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Author Archives: Peter Keller

From the Board – Be the change you want to see in Portland

Posted on October 9, 2021 by Peter Keller Posted in CNA 1 Comment

While it’s only October, it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming Concordia Neighborhood Association (CNA) board election, being held at our annual meeting on Nov. 3. I know that a lot of you consider volunteering for the CNA board or other community organizations. I understand this sentiment because I felt the same way for years.

With everything going on in Portland these days, many Portlanders complain that the city government is ineffectual and, like most of us, are pining for positive change.

We are all part of this city, and neighborhood associations are the grassroots level of city government. The CNA board represents 10,000+ Portlanders and, when we endorse issues or write letters, we are usually heard.

For example, this month we secured a meeting with the current owners of the Concordia University property, Lutheran Church Extension Fund, to lobby on behalf of the neighborhood. This resulted in some reassuring updates about the sale.

All of the members of our board volunteer their time because they want to be part of their community. Many of them have been on the board for years, and this continuity is really important in maintaining a nonprofit, all-volunteer board. That said, it’s great to get new volunteers who bring fresh energy and thinking.

At the moment, we are fully staffed. However, this could change in November if some current board members whose terms end in December decide not to run for re-election, and we don’t have new volunteers from the neighborhood to fill their board seats.

Just like any election, when a current board position is up for election/re-election, any qualified person can run for that seat regardless of whether the current board member is running for re-election.

So, if you’re interested in serving on the board, don’t be dissuaded because the position is currently filled. Put your hat in the ring, and may the best candidate win! That’s democracy.

In odd-numbered years like 2021, odd-numbered board seats are up for election. CNA board members serve two-year terms. The chair position, currently held by me, is only a one-year position so is up for election every year. So, by my count, that’s six board seats and one chair up for grabs.

Next month, I’ll provide an election primer. Meanwhile you can reach out directly to me with questions and/or check out our CNA bylaws to learn more: ConcordiaPDX.org/about-cna/bylaws.

Native Portlander Peter Keller has lived in Concordia since 1997. He runs a small marketing agency with partner Max, out of their home studio. He loves exploring outdoors with and without his dogs.

From the Board – Save the Trees

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Peter Keller Posted in Concordia News

Hey neighbors, this month’s CNews is all about trees, which is a topic near to my heart and likely most of yours. For the upcoming quarterly CNA General Membership meeting – Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. – we’ll continue the conversation with local tree experts. I hope you can join us. Virtually.

Which leads me to my next announcement. We’ll be meeting virtually in September for both the CNA board and general membership meetings. We were looking forward to meeting in person once again, but due to the uptick in Covid 19 cases we’ll have to wait a bit longer.

The board didn’t meet in August, but we accomplished a few things nonetheless. We joined 10 organizations in endorsing a letter to city and state agencies asking them to preserve the International Grove at 42nd Avenue and Lombard Streets during the planned construction of the new overpass. Portland Bureau of Transportation responded, and there is a planned meeting to discuss the issue.

In addition, the letter the CNA board wrote to the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) regarding the sale of Concordia University resulted in an opportunity for CNA to meet with LCEF. We look forward to a productive conversation where we’ll express the neighborhood’s desires for the property. (See letter at ConcordiaPDX.org/cusale.)

Getting back to the topic of trees, this year’s extreme heat has likely been harder on our trees than any year on record. As I write, we’re in the midst of another heat wave…

It’s sad to experience this and it’s easy to feel powerless, but there are things we can do. For example, the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) offers a one-time water/sewer rebate for planting a tree, and another program will plant trees on your property at affordable, sliding scale prices. Visit PortlandOregon.gov/bes/63490 for details on those programs.

In a similar BES program, I signed up and received three ponderosa pines in 2014. These trees are now six years older and, because they are more drought tolerant, they were OK in the heat.

We need to do everything we can to preserve the trees we have and continue to plant more. Find sign-on information for the CNA General Membership Meeting at ConcordiaPDX.org/CNAMeetings. And join us Sept. 1 to hear from local experts about what you can do!

Native Portlander Peter Keller has lived in Concordia since 1997. He runs a small marketing agency with partner Max, out of their home studio. He loves exploring outdoors with and without his dogs.

From the Board – See you in person ,come September

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Peter Keller Posted in Concordia News

Now that the COVID-19 restrictions have mostly been lifted and we’ve endured a once-in-millennia heat wave, the CNA board voted to take the month of August off. In practice, this just means we won’t meet in August. I’m hoping the rest of our summer is less eventful and crossing my fingers that fire season isn’t as bad as recent years.

The great news is that the McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room will re-open Aug. 1. On Sept. 1, the board will meet in person there, barring any changes to state or city regulations. Out of respect for neighbors and regular board meeting attendees, we’ll adhere to the following rules:

Those who’ve been vaccinated may attend meetings without masks but must offer proof of vaccination.
Those who’ve not been vaccinated must wear masks at all times during the meetings and must socially distance.
We’ll continue to offer video/phone dial-in options so attendees can join remotely.

To earn our time off in August, we had a very productive meeting in July. We discussed the recent sale of Concordia University to the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF). The fate of the property is still unknown, as it may be in legal limbo for some time. However, now that there is a new owner, the CNA board will lobby LCEF with the neighborhood’s desires as expressed in our recent poll results.

We heard from the Concordia Tree Team’s Jim Gersbach and others who are asking for our assistance to help preserve the International Grove of trees that were planted 10 years ago at the intersection of 42nd and Lombard.

The grove is in danger of being damaged or removed during planned reconstruction of the Lombard overpass. The CNA board will lobby Portland Bureau of Transportation and Oregon Department of Transportation representatives to preserve the grove from harm during construction.

We also made progress on the staffing front. I’m excited to announce that Javier Puga-Phillips was appointed by the CNA board to the position for At Large 4, recently vacated by Sonia Fornoni. In addition, Javier will serve as CNA Social Committee chair and manage McMenamins Kennedy School Community Room. Go Javier!

In addition, Micah McNelly has volunteered for the CNA IT position. Thank you Micah! We are very happy to have you aboard.

Finally, I want to announce that we are hiring for the paid position of recording secretary. Please see the ad below for this position and reach out to me directly to apply.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the summer!

CNA Seeks Recording SecretaryThe Concordia Neighborhood Association is hiring a recording secretary to record and transcribe minutes of board, general and land use meetings held at McMenamins Kennedy School or virtually.

The contract position pays $35/hour for meetings and time spent preparing and publishing minutes online. Hours are about 5-7 per month.

  • Directors meetings: usually 7 p.m. 1st Wednesday each month
  • General meetings: quarterly, 7 p.m. 1st Wednesday of the month
  • Land use meetings: 7 p.m. 3rd Wednesday each month

The position requires good writing, transcription and document preparation skills. Availability and dependability are a must! Residence in Concordia is not mandatory.

Interested? Contact the Chair@ConcordiaPDX.org with a resume, references and writing sample.

Native Portlander Peter Keller has lived in Concordia since 1997. He runs a small marketing agency with partner Max, out of their home studio. He loves exploring outdoors with and without his dogs. He is the current CNA Chair.

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