And meetings to prepare for meetings. By the way, what is Portlandia's equivalent of cover sheets for the TPS reports?

Meetings give unnecessary staff in the newly created unnecessary bureaus something to do. The former mayor had many admirers.

But not if you need sidewalks to get to their meetings from the eastside.

Sidewalk equality? Westside project pushed forward while outer eastside braces for cut
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/03/sidewalk_equality_westside_pro.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Bring back District representation on City Council. This experiment is a catastrophic failure (unless you're all for raiding the public treasury to bag out money to your well-placed "friends").

East Side? Is that part of Portland?

Let me start off by saying urbanize green contexts, diagram algorithmic methodologies, score global communities, synergize eidetic membranes, mesh generative dynamic equilibria, utilize compelling drosscapes, diversify sectional microclimates, harness hyperbolic methodologies, map seamless peripheries, reintermediate viral dynamic equilibria, brand site-specific rhizomes.

Now, break off into groups of 2 and engineer bleeding-edge dynamic equilibria, diagram aleatoric equilibria, broadcast malleable thresholds, or, if you arrived late, differentiate post-fordist edges and capture productive strata.

Tell your partner how this makes you feel.

Pattern, - break into groups, go over material and decide in 1/2 hour to report decision?

They don't call it the "City that Meets" for nothin'

Has anyone ever made a count of how many meetings a week in our city?
In my view, people are overloaded with problems and meetings, and more meetings!!
If only we had elected officials being proper stewards on our behalf and trustworthy, we wouldn't need all these many meetings.
If only we had elected officials taking care of basics instead of focusing on every aspect of our society. Did we elect them to be Sociologists?

"One member asked how to deal with someone who takes up too much air time in the meeting. Kyle explained that Muna as facilitator(along
with Steering Committee members) will make sure that air time is shared equally and remind members to self‐monitor."

They obviously haven't read the manual:

Section 6.17.b.22 - If anyone takes up too much "air time" they will have a bag placed over their head so that no further air can be obtained.

I think John Lennon said, Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. Maybe they just really really like getting paid to go to meetings.

gibby nails it. And they stay "busy"going to these waste of time/money meetings.

Sounds like a mutual masturbation session - With pay.

Do these meetings have any goal?

To get grant money for "equity" meetings?

Don't forget meeting with the Bobs....

Pleasure's all on this side of this charrette.

The only thing worse than meetings are retreats. Bet there are a lot those as well.

I have never seen nothing described in so many words. I would like Muna's job.

This was all Sam Adams' idea, wasn't it?

I believe it was Nurse Amanda's baby.

Does anyone know if the city got grant money to open this Office of Equity?
Is there anyway of knowing how many dollars from outside the state, various organizations, foundations, come into the city for providing "special" services?

I give up! These people -- of a certain age I suppose -- never learned how to work. They just went to college and learned how to "manage." A lot of useless managing of each other to no good end, so they have to make up things that have NO value to real people except to irritate us with the outcomes. There is something to be said about the style of governance that didn't include so many managers of nothing! Dial it back about 30 years or more and cut some fat - start with everyone who shows up to these committee meetings.

An early reaction was you can't make this stuff up, but after reading both sets of minutes a second time, I think it is all made up...just look at their names...all fictional characters, like Muna, Dante, Kyle, Afifa, Carolina and Alejandro....not a Jim or Mary, Bill or Kathy, Bob or Susan among 'em (one Patricia....sounds real). This is all just a silly fairytale and the silly fairies are making this stuff up at their regular meetings. Oh so creative! It may be "art" and eligible for funding from the new arts tax...express mail your payment so that this fustercluck is sustainable and remains vibrant.

Just plain silly....but really inanely sad that this crap goes on.

If it were only the meetings we were paying for, but we end up paying dearly in our livability and then further with all these behavioral ways wanting to control and manage us.

You would think that Amanda Fritz, and the other commissioners would read the minutes of these meetings as posted and question the benefit of this Equity Bureau. There is validity in the comments/chiding made here.

Most people I know when critiques are made of their work, life, or whatever, consider, evaluate and respond to information given to them. I think with the governmental agencies around here we are working in a vacuum.

Nolo wrote: I give up! These people -- of a certain age I suppose -- never learned how to work.

This. It must be nice to have the time and energy to attend a bunch of me-too meetings. Some of us choose to get on with life, and find the endless process to be just another form of control. I'd rather walk my dog.

Veilorchild wrote: Let me start off by saying urbanize green contexts ...

This is right-on. It's only a game of smarty-pants one-upmanship. When everybody knows a buzzword, then you need to invent two more just to stay ahead of the crowd. I would only add one clause to that ramble:

"...and if we performed the dance correctly, you are now carrying my child."