 Dear Neighbors,
As we close out another impactful week at City Hall, I’m reflecting on the power of partnership, across committees, across districts, and across the community we all serve. Whether we are advancing housing stabilization efforts, strengthening public safety coordination, or championing economic opportunity, the work is rooted in one shared belief: East Portland deserves thoughtful leadership and tangible results.
Thank you for staying engaged, for raising your voices, and for continuing to shape a stronger, more resilient District 1. I’m grateful to serve you, and I look forward to building on this momentum together.
– Councilor Loretta Smith
Portland City Council – District 1
 Last Week in City Council:
Key Highlights
 City Council Highlights
December 11, 2025
This week’s City Council meeting included key actions that will shape how the City moves forward on leadership, operations, and design policy. My focus remains on ensuring these decisions support transparency, equity, and responsible governance for every Portland neighborhood, especially here in District 1.
Appointment of City Administrator
Council unanimously adopted a resolution to appoint Raymond C. Lee III as Portland’s first long-term City Administrator. This historic hire creates a stable leadership role focused on managing city bureaus, overseeing day-to-day operations, and ensuring coordinated service delivery across departments, a critical step for city efficiency and accountability going forward.
Human Resources & City Operations
We passed emergency ordinances authorizing an employment agreement with the new City Administrator and ratified key collective bargaining agreements, including for employees of the Independent Police Review and the Bureau of Emergency Communications (911). These decisions strengthen the workforce that underpins our city services and help retain skilled professionals.
Design Review Reform Study
Council adopted a resolution directing the City Administrator to prepare a report recommending reforms to the design review process. This work aims to identify ways to streamline housing and development review, reduce unnecessary delays, and better align the design process with community needs and housing goals.
Arts & Economy Committee Meeting
Last week during the Arts & Economy Committee, we received an exciting presentation on the upcoming Portland Winter Light Festival, a signature event that sparks creativity, brings joy during the darker months, and drives much-needed economic activity across the city.
I shared my appreciation for the festival’s impact and raised an important question:
How do we ensure East Portland is included and visible in citywide cultural activations?
District 1 residents consistently ask for more arts programming and public events east of 205. I emphasized the need for intentional outreach, wayfinding, marketing, and participation opportunities that help the festival feel accessible to all Portlanders, not just those near the central city.
I look forward to future conversations about expanding arts access and ensuring District 1 is part of Portland’s cultural footprint.
Community & Public Safety Committee Meeting
Last week’s meeting focused on issues that are central to my priorities on Council, public safety, crisis response, and responsible governance. I wanted to share a few key updates from my perspective.
4/5ths Request: Portland Police Expansion Cost (PPEC)
During our discussion of a possible ballot measure involving Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) dollars and police staffing, I emphasized the need for full transparency before anything goes to voters.
I believe Portlanders deserve clear information about recruitment goals, long-term staffing needs, and the true costs associated with any proposal, especially one that would significantly repurpose funds intended to support frontline communities. My request to temporarily suspend the rules was rooted in my commitment to ensure voters have the facts before making such a consequential decision.
Appointment of Portland Street Response Committee Members
I was proud to advance a strong, diverse slate of nominees to the Portland Street Response Advisory Committee. These members bring lived experience, clinical expertise, and deep community ties, exactly the kind of insight we need to strengthen our crisis-response system.
I remain committed to expanding trauma-informed, culturally responsive alternatives to traditional first response, and I believe this group will help us move that work forward with care and accountability.
Data & Privacy Office Proposal
Alignment, Timing, and Fiscal Responsibility
We also reviewed an ordinance to create a new City Data & Privacy Office and a related resolution directing the City Administrator to advance that work. While I fully support the goal of strengthening our data protections, I raised several concerns about timing and alignment with our current budget reality.
With the administration directing bureaus to identify 20% expense reductions, I questioned whether we can responsibly build a new office right now. I also asked whether an ad-hoc task force might achieve the same objectives with fewer costs, and whether we have fully understood the potential impacts on public safety bureaus like PPB.
For me, the issue is not the destination, it’s the path. I want us to pursue strong data governance in a way that matches our fiscal capacity and our organizational readiness.
Housing & Homelessness Committee
My Testimony on the “Slow the Inflow” Resolution
 Pictured: Testifying on the "Slow the Inflow" Resolution
During the Housing & Homelessness Committee hearing, I offered strong testimony in support of the Slow the Inflow Resolution, a measure I believe is one of the most urgent and impactful actions we can take as a council.
I stated clearly that preventing homelessness must be our top priority, because month after month we see more Portlanders falling into homelessness than we can house. I shared that homelessness is not inevitable, it is the product of systems that fail people when they need support the most.
With nearly $21 million available, I argued that we cannot continue to rely on outdated incentives or wait for another budget cycle while thousands of families are on the brink. I highlighted the unacceptable reality that nearly 2,000 affordable units sit vacant while so many people sleep outside or cycle through shelters.
I emphasized that this resolution offers real, immediate stabilization by assisting tenants in small, family-owned rentals, keeping families housed, supporting small landlords, and strengthening neighborhood stability.
And I made it clear that every delay pushes more people into crisis. This work is about dignity, fairness, and the fundamental belief that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
I closed by urging my colleagues to move with urgency and compassion, and I expressed gratitude for Councilor Avalos’ leadership and Councilor Dunphy’s partnership in bringing this forward.
Pictured (left to right): Councilor Jamie Dunphy and Councilor Candace Avalos, my District 1 colleagues.
Community Engagement
1803 Fund Holiday Gala
  I was honored to speak at the 1803 Fund press conference, where CEO Rukaiyah Adams announced nearly $70 million in real estate investments to revitalize the historic Albina neighborhood.
The investment includes major redevelopment in The Low End, the cultural heart of Black Portland, as well as the transformation of the former grain silos into Albina Riverside, a future civic and cultural space reconnecting our community to the river.
As a child with deep roots in Albina, seeing this vision come to life feels like witnessing the future we’ve been waiting for, one grounded in restoration, belonging, and generational possibility. I’m proud to celebrate Rukaiyah’s leadership and the 1803 Fund’s commitment to building a lasting, community-centered legacy.
Team Smith at the Oregon Business Plan Leadership Summit
  Team Smith was honored to attend this year’s Oregon Business Plan Leadership Summit, where leaders from across the state gathered under the theme “At a Crossroads.” It was a powerful reminder that Oregon has faced big challenges and yet, our resilience continues to define us.
The Summit brought together business, civic, and elected leaders who are deeply committed to strengthening our state’s economic future. Conversations centered on the issues that matter most to Oregonians: stable jobs, housing affordability, workforce development, and building a more equitable economy that works for everyone.
Standing in a room full of people who care this deeply about Oregon’s future was energizing. I’m grateful for the hard-working leaders who continue to show up, collaborate, and push for solutions that lift our communities, especially in moments where the path forward requires courage and clarity.
Oregon has always found its way through challenge by working together and this Summit was a powerful reflection of that shared commitment.
(NAMC) Oregon “Building Bridges and Crossing Barriers” Annual Holiday Celebration.
I had the honor of attending the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) Oregon “Building Bridges and Crossing Barriers” annual holiday celebration. It was inspiring to celebrate the contractors, workforce partners, and community leaders who are expanding opportunity and strengthening equity in the trades. I’m grateful for their continued commitment to supporting minority-owned businesses, and I look forward to deepening this work together in the year ahead.
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