The last time the City of Portland met at the bargaining table with the Portland Police Association (PPA), Portlanders expressed their frustration with the city's closed-door negotiations with the rank-and-file police union by staging a protest that forced City Hall into lockdown.

Three years later, it seems Portland City Council is trying to get ahead of the expected public disappointment that could result from the next round of PPA contract negotiations.

Mayor Ted Wheeler has announced that in the coming months, he'll be holding two public meetings with Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty and city attorneys to brief Portlanders on the negotiation process, which is expected to kickoff in January 2020. The current PPA contract expires in June 2020. Members of the PPA will not be present at the meetings.

Attendees will be invited to share what they'd like to see included in the new contract, according to a Tuesday press release from Wheeler's office.

"The goal of the event is to educate the public about the collective bargaining process, to listen to their thoughts and concerns, and to gather their input to help ensure the contract best serves the interests and welfare of the public," the email reads.

Several groups have already made clear which areas of the PPA contract they'd like tweaked.

In September, members of Unite Oregon, the Portland chapters of the NAACP and Democratic Socialists of America, Portland Copwatch, and the Albina Ministerial Alliance held a press conference to announce their shared PPA contract priorities—including improvements to Portland's civilian police oversight system and stricter penalties for officers who use excessive force.

“We will not be able to change the number of police shootings until we change this contract,” said LeRoy Haynes, co-chair of the Albina Ministerial Alliance. “We will not be able to fully change the responsibility of holding officers accountable until we change this contract.”

That group of advocacy organizations intends to present their priorities to City Council before negotiations begin.

The city has already taken steps to educate the public—and city commissioners—on the coming contract talks. In October, City Council invited a pair of Black Lives Matter activists who have spent time researching problematic loopholes in police union contracts to present their findings at a public meeting.

Wheeler's upcoming "community conversations," however, will be the first time the public can speak their mind about the PPA contract.

The first meeting will be held on Monday, November 18 at 6 pm at Portland Community College's student union (Rooms 203 & 204, 5575 N Albina). The city hasn't announced the location of the next meeting, but has scheduled for December 16 at 6 pm.