Green. 1842 03:02:29.412 --> 03:02:30.631 Okay, thank you. 1843 03:02:30.761 --> 03:02:31.370 Councilor Green, please. 1844 03:02:32.672 --> 03:02:34.004 Uh, thank you, Council President. 1845 03:02:34.118 --> 03:02:42.533 Um, thank you to the volume of community members who have testified and waited a week, um, and sent hundreds of emails to our offices. 1846 03:02:42.727 --> 03:02:43.834 I appreciate your input. 1847 03:02:44.638 --> 03:02:52.514 I'm speaking today with 2 ideas in my mind. 1848 03:02:52.738 --> 03:03:09.311 The first is I am speaking in support of the newly revised Avalos-Smith-Dunphy amendments with the reservation that I really do not like the sort of grand bargain, so to speak, as it were, for the money to go to the parks. 1849 03:03:09.393 --> 03:03:09.617 Councilor Smith. 1850 03:03:10.148 --> 03:03:14.698 To go to the new affordable housing gap funding proposals, and, and I'll tell you why. 1851 03:03:15.021 --> 03:03:16.988 It's not because I don't think that we should do those projects. 1852 03:03:17.837 --> 03:03:23.496 It's just that I know that with the economics of affordable housing in the city of Portland right now, I struggle. 1853 03:03:24.189 --> 03:03:43.832 I struggle to think about how we can lease up a set of units that range from 60% AMI to 120% AMI when you can't even lease up units at the 60% AMI because they're so close to And in fact, at the range that we're thinking about in Parcel 6 at Broadway Corridor, I don't know how it's any different than market. 1854 03:03:43.897 --> 03:03:45.926 It might even be, in fact, be higher than market. 1855 03:03:46.905 --> 03:03:49.148 And there's still a capital stack to assemble. 1856 03:03:50.809 --> 03:04:08.745 Meanwhile, we know that there are 1,800 units in the community that are in the regulated system that are lying vacant because they carry debts on their balance sheets that put them in a position where they can't And so they're stuck in a situation where those units are too close to market. 1857 03:04:09.483 --> 03:04:20.528 And so with one-time money, I don't know why we're not taking that money and just buying down the rent on the existing units that we have, which, by the way, yields benefits for decades. 1858 03:04:21.426 --> 03:04:29.486 And by my math, based on if we expanded what the Portland Housing Bureau is already doing, you can, you can cut rents for the renters in those units by 18%. 1859 03:04:29.549 --> 03:04:29.823 Councilor Smith. 1860 03:04:30.930 --> 03:04:30.977 Aye. 1861 03:04:31.234 --> 03:04:35.130 One-time expenditure, 18% over the life of the regulatory agreement. 1862 03:04:35.243 --> 03:04:37.247 That to me is the smart economics on this play. 1863 03:04:37.905 --> 03:04:42.091 I'm going to support this amendment because I like everything else. 1864 03:04:42.940 --> 03:04:45.234 And I like how hard y'all fought to assemble this. 1865 03:04:45.666 --> 03:04:48.393 I think it's really— it shows the compromise at play. 1866 03:04:48.953 --> 03:04:54.293 So if this passes, I'm going to move Green 1, which I've emailed to all of you, that does just one thing. 1867 03:04:55.128 --> 03:04:56.650 Actually, technically 2 things. 1868 03:04:56.730 --> 03:05:19.494 It just It zeros out all of the one-off by-name gap funding financing of a total of $8.1 million, and it adds it to— I guess in this spreadsheet it would look like affordable housing portfolio stabilization to the dollar, with the express purpose that it is for rent buydowns in any of our affordable housing providers anywhere in the city. 1869 03:05:19.558 --> 03:05:22.957 And I think what you'll find is that's going to provide benefits to every single district. 1870 03:05:23.021 --> 03:05:23.148 Thank you. 1871 03:05:23.771 --> 03:05:34.263 And it allows us to show voters in the city of Portland that we're good stewards of our public dollars because we're willing to act right now with the dollars that we have to make people's lives better today. 1872 03:05:34.994 --> 03:05:38.350 And so that way, when we ask them for money in the future, they might be willing to say yes. 1873 03:05:39.386 --> 03:05:39.709 Thank you. 1874 03:05:41.738 --> 03:05:42.533 Thank you, Councilor Green. 1875 03:05:42.711 --> 03:05:43.263 Councilor Avalos. 1876 03:05:44.594 --> 03:05:44.854 Thank you. 1877 03:05:45.504 --> 03:05:56.828 So a couple of things, you know, to go back to where we started, I think it's important to remember that when this This Slow the Inflow resolution was first brought to my committee in December. 1878 03:05:57.278 --> 03:06:10.295 Prior to that, we worked diligently with the Housing Bureau and other experts around what would be a package that could, uh, be feasible, realistic, uh, also done by the Housing Bureau. 1879 03:06:10.359 --> 03:06:14.708 So, you know, the— I— everyone keeps saying there are things that we don't like in the packages and the amendments. 1880 03:06:14.772 --> 03:06:17.870 The thing that I don't like is a lot of dollars being redirected outside of Councilor Smith. 1881 03:06:17.870 --> 03:06:17.870 Thank you, Mayor. 1882 03:06:17.870 --> 03:06:28.030 I just want to say that I'm very proud of the Bureau's jurisdiction that they have been able to implement and put directly back into the hands of Portlanders in various ways and how it was originally put together. 1883 03:06:28.770 --> 03:06:38.790 And importantly, I talked at length with the Housing Bureau and with the Budget Office to discuss what it looks like to spread this out over a couple years. 1884 03:06:38.790 --> 03:06:39.920 That's why it's like that. 1885 03:06:40.209 --> 03:06:48.965 And specifically, it was requested to be that way because, again, it was not It's not feasible for dollars to be spent out immediately in this year. 1886 03:06:49.029 --> 03:06:57.413 And now we're in January, we're in February, and now we have even less time than we did back in December for it to go out by the end of this fiscal year, which is June. 1887 03:06:58.470 --> 03:07:03.152 And so, you know, and Michael is prepared to answer those questions about that if he is needed. 1888 03:07:03.216 --> 03:07:06.582 But I just wanted to flag that that is the purpose of that. 1889 03:07:07.287 --> 03:07:21.736 I think importantly, you know, the things that I was not in support of, I think me compromising was, again, recognizing the entire spectrum, realizing that clearly Clearly the first package did not have a lot of buy-in for more than one reason, not just about the Broadway. 1890 03:07:21.976 --> 03:07:25.024 There were concerns that I heard from people about naming certain groups. 1891 03:07:25.345 --> 03:07:30.721 There were concerns about how things were allocated on eviction, on the lack of general fund, all of that. 1892 03:07:31.042 --> 03:07:56.905 And I think what we did is— and I'm also hearing this like, oh well, I wasn't consulted and I wasn't— well, I think we had a public debate, we had the public testimony, and the sponsors of this resolution went back You know, given our limitations with public meeting law that we can't just go ask everybody everything, that we went back and tried to incorporate what we heard from all of you and put it into another package that we could get to yes on. 1893 03:07:58.139 --> 03:08:05.904 And so I appreciate the work that Councilors Smith and Dunphy did with me to find some kind of way forward. 1894 03:08:06.480 --> 03:08:12.047 I think also we started back at the original bill because at the end of the day, that was always the first goal. 1895 03:08:12.111 --> 03:08:12.254 Thank you. 1896 03:08:12.495 --> 03:08:13.490 Councilor Smith. 1897 03:08:13.620 --> 03:08:16.333 And I'll just note where you're— what you're mentioning, Councilor Green. 1898 03:08:16.429 --> 03:08:20.314 I agree that I think rent buydown would have been great to have put in this package. 1899 03:08:20.780 --> 03:08:46.036 I think we were limited because when we were looking at the original package again, looking at all the amendments— or I'm sorry, all the allocations that went to the rent assistance and all the other things that I definitely am advocating for it— and because the EHV money for Home Forward was a big point of contention, that felt like the most logical place to start and look at the— and because it was a big pot of $9 million that we could say, okay, what are the things that we're hearing? 1900 03:08:46.452 --> 03:08:49.648 Let's reallocate to some of the projects that everybody seems intent on. 1901 03:08:50.324 --> 03:08:52.347 Changing the language around eviction prevention. 1902 03:08:52.412 --> 03:08:55.190 You know, we had this back and forth about is it the right to counsel? 1903 03:08:55.527 --> 03:08:56.426 Does it go to common law? 1904 03:08:56.667 --> 03:08:59.622 We clearly heard from common law and Oregon Law Center. 1905 03:08:59.718 --> 03:09:04.472 And honestly, you know, we brought it back to a place where the housing bureau can make those decisions, right? 1906 03:09:04.537 --> 03:09:05.565 And we added a little bit more. 1907 03:09:05.917 --> 03:09:16.438 So that there can be contracts that go to all of those groups, as well as continuing the right-to-counsel pilot, which was something that I heard people had strong support for last time. 1908 03:09:17.208 --> 03:09:26.764 And so, you know, just to give you some context as to why I agree that a rent buydown could make a big difference right now, we'll see what happens after this amendment package. 1909 03:09:26.894 --> 03:09:32.590 Obviously, I would encourage folks to pass this new package, given that the sponsors of this resolution Councilmember Herbold. 1910 03:09:32.590 --> 03:09:32.590 Councilmember Herbold, thank you. 1911 03:09:32.590 --> 03:09:42.299 I just want to say that we as a commission are bringing this to you in good faith and trying to accommodate as many needs as possible, knowing that not everyone is happy, including the 3 sponsors are not happy about the ultimate outcome. 1912 03:09:42.690 --> 03:09:46.750 And then, you know, we'll see what happens as far as Green One and whatever else. 1913 03:09:47.229 --> 03:09:48.969 So I just wanted to put that additional context. 1914 03:09:49.670 --> 03:09:55.149 And lastly, I'll just end with, you know, we heard a little bit from the testifier, Steph Routh. 1915 03:09:55.149 --> 03:10:02.656 District 1, the reason that we combined our efforts in District 1 is because we have some of the most vulnerable households, right? 1916 03:10:02.897 --> 03:10:05.333 $30,000 Less in annual income. 1917 03:10:05.638 --> 03:10:07.336 40% Of the city's children. 1918 03:10:07.704 --> 03:10:11.102 10-Year life expectancy less than the rest of the city, right? 1919 03:10:11.247 --> 03:10:17.643 So many statistics that show that the odds are stacked disproportionately against District 1. 1920 03:10:17.947 --> 03:10:20.334 We have 47% of our district is people of color. 1921 03:10:20.608 --> 03:10:23.300 We have the most immigrant families in our community. 1922 03:10:23.637 --> 03:10:37.352 So these are the stakes that we're talking about, and we wanted from the beginning to have this lens, especially in this new form of government that is able to finally give East Portland a voice, a voice that has long been underfunded, under-resourced. 1923 03:10:37.689 --> 03:10:47.349 And while this, uh, package is not necessarily all going to District 1, um, it is clearly meeting a need that if we can take care of District 1, the rest of the city is going to be taken care of. 1924 03:10:47.397 --> 03:10:53.382 If we can take care of the, the ones that have the least among us, the most vulnerable among us, then all boats are going to rise. 1925 03:10:53.575 --> 03:10:55.677 And so that is the perspective that we had Thank you. 1926 03:10:55.759 --> 03:10:56.967 I'm happy to answer questions. 1927 03:10:57.014 --> 03:11:13.376 I'm happy to have Michael come up if that feels— if me saying it is not enough, if you want to confirm out of his mouth what I've already told you is the process that we went about for making sure to allocate these dollars in a way that we're reasonably able to get out from the bureau. 1928 03:11:14.182 --> 03:11:15.590 And so he's available for that. 1929 03:11:15.638 --> 03:11:21.094 But ultimately, I hope that we continue to remain focused on the goal of keeping people stable. 1930 03:11:22.334 --> 03:11:25.463 And I'm curious to see how the rest of the discussion goes as it relates to those development projects. 1931 03:11:26.000 --> 03:11:28.114 Which clearly sounds like we need to talk more about. 1932 03:11:28.819 --> 03:11:34.092 And, uh, I wasn't for them in the beginning because I wanted all the dollars to go to the bureau so that they could actualize them. 1933 03:11:34.509 --> 03:11:34.764 Thanks. 1934 03:11:35.325 --> 03:11:36.143 Thank you, Councilor Avalos. 1935 03:11:36.207 --> 03:11:38.338 Colleagues, very quickly, just a process note. 1936 03:11:38.611 --> 03:11:40.854 Uh, traditionally council runs until 12:30. 1937 03:11:40.998 --> 03:11:41.847 We're at 12:37. 1938 03:11:41.896 --> 03:11:46.431 However, you may note the calendar invite on your calendars runs until 1:30. 1939 03:11:46.863 --> 03:11:48.978 That is an absolute drop-dead deadline. 1940 03:11:49.171 --> 03:11:59.311 Um, if we are stuck, if we are not able to get to a vote And we are talking about— I will be cutting us off promptly at 1:30, um, so that we can have time for our work session, and we will be bringing this back. 1941 03:12:01.227 --> 03:12:03.541 Um, otherwise, I'm hoping we can move this. 1942 03:12:03.621 --> 03:12:07.317 And I also am recognizing that we may not get to a vote on this today either way. 1943 03:12:07.864 --> 03:12:08.540 Um, I hope so. 1944 03:12:08.620 --> 03:12:11.225 I hope we can get to debating the, the specific amendments. 1945 03:12:11.884 --> 03:12:16.470 Um, but if we don't, we will carry this over and keep going until we get it. 1946 03:12:16.808 --> 03:12:17.259 Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 1947 03:12:18.897 --> 03:12:19.890 Thank you, Council President. 1948 03:12:19.939 --> 03:12:26.764 Colleagues, I'm likely going to have some questions as we move through this, but I just want to make a couple of statements to start. 1949 03:12:27.245 --> 03:12:33.815 I actually think there are a lot of really good things we could do with these funds, all of which are critically important. 1950 03:12:34.777 --> 03:12:38.109 When we have one-time funds, we have to use them carefully. 1951 03:12:38.781 --> 03:12:40.433 In this case, we have an opportunity. 1952 03:12:41.170 --> 03:12:44.807 We have an opportunity to do the one-time things that could make long-term impacts. 1953 03:12:44.854 --> 03:12:44.950 Thank you. 1954 03:12:51.416 --> 03:12:59.148 We could do more to provide homeownership as a real opportunity for families to build equity and create more permanent stability for generations. 1955 03:12:59.827 --> 03:13:08.605 We could land bank, bank apartments in public ownership that give us opportunities into the future for affordable rentals or homeownership for social housing, for any number of possibilities. 1956 03:13:09.719 --> 03:13:25.777 We could put more money into the section that recommends Of the recommendations before us today, to buy down debt in our underwater affordable housing apartments, which would permanently lower the rent at these subsidized but still not affordable enough apartments for the life of those units. 1957 03:13:26.681 --> 03:13:32.322 And we could, for folks who prefer rent assistance, address more of those needs today. 1958 03:13:34.511 --> 03:13:37.575 Colleagues, we are missing an opportunity with this most recent amendment. 1959 03:13:39.129 --> 03:13:40.718 Yes, there are different goals. 1960 03:13:41.152 --> 03:13:59.927 There are different goals, and admittedly, some of them address very real imminent needs for rent assistance today, and others address very real needs that are not quite as imminent but still important for stability over the long term that lasts more than just a few months or a year. 1961 03:14:01.051 --> 03:14:03.956 We often address the crisis at hand and ignore the opportunity to prevent it. 1962 03:14:04.021 --> 03:14:04.165 Thank you. 1963 03:14:04.502 --> 03:14:08.164 The next crisis, and I had hoped that with these funds we'd be able to do both. 1964 03:14:09.496 --> 03:14:19.405 I'd prefer personally— we've been talking about compromise and what people would love to see in the ideal— proposals that get us closer to permanent solutions. 1965 03:14:20.224 --> 03:14:25.603 I would prefer that we put more money into projects that create affordable homeownership and down payment assistance. 1966 03:14:26.246 --> 03:14:38.279 I would prefer that we put more like $5 million into portfolio stabilization to fully buy down debt in some projects and make sure that we can pilot in a few properties some security need changes. 1967 03:14:39.018 --> 03:14:44.014 I would prefer that we look at how we can ensure we have enough housing into the future. 1968 03:14:46.147 --> 03:14:54.263 But what I won't do today is continue the terrible precedent of creating ongoing programs with funds that we know we won't have again. 1969 03:14:55.466 --> 03:15:08.762 And what I see in the new amendment by stretching funds over a 3-year period is that we are entrenching ourselves in ongoing programs that we will not have funds for moving forward. 1970 03:15:10.077 --> 03:15:12.355 So I want to make a point about rent assistance. 1971 03:15:13.287 --> 03:15:31.653 I actually think— I haven't done the full math, but even with the clawback of funds in the Broadway corridor, less money is available now for rent assistance in the District 1 Version 3 amendment than there was now in immediate rent assistance in the District 1 versions 1 and 2 amendment. 1972 03:15:32.150 --> 03:15:36.377 If we're going to move in the direction of rent assistance, colleagues, let's act like it's an emergency. 1973 03:15:37.131 --> 03:15:44.282 Let's say for 1 year we're going to do everything we can— rent assistance, eviction defense— and do it right. 1974 03:15:45.230 --> 03:15:49.150 I cannot support a slow trickle over 3 years. 1975 03:15:49.280 --> 03:15:56.180 If the Housing Bureau can't spend it all in the next That's a good problem. 1976 03:15:56.421 --> 03:16:01.209 Let's give them the carryover, but let's have them spend it like it's an emergency. 1977 03:16:02.447 --> 03:16:11.046 Colleagues, I think there's something in between the District 1, 1 and 2, or now Zimmerman 1, whatever we want to call it, and the version 3. 1978 03:16:11.743 --> 03:16:18.157 If the issue is with the length of the funding and maybe not getting the match for Broadway Corridor, I think that's a good problem. 1979 03:16:18.746 --> 03:16:24.548 Let's talk about that, but in a realistic perspective that looks at the full fiscal year, not just a few months. 1980 03:16:25.139 --> 03:16:40.001 If the issue is with the Urban Plaza project in my district that was removed, let's talk about those funds going into eviction defense or into the rent stable— or the, um, I'm sorry, the portfolio for the affordable housing portfolio stabilization. 1981 03:16:40.596 --> 03:16:46.886 If the issue was the funding going to specific organizations for rent assistance. 1982 03:16:46.950 --> 03:16:55.915 Let's put it back to the Housing Bureau, but let's actually go back to Amendments 1 and 2 that District 1 brought forward. 1983 03:16:56.431 --> 03:17:02.264 Let's talk about an immediate need if we're going to be talking about rent assistance. 1984 03:17:02.394 --> 03:17:08.039 I'm sorry, I cannot sit here while we say rent assistance is the Holy Grail. 1985 03:17:08.634 --> 03:17:17.592 We can't put money toward long-term Solutions, which I wish we were doing, but, but not acknowledge that we're actually just trickling it out. 1986 03:17:17.771 --> 03:17:19.578 This is— I'm sorry, this is ridiculous. 1987 03:17:20.368 --> 03:17:23.552 So I, I put that out there as a potential other version. 1988 03:17:23.989 --> 03:17:30.615 I don't have it drafted because I did not know we were going to see a new version until I sat down at this meeting today. 1989 03:17:31.018 --> 03:17:36.425 I am happy to draft it if folks would want to move in that direction, but I cannot support the version 3 before us. 1990 03:17:36.474 --> 03:17:36.619 Thank you. 1991 03:17:37.487 --> 03:17:39.281 Thank you, Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 1992 03:17:39.346 --> 03:17:40.010 Councilor Novick. 1993 03:17:41.917 --> 03:17:56.364 First of all, Councilor Koyama Lane, I think the difference between those of us who are full-throated about rent assistance and those who want to put some into building more housing is not one of values, but really one of levels of optimism. 1994 03:17:59.314 --> 03:18:10.281 I think that we're going to be stuck with huge levels of homelessness And huge demand for rent assistance far beyond what we can meet until we get to the point where we've actually built more housing in the city. 1995 03:18:11.442 --> 03:18:17.037 If I thought that we had a 1-year or a 3-year emergency that could be solved with rent assistance, I'd be all for it. 1996 03:18:17.101 --> 03:18:19.528 That's just not what I happen to think. 1997 03:18:21.236 --> 03:18:29.157 And I really appreciate the sponsors trying to respond to what they think people's concerns are, what our expressed concerns are. 1998 03:18:29.683 --> 03:18:36.479 But I'll also note that within the confines of the public meetings law, it can sometimes be hard to find out exactly where everybody is. 1999 03:18:37.092 --> 03:18:48.372 So, Mr. President, with your permission, would you mind if I asked for like a straw poll on a couple of topics which could then sort of help confine what any potential amendments people, including me, might want to offer? 2000 03:18:50.959 --> 03:18:56.897 Noting that we are at 12:45, I'm certainly open to you polling your colleagues for some guidance. 2001 03:18:56.995 --> 03:18:58.088 Yeah, thank you. 2002 03:18:58.647 --> 03:19:04.364 So one question is, how many people would like to spend some money— send some money to the general fund? 2003 03:19:07.676 --> 03:19:11.369 Okay, so that's a distinct minority, so I'll forget about that. 2004 03:19:12.894 --> 03:19:23.882 How many people would be willing to reduce some level of rent assistance in order to invest more in housing development and affordable housing stabilization? 2005 03:19:23.933 --> 03:19:23.950 Aye. 2006 03:19:25.091 --> 03:19:30.533 It's hard to answer that because the amendment does that too. 2007 03:19:30.790 --> 03:19:31.818 So what do you mean? 2008 03:19:32.203 --> 03:19:37.630 Well, the amendment— what I'm saying is right now I think you've got $9 million for rent assistance. 2009 03:19:37.840 --> 03:19:49.529 So I'm trying to figure out if there would be a majority for saying no, there should be instead, you know, $6 million for rent assistance and $11 million for housing development and stabilization. 2010 03:19:49.962 --> 03:19:54.802 Right, but there's $9 million for rent assistance and then another $9 million that goes to affordable stabilization. 2011 03:19:54.867 --> 03:19:55.316 Right, right. 2012 03:19:55.430 --> 03:20:04.635 But I'm— what I want to find out is if there's any taste for reducing the $9 million for rent assistance and increasing the amount for stabilization and housing development. 2013 03:20:05.764 --> 03:20:08.814 Okay, that scales things down. 2014 03:20:11.024 --> 03:20:15.834 A question I have for Councilor Green is you're talking about rent buydowns. 2015 03:20:16.029 --> 03:20:24.977 I thought you'd been talking about what Councilor Pirtle-Guiney was talking about, which is Is buying down the mortgages of the affordable housing owners in order to enable them long-term to reduce rents? 2016 03:20:25.090 --> 03:20:26.070 Same thing. 2017 03:20:26.487 --> 03:20:27.114 That's the same thing. 2018 03:20:27.260 --> 03:20:28.405 So it is buying down their mortgages. 2019 03:20:28.924 --> 03:20:29.231 Okay. 2020 03:20:31.273 --> 03:20:45.097 So I actually am somewhat torn between the investments in actual affordable housing projects like Broadway and the idea of these buydowns in order to maximize the use of our current affordable housing portfolio. 2021 03:20:46.879 --> 03:21:11.791 And I— maybe we should have a debate between Councilor Zimmerman and Councilor Green, but one thing I was wondering about is, would there be any appetite for us sending that decision to the Housing Bureau and saying X amount of money, $9 million, for building new— for investments in new housing or stabilizing existing affordable housing? 2022 03:21:11.840 --> 03:21:12.465 I think that's a great idea. 2023 03:21:13.426 --> 03:21:14.565 Point of order. 2024 03:21:14.806 --> 03:21:15.302 Point of order. 2025 03:21:15.367 --> 03:21:21.795 We have amendments on the floor, and I'm not getting ready to do nuance on the, on the, on the dais. 2026 03:21:22.099 --> 03:21:26.507 Let's call a vote for these, for these different ones, and let's see where people are at. 2027 03:21:26.843 --> 03:21:36.254 Councilor Smith, what, um, what, what I maybe didn't explain well enough was, um, I want to limit the number of amendments that I or anybody else offers. 2028 03:21:36.670 --> 03:21:43.262 So is doing this sort of straw poll thing to figure out, you know, Okay, I'm not going to offer that amendment because I know it's not going anywhere. 2029 03:21:43.309 --> 03:21:45.583 I understand, but it's not going anywhere. 2030 03:21:46.355 --> 03:21:48.129 We got amendments on the table. 2031 03:21:48.209 --> 03:21:53.902 Let's go for the amendments we have on the table, and then we'll come back if we need to do something different, Councilor Novick. 2032 03:21:54.273 --> 03:21:56.409 Then we'll come back to your nuanced ideas. 2033 03:21:56.718 --> 03:21:58.789 But right now we have real things on the table. 2034 03:22:00.922 --> 03:22:02.393 Okay, let's go ahead and do that. 2035 03:22:02.441 --> 03:22:07.867 But I just want to clarify that, like, I'm Given certain information, I might vote for the current version. 2036 03:22:08.045 --> 03:22:10.574 Without that information, I might vote against it just because there's no other information. 2037 03:22:10.816 --> 03:22:11.756 But I will stand down. 2038 03:22:13.090 --> 03:22:17.046 I appreciate any colleague's efforts to try and help us all find clarity. 2039 03:22:19.049 --> 03:22:19.615 Councilor Smith. 2040 03:22:23.271 --> 03:22:23.627 Thank you. 2041 03:22:23.998 --> 03:22:27.655 And I'm going to be very brief because I think I just said what I said. 2042 03:22:27.977 --> 03:22:29.743 I hear you, former Council President. 2043 03:22:31.835 --> 03:22:33.136 That is, that is so true. 2044 03:22:33.584 --> 03:22:36.218 We should spend monies on one-time things. 2045 03:22:36.795 --> 03:22:48.977 I am not for the extended 3 years, but I agree to it because our District 1 councilors, we came together to unify and everybody gets a little bit of something. 2046 03:22:49.650 --> 03:23:04.755 So I would like us to call the question for our amendment and let's see where we're at, because a lot, a lot more talking— everybody knows what it is, so more talking is just going to get confusing. 2047 03:23:05.110 --> 03:23:07.879 It's going to create a lot of nuance that doesn't need to be there. 2048 03:23:08.394 --> 03:23:12.935 The only thing you can count on is we, we put— we, we did the right thing and we put our amendment up. 2049 03:23:13.260 --> 03:23:14.715 Let's see if y'all, y'all want it. 2050 03:23:14.763 --> 03:23:16.460 If you don't, then we can come back to the drawing board. 2051 03:23:16.509 --> 03:23:19.574 But I'm not going to sit up here and talk about nuance when we got things on the table. 2052 03:23:20.468 --> 03:23:21.754 So, Councilor, are you moving the amendment? 2053 03:23:22.783 --> 03:23:27.087 I move to put it— yeah, to call the question. 2054 03:23:27.505 --> 03:23:33.304 On the last amendment, Avalos 3, Smith JD 3. 2055 03:23:34.573 --> 03:23:38.412 All right, so, uh, they both move or were they introduced? 2056 03:23:38.765 --> 03:23:40.210 They both have been moved. 2057 03:23:40.274 --> 03:23:40.531 Okay. 2058 03:23:40.676 --> 03:23:43.922 Okay, we're just calling the vote. 2059 03:23:44.628 --> 03:23:47.985 Okay, do we have to take a vote on the call of the question? 2060 03:23:48.556 --> 03:23:55.134 And then we vote on the amendment after debate is over, or is it— are you looking to limit debate as well? 2061 03:23:55.929 --> 03:23:57.121 Call the question. 2062 03:23:58.299 --> 03:24:11.459 Okay, on, uh, the District 1, Colleague 3, this one, the 4th column in our graphic here, we are—. 2063 03:24:11.689 --> 03:24:15.293 We're voting about limiting debate and calling the question now. 2064 03:24:15.599 --> 03:24:16.047 Yeah, we are. 2065 03:24:16.559 --> 03:24:20.533 There was a— and I love Robert's Rules. 2066 03:24:20.582 --> 03:24:21.111 This is fun. 2067 03:24:21.863 --> 03:24:24.427 We are voting to vote, is that right? 2068 03:24:24.587 --> 03:24:25.341 That's correct. 2069 03:24:25.388 --> 03:24:31.237 So there has been a motion to call the question on the amendment that has been offered. 2070 03:24:32.039 --> 03:24:34.699 The motion to call the question needs to be seconded. 2071 03:24:35.949 --> 03:24:39.699 If there is a second, then you will have a vote on that motion to call the question. 2072 03:24:39.954 --> 03:24:45.173 Thank If that succeeds, then you will vote immediately on the amendment that was offered. 2073 03:24:45.333 --> 03:24:52.959 We're only talking about calling the question on the Avalos, Dunphy, and this— Excuse me, Smith 3. 2074 03:24:53.040 --> 03:24:53.328 3. 2075 03:24:53.522 --> 03:24:53.698 Got it. 2076 03:24:53.793 --> 03:24:55.977 Okay, is there a second on calling the question on that? 2077 03:24:56.523 --> 03:24:58.322 Okay, seconded by Councilor Avalos. 2078 03:24:58.417 --> 03:25:02.833 Will you please call the roll on calling the question? 2079 03:25:03.235 --> 03:25:04.985 And this is changing it from the original? 2080 03:25:05.738 --> 03:25:10.314 Yes, this is This, yes, this would be, uh, amending incrementally. 2081 03:25:10.362 --> 03:25:12.115 I could go from really bad to kind of better. 2082 03:25:12.862 --> 03:25:13.772 Sure. 2083 03:25:15.378 --> 03:25:15.459 Okay. 2084 03:25:16.025 --> 03:25:16.253 Avalos. 2085 03:25:17.323 --> 03:25:18.165 This is on calling the question. 2086 03:25:18.215 --> 03:25:19.058 On calling the question. 2087 03:25:19.106 --> 03:25:20.387 We will vote again on the substance. 2088 03:25:22.909 --> 03:25:22.989 Yes. 2089 03:25:23.912 --> 03:25:24.121 No. 2090 03:25:24.477 --> 03:25:24.558 No. 2091 03:25:25.529 --> 03:25:25.738 No. 2092 03:25:26.320 --> 03:25:26.595 Ryan. 2093 03:25:35.837 --> 03:25:36.143 No. 2094 03:25:36.641 --> 03:25:36.979 Yes. 2095 03:25:40.261 --> 03:25:40.599 Yes. 2096 03:25:42.740 --> 03:25:42.887 No. 2097 03:25:44.849 --> 03:25:45.109 No. 2098 03:25:46.810 --> 03:25:47.086 Yes. 2099 03:25:54.172 --> 03:25:57.495 The motion to call the question fails with 6 yes votes and 6 no votes. 2100 03:25:58.647 --> 03:26:01.038 Councilor Zimmerman. 2101 03:26:02.496 --> 03:26:03.924 Thank you, uh, Mr. President. 2102 03:26:04.117 --> 03:26:20.733 So, um, I just am really appreciative to, um, Miss Tanisha from the Williams and Russell Project who came in and testified, uh, to, um— previously we had SEI testify, and also for those in support of Broadway. 2103 03:26:21.101 --> 03:26:35.818 I, um, I certainly did not author what's on the screen here, Zimmerman 1, but I think that I think that those of you who did author that, by abandoning it today, was disappointing, because I think it was a reasonable and good compromise that you all introduced last week. 2104 03:26:35.867 --> 03:26:38.451 And so that's why I've, I've taken it up. 2105 03:26:39.880 --> 03:26:50.558 I think that it is a good mix of the priorities that most folks have talked about today, and I think it's an important mix that doesn't delay in the multi-year rollouts. 2106 03:26:51.040 --> 03:26:59.188 I am in particular I'm glad that you picked up in, in the former District 1, but now Zimmerman 1. 2107 03:26:59.316 --> 03:27:05.459 I'm glad you picked up the projects, and I'm glad that you picked up or increased the affordable housing portfolio stabilization. 2108 03:27:05.555 --> 03:27:13.059 In my conversations with the Housing Bureau, I, I thought that to be quite wise when I talked to them. 2109 03:27:14.134 --> 03:27:19.779 And largely, that is why I wrote a competing ordinance that passed Through finance. 2110 03:27:19.860 --> 03:27:28.031 And so I offer that as this is just a resolution we're talking about today, but eventually by our own city code, that ordinance is going to come forward at some point. 2111 03:27:28.192 --> 03:27:32.961 And it passed finance, and it largely reflects what you see here in Zimmerman 1. 2112 03:27:33.090 --> 03:27:39.063 But Zimmerman 1 now does have some compromises that I, again, I just really, I appreciated that. 2113 03:27:40.299 --> 03:28:00.403 Going with this most recent amendment that you all have introduced today, which In my conversations, I'm not sure how much of it was all of you versus kind of written by one person, but the reduction in that portfolio stabilization is, is pretty concerning, um, because I do think that Councilor Green makes a very important point on, on that. 2114 03:28:00.467 --> 03:28:04.191 And in theory, um, I think we agree largely in, in its point. 2115 03:28:05.347 --> 03:28:12.588 There was some strange testimony today, and it just reminded me of the Rules for thee and not for me. 2116 03:28:12.977 --> 03:28:15.405 And I am concerned about that. 2117 03:28:16.683 --> 03:28:40.086 You know, REACH CDC testified today, and I just want to note, I'm reading an article from about last year about how REACH CDC reached out to the City of Portland for $2 million for their projects, how REACH CDC— we've heard previously about their vacancy of their units, and they sent their government relations person in today to say, don't give out money to other people. 2118 03:28:40.154 --> 03:28:40.221 Okay. 2119 03:28:42.030 --> 03:28:43.979 In the other projects, I thought that was very disappointing. 2120 03:28:46.995 --> 03:28:51.912 Building units is part of the fabric that is going to help us get forward. 2121 03:28:52.201 --> 03:28:56.529 That is why I am agreeable to these compromise packages. 2122 03:28:57.529 --> 03:29:03.175 I don't think that the city of Portland should move fully into Multnomah County's line of business, which is rent assistance. 2123 03:29:03.886 --> 03:29:07.358 I do think that the city of Portland has to keep its eye on developing. 2124 03:29:07.492 --> 03:29:08.134 New units. 2125 03:29:08.760 --> 03:29:37.648 One of the things that I think is amazing about mixed-income neighborhoods is that mixed-income neighborhoods are the types of planned development neighborhoods that I think can thrive in the long term because they have a variety of types of units, a variety of types of residents, a variety of types of ownership and rental, a variety of types of businesses who operate in the retail space, and the really great ones even have other working and employment space for offices. 2126 03:29:38.644 --> 03:29:54.243 The Broadway corridor in large is our next planned development, and the City of Portland and SEIU— excuse me, SEI and the Urban League and others have funded a deeply affordable block called 4A. 2127 03:29:55.478 --> 03:30:00.663 That portfolio is going to go forward with hundreds of units developed at some of the very affordable levels. 2128 03:30:00.710 --> 03:30:00.807 Thank you. 2129 03:30:01.656 --> 03:30:07.137 The next level of affordability is Block 6, and that's why I am so dedicated to the $5.6 million. 2130 03:30:07.200 --> 03:30:16.655 And I recognize that I think a significant part of the concern for the $5.6 million of Broadway has a lot to do with people's concerns about District 4 or about me. 2131 03:30:17.120 --> 03:30:27.630 But let me tell you, if you don't like me and you don't like District 4, I hope you do like planned communities with mixed income and that we have an opportunity to send an important signal. 2132 03:30:27.694 --> 03:30:27.807 Thank you. 2133 03:30:29.127 --> 03:30:33.520 Portland is not a place people generally will invest in. 2134 03:30:34.115 --> 03:30:41.326 It is going to take other people's money to invest in Block 9A, 9B, 9C, 7, 8, 5, 3, and 1. 2135 03:30:42.422 --> 03:30:49.260 We are talking about 2 blocks out of a large development in the old post office site. 2136 03:30:50.851 --> 03:30:57.558 If we end up only developing Block 4, the one that is fully funded— and I think there's been some confusion about how much money has gone into one. 2137 03:30:57.979 --> 03:31:06.951 Yes, if we only develop Block 4, I think that sends another bad signal to the larger national market about Portland. 2138 03:31:07.096 --> 03:31:32.834 If we can build both deeply affordable and middle-income affordable, which by the way, Block 6, 100% of the units are regulated, and in a world where REACH CDC and many of the other CDCs have hundreds of vacancies at the 60% We do need to expand what we do in the AMI categories, both down and up, to make this affordable mixed-income neighborhood something that we can realize in the future. 2139 03:31:33.379 --> 03:31:51.611 And so if we can send both of those properties forward marching, and I believe we've got the support at the state legislature, and I think we have the support in Mahonia Hall for this, that tells the market, especially for 9, 7, 8, 5, 3, and 1 blocks, that that something can happen here. 2140 03:31:51.772 --> 03:32:01.809 You should get in on it, and we can turn what I think can be the great— a great connection between, uh, the Old Town and the Pearl District neighborhoods, which right now have this grand void. 2141 03:32:01.858 --> 03:32:04.493 And anybody who spent time there knows it is a void. 2142 03:32:05.489 --> 03:32:06.871 We will eliminate that void. 2143 03:32:07.402 --> 03:32:14.871 It actually increases our connectivity over the— over the river, which is an area into District 2 that I think has a whole lot of great future coming. 2144 03:32:14.920 --> 03:32:15.479 It's direction. 2145 03:32:16.073 --> 03:32:19.677 It gets better if the Broadway corridor starts developing today. 2146 03:32:20.222 --> 03:32:26.695 The way the Green Loop and, and the extension of the South Park blocks go, all of these hinge on $5.6 million. 2147 03:32:27.129 --> 03:32:29.147 The city can be part of the partnership. 2148 03:32:29.211 --> 03:32:30.494 So that's why I'm defending it. 2149 03:32:30.734 --> 03:32:32.079 That's why I think it's important. 2150 03:32:32.720 --> 03:32:48.645 Um, I, I am disappointed that Multnomah County stopped putting rent assistance dollars toward the city-run shelters to get people from shelter I heard the mayor loud and clear that he wanted $9 million for that. 2151 03:32:49.736 --> 03:32:58.361 I think that there's been large compromise down to a smaller number, and today in Zimmerman 1, you see $4 million for that type of transition. 2152 03:32:59.356 --> 03:33:01.959 It takes money to move from shelter to apartments. 2153 03:33:02.086 --> 03:33:03.950 I hope you will continue to support that. 2154 03:33:05.218 --> 03:33:08.511 The— this most recent amendment by y'all has it at $3 million. 2155 03:33:08.575 --> 03:33:09.265 I think we'll execute that. 2156 03:33:09.314 --> 03:33:09.539 Councilor Dan Ryan. 2157 03:33:10.405 --> 03:33:12.033 I think we can execute $4 million. 2158 03:33:12.082 --> 03:33:14.898 So that's why I still think Zimmerman 1 is a better option here. 2159 03:33:16.520 --> 03:33:18.353 I don't know why, but I am open. 2160 03:33:18.403 --> 03:33:23.199 And Councilor Pirtle-Guiney mentioned the Urban Plaza money coming out of both the most recent amendments. 2161 03:33:24.853 --> 03:33:28.470 I thought that that would be a project that needed some assistance. 2162 03:33:28.630 --> 03:33:34.727 If it can't, then I agree with her and her statements about putting it in that eviction protection piece, that $500,000. 2163 03:33:35.150 --> 03:33:35.247 Thank you. 2164 03:33:35.747 --> 03:33:45.146 So I would just ask that we— you had a great compromise amendment last week. 2165 03:33:45.354 --> 03:33:46.592 I would like to stick to it. 2166 03:33:46.640 --> 03:33:50.801 That's why I hope to— I will vote down at the end. 2167 03:33:51.718 --> 03:33:57.314 Excuse me, I will vote for at the end the Zimmerman one here because you guys wrote it and I wish it still had your names on it. 2168 03:33:58.472 --> 03:33:59.938 And I think you should continue to support it. 2169 03:34:00.647 --> 03:34:06.591 I hope that that helps So that's just to tell you a little bit about why I think that the development projects are important. 2170 03:34:06.736 --> 03:34:37.870 I will also say, it is, it is, I just want to thank again the development groups, Williams Self-Enhancement, Urban Plaza, and Broadway Corridor, who've come forward because you all are creating different types of ownership and rental models that I think if you have a long-term lens, Yes, excuse me. 2171 03:34:37.870 --> 03:34:38.950 Thank you, Council President. 2172 03:34:38.950 --> 03:34:40.620 Thank you for putting this visual up. 2173 03:34:41.149 --> 03:34:46.909 And I want to start off by saying I agreed with much of the sentiment just expressed by Councilor Zimmerman. 2174 03:34:46.989 --> 03:34:48.950 I want to just focus for a bit on the process. 2175 03:34:49.309 --> 03:34:53.709 On December 9th, this item was discussed and voted on in the Homeless and Housing Committee. 2176 03:34:54.715 --> 03:35:02.100 Prior to that vote, we had a great conversation, I thought, on the homeless-to-housing continuum. 2177 03:35:02.486 --> 03:35:08.763 We looked at what all the options are, the system that was eloquently expressed by some of the testifiers today. 2178 03:35:09.051 --> 03:35:13.644 We wish we could fund all of it, but we had a good conversation about what lane's what. 2179 03:35:13.819 --> 03:35:14.799 What lane is the county? 2180 03:35:14.863 --> 03:35:15.875 What lane is the city? 2181 03:35:16.693 --> 03:35:18.573 And it was a really great dialogue. 2182 03:35:18.653 --> 03:35:28.707 The sentiment that I recall Is there was a lot of dialogue that suggested that we're more into the building, the long-term housing, and the county's more on the rental assistance side. 2183 03:35:29.363 --> 03:35:33.644 And then after that, we moved on to this item. 2184 03:35:33.788 --> 03:35:39.799 We listened to some testimony, mostly from the Housing First lobby, who delivered their case for rental assistance. 2185 03:35:40.522 --> 03:35:45.539 Then we had two minutes—count them—two minutes to discuss this item. 2186 03:35:46.243 --> 03:35:48.478 Before it went to a rushed vote. 2187 03:35:48.833 --> 03:36:01.093 In my opinion, that's why we're also in this conundrum today, is that we have to remember that in the committees we should take more time to work things out before we rush them to the full council. 2188 03:36:02.180 --> 03:36:03.631 So anyway, these are tough choices. 2189 03:36:04.211 --> 03:36:05.325 They're all necessary. 2190 03:36:05.761 --> 03:36:06.665 So what do we do now? 2191 03:36:08.504 --> 03:36:11.537 I can see that we're moving towards rental assistance funds. 2192 03:36:11.665 --> 03:36:18.426 I'm asking for this from the We need outcome data on the impact of rental assistance funds. 2193 03:36:19.534 --> 03:36:31.335 We have income data about where the money goes, but I need to see how people move from dependence to independence by government providing that assistance. 2194 03:36:31.817 --> 03:36:32.588 I was so moved. 2195 03:36:32.637 --> 03:36:35.591 I'm sure all were by the testimony of Sandra De La Rosa. 2196 03:36:36.298 --> 03:36:37.325 How do you get out of? 2197 03:36:39.363 --> 03:36:41.129 Being in an assistance mode. 2198 03:36:41.915 --> 03:36:46.263 How do you move forward when government is offering you that assistance? 2199 03:36:47.147 --> 03:36:48.591 Most people want to move towards that. 2200 03:36:48.976 --> 03:36:50.886 I realize that you couldn't see my head nodding. 2201 03:36:50.981 --> 03:36:53.902 I was in support of money going towards the general fund. 2202 03:36:54.207 --> 03:36:56.084 I now see that that didn't get very far. 2203 03:36:56.854 --> 03:37:00.095 I am dedicated to the $5.6 million to the Broadway corridor. 2204 03:37:00.305 --> 03:37:02.359 That development needs to get started. 2205 03:37:02.695 --> 03:37:05.792 As Councilor Zimmerman said, we've invested in the infrastructure there. 2206 03:37:05.841 --> 03:37:05.936 Thank you. 2207 03:37:06.483 --> 03:37:07.942 We can't let it sit vacant. 2208 03:37:08.007 --> 03:37:14.074 We've got to show to investors that this is a place that has— it can attract investment again. 2209 03:37:14.572 --> 03:37:18.199 And I'm also a big fan of the North and Northeast strategy, so I'm glad those are in there. 2210 03:37:18.681 --> 03:37:23.816 I will wait to see where the— where the— where this all lands, but I wanted to get some of my sentiments out. 2211 03:37:23.897 --> 03:37:30.558 And I hope to God, as we go forward, we can spend more time in committees to work these details out before we rush into council, the full council. 2212 03:37:30.782 --> 03:37:30.895 Thank you. 2213 03:37:30.942 --> 03:37:31.665 Thank you, Councilor Mitch Green. 2214 03:37:32.818 --> 03:37:33.704 Thank you, Councilor Ryan. 2215 03:37:34.066 --> 03:37:35.019 Councilor Koyama Lane. 2216 03:37:37.649 --> 03:37:38.378 Thank you, Council President. 2217 03:37:39.909 --> 03:37:55.306 Um, colleagues, I just want to remind us that we're talking about $21 million that came from rental fees, money paid by renters in a city where about half of Portlanders rent, about half of all of our voters rent. 2218 03:37:56.826 --> 03:37:58.184 This isn't abstract funding. 2219 03:37:58.459 --> 03:38:01.176 This This is money from— this is renters' money. 2220 03:38:02.316 --> 03:38:05.990 And I want to speak a little bit to the county versus city lanes, the responsibilities. 2221 03:38:06.183 --> 03:38:11.590 I want to remind us that the Portland Housing Bureau, our bureau, has managed the rent relief program. 2222 03:38:11.638 --> 03:38:12.713 So there's a precedent there. 2223 03:38:13.066 --> 03:38:17.382 There's capacity for the city to be supporting in this very challenging time. 2224 03:38:18.120 --> 03:38:22.388 And also, what we're seeing today, I don't think is just one disagreement. 2225 03:38:22.790 --> 03:38:33.384 I think this is a little peek, an opening into a much bigger bigger conversations that we're going to be having about who this council believes deserves support. 2226 03:38:34.092 --> 03:38:37.920 And I predict we'll probably be talking about that in the upcoming budget process. 2227 03:38:37.985 --> 03:38:42.009 So I do hope we can move forward on this, and we're going to have more opportunities to be discussing this. 2228 03:38:43.921 --> 03:38:44.966 Thank you, Councilor Koyama Lane. 2229 03:38:45.414 --> 03:38:46.261 Councilor Novick. 2230 03:38:53.042 --> 03:39:05.173 First of all, again, I think that all of us care about all Portlanders, and I care about the Portlanders who will be around in 2040 as much as I care, frankly, about the Portlanders today. 2231 03:39:05.925 --> 03:39:14.434 And so I want to pursue policies which I hope will result in less homelessness and less need for rent assistance in 2040 as much as I do today. 2232 03:39:15.379 --> 03:39:29.204 I have a question for Councilor Green, which is Again, I like the idea of doing the mortgage buydowns in order to allow the affordable housing providers to reduce rents, which will reduce vacancies, which will mean more people in homes. 2233 03:39:30.629 --> 03:39:39.449 Can you tell me whether you think that that strategy is more cost-effective than simply giving people direct rent assistance? 2234 03:39:41.099 --> 03:39:42.104 I appreciate the question. 2235 03:39:42.364 --> 03:39:45.079 I think if you control Councilor Smith. 2236 03:39:45.128 --> 03:40:00.518 If you're looking at this as a tool for only those who are currently in the sort of regulated affordable housing units, then rent buydowns are more cost-effective because you, rather than eating your seed corn, you plant your corn and you get a benefit that yields over time. 2237 03:40:01.047 --> 03:40:04.765 But not everyone who receives emergency housing vouchers and rent assistance are in those units. 2238 03:40:05.310 --> 03:40:16.316 And so I think one of the things I worry about is the complicated interplay between new eviction And then also against the backdrop of us having a hard time placing people in these units. 2239 03:40:16.380 --> 03:40:26.657 And so if you want my strictly economist answer, I have to hold one thing constant and say, yeah, it's more— it's, you know, yes, it's more cost effective in the long run if you have one-time money. 2240 03:40:27.765 --> 03:40:58.479 How many vacancies do you think could be filled with the amount of money that you're proposing for the mortgage buydowns, and as opposed to how many vacancies Yeah, so on January 12th, Michael Bonocore gave a presentation on rent buydowns to the Finance Committee, and he presented some figures that said they're roughly doing about $6 million, and they've got a little over, you know, somewhere around 100 units in play that are reducing rents from 60% to 45% AMI. 2241 03:40:58.479 --> 03:41:01.979 So that napkin math is $60,000 per unit. 2242 03:41:01.979 --> 03:41:02.079 That's not what I'm asking. 2243 03:41:02.628 --> 03:41:06.959 So this would just basically double that, roughly. 2244 03:41:07.153 --> 03:41:08.344 No, actually, it would be a little bit more than that. 2245 03:41:09.336 --> 03:41:14.545 So I think it's 135 units, actually. 2246 03:41:14.706 --> 03:41:23.202 So it would— you think it would fill 135 units permanently, presumably, at a cost of $60,000 apiece? 2247 03:41:23.332 --> 03:41:36.311 I would say it more appropriately that it would, over the life of the regulatory agreement, Lower those units from 60% AMI rents to 45% AMI rents, which would allow that spread between market to open up. 2248 03:41:36.391 --> 03:41:40.302 And yeah, I think, I think it would create an increase in filled units. 2249 03:41:41.408 --> 03:41:51.138 And I mean, how many more units could we fill with another $4 million, say? 2250 03:41:52.628 --> 03:42:08.748 I mean, I think that's probably a good question for the director of the Portland Housing Bureau, but But when I was talking to them about this, they said they have the capacity to do something like 1,300 units around the city with a combination of existing and things that are in the pipeline right now. 2251 03:42:08.908 --> 03:42:15.088 Could I invite Director Bullencourt to come up and help us work through this napkin math? 2252 03:42:15.511 --> 03:42:15.885 Thank you. 2253 03:42:17.801 --> 03:42:19.637 Thank you, Council President, councilors. 2254 03:42:19.734 --> 03:42:20.806 I will do my best. 2255 03:42:21.309 --> 03:42:22.365 So this is a relatively new initiative. 2256 03:42:22.489 --> 03:42:25.181 Relatively new intervention for us at the Housing Bureau. 2257 03:42:25.906 --> 03:42:58.093 The examples that I presented at Finance Committee were investments made in 2 projects that are in the development pipeline, and the investments of roughly $3 million in each one helped sort of buy down the debt in a way that would allow these properties to open when they open their doors and have their grand opening with rents reduced than what had originally been projected in the financing. 2258 03:42:58.932 --> 03:43:20.063 So there is a— in this particular way that we did it, there's kind of a period of time, well, either at the front end when financing is being put together for a new development Or you know, sort of a reworking of the finances before it comes online. 2259 03:43:21.191 --> 03:43:30.939 There are potentially other ways to go about rent buydowns for existing properties where a refinancing is done. 2260 03:43:31.213 --> 03:43:33.665 We haven't built a lot of muscle around that. 2261 03:43:35.693 --> 03:43:39.461 So these are these are early strategies that we're. 2262 03:43:40.122 --> 03:43:45.708 You know, trying to be responsive to the moment when we have resources and the ability to be a little bit flexible. 2263 03:43:46.649 --> 03:44:11.836 I think, you know, a larger strategy around this is something we would like to develop and be able to sort of say, you know, I mean, our ability to react in the moment to situations is helpful, but, you know, sort of having this larger picture where I could say to you, If we sort of used these 3 interventions and roughly these buckets of money, we think we could get these sorts of outcomes. 2264 03:44:12.459 --> 03:44:20.782 We're a little bit early days in the moment and obviously, you know, sort of lacking a dedicated pool to deploy. 2265 03:44:22.138 --> 03:44:23.613 May I ask the director a follow-up question? 2266 03:44:25.180 --> 03:44:38.001 Director, Councilor Green is proposing, I think, increasing the amount of money for stabilization of current affordable housing from $1.4 million to something Yes. 2267 03:44:38.354 --> 03:44:38.644 It is. 2268 03:44:40.751 --> 03:44:55.586 And I hate to put you on the spot, and probably you'll say you can't answer, but if you had your druthers and you had $20 million, would you rather put it into building new housing, stabilizing existing affordable housing, or rent assistance? 2269 03:44:57.000 --> 03:44:57.377 Point of order. 2270 03:44:57.461 --> 03:44:58.130 That's not fair. 2271 03:44:58.370 --> 03:44:59.603 Point of order. 2272 03:45:06.359 --> 03:45:08.657 Let's not put— I'll ask it of the city administrator. 2273 03:45:08.722 --> 03:45:09.354 Is that more appropriate? 2274 03:45:11.110 --> 03:45:11.865 No, it's not. 2275 03:45:14.148 --> 03:45:15.073 Not at this time, no. 2276 03:45:16.809 --> 03:45:17.736 All right, worth a shot. 2277 03:45:20.412 --> 03:45:21.737 Respect for—. 2278 03:45:22.032 --> 03:45:22.441 Yeah, good. 2279 03:45:22.770 --> 03:45:23.309 Thanks for trying. 2280 03:45:23.753 --> 03:45:25.554 Uh, Councilor Thank you. 2281 03:45:26.260 --> 03:45:29.819 I'm going to have questions for the attorneys, uh, just flagging that. 2282 03:45:30.029 --> 03:45:33.894 Um, and I, I just want to note, you know, we— this is a long conversation. 2283 03:45:33.941 --> 03:45:36.988 It's actually my first time speaking on it other than a procedural clarification. 2284 03:45:37.084 --> 03:45:39.105 So I just want to say thanks to everybody who's been working on this. 2285 03:45:39.185 --> 03:45:40.549 I know a lot of work has been done here. 2286 03:45:41.334 --> 03:45:45.568 Um, while the attorneys are coming up, um, if you could please— sorry. 2287 03:45:45.905 --> 03:45:56.962 Uh, uh, I just want to first note that I agree with Council President Dunphy that this process has not been ideal, both in terms of we should not find $21 million in the process of competing legislation instead of just amending existing proposals. 2288 03:45:57.460 --> 03:46:07.384 I also want to say that a lot of this is about district competition, and we have a lack of guardrails related to regional investment combined with an increased awareness of geography in the public due to the new council districts. 2289 03:46:07.432 --> 03:46:11.013 And I think that's created some feelings of my district is being underinvested in. 2290 03:46:11.591 --> 03:46:14.094 And I think in the past we just invested in what is now D4. 2291 03:46:14.191 --> 03:46:15.027 It wasn't D4 then. 2292 03:46:15.075 --> 03:46:17.960 And then every now and then we threw some money at some key project in another district. 2293 03:46:18.024 --> 03:46:26.421 That was deeply unpopular with 3/4 of us and our constituents, I should say, and part of why we had charter change in totality and specifically the creation of districts. 2294 03:46:26.900 --> 03:46:47.941 I think we should have a council-wide conversation around what does equity look like in terms of investment by district, um, just including discussion about whether or not we should be investing equally going forward, investing to rectify historic harms, and also not just only looking at districts because obviously downtown is different from Far Southwest within I'd love to see something that has broad parameters. 2295 03:46:48.846 --> 03:46:59.451 As an illustrative example, I'm not proposing directly, 15% goes to each district and the remaining 40% goes to areas of priority or greatest need as a general rule for how we look at spending around the city. 2296 03:46:59.566 --> 03:47:00.507 And I just wanted to flag that. 2297 03:47:01.822 --> 03:47:05.984 Getting to this specific thing and my question for the lawyers, thanks for coming back. 2298 03:47:06.518 --> 03:47:09.853 Ordinance 189650 lays out usage for the rental registry fund. 2299 03:47:09.903 --> 03:47:09.950 Yes. 2300 03:47:10.432 --> 03:47:29.320 In the findings of that, it says that the fund is, quote, responsible for contracting out funding for fair housing and landlord-tenant services, developing code and administrative rules associated with local landlord-tenant law, processing exemptions to local mandatory relocation assistance, and providing technical assistance and information in person, via email, and over the phone to renters and landlords on general landlord-tenant law. 2301 03:47:29.930 --> 03:47:48.490 My understanding is, end quote, my understanding is that we would therefore either have to use this money to backfill for another subfund, And then use the money in that subfund if we wanted to pay for development of affordable housing, or we'd have to amend Ordinance 189650 to allow for usage beyond the items I just quoted. 2302 03:47:48.555 --> 03:47:58.924 So my question is, unless we were to amend that or supersede it with a new ordinance, are we legally able to use this money, any of it, for any of these development projects? 2303 03:48:01.773 --> 03:48:13.754 So, uh, so right now The, the resolution before you would state council's intent and expectation for the use of this money. 2304 03:48:15.652 --> 03:48:24.591 And once you find common ground on that, or at least a majority, then it, it, depending on what you decide, it would take some additional steps. 2305 03:48:25.668 --> 03:48:31.763 And one additional step you're required to take is having an ordinance actually appropriating the funds. 2306 03:48:32.340 --> 03:48:34.424 Yes, and Councilor Zimmerman mentioned that a little bit ago. 2307 03:48:34.745 --> 03:48:41.224 As part of that, you could also bring another ordinance to expand the use of the funds. 2308 03:48:41.977 --> 03:48:47.349 And we would have to do that in order to fund any of these development projects, is that correct? 2309 03:48:47.989 --> 03:48:48.824 You would do that. 2310 03:48:49.352 --> 03:48:59.264 And in fact, if I can use this as an opportunity, because I think this is, uh, something that this council can learn from the, from the mistakes of the old council. 2311 03:49:01.593 --> 03:49:13.932 Um, the, the code as it's currently written, uh, where it references this fee, it, it was adopted I think in 2018. 2312 03:49:15.420 --> 03:49:22.005 And so the code on the books says that we're going to have a rental registry and we may impose a fee. 2313 03:49:24.120 --> 03:49:41.418 Then an ordinance came in 2019 that actually imposed the fee, and that ordinance in the body of the directive sets the limitation and says that fee will only be used for the rental services office. 2314 03:49:41.645 --> 03:49:43.114 So that's the legal limitation now. 2315 03:49:44.229 --> 03:49:49.514 What's interesting to me is the code was never updated to reflect that ordinance. 2316 03:49:49.579 --> 03:49:49.645 Right. 2317 03:49:51.430 --> 03:49:56.003 And, and so I think this council could learn from that mistake. 2318 03:49:56.243 --> 03:50:14.131 And if you are going to make decisions about the appropriate uses of the, uh, the rental registration fee, rather than just pass another kind of one-off ordinance, you should amend the code, put it in the code so future councils can just look there, find it. 2319 03:50:14.227 --> 03:50:15.238 It's very clear what, uh, the intent is. 2320 03:50:15.302 --> 03:50:15.478 Thank you. 2321 03:50:16.234 --> 03:50:17.550 The limitations are or not. 2322 03:50:18.257 --> 03:50:21.051 So thank you for that opportunity. 2323 03:50:21.356 --> 03:50:27.700 I did just think this was an opportunity to use kind of the mistakes of the past to inform better practices in the future. 2324 03:50:28.440 --> 03:50:28.697 Thanks. 2325 03:50:29.725 --> 03:50:38.558 And that direct question before that is what I was specifically asking about, but I actually really do appreciate this additional context for how we approach the ordinance that will eventually need to come. 2326 03:50:39.120 --> 03:50:58.040 But what that means to me is that I am concerned And obviously this is a resolution, doesn't directly appropriate the money, but if we're indicating an intent to broaden the usage of it, that kind of contradicts the sort of underlying principles that Councilor Koyama Lane had indicated earlier about what's this supposed to go to. 2327 03:50:58.265 --> 03:51:07.451 And so I do have concerns about that, especially given that building new units when we have 1,900 empty units that are regulated right now in the city. 2328 03:51:07.501 --> 03:51:11.994 Councilor city absent some sort of context and some sort of policy on that. 2329 03:51:12.090 --> 03:51:27.302 I'm looking forward to getting the information back, uh, February 28th from the administration, including what the market vacancy numbers are, by the way, in the city as part of the, uh, the request for and a budget note towards getting a, um, residential vacancy fee. 2330 03:51:27.864 --> 03:51:31.620 Um, but that, that'll help, I think, inform this conversation as well. 2331 03:51:32.358 --> 03:51:50.031 Um, I had a, a couple other questions Not for the lawyers, so thank you, but for Councilor Novick, if you could just briefly let me know what you're— I've heard 2 different things about whether it's just bad to name a specific entity in terms of the Commons Law Clinic, or if it was about the specific nature of the program. 2332 03:51:50.626 --> 03:51:53.852 And can you just speak to why that is, what your particular concern was? 2333 03:51:56.237 --> 03:52:08.656 My concern was that I think that generally we should appropriate money for programs and then leave it up to the administration to use their normal procurement processes to figure out who administers the programs. 2334 03:52:10.084 --> 03:52:25.195 So that logic applied to both the Commons Law Center and actually, although I didn't need to do it because the sponsors changed it, the division of money among Sun School entities providers in order to provide rent assistance. 2335 03:52:26.111 --> 03:52:26.367 Thanks. 2336 03:52:26.993 --> 03:52:32.125 So for the sponsors, I wanted to say I heard what Reach was talking about. 2337 03:52:32.221 --> 03:52:33.712 I hear the concern about backroom deals. 2338 03:52:33.808 --> 03:52:37.962 I also wanted to note, I hear the other comment on that too from Councilor Zimmerman. 2339 03:52:38.011 --> 03:52:40.255 I also wanted to know about the Monarca project. 2340 03:52:40.304 --> 03:52:42.790 We got an email from Dr. Fonseca about that. 2341 03:52:43.271 --> 03:52:46.495 That project is in D2 for full disclosure up near Interstate and Killingsworth. 2342 03:52:46.638 --> 03:52:52.123 I went to a block party there and I want to thank the residents who were around the corner for telling me about it back then. 2343 03:52:52.188 --> 03:52:53.503 So I'm a little more up to date on it. 2344 03:52:53.583 --> 03:52:53.710 Thank you. 2345 03:52:53.979 --> 03:53:03.252 But I'll also note that some of what we're hearing about in these named projects now are talking about units that'll come online and be leasable in 2028. 2346 03:53:03.590 --> 03:53:09.882 And we're getting communications saying that some other projects might be leasable by Q1 of 2027, 57 units in this case. 2347 03:53:10.351 --> 03:53:14.698 I haven't verified all these assertions, but I assume that the sponsors have looked into some of these. 2348 03:53:15.540 --> 03:53:18.459 And I just, I'm curious what other projects were identified? 2349 03:53:18.540 --> 03:53:20.728 Why was it Broadway Corridor specifically? 2350 03:53:20.793 --> 03:53:25.600 And I'm I'm, I'm focusing on that one just because there's $7.1 million going to specific projects. 2351 03:53:25.923 --> 03:53:29.229 78% Of that is the $5.6 million going to a single project. 2352 03:53:29.811 --> 03:53:35.457 And so I, I, I— it's not about, um, anything specific to that project, although I do have questions there too. 2353 03:53:36.120 --> 03:53:39.627 But I did want to ask that about what— how those projects were chosen. 2354 03:53:39.997 --> 03:53:51.102 And just to save time, I'll ask my other question now to the sponsors, which is, without additional context, I'm very sympathetic to the argument that Councilor Pirtle-Guiney gave about not spreading this over 3 years but doing it all at once. 2355 03:53:51.183 --> 03:53:53.750 I assume there is additional context that I don't know. 2356 03:53:54.396 --> 03:53:56.300 So could you explain why it was formulated that way? 2357 03:53:57.340 --> 03:53:59.354 Yeah, and Michael, could you come up to help explain? 2358 03:54:00.954 --> 03:54:05.664 Um, I feel like I've said it a couple different ways, so maybe how about you say it and see if it lands differently? 2359 03:54:07.399 --> 03:54:12.468 Council President— oh, I, I don't think I said Michael Bonaccor, for the record, last time, interim director of Portland Housing Bureau. 2360 03:54:13.129 --> 03:54:18.265 So there are a couple of considerations here. 2361 03:54:18.781 --> 03:54:30.261 One is depending on whatever you all decide to fund, how many of those are new versus ongoing programs that we already manage. 2362 03:54:30.372 --> 03:54:33.443 There are procurement processes that we would have to go through. 2363 03:54:34.539 --> 03:54:40.003 There's a contracting review that's happening at the city, and we We have to sort of move at that pace. 2364 03:54:41.360 --> 03:54:57.536 So there's anticipation that we would probably need the last few months of this fiscal year to sort of do some of the administrative work to scope, you know, scope RFPs, get them out on the street, evaluate them. 2365 03:54:58.884 --> 03:55:00.314 So that's one consideration. 2366 03:55:00.574 --> 03:55:11.240 And then there are— If you take Just one example to illustrate the consideration of doing this over time. 2367 03:55:13.870 --> 03:55:29.989 The rent assistance for individuals experiencing homelessness, the assessment that was based on how many folks might be served for how much money was based on providers that Portland Solutions work with. 2368 03:55:30.559 --> 03:55:47.575 Who have assessed that there's a certain portion of folks in the shelter system who, with some support over about an 18-month period of time, would be able to transition into permanent housing. 2369 03:55:48.139 --> 03:55:55.106 So sometimes, just depending on the intervention, you want— you need to cross more than one fiscal year. 2370 03:55:55.951 --> 03:56:07.224 In terms of it being 3 fiscal years, I think it really was meant to be, you know, sort of this truncated fiscal year that we're in now and sort of 2 programmatic years, again, depending on the intervention. 2371 03:56:07.674 --> 03:56:23.757 And to the extent that it's helpful in this conversation about rent assistance, you know, that is typically tied to the eviction prevention and legal defense efforts that are happening. 2372 03:56:24.287 --> 03:56:41.408 So a lot of times that rent assistance looks like paying off, you know, a couple of months where someone was in arrears and maybe the first month's rent, not intended to be sort of like what we typically think of as an ongoing long-term rent assistance program, if that's helpful for your considerations. 2373 03:56:42.643 --> 03:56:43.349 And then the last—. 2374 03:56:43.444 --> 03:56:44.102 Thank you, Michael. 2375 03:56:44.165 --> 03:56:57.270 And then the last layer of it as well is that by Being able to adhere to those guidelines of making sure that it's feasible and they can get it out, but also then by baking it in, then we don't have to have a TAO fight about it later. 2376 03:56:57.334 --> 03:57:06.379 Because if we just allocated it all right now, they're not going to be able to spend it all, then it's just going to go to the TAO because it's going to have to get rolled over, and then we're going to have to have this fight again. 2377 03:57:06.637 --> 03:57:13.079 And so this is about creating some stability so that the Housing Bureau can depend on rolling out those dollars on the timeline that makes sense to them. 2378 03:57:13.145 --> 03:57:13.289 Thank you. 2379 03:57:13.868 --> 03:57:22.106 And, uh, again, I've, uh, we talked with Ruth about that, that we are able to allocate it in that way so that we don't have to have a towel fight with it later. 2380 03:57:23.234 --> 03:57:23.604 Thanks. 2381 03:57:24.602 --> 03:57:34.386 Um, so I, I know we're not great on time here, so what I, I will just say, um, is I imagine that, that the Housing Bureau wants to get this money out the door as quickly as possible. 2382 03:57:34.998 --> 03:57:38.728 Um, so yeah, I'm seeing a nod, just for the record. 2383 03:57:38.889 --> 03:57:39.358 You can't see it. 2384 03:57:39.762 --> 03:57:42.139 Uh, so that's That's helpful for me. 2385 03:57:42.139 --> 03:57:50.299 Big picture, I'll just say I am broadly supportive of something in the ballpark of the right 2 columns in this area. 2386 03:57:50.299 --> 03:58:00.760 I'm more sympathetic on the whole to Green 1, but there are a couple things I'd like to, you know, Williams and Russell, Self-Enhancing Inc., that's— those are things that I think are really important as well. 2387 03:58:00.840 --> 03:58:02.940 So that's why I've been asking about the legality of it. 2388 03:58:03.120 --> 03:58:04.829 I don't think we're going to end up voting on this today. 2389 03:58:05.040 --> 03:58:07.200 So if that happens, then you'll see it in the votes. 2390 03:58:07.200 --> 03:58:07.239 Councilor Smith. 2391 03:58:07.653 --> 03:58:18.865 But I will say, if this is continued, my suggestion would be the Thursday of next week, the first thing on that agenda, just so that people have predictable time to come see it, because we've had some unpredictability for the public. 2392 03:58:19.186 --> 03:58:23.325 There'll still be time for another item after if we need to on Thursday, but that would be my suggestion. 2393 03:58:23.373 --> 03:58:23.679 Thank you. 2394 03:58:24.239 --> 03:58:25.121 Thank you, Councilor Kanal. 2395 03:58:25.201 --> 03:58:28.010 And y'all, I am cutting us off in 5 and a half minutes. 2396 03:58:28.105 --> 03:58:29.388 Councilor Smith, last in the queue. 2397 03:58:30.094 --> 03:58:36.834 Council President, I will defer to you because I think we need to have a vote on this Amendment to see where we're at just before we leave. 2398 03:58:37.414 --> 03:58:58.972 And, um, I would like to urge all my colleagues, let's get something on the books now so that understanding that this is a resolution, uh, and I think you may have forgotten, uh, Councilor Kanal, you put forward a, a request that my actual ordinance to this will come on next week. 2399 03:58:59.038 --> 03:58:59.552 Did you forget that? 2400 03:58:59.601 --> 03:58:59.665 Yes. 2401 03:59:00.834 --> 03:59:00.932 No. 2402 03:59:01.127 --> 03:59:05.345 Okay, so there is an ordinance that's going to be attached to this that we can vote on next week. 2403 03:59:05.735 --> 03:59:17.872 We need to get this resolution out and give the direction, but, um, we can have a further conversation over the ordinance next week because that is basically the, the law. 2404 03:59:19.550 --> 03:59:21.971 Okay, thank you, Councilor Smith. 2405 03:59:22.520 --> 03:59:34.149 Um, with that, I would like to move to a vote We'll vote on the Avalos-Smith-Dunphy 3 amendment, which has been firsted— moved and seconded, not firsted. 2406 03:59:34.279 --> 03:59:34.935 That's not a word here. 2407 03:59:35.081 --> 03:59:36.828 It had been moved and seconded. 2408 03:59:37.182 --> 03:59:39.557 Council President, are you gonna then move to all of these? 2409 03:59:39.733 --> 03:59:39.924 Yes. 2410 03:59:40.054 --> 03:59:40.711 Okay, thanks. 2411 03:59:41.657 --> 03:59:41.882 Avalos? 2412 03:59:42.877 --> 03:59:42.908 Aye. 2413 03:59:43.679 --> 03:59:43.968 Smith? 2414 03:59:44.706 --> 03:59:44.754 Aye. 2415 03:59:45.363 --> 03:59:45.556 Kanal? 2416 03:59:46.038 --> 03:59:48.347 Just clear this is Avalos-Smith-Dunphy 3? 2417 03:59:48.492 --> 03:59:48.668 Yes. 2418 03:59:48.828 --> 03:59:57.450 Okay, with the intention of getting to Green 1 and supporting that, No. 2419 03:59:59.004 --> 03:59:59.747 No. 2420 04:00:00.346 --> 04:00:00.363 Aye. 2421 04:00:02.290 --> 04:00:07.201 With the intention of getting to Green's amendment, I vote aye now, but I will be supporting Green's later. 2422 04:00:09.700 --> 04:00:09.927 No. 2423 04:00:11.795 --> 04:00:12.038 No. 2424 04:00:13.498 --> 04:00:13.595 Aye. 2425 04:00:14.310 --> 04:00:14.407 No. 2426 04:00:20.707 --> 04:00:20.885 Aye. 2427 04:00:23.381 --> 04:00:23.430 Aye. 2428 04:00:24.531 --> 04:00:27.823 The amendment is approved with 8 yes votes and 4 no votes. 2429 04:00:30.530 --> 04:00:31.073 Thank you, colleagues. 2430 04:00:31.138 --> 04:00:38.777 With 4 minutes left, um, how procedurally— how do we move to the other amendments that are on the floor? 2431 04:00:40.191 --> 04:00:45.520 We have one open amendment right now remaining, uh, Councilor Zimmerman's amendment. 2432 04:00:46.217 --> 04:00:48.105 Seconded by Councilor Clark. 2433 04:00:48.367 --> 04:00:50.174 Okay, please call the roll on that. 2434 04:00:53.692 --> 04:00:53.984 Avalos. 2435 04:00:55.731 --> 04:00:56.396 All right, say it one more time. 2436 04:00:56.443 --> 04:00:56.702 Which one? 2437 04:00:56.752 --> 04:00:57.689 We're voting on Zimmerman 1. 2438 04:00:58.301 --> 04:00:58.382 No. 2439 04:01:00.950 --> 04:01:00.997 Aye. 2440 04:01:01.691 --> 04:01:06.850 More comments on this later, but no. 2441 04:01:08.352 --> 04:01:08.369 Aye. 2442 04:01:18.538 --> 04:01:18.585 Aye. 2443 04:01:19.346 --> 04:01:20.788 I mean, uh, where are we? 2444 04:01:20.917 --> 04:01:21.468 So yeah, aye. 2445 04:01:22.537 --> 04:01:23.345 Okay, thank you. 2446 04:01:24.042 --> 04:01:24.512 Koyama Lane? 2447 04:01:25.030 --> 04:01:25.272 No. 2448 04:01:25.969 --> 04:01:27.522 Morillo? 2449 04:01:28.429 --> 04:01:28.639 No. 2450 04:01:30.679 --> 04:01:33.561 With the assumption we'll now get to a discussion of the Green Amendment, aye. 2451 04:01:35.001 --> 04:01:35.279 Clerk? 2452 04:01:36.145 --> 04:01:36.193 Aye. 2453 04:01:36.880 --> 04:01:37.028 Green? 2454 04:01:38.079 --> 04:01:38.159 No. 2455 04:01:38.677 --> 04:01:39.130 Zimmerman? 2456 04:01:39.631 --> 04:01:39.681 Aye. 2457 04:01:40.295 --> 04:01:40.666 Dunphy? 2458 04:01:41.250 --> 04:01:41.411 No. 2459 04:01:43.045 --> 04:01:46.861 The amendment fails with 6 yes votes and 6 no votes. 2460 04:01:49.590 --> 04:01:58.195 With 3 minutes left, uh, Councilor Green, your amendment needs a— Yeah, I move Green 1. 2461 04:01:59.279 --> 04:02:00.781 I also have Green 2 if Green 1 fails. 2462 04:02:00.911 --> 04:02:01.427 It's in your inboxes. 2463 04:02:04.195 --> 04:02:04.906 Second. 2464 04:02:05.197 --> 04:02:06.373 Second from Councilor Murillo. 2465 04:02:07.681 --> 04:02:08.310 Any discussion? 2466 04:02:10.810 --> 04:02:13.602 See, are folks in the queue for discussion? 2467 04:02:15.559 --> 04:02:16.047 For Green 1? 2468 04:02:16.468 --> 04:02:16.972 For Green 1. 2469 04:02:17.524 --> 04:02:18.110 Councilor Novick. 2470 04:02:20.540 --> 04:02:50.350 Um, Councilor, I wonder if you'd accept an intended-to-be-friendly amendment to instead of moving Green 1, um, I'm not, I'm not friendly to that. 2471 04:02:50.350 --> 04:02:51.790 I appreciate your intent. 2472 04:02:51.790 --> 04:02:54.450 Um, I really just want to provide clear legislative intent here. 2473 04:02:54.450 --> 04:02:54.510 Councilor Dan Ryan. 2474 04:03:03.500 --> 04:03:05.192 Councilor Pirtle-Guiney, thank you. 2475 04:03:07.239 --> 04:03:09.593 May I ask a question to the carrier? 2476 04:03:09.722 --> 04:03:23.012 Councilor Green, currently the language in the resolution before us talks about rent buydowns as one of a few options in a stabilization portfolio package. 2477 04:03:24.474 --> 04:03:40.575 I can't tell from what you have before us whether that is adding funds to that broader bucket, which could include but isn't limited to buydowns, or whether this is creating a new bucket that is just for buydowns while maintaining the funding there. 2478 04:03:40.896 --> 04:03:45.155 I'm asking because there are other pieces of that bucket that I also think are really important. 2479 04:03:45.282 --> 04:03:51.655 I want to— would I wouldn't want us to have no money for that bucket, but I'd like to understand where you're putting this money. 2480 04:03:51.995 --> 04:03:52.788 Yeah, that's a great question. 2481 04:03:52.966 --> 04:03:58.325 This is additive to the intent that's already underneath that existing bucket. 2482 04:03:58.453 --> 04:04:03.854 I felt like that bucket was a little too narrowly confined to North-Northeast preference, I think, based upon what we currently passed. 2483 04:04:06.121 --> 04:04:09.248 I'm actually quite open for this to be a holistic bucket of money. 2484 04:04:09.913 --> 04:04:23.887 And as we move, if we were to pass this and move into an ordinance development, I think my legislation of intent here is I want to add $8.1 million to the Portland Housing Bureau to stabilize our affordable housing system writ large. 2485 04:04:24.576 --> 04:04:28.542 And we already have a North-Northeast preference policy, and we already have some of these other languages in there. 2486 04:04:28.672 --> 04:04:32.349 And so I think I just want to expand what Michael Bonico is currently doing. 2487 04:04:32.638 --> 04:04:33.986 I don't know if that's clear enough for you. 2488 04:04:34.484 --> 04:04:58.693 So this would maintain what is in the Amended version 8 affordable housing portfolio stabilization, $750,000, and add a new number somewhere in the numbering system that is specifically 8.1 or 5.6 depending on whether it's version 1 or 2 for rent buydown programs. 2489 04:04:58.953 --> 04:05:11.109 I assume that's the same thing from what you said previously as the mortgage buydown, the debt buydown programs for affordable housing providers anywhere across the city. 2490 04:05:11.286 --> 04:05:11.863 Is that accurate? 2491 04:05:11.912 --> 04:05:12.940 That is accurate, yes. 2492 04:05:13.101 --> 04:05:14.225 Okay, thank you. 2493 04:05:14.627 --> 04:05:22.304 I will note here, just as we're looking at the difference between these 2, I don't want to be district parochial ever. 2494 04:05:22.914 --> 04:05:32.127 I also do think that it's important to note that some of the projects here are for homeownership opportunities, which we're not doing much for elsewhere in the resolution. 2495 04:05:32.643 --> 04:05:35.161 We did have a testifier say we have to do everything. 2496 04:05:35.290 --> 04:05:44.516 I take that to heart, and I, I'm struggling with cutting some of the only opportunities to create more affordable homeownership opportunities in the city. 2497 04:05:46.250 --> 04:05:48.701 Colleagues, I said I was going to cut us off at 1:30. 2498 04:05:48.751 --> 04:05:49.638 It is 1:31. 2499 04:05:49.751 --> 04:05:51.461 I want to thank everybody for today. 2500 04:05:51.606 --> 04:06:02.226 We will be continuing this item to a, uh, I believe next We will be— I appreciate everybody keeping this respectful and productive. 2501 04:06:03.425 --> 04:06:06.902 We will take a week to continue conversations and development, pick it up next week's work. 2502 04:06:08.173 --> 04:06:11.938 And with that, I am adjourning this meeting of the Portland City Council. 2503 04:06:13.870 --> 04:06:14.203 Adjourned.