…and other highlights from the city’s second quarter lobbying reports: In April, police union head Robert King gave Sizer $35 worth of “Dog Treats and Chew Toy[s].” In May, the chief had a $10 breakfast with Portland Patrol Inc boss John Hren. Lots of politicos enjoyed the Rose Festival gratis, attending the “Queen’s Garden Party,” […]
City Hall
Posted inPolitics
Oh, Right. There’s Still an Election…
I caught two city council candidates–yep, people are still running for city council–at this weekend’s Division/Clinton Street Fair and parade. I tagged along with Amanda Fritz, hoping to catch a glimpse of candidate-voter interactions. But in a parade setting, not surprisingly, those are limited mostly to Fritz waving and shouting “hello!” “good morning!” and “I’m […]
Posted inPolitics
BREAKING: Safe, Sound and Green Streets Proposal Currently Dead
Commissioner Sam Adams’ Safe, Sound and Green Streets Executive Committee just wrapped up, and were nice enough to brief me as a committee. A press conference for one, as Adams put it. (Though the Oregonian’s city hall reporter did pop in later.) Long story short: Thanks to the economy, the proposal is currently dead. A […]
Posted inCity Hall
Stalking the Safe Sound and Green Streets Executive Committee
I’m hunkered down at the Mercury’s city hall bureau (AKA a wooden bench next to a power outlet in the hallway), waiting for Commissioner Sam Adams’ Safe Sound and Green Streets Executive Committee to finish up their 3 pm meeting. On the agenda? Well, technically I have no idea. It’s a closed meeting, and they […]
Posted inCity Hall
Just Another Wednesday at City Hall
Wow. Today at city hall was shaping up to be the Most Boring Day Ever®, with just five regular agenda items at the council meeting–the most discussed being one about an aborted contract to provide a new city computer system. Thankfully, it was also about the shortest meeting ever. After tumbling out of council chambers […]
Posted inPolitics
City’s Transportation Department Has Another $1 Million Shortfall
(UPDATE @ 4:45: Comment from Sam Adams at the bottom…) Back in May, Commissioner Sam Adams called a last minute press conference to break some bad news: Thanks to the rising cost of oil (then at a record $120 a barrel), people were buying less gas, and paying less gas tax, which meant the city’s […]
Posted inCops
City Council Tosses Half a Million Bucks at Police Overtime Problem
This morning, Police Chief Rosie Sizer hit up the city council for $510,776 to cover cop overtime. This is about “making hard choices,” Sizer says, as she tries to juggle a short staffed police force with things like cops’ vacation requests and “the visits that will occur with the fall election cycle,” i.e. providing security […]
Posted inPolitics
Columbia River Crossing Hearing at City Council
6:28 pm update: It’s unanimous. They all voted for it. 6:06 pm update: Time to discuss and vote, after the cut. —– 5:30 update: We’ve only got a few more folks on the public testimony list, then stay tuned for council deliberation and voting! That’s all after the cut. —– (Originally posted at 2 pm) […]
Posted inPolitics
Today at City Hall: Columbia River Crossing
I caught Commissioner Nick Fish heading into this morning’s city council session (during which the council will get an earful on the imminent eviction of Peterson’s convenience store–more on that later from Matt Davis, who’s here covering the pile of protesters, a surprising number of whom are gray-haired little old ladies). I’ve been trying to […]
Posted inPolitics
Columbia River Crossing Rumor of the Day: ODOT Bullying the Council?
With less than 24 hours to go before the council hearing on the Columbia River Crossing, the hot gossip around city hall is this: The Oregon Department of Transportation is threatening the city council. As in, vote for the CRC’s locally preferred option tomorrow, “or [ODOT] won’t fund anything else” in the city of Portland, […]
Posted inPolitics
Adams: ODOT Drafting a Letter that Gives City More Power Over CRC
Nothing like a call from Commissioner Sam Adams as you’re about to walk out the door. He clarified Commissioner Randy Leonard’s earlier news that the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) was drafting an amendment to Adams’ Columbia River Crossing resolution, which the council will vote on on Wednesday. “It won’t be an amendment,” says Adams. […]
Posted inPolitics
BREAKING: Commissioner Dan Saltzman ‘Strongly Considering’ Not Supporting Columbia River Crossing Proposal
Commissioner Sam Adams’ office is busy circulating the city council’s proposed resolution on the Columbia River Crossing, soliciting co-sponsors from the rest of the council before the 5 pm filing deadline. They won’t be getting Commissioner Dan Saltzman’s sponsorship. In fact, he’s “seriously considering” not supporting the resolution at all, according to his chief of […]