Responding to Law Enforcement Presence at Community Events
As Council Vice President, I want to share my thoughts about the recent experiences of my colleagues, Councilor Morillo from District 3 and Councilor Kanal from District 2.
Councilors Morillo and Kanal had separate community events where they were surprised that law enforcement officers showed up. This occurred days after a heated Community and Public Safety Committee meeting. Councilor Morillo shared after the event that the officers present stood in the back of the room and did not interact with her or community members present.
I have had a variety of constituent coffees and community events where there has not been any law enforcement present. I understand that there are a lot of different perspectives and regardless of how this came about, the reality is that, no matter the intent, there was an impact.
I have shared some of my thoughts in this video and look forward to an ongoing conversation about how to build a network of safety and belonging for all Portlanders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0-UhKXgVzo
The Zenith Resolution
At this week’s Transportation & Infrastructure Committee session, I was proud to introduce a resolution regarding Zenith Energy alongside my fellow councilors Mitch Green, Angelita Morillo, and Jamie Dunphy. This resolution would place Zenith-related communications into the public record, call on Mayor Wilson to investigate violations of the Zenith franchise agreement, and urge the Auditor to conduct an investigation into the competing statements and arguments heard by Council on January 21st, 2025.
I share my constituents' questions and concerns about power, and who has access to play a role in our City government. I think this brings up important questions about who's able to directly intervene or play a role in City business and who is not.
This resolution is scheduled to come before the City Council next Wednesday, March 19th. You can sign up to testify on the Council agenda webpage here.
Sunnyside Field trip
On Tuesday, the Sunnyside Environmental School third grade students visited City Hall! They were able to watch part of the Arts and Economy Committee Meeting co-chaired by Councilors Mitch Green and Dan Ryan. The students were able to do a mock press conference with Councilor Kanal and ask questions about what it’s like to run a campaign, the day-to-day life of a City Councilor, and his favorite part of working in government. The students were able to meet staffers throughout the building, learn about the art that hangs in City Hall, and ask me questions about my time so far in office. Mayor Keith Wilson even did some card tricks and talked about joining the Sunnyside Bike Bus later this Spring. I look forward to the opportunity to host more students in the future. A huge thank you to the Mayor, the Councilors, and staffers who helped to put this together!
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