Moved.
Postponed.

What do you expect when the cockroaches smell $90 million of taxpayer money? (They can't let it go for the low income people in Lents, can they?)

Thanks
JK

I was walking near Tabor and the woman who fights city hall on covering the reservoirs says that isn't over either.

Same dynamic: Corporate interests getting paid for endless meetings against citizen volunteers.

I'm curious: why does the neighborhood have to abide by the city's schedule?

Why can't they simply hold a meeting, cast a vote, and send the results (with a clear letter) to the city?

I'd videotape it, too, and send that to City Council.

You bring up such an important point, Jack. The pro side is paid to fight for this. But I've been working on this on my lunch breaks, rushing across town from my Hillsboro office to go to meetings... tonight's my first weeknight this month that I've been sitting at home doing nothing -- except for that press release I sent out an hour ago.

And the sad part is I haven't spent half the time as some other opponents, folks who have been canvassing neighborhoods, picking up supplies... this has been a tough volunteer effort.

So I'm glad it's paying off by a delay of the meeting, but it's bittersweet, because I was kind of hoping they'd just vote to kill it tomorrow and I could have my summer back.

From my experience with neighborhood involvement, most times when a vote has been delayed by the city, ONI, or developer interests (it has for several weeks), it is because THEIR interests are on the losing side. In this case it seems obvious that Lents URAC isn't falling into Sam, Randy, and Paulson's sphere, especially if you remember that Paulson said several months ago that he needed a decision back in April.

A URAC has the ability to take a vote at anytime, even if Chairman Potter using all the Robert Rules of Order shenanigans try to deny a vote. But maybe the URAC as a whole is becoming more aware of the failings of the plan as it affects their urban renewal area over time, and Paulson buying a tree or two, offering 5000 sq. ft. of park somewhere else and free lollipops for the little league isn't cutting it.

This all reminds me of how Sam used all kinds of tricks to deny Dozono any advantages to run a campaign against him.

It's not just the corporate types Bill, many City workers are in on these takings of public land. They create confusion and so many simultaneous distractions or processes, that citizens cannot keep up with it all. They have to work and raise families.

See the disposition policy just approved in April by PPR in which they claim the city owns Park land and not the Bureau. What of all those donated and gifted parcels? Deeds, covenants, restrictions, etc... are just inconvenient details.

According to PPR all they do is manage those facilities and properties.

So why then would any disposition policy be required? What would they be disposing of, responsibility for management?

And if a facility does reach the end of its useful value, why sell the land? it lasts,... well three Billion years.

Another recent example was the swap of McCall's valued at approx. $2M, for 1.8 acres of BWW property at Mt Tabor Park with an assessed value of $35k. Beyond the obvious inequity in valuation, now PPR will redevelop MT Tabor Central Yard and build on Water property which according to the City attorney can only be used for the water system or water works.

Is subsidizing the Rose festival, while well intended, a component of that water system?
Is developing Parks facilities on Water land consistent with that policy and opinion?

Further, if BWW decided to sell McCall's they would realize the gain and what was once public property would no longer benefit that public except for the $3-4 credit to the ratepayer ledger from BWW. The public is the clear loser in these privatizations anyway you look at it.

I would ask how a revenue Bureau can trade responsibility only and not tile with a non revenue Bureau?
No one could or would answer that, not the auditor, general services, Council staff, not PPR, nor Water, not Drummond K, no one.

If any disposition of Park property took place, proceeds would go to the general fund. If by water, then back to rate payers. So there is no justification for any PPR or for that matter PPS sale of land.
How can "operational management" responsibilities only be swapped?

Council just today approved a contract for the Powell Butte portion of bypassing Mt Tabor with a new distribution system, for no good reason I can see(zero crypto in a large study just completed, again) and at a cost of approx $800 M not calculating interest which would then double that.

There is a Council work session with PURB tomorrow if anyone wants to attend or tune in. They discuss whether we should build filtration or UV treatment in the Bull Run, either of which will disturb the soils and create the sediment they are trying so hard to avoid contaminating our water with... Ironic...

BTW Where is Comm Fish when citizens need him to stand up for Lents Park in a visible way?

Where is Zari? are they relegated to simply adding up the costs for damages and compensation for the taking?
Position letters are fine, but real leadership and rallying citizens is what is needed.

Repeat, postpone, reschedule, re-do, and then do it again till the PDC gets what it wants. They just wear everybody down.
Same old, same old...
Liars, crooks and thieves, still in their dens...

What a joke.
Today's O editorial disses the city for not previously having an "economic development stategy", then gives praise to the PDC for coming up with one?
Ironicly, one that calls for 10,000 jobs.
(but not biotech jobs)

Give me a break.

First of all the O editorial board has suported every single hair brained boondoggle the city council has generated. Including the farce of Portland becoming a biotech cluster producing 10,000 research jobs if the Tram is built.

Second, the PDC has less credibility than any other institution in sight. Anything thay come up with has rarely has any supporting documentation or justification and has repeatedly thrown good money after bad in chasing the same pipe dreams that fail over and over again.

Third, the new "strategy" is nothing but tired status quo labels and missions with a new wrapper.

Forth, delusion continues as the editorial declares Portland to be the national leader in sustainability.

And finally, I swear, the editorial board has no memory. Their advice, for years, has supported and contributed to the many wrong directions pursued. For them to now pretend otherwise as they advise more of the same mascarading as somethig new is laughable.

Oh geez, sorry for not fixing typos.

My supposition:

Zari is in on it. She's probably supplying hinky info to somebody, hoping to angle yet another legacy project to spend brazillions of park program dollars on, and pitch more taxpayer funds to the Walsh machine.

Oh...

Watch the shells carefully, folks. Keep your eye on the pea.

I've decided that I would support Merritt Paulson and his corporation building, and gifting to the city, a new AA baseball field at the former horse track in Delta Park.

Indeed, I think he should be encouraged to build a professional quality stadium, to potentially entice a big-time team....but it must be gifted to and owned by the City of Portland, and the taxpayers never pay a cent for it.

That I could go for.

That would also be a public-spirited and civic-minded thing for them to do.

Nobelesse oblige, y'know....

Welcome to the new democracy. Fake public input and private backdoor deals. All of these public shills are so full of themselves, they actually believe they are making their own decisions, while being completely manipulated by the big money folks.

The Construction mafia in Portland have pretty much been in control since the late 70s. Recipe for Big Bucks: 1) Government Shills condemn old Portland, 2) Grant your Construction friends the contract, 3) Put up new shiny (but cheap) Portland, 4) Donate to Public Shill's election, 5)Repeat.