There’s been an important shift in how policy is made in Portland City Hall. Last week, council voted in a new committee structure that come with significant changes — including a new member of the committee that oversees the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
Portland is just one year into a brand new form of government, so when they adopted the committee structure last January, it was their first time doing so. The idea is that committees can get deeper in the weeds on topic areas and hash out policy details before final votes at the full, 12-member council. It’s been a good system in many ways, but almost immediately there was grumbling about how many committees were stood up (eight), and the fact that some of them lacked representation from all four council districts.
The new structure reduces the number of committees from eight to five, aligns them more closely with existing service areas, and comes with changes to membership. Most of the stuff BikePortland cares about was in the (now defunct) Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. That committee no longer exists and PBOT-related issues will now be discussed at the Public Works Committee. (The other four committees are; Housing and Permitting, City Life, Community and Public Safety and a Committee of the Whole.)
Another key change is that District 2 (North and Northeast Portland) is now represented on the committee (the old T & I Committee didn’t have any councilor from D2). The councilor who will represent D2 on the committee is Sameer Kanal (he takes the place of Councilor Angelita Morillo). This is good news for folks who know Kanal. He’s a thoughtful leader who’s shown himself to be interested in transportation issues, is a policy wonk who cares about the details, and is a good listener. He’s come to Bike Happy Hour several times and I’ve watched him spend hours talking to folks about a wide variety of issues.
Kanal will be joined on the committee by Chair Olivia Clark from D4, Vice Chair Loretta Smith from D1, Tiffany Koyama Lane from D3, and Mitch Green from D4. (Learn more about all the new committees and rosters here.)
In addition to transportation matters, the new Public Works Committee will also take on issues related to the Water Bureau, Bureau of Environmental Services, Parks programs, and Fleet and Facilities.
Speaking at the Council meeting this morning, Kanal said he’s grateful for being named to the committee.
Councilor Kanal also wasted no time playing his new role. During a discussion about a crossing and sidewalk project on NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Kanal spoke up about other things going on in the nearby area.
“The Boise neighborhood has been bringing up, with some of the other neighborhood associations as well, improvements to crosswalks on Northeast Seventh, Irving, and Skidmore.” Then Kanal added, “I think there’s a lot of work that’s been done on planning, but not necessarily on implementation and I’m looking forward to collaborating with folks in the administration who I know share the desire to implement all of those types of improvements as well.”
Kanal also made a point to mention that he wants to hear more from PBOT about projects in his district.
If you live, ride, or work in D2, you’ve finally got a strong rep for your area! It’s my district too, so I’ll be sure to invite Councilor Kanal on a ride soon.
Stay tuned for more details, agendas and schedules for the new committee.
Thanks for reading.
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Hey, KANAL, what about basic street maintenance, you know filling in potholes, that PBOT should have been doing all these years? What about that for your district?
Maybe taking care of what we already have should be job #1 for PBOT???
He’s not responsible for filling potholes, but he can represent your view on a committee that sets priorities (via funding, oversight, and other mechanisms) for transportation in Portland. This new form of city gov’t is more nuanced and will take time for everyone to get used to.
Potholes? The mayor is the only elected official who can actually do something, or at least pass a message down through the several layers of insulation and diffusion of responsibility that separates our elected officials from the bureaus.
Kanal can’t fix potholes. What he can do is opine that PBOT should prioritize filling potholes, and hope someone hears his plea.
Millicent Williams has much more power and independence now than she ever had before. I hope she likes bikes!
DSA Councilor Kanal gets a seat, but Portland’s still stuffed
District 2 finally has representation on the Public Works Committee. Kanal’s in the spotlight, thinking big thoughts about crosswalks and sidewalks. Problem is, Portland’s potholes aren’t listening.
This is the DSA show in action: grand progressive plans, sky-high taxes, and a city that moves slower than a koala on a sleepy Sunday. Businesses pack up, streets crumble, and residents wait while council debates every curb like it’s the bloody Sydney Opera House.
Kanal’s got his committee seat. Portlanders still wait for a city that actually works.
Perhaps it may be difficult to you to imagine, since it seems you cannot see past Sameer’s ties to DSA, but I believe he can address and prioritize both road safety issues and potholes at the same time (well at least to the extent of influence this seat give him). You should listen to the guy. He’s thoughtful, sharp and has helped Portland with positive, significant milestones this first year.
With one year of council experience, I hope for a savvier year two and am stoked to have him represent my district.
Ah yes, the DSA victory lap.
Kanal grabs a committee seat and we’re meant to believe the cavalry’s arrived. Meanwhile the potholes in District 2 are large enough to qualify for affordable housing.
For the past few years the DSA crowd has had plenty of energy — just not always for the basics. Lots of time dunking on the police, flirting with foie gras bans, mandating unisex bathroom signage, and floating new anti-discrimination categories for polyamorous throuples. Bold stuff. Very cutting edge.
Meanwhile, 911 response times drag, trash piles up, sidewalks turn into obstacle courses, and basic street maintenance feels like a nostalgic concept from the early 2000s.
“Walk and chew gum at the same time”? I’d settle for “answer the phone and fill a pothole.”
Vision is great. But when the fundamentals are wobbling, maybe fix the floor before redesigning the ceiling
Like an wombat on dialup.
I care about crosswalks and potholes.
I’m a District 2 resident and I hope the new committee will seriously consider the idea that’s come up about closing some streets to create carfree public spaces and reduce long-term maintenance costs.
Yes! Also thoughtfully traffic calming MLK (with non rush hour curbside parking at least to start) to make MLK more walkable and crossing there by bike or foot safer. We have the sidewalks, just need the paint and the political will!
Maybe combine these two ideas and close MLK to create a linear park.
As much as love the idea, I don’t think that would have much of a chance in happening. Perhaps a failure of imagination on my part.
Does the committee oversee PBOT, or do they oversee transportation POLICY?
I hope it’s the latter, since we need transportation professionals overseeing PBOT, not electeds who know little about operating a bureau. We want our elected reps to represent our views in forming policy, setting priorities, allocating funding, etc.
Maybe you are thinking about city gov’t in the old way, Mr Maus.
Forgetting that they are a POLICY body is exactly the problem I was worried about when we voted to created the new city structure.
It sure looks like we’re headed toward a twelve-member “management” team with each councilor focusing on “their” district and micro-managing everything.
The old five-member commission was a disaster. I don’t like the way this new approach is heading.