2005 Year-in-Review
The Year-in-Review Interview
Guest AuthorDavid Zagel was a classmate of Sam's at Sam Case Elementary School in Newport, Oregon. Sam and he sat down over coffee last week to talk about the year. David works as a planner for Tri-Met. DAVID: Remember, I knew you before you were a big shot, when you were...
Posted by Guest Author on January 4, 2006
(2) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review
Investing in Artists
Jesse BeasonAs Sam points out, investing in the economic success of our local artists is more than buying public art. In recognizing that work/live space meets Portland's economic development and affordable housing goals, we began to meet with developers, non-profits and public agencies to figure out what were obstacles to work/live,...
Posted by Jesse Beason on January 4, 2006
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Housing
When Art Gets in the Way
Jesse BeasonWhen Sam toured Lake Oswego he saw numerous sculptures gracing the downtown area. Judy Hammersted, the mayor of Lake Oswego, told Sam about their rotating sculpture program. Sam decided to bring it to Portland. The program gives neighborhoods who have not benefited from the city’s Percent for Art program the...
Posted by Jesse Beason on January 4, 2006
(11) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Arts & Culture
Sam Fights Proposed Sellwood Wal-Mart
Roland ChlapowskiWhen Sam learned that a new Wal-Mart store was looking to set up shop near the Sellwood neighborhood and business district, his response was swift, strong and unambiguous: Wal-Mart is wrong for Portland, and especially bad for Sellwood, for a whole host of reasons. First, as a supporter of small...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on January 4, 2006
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Jobs & Economy
Minimizing Damage from Measure 37
Maria Thi MaiOregon voters passed Measure 37 in November, 2004 and shortly after Sam was sworn in, he was poised to take a close look at how the City would address claims. He introduced and Council passed an ordinance to establish a filing fee and create a private right of action and...
Posted by Maria Thi Mai on January 4, 2006
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Environmental Services, Livability & Environment
Sam to State Reps: "Schools are our Highest Priority"
Jane AmesSam made 7 trips to the state capital in Salem to lobby on the public school funding and other issues. He testified on behalf of the Mayor and City Council on April 14 before the Joint Ways and Means Committee about the importance of school funding. Sam asked that the...
Posted by Jane Ames on December 29, 2005
(2) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Education
Citywide Graffiti Clean-Up Program Saved
Sam AdamsThreatened with even deeper proposed cuts, Mayor Tom Potter and I successfully lobbied the City Council to keep $80,000 in one-time General Fund resources in the Fiscal Year 2005-05 to fund a citywide graffiti abatement program. Related Documents Adopted Budget, City of Portland, Oregon, Fiscal Year 2005-06, Volume One, Bureau...
Posted by Sam Adams on December 29, 2005
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Public Safety
Top 5 Chronic Problem Properties
Jane AmesIdentify and address chronic public safety, code enforcement and neighborhood livability issues on identified chronic nuisance and repeat crime-locations throughout the city: an idea brought to Council by Mayor Tom Potter and Commissioner Randy Leonard in November, 2005. In April, 2004, Sam proposed that the Police Bureau, other city agencies,...
Posted by Jane Ames on December 29, 2005
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Public Safety
CommissionerSam.com blogger suggestion leads to OLCC investigation
Jane AmesAn August 17, 2005 Willamette Week newspaper article reported a string of shootings outside a downtown nightclub. Mr. Rami Makaboul, the club manager, was reported to have included racist comments about where black citizens should and shouldn't recreate and he also indicated an OLCC (Oregon Liquor Control Commission) employee had...
Posted by Jane Ames on December 29, 2005
(2) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Equality
Sam Declines Salary Increase, Cites Budget Shortfalls
Brian RussellOn June 24, 2005, Sam requested that his salary be frozen as the city is facing general fund budget shortfalls. I do not believe it is appropriate for me to accept a pay increase given that the City of Portland has to cut an estimated $19 million from its General...
Posted by Brian Russell on December 29, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government
Proposed Business Fee Reduction Fails to Gain 3rd Vote on Council... Yet
Warren JimenezVisiting 100 businesses in his first 100 days in office re-enforced to Sam the need to enact a long-proposed reduction to the Business License Fee. Sam proposed increasing the owner's compensation from $57,000 to $125,000, which calculates to a $4.3 million tax relief package. This tax relief would have been...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 29, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Jobs & Economy
Sam Sides with Neighbors Against Proposed Big-Box Store
Brian RussellSam sided with local neighborhood activists and business owners who opposed anchoring the Burnside Bridge redevelopment project with a big box store, like Home Depot. Sam attended most community hearings on the project, lobbied PDC for more time for additional public input and met with PDC officials to discuss concerns...
Posted by Brian Russell on December 29, 2005
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Jobs & Economy
"What has the City Done for My Neighborhood lately?"
Mary Jo MarkleWe are getting screwed by City government! Why does downtown get its streets paved and we don't? We are being ignored. During visits to neighborhood and business associations over the past 14 years, Sam repeatedly hears questions and concerns about equity in how the city distributes resources among neighborhoods. As...
Posted by Mary Jo Markle on December 29, 2005
(2) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government
Pilot Program Gives Business District Associations Helping Hands
Mary Jo MarkleIn an effort to strengthen the connection between city government and the city’s business districts, Sam launched the pilot phase of a liaison program within his city bureaus on September 21, 2005. Eleven business districts were assigned an employee each from the Bureau of Environmental Services and the Portland Office...
Posted by Mary Jo Markle on December 29, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government
Not so Loud! Reducing Noise in NoPo
Maria Thi MaiSam, a Kenton Neighborhood resident, is no stranger to noise generated by Portland International Raceway (PIR). Following up on a campaign promise to address noise from PIR, we began delving into the world of noise early in 2005. Sam first had an opportunity to address PIR noise by restoring the...
Posted by Maria Thi Mai on December 29, 2005
(2) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Livability & Environment
'Team Sam' & PDC Help Thortex Inc. Grow Jobs
Warren JimenezThortex Inc., an orthopedic implant manufacture, started out in Clackamas with no interest in moving to Portland. Following up on a rumor that Thortex was looking to move to Clark County, Washington, Sam went to visit owners David and Kathy Walker. He drove them to potential sites in Portland, introduced...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 29, 2005
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Jobs & Economy
Citizen Review of Noisy Cargo flights Takes Off
Maria Thi MaiEarly in 2005, Fred Stovel, Erwin Bergman, and Robin Denberg asked us for help on addressing the long-standing issue of cargo airplane noise. Sam staffers Maria Thi Mai and Gordon Johnston brought together a group of citizens which in tandem with the Port of Portland became known as the Air...
Posted by Maria Thi Mai on December 29, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Livability & Environment, North Portland, Northeast Portland
Dumpsters on Your Sidewalk?
Mary Jo MarkleAfter years of receiving complaints from citizens about dumpsters on city sidewalks, Michael Mills, the City's Ombudsman, approached Sam and Commissioner Dan Saltzman about forming a task force to evaluate the issue. On September 29, 2005, Council passed a resolution establishing the task force of public and private interests. The...
Posted by Mary Jo Markle on December 29, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government
"Take Your Valuables With You" automobile crime prevention campaign approved
Jane AmesAlthough downtown Portland has become safer over the last few years, we can and must do more to make it even safer. One strategic area is reduction of car break-ins. Downtown Neighborhood Response Team Officer, Jeff Myers, has learned from experience that the most effective message we can convey is...
Posted by Jane Ames on December 29, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Public Safety
Stalled Lents Town Center Plan gets boost from recruitment of Assurety Northwest Inc. as Cornerstone Tenant
Warren JimenezOne of the most exciting business recruitment, expansion and retention efforts this past year has been recruiting Assurety Northwest to locate in the Lents neighborhood of SE Portland. In March, Sam and I met with Assurety to discuss this option. They were reluctant because of Portland's reputation for being bad...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 29, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Jobs & Economy
Tougher Oversight of City contract disputes
Mary Jo MarkleConcerned about the complaints he heard from subcontractors - especially woman and minority-owned firms - about city general contractors, Sam worked to enable the City Ombudsman to review contract disputes. On May 17, Council unanimously passed a resolution requiring all city contractors who hire subcontractors to have established contract dispute...
Posted by Mary Jo Markle on December 29, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government
Spotlight on Portland's working poor: 100 Hours working at Portland's most commom, lowest paying jobs
Warren JimenezFollowing Sam's 100 business visits in his first 100 days in office, Sam wanted to shine the spotlight on Portland's working poor. He decided to work 100 hours at Portland’s most common and lowest paying jobs to learn what the city can do to create more family-wage jobs. Sam has...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 29, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 100 Hours, 2005 Year-in-Review
Faster Cleanup with the River Trust
Brian RussellThe Willamette River is not being cleaned up fast enough. In 2002, while working for Mayor Vera Katz, Sam had the idea to create the Portland River Trust to speed the federal permitting process required for river and riverbank cleanup projects. Before creating the Trust, clean up projects had to...
Posted by Brian Russell on December 29, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Livability & Environment
Citing US Patriot Act provisions, Sam votes to withdraw City from the Joint Terrorism Task Force
Jane AmesIn early January, 2005 the new City Council faced the decision of whether or not to withdraw from the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). Two Portland Police Officers had been assigned to the JTTF since 1997, and while Council had renewed participation in 2003, Sam had serious reservations about...
Posted by Jane Ames on December 26, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Public Safety
Equality, Please: Lobbying for Civil Unions
Jesse BeasonElection Day 2004 was bittersweet for many of us. While Sam had managed an astounding come back in the campaign to win a seat on Portland's City Council, Oregonian's resoundingly voted discrimination into our state's constitution with the passage of Constitutional Amendment 36. Sam vowed to continue advocating for a...
Posted by Jesse Beason on December 20, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Equality
Funding the arts is everyone's business
Jesse BeasonAs Portland's Arts and Culture Commissioner, Sam is steadfast in his belief that a vibrant city has a vibrant arts and culture community. Over the past year, we have continued to advocate for public and private support of this community and pledged to make this a larger issue in our...
Posted by Jesse Beason on December 20, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Arts & Culture
From Homelessness to Affordable Housing
Jesse BeasonTo meet the growing demand for affordable housing in Portland, the City has continued to invest in community development corporations and other organizations providing affordable housing and implementing the City's 10 year plan to end homelessness. During the 2005-06 budget cycle, Commissioner Sten and Sam advocated for allocating budget savings...
Posted by Jesse Beason on December 20, 2005
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Housing
100 Businesses in 100 Days
Warren Jimenez100 business visits in Sam's first 100 days in office... actually it was 114 businesses. The first day Sam took office, he started this effort by visiting OHSU. From small to big businesses, Sam and I spent nearly an hour at each visit getting to know the vibrant local business...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 20, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 100 Businesses, 2005 Year-in-Review
Creating the Higher Education Liaison
Jane AmesPortland's post-secondary research and education institutions are the foundation of Portland's economic health. As a candidate, Sam regularly noted the economic importance of higher education and encouraged the City to build a closer relationship with higher education. As commissioner, Sam assumed a new responsibilty: Higher Education Advocate. In this role,...
Posted by Jane Ames on December 19, 2005
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Education
Fiscal Responsibility: Fire and Police Disability and Retirement system
Mary Jo MarkleThe Portland Fire and Police Disability and Retirement (FPDR) system costs have been a growing concern for Portland. The system has an unfunded liability of over $1.5 billion. Sam co-sponsored a Council resolution that created a nine-person independent review committee to analyze the FPDR system, explore potential options and make...
Posted by Mary Jo Markle on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government
Launched Innovative Travel Options Program
Roland ChlapowskiMost people will acknowledge that if more people walked, bicycled, and took public transit, we would have a more physically fit, environmentally friendly transportation system with a lot less gridlock and congestion than we see today. Well, why don't more people choose these transportation options? One reason is that people...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
(4) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
Walk This Way
Roland ChlapowskiWhen people decide to walk, they do more than choose a mode of transportation. They increase their own health, their neighborhoods and communities, and the environment. Because Sam believes so strongly that walking has immense benefits for the city, he has funded many pedestrian-oriented improvements, including: $1.4 million for preliminary...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
Bike? You'll Like It
Roland ChlapowskiSam believes Bicycles will become an increasingly important transportation as years go on, with high fuel prices, increasing congestion, and bigger environmental costs begin to weigh on communities. Being ahead of the curve means planning for the future... and investing in it. Sam sought and received federal funds for these...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
Safe Freight is Great
Roland ChlapowskiFreight, and the shipment of goods and services more generally, is essential to any healthy economy and Portland is no exception. In fact, Portland's economy is even more dependent on freight, shipping, and transportation activities than most other cities. It was largely because of transportation's huge impact on the economy...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
More $ for Transit
Roland ChlapowskiSam actively campaigned to be transportation commissioner because of the far-reaching impacts our transportation choices have on our quality of life. Sam wants Portlanders to have an array of transportation choices, all of which should be safe, predictable and reliable. Through Sam's participation in Metro’s regional transportation process, and his...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
(3) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
The Safety First! Summit
Roland ChlapowskiAs the Commissioner-in-charge of Portland's transportation system, Sam makes safety his first priority. After a number of hit-and-run accidents involving cars and pedestrians/bicyclists, Sam convened a Transportation Safety Summit to bring together transportation experts, public safety officers, community activists, transportation advocates, and concerned community members. This event began a great...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
$ for Public Skateboard Parks
Tom MillerNearly every town today provides public skateboard parks - except Portland. At right is the world-class public skateboard park in Donald, Oregon, population 750. At Sam's urging, City Council directed a total of $248,000 to two public skateboard park projects. One is in Pier Park, St. Johns, the other in...
Posted by Tom Miller on December 19, 2005
(9) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Livability & Environment
Citizens Gain Place in City Budget Decision-Making
Mary Jo MarkleDue to a state law prohibiting citizen participation on Portland’s budget committee, the public has always lacked a direct role in shaping the city’s budget. Realizing the experience and expertise Portland citizens could offer the city’s budget process, Sam led the initiative to amend the appropriate State statute, this past...
Posted by Mary Jo Markle on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government
Extra Scrutiny for Big Transportation Projects
Roland ChlapowskiCitizens rightly expect their commissioners to manage taxpayer dollars in a fiscally appropriate manner. When Sam was assigned the Office of Transportation, he inherited two very big projects that demanded extreme prudence: construction of the aerial tram and the proposed Burnside/Couch couplet. With respect to the tram and its expansive...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
Audit of City's Police Review Process Funded
Sam AdamsFulfilling a campaign promise, City Commissioner Erik Sten and I proposed $60,000 in one-time funding for an outside review of the City Auditor’s Independent Police Review (IPR) Division. In an effort to improve police accountability to the public, the Portland City Council four years ago passed an ordinance creating the...
Posted by Sam Adams on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Public Safety
Own Your Equity: The Lease-to-Own Initiative
Warren JimenezIn the Portland Metro Area, more than 95% of all firms are small businesses. In Multnomah County alone there are 20,654 small businesses that employ 125,032 people with a payroll of $1.1 billion. Of these, almost 13,000 - or more than half - are micro-enterprises with 5 employees or fewer....
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Jobs & Economy
Saving a Cultural Hub
Jesse BeasonThe Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC) has been highlighting Portland’s diversity in the arts for nearly 25 years. This year, however, in the course of 4 months, IFCC was without its Executive Director, its entire staff, and its board. Sam decided that we could not just let the center close....
Posted by Jesse Beason on December 19, 2005
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Arts & Culture
Put Portland on the Path to Platinum
Roland ChlapowskiBicycling Magazine ranks Portland the nation's most bicycle friendly city. However, much work remains to get more people comfortable with riding their bikes in the city. So, to increase ridership through safety, Sam is working to make Portland the first major city in the country to achieve Platinum level bicycle-friendly...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
Dashboard: What Exactly is Economic Success?
Warren JimenezHow should we define economic success for Portland and the region? This is the central question posed to business, labor and government as part of the “Portland Area Economic Dashboard” project launched by Sam Adams and local economists. “Hard to believe, we have never set actual goals for business success...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Jobs & Economy
New Neighborhood Grants Program Funded
Sam AdamsIn the FY 2005-06 Requested Budget, the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) proposed cuts to neighborhood mediation, graffiti abatement and seniors service programs. Working with Commissioner Erik Sten we rejected these proposed cuts to key community services. Instead, we trimmed the ONI's central administration to create a $500,000 Community Investment...
Posted by Sam Adams on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government
Weighing Equal Benefits
Jesse BeasonEverybody should be treated equally, period. Ensuring equal treatment, however, can be complex. Consider, for instance, that the City of Portland has policies against discrimination in employment on the basis of, among other things, marital status and sexual orientation. However, contractors who do work with the City currently can treat...
Posted by Jesse Beason on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Equality
Boulevards for Bicycles
Roland ChlapowskiSome fear riding a bicycle on the city's arterial roads because too much automobile traffic can make them feel unsafe. Along with Portland's Office of Transportation staff, Sam is implementing a program to establish a network of bicycle boulevards. This bicycle boulevard network guides cyclists on residential neighborhood streets with...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
Worksystems, Inc. Makes Changes
Warren JimenezWorksystems, Inc. (WSI) is a nonprofit organization that connects job seekers with employers by funding career placement and training services. WSI is staff to the local Workforce Investment Board for Oregon Region 2. The region consists of the City of Portland, Multnomah and Washington Counties. Sam is the local elected...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Jobs & Economy, Workforce
PDOT's $1 Million Proposed Cut to Street Maintenance Rejected: $1 Million Added Instead
Sam AdamsAs part of their Fiscal year 2005-2006 budget request, the Portland Office of Transportation (PDOT) proposed cutting $1 million from the fund that pays for street and road maintenance. The City of Portland has a 12,000 block backlog in street maintenance. Working with Commissioner Erik Sten, we proposed denial of...
Posted by Sam Adams on December 19, 2005
(1) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
Initiated 'Sharrows' Pilot Program
Roland ChlapowskiAs the Commissioner-in-charge of Portland's transportation infrastructure, one of Sam's priorities is filling in gaps that exist in the city's network of bicycle-friendly corridors. In some areas, it isn't feasible to put in bicycle lanes due to space constraints or other site-specific reasons. What did we do to solve this...
Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
Citizens' Advocate
gjohnstonA Citizens’ Advocate is one of the best friends you have in City Hall. If you have a city-related problem with anything or anyone, I’m ready to help you to resolve your issues. Sam created my position to make sure no one is overlooked or forgotten. I work to guarantee...
Posted by gjohnston on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government
Be Green & Keep Green (in your pocket)
Brian RussellIn 1999 and 2000, reforms of the billing system for Portland's water, sewer, and stormwater charges were proposed and passed by City Council. Over 5 years later, the changes were still not implemented. Sam, as the new Environmental Services Commissioner, proposed a plan for implementing residential and commercial stormwater discounts...
Posted by Brian Russell on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Environmental Services, Livability & Environment
Disclosing City Lobbying
Mary Jo MarkleFor 12 years as a staffer and chief-of-staff in the Mayor's office, Sam witnessed instances where the public would have benefited from knowing what was happening behind the scenes. As a candidate, he pledged to disclose that lobbying to the public. After a year of shaping the lobbying regulation draft...
Posted by Mary Jo Markle on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government
Business Association Grant Program Expansion
Warren JimenezOur small and neighborhood business associations are a vital part of the Portland’s business culture. Although the city has made a small investment in our business district through the APNBA Grant Program, Sam wanted to increase their opportunity to expand on their past success. We increased this program by $100,00...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Jobs & Economy
Central City Sidewalk Scrubbing and Street Cleaning Spared the City Budget Axe
Sam AdamsAs part of their Fiscal Year 2005-2006 budget request, the Portland Office of Transportation (PDOT) proposed a signifcant reduction in downtown sidewalk scrubbing and street cleaning services with a proposed cut of $767,000. Working with Commissioner Erik Sten, we proposed denial of PDOT’s request and funding was continued. Related Documents...
Posted by Sam Adams on December 19, 2005
(0) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Jobs & Economy