(PORTLAND, OR.) — Frustration among councilmembers was the theme of this week’s city council meeting, and for good reason.
“The city council meeting on March 11th was dominated by procedural inefficiencies and contentious debates, reflecting a struggle to balance legislative urgency with due process and transparency,” OpGov.news reports.
Photo Credit: CVTV
The city council agenda for Mar. 11 was approved, but several items were controversially postponed, including the Business income license tax and legal defense package (to the first week of April), and “Slow the Flow” ordinances (indefinitely postponed).
Councilor Loretta Smith expresses frustration over the postponement caused by the protest that interrupted the council’s meeting on Feb. 18.
Video Credit: YouTube
Public communications followed the agenda’s approval.
Monica Corey criticizes Portland's visible decline, citing increased litter, trash, graffiti, reckless driving, open drug use, and unsafe bike paths, along with a lack of police presence. As a Portland resident for 50 years, she expresses fatigue and disappointment in the city's leadership.
“I'm here on behalf of the silent majority. We’re the people who pay the metro housing tax, the preschool for all tax, the arts tax, the huge property taxes and see that despite all the money that we’ve poured into our community, our city continues to stumble and fall apart. It looks terrible,” Corey says.
Photo Credit: CVTV
Corey proposes expanding the Climate Fund into an “Environmental Cleanup Fund” to address these immediate infrastructure and public space issues, arguing that a city looking “terrible” cannot attract investment or tourism.
“I'm asking you to reshape the climate fund into an environmental fund. I’m asking that you understand the silent majority is paying attention and that we’re asking you to do better with our money,” Corey says.
Next, Don Jones Jr. expresses grave safety concerns regarding the proposed Alternate Access Redemption Center (AARC) by People's Depot at 1109 Southeast Brooklyn Street, at a highly dangerous intersection (POW Boulevard, Milwaukee Avenue).
Photo Credit: CVTV
“The Vision Zero Action Plan explicitly recognizes that people walking and biking, especially those experiencing homelessness, face disproportionately higher risk and require extra precautions, not increased exposure to danger. The danger is documented and significant,” Jones Jr. says.
Jones Jr. estimates 300 daily visitors, primarily on foot or bicycle, directly conflicting with Portland's Vision Zero policies aimed at eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries, especially for vulnerable road users like pedestrians and the homeless.
Photo Credit: CVTV
Council President Jamie Dunphy holds time on the calendar to give the administration an opportunity to provide updates to the public about the ongoing federal response at the beginning of council meetings
City Administrator Raymond Lee has no new updates but reiterated last week’s announcement with a comprehensive recap.
Video Credit: YouTube
Councilors repeatedly express frustration over insufficient information in agenda packets, forcing 'on-the-fly' amendments and delaying critical decisions, especially regarding agenda item 10: "Amend the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefit Fund Climate Investment Plan".
After extensive deliberation, Council President Dunphy points out that the council was 1 hour and 15 minutes over schedule for the item and urges councilors to move forward or not.
Councilor Candace Avalos expresses her desire to move forward.
Photo Credit: CVTV
“I think we should move forward. I plan to support this. It sounds like we have a plan to get some amendments in the future. We’ve got to deal with all of the structural problems later, but let’s not delay getting these dollars out. So, I’m going to support moving this forward today,” Avalos says.
“The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefit Fund Climate Investment Plan (Ordinance 2026-022) was passed (9 Ayes, 3 Nays), despite significant council discomfort regarding the removal of workforce and contractor equity language without immediate replacement or a clear timeline, due to federal compliance concerns stemming from a mayoral executive order,” OpGov.news reports.
If you would like to add to or add to this report, please email me at rory.h@lead4earth.org and leave a comment below.
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