4:50 Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. 4:52 Before we begin this meeting of the Portland City Council, we have a pre-gavel recognition on Pride Month. 4:58 Councilor Zimmerman, take it away.
5:01 All right, are we ready? 5:03 Okay. 5:04 Uh, hi everybody. 5:05 I think that, um, thanks to you— thank you, Council President, I do appreciate it. 5:09 Portland, we're in this unique situation. 5:11 We get a, we get a a twofer when it comes to Pride. 5:14 So, uh, happy Portland Pride Week and Pride Month. 5:18 Um, uh, I'm just— I'm honored to, to recognize this holiday, this recognition, as a member of the City Council in my hometown. 5:28 Um, you know, Portland's commitment to the LGBTQ community is something that, um, I've certainly felt its blessings. 5:35 I've, I've felt that, uh, a lot of my success is because I happened to grow up in a town who loved me for who I was from minute one, and I'm proud to serve as one of the openly LGBTQ members of this Portland City Council, along with Councilors Dan Ryan, Angelita Morillo, and Elana Pirtle-Guiney. 5:55 It used to be that we talked about the phrase, it gets better, and I think that that actually still rings true today for a lot of us.
6:05 And I'm reminded that as now one of the senior gays of the community, as a person who's gone through a lot of pride proclamations and a lot of pride months, that it's important for us to remember what it was like when we were a younger person and why it matters when your leadership, when the people who are in the community, when the people who are your bosses, when the people who are given a microphone that we continue to remember that for somebody it is their first Pride Month, for somebody it's their first Pride Week, and that we don't know whenever or wherever a person comes from. 6:46 And it gets better rings as true today as it did in 2012 and before that. 6:53 And it is an ever-changing it gets better target. 6:56 And I have to keep that in mind when we think about the community that we are trying to build in this, in Portland. 7:04 That is why Portland serves largely as the gathering place, not just for Portlanders during Pride Month, but actually for a lot of our suburb neighbors, for other states. 7:14 We are one of the communities that people have felt is safe to come to, to be open, to be who you are, and to engage in community with your fellow persons and that matters. 7:28 We work really hard at that. 7:29 Portland works really hard at that. 7:30 We create spaces to make that a reality. 7:34 And I'm very appreciative to the community that I grew up in, into the community now that I get to partially be a leader with and for. 7:42 And so I do want to invite up Judge Kemp, one of our city employees. 7:48 And as he gets settled at the dais, I do want to just turn it over to my other out colleagues, Angelita Murillo, Elana Pirtle-Guiney, Dan Ryan, and anybody else who'd like to make an announcement. 7:58 Thank you. 8:00 If you would like to— if you'd like to say anything before Judge kicks us off or talk about what this week or this month means to you, you are welcome to. 8:08 And I appreciate our partnership as the big gay caucus on this dais. 8:16 Colleagues, anybody? 8:17 Or we can turn it to Councilor Murillo, please.
8:20 Councilor Zimmerman, thank you so much. 8:23 Appreciate your humor and laughter as always. 8:25 I think this is something that we all have to be mindful of. 8:26 It's such a special month, and I'm so excited to get to celebrate Pride with everyone this weekend. 8:31 As the B in the LGBT, I'm very happy that I get double the fun, and I'm sorry for everyone else that you don't. 8:41 I also want to say, you know, it's really interesting being a woman and a public figure in this time, and people oftentimes in right-wing cultures in Portland try to transvestigate me as an insult and I can't even express to you how much it is not an insult to me because the trans community is so beautiful, wonderful, and worthy of love and acceptance. 9:04 And I, um, I'm just very cognizant that during this time where the federal government is attacking the— our trans, uh, brothers and sisters, our trans neighbors, that it is up to us to hold the line for them and to protect them with everything that we have and for them to know that they are loved, accepted, accepted and beautiful. 9:23 And I just want to take a brief moment to share one of my favorite quotes for the trans community, and it is by Julian Jarboe. 9:32 And it says, God blessed me by making me trans for the same reason he made wheat but not bread and fruit but not wine— so that humanity might share in the act of creation. 9:43 So this weekend, I hope that we all celebrate together, that we have fun, we experience the joy that it is to be together in Portland, Oregon. 9:51 That is one of the cities that is bringing people together and Councilor Zimmerman, I'm not sure what to make of the fact that you called us senior gays. 9:58 We love you, and we are so excited to be here with you, and I hope that you stay with us, and we will keep fighting for you.
10:04 Thank you. 10:09 Councilor Zimmerman, I'm not sure what to make of the fact that you called us senior gays. 10:15 I'm struggling right now.
10:18 We'll see what Dan says.
10:23 You know, Portland is such an incredible place to be. 10:28 I don't think that my kids have ever been in a class where they were the only student with 2 moms. 10:35 And that is, that's a real gift for them. 10:38 That's not the environment that I grew up in at all. 10:43 And in an environment like that, it is sometimes easy to take for granted the rights that we have, the wins that we've had, the acceptance that we had. 10:54 And it's sometimes easy to miss or discount the work that there still is to be done, those places, those pockets where we don't have full rights, full acceptance yet. 11:08 And Pride is so important as an opportunity to come together and celebrate. 11:14 To remind each other of the importance of our our full LGBTQ culture, and to also remember the fights that have happened, the wins that we've gained, the work that has been done, and commit to continuing that work for those members of the community for whom this is their first pride and they need a little help getting there. 11:37 For those members of the community who live in those pockets. 11:40 Where work still needs to be done. 11:45 And so I'm really glad that we get to celebrate this here, that we get to say as leaders that we are committed to that work, that we are committed to finding those pockets, to being there for those folks for whom this is new. 12:00 And with that, I, I want to thank my colleagues who are good allies also for being a part of that work with us. 12:07 Because Portland is a place that has elected a full council worth of people who support our community, and that's a pretty special thing. 12:17 So glad to, glad to be celebrating today, and I am looking forward, Portland, to celebrating with all of you this weekend.
12:28 Thank you, and thank you, Councilor Zimmerman, for making this a thing. 12:31 And Judge, it's great to see you at the front looking fabulous. 12:35 I know we can all boo and hiss later on, but right now just see me as, you know, Dan, 64-year-old gay, been living with HIV for over 40 years, and I've seen a lot. 12:46 I'll just be real quick. 12:47 In 1985 was my first Gay Pride. 12:50 It was in New York City. 12:51 It was quite large because it's New York City, and there was also this sadness that was coming into the community because AIDS was becoming known to more and more people.
13:02 Then in Seattle, when I moved there in 1991, I participated in Pride and I was doing pretty good, I think, in my job at Pacific Science Center. 13:12 I ended up on the newsreel being in the parade and I was treated much differently from my boss after they heard about me being in the parade. 13:22 That was 1991. 13:24 And then in Portland, when I moved here in '97, I was just taken with how cute it was. 13:28 It just seemed like such a tiny little parade in 1997. 13:31 Went up Broadway, it was on a Saturday.
13:33 And so I just thought I'd reflect on that. 13:35 And then it was somewhere in the, like, 2015, '16, I wasn't really feeling it, but I thought I gotta go to Pride. 13:41 Then I got on the MAX and all these people that were from Burns, I think it was Burns, maybe it was Baker, one of those B, it wasn't Bend, but it was one of those cities, like towns in Eastern Oregon.
13:52 It wasn't, it started with a B. 13:54 And so they were just so happy to be in Portland, to be at Pride. 14:00 I just had the best time. 14:01 Listening to them and asking them questions. 14:03 And I thought, oh, Pride is an Oregon thing, and we need to allow the rural communities to come here, be seen, be held, and supportive. 14:11 So it just made me really amped up to go down to Pride. 14:14 Um, now it's, it's special because, um, you know, I get to go with my husband. 14:22 I get to say the word husband. 14:24 And, um, I get to be with my, you know, Mexican fluid husband on Pride, and it just feels so good to hold hands and to be seen and to be alive and to walk with the Living Well people from Cascade AIDS Project, because we've been through a lot, those of us that have had HIV for decades, and we can never forget, and we have to continue to lean into the I part to keep including, as we've done, and we've demonstrated that for other other causes that you can keep adding to those who you're supporting, and you don't water down those who are already there. 15:02 You just keep adding. 15:04 There's abundance in this equation. 15:06 That's why we call it Pride. 15:08 Anyway, it's not lost on me that I live in my hometown now and that we celebrate Pride with capital letters. 15:14 And I want to thank the organizers of the Pride Foundation, Northwest Pride. 15:19 I think Deborah's somewhere in the audience, and we're just so grateful as a City Council to be included and to be a part of what will be a wonderful celebration this weekend. 15:29 Thank you so much.
15:31 Thanks to my colleagues. 15:32 I think that, you know, each of those stories, uh, and you think about Pride, there's an aspect of Pride about making safe spaces for other people, right? 15:42 But there's also an aspect about being safer for ourselves wherever we're at in that journey. 15:47 And, uh, it's important to remember that as we walk with pride, there's somebody who sees us walking with pride who we're walking for them as much as we're walking for ourselves. 15:57 And I'll never forget that. 15:58 And with that, my longtime friend Judge, I'd like to turn it over to you, please, from our Employee Resource Group.
16:05 Thank you, Councilor Zimmerman, Councilors, CA Lee. 16:11 Good evening. 16:13 I'm going to first read a piece that was recently, uh, published in the City Insider. 16:20 That's an inside newsletter that's dedicated to our staff. 16:27 And this piece is called We Are the People. 16:29 And I wrote this because a lot of people don't really realize, as employees, we, we do a lot of hard work. 16:38 And I wanted— with this piece, I wanted people to feel like someone sees them.
16:44 So this is We Are the People. 16:47 We are the people who keep the waters flowing night and day, clean, delicious, and pure. 16:54 The ones who fill the potholes, pave the streets, and hang the signs telling you where and when to go. 17:03 We are the people who answer the questions, going above and beyond our field of knowledge, sharing resources to ease troubled minds.
17:12 We're the ones to call when someone needs help to find their way or provide hope for tomorrow. 17:20 We are the people who risk our lives in service of others, often thankless, when few would lift a hand. 17:29 We are the ones who create livable spaces, beautiful parks, welcome to all. 17:36 We are the people who make this city work, and that is dedicated to the staff of the City of Portland. 17:46 For Pride, there's a piece I wrote called We Are Here, and if you identify as an ally or LGBTQ2S+, when you see me do this, I want you to say with me, We are here. 18:06 So let's just practice that. 18:08 Here we go. 18:09 We are here.
18:12 Thank you so much. 18:14 We are here, a diverse spectrum of family bound by blood and not, representing all shades in celebration and unity, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 18:32 We are here. 18:35 Forces old, clad in angry habits of righteousness, condemn my life and whom I choose to love. 18:44 Governmentally politicized and medically deprived, we were forced to act up. 18:51 Voices young and inexperienced in life's journey demand change now. 18:56 While ignoring lost souls of a time when. 19:01 A place of brick and mortar is now a Stonewall Monument and genesis to the start of a movement. 19:08 We are here. 19:11 Ridiculed, stereotyped, and victims of violence, our communities rally onward. 19:17 From lesbians, trans, dykes on bikes, drag queens, muscle daddy bears, Two-spirit, gay, bi, and all. 19:26 Here is something for everyone, for this is Pride, our yearly spectacle of parades, sequins, and waving rainbow flags, letting the world around us know that we are here. 19:42 Thank you.
19:46 Okay, um, thank you, Council President, um, and thanks to everybody in the in the chambers, in the dais, or who's come to the dais. 19:56 Your presence today is, is meaningful, and I thank you for that. 20:00 And I hope that, uh, this proclamation is, is meaningful, whether you're from CAP Northwest, from, from Pride Northwest, from our employees groups, or others maybe that I'm forgetting. 20:10 Uh, I, I see you, I thank you, and I'm glad to be in community with you. 20:15 The mayor and our employees wrote this proclamation. 20:18 It's my honor to read it if I can now, Mr. 20:20 Yes, Mr. President. 20:22 All right, it's long.
20:26 Whereas the City of Portland remains committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and mutual respect as essential elements of a healthy, thriving, and welcoming community, and whereas the long and ongoing struggle of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, two-spirit, and other sexual and gender diverse communities for dignity, Visibility, safety, and equal rights continues to inspire all those who work to end discrimination and oppression. 20:55 And whereas it is vital to honor the history of LGBTQIA2S+ movements and to center the voices and leadership of those most marginalized, especially transgender women of color, including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, whose activism, mutual aid, and resistance to police violence surrounding Stonewall helped ignite a global movement for queer and trans liberation. 21:21 Whereas Portland has hosted Pride celebrations since 1971 and Pride marches since 1970, and 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of Pride celebrations in Portland and around the world. 21:36 And whereas the LGBTQIA2S+ Portlanders contribute every day to the civic, cultural, artistic, educational, economic, and public life of our city as artists, advocates, educators, Organizers, entrepreneurs, public servants, neighbors, caregivers, and community leaders. 21:56 And whereas Portland continues to be home to a vibrant network of LGBTQIA2+ organizations, community spaces, mutual aid networks, and service providers that support youth, elders, families, and individuals through advocacy, housing support, health services, arts and culture, and community connection. 22:18 And whereas, despite progress toward equality and inclusion, the LGBTQIA2S+ people continue to experience discrimination, violence, housing instability, barriers to healthcare, and targeted political attacks, particularly transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people, LGBTQIA2S+ youth, Black and Indigenous and other people of color. 22:46 And whereas communities across the nation continue to see efforts to restrict gender-affirming healthcare, censor LGBTQIA2S+ stories and history, limit participation in public life, and undermine the civil rights and dignity of the LGBTQIA2S+ people. 23:06 And whereas the City of Portland recognizes that safety, belonging, and liberation require ongoing action and investment and remain— remains committed to advancing policies, services, and partnerships that affirm and support LGBTQIA2S+ residents, employees, visitors. 23:28 And whereas, in the face of adversity, the communities continue to demonstrate resilience, joy, creativity, solidarity, and care through organizing, celebration, public art, storytelling, advocacy, and mutual aid that strengthen the entire city. 23:43 And whereas Pride is both a celebration and a call to action, honoring the generations who fought for equality while recommitting ourselves to building a future where all people can live openly, safely, and authentically. 23:59 Now therefore, I, Keith Wilson, Mayor of the City of Portland, Oregon, the City of Roses, do hereby proclaim June and July 2026 to be Portland Pride Summer in Portland and encourage all to honor, celebrate, and support the history, achievements, resilience, and vibrant future of the LGBTQIA2S+ communities.
24:24 Let's suspend the rules and applaud. 24:33 Thank you very much, colleagues. 24:36 I'm now calling to order this meeting of the Portland City Council. 24:39 Keelan, can we please call the roll?
24:41 Good evening. 24:42 Koyama Lane?
24:57 Here. 24:58 Here. 24:59 Here.
25:01 Here. 25:02 And can we please read the rules of decorum?
25:06 Welcome to the Portland City Council. 25:08 To testify before council in person or virtually, you must sign up in advance on the council agenda at www.portland.gov/council/agenda. 25:16 Information on engaging with council can be found on the council clerk's webpage. 25:20 Individuals may testify for 3 minutes unless the presiding officer states otherwise. 25:24 Your microphone will be muted when your time is over. 25:27 The presiding officer preserves order. 25:29 Disruptive conduct such as shouting, refusing to conclude your testimony when your time is up, or interrupting others' testimony or council deliberations will not be allowed. 25:37 If you cause a disruption, a warning will be given. 25:40 Further disruption will result in ejection from the meeting.
25:42 Anyone who fails to leave once ejected is subject to arrest for trespass.
25:47 Additionally, council may take a short recess and reconvene virtually. 25:50 Your testimony should address the matter being considered. 25:53 When testifying, state your name for the record, but your address is not necessary. 25:57 If you're a lobbyist, identify the organization you represent.
26:00 Virtual testifiers should unmute themselves when the council clerk calls your name. 26:04 Thank you.
26:05 Thank you very much. 26:06 Colleagues, our first item on the agenda is approval of the agenda. 26:10 Are there any requests to amend the agenda, to reorder items, or reschedule an item to a future meeting date? 26:16 Looking around, seeing avoided eye contact. 26:19 Do I have unanimous consent to approve the agenda? 26:23 I think so. 26:24 The agenda is approved. 26:25 Keelan, can we please move to public communications?
26:28 First up tonight, we have David Guither.
26:32 Welcome. 26:33 Please come on up, introduce yourself for the record. 26:34 You're welcome to share your pronouns, and you have 3 minutes.
26:40 My name is David Guither. 26:41 I'm with Radio Cab. 26:43 I'm testifying today on autonomous vehicles. 26:46 I specified no Waymo as my— and Waymo is just one of many companies that will be— you'll be probably hearing from to try to gain access to the Portland market. 27:01 I'm not—. 27:01 PBOT has been working for, I guess, 9 years or something like that, hundreds and thousands of hours to regulate something that there's no state statute on. 27:11 Yeah. 27:11 If they find or, you know, found problems, how are they going to find them? 27:17 How can they enforce anything if there's no state statutes on this? 27:21 I'm not a lawyer, but I think this— the council, and possibly coming from the Public Works Committee, could write a law, get it through the legislature so we have some legal basis to actually regulate this activity. 27:36 Any funds that Waymo or any of the other vehicle companies gather in Portland. 27:44 Any money that leaves, and they intend to raise quite a bit of money, they have something in the neighborhood of $30 billion in funding now, but that's expected to be repaid in dividends or whatnot over the next 20, 30 years. 28:00 But any money that leaves Portland causes a ripple effect of roughly 5 to 1. 28:06 Thank you. 28:07 That's the sort of standard urban economics theory in terms of economies. 28:15 The Google numbers that you'll be seeing, remember that if Google can't scrub a safety number, nobody can. 28:23 And it also doesn't include distracted driving. 28:27 I don't know if you've seen the Waymo vehicles, but they have a—. 28:32 Yeah. 28:32 Flashing light on the top of them, very distracting, and their very presence would be quite new to almost every driver that encounters them. 28:41 In the past, the first Waymo light car autonomous vehicle during testing in Tempe, Arizona ran over and killed a lady. 28:53 It had a monitor. 28:55 Unfortunately, the monitor didn't do her job, but the car failed first. 29:00 The sensors did not perceive somebody crossing a street. 29:03 6-Lane road in Tempe, Arizona. 29:06 That was roughly 9 years ago that that happened. 29:11 Now, in Portland, Uber— one of the Uber drivers shot and killed somebody in road rage and wounded another fellow. 29:23 Now, did PBOT fine that Uber or anybody for hiring this person? 29:28 Not that we know of. 29:29 I think it was a private driver. 29:30 And they've been very efficient about burying that whole case. 29:33 They must have obviously paid off all of the claims against them. 29:38 So I want you to consider this, and I'd like very much to speak to the Public Works Committee. 29:46 There's—. 29:47 Thank you.
29:50 Thank you, Mr. President. 29:51 Mr. Grantham, you've come several times. 29:53 I just wanted to note your testimony is consistent. 29:55 On July 28th, the Public Works Committee will be hearing from PBOT on some autonomous vehicles rulemaking, and a number of our offices are considering some legislation to, to the direction that you're speaking.
30:06 Thank you. 30:07 May I attend?
30:10 Or speak, possibly? 30:12 Thank you.
30:14 Thank you very much.
30:18 Next up tonight, we have John Russell.
30:23 Welcome. 30:24 Please introduce yourself for the record.
30:27 Good evening, members of council and Mr. Lee.
30:33 I'm here because I love the Keller Auditorium, and I'm concerned that the current staff draft recommendation for the Keller and PSU is seriously flawed. 30:45 There are 2 significant issues for council. 30:48 One is the risk of uncertainty about PSU's costs as compared to the confidence in the Keller costs. 30:55 And the other is simply that the cost of the PSU proposal is substantially more expensive based on the city's own capital stack of cost projections. 31:06 3 Years ago, the city and Metro and our philanthropic community each contributed $200,000 to a process that fleshed out the design for the Keller that emerged from the design competition. 31:19 The process included all the parties that were required: city staff, Metro staff, a London-based firm that won the design competition, Michael Curry, Peabody, distinguished seating designer, and every other discipline that was required. 31:34 We met every 2 weeks for a year in the offices of Henn Berrethi, the designers of the Portland Art Museum, and we produced a plan that we're proud of. 31:44 It is so complete.
31:46 That construction could commence within a year. 31:56 The plan is included among the vast numbers of materials that you've been given. 32:00 PSU doesn't have such a detailed design, I'm told. 32:03 It gives rise to my first 2 points, namely that city taxpayers are being asked to assume substantial risk. 32:11 I've owned a number of buildings, so I've borrowed money from banks, Construction loans, construction lenders, believe me, when they commit the funds, they want every I dotted and T crossed because they know that once they start committing funds, it's— they're in for a dime, you're in for a dollar. 32:30 And that shouldn't happen to the city's taxpayers. 32:38 The city should make a commitment with its eyes open. 32:40 Councilor Dan Ryan. 32:42 The other concern is even more serious, namely that the current capital stack that the city produced of cost projections produced shows that the PSU alternative is substantially more expensive than restoring the Keller. 32:56 So there's not only the risk of cost uncertainty, but the actual certainty that it's more expensive. 33:07 In conclusion, the current staff draft recommendation makes no sense for city taxpayers. 33:13 Not only is it risky, but it's a commitment to a more expensive alternative. 33:18 Thank you.
33:19 Thank you very much for being here.
33:22 Next up, we have Jeremy Bosole-Smith.
33:30 Welcome. 33:32 Please introduce yourself for the record. 33:33 Welcome to use your pronouns. 33:35 You have 3 minutes.
33:36 Good evening, councilors and City Administrator Lee. 33:39 My name is Jeremy Bosole-Smith. 33:42 We must make it impossible for ICE to terrorize the people in our beautiful city. 33:47 The appalling state-sanctioned executions of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas and Juan Sebastian Guerrero in Maine are heinous. 33:56 Are we going to wait around until another act of ICE-inflicted violence happens to our community? 34:02 To the mayor, why has there been so much stalling on the investigation into the McAdam facility permit and holding ICE accountable? 34:10 There are many things not in our control, but the things that are need to be dealt with swiftly, and we need to push that process along. 34:18 My friend recently was abducted, detained, and sent straight to Tacoma. 34:23 He was deported last week after being in the Northwest Detention Center for months. 34:29 This shouldn't happen anywhere, and it shouldn't happen in our country. 34:33 We know ICE has violated the 2011 permit many times. 34:40 We need to remember that the people of Grays Landing matter. 34:42 The Cottonwood School matters. 34:44 South Portland and OHSU matter. 34:47 These are Portlanders we need to take into account when we're talking about the ICE facility. 34:52 Indifference in the face of injustice is siding with the oppressor. 34:55 Thank you. 34:56 Why does ICE get special treatment? 34:58 If others violate the terms of their permit, especially as many times as ICE has, they get evicted. 35:04 And so thank you to Councilor Murillo for the detention facility fine. 35:08 It's a great start and I'd like to see it increased. 35:11 And thank you to Councilor Kanal for the Right to Know Who's Policing You ordinance. 35:16 Again, I think this is a great start and we can go further. 35:20 ICE, Officers have no credibility to protect the public, follow, or enforce the laws. 35:27 Perk has written this, and I fully agree. 35:29 ICE is able to inflict this violence on us because of immunity and lack of accountability. 35:35 They feel invincible, but they're not. 35:37 We need to continue to fully fund the Police Accountability Board and find more ways for law enforcement transparency.
35:45 Thank you very much.
35:50 Next up we have Brandon Margove.
36:01 After Brandon, we'll have Patrick Fitzpatrick Stouffville.
36:19 And thanks everybody for your patience while we wait for our next speaker to come on down. 36:23 It's a relatively small chamber. 36:37 2 Muffins are sitting in an oven. 36:38 The first muffin says, man, it's hot in here. 36:40 And the second one says, ah, a talking muffin.
36:46 How long has he been waiting for this?
36:59 Oh, thank you. 37:02 Go ahead and start.
37:03 Please go ahead. 37:04 Introduce yourself for the record.
37:05 My name is Brendan, and I'm just going to talk briefly about the Moda Center and the Trail Blazers. 37:13 I've been following the back and forth about Moda Center funding, and I'm a longtime basketball fan. 37:23 I guess my thoughts on the matter, after having read a couple articles and waking up this morning and seeing the Commissioner Adam Silver kind of saying, hey, you know, we might just have to relocate, is to me it seems kind of ridiculous. 37:37 I mean, I feel like the new owner, I would like to see him succeed, you know, and see, you know, everyone kind of come together. 37:47 But my personal opinion on the matter right now is I think the city should ask that the owner come up with $60 million out of the $120 million that they're asking out of the city. 38:02 And in turn, I would like to see the city as part of that deal dedicate $20 million towards work support programs and rehab programs for people on the fringe, the homeless, other people like that. 38:15 Also maybe kind of put that into keeping affordable housing solvent. 38:22 And I think you should tell the owner that if he can't, you know, say, as a matter of good sportsmanship, we ask you to commit $60 million to this. 38:34 And then if he disagrees, I think you should tell him to like kind of get the fuck out. 38:37 Thank you. 38:38 And along those lines, I think you should kind of fight them. 38:42 And I think a way to fight them would be to— sounds kind of unusual, but actually, you know, bring some of the OGs into the equation, like Brandon Roy, Clyde Drexler. 38:52 Somebody that I think would really back a fight against the owners acting this way would be maybe Charles Barkley. 38:58 If someone can get ahold of him, I bet you he would be sitting there, okay, I think the owners are being ridiculous. 39:02 And you get some of the old-time players. 39:05 Yeah. 39:06 I just think it's ridiculous that Noder comes into a city and just thinks he can just boss everybody around and thinks that's okay, you know, and then as well as the NBA commissioner. 39:14 I think that's just ridiculous behavior. 39:17 Um, and so that's it.
39:21 Thank you very much for being here.
39:25 Next up, uh, Patrick Fitzpatrick Stupel.
39:39 I think he's coming downstairs. 39:41 Okay, I already used my one joke, unfortunately.
39:52 Yeah, can we get a slide?
39:56 Yeah. 39:59 We'll talk to our friends at the fire department about getting a fire pole installed. 40:07 Slides would also be a good option.
40:11 Yep, I'm looking at Isaac. 40:12 Uh, zip lines perhaps.
40:19 Sorry it was late. 40:20 Uh, in the future, I think that we should have some more disability access and have more of those chairs down here in the lobby so you guys' time is not held up. 40:28 My name is Patrick Fitzpatrick-Stupfel. 40:30 I want to, uh, please ask everyone on the council and also in the audience, uh, to refrain from, you know, outbursts. 40:38 I have extreme PTSD given the experience that I've been through in life and in politics, and I think I'd really respectfully ask for people to put bias and judgment aside and listen with an open heart and an open mind.
40:52 Because what I have to say is really jarring. 40:55 I don't even know where to begin. 40:57 I guess I'll start with the incident at hand that's international news right now, which is, well, what happened on the waterfront on Saturday, and why yet again was I like Forrest Gump of politics scootering by on scene of yet another event? 41:11 I'm not Brian Williams, but I was there. 41:14 Will the real Brian Williams please stand up? 41:17 And I didn't film that event because, well, I don't film naked people.
41:21 I'm good on that. 41:22 That's some Epstein stuff. 41:23 But I did talk to the family. 41:26 I saw no trauma-informed people for the trauma-informed TIP program there. 41:31 And how many times have I been on scenes of shootings, stabbings, murders, all sorts of crazy things on the streets of Portland? 41:37 Hell, I was threatened by Jeremy Christian. 41:39 I called the cops on him when I was a peacebuilder trying to get a gang truce on prison reform in the streets. 41:44 Some of y'all literally slandered me into oblivion and thought it was funny. 41:47 Councilor That they thought that that was okay. 41:49 It's not okay. 41:50 I was the original dialogue officer without a badge in solidarity with people like Bruce Pissar, who goes hard, and Micah Fletcher, who got stabbed in the neck famously. 41:59 Never should have got stabbed. 42:01 Anyways, going back to the issue at hand, yet another heinous incident happens in this city of Portland, and people choose not to see what's going on. 42:08 And I told the family I'm really sorry what happened. 42:10 They should have the trauma intervention program here. 42:12 Unfortunately, they're not here right now.
42:14 But I have a resume, and although I'm on a scooter doing Uber Eats and I look like a nobody, I think we're all somebodies. 42:20 We all can have many talents and gifts. 42:22 I don't think you guys sleep in your suits, do you? 42:26 I think that y'all have talents and gifts outside of work. 42:28 I think we can all be connected and also humble at the same time. 42:32 Anybody can be an expert on something. 42:35 So my point is, is that I didn't film that. 42:37 I'm not trying to milk people's trauma for content on the gram.
42:41 But I could have done a street interview with that family, but it's not the time and place for me to do that. 42:45 I also didn't film the guy in the back of the squad car because hard pass on filming naked people. 42:50 But people there actually filmed it because they needed the evidence. 42:53 Because if they don't have the evidence, people in this city of Portland get called crazy and slandered and gaslit. 42:59 Oh, that didn't happen. 43:00 There's no pedophile in the water run. 43:02 Oh, there's someone attacking somebody. 43:04 Well, uh, that's fine. 43:05 Oh, he's not snatching kids. 43:07 I've heard, I've heard from cops oh, his penis is not erect in front of Safeway, so we don't— we can't arrest him. 43:13 To me, it's that— that's crazy. 43:14 And the last thing I'll say is I did a story about this, and shout out to Lisa Phillips and Virginia Roberts' family. 43:20 They've already heard about this on Instagram. 43:21 So I'm going to ask people to respect the idea that not only that issue is heinous, but we also need to call out Mercy Corps. 43:27 And I told the family all about that, and it's in the Epstein files. 43:30 Why am I the only one to speak on that, councilors?
43:34 Councilor Thank you very much for being here today.
43:38 That complete— that completes communications.
43:41 All right, colleagues, next item on our agenda is the presidential update. 43:46 Um, on Friday, the federal government announced that hundreds of thousands of immigrants with a temporary protected status from Haiti will lose that status on July 24th. 43:57 Similarly, temporary protected status for immigrants from Ethiopia, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan, and Myanmar will expire on July 10th, or did expire on July 10th. 44:10 Communities in my district will be in danger because of these decisions. 44:14 Nationally, federal officers have shot and killed 2 people in the last week in the course of immigration enforcement actions that should not have been taking place at all. 44:22 As a city, we need to remain focused on how much work in resistance to this administration's violence and towards justice lies ahead. 44:30 And with that said, I'm going to turn it over to City Administrator Lee for an update on the status of our ongoing responses to the federal interventions in our city. 44:37 CA Lee.
44:39 Thank you, Council President. 44:40 This week I'm going to turn it over to our City Attorney Robert Taylor to give, uh, this week's update.
44:49 Thank, uh, thank you. 44:50 Uh, Robert Taylor, City Attorney. 44:52 Uh, have some good news, uh, based on some developments on Friday. 44:57 Uh, as I've Uh, spoken to the council before. 45:01 Um, the hearings office, uh, held a hearing. 45:06 Uh, there were several writs of review that were filed, and there was a stay issued by the circuit court that had prevented the hearings officer from issuing their decision. 45:19 And, and we felt very strongly that the hearings officer should issue that decision, should be allowed to issue that decision.
45:25 Thank you. 45:25 Thank you.
45:27 And so we have been litigating that issue in circuit court. 45:33 On Friday, we successfully, um, had the court allow the hearings officer to issue its decision. 45:44 That decision was issued on Friday. 45:48 That decision by the hearings officer held in the city's favor. 45:53 And sustained the notice of violation that was issued by the administration against the building owner. 46:00 So that is very good news. 46:01 That is a very good step in this process for the city. 46:08 Now, by the terms of that court order, once the hearings officer issues that decision, the stay would go back into effect. 46:18 And now we're We're going to litigate in circuit court that decision by the hearings office. 46:25 But I just wanted to give you that update. 46:27 I do think this is a very good step. 46:29 It's a necessary step in the process, and it's, it's a validating step that the hearings officer upheld the notice of violation by the, by the bureau. 46:40 So good news, more to come. 46:42 You know, we are this We are in litigation over this. 46:47 It will take time. 46:49 Just to sort of set expectations, this will take time. 46:51 It may take longer than we want, but this is a good step, and, and we're going to keep, uh, doing our best here.
47:00 Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. 47:01 Uh, Councilor Kanal.
47:10 Uh, Councilor Nope, it worked.
47:13 Okay, uh, thank you for the updates, and thank you, Council President. 47:16 Um, I wanted to ask, what are the potential next steps beyond the litigation, um, in this process under state land use law?
47:30 Um, beyond the litigation, what are the next steps?
47:36 Yeah. 47:37 Meaning after the decision is made on the stay, let's say the stay is lifted, what are the potential things that could happen after that?
47:46 Well, what will happen next is the circuit court will review the decision by the hearings office and decide whether to uphold that decision by the hearings office or not. 48:01 Assuming if the circuit court holds in the city's favor, that could get appealed up to the circuit court and that could go through the appellate process. 48:09 So that's where the litigation would go. 48:12 Um, the— if, if the notice of violation is, is upheld through the judicial process, we can enforce, we can issue fines, we can hopefully bring the owner into compliance. 48:27 There's also been discussion at council of reconsidering the conditional land use approval based on the failure to meet those conditions. 48:35 So I think those are all options that could be available at the appropriate time. 48:43 But right now we have a stay in place. 48:45 We need to respect that stay. 48:48 We need to move this through the litigation process. 48:52 But I feel very good after Friday that we finally have some news and some progress to report to the council.
49:00 Thank you for that explanation. 49:01 Thank you to you and your team.
49:05 Yes. 49:06 Okay, thank you very much. 49:10 Anything further, Administrator? 49:11 Not at this time. 49:12 Okay, thank you very much. 49:14 Keelan, can we please call items 4 and 5 together?
49:19 Item 4, document 2026-222— sorry, 222. 49:25 Amend the FY 2026-27 budget to appropriate, appropriate $7,150,007 in Portland Clean Energy Fund interest income and other fund resources to restore frontline positions and services reduced in the approved budget and to provide transition support for affected employees. 49:46 Item 5, document 2026- Adopt a supplemental budget for FY 2026-27 to reduce potential risks to city services.
49:58 Thank you, colleagues. 49:59 We have before us 2 supplemental budgets. 50:02 Both of them restore positions and resources that were cut in the annual budget process. 50:06 There is a lot in common between these 2 proposals and some key areas of difference. 50:11 Under state budget law, only one supplemental budget can be prepared at a time. 50:17 As such, we can consider both of these ordinances, but only one of them can become law. 50:22 Today, we will consider both ordinances and consider amendments. 50:25 A week from today, we're scheduled to return for a second reading on both items. 50:29 As these are budget ordinances, either one will become effective immediately upon passage, preventing the relevant layoffs scheduled for early August. 50:37 So here is how the rest of tonight will go. 50:39 First, I'm gonna recognize the sponsors of both bills to introduce their proposals going in order of the filing. 50:44 So document 222 and then Tak-222. 50:45 Thank you, Mr. Mayor. 50:46 Document 223. 50:48 We will then recognize councilors who have pre-filed amendments to introduce but not move their proposals. 50:54 We will then allow time for technical clarifying questions from council with a request that we treat the ordinances roughly in order. 51:00 We'll then hear mixed public testimony on both ordinances and amendment proposals. 51:06 We will move—. 51:07 Then move to council discussion and debate on the amendments and the underlying— any further amendments, as a reminder, will need to be reduced to writing before the body takes them up. 51:15 Again, we are scheduled to move both items to a second reading for final votes next week. 51:20 With that, I will start by introducing or turning it to Councilor Green and then to Councilor Clark or Vice President Clark. 51:25 Councilor Green, kick us off.
51:27 Thank you, Council President. 51:28 I'm going to share my screen as I've just got a few slides that I think will help me kind of run through the motivation of the ordinance for Me and my co-sponsors here. 51:42 I hope you guys can see those slides. 51:44 Can you see them on your screens? 51:46 Yes. 51:47 Okay, wonderful. 51:48 When I was a professor, I used to make fun of people who read from slides, but I have a headache, I am tired, I'm going to read from the slides. 51:57 So before I get into it, I just, I want to note my focus is going to be on what our ordinance does. 52:04 To the extent that it refers to the other ordinance, it's really just drawing comparisons and some points of difference because that's the whole point. 52:11 It's not about any— anyone involved in the other effort. 52:14 I don't want it to be about councilors. 52:17 I want it to be about what we are trying to do tonight. 52:19 So just wanted to preface that. 52:24 So what does Save Our Services do? 52:27 It funds 48 critical positions the mayor proposed for elimination in his budget.
52:31 The positions restored if this ordinance were to become law span across parks, transportation, water, environmental services, fire, 311 dispatchers, and the Portland Bureau's unarmed— Police Bureau's unarmed responders, PS3s. 52:46 Restores 24/7 coverage for 3 Portland Fire and Rescue vehicles that were proposed for elimination in the mayor's budget. 52:54 It continues wages and healthcare through August for over 200 FTEs. 52:57 Thank you. 52:58 Whose jobs were cut by the mayor's budget. 53:01 Directs the city administrator to deliver a service impact analysis for the positions restored in this package to understand the impact of the loss of these positions if not preserved beyond '26-'27. 53:11 So that's a key piece there. 53:14 The city did not conduct this analysis prior to proposing the elimination. 53:17 So that's what we wanted to make sure was in here. 53:20 How do we pay for it? 53:23 The full package costs $12.8 million and it's yes. 53:26 The capital projects composed into 2 broad parts. 53:29 The first is on the restoration of jobs and services, $10.3 million, of which a little over $7 million is funded through PCF interest the city has already earned. 53:40 So it's in the current, I guess, yeah, it's just the currently accrued interest plus other non-general fund buckets. 53:51 And about $1.65 million of the PCF interest restores the 3 fire rescue units and the rest funds the 48 positions. 53:59 That second broad bucket is transition support for affected employees at a total of, uh, so it's $2.5 million in continued wages and healthcare paid through contingency set-asides. 54:11 The non-general fund bureaus that employ these workers cover $1.8 million. 54:17 The general fund covers approximately $706,000, $707,000. 54:22 Thank you. 54:23 Thank you. 54:24 So why are we using PCF interest in this? 54:28 $24.3 Million is there right now. 54:30 It's readily available to be appropriated. 54:33 Our ordinance uses less than a third of that money already accrued in total. 54:38 The source does not require a backfill from another fund. 54:43 It's just there right now. 54:44 Our proposed use is transparent and clearly defined in the ordinance. 54:48 This would actually be the first instance of PCF interest yes. 54:51 —Being allocated to particular line items as opposed to the kind of relatively recent practice of sweeping PCF interest accrued in a previous year into the general fund to be proposed in the mayor's budget. 55:05 So this is an innovation. 55:09 How does our ordinance differ from the other one on offer tonight? 55:11 Well, both ordinances do focus on many of the same subjects. 55:15 They seek to restore fire rescues yes. 55:18 PS3s, high-risk positions. 55:21 These are positions that were identified from some of the labor partners as being like, if we do not fund these, things will break. 55:27 We heard this in the labor summit. 55:29 311 Jobs, janitorial services, those are covered by SEIU, those are SEIU members. 55:36 And extending unemployment and benefits for employees who are losing their jobs. 55:40 The key differences in our view is Save Our Services is more employee-focused. 55:45 It continues about 48 positions versus 30 positions in the alternative. 55:50 It also requires the admin to conduct a position-by-position impact analysis in consultation with labor unions and frontline staff. 55:57 So this is another thing I heard in that labor summit, that there's just a strong desire to have labor up front in a process like this. 56:05 So we're trying to codify that here. 56:07 Save Our Services utilizes a funding source that is guaranteed and available with no backfill requirement that could lead to budget issues or even worse, cuts yes. 56:16 And it ensures any increases we make to the police budget are accompanied by a required increase in the Office of Community-Based Police Accountability's budget per charter. 56:28 Save Our Services continues more of council's parks levy promise to Portlanders by restoring 13 parks positions and some park services that the mayor cut. 56:36 It ensures community gardens maintain service levels, current service levels, and prevents increased fees. 56:41 It prevents extended closures of community centers, pools, restrooms, event spaces, and canceled or disrupted events. 56:48 It keeps the senior center project and preserves equity in our service offerings. 56:53 Keeps recreation leaders at Peninsula Park and Charles Jordan for after-school staffing. 56:59 Those are crucial community centers. 57:02 This is probably difficult to see. 57:03 It is for me. 57:04 But we, we have this table here, and I think the clerk the clerk has a version of this for folks following along, but both ordinances spend about the same on actual police positions, roughly $1.5 million. 57:15 So you'll see that in both, but ours does not add $3 million for additional training. 57:24 Ours restores 18 more people, 11 of them in parks, funds the Police Accountability Office instead of drawing on it, and does all of it without touching general fund reserves. 57:33 So there's just table at the end here that just shows you a kind of side-by-side there. 57:40 That's— I mean, I think that's it. 57:42 So we're going to get into the broader discussion later. 57:45 We're going to hear the testimony first. 57:46 And so at that point, I'll stop blathering and stop sharing my screen, and I'll probably hand it over to Councilor Clark is probably how that's going to go.
57:53 Absolutely. 57:54 So Vice President Clark.
57:56 Thank you. 57:57 Thank you, Council President, and my compliments thank you, Mr. Mayor. 58:00 Thank you. 58:00 Congratulations to my colleague, Mr. Green. 58:02 Very good. 58:03 In the words of Yogi Berra, I have to say I'm having déjà vu all over again. 58:11 And usually I speak off the cuff up here, but this time I'm actually going to read my remarks into the record. 58:17 This is about what we're calling the Risk Reduction Rescue Plan, which is before us today. 58:22 It's a fiscally responsible plan to stop severe cuts to public safety services, protect essential city staff, and keep Portland moving without leaving dollars sitting in a bank account. 58:34 I believe the restoration at the heart of this plan— these restorations are not optional. 58:41 The plan uses $9.96 million in general fund contingency to restore the peak hour coverage for public service specialists, the P3s.
58:52 It has funding to ensure critical police training and professional development. 58:59 It preserves the Portland Fire and Rescue teams that save lives during medical emergencies every single day. 59:05 And further, one other difference, it returns $1.75 million to the Business License Tax Reserve Fund to shore up the city's financial stability and credit rating. 59:16 It's only our ordinance that restores— or this ordinance that restores some of this funding for critical police training. 59:23 Our police need training in driving a vehicle in the difficult, dangerous circumstances they encounter in vehicles. 59:30 Police need ongoing training in crisis de-escalation, and those kinds of trainings actually save lives. 59:38 I would just add as a note that even America's leading Democratic Socialist, the New York mayor, agrees with us on the importance of a well-trained police force. 59:48 He's also making additional investments in police training. 59:52 Another key difference is that our ordinance restores the BLT Reserve Fund, which is intended to guard against fluctuations in the volatile source of revenue and to address the risk to our credit rating that the raid on those reserves in the adopted budget posted— posed, excuse me. 1:00:11 In addition to preserving essential public safety services, we worked in coordination with labor unions and city administration to identify and restore the non-public safety positions to ensure continued service delivery for Portlanders through $2.25 million from other funds. 1:00:29 The personnel that our ordinance restores are public safety personnel, as I mentioned, plus some key positions for AFSCME and AFSCME 189, Pro-Tech 17, CPPW, and SEIU that layoffs pose particularly great risk to city operations, and the executive ultimately agreed with us and the union's analysis. 1:00:52 Also, our ordinance would allow a smooth transition during a time of cuts, necessary cuts to balance our budget. 1:01:00 This ordinance will extend pay and benefits to all laid-off employees through September 30th. 1:01:08 I want to be very clear that what this ordinance does not do. 1:01:12 The ordinance does not delay, defund, or interfere with the Office of Police Accountability in any way and will allow the strong police oversight and accountability work that Portlanders voted for to be delivered. 1:01:26 This is a common-sense plan to ensure Portlanders get the critical services that they depend on. 1:01:31 These are not budget line items. 1:01:33 They are lifelines to Portlanders. 1:01:36 Thank you, Mr. President.
1:01:37 Thank you, Vice President Clark. 1:01:38 As also mentioned, I'd like to give the opportunity for the pre-filed amendments or authors of the pre-filed amendments to briefly introduce theirs. 1:01:47 I'm going to do my own first because I get to. 1:01:52 I filed— I have pre-filed an amendment that is on item 223 or item 5, document 223, titled Dunphy 1. 1:02:05 My amendment specifically removes consideration of the— or the language consideration in the text of the Office of Community Police Accountability and the Portland Clean Energy Fund to backfill the General Fund Contingency Fund and the Business License Tax Reserve Fund in the spring TAO, and instead directs the City Budget Office to present options across the General Fund Bureau underspending and PCEF interest without prioritizing specific funds within those bureaus. 1:02:36 It should be up to the professional assessments which funds are presented as backfill options for the spring TAO rather than prioritizing one or two. 1:02:44 Importantly, at the time of the spring TAO, every named bureau will have an interim or permanent leadership in place, an anticipated annual expenditure based on that director's assessment of goals and needs within the fiscal year. 1:02:55 So whether directed by council, the mayor, the auditor, or by an independent authority, every bureau will be able to go through the same professional process of scoping work, budgeting within available resources, and carrying out that work plan. 1:03:08 As underspending develops in response to that professional process, and as interest accrues in large capital accounts, as council anticipates it may on both counts, those dollars may be redirected appropriately. 1:03:20 And so that is the text of— or that is the brief explanation of what Dunphy 1 would do. 1:03:27 I am not moving it. 1:03:28 I'm simply explaining it for public testimony. 1:03:30 So I'm now going to turn it over to Councilor Koyama Lane to explain Koyama Lane Canal 1.
1:03:35 Thank you, Council President. 1:03:39 So I'd like to make it clear that my amendment that I'm bringing forward is really in the spirit of hoping to have compromise, collaboration. 1:03:49 This amendment restores specifically 3 additional positions and programs. 1:03:53 The first is the Senior Center program. 1:03:56 It's a program that we've heard numerous constituents come before us here to come advocate for. 1:04:02 The program supports older adults with disabilities and is partially funded by a fee-for-service contract with Multnomah County. 1:04:10 I've heard directly from constituents that the report from the mayor was incorrect and that there really are no other programs to transition these participants directly into. 1:04:20 So I think that is important to restore.
1:04:22 The second is the position for the International Relations Program. 1:04:26 The International Relations Program manages our relationships and partners with our sister cities and does a lot of work on the city's behalf with international relations. 1:04:38 And then lastly, the third thing that my amendment restores is the Ceasefire Coordinator position. 1:04:44 The Ceasefire Program is vitally— is a vitally important program. 1:04:49 And while we've restored most of the cuts to the program during our budget process. 1:04:54 Would like to see this fully restored. 1:04:56 I had heard that this ask actually came from the administration to make sure that we fund this also. 1:05:03 And just noting that the amendment is revised and includes recommended language from the City Attorney's Office and clarification from CBO to ensure that we fulfill the requirements for a supplemental budget ordinance.
1:05:18 There are union jobs saved with this amendment, and I hope that my colleagues will consider it. 1:05:24 I will formally move it later.
1:05:25 Thank you very much, Councilor Koyama Lane. 1:05:27 And Councilor Kanal, to explain explanations of Kanal 2 and 3 as prefiled.
1:05:34 Thank you very much, Council President. 1:05:36 Thank you, colleagues. 1:05:38 Amendment Kanal 2, these are both to Ordinance 2026-223, the one that was presented by Councilor Clark. 1:05:48 Amendment Kanal 2 removes the references to any specific bureaus for underspending while retaining the references to underspending itself and directs that when looking at underspending, the staff will initially consider accrued interest in PSEF. 1:06:09 And that is in 2 places in paragraph 10 of the the first section and then in the council ordains in Part C. It is similar to but slightly different than Canal 3. 1:06:23 Canal 3 removes the references to underspending altogether and starts with looking at accrued interest in PSF. 1:06:35 Both of them are— and that those are in the same paragraphs, Part 10 and Part C. Both of them are attempts to source the repayment of the general fund contingency, which is drawn upon for the restoration of the funding cuts in 2026-223 by looking at a different funding source than targeting the Police Accountability Board. 1:06:58 And so they offer 2 different ways of doing it, underspending first followed by PSF interest or PSF interest first. 1:07:07 And I think the reasons for that have been stated, but we'll probably get into them later on. 1:07:10 Thanks.
1:07:11 Thank you, Councilor Kanal. 1:07:13 So colleagues, before we move to public testimony, I want to note we have more than 20 people signed up at this point. 1:07:18 And for folks who are in the room or signed up online to testify, we did cross, I believe, the 25-person threshold, which means we have had to reduce everybody's testimony down to 2 minutes. 1:07:28 I apologize. 1:07:30 Before we move into public testimony, colleagues, are there any technical or clarifying questions about either the proposals or the amendments? 1:07:36 Councilor Kanal.
1:07:38 Sorry, I just— it's a point of information, uh, Council President. 1:07:42 You said 25 people. 1:07:44 I'm not 100% sure as to the math on this, but do we not have time to hear the full 3 minutes from everyone?
1:07:52 Um, usually it's just that that is how our, our processes work. 1:07:58 When we cross over that point, we reduce it.
1:08:03 Okay, well, I, I'd ask while we get through the, the technical questions for that to be reconsidered. 1:08:08 I understand it is your call, uh, but thank you.
1:08:10 Thank you. 1:08:11 Councilor Novick.
1:08:13 Uh, I'd like to ask a technical question of the budget director.
1:08:23 Welcome, Director Levine.
1:08:28 Thank you, Director Levine. 1:08:30 I've got some questions about the ordinance, adopt a supplemental budget for FY 2026-27 to reduce potential risk to city services. 1:08:39 If this ordinance passes, does it reduce the budget of the Community Board for Police Accountability?
1:08:46 Hi, for the record, Ruth Levine, Budget Director. 1:08:49 Not now, no. 1:08:52 So the only change to appropriations which are shown in the table, the exhibits to the ordinance, would be— it would reduce general fund contingency right now and increase the budgets of the bureaus that are receiving funds to restore the cuts. 1:09:10 The OCPA is contemplated in that ordinance as a source to refill the reduced contingency in the spring.
1:09:19 But that will only happen if they in fact underspend their current allocation, correct?
1:09:24 Right. 1:09:24 It directs our office to file a supplemental budget by April 1st, and council would have to adopt that supplemental budget in order to make any further changes, including reducing the budget of OCPA.
1:09:41 So 6 months from now, will the CBPA continue to have their full budget to spend if they can find a way to spend it?
1:09:47 Yeah, assuming this ordinance passed and nothing else, then yes.
1:09:53 Thank you, Councilor Novick. 1:09:55 Councilor Knoll.
1:09:57 Thank you, Council President. 1:10:00 And my question is also for Director Levine. 1:10:03 I have 2 questions. 1:10:04 One is, after assuming that this were to pass, 2026-223 unchanged, at any point, is it common for you to look at this, or for the CFO, I guess, as well, to look at the, um, this sort of legislation— I don't know, we haven't done this exact sort of thing before— as a way of understanding, um, what might be available? 1:10:32 In other words, will you be looking— if it— if this ordinance directs you to look at OCPA for underspending, would you be looking there to achieve that underspending? 1:10:42 Well, that might be a CFO question.
1:10:46 Yeah, I mean, certainly if we were directed to, we would. 1:10:50 And I mean, I think in general, I guess I don't know if this answers your question or not, but we have historically drawn, sort of pulled back general fund underspending in the spring. 1:11:04 Not every year, but like in '25-'26, we obviously did it to cover revenues that had come in below forecast. 1:11:11 In previous years, we have done it in order to then rebudget that underspending in the subsequent fiscal year. 1:11:17 So it's not uncommon to look within the general fund to repurpose underspending within a fiscal year as a general matter.
1:11:30 Okay. 1:11:31 The other question I had is if you could just reiterate something you said. 1:11:36 You were at the Community Board for Police Accountability, and there was a question about— on Monday night, and there was a question about whether or not you needed to specify a bureau. 1:11:47 And your response was, and I'm looking at the transcript here, it is not required to specify a source as of right now, end quote. 1:11:57 And if you could just speak to the necessity of naming a specific bureau.
1:12:04 When there are, you know, 20-plus potential bureaus that get general fund discretionary allocated to them and could theoretically have underspending?
1:12:14 Sure. 1:12:14 Yeah, I think so. 1:12:17 I've consulted with the city attorney also, I should say, on that right now. 1:12:21 Like, legally, there's not a need. 1:12:23 Like, we're drawing— this ordinance, if it passed, would draw down general fund contingency and put it in various bureaus to spend. 1:12:31 There's no requirement legally right now that we identify a source to then go back and refill that general fund contingency. 1:12:41 The kind of binding constraint is that by the end of the fiscal year, we can't overextend our budget. 1:12:46 So there's obviously reasons that council adopted those contingencies. 1:12:51 You know, there's the BLT reserve that prevents against current year revenue shortfalls in a volatile revenue source. 1:12:58 There's unrestricted contingency that's used to pay for any number of things that we can't, by definition, can't forecast. 1:13:07 Those are the big ones. 1:13:08 There's also a policy reserve that council approved in there. 1:13:13 So the only binding constraint is that we don't overextend our budget. 1:13:15 So we have to make sure come April that we are on track to not overextend our budget. 1:13:21 But right now, no, there's no— So you're not worried about overexpenditure? 1:13:25 I think it's more of a transparency conversation about where, you know, where is council interested in looking for underspending and where is there likely to be underspending or not.
1:13:38 Where is council interested in looking for underspending? 1:13:40 I'm just checking the transcript. 1:13:41 Thank you for that. 1:13:42 Appreciate it.
1:13:44 Thank you, Councilor Kanal. 1:13:45 Councilor Novick, is that a legacy?
1:13:48 I forgot to ask something.
1:13:49 Great. 1:13:49 Perfect.
1:13:49 But I defer to Councilor Morillo first.
1:13:51 Okay, Councilor Morillo.
1:13:53 Thank you, Council President. 1:13:54 Thank you, Ruth, for being here. 1:13:57 So part of what we're trying to do today is obviously like map out further out ahead, and I think that we can partially do that by seeing what's happened before. 1:14:06 So in 2024-2025, I think we were told, and correct me if I'm wrong, that we were going to have around $15.7 million in the fall and that would help us. 1:14:20 But then we later found out that it was around $4.8 million that was left. 1:14:24 So we were under the impression that we were going to have a lot more money to play with later in the underspend, and then the reality was very different from that. 1:14:35 So does that create the implicit pressure that we would be taking money from OCPA under those circumstances?
1:14:43 I'm not, I'm trying to track down the numbers you referenced. 1:14:47 I don't remember them off the top of my head, but I think, so going back to like '25-'26 as an example where, and maybe this is what you're referring to, in '24-'25, our revenues came in short of what we had forecast. 1:15:04 We absorbed that in '25-'26 functionally. 1:15:08 Yeah. 1:15:09 One of the ways we absorbed it is essentially through bureau underspending because we didn't have like a BLT reserve. 1:15:16 We didn't have sufficient, we used some contingency to absorb it, but we also pulled back general fund underspending to address it. 1:15:26 We didn't draw from OCPA. 1:15:28 There were some differences last year in the way that was budgeted compared to this year since they were stood up halfway through the fiscal year last year. 1:15:35 But—. 1:15:35 I'm sorry. 1:15:37 I think there's no— I mean, I guess I'll say part of the reason we recommended establishing the BLT reserve that was included in the mayor's proposed was to deal with the volatility in revenue so that we wouldn't have to use bureau underspending to come up with that one-time— to fill those one-time revenue gaps. 1:16:01 Like, we have financial policy about how council could use one-time underspending for things like capital, addressing capital needs. 1:16:08 And I've talked previously about how to use one-time funding. 1:16:12 So the hope is not to look for bureau underspending to fill those revenue gaps. 1:16:18 Does that answer your question at all?
1:16:21 Sort of, I guess. 1:16:23 I, you know, the past 2 spring, or the past spring TAO, we were told that we were gonna have a lot more money than we ended up having. 1:16:30 There was very little underspend left. 1:16:32 And so my understanding is we're predicating our decisions on these ordinances based on the idea that there may be money later. 1:16:44 But the PSF interest is there. 1:16:46 It's not going to impact any clean energy programs. 1:16:49 We're not going to have to cut anything there. 1:16:51 It just exists right now. 1:16:52 It's actually very simple and straightforward. 1:16:56 So I guess what I'm hearing you say is that you're recognizing that we continue to face shortfalls, and the Clark ordinance is using the same source of funding that is meant to combat that shortfall. 1:17:09 Is that correct?
1:17:14 I mean, my understanding, to the extent that the ordinance would reduce general fund contingency in the short term, that would in the short term kind of reduce our flexibility. 1:17:29 It contemplates— that ordinance contemplates looking at OCPA and PSF interest for sources to refill that contingency. 1:17:41 So I think that assuming that happened would then kind of address that concern.
1:17:49 Okay, so a lot of assumptions is what I'm hearing. 1:17:52 No assumptions with ours though, so I'll leave it at that.
1:17:56 Thank you, Councilor Morillo. 1:17:59 Councilors Novick and Kanal, you're both in the queue, but Councilor Pirtle-Guiney has not gone yet, so I'm going to go to her, then to Councilor Novick.
1:18:05 Thank you, Council President. 1:18:10 Ruth, a question based on that line of conversation that just came up. 1:18:14 My colleague said that there wasn't very much underspend. 1:18:17 I think she said $4 million during the spring TAO last year. 1:18:20 Year was available, but I'm looking at the document in Dunphy 1, which suggested that there was something like over $20 million of underspend across bureaus. 1:18:32 Can you clarify for us what the total general fund underspend was in the '25-'26 budget?
1:18:43 I can try. 1:18:44 So there's a distinction between the 2 things that you just mentioned. 1:18:48 So in the spring TAO, we forecast underspending as of April, right? 1:18:54 So we're about 3/4 of the way through the fiscal year at that point. 1:18:57 And we say, what do you think, bureaus, you know, based on your projections and your spending and all of the best information you have, what do you think will be left over by the end of the fiscal year? 1:19:07 And we did pull that back. 1:19:09 I'm trying to get the number that we pulled back in the spring of '25-'26.
1:19:13 That's typically a—.
1:19:16 Conservative estimate. 1:19:17 We also did not pull anything from OCPA in '25-'26. 1:19:24 The numbers that are posted in the Dunphy 1 amendment are the preliminary year-end numbers, and I want to heavily caveat that they're preliminary. 1:19:36 There's like 2 rounds of year-end closing. 1:19:38 We've only done one, so they will change. 1:19:42 Good. 1:19:43 And they do include OCPA in that number, in that year-end number. 1:19:50 So they're different for that reason because one is like, hey, how much do you think you're gonna underspend? 1:19:55 And the other is like, okay, the year's done, here's what we're seeing. 1:19:59 The other caveats to those numbers are we haven't— we won't really have it until we come back at the fall TAO because we have to ask things like, you know, are there certain buckets of money that we're expected to carry over? 1:20:14 We really clamp down on that, but there may be some here and there. 1:20:17 Anyways, those are different numbers.
1:20:18 Totally understood that these are rough. 1:20:20 Totally understood that these are rough. 1:20:22 I'm gonna use these to understand scale as opposed to specificity of numbers. 1:20:28 And even there, if you take out OCPA, it looks like scale is in the $5 to $10 million range even without that, or maybe $5 to $8 million range even without that. 1:20:41 So I just wanted to clarify that. 1:20:43 I also— Councilor Clark, our colleague, was talking about underspend versus PSF, and I just wanted to clarify that the measure that you brought forward essentially directs our budget staff to look at underspend and accrued interest. 1:21:02 And it calls out those 2 sources, the OCPA and PSF, but it doesn't limit that look just to either one or both of those sources. 1:21:12 It says to look to those sources generally. 1:21:14 Is that accurate? 1:21:16 Okay, thank you for those clarifications. 1:21:18 Thank you, Council President.
1:21:19 Thank you, Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 1:21:20 Councilor Novick.
1:21:22 Thank you, Mr. President. 1:21:25 Director Levine, you just mentioned that we were just talking about your preliminary estimate of underspending for '25-'26. 1:21:32 What's your preliminary estimate of underspending in '25-'26 for the Police Accountability Board?
1:21:39 I believe the underspending number we sent over was $12.2 million. 1:21:44 But I should note with that that they only stood up partway through the fiscal year, but the 5% constraint was calculated for the full year of the police thank you.
1:21:56 And not to beat this with a dead horse, but do you think it's clearer than the Clark proposal if underspending does not materialize, PSF interest will be used to refill general fund contingency? 1:22:09 At least that you're— that—.
1:22:11 That's the direction for the proposal, yes. 1:22:14 Assuming, again, council would have to adopt that at that point.
1:22:17 Thank you, Councilor Novick. 1:22:18 Councilor Knoll.
1:22:25 I wanted to focus for a second on the preceding— this Exhibit D, I think, is what you're referring to here in the proposed Dunphy 1. 1:22:38 I also wanted to talk about the preceding couple years. 1:22:41 My understanding is that in the— I appreciate the distinction, Director Levine, that in the Springtown, we're looking at what's forecasted underspending with still, you know, 3 months left to go. 1:22:52 At that time, there's probably lesser underspending than what ends up actually happening and going to balance in most cases. 1:22:59 And I think you can see that where there's ending fund balance available at the end of the fiscal year. 1:23:04 I'm seeing a nod there. 1:23:06 And yet, despite that fact, there was, as far as I can tell, about $1.2 million. 1:23:12 This is general fund discretionary dollars. 1:23:13 Yeah. 1:23:14 Returned in the fiscal year 2024 spring tally. 1:23:18 That's '23-'24. 1:23:21 And $4.8, $4.9 million returned in spring 2025, and $9.1 million returned. 1:23:30 And again, this is general fund discretionary in '26, meaning a couple months ago. 1:23:37 Is that accurate? 1:23:38 First off, are those numbers— that's what I've I've received that, and I just want to verify that on the record.
1:23:43 Yes, they're accurate numbers.
1:23:45 Okay, so what that means is that there's significantly more, um, other sources because this came from several different bureaus. 1:23:53 For example, there was, uh, you know, $150,000 from Housing, there was $605,000 from, um, the City Attorney's Office, there was $75,000 from Civic Life, and it cobbled together to make that much larger number. 1:24:06 So I just wanted to get that on the record. 1:24:08 The other question I wanted to have is, you know, you're a bureau director. 1:24:12 And so I wanted to ask, not in your capacity as, you know, our budget expert, which you obviously are, but also in the capacity of you're a bureau director who receives about $1.6 million in general fund discretionary. 1:24:26 That's, I believe, the budget for this year. 1:24:29 And if we told you that we were going to need $1 million of that back in the spring TAO, Would you feel like you could spend more than the remaining $600,000?
1:24:40 Um, I mean, I guess the way I'll answer that is to say, um, one thing I was going to add, for both of the last 2 fiscal years, there have been pretty significant, um, there's been pretty significant guidance from, uh, the administration, um, in one form or another, uh, relating to sort of reducing expenditures in order to generate underspending. 1:25:09 So particularly in '25-'26, we were aware pretty early on that that was going to be necessary. 1:25:16 And even in '24-'25, there was some guidance. 1:25:21 So I would, I would, as a director, I would probably defer to the city administrator's guidance.
1:25:27 Okay, so let me, let me ask, I guess, just to add to that question. 1:25:33 In pretty early in the fiscal year, there was an awareness for bureau directors, or at least one bureau director, that underspending was going to be necessary, uh, or I should say reducing expenditures in order to generate underspending that could be reallocated was going to be necessary. 1:25:48 And, and if the city administrator wants to answer this, I don't want to put you on the spot. 1:25:52 Director Levine, but either would be good. 1:25:55 Do you think that that affected any of the bureau director's decisions? 1:25:58 Do you think that that advice was— that guidance, sorry, was heeded? 1:26:04 I can't speak, Councilor Kanal, as it relates to if that guidance was heeded, but it does impact decision-making when those type of constraints are being put on the organization as it relates to how they analyze their services and how they will deliver those services overall in meeting the financial constraints that we may be placing on the organization to meet our budget goals. 1:26:32 Great, thank you very much.
1:26:34 Okay, thank you, Councilor Kanal. 1:26:37 Seeing no one else in the queue for technical or clarifying questions, it is currently 7:22. 1:26:41 Rather than start testimony and then take a break and then continue testimony. 1:26:45 I'm going to give us a break right now. 1:26:47 I'm going to give us a 10-minute break, ask everybody to be back here at 7:32, and we will begin public testimony at that time. 1:26:52 See you. 1:26:53 See you.
1:41:23 And we are back, folks. 1:41:24 Thank you so much for your indulgence, as recognizing that we are all human beings. 1:41:28 Keelan, can we please move to public testimony?
1:41:30 Alrighty, so before we get started, um, I will call up testifiers in groups of 5. 1:41:37 Each individual will have 2 minutes. 1:41:39 For those testifying in person, you will see the timer countdown displayed on the monitor in front of the testimony table. 1:41:46 For those testifying virtually, the timer is displayed in Zoom. 1:41:50 You will hear the timer chime twice, once when there are 30 seconds left then a second time when your time is up. 1:41:58 Before you begin your testimony, please state your name for the record. 1:42:02 All right, let's get going. 1:42:03 First up, we have Tim Pitts, Benjamin Gilbert, Zach White, Isaac McLennan, and Christopher Olson.
1:42:14 Welcome, folks. 1:42:15 Come on up, introduce yourselves for the record. 1:42:17 You're welcome to share your pronouns, and you have 2 minutes apiece. 1:42:19 And whoever wants to sit down first and go you get to go first. 1:42:36 Right in the middle. 1:42:37 You go first. 1:42:37 No, I'm, I'm choosing. 1:42:39 Yeah, you get to go.
1:42:40 My name is Zach White. 1:42:41 I was born in District 1, and I'm a field organizer with Next Up Action Fund. 1:42:46 We are a political home to build upon the collective power and leadership of diverse young people. 1:42:51 Since I was able to vote in 2016, my generation has rejected austerity, a mindset of scarcity for the public while private wealth surpasses the Gilded Age. 1:43:01 Young people lead the charge, but austerity hurts everyone, from parents with kids in our schools to seniors. 1:43:07 During our marathon day of budget testimony in May, I said I hoped we could balance the budget not on the backs of working people like Mayor Mamdani said they did in New York.
1:43:17 Today it seems clear that sadly Portland did balance its budget on the backs of working people. 1:43:21 While the city is laying off frontline union workers, it is adding administrative-level positions. 1:43:27 Fingers crossed they don't need to be escorted away with more huge payouts. 1:43:31 On behalf of NextUp Action Fund, we ask the council to pass the Save Our Services ordinance and thank the 5 sponsors. 1:43:38 This ordinance preserves 48 vital positions and does not pull funds from any voter-approved programs.
1:43:43 It uses PCF interest income on a one-time and transparent basis without affecting any of PCF's vital work. 1:43:49 As organized who serve young people of color, we uplift Councilor Avalos's concern with one ordinance's reference to police accountability funds. 1:43:57 While we grapple with the violence communities of color continue to face, we ask you to respect that voters knew what they were doing when they voted to create the OCPA. 1:44:05 Save Our Services does not tell the budget office to maybe use brand new police accountability funds. 1:44:09 Councilor Sameer Kanal. 1:44:10 That may have been overspent in next spring. 1:44:14 Also, as someone deeply connected to Sellwood Park and Mount Tabor, I noticed Save Our Services restores significantly more parks jobs. 1:44:22 With both ordinances citing dialogue with labor in the abstract, Save Our Services names the demands and input of the City of Portland Professional Workers Union. 1:44:31 These unions have names, just as the city workers being laid off have names. 1:44:36 Most of you have acknowledged that these workers were left out of the realignment conversation. 1:44:39 Thank you. 1:44:40 Save Our Services restores more of their jobs. 1:44:43 We echo what workers have already said here. 1:44:45 Labor remembers. 1:44:46 Thank you.
1:44:47 Thank you very much.
1:44:50 My name is Ben Gilbert, and I'm a volunteer lobbyist for the Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the history of the United States, with over 3,500 dues-paying members in the Portland metro area. 1:45:03 Councilor Clark, the city would be better if our council followed Mayor Momdani on policies he enthusiastically supported not just on his concessions. 1:45:11 I want to speak in strong support of the Save Our Services Ordinance introduced by Councilor Mitch Green, Candace Avalos, Angelita Murillo, Sameer Kanal, and Tiffany Koyama Lane. 1:45:21 This ordinance will prevent cuts to frontline workers and critical programs that Portlanders rely on. 1:45:26 When our city is under attack from an out-of-control federal government, the last thing we should be doing is diminishing our municipal capacity by laying off city workers and cutting services. 1:45:34 That we rely on. 1:45:36 While Green and his co-sponsors have come up with creative ways to save these core services and jobs, the right-wing bloc of the City Council is introducing a misleadingly titled risk reduction rescue ordinance that would sabotage and ultimately defund the Office of Community-Based Police Accountability, with a significant portion of the money going to the Portland Police Bureau. 1:45:56 Portlanders want police accountability. 1:45:58 82% of voters supported the creation yes. 1:46:00 Thank you. 1:46:01 All right, thank you. 1:46:01 The next item on the agenda is an ordinance to amend the charter of the OCPA in 2020. 1:46:04 Taking money from the OCPA, which is the bureau that houses and is run by the Community Board for Police Accountability, without the support of the board would violate the city charter. 1:46:12 The ordinance uses a workaround. 1:46:14 It loans money from the general fund contingency to fill the budget gap and then has OCPA pay it back. 1:46:19 This puts pressure on the OCPA to underspend its legally required budget, which violates the portion of the charter which states that the City Council, Mayor, City Administrator, Auditor, and city departments bureaus and other administrative agencies shall not interfere in the exercise of the board's independent judgment. 1:46:34 The right wing of council and the mayor are threatening parks, which is especially egregious after the passage of the voter-approved parks levy, which promised that if we pay higher taxes, that our parks would be maintained at current service levels. 1:46:45 Please pass the Save Our Services ordinance, and if it fails, please amend the other ordinance to be less disappointing. 1:46:51 Thank you.
1:46:53 Thank you very much.
1:46:56 Okay, well, good evening, Council President Dunphy, Vice President Clark, members of council, and City Administrator Lee. 1:47:03 For the record, my name is Isaac McLennan. 1:47:04 I serve as the president of the Portland Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 43. 1:47:09 I'm here today in support of restoring 24-hour staffing for fire rescues 11, 19, 31, which serve in the neighborhoods and surrounding areas of Mount Tabor, Montevilla, Lentz, and Rockwood. 1:47:22 I know there are different deferring options before you today, different funding mechanisms, and I respect these difficult policy decisions will ensue. 1:47:32 But I'm not here to tell you how to fund these rescues. 1:47:35 I'm here to tell you— I'm here to ask you to fund them. 1:47:39 When someone calls 911 because their loved one is trapped after a crash, because a firefighter is injured inside a burning building, Or because a technical rescue is needed, they don't ask where the money is coming from. 1:47:51 They expect help to arrive. 1:47:53 Over the past several weeks, we've documented incident after incident when these overnight rescue closures have affected emergency response. 1:48:01 These aren't— these aren't theoretical impacts anymore. 1:48:04 They're real calls involving real firefighters and real Portlanders. 1:48:08 I also want to remind you that restoring these 3 rescues is not expanding service. 1:48:12 Thank you. 1:48:13 Our GIS analysis shows that even with these 3 rescues staffed 24 hours a day, Portland still falls short of the national response standards for dense urban communities like ours. 1:48:26 These proposals simply move us closer to the level of service that our residents deserve. 1:48:33 Whatever your position is on the funding source, I ask you not to lose sight of what we're actually voting on. 1:48:39 This is about whether Portland has emergency response capacity its residents expect when they dial 911. 1:48:46 Public safety should not become collateral damage in a debate over accounting. 1:48:51 Please restore rescue companies to 24-hour service. 1:48:55 Thank you.
1:48:56 Thank you very much.
1:49:04 Hi, thank you. 1:49:05 My name is Tim Pitts, he/him pronouns. 1:49:07 I'm a member of the Community Board for Police Accountability, and tonight I'm testifying as an individual, not on behalf of the CBPA. 1:49:14 I strongly oppose Ordinance 2026-223, which seeks to spend nearly $10 million allocated to the OCPA without knowing that that money will not be used by the OCPA. 1:49:25 Even the City Budget Office calls this scheme unusual. 1:49:29 Despite having multiple meetings in the last month the board has not been asked for details about the budget. 1:49:33 This ordinance is based on an assumption. 1:49:36 In the meantime, the CBPA is hard at work. 1:49:38 A nationwide recruitment for a director is nearing the interview stage. 1:49:42 Multiple other positions for the office are being actively recruited. 1:49:46 A search is underway for a facility, which will incur build-out and furnishing costs. 1:49:51 And there are many other critical startup expenses. 1:49:54 If there's money left over at the end of the year, it will return to the general fund to be spent spent next year. 1:49:59 And as you all know, the budget hole will still be there next year. 1:50:03 This just pushes the pain out by a year. 1:50:06 The OCPA is charged with being an independent body, and this is blatant interference against that independence. 1:50:13 So please let the OCPA do its work and don't force the OCPA into a corner where they're pressured to underspend just to keep the city afloat. 1:50:22 And if the City Budget Office thank you. 1:50:24 If elected officials and councilors state that PSF interest can fill these gaps, why are we even talking about taking money from the OCPA? 1:50:32 Because it's a political power play is why. 1:50:34 It's yet another attack on the OCPA, another attack on police accountability. 1:50:40 It's hard to keep fighting for what 82% of Portland voters said they wanted in 2020, which is true accountability from the people who are here to serve and protect us, but I will keep doing everything I can to serve that mission, and I'm asking for a little help. 1:50:56 Please vote no on 2026-223.
1:51:00 Thank you very much.
1:51:04 Next up, uh, Chris— Christopher Olson, Edith Gillis, Jeremy Bosole-Smith, Kenneth March, Joe Rowe, And Ryan Sotomayor.
1:51:20 Saturday, I was incapacitated on my bathroom floor with serious symptoms of impending death. 1:51:25 I was confused, not knowing how that happened or, or what I could do, but I did know I wanted to kill my kid— call my kids to say, I love you, remember all I role-modeled and taught you.
1:51:34 But I could not speak.
1:51:35 I wanted to call a paramedic to help, but I reasoned that a 911 operator might send cops. 1:51:40 Well, I didn't know what was happening or why, I did know never call cops. 1:51:47 Cops are the second worst risk and danger to public health and safety. 1:51:52 They rarely ever solve crimes, like the raped 5-year-old whose rape kit the PPB didn't process for 30 years this September, even though she was only with a diagnosed psychopath rapist torturer and another child. 1:52:03 Cops promote lies and fraud to rob PCAP when PCAPs could prevent crimes. 1:52:08 Cops begin every shift with contempt and paranoid hostility against we civilians as their enemies, and they practice comply or die. 1:52:14 If they If the cops were scared, not knowing why a 911 call came from my address, they could enter with guns aimed, yell demands I could not obey, and then shoot me. 1:52:23 I know too many Oregonians and Washingtonians whose loved ones were killed by cops because the cops are biased and scared out of control, and they punish people they scared. 1:52:32 When cops scare us, we freeze, we're shot. 1:52:34 If we camouflage or hide, we're shot. 1:52:36 If we're deaf or confused, we're shot. 1:52:38 If we run, we're shot. 1:52:39 If we're angry or ask questions, We're shot. 1:52:41 If we fight, we're shot. 1:52:42 If we obey, we're shot. 1:52:43 If we act calm, we're shot. 1:52:45 Those are the only things scared people can do. 1:52:47 And all I could do was lie helpless on the floor with my lungs hardly breathing and my heart barely beating. 1:52:53 223 would not train that attitude and pattern of practice out of cops. 1:52:57 We have centuries of evidence against the country and 150 years of Portland police committing violent crimes against Portlanders, knowing they are not held accountable and that no amount of training changes their culture of contempt for civilians and human rights. 1:53:07 And they refuse to take the free training that Portlanders have offered cops for decades. 1:53:12 George Floyd was killed even after reforms, training, and multiracial gender cops. 1:53:16 Historically, the more money police departments have, the more violent crimes they commit. 1:53:20 Cops have contempt for the laws, proven by the promoting city councilors breaking the law of city charter budgeting, fiscal responsibility, and breaking the law over 80% of the Portlanders chose for PSF and for police accountability. 1:53:32 Police do not prevent crimes, but 222 would prevent crimes and nurture strong, resilient communities.
1:53:52 Good evening, councilors. 1:53:53 My name is Jeremy Bosley-Smith. 1:53:55 When we talk about cutting positions, we're talking about uprooting someone's entire life. 1:53:59 A job is how we provide for our families, and these are real Portlanders whose lives will be devastated while simultaneously making our city government less effective. 1:54:09 There's an opportunity on the table to save Portlanders' livelihoods, and to not take that opportunity is nothing short of cruel. 1:54:16 The voters of Portland approved the parks levy and expect our parks to be maintained like the crown jewels of Portland that they are. 1:54:23 I urge the council to support the Save Our Services ordinance. 1:54:28 The alternative amendment offers a that saves us jobs? 1:54:32 Why is there so much energy always put into moderating productive progressive plans? 1:54:37 Who asked for that? 1:54:39 Surely not anyone who listens to Portlanders and respects the civil service of the city workers facing job loss. 1:54:45 It's also not lost on us that most of these positions are union represented. 1:54:50 To the moderates and conservatives on council, if you vote against the Services First Amendment, the people of Portland will not Thank you very much.
1:55:03 Joe. 1:55:10 Joe, you're muted.
1:55:16 Hello, my name is Joe. 1:55:19 Can you hear me?
1:55:21 Hello, my name is Joe. 1:55:22 Can you hear me?
1:55:23 Yeah, go ahead. 1:55:24 We can hear you, Joe.
1:55:27 Thank you, councilors, for your service and volunteering in our city office and all the city workers we're protecting. 1:55:32 I just want to say from the start that we have a clear division in our city. 1:55:41 We have 6 progressives and 6 people you can put another label on, and I think there's a unanimous 12 oppose all the fascist tendencies of our leadership in Washington, D.C. 1:55:54 So I would like to point out that the Charles Jordan Community Center down the street from me, um, and other facilities in North Portland will be restored by one of these choices. 1:56:04 So will the 6 who are not progressive or less progressive look me in the face and say you'd rather give police a slush fund of $3 million in training? 1:56:13 I don't know the details of that. 1:56:15 Councilmember Right? 1:56:16 But are you going to fund the Charles Jordan Community Center to help Black kids after school, or are you going to give cops $300 million to travel for their, quote, training, air quotes, right? 1:56:26 That's the decision we're making here tonight. 1:56:28 And there's just a lot of deception from the not-six-progressives. 1:56:37 I am so tired of the not-progressives in Portland. 1:56:42 And we have a clear choice. 1:56:44 82% of voters supported Joanne Hardesty's Measure 26-218 to fund police accountability. 1:56:52 Police accountability hit me in the first month I lived in Portland. 1:56:55 I was abused by the cops and cuffed and abused. 1:56:58 I went to court, the judge abused me, and on appeal before 3 judges in writing, I won. 1:57:05 I won against police abuse, and I will still keep fighting police abuse. 1:57:08 Councilmember over and over, because not everyone who goes to Charles Jordan Community Center has the ability to talk to their lawyer friends and write their own appeal pro se, right? 1:57:19 So I want to know, are any of the 6 less progressives tonight going to abandon your little cadre and vote for the Charles Jordan Community Center? 1:57:29 Thank you.
1:57:31 I mean, thank you very much.
1:57:45 Good evening, Council President Dunphy, Vice President— or Vice Council President, all of you. 1:57:52 Wonderful to see you. 1:57:53 Happy Pride. 1:57:54 Uh, my name is Ryan Sotomayor. 1:57:56 I'm the business manager and secretary treasurer of Laborers Local 48. 1:58:01 We represent 3 different contracts at the City of Portland: the Portland City Laborers, which includes folks in environmental services and transportation and parks, and then the recreation contract, which is the recreation side of parks and recreation, and the seasonal maintenance workers. 1:58:19 I want to express vocal support and thanks for the Save Our Services ordinance. 1:58:28 222. 1:58:29 There are 3 positions that I want to speak to that 222 restores. 1:58:35 A recreation leader at Charles Jordan Community Center, that's in District 2. 1:58:41 Charles Jordan Community Center serves some of the most marginalized people that have and continue to live in the city of Portland. 1:58:50 I worked there for a year and a half 6 months prior to COVID and then for a year during COVID it restores a recreation coordinator position at Peninsula Park. 1:59:02 That is in District 2. 1:59:03 Peninsula Park is in District 2. 1:59:05 There's a recreation coordinator position that provides services and programming for our marginalized children, that supports a wrestling program that is world-renowned. 1:59:18 And the other position I would like to speak to is the senior center position that is within Adaptive and Inclusion, which is in Recreation. 1:59:33 That is included in 222. 1:59:37 None of those positions are included in 223. 1:59:41 So I'd ask the councilors why those positions are not being restored in 223. 1:59:46 Only by the amendment of Kanal and Koyama Lane 1 is one of those positions being restored. 1:59:55 Please do better. 1:59:57 Thank you.
1:59:59 Thank you very much for being here.
2:00:03 Okay, um, checking to see if Kenneth March is here. 2:00:11 Okay, moving on to Connor Lennon.
2:00:27 Welcome, and come on down, folks. 2:00:29 Feel free to jump on in.
2:00:31 Incredible. 2:00:32 Thank you, Council President Dunphy, the rest of council, and City Administrator Raymond Lee. 2:00:36 I appreciate your time today. 2:00:38 For the record, my name is Connor Lennon. 2:00:39 I'm a resident in District 4, and I'm here in support of the Green-Murillo-Avalos-Kanal-Koyama Lane Save Our Services Ordinance. 2:00:48 This ordinance is going to do a number of things, and I think the most important thing is that it's going to save 18 more positions than any other ordinance being presented today. 2:00:58 If you want to call yourself a labor champion, I want you to weigh the number 18. 2:01:03 Consider looking 18 of those people in the eyes and telling them that you voted against them having a job. 2:01:09 Thank you. 2:01:10 Because even though you won't have to do that, that is the reality of what's happening here. 2:01:14 I personally lost my job 2 weeks ago, and I can tell you from my experience, even if I was begged to come back, I never would. 2:01:22 Because once you show me as a worker that my value to you is not the same as my value to me, you cannot get that back from me ever. 2:01:32 So I think protecting our union jobs and protecting those 18 workers needs to be your top priority today. 2:01:38 You had the opportunity to save 103 jobs. 2:01:40 Thank you. 2:01:41 You chose not to. 2:01:42 Now I am sitting in front of you asking you to save 48 jobs. 2:01:46 It's not as many as we could have, but frankly, we're going to have to accept that, and we're going to have to push forward knowing that there are countless employees that will never come back. 2:01:56 That is countless work and countless knowledge and experience that will never come back, that will forever be lost. 2:02:02 And I am asking you to consider 18 of those people and All of their experience knowing that that is experience if you get rid of, you will never get back. 2:02:13 This will also save key jobs in parks. 2:02:16 The people of Portland voted for our parks levy and we're expecting our parks to be maintained. 2:02:22 I think the very least we can do is our damnedest to protect those jobs and to keep our parks the way they are. 2:02:28 They are the crown jewel of Portland and they are probably the one thing that people that don't live here know of us. 2:02:35 So I'm asking you today to support the Save Our Services ordinance, and thank you for your time.
2:02:41 Thank you very much. 2:02:44 Whoever wants to go next?
2:02:49 Hello, City Council. 2:02:50 My name is Jordan Lewis. 2:02:51 I'm a registered lobbyist with the Portland Democratic Socialists of America. 2:02:55 I wanted to thank everyone for the really awesome Pride pre-gavel announcement that we had. 2:03:01 It took me back To when I had to come out to my parents back in West Virginia, which was actually a really tough time for me. 2:03:10 It went okay, but that was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life. 2:03:14 And I was very fortunate because coming out was the top thing on my mind at the time. 2:03:20 I didn't have to make— I wasn't worried about becoming houseless. 2:03:25 I had a job. 2:03:27 My needs were generally met. 2:03:28 And just what I keep thinking about every Pride is like, for a lot of people, they are balanced. 2:03:36 Like, they're struggling with like coming to terms with themselves and coming out and stuff while they are like struggling. 2:03:43 They're in weird housing situations. 2:03:44 They fear losing their job. 2:03:46 And so like liberation, for a lot of people, liberation happens when they come out, when they're true to themselves. 2:03:52 But for a lot of people, liberation cannot happen until they're Needs are met, until they are— they feel safe and secure. 2:04:00 And for a lot of people, this is something to keep in mind right now when we're weighing potentially laying off a bunch of city employees, is coming out of the closet is great. 2:04:13 That is how to get to self-actualization, but it is not the full story. 2:04:17 And for a lot of people, liberation is going to seem a lot harder after these layoffs.
2:04:21 So that's just something I wanna keep in mind. 2:04:23 And that's why I'm really urging everyone to support the Save Our Services 222, because we really gotta keep an eye out for people and times are about to get really tough. 2:04:33 And lastly, as a socialist, people are always telling me about the idea of a silent majority. 2:04:38 And I will just say there is a silent majority in this city and they want you to keep your hands off of the Police Accountability Board. 2:04:45 People who do not care about politics, when I mention this to them, they get really angry. 2:04:50 And these people do not care about politics.
2:04:53 Thank you very much.
2:04:58 I guess I'll go. 2:04:59 How y'all doing? 2:05:01 My name is Terrence Hayes. 2:05:03 I am in a unique situation today that I'm usually not in. 2:05:07 So I think this is a financial issue, not an ideological one. 2:05:12 You all failed to properly fund police, parks, and fire. 2:05:16 And I believe that you should go back to the drawing board to meet those needs of community. 2:05:21 In my opinion, the OCPA, which is the Office of Community Planning, spending $16 million by June of next year is unrealistic, honestly. 2:05:31 But I do believe taking money from this office before it has the chance to even present a budget is problematic and dangerous. 2:05:39 But I do believe that if there's unused money, it's fiscally irresponsible to let it sit there or roll over indefinitely. 2:05:46 I don't believe that that office no more should be able to sit on money forever than I believe any office and government should. 2:05:54 However, using OPCA funds to fund police seems to go against the intentions of the voters and the charter that governs it. 2:06:02 This council should work with the OCPA to determine the best usage of those funds that align with the OCPA's mission statement. 2:06:10 Money assigned to hold police accountable and protect community from police violence should not be used to fund the PPA because you, because you all failed to properly fund our police officers. 2:06:23 This is financial irresponsibility and optically problematic unless those funds could be proven to decrease the chance of police violence against community and align with the OCPA's mission statement. 2:06:36 I support funding our police and other first responders, but I reject using OCPA funding to do so. 2:06:44 I would, however, support y'all using some of y'all own money. 2:06:46 Councilor Smith. 2:06:47 You know that's not going to happen. 2:06:49 You could also focus on protecting large and small businesses, creating new businesses, and drawing in larger companies. 2:06:55 This will increase tax revenue and help with our budget shortfalls. 2:06:59 Thank you.
2:07:00 Thank you very much.
2:07:03 For the record, Ellie Murray, she/her pronouns. 2:07:07 I live in District 4. 2:07:08 I'm a critical care nurse here in Portland and a proud union member of AURN. 2:07:13 I support the Community Board for Police Accountability, and I call on Portland City Council to reject Ordinance 2026-223 that could have the effect of shifting funds from the OCPA to, in part, the Portland Police Bureau. 2:07:28 Any ordinance that would divert funds from this critical accountability board should be roundly rejected. 2:07:35 This independent civilian-led oversight board was mandated in the need for policing oversight has not changed in the 6 years since passage. 2:07:46 We still demand meaningful accountability to the people of this city. 2:07:50 Recent political events remind us that oversight, accountability, and responsiveness to voters and community are principles of good governance that are as urgent now as they ever have been. 2:08:01 Scholarship and reporting on policing and power have shown that those who are entrusted with the means of violence and control are the ones who are most likely to abuse their power. 2:08:07 Thank you. 2:08:08 Often do and will abuse this authority which is delegated to them by us. 2:08:13 This is not new or unique to Portland, and if we are going to yield or license instruments of power and control to any one group of people, we must have a robust system of oversight. 2:08:25 And we have learned through bitter experience that this must reside in the hands of civilians rather than law enforcement. 2:08:33 Voters created this independent oversight board because they understand this. 2:08:37 As a nurse, I value safety and well-being for all, and I understand what safety looks like. 2:08:43 It looks like meeting human needs for shelter, nutrition, healthcare, clean water, air, education, living wages, and green spaces. 2:08:52 We need to discard the narrative that heavily policed communities are safer communities and that adding more police will make us safer. 2:09:01 Thank you.
2:09:02 Thank you very much.
2:09:04 Good evening, Council. 2:09:05 My name is Philip Tchotchke. 2:09:07 I use he/him pronouns, and I'm a member of Portland Copwatch and also live in District 3. 2:09:14 I come to you today to remind you that the charter designated an equivalent of 5% of the police budget to the Office of Community-Based Police Accountability and the CBPA. 2:09:26 The ballot measure passed by 82% of the voters way back in 2020 and now written into the charter wisely protects the funding for the new police accountability system from attempts to defund it. 2:09:38 The proposed ordinance is an attempt to subvert the will of the voters and the Portland City Charter. 2:09:44 Please vote no on the 2026-223 ordinance or else accept the proposed amendments that would remove the wording targeting the OCPA. 2:09:56 We've waited and struggled for 6 years for a new police accountability system to form and begin their important work. 2:10:02 The CBPA members are now seated and they have independence and control over their own funds per the charter. 2:10:10 If members of council wish to change the charter, they can write a ballot measure and present it to the voters. 2:10:17 If you wish to borrow money from the OCPA, you can send a formal request to the CBPA for funds. 2:10:24 Until that time, please respect the will of the voters and the independence of the CBPA.
2:10:31 Thank you all very much.
2:10:34 Next up we have Tita Lanehow, Reverend Dr. Leroy Haynes, Vanessa Davison, Simab Husseini.
2:10:54 Take your cough right here.
2:11:08 Hi everybody, I'm, I'm Tita Lane Howe and I'm a resident of D3. 2:11:15 I work as an OA2 at the District Attorney's Office. 2:11:19 I'm on the executive board for AFSCME Local 88 and a board member of the OCBPA. 2:11:26 Today I'm here speaking my own opinions. 2:11:31 I urge you to preserve the OCBPA budget and honor the purpose for which these funds were established. 2:11:37 Dedicated funds exist to fulfill a specific mission, and using them to address broader budget challenges can undermine both the purpose and the public trust placed in the council to steward them. 2:11:49 The independence of the Community Board for Police Accountability was intentionally established in Portland's charter to protect these bodies from influence. 2:11:57 Charter Chapter 2, Article 10, including Section 2-1001, and the Portland City Code Section 35.10.010 provide that the mayor, city council, and other administrative agencies must not interfere with the board's independent judgment.
2:12:12 Respecting that independence includes ensuring that these entities have the resources necessary to carry out their charter-mandated responsibilities. 2:12:23 Reducing or redirecting these funds, that's a troubling case in point that restricted resources can be used whenever general revenues fall short. 2:12:33 Portland's physical challenges are real, but they deserve long-term sustainable solutions developed through regular forensic budget analysis. 2:12:40 Councilmember and not temporary measures that create pressure on dedicated funds for many of city's services, workers, and governing bodies. 2:12:50 Protecting these millions is about more than a single decision. 2:12:52 It is about upholding the charter, preserving independent oversight, and maintaining transparency and accountability that Portland's residents expect from their government. 2:13:01 I respectfully ask that the council preserve the OCBPA budget in the future and honor the charter's protections and focus on the lasting structural solutions to the city's physical challenges for generations to come. 2:13:14 This is what Rose City is truly made of.
2:13:19 Thank you very much.
2:13:24 Yeah, why don't you go ahead?
2:13:26 Okay, sorry. 2:13:28 I'm Nora Beach. 2:13:29 I've worked for the city for 19 years. 2:13:32 I'm currently a business systems analyst in the city budget service area, and I volunteer with my local AFSCME 189 as the chapter chair for BSAs. 2:13:45 I want to start by thanking you for continuing to try to protect city services after finalizing the budget. 2:13:53 I had the privilege of collaborating with other labor leaders at the Novick Summit where we were able to identify critical positions that should not be cut an important thing is that city councilors, not the administration, heard our concerns. 2:14:12 You took action, proposing various amendments to correct mistakes made as part of the core services realignment, some of which were later acknowledged by the administration. 2:14:22 Unfortunately, we've already lost an experienced BSA in one of those critical positions after they found employment outside the city.
2:14:29 I'm hoping we can save the remaining 3 BSAs scheduled to be laid off August 3rd. 2:14:35 You may also be aware that we have concerns about the way that layoffs are being conducted in a way that doesn't comport with our collective bargaining agreements and has led to the filing of multiple grievances and at least one unfair labor practice. 2:14:51 My hope is that all of you will be willing to compromise and find agreement in favor of protecting frontline workers, city services, and take action to reduce risks to the city rather than allowing political divides to thwart this important effort. 2:15:08 Thank you.
2:15:10 Thank you so much.
2:15:13 Reverend Dr. Leroy Haynes.
2:15:28 Yes, I am the Reverend Dr. Leroy Haynes. 2:15:33 To the distinguished mayor in absentia, to the chief administrator Lee, to the council president, and the distinguished members of the yes. 2:15:52 I'm president of the Albano Ministerial Alliance, chairperson of the AMA Coalition for Justice and Police Reform, co-chair of the ballot measure that was passed on police accountability, and chief amicus aye.
2:16:13 The amendment passes.
2:16:14 Thank you, Councilor Smith. 2:16:14 Thank you, Mayor Wilson. 2:16:15 I would like to thank Councilor Smith for her leadership in the police settlement agreement with the city in 2012 on police reform. 2:16:21 The AMA Coalition for Justice and Police Reform, in reference to the adoption of and supplement of the budget, we oppose any attempt to borrow, pull from, or shift thank you. 2:16:39 I would like to thank Councilor Smith for the introduction. 2:16:41 I'm Councilor Jamie Dunphy, and I'm here to speak on the ordinance to relocate the AMA Coalition from, uh, relocate from the office of the Community Police Accountability Committee. 2:16:52 For over 2 decades, the AMA Coalition has been building trust in the community through police reform and police accountability. 2:17:03 The heart of this reform is in police accountability.
2:17:08 You cannot have a good police force without police accountability. 2:17:15 There would be, uh, destruction and chaos will take place once again in our city that we have time and time pulled out of crisis after crisis in this city. 2:17:29 We believe that funding for the city deficit Uh, should be looked at, at other options. 2:17:37 We oppose any shift in finding as a political means to undermine the office of the community-based police accountability and to undermine the will of the citizens who voted 82% for this ballot measure. 2:17:56 Thank you so very much.
2:17:58 Thank you very much.
2:18:04 Greetings, everybody. 2:18:06 Mayor Wilson, Councilor President Pirtle-Guiney, respected councilors, good evening. 2:18:12 My name is Sameer Khan, a Portland small business owner, a member of Portland Cop Watch, and former commissioner on the Police Accountability Commission that drafted this oversight system. 2:18:21 As an organizer, my work is with Black and brown immigrant and refugee communities, and I testify in my individual capacity. 2:18:27 Thank you. 2:18:29 I support 2026-222 and oppose 223. 2:18:33 They are not the same, and the difference is the whole point. 2:18:36 Both promise this won't become a recurring raid. 2:18:39 Only 222 keeps that promise. 2:18:41 It spends interest that already exists once, restores 48 frontline positions, 18 more than 223, and demands an accountability analysis in return without touching police oversight. 2:18:55 2026-223 Is different. 2:18:57 Read Directive C. It spends contingency now, then orders a spring backfill from OCPA underspent and PCF interest. 2:19:06 That backfill is the recurring draw aimed at the one office meant to be independent of this council. 2:19:13 And notice where the sweep actually happens. 2:19:16 Not here tonight, but next spring in the technical adjustment ordinance. 2:19:23 OCPA underspending is not a surplus. 2:19:25 It's a startup artifact. 2:19:27 The office hasn't hired its investigators, attorneys, or director. 2:19:31 An office that isn't built yet was not overfunded. 2:19:35 And Councilor Clark's Mamdani comparison holds only in the abstract. 2:19:39 Mamdani's signature safety priority sends mental health teams to some 911 calls instead of police, and he canceled the plan to hire 5,000 officers. 2:19:47 Councilor Dan Ryan. 2:19:48 What he did not do was fund police training by sweeping a civilian oversight body. 2:19:55 That is exactly what 223 does. 2:19:59 Police accountability is taking on an overhaul after over 20 years of death and destruct— distrust of the Portland Police and the police accountability system. 2:20:09 Please don't become a part of that distrust. 2:20:12 Pass 222, reject 223. 2:20:14 Thank you.
2:20:16 Thank you very much.
2:20:20 All right, uh, checking to see if Vanessa Davison is here. 2:20:28 And our last testifier is Carrie Ko.
2:20:39 Dr. Haynes gave good testimony. 2:20:41 My name is Carrie Ko. 2:20:43 I am the president of the City of Portland Professional Workers Union here at the City of Portland, and I'm here to show support for continuing to unwind some of the damage done by the budget this year, and I'm thankful to have this opportunity to talk more about it. 2:21:00 Speaking first to the Koyama Lane amendment, the ceasefire program is a crucial public safety program the funding for this community-based grant and safety program work was preserved in the budget process, but not the staffing to run the program. 2:21:15 As you know, we cannot do anything without staff, so you should reinstate the funding for that critical position to create a safer Portland for all of us. 2:21:26 As for the ordinances, um, using funding sources that honor the democratic votes of Portlanders, we want you to focus on maintaining services and jobs and giving staff the time to make good decisions over fast decisions. 2:21:42 I want to call to mind that Venn diagram that maybe we're all familiar with. 2:21:46 If you can do it fast, you can do it cheap, or you can do it well, and you can't have all 3, right? 2:21:53 And you have the opportunity— you in the past for the last budget chose fast and cheap last time, and now you have given yourselves the opportunity to adjust and allow the time to do core realignment and this budget well. 2:22:08 And I really hope that you take it. 2:22:11 For example, the core realignment leaders for the city of HR, Procurement, and Technology just launched in June, like a couple weeks ago, a spreadsheet to all the staff impacted by this to collect and capture the work that these staff do. 2:22:26 They just launched a spreadsheet to capture the work that this is what we were talking about before, and this is what you have the opportunity to give more time to do things well, to preserve jobs, and to preserve services for Portlanders. 2:22:45 Thank you.
2:22:47 Thank you very much.
2:22:48 That completes testimony.
2:22:50 Okay, colleagues, we are now into discussion of the 2 different amendments, and I will note that there are a number of amendments that Or 2 more different ordinances, excuse me. 2:22:59 And there are at least, is it 4? 2:23:02 4 Different amendments that we have heard introduced. 2:23:05 I have already put myself in the queue. 2:23:07 I will also note that the amendments are entirely for document 223, not for 222. 2:23:15 And putting myself in the queue, I would like to formally move Dunphy 1. 2:23:19 As a reminder, Dunphy 1 is pre-filed. 2:23:21 It is available for you to take a look at. 2:23:24 And as I had explained previously, what this does is removes the language specifically referring to OCPA and PCEF for backfilling and instead directs a more general look towards the professional City Budget Office to analyze all underspending in the spring TAO and lists in the amendment different— the different funds of the general fund that historically are available, as well as lists some of the funds that were underspent last year. 2:23:56 So I would like to move Dunphy 1 and would welcome a second.
2:24:01 Point of information and maybe a request. 2:24:04 Because we have 2 ordinances, if you could state when you're naming your amendment which ordinance it's for so we can keep track.
2:24:12 Oh, I did. 2:24:13 It was for 223. 2:24:14 Yes, sorry. 2:24:15 Yeah, there are— the only amendments that have been posted are for 223. 2:24:18 There are no amendments posted or discussed on 222. 2:24:21 So, um, okay, thank you. 2:24:24 So I, I thank you, Councilor Novick. 2:24:26 Councilor Novick seconds Dunphy 1. 2:24:29 Colleagues, is there any discussion of Dunphy 1? 2:24:36 Okay, there's not. 2:24:37 Oh, there we go. 2:24:38 Councilor Novick.
2:24:39 Thank you, Mr. President. 2:24:42 So I need to give some background by seconding this amendment. 2:24:48 The reason that the Clark, et cetera proposal mentions the OCPA as a potential source of funds to refill the general fund contingency is that there is every— it's simply a matter of mathematics. 2:25:04 Last year, the OCPA underspent its budget by $12 billion. 2:25:10 This year, it hasn't yet hired executive director. 2:25:13 It is just getting started. 2:25:14 It's just starting to staff up, which is going to take months. 2:25:19 And there's no rational way that it's going to spend in part of a year the amount that next year it'll spend for the whole year. 2:25:26 So the Clark proposal just sort of acknowledges the math. 2:25:30 And if a ballot measure had been passed which gives— gave the police bureau $400 million a year starting now, and if we saw that there was no prospect that the Police Bureau could actually spend that money in a year, then we'd do exactly the same thing with that. 2:25:44 We'd rely on the projected underspending. 2:25:47 So that is the actual math. 2:25:50 However, there's been a concerted effort to point to— to say that the fact that the OCPA was identified as a potential source of funding As an effort to sabotage the OCPA. 2:26:03 In fact, Councilor Kanal said as much in a newsletter he sent to his constituents. 2:26:09 Now, Councilor Kanal knows that that is false, but the people who got his newsletter do not. 2:26:17 And I think that the language in Councilor— in the President's Amendment will do— will help to reassure those people that Councilor Kanal has misled. 2:26:30 And I think it's important that the president's amendment would include a list of the underspending in last year's budget, which is led by the $12 million in underspending by the OCPA, that will let people know what some of the likely sources of underspending are and also let people who are watching know why some of us thought that it made sense to specifically reference I realize that by supporting this amendment, some of my colleagues will think that I'm rewarding bad behavior by trying to address the misleading statements some of my colleagues have made. 2:27:07 And I understand and appreciate that argument. 2:27:09 But to me, it's more important to reassure the people who have been told falsely that this proposal undermines the OCPA. 2:27:18 Thank you.
2:27:21 Thank you, Councilor Novick. 2:27:22 Councilor Pirtle-Guiney.
2:27:24 Thank you, Council President. 2:27:26 You know, we have a unique piece of our budget this year. 2:27:32 Most of the time we budget based on expected expenses, and we have one place where we budget based on a legally required amount. 2:27:43 And I want to be clear, we absolutely support the ordinance. 2:27:44 Absolutely should do that. 2:27:47 We absolutely not only must, but should do that. 2:27:52 But we budgeted that full amount knowing that was that it was incredibly unlikely the money would be spent. 2:27:58 It's just a peculiarity of getting an organization up and running in its first year. 2:28:05 But we heard from many of our colleagues and Portlanders that there was. 2:28:10 Yes. 2:28:10 There was concern that identifying OCPA as a place to pull underspend would be seen as hampering the work of the director, as council influencing that body. 2:28:24 Hearing that concern, as the new measure was drafted, we clearly laid out a few funding sources. 2:28:33 Underspend generally, interest, Yes, beginning with the one where we suspect the bulk of the funding will be available under spend in the OCPA, but naming others as well. 2:28:47 And what I appreciate about your amendment, Council President, is that you retain that interest, that interest in making sure that we are clearly identifying the types of funds that we will be turning to. 2:29:03 But you clear up the concern that has been raised clearly by naming the space where we thought the bulk of the underspend would be. 2:29:10 We have raised red flags that folks thought that it was just that space being identified, and I want to be clear: Portlanders believe that because they have been led to believe that. 2:29:23 That's not what this measure has ever said. 2:29:25 This measure, since its filing. 2:29:28 Has said underspend and interest, such as OCPA and PSEF. 2:29:37 But I appreciate your attempt to clear that up, and I appreciate, as my colleague mentioned, that you do lay out where the underspend has been in the past, because we need to be giving direction to our staff, to our professional staff who are going to have to take what we say I know that it is hard sometimes to find that narrow path that addresses the concerns sitting on both sides of us, making sure we have sufficient direction, um, and also clearing up confusion, misconception that never should have been there but unfortunately is. 2:30:16 And I appreciate your work to try to find that path.
2:30:19 Thank you, Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 2:30:21 Councilor Murillo.
2:30:23 Thank you, Council President. 2:30:25 I will be supporting this amendment because I do think that it improves upon what is here. 2:30:31 And so, you know, I think that's important to do when we have the opportunity to do that, because I think our top priority this evening is to save as many jobs and city services as we can and to do it the right way with as much integrity as we can. 2:30:44 I do want to note that with the OCPA funding, OCPA right now has around $16 million in the general fund budget. 2:30:53 $4.7 million of that $16 million is ongoing dollars, but $11.3 million of that is one-time funding. 2:31:01 So we need to really think about that because any underspending that OCPA does, does not get to— they don't get to keep that later. 2:31:10 That means that every single year they're going to have to find new funding. 2:31:14 That's a very different position than the PCF interest, which does not have any of these issues. 2:31:21 There is also an implication with this that the OCPA board is going to be put in the position of having to underspend in order to fulfill the will of council as we are laying it out here tonight in a way that is again not implied with the PCF interest. 2:31:38 So I am a little bit at a loss as to why we wouldn't do the reverse, which is to use the interest from the other ordinance now, and then if council needs to utilize any potential underspending later, we could do that in the future. 2:31:54 That makes much more sense since the PCF interest is already a stable revenue source. 2:32:00 But because I think that this improves upon what we have, I will be supporting it just in case either ordinance goes through, but I'm really hoping that we can approach this from a practical matter moving forward and that we're going to vote for the ordinance that just makes more sense and is much more streamlined. 2:32:17 Because what I'm hearing is that people are okay with using PSF interest for this, but they want to do it a year down the line instead of now. 2:32:25 And I don't really understand the logic in that.
2:32:28 But with that, Thank you, Councilor Morillo. 2:32:34 Councilor Green.
2:32:37 Thank you, Council President, for introducing this. 2:32:39 I think there's a couple different strands that are in these ordinances, and in this one there's the difference in how much is being funded and what is trying to be saved. 2:32:52 I'm gonna make all the calls I need to make. 2:32:54 I'm gonna lobby. 2:32:55 I'm gonna try to convince my colleagues to vote for the amendment. 2:32:58 222 next week because it's a better ordinance. 2:33:02 But, and it crucially does, it does the thing that gives the labor leaders time to work with the administration to help us right-size this ship. 2:33:14 But then there's this other piece, which is the OCPA albatross here. 2:33:18 And I think this is an improvement. 2:33:21 I'll echo a lot of what Councilor Morillo just said.
2:33:25 By sort of laying out an exhibit of fund balances that doesn't privilege that there, and I think helps reduce the risk that that fund becomes a target of underspend, which is what you're also hearing from communities. 2:33:38 And I will note that I don't think— I think people know how to— people who have been in this fight for a long time and who have this lived experience with policing in the City of Portland are are pretty critical thinkers and know how to think for themselves. 2:33:53 And so when they get an email, they don't necessarily just consume that without critical engagement. 2:33:59 So I think we can give our readers and voters a little more credit. 2:34:03 Thanks.
2:34:04 Thank you, Councilor Green. 2:34:10 Colleagues, seeing no one else in the queue— there we go. 2:34:12 Councilor Zimmerman.
2:34:13 I'd like an assessment from the attorney about what this change of this amendment is actually going to do.
2:34:20 Great, we have— welcome, Heidi.
2:34:31 Thank you. 2:34:32 Good evening, my name is Heidi Brown.
2:34:33 I'm Chief Deputy with the City Attorney's Office.
2:34:36 Good evening, Council President, Council Vice President, and all councilors.
2:34:39 It's nice to see you. 2:34:40 And City Administrator Lee.
2:34:42 Um, Councilor Zimmerman, you asked, uh, what would this amendment do as far as legally how does it change anything?
2:34:51 As Director Levine noted earlier, the inclusion of the OCPA or not is not a legal requirement.
2:35:00 I think what she had shared was that it had a little more transparency to it, that that was the most likely place where they—.
2:35:07 Where understanding could be expected because it's such a large budget, but it wasn't legally required to be in there.
2:35:14 So removing the reference to the OCPA with, uh, Council President's amendment will not violate any budget laws or other laws for, for the city.
2:35:30 Okay, so I guess to the sponsors You've made the case that there's going to be— I'm probably not done, Heidi. 2:35:45 Oh, I'm sorry. 2:35:46 You've made the case to the sponsors that there's going to be unused money and that you highlighted the OCPA as an unused, can't be spent by June. 2:36:00 Okay. 2:36:02 Councilor Dunphy, in his red block language, says it should be up to the professional assessment which funds are presented as backfill options in the spring town rather than prioritizing one or two. 2:36:18 To me, I guess I'm surprised that the sponsors, at least 2 of the sponsors, are changing their own ordinance because it kind of looks like it is neutering your ordinance. 2:36:30 And so I guess I'm, I'm not a sponsor of any of these. 2:36:34 I'm trying to catch up. 2:36:36 This clearly seems like it was designed to avoid the 6-6 that was presented during the budget so that the mayor doesn't have to have a tie-breaking vote. 2:36:45 So I'm trying to understand why the sponsors are still even presenting their own ordinance if you are not identifying the position from which the funds are being taken. 2:37:01 And then I guess I would look to the— Councilor Dan Ryan. 2:37:04 Others who are on it, would you even continue to have your name on this if this has changed? 2:37:08 So first, to those who are supporting this one, I'm just truly trying to understand because, uh, City Attorney Brown's explanation about legality, I get that. 2:37:20 I make— that makes sense to me. 2:37:22 But we are the Budget Committee. 2:37:27 We're the budget authority. 2:37:28 Yes. 2:37:29 And it seems strange, Council President, to say that should be up to somebody else. 2:37:34 So I'm just trying to gauge what's going on because I feel like the back room just took over and I would like to understand it. 2:37:42 Always. 2:37:43 Always. 2:37:43 So thank you. 2:37:45 And I— after they respond, I might have a technical question. 2:37:48 Heidi, that's why I kept it. 2:37:49 Thank you.
2:37:56 Thank you, Mr. President. 2:37:58 Councilor, major reason why the sponsors are continuing to propose this ordinance is it is substantively very— substantively has important substantive provisions. 2:38:08 In particular, as Councilor— as Vice President Clark said, it restores $3 million in desperately needed money for police training because we think, like Zohra Mondani, the police should be properly trained. 2:38:23 As far as the language is concerned, there's no substantive difference. 2:38:27 I mean, the CBO will still look to underspending for the fall TAO, and we know that the underspending, the biggest source of underspending is incredibly likely to be the OCPA. 2:38:40 So that's— so substantively, there's no difference. 2:38:44 Rhetorically, there's a difference in that I think that the language that we had before was misused by some of our colleagues to mislead people into thinking they were trying to sabotage the OCPA. 2:38:54 And as I said in my earlier remarks, I think it's worth changing the language a bit, knowing it has no substantive effect, to address some of those concerns that have been raised through misleading tactics. 2:39:06 So I don't see any substantive difference at all. 2:39:09 It's a linguistic difference, and I'm reassured by the fact that the president is included the list of underspending from last year. 2:39:17 And I think people could look at that and say, okay, you can probably expect to see the same underspending this year.
2:39:26 Council President, may I respond? 2:39:28 Absolutely. 2:39:29 So the unamended language reads, when anticipated funds from underspending, interest accruals, and other resources develop in the spring technical adjustment ordinance period in fiscal year 2026-27, the funds will be used to restore the general fund contingency in the amount of $9.96 million. 2:39:47 These anticipated funds may include and will initially consider underspending in the Office of Community Police Accountability and accrued interest in the Portland Clean Energy and Community Benefits Fund. 2:40:00 So the ordinance as introduced specifically directs our staff to look at underspending thank you. 2:40:21 The amendment does not actually change the funding sources. 2:40:26 It will still say when anticipated funds from underspending, interest accruals, and other resources develop, Et cetera. 2:40:33 The funds will be used to restore the general fund contingency in the amount of $9.96 million. 2:40:38 The line that's taken out that says, hey, look here first, was helpful in providing direction about intent and about— I don't even want to say intent— was helpful in providing direction about where we're looking to pass past years assume the bulk of that opportunity, the bulk of those resources will be. 2:41:07 We're taking that out. 2:41:09 I think if the exhibits were not included, I might have some concern, but by pointing in the exhibits to the bureaus— I think it's 8 bureaus— where the bulk of the underspend has been in past years, I think we achieve the same thing. 2:41:25 Of pointing and saying, staff, here are the places to look, in a way that clears up that concern that again should not have ever been there because the language was very clear in the original, but that was unfortunately created by some misinformation. 2:41:46 And so if we have the opportunity to clear that up with Portlanders while still saying, hey, hey staff, here's the places. 2:41:52 We're now listing eight of them where we think the underspend will be. 2:41:56 Look there. 2:41:58 Functionally, I don't see that as different on the funding source side, and I still think that the restoration of positions that labor identified as clear mistakes in the the work of realignment that the administration. 2:42:17 Also looked at and said, yeah, you're right, continue to be important. 2:42:23 I thought they were important last month. 2:42:24 I still think they're critical, as well as many of the other things that are in the proposal.
2:42:30 I appreciate both of those answers, and I'm tracking along. 2:42:34 I guess if that is the case, and I'm not going to ask folks but if that is the case, for members like, you know, Councilor Avalos and Councilor Morillo, who've kind of spoken on the other side of this, the way that this is being described is that it's not the use of OCPA money, and yet there was quite a lot of opposition to it. 2:43:05 And I, I'm trying to understand If the language actually, based on those 2 explanations, meant nothing, then what was the opposition to? 2:43:17 And so the reason I ask is I believe that it did mean something. 2:43:20 And so this does seem like a substantive change because I don't think that Councilor Kanal and others, I don't think that they would've raised a concern if the language didn't mean anything. 2:43:31 And so that's where I'm struggling with why why such a discussion both on this dais as well in the public did it occur if the second half of paragraph 10 actually was just extra words? 2:43:48 I'm struggling with that to understand it. 2:43:50 And if that's the case, because I think some might say it did mean something in terms of from a technical perspective and how we budget, Thank you, Ms. Brown. 2:44:13 Is there— I guess I'm going to pause, actually. 2:44:17 I'm going to hold. 2:44:17 Thank you for staying up there, but, um, I think I'm done with my questions unless I'd be interested to hear what others are saying, because if this were to pass broadly, I'm kind of confused what we were even arguing about and why there are 2 comp— well, Well, no, there are different things getting funded. 2:44:32 I'll get that. 2:44:33 But this seems like extreme opposition to something that the sponsors just said means nothing, and that's lost on me a little bit.
2:44:44 Thank you, Councilor Zimmerman. 2:44:46 Councilor Smith.
2:44:47 Thank you, Council President. 2:44:49 Thank you, Councilor Zimmerman. 2:44:51 I agree with you. 2:44:53 Council President's amendment is sloppy. 2:44:57 And it doesn't do anything to be very direct about how you write language and policy. 2:45:04 And other people who are very familiar with policymaking, they know as well that this is sloppily written, and we don't write like that. 2:45:14 And I don't give my power away easily to a department head that's not responsible. 2:45:24 We have to be more specific than that. 2:45:28 And I agree with you, if we're not going to do— it's so simple. 2:45:33 Why are we here? 2:45:34 Why do we have these 2? 2:45:36 And if we're going to go down this road, we need to be prepared to go down the road, because I, I, I feel some deep hatred on this, on this board. 2:45:50 Councilor for a mayor, and it's the elephant in the room, and I do not like it that we would go as far to be sloppy policymakers so that a mayor cannot break a vote. 2:46:08 I'm not a sloppy policymaker. 2:46:10 I'm very specific. 2:46:13 And if we're going to be corrective We need to start doing what the charter says. 2:46:19 Let the mayor break all matters before council. 2:46:24 If you're not going to follow that, I don't know why you would consider anything that the council president is putting forward today, because it is wrong, it is underhanded, and the 2 people who are supporting it who are part of the original 23 shame on you. 2:46:45 So no, I will not support what you put forward. 2:46:50 If you want to change the mayor's ability to, uh, to, to do all matters under the council, everything, then we can have that conversation. 2:47:01 Every week you all give me— I, I try to figure it out and say we're going to figure it out with ourselves and we're going to figure out, we're going to vote but every week you give me one more reason why we need to have a declarative judgment. 2:47:14 I mean, one more reason. 2:47:17 Thank you very much.
2:47:23 Thank you, Council President. 2:47:24 I actually have a question that may be for Jonas or Ruth. 2:47:30 I'm not sure. 2:47:31 Um, I thought that the Estimate of the underspend on the OCPA was actually underestimated. 2:47:43 Because I think, um, is it true— Ruth, I know one of you, I don't know which one can answer this question— but weren't the OCPA funds used to pay for their predecessor? 2:47:56 Isn't— is that— I thought that they were dipped into to pay for I can't remember the name of the other board.
2:48:05 I think I can answer this, but feel free to jump in. 2:48:07 So I think there may be some confusion. 2:48:10 So the— and I hinted at this earlier but didn't fully get into the details— the way we budgeted the OCPA in '25-'26 is different from the way we did it in '26-'27. 2:48:23 Specifically, the $12.6 million that was budgeted that that was, um, that I referred to earlier as their budget is just for, um, the, the standing up of the board itself. 2:48:41 And then there was a contingency amount essentially held in '25-'26 in order to meet the 5%. 2:48:47 There was a third piece that counted towards the 5%, which was, um, the IPR budget.
2:48:55 And that was sort of per the legal guidance before the board existed, because that was the predecessor, it counted towards the 5% under charter. 2:49:08 We have no— we're sort of separating those out. 2:49:12 So in '26-'27, that's no longer a factor. 2:49:14 So the board— the budget in '26-'27 is much simpler. 2:49:17 It's just the $16 million in general fund.
2:49:20 So does that mean in '26-'27, if you take the IPR out, there may be even more money available under the OCPA?
2:49:27 No, it, um, we're— it's again, it's just looking at the $16 million. 2:49:32 The IPR budget is just sort of stands on its own. 2:49:37 So to, um, it just isn't counted towards the $5K.
2:49:41 Can you tell us what that was, the IPR budget in '26-'27?
2:49:45 We can get it. 2:49:45 I don't have it offhand, but I can Or even the 25, 26. 2:49:52 Yeah, I don't have it.
2:50:00 I'll, I'll get it in a minute.
2:50:01 Okay, we can go on. 2:50:03 Okay, thank you. 2:50:04 Thank you.
2:50:05 Yeah, thank you. 2:50:05 And colleagues, it is my intention this evening to get through the discussion of the amendments, but I don't think we're going to have enough time to get through the discussion of the underlying as Councilor Zimmerman, are you in the queue again, or is that a legacy hand?
2:50:24 I'll finish comment on this amendment. 2:50:27 I guess my reading of this is that whether you agree with it or not, it's somewhat of a kicking down— kicking of the can down the road for a fight on some OCPA money. 2:50:37 And it's not a good thing. 2:50:38 It seems to me like a way to avoid a mayor's tie-breaking vote, and it seems like a rhetorical— I don't know, some sort of contorting of oneself. 2:50:53 And I do expect that we're going to basically just have the exact same discussion once— my anticipation would be that OCPA's budget will not be fully executed in this current fiscal year. 2:51:05 And that when it comes to the TAO, that some of it will be returned just like a whole lot of bureau budgets are, and that we'll have a conversation about how it should or shouldn't be used. 2:51:17 And for this again, and I just, I think that this amendment makes little substantive change and a whole lot of rhetorical change for—.
2:51:29 Councilmember Herbold.
2:51:36 Okay, Councilor Novick, last word.
2:51:39 Thank you, Mr. President. 2:51:40 I just wanted to respond to Councilor Zimmerman's point by pointing out that, as Director Levine said earlier, the council will ultimately have to vote on the TAO in the spring anyway. 2:51:49 So, um, if that— so even if this had passed as with the original language, we could still wind up having the fight you're anticipating. 2:51:56 I kind of I don't really think the fight will materialize because this language says that we're going to defer to the expertise of the CBO in determining what to use. 2:52:06 So if somebody's supporting that, I think that they're gonna be bound by that, the introductory language anyway.
2:52:14 Thank you, Councilor Novick.
2:52:15 Keelan, can we please call roll on Dunphy 1?
2:52:20 Koyama Lane. 2:52:22 Aye.
2:52:37 Too sloppy. 2:52:38 No.
2:52:44 Trying to find some compromise here, folks.
2:52:49 Sorry, was that an aye? 2:52:51 Yeah, thank you.
2:52:57 The amendment is approved with a vote of 8 ayes and 4 nos.
2:53:01 Thank you. 2:53:02 Councilor Koyama Lane.
2:53:04 Thank you, Council President. 2:53:05 I would like to move, uh, Koyama Lane Canal 1. 2:53:10 Colleagues, this amendment is about frontline positions that directly serve our community and shape our future as a city. 2:53:19 Investing in our older adults, strengthening international relations, reducing gun violence are priorities that I think many of us, if not all of us, agree are very important. 2:53:30 These are vital programs, and I urge my colleagues to restore these positions in the supplemental budget. 2:53:35 And I will clarify that I am talking about Ordinance 233.
2:53:42 223. 2:53:44 Thank you. 2:53:44 So first, first, the Senior Center program. 2:53:49 We heard testimony from community members about how important it is. 2:53:53 Um, you know, I mentioned earlier this program is specifically designed to serve older adults with physical and intellectual disabilities who need consistent supervision, support, opportunities for connection. 2:54:05 This program was also supported It has been supported with county funding. 2:54:10 Um, I believe in a Portland that works for all ages. 2:54:14 I think a lot of us do and, um, hope that Portland can be a place where people can not only grow up in but also grow old with dignity. 2:54:22 Uh, serving our seniors is a really essential part of fulfilling that promise. 2:54:26 That's the first one. 2:54:26 The second one is International Relations Program. 2:54:29 We know about this program. 2:54:30 This, this position is responsible for coordinating our sister sister city program, maintaining Portland's relationships with communities around the whole world. 2:54:38 I've personally seen firsthand the value of that— these— that this partnership brings to our city. 2:54:44 Councilor Ryan, I appreciate your longstanding and very public support for this work, for the Sister City program, for highlighting how events like the Rose Festival attract visitors from across the globe. 2:54:56 These international relations strengthen our economy.
2:54:59 Expand cultural exchange and reinforce Portland's reputation as a welcoming and globally connected city. 2:55:06 Restoring this position ensures that we can continue that important work. 2:55:09 And then finally, the Ceasefire Program Coordinator. 2:55:12 City administration requested that this program be restored. 2:55:17 Colleagues who already voted to restore funding for the ceasefire program know that this is important. 2:55:23 Restoring this position is the final step needed to make sure that we don't have these cuts and that we can make sure that gun violence prevention efforts have the staffing that they need in order to succeed. 2:55:34 So I think if we believe in this program, we should make sure that it has what it needs to fully deliver results. 2:55:40 Council President, I would like to move to divide my amendment into 3 parts. 2:55:44 If it's helpful, we can call it 1A, 1B, 1C so we can vote on each separately.
2:55:49 Colleagues, I ask that you please consider which you could support in restoring, even if it's just one of these 3. 2:55:55 I would really appreciate your consideration, and I would like to formally move Koyama Lane Canal 1 and would appreciate a second.
2:56:05 Councilor Koyama Lane moves Koyama Lane Canal 1, and Councilor Kanal seconds. 2:56:11 Colleagues, to the amendment— and the amendment has been divided, the question has been divided— when we vote. 2:56:18 So but for now, debate can be to all 3 parts, but please specify. 2:56:22 Councilor Green.
2:56:24 Uh, thank you, Councilor Koyama Lane. 2:56:27 Um, uh, I see that the total dollar amount is about $782,000. 2:56:33 This is a one-time thing. 2:56:35 It's just— we're just buying some time. 2:56:36 Is that the idea? 2:56:37 Okay. 2:56:38 Uh, I think we spent, I think, in exceedance of twice that on severance payouts. 2:56:43 So I think if we're in a situation where we're We're kind of drawing down reserves to, you know, to buy ourselves a little time, and we have to look to future savings in the future. 2:56:54 Let's stop the severance payouts and we can pay for that a couple times over. 2:56:59 So I support it. 2:57:00 Thanks.
2:57:01 Thank you, Councilor Green. 2:57:02 Councilor Morillo.
2:57:05 Yeah, I just wanted to say I appreciate the attempt of compromise that I see up here from I think that it's really important that we consider long-term what the impacts will be if we can't compromise as a legislative body, because you may have a tiebreaker vote that will go your way now, but let's say we get a Momdani mayor the next time around and you don't agree with him or her, who knows, or they, them, whatever. 2:57:34 Then you're going to have a problem and you're going to wish that the executive power had been used. 2:57:38 I agree. 2:57:40 So you have to think about the institution that we're establishing here and the precedent that it sets. 2:57:44 So I appreciate the attempts of compromise that I'm seeing from some of my colleagues up here, and I think that we can do it. 2:57:50 I also would point out that our ordinance came out first, so. 2:57:55 I am going to be supportive of Councilor Koyama Lane's amendment. 2:57:59 I think that it preserves more jobs that I think are really critical, and I'm really grateful for that. 2:58:04 So I will be supporting that. 2:58:06 I do want to say that while we're talking about preserving frontline workers and services, the other ordinance does more of that and it does it more efficiently. 2:58:17 So I will continue to be supporting amendments that I think are improvements to this ordinance, but the other ordinance is still frankly superior in its simplicity, straightforwardness, and the amount of jobs that it saves. 2:58:30 So I will be happy to support your amendment. 2:58:33 Thank you for bringing this forward and for your relentless attempt to compromise and try to make things work for everybody.
2:58:40 Thank you, Councilor Morillo. 2:58:41 Councilor Zimmerman.
2:58:43 Thank you. 2:58:45 These are important programs and I see that. 2:58:49 I'm interested to the sponsor of it to find some routes for funding you know, during the budget, this council passed a $450,000 increase to the small donor program, and you all talked about it as if it would not affect this year's elections. 2:59:08 But I think it was about a week and a half ago or so, the Small Donors Elections Program sent out an email and said, congratulations, they funded us. 2:59:17 So the current election cycle is now gonna be fully funded. 2:59:21 Yeah. 2:59:22 And that was not what was discussed on this dais. 2:59:25 That was counter to everything that was sold about it. 2:59:29 So to Councilor Koyama Lane, I would look to— I, I would look to you and say, I wonder if we could take that $450,000, which I feel like really was a disingenuous ad, and the way it's been implemented now immediately into the program, it changed the rules midstream.
2:59:46 I think that's a great idea.
2:59:46 Stride. 2:59:48 I didn't vote. 2:59:49 I felt it was a conflict of interest, um, because I'm in that program. 2:59:54 But adding that $450,000 as a funding source to your list here is something that I'm very interested in, um, given the changes and given the way that that money came about and the way that it was discussed here and then used very opposite in the program later on. 3:00:10 So I want to offer that up as a route to maybe A significant portion of this would be covered by that, and that would be interesting to me. 3:00:19 And I'm just going to kind of put it out there for maybe consideration whether that's favorable or not, because I do, I do like some of these programs. 3:00:29 I'd like to see what kind of path there might exist. 3:00:32 Thank you for bringing it.
3:00:36 Thank you, Councilor, for acknowledging the importance of these programs and This is kind of the first I'm hearing about switching that out, changing the funding source, but I appreciate your creativity. 3:00:54 I think at this point, to keep it as clean as possible, I would like to keep it as it is, but I do appreciate your consideration and acknowledging how important these programs are.
3:01:08 Yeah, thank you, Council President. 3:01:10 We actually, we argued extensively at this dais during the different, I think multiple times where we talked about small donor election program. 3:01:17 And I know that I made the argument that an incumbent has the advantage. 3:01:21 You have the advantage of name recognition, you have advantage of all the endorsers and all that. 3:01:26 And sometimes you lose a couple endorsers along the way, but you can pick up some other ones. 3:01:30 That's called having a sense of humor. 3:01:33 But the point that I made was that for folks I think that's a fair point. 3:01:37 I think for folks to unseat us, they need the full funding because we don't need it as bad. 3:01:42 And we have some challengers in our district who are doing quite well and are going to have more resources to run their campaigns with than we did when we ran ours. 3:01:53 And so I think that that's, you know, it wasn't about whether or not the program is funded this year. 3:01:58 It's about whether or not the people running this year have a chance to beat us.
3:02:01 So I just thank you, Councilor Green. 3:02:07 Councilor Kanal.
3:02:09 Yeah, I mean, Councilor Green just pretty much said the first thing about what was talked about back then. 3:02:14 It was pretty clear that it was going to affect this year's election in the transcripts. 3:02:19 Um, but I do want to talk about the, uh, the needs for these particular positions. 3:02:24 I think having an age-friendly city is something that I take very seriously. 3:02:28 I could talk about, but I think Councilor Koyama Lane has talked about quite a bit, and frankly more effectively than I might, so I won't. 3:02:35 But I did want to mention that, um, that position is represented by LIUNA 483 Laborers. 3:02:42 And, um, I also wanted to mention that these— the, um, ceasefire position is CPPW. 3:02:51 Additionally, I, I want to talk about the ceasefire position really quick because originally we thought that it In fact, I asked about this at one of the work sessions, and we got the request from the administration for this, um, and that was not something that we were aware of at the time of the budget. 3:03:05 In fact, of everything that we've talked about, um, this is the one that I think most clearly meets the requirements of a supplemental budget because the, the request did come in later. 3:03:15 It is new information that we'd be building a, a request around. 3:03:19 As for the International Relations I think, you know, we heard in testimony earlier, obviously a lot about the OCPA piece. 3:03:26 We can talk about that more. 3:03:27 But one thing that, that a couple testifiers have, have said in the last week and a half, including up till today, is the importance of economic development so that we're not in budget crises to begin with. 3:03:37 And I think, as some of my colleagues have pointed out in other contexts, our international relations, not just the program, but the actual relationship of the city of Portland with people outside our borders.
3:03:47 Is really vital. 3:03:48 We've talked about this in the context of Canadian travel and how it's actually growing in some places. 3:03:53 We're one of the places where we're growing international travel of that type. 3:03:56 And so continuing to build on that is, I think, a part of how we're going to not only grow our financial well-being and our tax revenue and receipts over the years, but I'd mentioned for District 2 in particular, with the convention center being in our district, the importance and the expo center at that.
3:04:14 The importance of having events, having international travelers come to town as well. 3:04:19 So I just wanted to get those on the record and ask for your support in funding these 3 positions. 3:04:26 Thanks.
3:04:28 Thank you, Councilor Kanal. 3:04:29 Vice President Clark.
3:04:30 Just really briefly, thank you, Council President. 3:04:32 I think when I was crafting 2026-223, we were thinking to limit ourselves to $10 million lid on the restoration. 3:04:46 So there's a teeny bit of room there, but it's very little room. 3:04:50 Um, so, um, I'm, I'm glad you separated these. 3:04:54 I, um, I'm interested in one of them, um, but that would break the $10 million ceiling that some of us were established in 223. 3:05:06 Thank you.
3:05:07 Thank you, Vice President Clark. 3:05:08 Councilor Morillo.
3:05:11 Sorry, I'll put my hand down.
3:05:13 Okay. 3:05:14 Uh, Councilor Smith.
3:05:15 Thank you, Council President. 3:05:16 I want to go back to something that Councilor Kanal said. 3:05:19 He said the administration asked for that position. 3:05:22 Who are you talking about, the city administrator, or are you talking about the mayor? 3:05:27 Who are you talking about? 3:05:31 Because I want to be clear on who asked for what. 3:05:34 Because the mayor put his budget forward and it didn't include it. 3:05:37 So now you're saying he's asking you to put it back in?
3:05:41 Uh, Council President, may I please? 3:05:44 Yeah, it just came from the Public Safety Service area.
3:05:46 Okay, so that's not administration. 3:05:49 Be clear, that's not administration.
3:05:51 Public Safety Service area is not part of the administration.
3:05:55 When you say administration, that means either the city administrator or the mayor.
3:06:04 Okay. 3:06:04 Just to be clear, the city administrator is also the interim deputy city prosecutor?
3:06:09 But he— I just asked him. 3:06:10 He said he didn't say it. 3:06:11 He said he didn't ask for it.
3:06:16 I think the idea that the Public Safety Service Area is not part of the administration is a new one for me. 3:06:20 So I might need some time to go back and cite the particular part of the charter. 3:06:24 But thanks.
3:06:26 See, the problem is, and the reason why we're in the situation that we are in right now, is because you have misled the public and you have misstated some things. 3:06:34 And so we had, uh, Councilor Novick get a little intimidated by that, and he, he, he changed and ran the other way. 3:06:43 But I'm going to hold you accountable because when you say something, you better mean it and you better be able to back it up. 3:06:49 And you just talk and talk and talk, and you give people the wrong impression, and you mislead all the time.
3:06:54 Councilor Loretta Smith, Councilor, I have a responsibility to uphold disparaging comments. 3:06:59 We are able to discuss issues, but that's— thank you. 3:07:04 Councilor Kanal.
3:07:08 I wish at some times that I was as able to do the things that I'm accused of doing. 3:07:14 Um, I don't think that Councilor Novick is intimidated by me in the slightest. 3:07:20 Wow. 3:07:20 And I also don't think that I could go back in time before my birth and start Reverend Haynes on a path that he was on long before. 3:07:31 And I think the idea that I am influencing these folks is laughable. 3:07:35 But I do think it's appropriate for us to say that there are times where requests are going to get routed through different parts of the administration. 3:07:44 The administration is the entire— as far as we've been told on this dais by the, uh, city attorneys, that the administration basically starts at the mayor and goes down to everybody that doesn't work for the auditor or the council side of, of the house. 3:07:58 Um, so I do want to offer that there, if you'd like to verify this with some of the staff that are, um, in that area and ask them whether or not they'd prefer to have this position funded. 3:08:11 I know that, that some of the leadership of, um, of that particular, uh, agency are here on the call. 3:08:18 You can feel free to ask them. 3:08:20 Um, I also know that, um, that you can speak to this— the attorneys can probably speak to this more, but there are requirements for supplemental budgets, and I wanted to just highlight that this was a new piece of information. 3:08:32 That was the context of, of the request, um, or me articulating the request.
3:08:38 Thank you. 3:08:39 Thanks.
3:08:41 Thank you, Councilor Kanal. 3:08:42 Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 3:08:43 And colleagues, I will note it is 9:05.
3:08:45 Yeah, thank you, Council President. 3:08:47 Let's— it is so easy to, um, to pick at each other up here. 3:08:57 When we hear that the administration asked for something, we generally assume that that came up through the channels to the top and over to the mayor. 3:09:04 To us, which means it came from the city administrator or perhaps one of the DCAs. 3:09:09 When it comes from the mayor, I hope we're talking about the executive branch because that is separate from the administration. 3:09:15 It is also very normal for us to hear things from other people who we have relationships with within the administration, but we need to be careful with our language because when I hear something from a frontline worker It is equally important as when I hear something from the city administrator, but I need to be honest with all of my colleagues about where it came from. 3:09:38 So I also, when I heard that this came from the administration, assumed that that meant that city administrator or a DCA had said, oh, there was a problem. 3:09:49 It's helpful to understand that that is not where it came from. 3:09:52 But I just— for Portlanders who are watching and are watching us quibble over this want to be clear. 3:09:59 Yes, it's all the administration. 3:10:01 Yes, we get information through a lot of different channels, and it's incumbent upon us to be clear about what we're talking about. 3:10:10 Thank you, Council President.
3:10:11 Thank you, Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 3:10:12 Councilor Smith.
3:10:15 I just want to say ditto, ditto, ditto to what Councilor Pirtle-Guiney said. 3:10:23 But as you all remember from last week, the mayor asked us not to put folks in the bureaus in that position and saying that they said something. 3:10:34 He asked us not to do that. 3:10:37 And so when we do that, you, you perk everybody's ears up. 3:10:42 And that's all I'm asking. 3:10:44 I'm not trying to impugn anyone, Council President. 3:10:47 I just want us to be careful about what we say and how we say it.
3:10:52 Thank you. 3:10:52 Councilor Zimmerman.
3:10:54 Thanks. 3:10:55 I think after a year and a half, I'm pretty much well aware that when a councilor says, I talked to the administration, that doesn't mean anything other than I talked to them. 3:11:02 We use that a lot. 3:11:03 I've picked up on it. 3:11:04 People use it as this cover. 3:11:06 I talked to the city attorney, I talked to the service area. 3:11:09 It means nothing. 3:11:11 A couple of us over the, over the year have been asked by the administration, please bring this forward because we have a technical thing and since the mayor doesn't sit the dais, we need you to do it. 3:11:20 And you've all at times said that, but this is a tactic. 3:11:25 It is a tactic for credibility that I hear all the time. 3:11:29 And when somebody says this was requested, unless it truly was, you know, let's refrain from it. 3:11:36 I want to go back to a point that Councilor Clark brought up, and frankly, the reason that some of the conversations about what might be possible in the supplemental were requested to be under $10 million was your request, Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 3:11:55 There were others of us who were willing to go bigger and do more, and I'm frustrated because there was a request to not go above $10 million, and I think that I conveyed that I was amenable to that But we've now engaged in what would be a secondary budget, and I'm uninterested at this point. 3:12:15 I'm a no on everything tonight because as one of the sponsors of the thing, it's been now changed by the sponsors, and I'm not loving redoing the budget. 3:12:32 This is not the intent of a supplemental budget. 3:12:34 Okay. 3:12:35 And I appreciate the passion on some positions. 3:12:37 I'm not taking that away. 3:12:38 But now we've gone to, you know, inserting an amendment. 3:12:42 We've changed it. 3:12:43 We're back into new amendments. 3:12:44 We're onto the next position. 3:12:46 We're gonna do the thing. 3:12:48 I don't wanna play that game. 3:12:49 We can play that game all day long. 3:12:51 But we're in that game because we were asked to keep it below a certain number by some members. 3:12:56 And now we're in this game because some of those members have changed their own ordinance. 3:12:59 So I'm not sure I'm a yes on either one of these underlying at this point even anymore. 3:13:03 Councilor Dan Ryan. 3:13:04 And I'm kind of prepared to walk away. 3:13:07 This is not intended to be a government whose budget season never ends. 3:13:14 I was willing to hear these and read these because I did believe that a supplemental would be possible. 3:13:19 I'm glad, Council President, thank you for bringing them quickly in the new fiscal year. 3:13:23 That was appreciated. 3:13:25 You didn't have to do that. 3:13:27 But I think we're losing the thread here, and I think we're making a mess of it. 3:13:31 And I I think, I think the sponsors have made their own things messy, and now they're regretting more mess happening after they started it.
3:13:41 Okay, thank you, Councilor Zimmerman. 3:13:43 It is, uh, 9:10, colleagues. 3:13:45 I'm going to extend this courtesy to the city administrator. 3:13:47 I'm going to limit debate to those in the queue, and then we are going to move to a vote. 3:13:51 City administrator.
3:13:52 I'll be very quick on this. 3:13:53 Uh, this request did come from administration as it relates to a bumping hearing. 3:13:57 Issue as a part of this as it relates to our layoff structure. 3:14:03 So this did come from staff.
3:14:09 Okay, Councilor Koyama Lane.
3:14:14 I appreciate the comment that this does feel messy. 3:14:18 I think it is a bit. 3:14:19 I think what we're seeing is that there were challenges with trying to figure out a compromise and coming together. 3:14:25 And so what we are doing a bit is we're doing some of the compromise and some of that work in front of everyone. 3:14:32 It's not ideal. 3:14:35 I understand that we're tired. 3:14:37 We want this, all the budget stuff behind us. 3:14:40 We're annoyed with each other. 3:14:41 This feels hard. 3:14:43 Hopefully this is, we're done after this. 3:14:47 But bringing these 3 things forward, I did want to give my colleagues a chance to say if they want to try to save some of these, because there wasn't really a chance for us, for different groups to come together and do that compromise. 3:15:01 I understand and respect that everyone has their own lines and boundaries, so please do what feels right. 3:15:07 But if the senior center project means a lot to you, or the international relations program means a lot to you, or that ceasefire coordinator position means a lot to you, please consider thank you, Councilor Crammond Lane.
3:15:21 Councilor Novick and Councilor Kanal and Pirtle-Guiney, I did limit debate at this point. 3:15:25 So we will move to debate after Councilor Novick. 3:15:28 Apologies. 3:15:29 Councilor Novick.
3:15:30 Thank you, Mr. President. 3:15:32 Councilor Zimmerman, I also am voting against any more, any substantive amendments. 3:15:38 I voted for what I see as a linguistic change, but as far as the substance of what's in the budget, I'm going to stick with exactly what is in the budget. 3:15:45 Councilors Smith and Pirtle-Guiney and Clark and I put forward. 3:15:49 End of sentence.
3:15:52 Thank you, Councilor Novick. 3:15:54 Keelan, can we please move to a vote? 3:15:57 Uh, the question was divided. 3:15:59 Councilor Koyama Lane, what would you like to— which section would you like to vote on first?
3:16:03 The senior center program, please.
3:16:05 Okay, let's go ahead and call the roll, and we're going to call the Koyama Lane Canal 1A, which is—.
3:16:13 Yeah, we'll, um, we'll refer to it as Senior Center Project just to be super clear about what—.
3:16:19 Whatever is easiest for you. 3:16:20 Thank you, Keelan.
3:16:22 Um, okay, so moved by Koyama Lane, seconded by Kanal. 3:16:26 Koyama Lane?
3:16:50 The amendment fails with a vote of 6 ayes and 6 nos.
3:16:55 Okay, and to the, uh, what is the second?
3:16:58 The International Relations Program.
3:17:00 The International Relations Okay.
3:17:05 Murillo? 3:17:06 Aye.
3:17:25 The amendment fails with a vote of 6 ayes and 6 nos.
3:17:29 And to the last part, please.
3:17:31 Koyama Lane. 3:17:32 Oh, sorry, this is for the—.
3:17:35 Thanks. 3:17:38 Murillo. 3:17:39 Aye.
3:17:48 Y'all are being very strange.
3:18:03 The amendment fails with a vote of 6 ayes and 6 nos.
3:18:06 Okay, colleagues, the time is now 9:13. 3:18:08 We do have time tomorrow afternoon as a part of our recessed meeting to continue debate of the underlying at this point. 3:18:15 Oh, uh, Councilor Knoll, I'm sorry.
3:18:18 Uh, it, it's the I just wanted to clarify, uh, because I had a little bit of a difficulty hearing, um, City Administrator Lee, that the request did actually come from the administration on that ceasefire position. 3:18:30 Um, but correct, we move now, but I'd still love confirmation just so I could hear it. 3:18:35 Correct. 3:18:37 Thank you.
3:18:37 Thank you very much. 3:18:38 Okay, colleagues, is there— I just gut check at this exact moment— is there, uh, interest among the members here to have further discussion of the underlying amended Ordinance or as a body, or should we at this point move this to second reading? 3:18:53 If there is additional interest in having further debate, we can move it to a recessed meeting tomorrow.
3:19:00 So we've now made it through the amendments, and the question is, do we— is there more debate to the underlying that would warrant a recessed meeting additionally hearing this tomorrow afternoon, or have councilors felt as though they've discussed everything and we can move it to a second reading next week? 3:19:16 And so that is the open question to colleagues. 3:19:18 I'm going to feel free to get in the queue. 3:19:21 Councilor Kanal.
3:19:22 Well, point of information, are you—.
3:19:25 Hold on, point of information. 3:19:25 Are we in the queue to answer that question?
3:19:28 Specifically that question right this second, yeah. 3:19:29 I'm getting a quick gut check from folks to figure out what my next immediate decision is. 3:19:34 So Councilor Kanal, thank you.
3:19:36 Thank you, Council President. 3:19:37 I do think it's worth debating it further. 3:19:39 I'd like to ask that it be done, put on next week's agenda.
3:19:44 Okay. 3:19:45 And just to be clear, we will actually be able to continue this to tomorrow afternoon's recessed meeting.
3:19:50 Yeah, I'm aware we could.
3:19:54 Just to be clear. 3:19:54 Okay. 3:19:54 Thank you. 3:19:55 Councilor Pirtle-Guiney.
3:19:57 Council President, I think that there's likely a need for folks to say their piece about this, but I don't know that there's significantly more debate. 3:20:06 I would ask that we continue to the I would ask that you move it to second reading, but do so with the understanding that there will likely be comments at that second reading and schedule it with the appropriate amount of time for that.
3:20:19 Absolutely. 3:20:20 Thank you, Councilor Pirtle-Guiney. 3:20:21 Councilor Morillo.
3:20:24 I think that tonight showed me that there are additional opportunities for compromise, and I have something that is not ready, but I would like to bring tomorrow. 3:20:35 So I would ask that we carry this over so that I can bring that forward because I think that there's something that would work. 3:20:43 And that's all I'll say on that.
3:20:47 Okay. 3:20:47 Thank you, Councilor Morillo. 3:20:48 Councilor Green.
3:20:50 Yeah, go ahead and carry it over.
3:20:52 We need to have, I think, some more discussion on these amended items. 3:20:56 Thanks.
3:20:56 Thank you. 3:20:57 Councilor Avalos.
3:20:58 I think it needs to be carried over to tomorrow. 3:21:00 I haven't even had a chance to make any kind arguments, and I think that by pressuring us to put it as second reading, that just makes any possible more compromise or amendments at risk, and I don't think it's worth it.
3:21:12 So I think we should continue tomorrow.
3:21:14 Thank you. 3:21:14 Councilor Clark.
3:21:15 Thank you, Council President. 3:21:17 I don't think anything changes. 3:21:18 I think we could do it tonight. 3:21:19 We just demonstrated 3/6/6 votes. 3:21:22 I, I think it's pretty clear.
3:21:25 And Councilor Nowak.
3:21:27 I agree with Councilor Clark.
3:21:28 Okay, colleagues, I'm going to make a judgment call and we are going to continue this item to tomorrow's afternoon schedule for further debate with a vote continued for the— still a second reading planned for the following week. 3:21:40 With that, we are recessing this meeting of the Portland City Council. 3:21:44 Thank you all very much.
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