Latest news with #PortlandCityCouncil
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
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City expected to settle with Black Portlanders alleging displacement from Albina district
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Public officials could soon finalize an agreement with Black Portlanders who alleged they were displaced from an area their community once called home. During a meeting on Thursday afternoon, Portland City Council is slated to reach a settlement involving the December 2022 lawsuit from Emanuel Displaced Persons Association 2. The association, representing 26 plaintiffs who live in the Albina district or descend from relatives who did, accused the officials of destroying Black people's homes in the name of 'urban renewal' in the mid-20th century. Tillamook opens first owned-and-operated facility outside of Oregon About two and a half years ago, that several residents were displaced by the construction of Interstate 5 and Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the 1950s and 1960s. The following decade, about 188 properties were demolished to make way for the new Legacy Emanuel Hospital. About 158 of them were residential properties, Black people accounting for about 74% of residents. The displaced buildings also included 32 businesses and four churches or community organizations. The lawsuit claims residents were not adequately compensated, and some weren't compensated at all, after being intimidated by hospital representatives and told that the city would take their homes if they didn't leave willingly. In addition to the City of Portland, Prosper Portland and the hospital were all listed as defendants in the original complaint — but officials say Legacy Health settled their portion of the lawsuit late last year. Both the city and its economic development agency are still expected to dole out $1 million each to defendants. 'Portland's systemic discrimination and displacement harmed Black communities, by excluding them from homeownership and wealth-building opportunities; by denying them access to educational resources, jobs and healthy neighborhoods; and by perpetuating segregation, displacement, and harmful stereotypes through the zoning code, deeds and covenants, lending practices, public housing and urban renewal,' the agreement . FBI Portland addresses halted plan for mass shooting at Washington state mall Along with the payout, officials are Emanuel Displaced Persons Association 2 a 'static display' in the Keller Auditorium if it is renovated. The namesake of the neighboring Ira Keller Fountain led the urban renewal projects that impacted Black Portlanders decades ago, according to the city. The settlement could also direct the music venue to give a '10-year hiring preference' to descendants of the Albina district and establish an annual 'Descendants' Day', among other terms. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
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Uber urges Portland riders to take stance against proposed fee hikes
PORTLAND, Ore. () — The leading rideshare app is urging Portland customers to take a stance against potential fee hikes on the local and state levels. For some Uber users, a notification that read 'Say No to Higher Fares: The Portland City Council wants to increase your taxes on rideshare by 200%' popped up on their phones on Wednesday. Friends of Frog Ferry continues pushing for river transit along Portland metro area The app is responding to city leaders' proposal to increase the current 65-cent fee on rides booked through Uber, Lyft and similar rideshare platforms. that Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has suggested an updated fee of $1.30 per ride, while District 4 Councilor Mitch Green has suggested $2. 'This proposal would disproportionately affect those who rely on Uber for essential travel to work, school, and critical appointments, especially hitting low-income riders the hardest,' Uber wrote. 'At a time when Portlanders are already facing rising living costs, this additional tax burden, intended to balance the City's budget, could make everyday trips unaffordable for many.' According to proponents of the fee hikes, the additional revenue could help close while also funding services like road repairs and street cleaning. But the rideshare company also highlighted potential changes at the state level. would give drivers a minimum wage of $0.39 for each minute they are active on the app, $1.34 for each mile they drive and $6 per dispatched trip. The bill would also establish minimum paid sick time requirements and prevent companies from deactivating accounts without just cause, among other changes. Jury rules in favor of Black firefighter's racial discrimination case against City of Portland While Drivers Union Oregon has said the legislation could help struggling workers in the industry, Uber has suggested it would increase the cost of rides by 40%. The company has directed users to send state lawmakers an email, asking them to 'keep rideshare affordable.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Portland ranks among top 10 cities for best parks in the US
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Trust for Public Land released is 2025 ParkScore Index on Tuesday, ranking Portland among the top 10 cities in the nation with the best parks. The Trust for Public Land — a nonprofit that aims to create parks and protect public land — ranked park systems in the 100 most populous cities in the United States, noting the index is 'considered the gold standard for park evaluation.' For a third year in a row, Portland ranked among the top 10 cities on the list — claiming ninth for 2025. This also matches Portland's score for 2024. Portland City Council moves $2 million in City budget from police to parks 'Portland's ParkScore ranking was boosted by especially high scores for park access and park investment. Eighty-nine percent of Portland residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, well above the national ParkScore average of 76 percent,' Trust for Public Land said. The organization continued, 'Portland also remains among the national park investment leaders, spending $274 per person on its park system, more than double the national ParkScore average of $133. The city also outperformed on ParkScore's park acreage and park amenities rating factors.' The ParkScore ranking named Washington DC first on the list for the fifth consecutive year, followed by Irvine, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Cincinnati, Ohio and St, Paul, Minnesota. Esquire names 2 new Oregon hotels among the best in the world Rounding out the top 10 list: San Francisco, California; Arlington, Virginia; Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon and Denver, Colorado. 'Parks bring people together and deliver enormous physical and mental health benefits for visitors,' Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, president and CEO of Trust for Public Land, said. 'At a time when so much in our nation seems fractured or polarized, parks may be the last ideology-free zones, where everyone can come together, form meaningful relationships, and enjoy a few hours of peace and relaxation,' Hauser added. 'At Trust for Public Land, we will continue to work with park departments and leaders at all levels of government to realize the full community-building potential for parks.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
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Portland City Council approves $171.8 million school budget
May 19—The Portland City Council unanimously approved the $171.8 million school budget on Monday night, which will account for a 5.3% increase in the schools portion of the property tax rate. For the owner of a median-priced $500,000 home, the budget would raise property taxes by $210 per year. The budget approved on Monday is $28,000 higher than the budget Superintendent Ryan Scallon presented to the council's finance committee in March. Sarah Lentz, who chairs the Portland Board of Public Education, explained in a note to the council ahead of the meeting that when the budget was originally crafted the district had not yet received notice of the cost of employee medical premiums. At the time it was estimated that medical premium expenses would climb by 6%, but she said the district recently learned that the actual increase for medical premiums will be 9.6%, $350,969 more than was originally budgeted for. Additionally, she wrote that the board's decision in April to add the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr to the school holiday calendar will cost about $130,000. In order to keep the budget from skyrocketing the district opted to make reductions. The board eliminated the Multilingual Center's AmeriCorps contract, restructured the student enrollment process and adjusted two positions from full-time to four and three days a week, respectively. The school budget the council approved this year is about $10 million higher than the $161.4 million school budget approved last year and brings a smaller property tax increase than last time. In her note, Lentz wrote that special education, multilingual learners and early childhood capacity were budget priorities this year. New expenditures in the budget include $800,000 for kindergarten literacy staff and more than $1 million for new school and central office-based special education staff, based on an outside review of the district's special education programming There's also $200,000 for two music teachers, something educators and parents advocated for at the district's first budget workshop in February. The budget includes funding for a staff member to prepare the district for taking on early childhood special education — a response to a bill that passed in the Legislature last year transferring responsibility of providing services to 3- and 4-year-olds from Child Development Services to local school districts. That change takes effect in 2028. Several people spoke in favor of the budget during the public comment period. Gabriel Terraciano, a Grammy nominated violinist who attended Portland Public Schools, spoke in favor of the addition of new music teachers. "I'm a former PPS student and I'm a professional musician," he said. "There are so many things in my life that I can trace back to the music educators who I was around." Evan Smith, the parent of a child with an Individual Education Plan, said that while he supports the budget, the new investments in special education aren't enough. "There is a portion of this budget for special education that does not come close to meeting the needs of existing IEPs," he said. "It just doesn't come close." A few council members spoke during discussions, expressing support for the budget. Councilor Ben Grant, who previously served on the school board, urged other councilors to support the budget. "If we continue down this path to pass supportive budgets for the school system I think we can keep telling our neighbors this is the right place to be," he said. "I think schools should get a bajillion dollars but I appreciate the times we are in," said Councilor Anna Bullett. Councilor Regina Phillips emphasized the need for more investment in adult education programs in the future. "I just want us to remember how important our adult education program is and maybe next year really and truly look at that program with a fine tooth comb to make sure we're really and truly doing everything we can for our adult learners" The council also heard a first read of the $285 million general fund budget on Monday night, which is not expected to go to a vote until June 23. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City councilors strike down PGE's plan to axe portion of Forest Park trees
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Portland General Electric is no longer permitted to go forward with its plans to remove five acres of trees from a treasured urban park. During a meeting on Wednesday, Portland City Council voted to reverse a . Under one phase of the project, PGE planned to cut 376 Forest Park trees to make way for a new quarter-mile transmission line and upgrades on a pre-existing line. Chefs behind Portland's Cafe Olli tapped for Taste America series A Portland hearings officer approved the proposal in mid-March, despite the that it could negatively impact the park's plant and animal communities and it could increase wildfire risks. Forest Park Conservancy challenged the decision with an appeal it submitted to Portland Permitting & Development later in the month. City councilors in April, but their recent vote finalizes the move. In a statement to KOIN 6, PGE Vice President of Policy and Resource Planning Kristen Sheeran said the utility is considering an appeal of its own. 'The hard truth is that the need for the Harborton Reliability Project is unchanged, and the evidence is clear that this is the least impactful of all options to the environment, landowners, and costs ultimately borne by customers,' Sheeran added. 'We should expect City Council to share our commitment to providing reliable electricity to Portlanders, but no critical infrastructure process can be seriously addressed in only 15 minutes of testimony. The Council's process deserves serious reconsideration.' PHOTOS: Laurelhust Park tree goes up in flames early Thursday morning Although conservationists have argued the project will negatively impact Forest Park, the utility has contended that it would only prevent safety hazards from occurring. PGE has also claimed that the proposal ensures only a necessary amount of trees would be removed. But the utility failed to show data on how they would provide a 'material carbon reduction,' according to District 3 Councilor Angelita Morillo. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
