Category Archives: Uncategorized

Portland city commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty appeared at the Concordia Neighborhood Association March 2 general meeting. She reported on a variety of topics, predominantly the three below:

Re: Portland Street Response

• Expansion to citywide coverage by street response teams is planned for March.
• Portlanders should call 9-11-1 to request a street response team. The commissioner said 9-1-1 is prepared to dispatch street response teams for mental health emergencies as well dispatching police for reports of crime and the fire department for fires.
• However, she would like to “untrain” members of the public from calling 9-1-1 when they observe people putting up tents. “I can tell you today 50% of the calls today are for unwanted people,”

Re: Office of Community & Civic Life

• “I’m excited about the stability of where we are at the moment.” The commissioner reported the bureau is starting a strategic planning process now and creating a job description for a new director.
• Asked if neighborhood associations have a voice in city government other than writing letters, she recommended appearing at city council meetings. Each Wednesday opens with 15 minutes reserved for five people each to make three-minute public comments.

Re: Portland Bureau of Transportation

• “The horrible numbers of pedestrians being killed is something that keeps me up at night.” She reported $4.5 million is being invested to improve safety.
• The commissioner has directed the bureau to prioritize the instances of RV camping it addresses by the amount of human waste and discarded needles evident. “I’ve been really clear with the mayor I will not allow him to redirect PBOT staff on making the city look pretty.” Her priorities on abandoned vehicles and others that provide shelter is on preventing deaths.

– Nancy Varekamp
– March 6, 2022

Hi folks,

Here’s the draft agenda for the January 20th, 2021 CNA LUTC Meeting.

To join:

Web: https://meet.google.com/ocg-wgut-iki | Phone: 316-512-3077 PIN: 417604919#

cheers,
~Garlynn

The Concordia Neighborhood Association sent this letter to decision-makers, following a series of recent fatal crashes on North Portland Highway / Highway 30 Bypass:

Hwy_30_Safety_Letter_CNA-Sept_2020-signed

To date, we have only received supportive responses from Congressman Earl Blumenauer, and Metro Councilor Sam Chase. No other decision-maker has had the common decency to even reply, much less join the coalition seeking solutions for the conditions on this deadly facility.

Hi folks,

We held our second fully-virtual CNA LUTC meeting last month (April), and it seems we’re getting used to this thing now, things are working well. Not only do you no longer even need to leave your house to attend, but you don’t even have to feel guilty about that, because nobody else is leaving their house to attend the meeting physically, either!

And yet, all of this distancing is also increasing the levels of social isolation in our community. Once the time comes, it really will do us all a lot of good to spend some time outside in the nice weather, hanging out with our neighbors, both those we know already, and those we are about to meet.

To join our April meeting, on Wednesday, May 20th at 7pm, use this login information:

See attached for the draft agenda.

cheers,

~Garlynn