CommissionerSam.com blogs

Help Wanted: PDC Commissioner

Sam Adams — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:31:07 -0700

Dear Friends,

We must come together as a region like never before -- citizens, labor, business, education and government -- to out-innovate, out-smart and out-produce our global economic competition.

Thousands of Portlanders are counting on us to succeed.

Over 21% of working Portlanders struggle to make ends meet at near-poverty wages, while thousands more are unemployed.
Many area businesses struggle with fewer customers, tougher global competition and anemic access to working capitol.

Increasing the number of living-wage jobs will most readily come from helping to improve the success of our area businesses.

To meet this challenge I will be joining with others to revamp our region's economic development and job creation efforts while furthering the specific priorities I laid out in the Job Plan.

In the short term, in the past three months, we've successfully adopted 13 of the 15 budget-related items as part of our Strategies to Keep Portland's Economy Working through the uncertain times upon us, including:

Expanding Small Business Loan and Technical Assistance Programs
Promoting Local Retail Activity in the Downtown and Neighborhood Business Districts
Establishing a Homeless Employment Program and a Rainy Day Fund

I welcome your comments on the Job Plan and the Strategies to Keep Portland's Economy Working.

Over the next four years the Portland Development Commission will play a critical role in making this transformation happen.

As Mayor-Elect, I am grateful that Mayor Tom Potter has invited me to consult with him in the nomination of appointees to the Portland Development Commission's Board of Commissioners as one of the first steps in our joint transition plan.

That's where I'd like your input. I am casting a wide net in looking for potential nominees to serve in a volunteer capacity on PDC's Board. For the full position announcement click here.

A note: Serving on the PDC Board carries with it significant time requirements in terms of meeting attendance, meeting preparation and public outreach responsibilities. It also requires extensive knowledge or experience in PDC's scope of mission.

If you are not interested or not able to apply for nomination to the PDC Board, please forward this email to others who might.

I look forward to your thoughts and your nominations.

Sincerely,

Sam

A Creek Runs Through It

The Office — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:45:07 -0700

Now that the non-native species have been removed, the Sylvan Area Natural Park is ready for some locals. PCC Sylvania students and teachers uncovered the hidden treasures of this park by removing invasive plants over the last several years. Enjoy the creek that runs through it and a new interpretive sign while showing some support for the volunteers who are continuing to work to restore natuarl areas.

The greenspace will be shown on an upcoming tour by one of its most esteemed admirers. This Saturday, June 28 at 10 a.m., meet PCC biology teacher April Fong for a public introduction to the park near taped-off Parking Lot 10 at PCC Sylvania (Parking Lot 10 is the most northeastern parking lot on campus).

This guided walk is free and appropriate for adults and families. No pre-registration is necessary. Call Sue at 503-823-6303 for more information.

PCC Sylvania

12000 SW 49th Ave.

Portland, OR 97219

Saturday, June 28 at 10 a.m

Parking Lot 10

July 3rd at City Hall--Municipal Manuevers Art Show

Pollyanne Birge — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:50:33 -0700

Municipal Maneuvers Art Shows

July 3rd 5:00-7:00pm

City Hall 1221 SW 4th

FREE and Open to the Public

Come join us for this unique art show focused on the City's Municipalities and Community Development. This event is a collaboration with PSU's Art of Social Practice class, Northwest Down Syndrome Association, and Port City Development. A great combination of photos, paintings, drawings and mutlimedia--this event will be a fun way to start the holiday weekend!

Portland City Hall will partner with the Northwest Downs Syndrome Association to host the All Born "In" traveling photo gallery of 6-foot tall banners showing beautiful images of individuals with disabilities photographed with peers and family members.

We are also partnering with Port City Development to show work from artists employed at their facilities.

We are also excited to have folks from the Muddy Boots Organic Festival on hand to tell you more about their upcoming event September 6-7th!

The Future of Live/Work for Artists in Portland: A Conversation

Jesse Beason — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:07:30 -0700

Milepost 5 is hosting a panel discussion on the call for affordable live/work spaces for artists and creatives in Portland. The discussion will focus on projects currently in the works and the challenges involved in meeting this need throughout Portland.

The panel includes several developers involved in creating live/work opportunities, artists who are currently in live/work situations, artists who have had experience with live/work situations and Sam who has been a supporter and advocate for developing practical and affordable live/work spaces.

Artists interested in the topic are encouraged to join the discussion.

Panelists include:

Brad Malsin, Beam Development, Milepost 5
Ben Kaiser, Project X
Brian Wannamaker, Falcon Artist Community
Sam Adams, Portland City Commissioner and Mayor Elect
TJ Norris, Artist
Jenene Nagy, Artist

Moderated by Gavin Shettler, Executive Director of the Portland Art Center and Creative Director of Milepost 5.

When: 7-8:30 pm Tuesday July 8, 2008

More info at www.milepostfive.com.

Tearing it up on Depaving Day

Guest Author — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:01:15 -0700

By Jenn Bildersee, BES

Depave at work

Bands played and concrete crumbled as the Towards Carfree Cities Conference kicked off last Monday with Depaving Day. With pry bars and shovels, 150 volunteers began the transformation of a 3000 square foot asphalt parking lot into a community greenspace.

The empty lot on the corner of N. Williams and Fargo Street is now on its way to becoming Fargo Gardens, a pilot project of the nonprofit Depave that will soon feature vegetables, fruit trees, native plants, and a patio. Depave’s mission is to inspire and promote the removal of unnecessary concrete and asphalt from urban areas.

In addition to providing a new community space, removal of the parking lot will reduce pollution and provide new bird and butterfly habitat. The completed site will also be used to educate the public about pavement removal and storm water management.

Two Bureau of Environmental Services programs helped to set the stage for Fargo Gardens. Planting materials, tools, rental equipment, and project coordination will be funded by a grant from the Community Watershed Stewardship Program, which supports community groups and citizens in their efforts to protect and enhance watersheds. The program recently won the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus Community Collaboration.

To ensure that there was no soil contamination on the soon-to-be garden, the Portland Brownfield Program provided environmental assessment.Commercial properties across the city receive support from the Portland Brownfield Program to assess and clean up contamination.

Now that the asphalt is gone, Fargo Gardens volunteers will begin site preparation and planting. Up-to-date information on progress and opportunities can be found at www.depave.org, and a video of Depaving Day is online at www.streetfilms.org.

Thousands Stroll, Spin at Sunday Parkways

Shoshanah Oppenheim — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:57:32 -0700

As many as 15,000 Portlanders and neighbors to the region said farewell to foul car fumes a route through North Portland streets at Sunday Parkways, an event where six miles of city streets were closed to vehicles. Walkers, cyclists, joggers, and skaters all came out to enjoy the summer sun. Families were out too, free to enjoy some exercise with their little ones without having to worry about traffic.

Dance groups, DJs, food vendors, pick-up games, child health educators, and many more great activities and entertainers were dispersed throughout four local parks from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Sponsors and grants covered the cost of increased police supervision and intersection regulation. Many of those enjoying themselves at Sunday Parkways expressed optimism that there will be more events for their communities to get together in the future.

Media Mentions:

Oregonian June 23, 2008

BES Water Treatment Plant Taps into its own Renewable Energy

Lisa Libby — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:26:11 -0700

Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment PlantEveryday Portland's Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant produces over one million cubic feet of biogas, a natural by-product of the sewage treatment process. Now, the City of Portland can use more than two thirds of that biogas as fuel to generate electricity and heat for the treatment plant operations.

The city dedicated two of the plant's generators to biogas, which will generate 1.7 megawatts of electricity per day - enough to power 1,000 homes! That much electricity will supply about half of the treatment plant's daily energy needs. By reducing the amount of electricity the plant purchases, the city is able to recover the project costs in 12 to 15 years.

Most of the funding for the $8 million project comes from sewer user fees collected by Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services. Energy Trust of Oregon is also providing the city with a $362,000 cash incentive to offset project costs. The city will also use the Oregon Business Energy Tax Credit program to offset about 25% of the project costs.

At peak capacity, the co-generation facility will use about 70% of the treatment plant's daily production of biogas. Which means the facility will generate enough power to reduce the plant's annual electric bill by about 40%.

Making Division Street a Main Street for Southeast

Shoshanah Oppenheim — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:58:12 -0700

Division Street Storefront: Open for BusinesssA new phase is beginning in the life of one of Southeast Portland's most storied streets. The Green Street / Main Street Project will continue to examine ways of increasing the livability and economic vitality of the SE Division corridor. Between SE Sixth and SE 39th Avenues, a consortium made up of interests from the Office of Transportation, the Bureau of Planning, private industry, and members of the community. This grup will look at ways of improving the quality of Division Street itself, and of the surrounding neighborhood, in order to make it feel more like a main street, and not just another busy road.

Some of the significant benefits of the second phase of design include: repaving those sections of Division that are in disrepair, improved stormwater management and creation of green streetscapes, design development of the Seven Corners intersection, and looking at ways of better integrating Division with transportation choices made on nearby Clinton and Lincoln Streets.

Please attend the next public meeting:

Phase II Begins Kick-off Meeting
Thursday, June 26, 2008
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Carvlin Hall, St. Philip Neri Church
(SE 16th and Division)

Wanted: Environmental Staff Associate (Summer Internship)

Lisa Libby — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:16:49 -0700

As Sam's Environmental Policy Director, I work on initiatives aimed to improve watershed health. It's intriguing and complex work and I'm looking for someone intelligent, passionate and motivated to lend a hand.

Required:

Interest in local environmental issues
Strong writing, research, critical thinking skills
Ability to provide general office support, as needed
Flexibility, adaptability, and a decent sense of humor

Desired:
Background/experience in Urban Planning, Environmental Policy, Public Administration, Political Science, Sociology, or Urban Studies

Timeframe:
3 month duration

Please submit:

Cover Letter (1 page)
Resume
Writing Sample (5 page Max.)

Deadline: June 30th, 2008

This is a volunteer position.

~Lisa Libby
Senior Policy Director

lisa.libby@ci.portland.or.us
(503 823-4045
(503) 823-3017 (FAX)

1221 SW 4th Ave., Rm. 220
Portland, OR 97204

Go Paperless with PGE to Help Oregon Watersheds

Lisa Libby — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:07:57 -0700

Portland General Electric's new promotion, "Pick Paperless, Help Habitat" gives an extra boost to the environment when customers choose paperless billing.

Customers who opt to go "paperless" receive their bills through their e-mail addresses instead of receiving a hard copy bill in the mail. This saves paper, as well as the energy used to produce, transport and dispose of the paper.

To kick of this promotion, PGE is donating a total of $20,000 to four Oregon nonprofit groups that help with watershed protection and habitat restoration.

PGE customers will help determine the amount each organization receives by voting when they sign up for paperless billing from July 1 to August 15, 2008. The four organizations the donation will be divided among are:

Current paperless bill customers also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite organization by visiting the PGE website.

Art Spark Thursday June 19th--Musician's Union Local 99

Pollyanne Birge — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:56:45 -0700

Thursday, June 19th 5-7pm

.Living Room Theaters

SW 10th and Stark

http://www.portlandartspark.com/

Come mingle with Portland's Creatives and discuss the future of Arts & Culture in our region!

Art Spark Mission: A MONTHLY MINGLING OF ARTISTS OF ALL SORTS TO MEET, DISCUSS, BLATHER, APPLAUD & PLOT THE GROWTH OF ARTS IN PORTLAND.

This month's host is the Musician's Union Local 99 to talk about the newly formed, commercial-free, community radio station--FM 91.1.

JUNE Celebrates the Bike

Pollyanne Birge — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:22:55 -0700

Sunday Parkways June 22nd 8:00am-2:00pm

Buses, trains and 'alternative' forms of transportation have hit record numbers in Portland--most have been attributed to higher gas prices: Portland Tribune, The Oregonian, Portland Department of Transportation.

Click on the links below for more information about projects encouraging folks to save money and get exercise by walking, taking public transportation, or biking:

International Car Free Art Show

Tuesday June 17th 5-8:00pm

City Hall 1221 SW 4th

FREE and Open to the Public

JUNE is chock full of Bike events for the whole family...Check below for great community events celebrating the BIKE!

International Car Free Conference at PSU June 6th-the 20th

Breakfast on the Bridges June 13th, 20th, and 27th

SHIFT and Pedalpalooza

A Commitment to Sustainability

The Office — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:27:18 -0700

Sam and Commissioner Saltzman display the freshly signed "Commitment Statement"On Tuesday, June 10th, the Commissioners Dan Saltzman and Sam Adams welcomed community leaders to sign a commitment statement to create a Sustainability Center of Excellence to establish Portland and Oregon as the global leader in sustainability. This commitment statement has been embraced by leaders from the business, academic and nonprofit sectors, and sets in motion a process for working together to develop a large, multi-faceted center.

While individual momentum has propelled Portland forward, the Center will centralize diverse and innovative skills in a way that promotes cross-fertilization, collaborative decision-making and greater visibility in the national and international arena.

"To achieve the vision of being the world's best we all need to come together in one initiative. I believe our collaboration improves the scope, reach and probability of success for each of us," Sam offered the group in his opening remarks.

The City is working to find an interim space for the center, which could open as early as this fall. At the same time, a working group is being convened to determine the long-term location and programmatic development for the center. Recommendations will be made to the broader group in September.

More than 100 businesses, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations have expressed their support for this visionary approach, and many more are expected to join in their support as the center begins to take shape. These include Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Gerding Edlen Development, Oregon BEST, Portland State University, Multnomah County, Green Building Services, Lewis and Clark Law School, and the Association of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations.

To sign up your organization, please contact sustainable.portland@gmail.com

Community Watershed Stewardship Program wins National Carter Award!

Lisa Libby — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:17:08 -0700

Community Watershed Stewardship Program partners receive their award from Jimmy and Rosalynn CarterPortland is host to active and concerned citizens willing to take responsibility for bettering our environment. Last week Portland State University and the Bureau of Environmental Services were nationally recognized for fostering this spirit and harnessing the reigns of environmental stewardship efforts through the Community Watershed Stewardship Program.

On June 3, 2008, the program accepted the first ever National-Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus Community Collaboration for "best practices." Providing grants to citizen and community groups city-wide, the program has been reshaping our urban landscape one project at a time.

To learn more about the Community Watershed Stewardship Program check out a recent blog highlighting the 2008 award recipients or check out a program map showcasing over 100 project sites that have received funding throughout the city of Portland.

Sam Adams Welcomes Old Town Pizza to MLK

Kimberly Schneider — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:22:51 -0700

Old Town Pizza opened its second outpost at the Portland Development Commission-backed Vanport Square development on Thursday with a pizza dough toss that had Sam tossing dough with finesse. The new restaurant is located at 5201 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. one block north of N.E. Alberta Street.

Adams was among six community leaders who competed to toss pizza dough the highest in order to secure a charity donation of $500 made by Old Town Pizza to the winning contestant's charity of choice.

Prior to the dough toss contest, Sam congratulated Old Town Pizza on becoming the newest business along N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
"Vanport Square is here because neighborhood associations and community citizens collaborated to make it a reality," said Adams. "In opening here today, Old Town Pizza has made a commitment to residents and other business owners along MLK to do its part to renew and revitalize our city."

Vanport Square was started in 2001 when the Portland Development Commission selected developers Ray Leary and Jeana Wooley to convert the old Marco Manufacturing building and surrounding land into a commercial center.

When Adam Milne, owner of Old Town Pizza, first heard about Vanport Square he was immediately interested. So, when it was announced in the fall of 2004 that the conventional leased approach to filling the spaces was abandoned in favor of selling condominiums to businesses through low-interest loans offered by the Portland Family of Funds, Milne submitted his reservation to buy one of the largest units.

Old Town Pizza Vanport Square showcases the restaurant's philosophy of sustainability and environmental stewardship in many of the restaurant's design features - such as the weathered wood wall from an old Oregon barn, the giant beams from barracks that housed Italian immigrants at the San Pablo Fish & Wildlife Refuge, and the centerpiece chandelier that hung in the Portland Art Museum until a 1970s remodel.

Established in 1974 with the opening of its original landmark location in Old Town's Merchant Hotel building, Old Town Pizza is a Portland legend known for its incredible pizza, cozy atmosphere and bustling happy hours. Owner Adam Milne - a devoted Old Town Pizza customer since celebrating his ninth birthday at the restaurant - purchased Old Town Pizza from the original owners, the Accuardi family, in 2003. The second location, Old Town Pizza at Vanport Square, will open in June 2008. www.oldtownpizza.com