Budget Amendments
It’s budget time, and today was the deadline for Councilors to submit their amendments. Some of the amendments I am championing include:
Building Towards an Age-Friendly Portland
As part of my efforts to make Portland a better place to grow up and grow older, I am proposing the restoration of a position to coordinate age-friendly programming, and to save Portland Parks and Recreation personal trainers that support health and mobility for older adults, people with disabilities, neighbors on limited incomes, and other vulnerable community members.
Protecting Our Tree Canopy
Cuts have brought tree permitting staff numbers from 37 to 12 in one year, which risks causing more unpermitted tree removals, more canopy loss, development bottlenecks, and a failure to meet legal mandates. My amendment would restore 14 of these positions.
Fighting for Human Rights
I am proposing an amendment to restore staff to the Office of Equity in response to civil rights attacks from the federal administration, and to pause positional realignments until the newly-hired Chief Equity Officer position can review them. This amendment preserves equity training, civil rights enforcement, and auditor capacity to protect fairness, accessibility, and accountability.
Funding Tribal Summit
I am proposing a one-time allocation of funds to the Office of Government Relations’ Tribal Relations Program to ensure the FY26–27 Tribal Summit Convening is adequately resourced. The City should engage meaningfully with Tribal Nations and uphold our responsibilities while demonstrating the City’s commitment to honoring historic obligations.
The next step of this process is hearing from the community! You can testify at the Council meeting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, May 18 in person, online, or by submitting written testimony. The full agenda can be found here. You can also share this message and get others involved. Thank you for being part of this process!
 Age-Friendly Pre-Gavel
At Wednesday’s City Council meeting, Council President Jamie Dunphy and I co-sponsored a Pre-Gavel event celebrating May as Older Americans Month, and promising supportive legislation to come soon. A huge thank you to the many supporters and advocates who came to City Hall, including the Raging Grannies who treated us all to a wonderful performance as people were entering Council Chambers! Inside, I read a proclamation on behalf of the mayor that not only proclaimed May to be older Americans Month, but highlighted the importance of older adults to our community. As I noted above, I want Portland to be a great place for people to grow and grow older.
 Remembering Cayle Tern
We are at a loss for words over the sudden passing of Cayle Tern.
Cayle gave so much to our communities — through his advocacy, his compassion, and his deep commitment to young people, immigrant families, and equity. His leadership touched so many across Oregon, and his absence will be deeply felt.
Cayle Tern served on the Reynolds School Board and was a leader with APANO, APICCO, and many other groups serving and advocating for immigrant families, equity, food justice, and community leadership.
Last summer at the AAPI LEAD conference, we had the chance to spend time with Cayle, reflecting on leadership, community, and the responsibility we carry as Asian Americans in public service. We are grateful for that moment and for Cayle’s life. We honor the gifts Cayle shared with us and the example he set for future generations. We are holding his family, loved ones, and the many communities he served in our hearts.
May we all continue his work with the same care, courage, and commitment he brought every day.
-from Councilors Tiffany Koyama Lane and Sameer Kanal
 Rose City Park Walk Bus
Nothing like a nice walk on a Wednesday morning to get to school with friends and enjoy our beautiful spring weather! It was a treat to start my day with Rose City Park Elementary School students who, thanks in part to a grant from Oregon Walks, get to join the Walk Bus three times a week for a safe and relaxed trip to school.
 Spring Bikeapalooza at Arleta
A huge thank you to the volunteers who made Arleta Elementary School’s Spring Bikeapalooza a success! Last Friday afternoon I enjoyed the neighborhood ride, bike safety checks, skills course, and other activities that were part of this fun event. Helping kids and families feel more confident and comfortable on bikes makes our streets safer and communities stronger.
Portland For All Moda Center Discussion
I’ve been extremely vocal about a fair, transparent, and accountable process for Portlanders regarding the Moda Center deal. I am concerned about not only the use of public funds, but about creating better processes and more ethical governance. There are many precedents for public-private arena projects, and elected officials must negotiate a long-term deal that benefits the community. I’ll be joining Edan Krolewica of Rip City Not Rip Off to discuss the negotiations in a webinar from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 27. You can RSVP for the event here.
City Insights Survey Starting
The City is beginning a third biennial Insights Survey next week. Invitations will be sent to 16,000 Portland households, and the survey will remain open through early August. The survey helps the City learn more about Portlanders’ experiences, priorities, and perceptions of City services and community well-being. Findings will be available in early 2027, and you can read the 2024 Insight Survey Executive Report and the key highlights.
Black Climate Resilience Survey
The Kijani Collective is conducting a survey about how the Black community in Portland experiences and prepares for climate-related events, such as extreme heat, extreme cold and freezing conditions, and poor air quality. The survey is intended to identify community needs and ways to prepare for future climate challenges. Black-identifying adults 18 and older living in Portland are invited to take the 10-15 minute, confidential survey here.
Block Party Permits
Nothing says summer and community like a block party! The Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Block Party program offers free permits and information to help plan neighborhood-scale gatherings. You can find more information and resources at their webpage.
Woodstock Pantry Volunteers Needed
The Woodstock Pantry, 4033 SE Blvd, is looking for volunteers for Friday and Saturday shifts this summer. Duties include: 7 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Oregon Food Bank truck unloading; 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, sorting and general set-up; and 11 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Fridays and Saturday, distributing food and providing customer service. They especially would appreciate translators who speak Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, or Spanish. For more information please email Leslie at leslie.woodstock.pantry@gmail.com.
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