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Over the last two months, we have taken several steps to implement the Oregon Transportation Commission’s (OTC) direction on the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project. To date we’ve:
- Established a project Executive Steering Committee and sent invitations to members. OTC Vice Chair Alando Simpson will chair the Executive Steering Committee and Dr. Steven Holt, owner of Try Excellence LLC, will serve as the lead consultant for and facilitate this committee.
- Established a Community Advisory Committee (CAC). (See more on the committee below.)
- Started the selection process for a third-party firm to evaluate highway cover design options.
The OTC also approved submitting a Cost to Complete Report to the Legislature.
In response to Governor Kate Brown’s directive to cancel large group meetings and events in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) announced on Friday that it would postpone its March 20 meeting until April 2. Further, the meeting will be by teleconference rather than in person to reduce the threat of exposing Oregonians to the coronavirus.
During its April 2 meeting, the OTC will receive updates on the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project and provide information to ODOT regarding the project’s environmental review. Due to the changes in timing and format of the OTC meeting and to ensure access for anyone who would like to provide public testimony on the Rose Quarter Improvement Project or other agenda items, ODOT is opening a two week public comment period beginning Monday, March 16, 2020 and continuing through 5 p.m. PDT on Friday, March 27, 2020. For more information, see here.
Together with project partners, we have selected the 24 members of the CAC after a recruitment process that drew more than 150 interested applicants. Thank you to everyone who applied to join the committee.
The committee members represent diverse perspectives, including historic ties to the project area and community. Members will advise the project team and a steering committee including elected officials and other community-based representatives. They also will serve as liaisons between the CAC and their networks.
To ensure diverse perspectives are represented on the CAC, we sent notice of the open call for applications to communities throughout the project area in a variety of ways. Learn more about how members were recruited and selected and about the diverse applications we received.
Committee members are:
- David Anchel
- Brad Baker, Eliot Neighborhood Association
- Pastor Craig Brown, St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church
- Steve Cackley
- Andrew J. Campbell, REACH
- Robert S. Carroll, Columbia Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council
- Natasha Coleman
- Clint Culpepper, Portland State University
- Cleo Davis
- Liz Fouther-Branch
- Jasmine Gadie
- Tristan Isaac, Bus Riders Unite
- Jon Isaacs, Portland Business Alliance
- Saumya Kini
- Olivia Lufkin, Portland Public School Student
- Bianca Montás
- Brett Morgan, 1000 Friends of Oregon
- Christopher John O’Connor
- Shannon Olive, WomenFirst Transition and Referral Center
- Shawn Penney
- Carolyn Stoudamire
- Jenny Taylor, Go Lloyd
- Claire Vlach, Oregon Walks
- Diane E. Williams
Christine Moses will facilitate the committee. Christine is founder and chief executive officer of Buffalo Cloud Consulting, which provides equity and inclusion coaching, facilitation and consulting, as well as community engagement and communications services.
The project team has heard from the community about the importance of continued public engagement and the committee is one example of how the project will seek community input, further expand opportunities for the public to engage, and bring community interests and values into the decision-making process. As the project moves forward, we will demonstrate and communicate how the committee’s input informs project decisions.
After much reflection, due to community health concerns around Coronavirus (COVID-19) the CAC in-person meet and greet originally scheduled for March 18, 2020 will be rescheduled as an on-line meet and greet. This will allow the CAC to begin important conversations and build relationships, while being respectful of public health concerns. We are working with CAC members to confirm the meeting schedule. The meet and greet will offer an opportunity for CAC members to meet each other and provide input on their vision for the Project. The on-line event will be open to the public. Stay tuned and check the Project website for updates and more details.
For ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) or Civil Rights Title VI accommodations, translation/interpretation services, or more information call 503-731-4128, TTY 800-735-2900 or Oregon Relay Service 7-1-1.
¿Habla usted español? Podemos proporcionar la información de esta publicación en español, por favor llame al 503-731-4128.
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