Alex Zielinski
@alexzee.bsky.social
Portland city politics reporter, @opb.org Past lives: CA, DC, TX 📬 azielinski@opb.org Signal: alex_zee.03 www.opb.org/author/alex-zielinski/
Secretary of State Tobias Read sent a letter to the Portland City Auditor on Tuesday demanding greater rigor, after the backers of a controversial initiative petition leveled a bevy of allegations against the city over its signature-verification process.
Secretary of State Read to City Auditor: Clean Up Your Elections Division
Sophie Peel
wweek.com
Oregon currently has dozens of active, large fires burning statewide, covering more than 1 million acres.
Oregon wildfires explode over weekend with no signs of slowing down
People on the Warm Springs Reservation have evacuated, and other communities in Central and Eastern Oregon are threatened as more than 1 million acres in Oregon have been consumed by wildfires.
opb.org
A former staffer for Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos claims she was fired in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment at work. And she’s planning to sue.
City staffer threatens to sue Portland councilor over alleged retaliatory firing
A former staffer for Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos claims she was fired in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment at work. And she’s planning to sue.
opb.org
Have the Blazers responded to the city’s term sheet? Will Portland address the Blazers’ legal concerns? OPB sat down with three of the key city officials at the negotiating table to get answers to these questions and more.
As Moda Center deal looms, Portland city officials at the center of negotiations weigh in
On Thursday, the Portland City Council will hold its first public meeting on its term sheet for renovating the arena. OPB asked three city officials to weigh in on where the deal stands.
opb.org
Ahead of this Thursday's public mtg on the city's Moda Center deal, here are some answers to outstanding questions. (Some new stuff from city officials -- and new answers from the Blazers -- in here.)
As Moda Center deal looms, Portland city officials at the center of negotiations weigh in
On Thursday, the Portland City Council will hold its first public meeting on its term sheet for renovating the arena. OPB asked three city officials to weigh in on where the deal stands.
opb.org
Portland's WNBA team has joined the Moda Center chat. “Equitable access means women athletes get the same caliber of infrastructure as their male counterparts, full stop.”
Portland’s WNBA team pushes the county to invest in Moda Center renovations
For the first time, the Portland Fire publicly weighed in on whether public money should go to the Portland Trail Blazers to renovate the Moda Center.
opb.org
Portland unions are increasingly divided over public money going toward Moda Center investments. Earlier this month, ironworker/electrician unions expressed support Portland putting $$ towards Moda renovations, due to the union jobs it could create.
Here's who's representing Portland (and Portland taxpayers) in negotiations with the Trail Blazers over Moda lease:
Who is leading Portland’s Moda Center negotiations with the Blazers?
Here’s what you need to know about the contractors the city tapped to lead these talks.
opb.org
As debate around public money on Moda Center renovations heats up, officials from Portland’s suburbs are chiming in.
Mayors from 24 Portland-area cities call on city to secure Moda Center deal
The suburban leaders sent a letter during a week when the arena’s future once again made headlines.
opb.org
For those curious, the draft term sheet's been posted here:
City Advances First‑Draft Moda Center Term Sheet, Establishing Framework to Keep Trail Blazers in Portland
portland.gov
Worth noting here that it appears most councilors were completely blindsided by this term sheet announcement yesterday:
Portland releases draft term sheet as business coalition presses for public Moda Center funding
The draft term sheet kicks off a new round of negotiations with Trail Blazers owners over funding for arena improvements.
opb.org
A proposal to create a new business district in Northeast Portland — which sticks a hefty fee on property owners — has divided an often overlooked neighborhood.
Northeast Portland neighborhood split over new proposed service district
Parkrose is the latest Portland neighborhood to consider establishing a new “enhanced service” district.
opb.org
There's been a LOT of talk about the Blazers recently (too much??) -- and not enough about Portland's trailblazing new WNBA team. Make time for this dive into one of the Fire's stars, Megan Gustafson:
Pancake’s mom has got it going on: Why Portland fell in love with Megan Gustafson
The Portland Fire center has charmed fans with her gritty attitude and fierce play – and her charismatic corgi Pancake.
opb.org
Important update: The city CANNOT begin enforcing fees against the Portland ICE building owners yet. The hearings officer DID determine that the owners violated their land use agreement, but a court has kept the city from enforcing fines until it's hammered out in court. TLDR: TBD
Portland hearings office upholds land use ruling against ICE facility’s landlord
The decision means the city can begin fining the property owner.
opb.org
ICYMI, Portland can start fining the owners of the S Macadam ICE building for violating a land use agreement.
Portland hearings office upholds land use ruling against ICE facility’s landlord
The decision means the city can begin fining the property owner.
opb.org
It appears Portland councilors will be asked to approve public funding for the Moda before knowing where, precisely, that money will come from:
Portland City Council won’t have all answers before voting on Moda Center funding package
As a deadline to commit public dollars to Moda Center renovations rapidly approaches, it appears that Portland city councilors will be asked to approve spending $120 million on arena renovations next ...
opb.org
TriMet has cut over 500 positions in the past two years and will soon make changes or cuts to more than 30 routes to try to fill a budget gap. Tom Mills said that while the cuts were tough, the planning team worked hard to come up with solutions for minimizing impacts.
Inside TriMet: How Portland area’s bus routes are planned, tested and changed
For this month’s installment of “At Work With,” we’re riding along with the director of planning and policy at TriMet, Tom Mills, whose team decides when and where buses move for Oregon’s largest transit agency.
opb.org
A Portland hearings officer Friday upheld a city land use violation issued against the owner of the building currently occupied by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The ruling allows the city to begin issuing fines against the property owners, starting at $934 monthly.
Portland hearings office upholds land use ruling against ICE facility’s landlord
The decision means the city can begin fining the property owner.
opb.org
Some late Friday news: Portland's city hearings office has upheld the land use violation issued against the owner of Portland’s ICE building. That means the city can begin issuing fines against the owners. More soon.
What's interesting here: The city auditor's office likely wouldn't have investigated this, and reaching this conclusion, if Rene Gonzalez hadn't sued them.
OPB@opb.org · 4w agoAn investigation by the city auditor's office into Portland Mayor Keith Wilson's mayoral campaign coffers found that Wilson accepted donations above the city’s campaign finance cap of $579 per donor three times.
Judges heard two parallel cases on the matter in April, siding with the Trump administration on procedural grounds. Today they'll decide whether either lawsuit has merit.
Tear gas use at Portland ICE facility once again goes before federal appeals court
Two parallel lawsuits will return to court Friday, both aiming to limit when the Trump administration can deploy tear gas and other crowd control weapons outside Portland’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.
opb.org
Tomorrow, Portland City Councilors will consider tweaking an incentive policy meant to boost homeownership for lower income Portlanders due to lack of buyers. Councilors seem split on if its the right move.
Portland councilors to consider lifting income limits for some affordable homes
Portland City Councilors may tweak a policy meant to boost homeownership for lower-income Portlanders due to a lack of buyers.
opb.org
ICYMI: Portland says it can't pledge $$ to Moda until they have Blazers' renovation drawings/plans; Blazers tell me they can't share those until the city shares its $$ plan. We'll see who breaks first, I guess?
Alex Zielinski@alexzee.bsky.social · last mo.Portland city councilors say they lack information on the Blazers' proposed renovations to the Moda Center. The Blazers say they've shared plenty. Mayor Wilson is caught in the middle. A peek at the political dynamics at play as negotiations heat up in public and behind closed doors.
Three applicants have submitted their names for consideration for the limited-time role, as of July 1: Miles Palacios, Joshua Manous and Jerika Ferguson. The chosen applicant will serve the remainder of Councilor Juan Carlos González’s District 4 term, which expires at the end of the year.
Metro Council to choose newest, temporary member this week
The regional government will select a new councilor to fill the seat vacated by Juan Carlos González last month.
opb.org
Two Portland measure appear headed to a Nov ballot: One would use climate funds to pay for police, the other would allow the public to vote on some city budget decisions. More on the latter here:
Portland ballot measure for more public say in city budget clears hurdle
Portlanders rallying to infuse the city’s budget process with more public input are a step closer to getting their proposal on the November ballot.
opb.org
Portland city councilors say they lack information on the Blazers' proposed renovations to the Moda Center. The Blazers say they've shared plenty. Mayor Wilson is caught in the middle. A peek at the political dynamics at play as negotiations heat up in public and behind closed doors.
With Blazers arena deal on the brink, the pressure is on Portland’s businessman mayor
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, driven by the fear of being the mayor who let the Blazers leave Portland, is moving fast to strike a deal. But it’s a divisive move.
opb.org
It took months for Pendleton city staff to negotiate a tentative settlement to resolve a lawsuit over the city’s homelessness policies. It took only three hours of public pressure before it unraveled. Lawyers representing five unhoused residents say they now plan to proceed with the lawsuit.
Pendleton City Council rejects homelessness settlement amid public pressure
Lawyers representing five unhoused residents say they now plan to proceed with the lawsuit.
opb.org
Also: "The agreement doesn’t prohibit the Blazers from leaving Portland at the end of 2030. But it could come with a cost: The proposal requires that the team return all the fees and taxes recouped from the city’s spectator venues fund back to the city if the team leaves in 2030."
Alex Zielinski@alexzee.bsky.social · last mo.Since it's popping up again: Here's our 2024 coverage of the lease agreement between the city & Blazers that *requires* the Blazers to keep playing in Portland until 2030.
