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(He/Him) councilor.dunphy@portlandoregon.gov

Bluesky @councilordunphy Instagram @councilorjamiedunphy

A Message from Councilor Dunphy:

Hi Friend,

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means for the City of Portland to be a good partner, to our communities, our small businesses, and the organizations that make this city vibrant and livable. For too long, our local government has been seen as more of an obstacle than an ally. That has to change. My goal is to make it so that Portland City Hall clears the path for progress, rather than clogs it. Whether it's reforming and streamlining our permitting systems, cleaning up outdated and conflicting codes, supporting our music and nightlife economy, or expanding access to our parks for community-led events and programming, my team is actively developing policy that puts trust back into the relationship between Portlanders and their government.

We’re working to help Portland find our north star again by developing policy that’s collaborative, creative, and grounded in the real experiences of the people who live here. As a former small business owner, I’m deeply invested in making the permitting environment better for our small businesses and builders, and I am excited about empowering neighbors through frameworks like tactical urbanism: small-scale, low-cost improvements that make our streets safer and more welcoming. From East Portland to the Central City, I want Portlanders to have the tools and support to create the kinds of public spaces and community activations that reflect our vibrant local cultures. 

I’m also paying close attention to economic challenges facing our neighborhoods, especially the looming closures of key grocery stores in East Portland. These stores are more than just retail: they’re essential pieces of the community’s health, food access, medication, clothing, and identity. We are about to see a worsening food desert crisis in East Portland. I’ve begun working with the Mayor’s Office, my fellow D1 Councilors, and our Economic Development teams to explore immediate and long-term solutions. We can and must build a city that listens, responds, and acts. That’s the promise of this new era in Portland government, and I’m proud to be part of making it real.

Policy Preview:

On June 25th, I was proud to bring forward and pass a long-overdue update to Portland’s noise code, and even prouder that it passed unanimously, with such strong support from my colleagues that they amended it on the spot to take effect immediately as an emergency ordinance. This reform cleans up outdated and conflicting rules by removing Title 14 noise provisions and returning all enforcement to Title 18, creating a single, consistent standard. It ensures that musicians, venues, neighbors, and small businesses all know what to expect: using objective decibel readings when available, and an accountable "plainly audible" standard as a fallback. Just as importantly, this ordinance makes noise violations civil, not criminal, supporting a fairer and more equitable enforcement process. With these changes, Portland is striking a better balance between vibrant nightlife and livable neighborhoods right in time for the summer music season.

As part of my work on the Governance committee, I am bringing forward a new concept for City Council’s committees. My proposal will lower the number of standing policy committees to 4, in addition to a “committee-of-the-whole” that works on issues that are central to the work of council like the budget and governance. This consolidation compliments the effort to bring back WEEKLY City Council hearings so we can actually get the work done. Portland needs us to act with urgency. These concepts will be developed in upcoming work sessions at the end of July and beginning of August so all my council colleagues can collaborate on Governance solutions and improvements to our current process.

Dunphy in the Community:

At the recent Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing listening session on July 23, community members and city staff gathered to confront the devastating in‑custody death of Damon Lamar Johnson. My Joint Chief of Staff, Amani Kelekele, bravely shared his experience of watching the body‑worn camera footage. This was a completely preventable tragedy. Just a few minutes after three police officers began interacting with Mr. Johnson, who was clearly in crisis, he was restrained facedown on the floor, became unresponsive, and died.

I want to be clear: this death was not a tragic accident. It was a failure of our system to respond with compassion, de‑escalation, and the tools our community needs for mental health crises. Portland is still under a Department of Justice Settlement based on patterns of force used against people in mental health crisis, and this incident deepens the urgency to fully implement systems like Portland Street Response and rethink when, and whether, armed officers should be the first responders.

To hear more, you can watch my full statement on my Instagram page, where I address what happened, what must change, and how we will hold our systems accountable: Instagram.com/councilorjamiedunphy

Portland Community College recently announced the closure of three degree programs, including the Music & Sonic Arts program. Our music and art industries need a pipeline of new professionals to be trained for that often highly technical work. Without them, we can never be the music and arts city we know we are.

To help spread public awareness, the Portland Community College Faculty Federation and Academic Professionals (PCCFFAP), the union representing faculty at Portland Community College, hosted a Stop the Cuts rally at the Cascade Campus on July 17th. Their mission? To help preserve our local community college degree options.

At the rally, our office heard from a host of diverse individuals who will be personally affected by these losses. This is a tight knit community of musicians who found each other thanks to this program, which is really one of the best parts of going to a community college. Now, that’s at risk.

Moving forward, the PCCFFAP is seeking to bring other impacted voices to upcoming PCC board meetings. They are open to the public, so you don’t have to be a student to attend. You can find information on the board meetings here. As of now, the next board meeting is set for August 21st, but check back on the page for any updates.

You can also follow PCCFFAP on Instagram @_pccffap_ for updates. They have a petition against the cuts in their bio, which can be signed here. Together, we can help show the board how important music is to Portland.

Opportunities of the Month:

Small Business Repair/Restore Grant Applications Now Open!

Need help repairing damage from break-ins or vandalism? You may be eligible for up to $25,000 in reimbursement for eligible physical repairs and insurance premium increases through the newly relaunched Local Small Business Expanded Repair/Restore Grant Program.

• Reopened: July 21, 2025
• Previously awarded over 1,100 grants totaling nearly $4M; program relaunched with $1M new funding from Portland’s FY24‑25 budget 

Please read the details of the program to see if your ground floor, customer facing business can qualify for one of these grants.

Help Shape a Safer Portland — Join the Vision Zero Study Committee

Portland’s Vision Zero plan was created to eliminate traffic deaths, but progress has been uneven—especially in East Portland. Vision Zero is launching a new Study Committee to examine what’s working, what’s not, and what alternatives might better move us toward zero traffic fatalities.

Participants will explore the effectiveness of current strategies and evaluate evidence-based policy alternatives. Key questions include: Are current policies being implemented and enforced? What more aggressive or effective strategies could accelerate progress? And how should Vision Zero balance safety goals with environmental impacts, emergency response, and freight movement?

No special expertise is needed: just a commitment to learning, critical thinking, and collaborative dialogue. We welcome applications from community members of all backgrounds who are ready to help Portland reimagine a safer future on our streets. Apply now to be part of the conversation.