February Newsletter

Label:News Article

Momentum, history, and progress

This month was full of momentum, at the dais and in the community. I'm excited to be diving deeper into the work of making our city the best place to raise a family, ensuring those who are employed in Portland can afford to live here, creating a more responsive, effective government, and leading on protecting all community members' basic rights and freedoms.

February in review

Honoring Black History Month

I'm proud to represent District 2, the heart of historic Black Portland, and to honor the organizations that are preserving stories, sharing history, and amplifying the current achievements of Portland's Black community. Check out our highlights of Albina Music Trust, the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, and Vanport Mosaic on Instagram and Facebook.

On February 4, my colleagues at Multnomah County proclaimed February as Pioneer Black First Responders Month. We know that Black trailblazers in community safety have historically faced systemic racism and inequitable access to professional opportunities, and that the work of creating equitable public safety workplaces is still a challenge in our own community. For generations, these public safety professionals have protected the safety and well-being of our community despite this. I am so glad to see these folks being recognized - a special thank you to District 2's own Commissioner Shannon Singleton for her work as a sponsor on this proclamation.

Knowing our history allows us to build a strong future, and I'm committed to investing in long-overdue economic development for the Albina neighborhood, a historic home to Black Portlanders. I will continue to support the amazing re-creation efforts that are already underway, building on the work of generations of Black community members and pivoting to the future in any way that I can.

Photo courtesy/credit clockwise from center: Office of Councilor Loretta Smith, Friends of IFCC/Sai Stone, Juneteenth OR, Friends of IFCC/Elijah Hasan, Albina Music Trust

The Off Beat

I want to extend the warmest possible District 2 welcome to The Off Beat, a new all-ages music venue in North Portland. My eldest and I had so much fun at their grand opening earlier this month - maybe we'll see him on that stage someday!

I'm extremely grateful to the folks at Friends of Noise for their work to create an inclusive concert environment for everyone to enjoy, as well as job experiences for our teens. If we want our kids to have safe, fun opportunities to gather with their friends, we need to create them, and Friends of Noise is walking the walk. I'm so excited for the future of Portland's youth music scene!

Rebuilding Center

I had a blast visiting the Rebuilding Center on Mississippi Ave. earlier this month. This nonprofit retail store and education center sells reclaimed, affordable building material, empowering the community to put reuse into action, keeping material out of the waste stream, providing educational opportunities to homeowners and renters, and bolstering the economic strength of our local community. During my tour, I had a great conversation with Executive Director Debra Vanderwerf and Managing Director Tay Campbell about how the Rebuilding Center can further support housing stability and workforce development here in Portland. We need everyone to step up to the plate on this work, and I'm so glad they're one of the organizations in our District that are doing so.

At the dais

Increasing access to single-use restrooms

On February 11, the ordinance I co-sponsored with Council President Jamie Dunphy and Councilor Tiffany Koyama-Lane, which provides greater access to single-use restrooms through gender-neutral signage across the city, passed unanimously at Council. This policy is straightforward, it's inclusive, and it's going to make everyday life more comfortable for families, caregivers, our LGBTQ+ community, and everyone across Portland who just needs to use the restroom.

Affordable Housing Opportunities Project

On February 25, Council adopted the Affordable Housing Opportunities Project (AHOP) amendments to our Comprehensive Plan Map and the Official Zoning Map, which will provide a more streamlined structure for our nonprofits developing affordable housing. AHOP is anticipated to increase capacity for up to 900 affordable housing units and is expected to preserve about 576 existing affordable housing units. This is the kind of work that doesn't always get a headline, but will actually move the needle on housing and get us closer to ensuring every Portlander has a place they can afford to live.

New committee structure

On February 19, Council voted to update our committee structure, decreasing the number of committees from 8 to 5 while maintaining our committee focus, where we can work out the details of most policy changes in smaller groups before bringing proposals to the full Council. The new committees are as follows:

• Committee of the Whole (where we'll tackle governance and finance work)
• Public Works
• Community and Public Safety
• Housing and Permitting
• City Life

I'm very excited to work with my colleagues on the Housing and Permitting Committee, and to serve as Chair for the City Life Committee, which will focus on shaping the day-to-day lived experience of Portlanders, including where we work, how we play, and what the future looks like for families in our city. I have big ideas about how we can move forward with economic development, arts and culture, labor and workforce development, and climate resilience and am ready to hit the ground running on these important issues.

Upcoming engagement opportunities

Office hours with staff

Office hours with my staff are back! My team will be at the Historic Overlook House from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, March 6.

We had a great town hall at the Overlook House last week, and I'm excited to use the space once again for an even more casual event. Stop by for a chat about the issues you care about, the happenings you're excited for, and the actions we can take to make Portland a better place. I'll be sending out a sign-up sheet to register for a 15-minute timeslot in a few short days.

Transportation Funding Open House

This Tuesday, March 3, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is hosting a District 2 open house from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School cafeteria. Join the conversation about local transportation funding and weigh in on a variety of options and opportunities! More information is available here.

D2 Councilors at City Club

I'm excited to join my District 2 Council colleagues, Councilor Sameer Kanal and Councilor Dan Ryan, for a City Club of Portland forum at the Alberta Rose Theatre Wednesday, March 4 at 6 p.m (doors at 5:30). The discussion will draw on questions submitted at registration - join us and help shape the conversation!

Graphic courtesy of City Club of Portland

District 2 Community Budget Survey

Portland is facing budget cuts. I want to know what services you rely on most and where you want us to make investments - knowing cuts are coming - so that we can balance our Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget while keeping in mind the programs you think are most important. Please fill out my District 2 community budget survey - I can't shape this work effectively without your voices.

Neighborhood association meetings

In March, I will be attending the following neighborhood association meeting(s):

• March 9: Overlook Neighborhood Association, 6:30-7:30 (I know Overlook is getting a lot of love this month, but don't worry - more neighborhoods are coming soon!)

That's all for now. Thank you so much for taking the time to join me in-person - if I haven't seen you at an event just yet, I hope to very soon!

In solidarity,

Elana Pirtle-Guiney