Update, 1:34pm: Anna Griffin has a quickly-written column up on the subject: "Sometimes, when the mood strikes, city leaders chuck the process, declare an emergency and do whatever they want." "And our leaders wonder why nobody trusts government." Update, 4:28pm Also, KGW goes the extra mile and quotes the crazy dude, ah objectivity.
Update, 11:50am I'll be on Victoria Taft's show in 20 minutes, talking about this. Is Sam Adams turning me into a Republican?
Original post: Mayor Sam Adams has this morning requested just 15 minutes from council to discuss his plan to redirect $20million in funding from the Bureau of Environmental Services to kickstart his $600million Bicycle Master Plan. News reporter Sarah Mirk has been reporting extensively on the bike plan and on this latest plan to kickstart it. But Adams talked to Jim Redden at the Tribune earlier this week, and raised a significant issue in my mind.
On Tuesday Adams responded by releasing a matrix that he says shows BES has enough money to kick start the plan without delaying other projects. He says the bureau has saved millions of dollars in recent years because contractors are bidding lower than expected on projects, primary because the recession has increased competition for jobs.
By diverting those savings into paying for Green Streets swales to support the Master plan, Adams Tweets this morning, "Green Streets swales are cheaper alternative to burying bigger costly pipes to stop basement sewer backups."
It's a good job, because $12.4m that was scheduled for sewer maintenance is now going to building the drains. Still, here's the question, and I'm going to let Jack Bogdanski ask it:
They have suddenly found $20 million sloshing around, and so they can spend it on whatever they want, and it doesn't cost anybody anything.How about using the found money to cut city residents' outrageous sewer bills? Doesn't this new discovery mean that ratepayers have been overcharged $20 million for the projects currently in the bureau budget?
Also, are there any more millions of dollars lying around anywhere that we haven't been told about? God, I hate this. But Mayor Adams, you are driving me into the arms of commentators like Jack Bogdanski and Dave Lister. If we can suddenly afford $20million to fund bike projects, then why isn't there $20million to fund, say, mental health and addictions treatment? The decriminalization of mental illness in our city? As someone said to me the other day, "this is what happens when the mayor of a city is used to being completely unopposed on policy issues." And, well, I'm not sure I like it.
Don't get me wrong: We endorsed the mayor here because he promised to take Portland in this direction. It's just that now that I'm presented with the financial jiggery-pokery that's required to do this, it makes me uncomfortable—rather like when former City Commissioner Erik Sten allotted money from the Pearl District urban renewal district to fund a school out in East Portland. Right motivation, wrong method. And I'm surprised and disappointed that I haven't seen anyone in the bike community come out and ask the same questions. More on the vote shortly—read all about it after the jump.
I've been asking Bikeportland boss Jon Maus what he thinks of the way the funds are being found for the last few months.
"I simply haven't had time to address it.." he Tweeted this morning. "but i do have mixed feelings about how the funds are being found." Thanks to @hstwannabe for the Twitpic of our exchange:
He said that this would have a "three-fer" benefit of getting more people on bikes, reducing emissions, and reducing accidents.
Nick Fish asked whether the extra $30million would be addressed in the upcoming budget process. Adams said yes.
Fritz asked: "I'm wondering what would be the impact on rates if we chose to use these savings to decrease the rates?
"15.4million, impact on rates, one time, Andrew, we'll have to get back to you on that," said Adams.
"How much is the total maintenance backlog at BES?" asked Fritz.
"I think we also need to get the safety log that shows how many people are being killed and injured by delayed safety improvements on the streets," said Adams.
"What we're being asked to vote on here, are we've got a city policy adopted for grey to green streets, and a new policy for bikes," said Fritz. "The question is that if we've got these contract savings, what is the best allocation for them. I think you've made a good argument that this is the best use for it, but having that other discussion will make that case."
"I'm a firm supporter of this," said Transportation advocate Chris Smith. "I do want to sound one note of caution, and that is that in re-prioritizing BES' project list, we are changing the benefits that will come out of this process, and I think we need to be careful going forward that we are keeping the integrity of those projects as whole as possible."
"My initial reaction was to be a little hesitant, skeptical, concerned, perhaps, about funding going away from some of the green stuff, but I sort of think of this as a Rubix cube—meeting both BES and PBOT's objectives, was not easy to comprehend initially," said Mike Houck from the Urban Greenspaces Institute.
- HOUCK (LEFT) AND SMITH (CENTER)
"A little bit of a cautionary note: I want to congratulate Mayor Adams for his leadership on sustainability issues," said Bob Salinger with the Audobon Society. "But we're also talking about changing the way we do things."
"I do worry—these are savings—but I also know from the budget process that there are a lot of things that are still unfunded. The tree code, the river plan, even something like the invasive species coordinator position, are going to be very expensive and the money hasn't been found yet. We need to be thinking about what follows off on the other end. We need to be looking to expand the size of the pie."
"Your leadership has made this city a model for bicycle advocates and bioswale advocates alike," said Carl Larsen from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. "Portland is a leader, you are leaders, and I thank you for your leadership."
"I think Portland is at its best when it is making the most of its tax monies," he said.
"This is a public safety measure, and for people who commute regularly on bicycles, this won't only improve the ecology of the city, but it's safe," said City Commissioner Leonard. "This is really a bicycle safety thing more than anything else."
Fritz said it's important to "explain to citizens what exactly it is we're doing here and why." "This is a systems approach, and the importance of integrating different bureau's work. If we support the grey to green policy and the bikes policy, it makes sense to look at which streets are on the same plans and how we can achieve multiple objectives using ratepayers' money."
City Commissioner Nick Fish said "most of our best work is the result of collaboration between bureaus." "I think we're on the track, and this innovative collaboration and plan is likely to bear fruit."
City Commissioner Dan Saltzman thanked Adams, BES, and PBOT for working out "what I think is a smart investment strategy. My whole support of this was premised on the fact that there would be no impact on sewer rates. I wouldn't support this package if it was going to increase rates, and it won't. This is an opportunity for a smart investment strategy."
"I just want to make some responses to some of the things I've read in the press," said Adams. "No you can't use sewer dollars for mental health services. There is no alchemy anywhere that can make that kind of transformation."
"There are a variety of ways that you can describe this, depending on your point of view, but I like this project because it is balanced," he continued.