Opening for Citizen-at-Large on the Noise Review Board

We recently received an e-mail from the city about an opportunity to serve on the Noise Review Board. Read on for details.

Portland’s volunteer Noise Review Board currently has a  position the City is looking to fill.  One seat is open for a “Citizen at Large” community representative on the board.

The Board is comprised of five members including:  three citizen at large positions, a representative from the construction industry, and a professional in the field of acoustics.  Appointments to the volunteer Noise Review Board are made for a three-year period.

The Noise Review Board normally meets once a month on the second Wednesday evening of the month.  The Board is charged with making decisions on Noise Variances for projects that range from nighttime construction projects to large outdoor concerts.  The Board also works to develop long term objectives for achieving reduction of sound levels in the community.

If you have further questions regarding the Noise Review Board, contact the City’s Noise Control Officer, Paul van Orden at (503) 823-5829.  Interested parties are encouraged to file an official application for the City of Portland Noise Review Board and attend a Noise Review Board meeting (next scheduled meeting is February 8th, 2012 at 6 PM).  Applications can be acquired from the City’s Office of Neighborhood Involvement.   Completed applications should be filed by no later than Friday February 15, 2012 .

For applications please see the web at:
http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?c=38616

Or contact:
Kathy Couch, Office of Neighborhood Involvement
1221 SW 4th Ave Suite 110  Portland, Oregon 97204
Phone: (503)-823-3992    E-mail: kathy.couch@portlandoregon.gov

 

BCA Awarded SE Uplift Neighborhood Small Grant for Summer Picnic

The BCA recently learned that we were awarded a SE Uplift Neighborhood Small Grant to help fun our third annual Summer Picnic in the Park this coming August:

3rd Annual Buckman Picnic in the Park, Buckman Community Association. Amount funded:   $2000.
The Buckman Community Association plans to host its 3rd Annual Picnic in the Park.  The goal of the event is to introduce the association board to new and diverse community members, strengthen existing Buckman community ties and to provide a free and fun venue for neighbors from varied backgrounds to meet and build relationships.  Funds will support publicity, entertainment, refreshments and other event related costs.

http://www.southeastuplift.org/content/2012-neighborhood-small-grant-recipients

 

Free Notarization for Objections to the Proposed Buckman Historic District

As you may have heard by now, the Buckman Historic Association is preparing an application to have portions of the Buckman neighborhood designated as a National Historic District. You can read more about it at these links:

• Buckman Historic Association home page: http://www.visitahc.org/content/buckman-historic-district
• Article about the proposed district on OregonLive.com: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/12/southeast_portlands_buckman_ne.html
• Post on the Portland Architecture blog: http://chatterbox.typepad.com/portlandarchitecture/2011/11/getting-history-and-fees-right-in-irvington.html

Some neighbors are opposed to the Historic District designation, for reasons primarily based around the design review process and associated fees that would come with it.

Neighbors who wish to register their objection to the application must submit a notarized objection form. Buckman resident Greg Moulliet is hosting a notary at his home tomorrow, Saturday, January 14th, for anyone who wants to come by, fill out an objection form, and have it notarized. You can find more details and a link to Greg’s website below.

(NOTE: In order to stop the proposed Historic District, 50% of Buckman property owners + 1 must submit a notarized objection form. So, if this is something you feel strongly about, be aware that every objection counts!)

http://keepbuckmanfree.org

Saturday January 14, 2012
From Noon to 4PM
1524 SE Ash St

Change in City E-mail Addresses

For anyone who regularly communicates with city employees via e-mail, read on for some recent changes:

I’m sure most of you are aware of the fact that the City of Portland government e-mail addresses have changed and now use the new format:

Firstname.Lastname@portlandoregon.gov

What you may not have known is that up until December 1, 2011 the old city e-mail addresses (for example, @ci.portland.or.us) would forward, but after 12/1/11 they no longer do. So at this point it is very important to make anyone attempting to communicate with city staff via e-mail are aware of the new e-mail addresses. We encourage you all to spread the word concerning this to any persons or groups that you know of that communicate with the city in this way.

Below is an announcement that we posted on our ONI Website that you may wish to use all of or part of if you want to help us get the word out to interested parties you may be aware of.

UPDATE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS BOOKS:

City of Portland e-mail address changes now in effect

Starting Dec. 1, 2011, City of Portland government e-mail addresses now use the format:

Firstname.Lastname@portlandoregon.gov

Examples of the old e-mail addresses that no longer work include addresses that end in:

• ci.portland.or.us
• trans.ci.portland.or.us
• portlandpolice.org
• pdxtrans.org

The City of Portland starting using the new e-mail address format in March 2010, but still allowed messages in the old address format to be received during a long transition period (March 2010 through November 2011).

UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS BOOKS

Individuals and neighborhood and community organizations that send emails to City of Portland leaders and staff should check their address books and e-mail distribution lists and update any addresses that still are in the old format.

Example:  One neighborhood district organization sends out a monthly e-newsletter through Constant Contact. After December 1, they found that all their mailings to city staff were bouncing back.

Update the City of Portland e-mail addresses in your address book to be sure your communications get through!

John R. Dutt
City/County Information and Referral Manager
503-865-2625

Occupy Portland Open House, Friday January 13th

We’ve got new neighbors in Buckman: Occupy Portland! We recently received the following e-mail from Gregory Sotir, who’s with the organization:

Hi there,

Occupy PDX has set up a new office space in your neighborhood, at the St. Francis community use building. We would love to see some of our neighbors there!

I am not sure whether you could place some flyers at the next  Buckman NA meeting but would appreciate it if you could. The flyer is attached.

Occupy Portland Open House
Come celebrate our new community space!

When: Friday, Jan 13 from 6-9pm
Where: St. Francis at 1131 Southeast Oak Street, Portland, OR 97214

Featuring a panel on Occupy, music, food, workshops, committee booths, a raffle…and fun! Breakout session include tiny-tent making, non-violent resistance tactics & strategies, online activism, kids activities and more! This is a family friendly event. Bring a can of food or a pie!

All the best,
Gregory Sotir
http://www.cusp23.net
h: 503 234-2648
cell/text: 310 467-8053
twitter: @gsotir

SE Oak Street Sewer Replacement Project Update

Date: January 5, 2012
Contact: Joe Annett, 503-823-2934 or joseph.annett@portlandoregon.gov

This project will replace sewer pipes which are in poor condition on SE Oak Street from SE 10th to SE 18th avenues and some adjacent streets (see map on back).

Schedule
Construction is scheduled to begin in late spring 2012 and continue through fall 2012.

Construction Method
The city’s contractor will primarily use the open trench excavation method which includes the following steps:

• Cut trench in pavement
• Remove pavement and material
• Install pipe
• Restore the construction site

Construction Impacts
There will be noise, vibration, dust, traffic congestion, temporary parking loss, lane reductions, street closures in the construction zone, and disruption to normal neighborhood activity.

Public Meeting
You’re invited to a public information meeting on Wednesday, January 25 at the Buckman School Library from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  Project staff will present a short overview of the project at 6:30 p.m.

Marie Wright
Community Relations
City of Portland | Bureau of Environmental Services
1120 SW 5th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204
Phone: 503-823-5352
Fax: 503-823-6995
marie.wright@portlandoregon.gov

Training: The ABC’s of Land Use

The ABC’s of Land Use
Sponsored by the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, The Bureau of Development Services and SE Uplift
Saturday, January 28th
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
SE Uplift Neighborhood Coalition
3534 SE Main Street
Portland, OR 97214

Learn the basics of how the City of Portland’s land use and development review process works. Get hands-on experience with a land use review case study, including review of a development proposal and site plan, identification of relevant issues and effective ways to respond to the approval criteria.

Introduction by Leah Dawkins, SE Uplift Neighborhood Coalition. Presented by Barry Manning, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and Paul Leistner, Office of Neighborhood Involvement.

Refreshments will be provided. The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required. Space is limited to 40 participants. REGISTER ONLINE HERE.

Who should attend:

• Neighborhood and Business Association land use activists
• Anyone thinking about getting more active with their Association’s land use committees
• Anyone interested in general city-related land use decision-making processes

What you will learn:

• What does it mean to be a neighborhood land use chairperson?
• Overview of the State, Metro and City land use planning framework
• The Planning Bureau’s Distric Liason Program
• The Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code
• How to access and read Zoning Maps
• What is a Land Use Review and how it differs from a building permit
• Comparison of the Land Use Review Processes: Type I, II, IIx, and III
• How to read and respond to a Land Use Review Notice
• Perspectives of an experienced Neighborhood Representative
• The Appeal process

To register online, you need to have a PortlandOnline account. If you do not, you will be prompted to set up an account. Enter your contact information and select this workshop to register. Space is limited to the first 40 people who register.

For more information or help registering, please contact: Leah Dawkins at 503.232.0010 ext. 314 or leah@southeastuplift.org

Transportation and Directions:
Directions: SE Uplift is located at 3534 SE Main Street, two blocks norht of Hawthorne Blvd, and three blocks west of SE Cesar Chavez Blvd.
Auto: Parking is available in the lot located on SE 35th and Madison, behind SE Uplift.
Buses: SE Uplift is accessible by Tri-Met Bus Lines 14, 15 and 75. For schedules, call Tri-Met at 503.238.7433 or visit the Trip Planner online at http://www.trimet.org.

Accessibility:  
To help ensure equal access to City programs, services and activities, the City of Portland will reasonably modify policies/procedures and will provide auxiliary aids/services to persons with disabilities. Call 503.823.5284, TTY 503.823.6868 with such requests. Call 7 days advance to request assistance for any accessibility accommodation and/or language interpretation. Limited number of child care vouchers available. Workshop location is wheelchair accessible.

Co-Sponsored by:
SE Uplift Neighborhood Coalition, City of Portland Office of Neighborhood Involvement and City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

Buckman Historic Association Website Updates

The Buckman Historic Association recently made some updates and additions to their website that we wanted to bring to your attention, as this is an issue that has been generating a lot of interest and discussion among neighbors. Among the changes are:

1. A proposed district boundary map
2. A timeline (under project description) which, although no longer accurate date-wise, gives a good idea of the process
3. The PowerPoint presentation from the City of Portland on Historic Design Review

Visit the Buckman Historic Association website here: http://www.visitahc.org/content/buckman-historic-district

 

2012 Graffiti Abatement Community Grants Program

We recently received an e-mail from SE Uplift about grant funds available for community graffiti abatement efforts:

SE Uplift and the Office of Neighborhood Involvement are pleased to announce the availability of $7,400 in grant funds through the Graffiti Abatement Community Grants Program.  Neighborhood, business and community-based organizations are eligible to apply for community-driven improvement projects in the area of graffiti abatement and attempting to repair the harm of graffiti within the SE Uplift coalition area.

Special consideration will be given to projects that meet one or more of the following:

1. Demonstrate partnerships with Neighborhood Associations, Community-based organizations, particularly those serving under-engaged communities (including youth-oriented organizations), or Business Associations
2. Include an ongoing impact to the property or area for graffiti prevention and abatement.
3. Positively impact areas/locations with high visibility.
4. Include involvement of youth aged 10 to 21.
5. Help to address practical needs related to the recession such as fixing up run-down homes, businesses, parks, etc.
6. Include volunteers pledging to participate in the project with time and/or in-kind donations.

Deadline to apply is Friday, February 24 by 4PM.

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis and may range from $500-$2500.

Click here for more information about SE Uplift’s grant program and how to apply.

For more information about the Graffiti Abatement Community Grants Program or for technical assistance with your application, please contact Kristen at kristen@southeast.org or 503-232-0010 x 319.

We encourage you to apply for your project today!

Accessory Dwelling Unit Class

We recently received an e-mail from a neighbor who is offering a class in how to design and building an Accessory Dwelling Unit:

Sir or Madam,

You are receiving this email because you are listed as a point of contact on a Portland neighborhood association website. I am reaching out to neighborhood associations to make sure that Portland homeowners are aware of a ~$10,000 incentive from the City of Portland that is available to homeowners who build accessory dwelling units on their property between now and June, 2013.

ADUs are small, standalone houses, sometimes converted from old garages, and sometimes built as new construction, are called Accessory Dwelling Units, or “ADUs”. Building an ADU on a property is neither cheap nor simple, but if you’re a homeowner with an inclination to have an ADU on your property, NOW is a great time to think about building one. Not only does Portland’s zoning code allow ADUs to be developed on most residential lots, but in an attempt to promote more ADUs within city limits, Portland has temporarily waived System Development Charges (which typically cost $7-12K) through June, 2013. Given that we’re now starting our way in 2012, many homeowners are thinking more seriously about building an ADU on their property.

If you are a homeowner in the area, maybe you’d like some flexible living space for a family member, or maybe you’d like to have some additional rental income, or maybe like me, you actually want to live in a smaller space that you built yourself and rent out the larger house. It’s also notable that building an ADU is one of the most ‘green’ decisions you can make for your city. Last month, Energy Trust of Oregon recently added ADUs to their list of residential structures eligible to receive a monetary incentive for energy efficient design (for qualifying structures, this incentive can be ~$2K).

In the course of building, and now living in, my ADU in NE Portland, I became so passionate about seeing more of them built that I have begun to offer classes to help other homeowners who want to build one. The one-day class is an on-ramp to the elaborate process of designing and building an ADU. The class will cover the spectrum of information that homeowners need to know to design and build an ADU on their property and is intended to help homeowner’s understand the ADU design, permit, management, and building process.

If you’re interested in learning more about building an ADU, visit http://pdxadu.blogspot.com/p/adu-class.html or http://accessorydwellings.org.

Class: Building an Accessory Dwelling Unit on Your Property in Portland, Oregon
Saturday, January 21st. 9am-5pm.  Register here: http://pdxadu3.eventbrite.com.

I would appreciate if you could post some of this information from this email to your neighborhood association website, to neighborhood association listserv, and/or post the information about the ADU class to your neighborhood association calendar. If you have other suggestions on how to help spread the word to homeowners in your neighborhood about ADUs, I’m all ears. Meanwhile, thanks for helping to spread the word to your neighbors,
-Kol
617) 834-4114

Parks & Recreation Public Budget Meeting, January 9th

We received the following e-mail recently from Parks & Rec:

Portland Parks & Recreation will soon submit their proposed budget for the next fiscal year.  As directed by Mayor Adams, their budget reflects cuts of up to $3 million.  This impacts important programs and services including: community centers, park garbage and restroom service, street trees, and SUN Community Schools.

Learn more about the recommendations at http://www.portlandparks.org and then join us:

WHAT: An opportunity to share your thoughts about the proposed budget with Commissioner Nick Fish and Director Mike Abbaté
WHEN: Monday, January 9th, 2012 6:30pm-8:30pm
WHERE: Multnomah County Boardroom @ 501 SE Hawthorne (at the corner of SE 6th Ave.)

Childcare and translation are available, please call Elizabeth Kennedy-Wong at 503-823-5113 by January 4th.

Elizabeth Kennedy-Wong
Community Engagement and Public Involvement Manager
Portland Parks and Recreation
(503) 823-5113

First Look: New development at 20th & Morrison

At our most recent general meeting on December 8th, David Mullens from Creston Construction visited us to speak about the new residential apartment building development going up at SE 20th & Morrison. Some may remember this location as the site of another proposed development project that aroused quite a bit of ire among neighbors several years ago. That project eventually fell by the wayside as a result of neighborhood input and the weak economy.

This new project appears to face no such hurdles. Although Mr. Mullens faced some significant questioning from the neighbors present at last week’s meeting, the general consensus seemed to be that this project represents an improvement over the last one. The main area of concern was around parking. The development will only have 12 on-site parking spaces, although it boasts over 70 units. Mr. Mullens stressed that the developers will be aggressively marking this property to tenants without cars, and will also be offering some perks to its residents such as TriMet passes. As for economic factors, the project is apparently well-funded enough that Mr. Mullens was able to speak with some confidence of a planned late-January/early-February start to construction. Construction is expected to last about a year.

Mr. Mullens shared some images of the plans with us. These can be viewed below.

 

 

Notice of Hearing: Equivalent facilitation on Portland streetcars

There’s an upcoming hearing to discuss the city’s request for a finding of equivalent facilitation on Portland street cars. More information can be found here:

http://portlandstreetcar.org

And here’s an e-mail we received from the city with details on the hearing:

Notice is hereby given that The City of Portland will hold a public hearing regarding its intent to request a finding of equivalent facilitation for the bridge plates of its low floor streetcar vehicles. The public hearing will be held at the following time and location:

December 13, 2011
Noon-1:30 p.m.
City Hall
1220 SW 4th Avenue, Council Chambers (second floor)
Portland Oregon 97214

Persons who need sign language interpretation or other communication service should contact Andrew Bryans 503-823-4079, TTY 503-823-6868, in advance of the meeting. Requests for other accommodations can be made by contacting 503-823-7677. Written testimony and comments regarding the application  or requests for accommodation can also be submitted by Friday December 14, 2011. Please submit to:

Shoshanah Oppenheim
Portland Bureau of Transportation
1120 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 800
Portland, Oregon 97204

Or electronically at information@portlandstreetcar.org.

Shoshanah E. Oppenheim
Project Management
Portland Bureau of Transportation
1120 SW 5th Ave, Suite 800
Portland, Oregon 97204
e: shoshanah.oppenheim@portlandoregon.gov
p: 503-823-7677
c: 503-823-6351
f:  503-823-7137

Portland Plan Cheat Sheet

Got this e-mail from the always awesome Leah Dawkins at SE Uplift:

Hi Everyone- By now, most of you should know that the Portland Plan Draft is available for review. I have read the long version and with the help of Matt Wickstrom,  I put together a cheat-sheet to assist you in reviewing the document. I have highlighted sections I think will be particularly interesting or relevant to SE Uplift neighborhoods and I have hopefully addressed some of the more confusing parts of the document. The cheat-sheet is just full of suggestions, please read the whole document if you have the time and the interest! You can find the documents here: http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/ and I have one photocopy of the summary document for each neighborhood which you can pick up here at the office. The hearings start on Wednesday, November 9th. The first one is at Jefferson High School from 5:30 to 9:00 PM. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks, Leah

–
Leah Dawkins
Land Use Program Manager
SE Uplift Neighborhood Coalition
3534 SE Main Street
Portland OR 97217
503-232-0010 ext. 314
www.southeastuplift.org

Click here to check out the cheat sheet:

PortlandPlanCheatSheet

A Perspective on the Buckman Historic District

We recently received an e-mail from a Buckman resident with some questions and concerns about the proposed Historic District in Buckman:

I own an historic home in Buckman that we have lovingly restored over many years. I am concerned that it will become more difficult and more expensive to do the kind of good work that we are doing to our home. In addition, I am concerned that some of the good infill that is happening in our neighborhood will come to a stop while the old, ugly, and poorly build 70s development will continue to fall into disrepair. Is there a way for me to log my concerns and hear feedback?

We know there are many people in Buckman who probably have similar concerns. Tim Askin, a member of both the BCA board and the Buckman Historic Association, weighed in with his thoughts:

We thank you for your interest in the project and your concern. We in fact share many of your concerns. The city’s design review fees are both unreasonable and counterproductive. They are admittedly the highest such fees in Oregon and as research by the Irvington Neighborhood Association has shown, they are most likely the highest in the nation. The Buckman Historic Association and presumably the Buckman Community Association will be joining with Irvington, the Architectural Heritage Center, and many other neighborhoods in filing written complaints to the city and forcing current mayoral and council candidates to address the issue in public forums.

As to your own restoration projects and that of our neighbors’, presumably most of your work is interior. The historic district does not add any new regulation to interiors. It simply tries to assure that exterior changes are done sensitively and appropriately as yours have been. I am sure you have seen several beautiful 19th century houses all around Buckman and Portland where insensitive additions and changes have been made.

Finally, as to infill. Most of the recent projects in Buckman have been much more tasteful than the buildings constructed in the 60s and 70s. However, they have not necessarily been as respectful of their neighbors in size, scale, or massing as might have been liked (without regard to anyone’s preferences on design/style/aesthetics). Within the district boundary (http://visitahc.org/files/pdf/Buckman_Map.pdf) there is simply no inventory whatsoever of vacant, buildable land (Washington High School notwithstanding, the city that owns the grounds now and PPS which maintains ownership of the building are not going to part with those parcels under any circumstances). One of the primary goals of this project is to prevent demolitions of the wonderful buildings we currently have, which historically has been by developers who have no social stake in our community. Nothing in the city’s historic district regulations will prevent demolition of buildings constructed after 1938 (in Buckman’s district, the cutoff year is district-specific).

To this point, the Buckman Community Association has taken no official stance on the district proposal. I have been asked to draft the response, but I cannot speak on its behalf. I speak only for myself and the separate Buckman Historic Association.

As Tim mentioned, the BCA has taken no formal position on the Historic District effort. Our goal at this time is more to facilitate community members’ involvement in this interesting and important process.

Bosco-Milligan Foundation weighs in on draft Portland Plan

The Bosco-Milligan Foundation has drafted a letter containing their formal response to the draft Portland Plan. You can read the letter by clicking here: BMF_PortlandPlanCommentsNov2011.

 

Buckman Pool to close?

Portland Parks & Recreation is considering closing the pool at Buckman Elementary School. Additional information is available here:

http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=40431

In particular, there are a few links of interest in the navigation bar on the left-hand side of the page:

• Director’s Communication – A letter from Director Mike Abbate with details on the budget proposal.
• BAC Cut Package Ranking – A ranking of the items proposed to be cut from the budget.
• Comment Form – A form for submitting questions and comments.

Neighbors are encouraged to submit their comments on the proposed closing of the pool. In addition, there will be an open-to-the-public budget hearing held next month:

January 9th
6:30-8:30PM
Multnomah County Board Room
SE Sixth & Hawthorne

“Virtual Open House” for Portland Streetcar Loop Project

Greetings Neighborhood Associations,

In an effort to get ready for the opening of the east side streetcar expansion in 2012, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is developing a proposed new fare policy aimed at balancing the need for operating revenue and ridership and is fair and equitable to all members of the community.

This “virtual” open house, taken from the two project open houses held on November 30 and December 1, provides an opportunity for people who could not attend to understand and provide feedback on the proposed streetcar fare policy.

Please review the information included on the link below, and email your comments to Shoshanah Oppenheim, project manager, by December 6, 2011: shoshanah.oppenheim@portlandoregon.gov

http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/pdf/Streetcar_VirtualOH_201112.pdf

Your feedback and the feedback from those who attended the “live” open houses will help influence the final fare policy recommendation.

Art Pearce
Project Manager
Portland Office of Transportation
1120 SW 5th Ave, Suite 800
Portland Oregon 97204
503-823-7791
503-823-8041(cell)

SE Portland Neighborhood Assembly

The BCA recently received this e-mail from the group Occupy Portland Grassroots Organizing:

 

SE Portland Neighborhood Assembly
Date: Saturday, December 3, 2011
Time: 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Location: SEIU Labor Hall, 6401 SE Foster Rd.
Purpose
The Occupy movement has created a moment for energy and activism. This meeting is a way for neighbors in SE Portland to come together to discuss issues in our lives and communities. We will work together as a group to take action on the issues that connect us, local and global. We invite neighborhood association representatives, Occupy activists, and all interested neighbors to join us. At this facilitated meeting, we’ll create proposals and decide on the next steps to draw on the energy of the Occupy movement and move our communities forward.

We welcome brochures and flyers on a wide range of topics for our information table.

Contact the Coordinator
Charles Seaton: aleph.charles@gmail.com, (503) 467-8327
Website: http://www.opgo.org

Assembly Goals

• Bring together people in SE, and provide a space for people to tell their stories.
• To educate people about the Occupy movement.
• To ask: What can Occupy take on at a local level?
• To hear and make progress on proposals.
• And to connect with people from neighborhood associations

At the assembly, we will:

• Meet with neighbors, Occupy members, and people from your neighborhood associations.
• Tell your story, and listen to other people’s stories.
• Learn about the Occupy movement.
• Discuss what Occupy can do in your neighborhood.
• Listen to and help make plans.
• Assembly Structure
• Alternating between small group with large groups, report outs to large groups.

Agenda

• (Brief) What is Occupy Pdx, Examples, why it is we are here, what we want to accomplish
• Break out groups: hearing our experiences, nhood issues to resolve, identification of topics of action
• Large group: Report Out, Identify Shared Areas of interest for next Steps
• Small Group with new topics identified by earlier Process
• Report out in large Group: Wrap-Up & Next steps

About the convening group
Occupy Portland Grassroots Organizing is an evolving group of individuals working to help build communication, organizing, and interdependence in our local neighborhoods and in the whole 99%, in order to transform the community’s needs, concerns, hopes and resilience into locally-based solutions. Our SE organizing subgroup can be reached or joined at:

http://tinyurl.com/se-occupypdx

This event particularly invites folks living in the Foster-Powell and Mt Scott-Arleta neighborhoods (50th to 82nd, Powell to Woodstock) to come out and talk about economic and social issues in their neighborhood, and how collective action and the Occupy Portland movement can work to address those issues. Folks from nearby neighborhoods are also welcome.

Portland Streetcar Loop & Fare Study Community Update Open Houses

Wednesday, November 30, 2011
The Cleaners at the Ace Hotel
403 SW 10th Avenue
Portland Streetcar or TriMet Bus #20

Thursday, December 1, 2011
Architectural Heritage Center
701 SE Grand Avenue
TriMet Bus #6

You are invited to attend either Open House.  Drop by anytime between 5:00 and 7:30 PM.

The City of Portland is holding two public open houses to update the community on the Streetcar Loop.  We would like to hear your thoughts on the development and analysis of the fare policy and the related benefits and impacts of future service.  So please join us to discuss how the Streetcar will serve you best and to hear about plans for opening day in 2012.

If you have any questions, please contact Shoshanah Oppenheim at 503-823-7677 or send an email to shoshanah.oppenheim@portlandoregon.gov.