I was fully prepared this morning to write what was clearly going to be the most boring Hall Monitor column EVER. (More boring, even, than anything that Scott Moore ever wrote. Kidding! Miss ya, Scott.) I mean, check this out: I was going to write about Auditor Gary Blackmer’s move to enshrine the city ombudsman’s […]
City Hall
Posted inCity Hall
Mayor Tom Potter Jumps Into the Randy v. Rosie Spat
Mayor Tom Potter may be on vacation, but he still found time to file an editorial with the Oregonian, expressing his support for Police Chief Rosie Sizer. As you may recall, mayor-elect Sam Adams has asked Commissioner Randy Leonard to review the police department and the city’s entire public safety system. In the process, Sizer […]
Posted inPortland
Whatever Happened to Renaming 42nd Avenue?
Remember late last year, when a group of folks wanted to rename a street in Portland for one of their heroes? No, I’m not talking about the Cesar Chavez effort. I’m talking about the move to rename 42nd Avenue for Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In early January, Aaron Duran of […]
Posted inCity Hall
Developers Essentially Steal From the City, Screw the Poor
Last week, City Auditor Gary Blackmer released the report of a months-long investigation done on the PDC and Bureau of Planning’s policies surrounding tax breaks given to developers who build affordable housing. The report is serious. It points out the poor follow-up process that has resulted in some developers snagging tax breaks by promising to […]
Posted inCity Hall
Dog Treats for Police Chief Rosie Sizer…
…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,” […]
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) […]