Councilor Morillo Newsletter

City of Portland, Oregon sent this bulletin at 03/31/2025 05:09 PM PDT

District 3 Councilor Angelita Morillo Banner

(She/They) Councilor.Morillo@portlandoregon.gov

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Just four months in and Councilor Angelita Morillo is already delivering on her campaign promises.

This month, we’ve seen major progress on two key issues: the Zenith Oil franchise agreement and the Algorithmic Price-Fixing Ordinance, which has successfully passed through The Homelessness and Housing Committee. Here’s what you need to know:

City Council Passes Resolution to Investigate Zenith Energy

On March 20^th, Portland City Council approved Councilor Green and Morillo’s resolution directing the City of Portland to investigate Zenith Energy’s operations and explore legal options to protect our community from continued fossil fuel expansion. This resolution, sponsored by Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane and Jamie Dunphy comes after years of public outcry over Zenith’s dangerous oil-by-rail operations and their disregard for the City’s climate policies.

This investigation marks a critical step in holding polluters accountable and ensuring that Portland lives up to its climate commitments. Our communities—especially those most impacted by environmental injustice—deserve transparency and action. We will keep you informed as the investigation unfolds.

Algorithmic Price Fixing Ordinance Heads to City Council

Corporate greed is increasingly driven by algorithmic price fixing models, which allow companies to inflate costs on essential goods and services with little oversight. In response, Portland City Council will soon consider an ordinance aimed at regulating algorithmic price fixing, ensuring that automated systems don’t artificially drive up prices for housing, groceries, and utilities.

This ordinance would make Portland one of many cities in the nation to take proactive steps against this form of economic exploitation.

This ordinance seeks to:

Prohibits landlords and property managers from using algorithmic tools to price fix rent costs.
Establishes penalties for violations, ensuring enforcement mechanisms to protect tenants.
Requires transparency in rent-setting practices, prevents the manipulation of rental markets.
Aligns with similar measures passed in cities like San Francisco and Philadelphia to curb predatory pricing tactics.

What’s Next? The Algorithmic Price Fixing Ordinance will be discussed in full council:

Date: April 2^nd

Time: 11:15am-12:30pm

We encourage community members to submit testimony and make their voices heard! If you or your organization want to provide public comment, now is the time to get involved.

These efforts demonstrate the power of advocacy and the importance of holding corporations accountable. We will continue pushing for policies that center the needs of the people, not corporate profits.

Stay engaged, stay informed, and let’s keep fighting for a better Portland.

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