CommissionerSam.com - 2007 Year-in-Review

Council Votes Unanimously to Advance Improved Burnside-Couch Streetcar Couplet

Roland Chlapowski — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:56:44 -0800

Sam, who came into office in 2005, adopted many projects from predecessors, but most of them were straightforward, and only a few were contentious. The Burnside-Couch Couplet Plan was not straightforward, but it certainly was contentious.

The Burnside-Couch Couplet Plan was developed from a community process that began when it was clear that Burnside needed to be reconstructed. The street was so badly damaged that it needed to be rebuilt from the base up, and when such major, invasive work is planned, it often makes sense to look at larger fixes to achieve broader goals and cost savings. This is exactly what the community did.

The idea, to make both Burnside and Couch one-way streets (like the rest of the downtown grid) and split Burnside's traffic between them, was dramatic and that would inarguably be transformative for downtown Portland. It was whether the transformation was going to be positive or negative, was the question.

For supporters, it eased traffic congestion, allowed for more trees, supplied on street parking, widened sidewalks, provided for new park spaces, increased pedestrian safety, reduced traffic fatalities, improved travel times while reducing auto speed, reduced automobile emissions, and provided for a streetcar that promised high ridership from NW 23rd to E Burnside & E 12th in a corridor that could benefit from higher development.

For detractors, it meant that traffic would move onto streets where it hadn't been before. It was unnecessary. The streetcar was dangerous. It cost too much.

After slowing the project down, reevaluating the proposal and studying new alternatives, and finally weighing the pros and cons, Sam ended up slightly modifying the plan (adding a streetcar) and being its champion.

At the end of the day, after much news coverage and 6 hours of public testimony, Portland City Council unanimously approved moving forward with the preliminary engineering for the plan. It would come up with stronger cost estimates and address concerns of safety and funding strategies.

This process is currently underway, and will return to council for evaluation as early as January 2009.

Related Documents

Community Partners

Media Mentions

Our Blog

Welcome to our 2007 Year-in-Review

Sam Adams — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:09:18 -0800

Happy holidays, and welcome to our 2007 Year-In-Review.

This year may go down as the year of transportation funding. By now, I hope you know the story. The amount of resources we have available today for basic street maintenance and safety hasn’t changed in 24 years, despite inflation and significant cost increases.

The cost of transportation, it turns out, is just like everything else. It’s subject to market forces that require periodic adjustment of cost and funding.

After more than a year of study, public input, and refinement, an 89-person steering committee comprised of every transportation interest we could think of unanimously recommended our funding package to city council for a vote on January 9, 2008.

While we still await council’s formal vote, I am confident my colleagues will embrace this package. They understand the amount of public input and scrutiny it has received and the importance of this effort. Although it’s not a done deal until the votes are called, we can celebrate the herculean effort transportation staff, our steering committee members, and so many in the community have put into achieving this recommendation to council.

So transportation has absorbed a lot of time, but we’ve been earning other very significant accomplishments along the way.

Let’s start first with the environment.

The Bureau of Environmental Services’ Eastside Big Pipe project is progressing on schedule and budget. At the same time, we are moving the bureau to even more sustainable management practices.

We call this the “Grey to Green” transition. We manage stormwater as close to the source as possible using nature’s own tools (trees, bioswales, ecoroofs, etc.) instead of channeling it underground in concrete pipes for chemical treatment. This transition will take decades to fully execute throughout the city, but saves taxpayer dollars now and beyond in addition to providing aesthetic and other benefits.

As part of “Grey to Green” we adopted a Green Streets Policy this year, strengthened the Watershed Investment Fund, developed the award-winning Mt. Tabor School rain garden, and awarded a record amount of grant money for community-led sustainable stormwater projects.

All told, “Grey to Green” represents a fundamental change in how we do business and I’m proud of the work BES and my staff have done to get this going.

Of course, economic development remains a core priority for me—it always will.

We eliminated what was the nation’s only local tax on venture capital--the seed money startup companies need to test new ideas in the market. Frankly, it’s exactly the kind of capital that should not be taxed if you want to encourage job growth and productivity. Multnomah County followed suit by eliminating their tax as well.

When you elected me, I promised to establish liaisons from each of my bureaus to neighborhood business districts. I’ve kept my word and we’ve now expanded the liaison capacity to every neighborhood business district in the city. Serving a concierge-like role, our liaisons help navigate the city bureaucracy for busy small business owners so they can focus on their businesses. It reflects my belief that government should help, not hinder, economic development and I’m proud to say the program has been well-received in the neighborhoods.

Arts and culture are still under-funded in Portland, but we’re making headway. The most noteworthy accomplishment in 2007 was launching our Creative Capacity Strategy. More than ever before innovation is key to economic success, but it doesn’t happen on its own. Our challenge is to create a local environment that celebrates—and funds—creativity. This strategy is our blueprint for success.

If 2007 feels like it’s been only about transportation funding in my office, I can certainly understand. However, let the record reflect the broad range of important work we’ve accomplished on behalf of every Portlander.

The work doesn’t get done without the support of great staff in my office and in the bureaus as well as my fantastic colleagues on city council. Thanks to Mayor Tom Potter, City Commissioners Randy Leonard, Dan Saltzman, and Erik Sten. And most of all, thank you for your support.

More CASH for Portland

Jane Ames — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:06:25 -0800

CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) Oregon, in partnership with the City of Portland, has a year of growth and development. CASH Oregon helps CASH helpspeople receive the money that the IRS owes them. Many qualify for refunds, even if they owe no taxes. But people must file their tax returns to receive their refunds, either their Earned Income Tax Credits, federal tax refunds or other credits due them. In 2007, CASH Oregon and AARP Tax-Aide formalized their growing partnership to develop more capacity to serve our residents.

The results for our community have been good: CASH connected working families in Portland to over $440,000 in Earned Income Tax credits and over $1 million in federal tax refunds. And, with the help of dedicated volunteer tax preparers, CASH saved working families over $330,000 in tax preparation fees.

There are still an estimated 15,000 Portland residents who qualify for tax credits, but who are not filing returns and collecting the money they are owed. We will keep working with CASH, AARP, the IRS, and other partners who are determined to bring these substantial dollars home to our low-income families, and to our local economy.

Related Documents

CASH Oregon 2007 Tax Year Report

Community Partners

Our Blog

CASH Oregon has a Successful Tax Season

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Making Portland's Streets Safer

Roland Chlapowski — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:57:00 -0800

When it comes to our transportation system, safety is Sam's top priority. Because of one-time general funds that Sam led the charge on and secured at City Council, many important safety improvements and projects were implemented in 2007 to make driving, walking and bicycling safer throughout Portland.

This safety funding resulted in the top ten highest crash locations in the city being evaluated for safety improvement. Short-term improvements of better signs, more visible lane striping, and better signal operations have been implemented. Longer-term and larger-scale improvements are in development.

Six new red light cameras have been funded. These cameras will be placed at the locations with the most crashes caused by red light running. To date, one of the six cameras has been installed. The remaining five cameras have been designed and will be installed by April 2007.

In addition, 14 speed reader boards were purchased. These electronic boards inform motorists about how fast they are traveling and encourage them to slow if they are violating the speed limit. The 14 new boards will be permanently installed throughout the city in 2008.

School traffic safety also got a boost in 2007. Three school zones had flashing yellow beacons installed. There were numerous speed bump projects funded near schools and several pedestrian refuge islands and marked crosswalks were installed to help children cross the street. Three schools have had sidewalk infill projects to help children walk to school.

There were a number of bicycle safety improvements in 2007 that were funded with one-time funds. A new median island at the intersection of Rosa Parks Way and Willamette Blvd slows traffic on Willamette and provides much safer bicycle and pedestrian crossings. New green curb extensions were used to help cyclists cross the street or to reduce the amount of conflict between bikes and turning cars. New bike lanes were installed on SW Jefferson and SE Flavel. Neighborhood traffic calming was completed on SW Vermont. Plus, an innovative new double bicycle lane was installed on the westbound approach to the Hawthorne Bridge to more safely handle the huge number of cyclists crossing that bridge each morning.

Pedestrian safety was a major focus in 2007. Pedestrian refuge islands were built to help people cross multi-lane roads that are served by transit. The main street crosswalk project installed crosswalks at every intersection along six of the streets with the most walking in the city. These improvements are making pedestrians more visible and encouraging motorists to stop for pedestrians while they are crossing the street.

Safety will remain Sam's top priority for 2008. We look forward to reporting to you about all of the traffic safety improvements that will be implemented over the coming year.

Our Blog

Addressing Major Transportation Priorities, Sam Seeks One-Time Funds

Media Mentions

"Portland Office of Transportation tackles ped, bike safety." Daily Journal of Commerce, June 26, 2007

Nobody Rains on Our Parade!

Pollyanne Birge — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:00:17 -0800

This year's season of parade merriment was full of familiar faces and neighborhood fun! Starting in early spring we hit the streets handing out bike maps and enjoying the wonders of each unique neighborhood.

Here is the season's schedule:

Royal RosariansSt. John's Parade

What a fun way to kick off the season--with one of the longest running and best attended neighborhood parades! This parade is a fun mix of vintage cars, marching bands, and waiving Rose Princesses.

Sam as 2007 Pride Grand MarshallSam was so excited to have the honor of being the Grand Marshall in the 2007 Portland Pride Parade We had a great time passing out bike maps and waving to all the rainbow clad families! What a fun mix of people, music, art, and glitter!

Good in the NeighborhoodGood in the Neighborhood

This parade winds through parts of North and Northeast Portland ending it's route at a lively community fair! With great music, food, and craft the Good in the Neighborhood parade is a parade season highlight.

Mississippi Street Fair

The sixth annual Mississippi Street Fair was their biggest yet! This year they switched it up a bit by having a kid's only parade--so we passed out bike maps and water shed information out at the PDOT and BES booths!

Division Clinton Bicyclist

Division Clinton Street Parade and Fair

This parade has so many unique sights--from the St. Phillip Neri church to the Vintage Scooter Shop, to Stumptown Coffees--the route takes you around the sights and sounds of this uber hip and family friendly neighborhood.

Sam at Lents Founder's Day ParadeLents Founder's Day Parade

This parade in the heart of the outer SE area might be small but it packs in big fun! This event is a great combination of marching bands, mascots, family, and food.

Freemont Fest Bike Parade

Freemont Fest and Bike Parade

This street fair and spans the length of Freemont street and offers walker-bys great local arts and crafts, homemade treats, and a Kid's Bike Parade!

Veteran's Day ParadeVeteran's Day Parade

The last parade of our schedule--this was a celebration of our city's veterans of all generations. This parade is an interesting mix of decorated marchers, vintage cars, and well wishers--while this parade is in the rainy season, it acts as a bright spot at the end of our parade season.

Community Outreach and Special Events

Pollyanne Birge — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:55:57 -0800

Sam loves to venture out to the neighborhoods cultural and art events as well as hosting events right here at City Hall!

Here are just a few community and special events we have enjoyed this year:

Sam passing out bike maps at Bridge PedalBridge Pedal

Whether you are just waiting for your chance to ride your bike on the Freemont Bridge or be part of the sea of thousands of your bicycling neighbors, this event is sure to please. Sam and his staff were happy to hand to pass out bike maps and encourage the riders.

Sam at Foster Art WalkFoster Art Walk

Foster Avenue is making a name for itself as an art magnet--especially with the opening of such great local galleries, coffee shops, restaruants--even an independent comic book shop! Sam and his team stopped by to enjoy the great art and music in this up and coming SE cultural hub.

Sam Gets his First Tattoo!Portland Pirate Fest

The second annual Portland Pirate Fest brought out hundreds of families to Cathedral Park in St. John's. What a sight to see--tons of booths, great food, and most people clad in their swashbuckling outfits! Sam was on hand emceeing part of the event and talking about clean watersheds and a healthy Willamette River.

Divine Inspiration by Antoinette MyersART UP--Look Up Project

We were so excited to be working with this local non-profit who works with teens to paint portraits of local women leaders of color. We honored two of the women featured in the art work--Senators Margaret Carter and Avel Gordly. This event was a lively multi-generational affair--with many of the featured women attending along side the artists who painted their image.

Sam emcees Junk to Funk 2007Junk to Funk

Sam "glam" Adams was again the emcee for the second annual Junk to Funk 'Trashion' Show. A visual quandry, this unique event highlights the great 'recycled' designers thinking of innovative ways to "wear" their trash!

This event is is part fashion show, part public service announcement: incredible, wearable art pieces as well as environmental factoids and tips.

Summer Shows on the City Hall Lawn

Pollyanne Birge — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:43:08 -0800

PDX Pop Now!

Summer Shows on the City Hall Lawn

Our second annual Summer Show Series was a rousing success! More than 800 people pulled up a piece of lawn and enjoyed locally grown music--right on the steps of City Hall!

We were lucky to work closely with two local music festivals to help put the shows together. In July, we worked with PDX POP NOW!, a local non-profit music fest focused on creating all age shows making music more accessible for younger people. Click to read the Willamette Week coverage and you can view photos of the show here.

Music Fest NWWe rocked August when we worked with Music Fest Northwest who pulled together great local bands--both established and emerging. This unique show was an interesting mix of Portland's Rock Royalty--ala the Pierced Arrows--and new Punk upstarts--the Shaky Hands.

Thanks again to PDX POP NOW! and Music Fest Northwest and Willamette Week to help create great opportunities for Portlanders to enjoy free local music--in a context that was both surprising and interesting for the audience.

Downtown Retail Advocate Keeping City's Core Vibrant

Kimberly Schneider — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:11:28 -0800

With the Mall expansion project on its way, three organizations came together to create the "Downtown Retail Advocate" position. Sam, the Portland Development Commission (PDC) and the Portland Business Alliance (the Alliance) understood the strong correlation between retail and overall downtown health when creating this single go-to source for retailers.

Retail directly impacts the downtown's street level and is the bell weather for overall downtown success. Furthermore, a healthy downtown drives the rest of the regional economy as downtown businesses employee nearly 85,000 people.

The Downtown Portland Retail Strategy Update, a plan developed by public and private sector partners, also called for a focus on retail recruitment and retention. Sam, the PDC and the Alliance saw this position - now Allyson Reed's -- as a way to help move the strategy forward and strengthen downtown as a retail destination.

According to Reed, "Downtown Portland is at the cusp of a great renaissance. We have new retailers such as Brooks Brothers opening, local retailers such as Michael Allen expanding their space, and long-time retailers such as Kathleen's of Dublin and Carl Greve relocating and staying downtown. The new Macy's store and the upcoming The Nines hotel will also be a fabulous anchor for downtown."

Much of this activity stems from the investment the local and state government have made in transportation, street improvements and assistance to retailers, and also by people's desire to live, work and play downtown. The Mall Expansion project, connecting downtown to outlying areas, will only increase downtown's accessibility and demonstrate to prospective retailers that access to downtown is convenient and easy.

Community Partners

Media Mentions

City Hall 1st Thursday 2007

Pollyanne Birge — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:02:33 -0800

Our third year of hosting the 1st Thursdays Art Shows was full of local creative talent and brought over 4000 people into City Hall! These informal, fun events provide a great opportunity to see local art work while encouraging community members to learn more about their city government.

Bottoms Up

JANUARY--From the Bottoms Up: Voices and Vision: A Gulf Coast Visual Arts Perspective

We kicked off the year focused on issues and art beyond our region. From the Bottoms Up--is a a local non-profit that focuses on the intersections of art and sustainable building practices in Portland and the New Orleans area. Voices and Vision: A Gulf Coast Visual Arts Perspective is a visual arts exhibit to benefit a multimedia project positioned to extend green building initiatives from the NW region to the Gulf Coast. Read more about the show: Portland Tribune

Henry Frison--Rosa Parks

FEBRUARY--'Generations': Black Heritage Art Show at City Hall. The second annual Black Heritage Art Show combined visual art and performance to create an event focused on the strong multi-generational fabric of local artists and leaders.

This event was both art show and craft fair and many local vendors came to sell their art pieces. Special performance by the No Kidding Choir and Bobby Fouther and sculptural art by 7th & 8th graders at Ockley Green Magnet School

City Council was also proud to honor two deserved local leaders Kenneth Berry from the World Arts Foundation Inc and Brent Stewart from United Way. Read the Skanner coverage.

Minature Masks--Lillian PittMARCH-A Celebration of Survival: Personal Histories of Genocide

Tragedy, loss, and grief are all outcomes of war and political instability, but this show deliberately focused on the survival of the cultures and people who suffer from genocide. A collaboration with the Portland Awareness Genocide Coalition who says the purpose of the event was: "To remember our history, to speak out our truth, and TO PREVENT THOSE ACTS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE."

Colleen CooverAPRIL--Comics Take Over City Hall: and Everyone is Laughing!

Portlanders are so very lucky! Our town is busting at the seam with top-notch illustrators and comic creators. We were excited to highlight these hip Portland artists and their amazing work right here at City Hall.

The Oregon Potter's Association also showed works in the lower atrium as a sneak peak of pieces from the 2007 Oregon Potters' Ceramic Showcase in May.

For Willamette Week Coverage

Clement McAleerMAY Belfast Art and the Heart Gallery

2007 marked a major development in healing political divides in Northern Ireland. A mix of both impressionistic and modern works, Portland City Hall was overjoyed to mark the occasion by hosting Belfast artists from Queen Street Studios.

This show was also in collaboration with the Heart Gallery. The Heart Gallery is a child adoption and fostering advocacy organization whose goal is to place children in healthy homes. They work with professional photographers to take photos of the children as a way to talk more generally about adoption and fostering, in addition to creating an opportunity for community members to learn about specific children up for adoption.

Chris Haberman--AviationJUNE--2nd Annual Pride Art Show

City Hall was excited about hosting the 2nd annual Pride Art show celebrating the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Queer community. Building from the momentum of last year's show--this lively event will focus on both established and emerging queer artists. We were excited to partner with great GBLTQ organizations: Basic Rights Oregon (BRO), Senior Housing and Retirement Enterprises (SHARE), and Gay Lesbian Staight Education Network (GLSN). Check out Just Out's coverage of the event.

Nancy Watterson ScharfJULY--Keep Portland Green!: City Hall First Thursday Sustainable Art show

We all know Portland is being recognized for being Eco-friendly. In July, City Hall celebrated our GREEN city by featuring great local art and craft focused on sustainability. This interactive event offered local organic food, 'green' demonstrations, music, and recycled art work! We worked had great partners on this event: ORLO, Cracked Pots, Portland Office of Sustainable Development, Muddy Boot Festival, and SCRAP.

Bryce Kanights

AUGUST--Board of Art: a Historical Perspective of Stumptown Skate

What a fun way to highlight the long standing Portland skate scene from Burnside to Glenhaven! The show featured a good cross section of local talent and was rousing mix of Skate Art: photographs, painting, collage and pieces made out of recycled boards! An unlikey sight to many, attendees also enjoyed a ½ pipe skate ramp built right in front of City Hall! This a great collaboration with Adidas, AST Dew Tour and special thanks to Ben Wixon and Shrunken Head Skates for all their hard work.

Hey Lover--Jason QuigelySEPTEMBER--Rock of Ages: 75 Years of Portland Music

Through generations and genres, we assembled a rare and diverse show of photos, posters, and artifacts from the last 75 years of Portland music! The show was a unique glimpse into the ages of P-town's bands, scenes, and venues.

Pepe MoscosoOCTOBER--City Hall Celebrates Latino/a Art

City Hall celebrated the diverse and talented Latino/a artists in Portland with music, food, and art! The show was a great mix of paintings, collage, photographs and sculpture and was highlighted by the music and local cuisine from ChaChaChas!

Peter Schutte--Calf Creek FallsNOVEMBER--Through Many Lenses: a History of our Region

A diverse grouping of artistic visions, we gathered a great mix of paintings and photos for the November show. This show was in collaboration with ART UP's Look Up, a local non-profit who works with teens to paint portraits of local women leaders.

Portland PrintsDECEMBER--Portland Prints: City Hall Art and Gift show

This show was a great mix of local print makers including: couture stationary, illustration prints, letterpress & silk screen prints and graphic novels.

The event was a fun way to get accessibly prices, locally handcrafted art pieces into the hands of holiday shoppers. Buy Local!

1,130 Transportation-Related Citizen/Biz Requests Handled in 2007: Whew!

Cevero Gonzalez — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:12:52 -0800

As Sam's Public Advocate for transportation, the year 2007 continued to provide me with abundant opportunities to assist citizens with their questions and concerns regarding City services and projects. Specifically, the insightful and passionate inquiries we received challenged me, along with other bureaus throughout the City, to "think outside the box" and in turn to provide action-oriented responses to citizens seeking results.

Generally speaking, over 1,130 requests for assistance were received in our office this year [see table below]. In addition, but not included in the table below, we also received and responded to over 1,000 constituent inquiries relating to the proposed renaming of N. Interstate Avenue, as well as over 300 e-mails, letters and phone calls from citizens concerned about improving cyclist safety on Portland City streets. All tolled, we had a very busy but exciting year - addressing and resolving issues to the best of our ability. A brief listing of the types of concerns we addressed includes - but is not limited to:

• Parking enforcement, including suggestions regarding ways to improve parking access;
• General assistance and referral - to internal bureaus within the City, and other external partners throughout the city and county such as local non-profits and housing agencies;
• Motorist and pedestrian safety improvements;
• Paving and other street maintenance concerns;
• Street signage and street lighting issues;A break-down of the 1340 or so annual constituent contacts and requests, by month

* Requests for assistance through December 16, 2007.

Of course, every request for assistance or direction is unique. That being said, however, an in an effort to better highlight the types of concerns and issues addressed this year, following are a few brief examples of inquiries for assistance received in 2007.

OVERVIEW

Abandoned Autos: Priscilla in Northwest called the Public Advocate to request assistance with an abandoned auto that she indicated had remained parked on her residential street despite several attempts to contact the City's Abandoned Autos Program to have the vehicle removed. Not only was the vehicle an eyesore, Priscilla offered, but there was a potential that the debris surrounding the vehicle presented a safety and public health risk. Working on Priscilla's behalf, I contacted the Abandoned Autos Program and investigated the matter further. As a result, the vehicle in question was "tagged" for tow within four hours of Priscilla's call, and shortly after removed from her street altogether. Priscilla called back, once the vehicle had been removed, to thank me for working so diligently and speedily to address and resolve her concern.

Crosswalk Request: Tony in Northeast contacted Commissioner Adams to request his help with the installation of a crosswalk near his neighborhood. The challenge, as Tony indicated, was that the Office of Transportation (PDOT) continued to refuse his request for assistance specifically indicating that no safety improvement was warranted - however, Tony and others in his neighborhood believed otherwise. Working with PDOT engineers and managers, the original request for a crosswalk installation was reinvestigated and surprisingly a final determination was made to rethink the original decision. A crosswalk was eventually installed in the neighborhood. In acknowledgement of our efforts, Tony and others in the vicinity contacted our office to offer their thanks for all the work initiated on their behalf.

Garbage Pickup: Ken in Southwest called to ask for assistance in dealing with garbage collection services in his neighborhood, specifically indicating that his attempts to address and resolve the issue on his own had proven unsuccessful. On Ken's behalf, I contacted several departments within and outside of City bureaus and eventually identified the neighborhood's garbage hauler. Then, after consultation with Ken and his building's management staff, I contacted the garbage hauler and informed them that they might not be in compliance with City guidelines regarding refuse pickup times and other policies. Ken called back after two months time and informed me that the call on his behalf had "done the trick," since he had not experienced any further disruptions since my initial call.

Parking Control - Construction: Dan in Northeast called to request assistance with parking and construction issues in his neighborhood. Specifically, Dan indicated that PDOT had blocked off access to the street in front of his business resulting in a significant loss of parking and easy access to sidewalks. Further, Dan indicated that PDOT had not provided advance notice to affected businesses, in turn causing unneeded disruption to business operations. I spoke with PDOT staff about Dan's concerns and indicated that communication regarding any parking or construction disruptions was paramount to ensuring that alternative plans by affected parties could be considered. Additionally, I asked PDOT to reopen sections of the street - and more pointedly to restore parking - in areas not currently needing to be restricted. Dan called back, once the corrections had been made, and thanked me for working so quickly and thoroughly to resolve his complaint.

Parking Control - General: Michael M., a business owner from the Lloyd District, contacted me to request assistance with parking challenges his patrons were experiencing as a result of an abutting property owner removing parking without property City authorization. Working with PDOT staffers we were able to quickly identify the potentially offending parking removal and return it to its original state. Michael M. called me back once the correction had been made and thanked me for working so quickly - and thoroughly - to resolve his complaint.

Parking Control - Handicapped Access: Helen and her husband John, residents of the Hollywood District, called to request assistance with the installation of handicapped parking near their residence - indicating that they contacted me because they had received a denial of their request by PDOT. As senior citizens with disabilities, they offered, it was difficult to find available parking near their residence. I contacted PDOT staffers on Helen and John's behalf and challenged them to rethink their original assessment. Thankfully, and after much negotiation, PDOT reconsidered their initial decision and agreed to install handicapped parking near Helen and John's residence. Once the installation was completed, Helen sent a thank you letter - with pictures attached - acknowledging our offices efforts on her behalf.

Parking Enforcement: Robert called to voice his concerns about inappropriate treatment he believed he experienced at the hands of a Parking Enforcement Officer. Specifically, Robert indicated that while he did not dispute the validity of the parking citation he had received he did not believe that the citing officer needed to act in a matter unbecoming of a City employee. I investigated the matter further by contacting the Manager of the Parking Enforcement Office and we spoke at length about Robert's concerns, identifying strategies that might be used in the future to improve customer service for all. Once my investigation was completed I contacted Robert again and updated him on the status and result of my inquiry. Robert acknowledged his appreciation of my efforts on his behalf, again acknowledging that he did not dispute the issuance of the parking citation.

Paving: Paul from Southwest called to request that certain street and paving improvements be made on W. Burnside, leading from Tichner to the Multnomah County line. Further, Paul offered that previous attempts to get this matter addressed by City staff had proven fruitless. As a result, I called and e-mailed several staff within the City to find out the status of Paul's request. Surprisingly, I discovered that the street improvement Paul had identified was scheduled to be implemented later in the year. That being said, no one within the City had responded to Paul about his request. I informed Paul of the impending improvement and too, offered my apologies for the lack of response he had received from various City bureaus he had contacted, including PDOT. Paul thanked me for providing the requested information and indicated that it was nice to simply receive a response to his inquiry.

Permitting - Construction: John in Northwest contacted the Public Advocate to voice a concern he had about impending construction in his neighborhood. Specifically, John indicated he was concerned that a developer in the area would not fulfill his obligation to complete repairs to an unimproved street. Further, John indicated that attempts to secure a response from PDOT regarding this matter fell on deaf ears. On John's behalf I met with PDOT staffers to determine the status of the request. We determined, after reviewing contracts and permits, that the developer would be required to make the agreed upon improvements and to guarantee that such improvements were made the City had required that the developer sign a performance bond. John was grateful for my efforts on his behalf and the matter was closed with no further action.

Permitting- Sidewalk Vendors: Jeff in Southwest called to share a concern he was having with the City regarding his street vendor cart and the location of said cart on the City street as a result of downtown construction. Of note, Jeff indicated that attempts to secure a response from the City had not been successful. First, I met with PDOT staff to identify the lack of response Jeff was receiving regarding his original request. Second, I worked with staff to secure a proper location for the vending cart. The matter was resolved within four hours of receiving the complaint. Jeff contacted me to offer his thanks and praise for working so quickly on his behalf.

Pothole Repair - Commercial: Roy in Southeast called Sam to complain about the lack of response he had received from PDOT regarding his original request for a pothole improvement near his business. After investigating the matter further, I was able to send out a PDOT crew to make the requested improvement; all within 48 hours of Roy's direct request to Sam's office. Roy called back once the pothole had been repaired and thanked me for such a prompt reply.

Pothole Repair - Residential: John in Southwest called to request the repair of three potholes in his neighborhood. Too, John indicated that he had received no response from PDOT regarding his original request. That being said, John's request was investigated by me immediately and crews were sent out to the identified area within 24 hours. Days later I received a return call from John thanking me for working so quickly to resolve his citizen's complaint.

Referral - ODOT: Tina from Southeast called to request assistance with a few traffic calming concerns for her neighborhood, specifically at a street that intersected with Powell Blvd - a state owned highway. I contacted ODOT on Tina's behalf and shared her concerns with ODOT staff. ODOT in turn contacted Tina and to this day they continue to work with Tina on possible and future solutions to the traffic calming issue she brought to our collective attention. Tina e-mailed recently to thank me for working so diligently on her behalf to address her concerns, and further for helping to steer her in the right direction.

Revenue Bureau: Greg from downtown Portland called to request assistance from the Public Advocate with a situation he continued to experience with the Revenue Bureau. Specifically, Greg indicated that he continued to receive billing statements from the City for a business that he had no association with. I contacted the Revenue Bureau directly to discuss the matter further and after considerable review it was determined that the billing statements were being sent in error. As a result, the Revenue Bureau indicated that they would make the correction immediately and cease sending inaccurate billing statements to Greg. For his part, Greg called to thank me for working so quickly to address and resolve his issue - which he indicated had been going on for several months.

Sidewalk Access: Nick in SE contacted Commissioner Adams to request assistance with a business in the neighborhood that was blocking proper access to the public right of way. Additionally, Nick indicated that he had, in the past, contacted City staff on several occasions in hopes of addressing his concern but had been told "nothing could be done." On Nick's behalf, I worked quickly to find a reasonable solution to his complaint. City crews were called upon to notify the offending business of the need to ensure proper access to sidewalks and within days the business was in compliance. Nick called later to offer his appreciation for the quick results.

Street Cleaning: Emily in Southwest contacted me to voice her concern about street sweeping procedures in place within the City whereby businesses are often left with little, if any, parking access as a result of the sweeps. Working with PDOT crews I was able to get the street sweeping crew to better manage their efforts so that minimal parking was impacted. Emily called me back after the sweeping had occurred to thank me for making her issue a top priority.

Street Signs - Directional: John in Southeast called to request improved street signage on a couple of streets in the Hollywood District. His intention in making this request was to help motorists navigate and manage parking while shopping in the area. John also indicated that his original request to PDOT had been denied. I consulted with PDOT about John's request and after some additional conversations regarding the need to make any improvements PDOT reevaluated their original decision and improved street signage per John's request.

Street Signs - Safety: Jerry in Southwest contacted Sam to request assistance with a safety problem he believed existed on his residential street. Further, Jerry indicated that attempts to resolve this safety issue through PDOT channels had proven unsuccessful - specifically because PDOT did not consider the requested improvements were warranted. After considerable debate with PDOT staff and a plea to have them "think outside the box," Jerry's suggested improvements were finally made. Jerry contacted me once the improvements were implemented to thank me for continuing to work so diligently on his behalf.

Street Striping: Tom in Old Town e-mailed Commissioner Adams to request his help with much needed upgrading to street striping in the area. Specifically, Tom indicated that he and other businesses in the area were concerned that the striping in front of the Portland Police Precinct station needed to be improved and better identified so that motorists would be able to accurately determine available parking and not risk being towed. At my request, this matter was investigated immediately by PDOT staff and striping completed. I e-mailed Tom later to verify that he was satisfied with the work performed by the City. Tom indicated that "yes," the City had acted quickly. He also expressed his thanks to Sam for taking this concern so seriously.

Traffic Calming: Mary K. from Southeast called to request assistance with an issue she confronts on a daily basis as a commuter. Specifically, Mary indicated that when exiting from the Morrison Bridge and onto 3rd Avenue the streets are not clearly marked and because of this motorists experience confusion regarding appropriate travel lanes. According to Mary K., her efforts to address this issue in the past have proven unsuccessful. Working with PDOT staff the area was investigated immediately and PDOT eventually determined that lane improvements should be clarified. Mary K. called me after the improvements had been implemented to offer her thanks to me and Sam for working so quickly to resolve her traffic safety concern.

Traffic Signaling: Jill in Southwest called to complain about traffic lights not synching properly during her morning commute in Southwest. Working with the Street Systems group within PDOT we were able to address the synching concern immediately. I contacted Jill to let her know the final outcome of her request and she in turn contacted me to let me know that her morning commute had improved significantly.

SUMMARY

The role of Public Advocate continues to provide me with many rewards and opportunities for assisting and connecting with the public. Mind you, while not every issue can be resolved to the satisfaction of the citizen, I will continue to make it my goal to work on behalf of the public. I look forward to the challenges and blessings of 2008.

Cevero Gonzalez, Public Advocate for the Office of Commissioner Sam Adams

Planning for Steel Bridge Skateboard Park Ramps Up

Tom Miller — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:55:41 -0800

At Commissioner Adams' urging, city council supported a request on December 5 for $50,000 to reevaluate the Steel Bridge site for the city's "anchor" skateboard park facility. After more than 18 months of evaluation in 2003 and 2004, Portland Parks & Recreation selected the site for Portland's premier skatepark, which will "anchor" its 19-skatepark system.

The site has long sat fallow under the west side of the Steel Bridge on- and off-ramps between SW 1st Avenue and Naito Parkway and Flanders. The private sector deems the site undevelopable due to its unusual shape and constraints withbridge columns, making it ideal for a creative public use adjacent to light rail, bus routes, and an underutilized public parking garage.

The $50,000 will be used to hire a consultant to craft a vision for the facility including a feasibility study and draft budget. The site was contemplated for skatepark development in 2001 under then Transportation/Parks Commissioner Charlie Hales but set aside due to the pending Big Pipe sewer project.

CIty Creates Labor Management Committees

Terry Richardson — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:29:02 -0800

In June 2005 Portland City Council agreed to endorse the Framework for Labor Management Committees in City Bureaus prepared by Bureau Innovation Project Team #6 to guide the establishment of Labor Management Committees within each City bureau Resolution # 36434

The project called upon city to form a joint work group of labor and management representatives to formulate a citywide scope of work for Labor Management Committees within each City bureau. The intent of the Labor Management Committees is to improve the delivery of services and responses to our citizens. Employees of all levels can contribute to the solutions with out retaliation. Workers feel valued for their skills and ideas. Management can learn to be a partner with the unions. The rate payer is ultimately served efficiently.

38 representatives from all the organized labor unions, Key Bureau management and staff from each council office meet several times and agreed to the basic frame work for all Bureau Labor management committees.

Each Bureau of 12 or more employees will have a LMC. The cost of creation and training would be split between the labor unions and the city. The city wide LMC is formed to oversee the process in each bureau and to be a resource to those Bureau committees. LMC can resolve work site issues; from training and sick leave, to distribution of the work load. The committees can address most any issue that gets in the way of the delivery of services.

In Bureau of Maintenance LMC agreed to emergencies procedures for an ice or snow storm. It potentially, can the save the city many dollars and still provide needed services for our customers.

In Bureau of Environmental Services is working on safety equipment at the East Side Big Pipe project. The committee found that some safety boots were not suited for the work. The result is a safer work place with no injuries.

LMC's are not new for the city. There are a few bureaus that have long standing LMC's since the late 90's. This is a renewal of a city's commitment working collaboratively with labor to resolve work issues. Portland is the city that works.

Sam and PDC Help Push Start Oregon Custom Bike Show

Roland Chlapowski — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:19:50 -0800

Oregon Bicycle Constructors AssociationThe Portland Development Commission identifies the bicycle industries as one of the nascent cottage industries that it would like to see grow and flourish. Oregon, and Portland in particular, have unique advantages over other regions in terms of making bikes, and this Bike Show allowed craftsman to show them off.

To help promote this trade show of custom bicycle makers from across the state, Sam worked with PDC to make sure that as a seed industry that the Oregon Handmade Bicycle trade show got support from the local government.

The event was successfully held on Sunday, November 11, 2007 at the World Forestry Center in Washington Park.

Related Documents:

Oregon Handmade Bicycle Association Trade Show Site

Community Partners:

Portland Development Commission
Oregon Bicycle Constructors Assocation
Ahearne Cycles (Portland)
Bike Friday (Eugene)
Casmano
DeSalvo Custom Cycles (Ashland)
Good Times Bicycles
Keith Anderson Cycles (Grants Pass)
Landshark (Medford)
Lyonsport (Grants Pass)
Pereira Cycles (Portland)
Stites Design (Portland)
Strawberry Cycles (Portland)
Sweetpea Bicycles (Portland)
Vendetta Cycles (Willamette Valley)
Wolfhound Cycles (Talent)

Media Mentions:

"Handmade bike show will feature Oregon's finest", BikePortland.org, November 6, 2007

Milestones:

November 11, 2007 - Oregon's first city-supported local industry bike show ever!

35 Member Citizen Task Force Helps 'Keep Downtown Portland Moving'

Roland Chlapowski — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:50:40 -0800

With so much private and public construction in downtown Portland, navigating it -- whether by foot, bike, transit, or automobile -- has become more frustrating than it used to be. That is why Sam supported and expanded funding for Keep Portland Moving, a PDOT campaign to promote a vibrant, accessible downtown Portland.

Overseen by a 35-person stakeholder steering committee, Keep Portland Moving coordinates projects and works with other PDOT staff to give construction guidelines that minimize the impact of all of the new investment underway downtown.

As frustrating as traveling downtown might seem now, things would be much worse if it were not for this campaign, which coordinates complex projects, provides information to the public, and reacts in real time to calls it takes on its hotline.

Other KPM accomplishments include moving the bus mall to 3rd & 4th Avenues (in partnership with TriMet), working with a task force to consider new technologies like advance parking information and real-time traffic updates, and the installation of webcams that allows traffic engineers to know when problems are happening to address them immediately. The Task Force also looked into things like night work options, the appropriate enforcement of construction permits, and programs to keep people from commuting at peak hours. The Task Force/Advisory Committee of 35 members was convened in April, 2007, and has met eight times to discuss and guide the activities of the Keep Portland Moving campaign.

Sam has secured funding for this new position from City Council because he believes strongly that the best coordination amongst both public agencies and private developers is what Portlanders deserve.

Related Documents

Keep Portland Moving website

Community Partners