Terry J. Harris

Breathing slightly easier?

The public meetings law amendments passed the Senate this afternoon, and it's headed to the Governor's desk.

The more I learn about city (and county) (capital) funds and budgets, the less I understand.

As I was saying...

No I don’t think this solves everything, and no I don’t think it’s necessary or wise to “eliminate” a vast sector of taxpayers, and no I don’t think this is the only tax lever available and that we should never change it. But we have soooo far to go

It's amazing what it says about income inequality that the math on this proposal actually works.

I'm going to watch it tomorrow. No spoilers

Dead, but a tiny fraction of a second later than they would have been under the old speed limit.

The proposed change from 45 to 40 is what got my attention

Another good day for Lori Chavez-DeRemer

How speed zone decisions are made In Oregon, most decisions regarding speed zones are made jointly by ODOT and the authority governing the road, such as a city or a county. ODOT has the responsibility to investigate roads for establishing new speed zones or changing posted speeds of existing speed zones. ODOT performs these investigations at the request of the road authority. If the recommended speed is of mutual agreement between ODOT and the local road authority, the speed zone is established. If mutual agreement cannot be reached, the speed zone decision is referred to the Speed Zone Review Panel. The panel receives testimony from ODOT, the local road authority, and interested parties and makes the final decision. The panel also serves as an advisory body to ODOT. The Oregon Speed Zone Review Panel is comprised of representatives from the Governor’s Transportation Safety Committee, the Oregon State Police, the Association of Oregon Counties, the League of Oregon Cities, and ODOT. Oregon Speed Zone Panel will review zone in Deschutes County

On March 17, the panel will consider one case. • A reduction in the speed limit from 45 mph to 40 mph on NW Helmholtz Way/SW Helmholtz Way in Deschutes County and the City of Redmond from NW Coyner Avenue to SW Canal Boulevard requested by the City of Redmond and Deschutes County.

INBOX: Oregon Speed Zone Panel will review zone in Deschutes County

Me: The what is doing what now?

My over/under is at least 12 will

Not *entirely* joking - but defining the term "largely committed" will take some time.

Prediction: this work session does not make it past the 7th slide

Home to the Portland Sneaker Library and Museum apparently.
cc: @zillowgonewild.bsky.social

So, this public meetings law legislation is moving. Passed the House yesterday 47-4, and it already looks like it'll be headed to the Senate floor today.
olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2026R1/M...

This is great news in a great North Idaho story

As Avalos pointed out at one point today, there's a planning session for the Council all day Saturday, and sincere good luck with all that, but they've really got to figure this stuff out.

The Committee of the Whole will help *somewhat* but if every legislative item needs to be funneled through a meeting like today's, this form of government can be declared failure.

A Council meeting that went waaaay over its time slot that covered maybe half of the work they were scheduled to do. Why? Because work wasn't done in committee, in part because councilors who should have participated in those committee meeting didn't.

Whether she knows it or not, Councilor Avalos is demonstrating this week that the Council needs to *commit* to a committee system like a normal city and that the current system isn't working.

Lengthy conversation about immigration legal services funds.

I might have more to say about that lengthy detour into fiasco in the Council meeting just now, but one thing that maybe they can fix when they come back -- I thought that Ordinance was going to have an emergency clause.

Yes but I’ve not seen to this extent. City Admin’r contracts will often contain negotiated termination clauses. But Portland seems to have a broad policy covering a lot of executive positions

Says who? The proposed charter amendment doesn't have language like that.

(This whole thing is *terribly* drafted for a charter. As I read it, "Budget Delegates" decide what's qualified or not. Who are they? How are they selected? How many are there?)

your2centspdx.com/1PDX2025-Ful...

By definition, I suppose. I'm just surprised that PCEF hard-liners would be okay with a 2% slice skimmed off for Y2C purposes.

I mean, I do understand that litigation of these things can be much worse, but *avoiding* litigation shouldn't be this automatic and this expensive.

Sincere apologies for the screenshot tweets, but buying out leadership is essentially a standing policy in the City of Portland.

Accountability to whom? Seems an election as an accountability mechanism for Republicans works all too well, but only in primary elections.

Looking forward to seeing @colorcoalition.bsky.social's 2% budget cut proposal to fund the new participatory spending program