Portland’s carbon emissions inventory shows where to focus carbon mitigation efforts and whether we are on track with emission reduction goals. Since the 2017 Climate Action Plan progress report, staff have worked to update all the annual records in accordance with the new Global Protocol for Community-scale GHG Emission Inventories to align with the Paris Agreement (limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius). A newly released climate data report shows the new numbers. 

By updating protocols, Portland stays in alignment with other cities around the world, enabling better tracking against long range goals with greater confidence. Updating protocols is a challenge for cities and can create discrepancies with previously reported emissions. For example, to move to the global reporting protocol, Portland had to update accounting methods for emissions from landfilled waste, wastewater treatment, and fugitive emissions. This required finding new data sources all the way back to the 1990 baseline to consistently compare data year over year.

The City of Portland uses multiple emission protocols to compare results and better refine estimates of emissions produced locally. By reviewing data using different protocols, Portland can make up for gaps in individual methodologies. For example, Portland reports electricity sector emissions by greenhouse gas, a level of detail only available for the Northwest Power Pool, although as discussed above, those emissions are lower than the emissions from Portland’s two electric utilities. Therefore, the use of multiple protocols allows Portland to better understand what’s happening locally.

The time required to find and evaluate new data sets for a protocol change delays the frequency of emissions inventory reporting. Changes to protocols that affect data collection and carbon accounting limit comparability with previously reported data using older methodologies. With a baseline year of 1990, protocol changes create substantial new work as more than 20 years of inventories need to be consistently updated.

A success story and a warning

Despite 26 years of climate planning and mitigation, local carbon emission reductions in Multnomah County have hit a plateau, at around 15% below 1990 levels. This is a success story and a warning. The reductions to date are impressive given population growth since 1990, 38% more people and 34% more jobs. Collectively we have reduced per-person emissions in Portland by 38% since 1990, although it is clear reduction efforts need to rapidly accelerate.

Transportation sector emissions are increasing dramatically, currently 8% over 1990 levels, and 14% over their lowest levels in 2012. Portland has experienced year over year increases in transportation related emissions for the past five years, with transportation emissions growing faster than population growth over the same period.

The United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a special report in October 2018 which projected that limiting warming to the 1.5°C target will require an unprecedented transformation of every sector of the global economy to achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. To achieve this, Portland must reduce our local emissions by 35% in the next 11 years, a daunting task.

New carbon emissions inventory reports on trends from 1990 to 2017

Today, carbon emissions from Multnomah County total 7,700,000 Metric Tons CO2e, which is a 15% reduction from 1990 levels. This decline reflects the continued growth of renewable energy resources like wind and solar in the Pacific Northwest, investments in transit and bike infrastructure, dense and walkable neighborhoods, renewable transportation fuels, as well as the transition from fuel oil to natural gas for heating. This means that a person living in Portland today produces 38% fewer carbon emissions than they would have in 1990. 

Read the full report.

Check your own emissions

Households and businesses can assess their own carbon emissions by using free online tools, like the Cool Climate Network’s calculators: 

• Households - https://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/calculator 
• Businesses - https://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/business-calculator 

Half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once. Let that sink in.

“These non-recyclable single-use plastic items are piling up in garbage cans, on Portland’s streets and in our waterways,” said City of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. “We’ve heard from the Portland community and thank the restaurants who have already taken action over the past year to stop automatically offering single-use plastic items. By working together, we can reduce waste and keep Portland beautiful.”  

Last summer, the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability worked with local stakeholders on a waste reduction policy to address single-use plastics. The result: As of Oct. 1, 2019, businesses in Portland cannot include plastic straws, stirrers, utensils or individually packaged condiments in a customer’s order for dine-in, drive-through, take-out or delivery. These items can only be provided upon customer request. 

“Last week our bureau released a new climate data report. We are committed to working with Portlanders to set priorities for climate action, and waste reduction plays a role in that,” said Andrea Durbin, director, City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. “This new policy will reduce plastic litter and the demand for energy and resources, including fossil fuels, needed to make single-use items.” 

All retail food and beverage establishments are required to comply, including sit-down and fast food restaurants, food carts, bars, coffee and tea shops, grocery stores, convenience stores, hotels and motels, caterers and food service contractors. This includes educational, medical and governmental institutions that provide food and beverages. The only exception is for meals provided as part of a social service to vulnerable populations, including free or reduced-price meals provided by school systems, homeless shelters and programs that deliver meals to the elderly. 

Community helped to draft an inclusive “by-request” policy instead of a complete ban

In summer 2018, local restaurants, wholesalers, a medical facility, American Disability Act (ADA) advocates, and environmental advocates considered plastics reduction at a series of meetings. Partners from Multnomah County, Prosper Portland and the City of Portland Bureau of Equity and Human Rights were also at the table. 

“Participating in the City’s single-use disposables policy is a given for Burgerville,” said Hillary Barbour, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Burgerville. “We were early adopters of innovative packaging, recycling waste oil into biodiesel, and offsetting 100% of our energy use with green power. Implementing this initiative at all 41 Burgerville locations throughout Oregon and Washington brings us closer to our vision for the Pacific Northwest to be the healthiest region on the planet.”

BPS then worked with Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office to research the policies of other cities, conduct a series of workgroup meetings, analyze community feedback and land on a more inclusive “by-request” policy recommendation. Since some customers would find it difficult or impossible to drink without a plastic straw, the “by-request” approach respects the disability community’s needs while achieving waste reduction. 

Portland food retailers were notified twice over the summer

The City of Portland sent affected businesses notification letters in June and September 2019. 
See the September notification, which included a sign for customers, in English, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, and Korean.  

For more details, visit www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/reduceplastic 
 
###

With so many items to sort, it can be confusing to know what is and isn’t recyclable. Oregon Metro's new websites, www.reciclarono.org (Spanish) or www.recycleornot.org (English) and Instagram accounts, @Reciclarono (Spanish) @RecycleorNot (English) are great new tools to clear up confusion. For example, for the next six months the featured item, plastic bags – and their pesky counterpart, plastic wrap – have a clear answer: They cannot be recycled at home. They belong in the garbage.

A new resource for home recyclers in the greater Portland area

To protect the environment and reduce waste, it’s important to learn how to recycle right. Next time you come across an item and aren’t sure if it’s recyclable, these new sites focus on some of the most confusing items and tell you whether you can recycle them at home. 

If you check out Recycle or Not but still aren’t sure if the item is recyclable, and it’s not hazardous, throw it away. It may feel wrong but remember that you’re protecting the environment by keeping trash out of your home recycling bin.

Think first about reducing or reusing plastic bags and plastic wrap

While you can’t recycle plastic bags at home, you can help reduce waste by reusing them or reducing how many you use. Try to switch to items like reusable bags that can be used for years.

When you do get plastic bags, try reusing them. Even if you reuse your plastic bags just once, you’ll end up using half as many. Be sure to keep bags in a place where you’ll remember them, like your car or kitchen.

At the close of the 2019 state legislative session, an unprecedented number of bills we’ve advocated for passed into law. Below is a list of the most impactful bills on the future of housing and equitable opportunities for all Portlanders, as well as several that address waste reduction.

HOUSING-RELATED BILLS (PASSED)

HB 2001 – Middle Housing Requirement

HB2001 requires the state’s bigger cities to allow middle housing in single-dwelling zones. This mandate is larger than the scope of the Residential Infill Project: It allows duplexes everywhere, and triplexes, quadplexes, and cottage clusters in some single-dwelling neighborhoods. It applies to all single-dwelling residential zones, whereas RIP currently applies to R7, R5, and R2.5 zones. Currently, the bill requires cities to comply by June 2022, which will give us time to bring Portland’s RF, R20 and R10 zones into compliance.  

HB 20001 also includes direction to the Building Codes Division (BCD) to change the building code rules on converting existing single-dwellings to triplexes and quadplexes.

HB 2003 – Housing Needs Analysis

This bill creates a new performance measure for housing: a housing shortage analysis. The State of Oregon will do a statewide housing analysis and determine housing allocations for Oregon’s regions and local jurisdictions. Housing would be classified by type and affordability. Cities will be required to adopt a housing production strategy (after updating their buildable land inventories) to identify steps to remove financial and regulatory impediments to developing needed housing. Cities would need to update the analysis every six years.

SB 534 – Residential Narrow Lot Development

This bill was a high priority for the Portland homebuilders. It requires the City of Portland to allow development of at least one dwelling unit on each platted lot that is zoned for single-family development, subject to reasonable siting and design regulations. The new rules, which take effect March 1, 2020, would allow for more narrow lot, skinny house development than is recommended by the Residential Infill Project. Zoning map changes for areas with underlying historic narrow lot plats will need to be incorporated into RIP.

HB 2916 – Transitional Housing

Removes limits on the number of campgrounds allowed in a city, especially those for transitional housing.

HB 2423 – Small Home Specialty Code

Adopts International Residential Code Appendix Q as part of state building codes to regulate the construction of permanently sited small homes under 400 square feet, including sleeping lofts accessed by ladders. Requires small homes to include photoelectric smoke alarm. Adopts standards for residential fire sprinkler system.

SB 608 – No Cause Evictions and Rent Stabilization

Prohibits landlords from terminating month-to-month tenancy without cause after 12 months of occupancy. Limits maximum annual rent increase to seven percent above annual change in consumer price index. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES

Sustainability wins and losses in the 2019 state legislative session.

Though HB 2020, Oregon’s Cap and Trade bill, did not reach the Governor’s desk, several bills addressing waste reduction passed, including:

• HB 2509: Plastic bag ban
• SB 90: Straw and condiments by request only
• HB 3273: Drug takeback
• HB 3114: Ecycles updates
• SB 792: More regulations for auto dismantlers
• SB 93: Bottle bill – redemption centers in rural areas
• SB 247-B: Bottle bill expanded to hard kombucha
• SB 522A: Bottle bill – limits out-of-state returns
• SB 914: Bottle bill – OBRC product registry required

HB 2623 – Related to hydraulic fracturing (passed)

This bill prohibits the use of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas exploration and production. Recognizing the bill supports City of Portland Climate Action Plan goals, BPS supported this bill as a #1 priority.

CONTACT

Donnie Oliveira
503.593.1869
Donald.Oliveira@portlandoregon.gov 

Portland, ORE. — With the passage of HB2001 (middle housing) and SB534 (narrow lots) in the state legislature — and expected Governor’s signature — the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability can begin to determine how the Residential Infill Project meets the bills' objectives.

Bureau staff will be doing a crosswalk of the two bills and the Residential Infill Project to validate the Planning and Sustainability Commission’s (PSC) recommendation and identify any gaps before taking the project to City Council in the fall. For example, we know that we will need to adjust the historically narrow lots recommendation to comply with SB534. HB2001 has a compliance deadline of June 30, 2021, while the SB534 compliance deadline is March 1, 2020. 

In addition, City Council has funded an anti-displacement project to anticipate and mitigate any unintended displacement of under-represented residents as we continue to implement the Comprehensive Plan. We are currently scoping the project now. 

Our plan is to bring this Housing Opportunities Initiative, the combination of a proposed Anti-Displacement Strategy draft, Residential Infill Project and Better Housing by Design projects as well as the state legislation impacts to City Council this fall. 

Tentative timeline

July 2019
• Anti-displacement Project scoping begins
• HB2001 and SB534 Impact Analysis begins   

August 2019
• Recommended Residential Infill Project/Better Housing by Design drafts published 
• Community outreach begins
• PSC briefing on the Housing Opportunities Initiative (Residential Infill Project/Better Housing by Design/Anti-Displacement Strategy/State legislation)

September 2019 – City Council work session (to be confirmed)

October 2019 – Better Housing by Design to Council; public hearings 

November 2019 – Residential Infill Project to Council; public hearings

# # #

A great deal of the work done by our community partners starts small — in church basements and local cafes, during kids’ soccer games, over long commutes, long past dinner hours, on the weekends, in friends’ backyards and myriad other places.

We want to be more intentional about building the capacity of grassroots organizers, community advocates, and all the movers, shakers and changemakers in Portland. So, BPS is recognizing the following emerging organizations and coalitions in whose work we see shared value, alignment and strong promise:

• Leaven Salt & Light, for ongoing organizing work around affordable housing development in faith communities.
• Play-Grow-Learn, for providing vulnerable children in East Portland safe places to play. 
• Black Community of Portland, for organizing work with the Black community in East Portland and the City of Gresham.
• Center for Diversity and Environment (CDE) - Environmental Professionals of Color, for the creation and maintenance of safe space serving our environmental professionals of color.
• Portland African American Leadership Forum, for work around the preservation of some of our most valuable historic resources and the countless contributions of the People’s Plan.
• MudBone Grown and Coalition of Prosperity for the People, for environmental and cultural advocacy for the preservation of urban agriculture and heathy relationships to the land.
• APANO, for its community organizing, policy advocacy, civic engagement, leadership development, community development, and cultural work.

We hope these funds will serve as seeds to continue the positive trajectory these community champions are on.

“These privacy and information protection principles emerged from the need to build trust with communities and across City agencies around data and information management,” said Mayor Ted Wheeler. “We are building the next generation of digital public services, services we will strive to make available to all Portlanders while minimizing risk and maximizing benefits.”

Why are these principles important for Portland?

In this new data-driven age, communities are more vulnerable to misuse of data, particularly marginalized communities. These principles highlight the importance of safeguards that guide City practices. Robust privacy and information protection are cornerstones for building trust across organizations and people. They are also an important foundation for developing policies to guide the City’s use of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

“This resolution is an example of community centered governing. The world of data and technology is quickly transforming the ways in which we travel, work, shop, receive medical care, basically everything in our daily lives,” said Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who championed the resolution as Commissioner-in-Charge of the Office of Equity and Human Rights. “As local government, it is our civic duty to strike a balance between granting Portlanders easier access to key City services while upholding each person’s right to privacy.”

Resolving complex issues that Portland faces, like homelessness, traffic congestion and people’s mobility, transition to clean energy, and safe spaces for all may require the collaboration of multiple agencies and community organizations to exchange data. Without clear policies, procedures and resources dedicated to managing information using modern standards, this type of agile, responsible data use won’t be possible.

“Our City government collects data and information for different purposes—like when residents pay water bills or book classes through the Parks bureau,” said OEHR Director Dr. Markisha Smith. “We need to assure access to services for underserved communities without creating new harms or exacerbating existing harms.”

Developing these principles involved City staff from the Mayor’s office, Smart City PDX, Office for Community Technology, information security, legal and equity teams, and experts involved in privacy efforts at the City of Seattle and City of Oakland. After the first draft was ready last year, it took several months to get feedback from community members, technical advisory bodies and all bureaus, resulting in the draft resolution submitted to City Council.

“The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has a history of working across multiple City agencies and with our community to address Portland’s biggest, most complex challenges, from climate change to housing affordability,” said BPS Director Andrea Durbin. “We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with our SCPDX partners to design a more equitable digital future.”

Next steps

Now that Portland City Council has approved the resolution, BPS and OEHR staff will work with other City of Portland bureaus to implement the principles. Staff will identify both short-term and long-term procedures needed for implementation. They will work to create and review policies needed to support practices aligned with the Privacy and Information Protection Principles. Implementation will also include determining necessary staff and budget, putting the principles in place as part of a Citywide data governance strategy for City operations. Ensuring community involvement in the development of these procedures and policies will be central to the work.

Visit: www.smartcitypdx.com/privacy-principles

Email: smartcitypdx@portlandoregon.gov

Media contact: Christine Llobregat, 503-823-7007

Sign up to receive project updates by email. 

NEWS RELEASE
News from the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
Friday, June 14, 2019

CONTACT
Christine Llobregat
503-823-7007

In late May, Portland City Council approved a new effective date for Portland’s new single-use plastics reduction policy. Starting October 1, 2019, food and beverage retailers in Portland cannot automatically include plastic straws, stirrers, utensils or individually packaged condiments in a customer’s order for dine-in, drive-thru, take-out or delivery. These items can only be provided upon request by the customer.

“A lot of people feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the plastic problem,” said Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. “In 2011, Portlanders did an amazing job moving away from plastic bags at the grocery checkout. Reducing the use of plastic straws and other single-use plastic items is another important step in the right direction.”

The new policy aims to reduce plastic litter and to reduce the use of energy and resources – including fossil fuels – that are needed to make items that are only used once.

Questions?

• Find more details at www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/reduceplastic.
• Send an email to wasteinfo@portlandoregon.gov or call 503-823-7202.

After a thorough annual review of operating costs, Portland City Council approved a garbage and recycling bill increase to cover higher fees for processing yard debris and food scraps. The increase also includes a surcharge for the voter-approved Portland Clean Energy Fund.

The monthly bill will go up 75 cents per month for most customers beginning July 1, 2019. The rate increase applies to residential garbage, recycling, and composting service at single-family homes and smallplexes up to four units. The City of Portland will re-evaluate the rates in Spring 2020.

Important reminders for customers

• Visit www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/rates for details and rate notices in 11 languages or call your garbage and recycling company.
• Property owners of residential (1-4 unit) rental properties are required to set up and pay for service for tenants.
• It is still important to follow Portland’s recycling list.
• Visit www.garbagedayreminders.com to find your company, check your collection schedule and sign up for weekly reminders.

Q and A with Andrea

1. With over a decade of environmental leadership and action in Oregon, you have experienced some major successes for the state and the City of Portland. What stands out to you as a success you are most proud to have been a part of?

I am most proud of the leading work I have done on climate change in the state. While we still have more work to do, Oregon is leading nationally toward making the shift to a zero-carbon economy. We have adopted policies to drive toward 100% clean, renewable energy and set a deadline of 2030 to get coal out of Oregon’s energy mix. We are cleaning up our fuel supply with Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program, which is also cleaning up our air and providing consumers with cleaner choices to fuel their vehicles. These policies are cornerstones for transitioning to a more resilient economy and reducing carbon pollution that affects the health and livability of our community.

2. The City continues to experience growth that is adversely impacting low-income and communities of color. Where do you see opportunities to reduce harm and provide equitable access to housing?

One of the reasons I am excited about this job is the opportunity to work on affordable housing in Portland and to be more intentional about protecting the most underserved communities from being harmed, and for these same communities to benefit and be lifted as we adapt and grow as a city. This will include updating zoning policies to provide more options for housing that will accommodate different needs of families, from multi-generational families to first-time home buyers and renters.

BPS is working on two important policies that we will be bringing to City Council in the coming months – Better Housing by Design and the Residential Infill Project. Together, these new policies will provide more housing options for Portlanders at lower cost and generally reduce displacement across the city by increasing the supply of housing. We will also be working together with our city and community partners to develop anti-displacement strategies to provide more support for Portland families that are at risk of displacement in certain parts of the city. 

With more and more people moving here, the growth expected over the coming decades requires us to be very intentional about how we ensure that all Portlanders, especially communities of color and low-income families, have opportunities to build wealth and stay in their communities.

3. Where do you see the opportunity for advancing climate action in Portland?

While Portland has been a real climate leader, we will need to step up that action over the next decade. According to the latest science, the next decade of action will be critical for reducing the impact and harm our community will see from climate change. One of the biggest areas to tackle next for Portland will be how to transition to a clean transportation system and reduce the pollution that impacts the health of our communities, especially the communities that bear the burden of environmental pollution: communities of color and low-income communities. We will need to ensure that our transportation system provides clean choices and expands options, access and affordability for all Portlanders. 

With the passage of the Portland Clean Energy Initiative by voters, we are working closely with community partners to develop an effective program to invest in the clean energy transition in communities across the city and help communities of color, low-income and small businesses withstand the impacts of climate change by investing in energy efficiency, clean energy and resiliency programs. We think that this program can be a model for other cities across Oregon and the country. 

I look forward to working with the Mayor and the City Council to update Portland’s Climate Action Plan over the next year to respond to the scientific call for faster action on climate.

4.  What is your biggest hope for the people of Portland?

My hope is that Portland will be a welcoming city for everyone. We’ll have housing and economic choices for new comers and old timers to stay in the city, with housing that is affordable. We will be a more diverse and inclusive city with stronger connectivity between communities. As we grow and welcome more people to Portland, I hope that we manage and address this growth in a way that retains what we love about Portland and want to keep: our unique neighborhoods, our livability, our parks and an engaged, caring community. 

We know that 20 years from now, our city will look and feel different, but it should be even better. We can make decisions today that enhance what our city will feel like tomorrow while safeguarding some of our core values – such as protecting the urban growth boundary, parks and open spaces, increasing access to the outdoors, creating walkable, complete neighborhoods and increasing transportation choices that are safe, accessible and clean. 

My hope is that we can think big, bold and plan for the future we want to see for this great city.

Lightning Round

Favorite Portland Park: Forest Park is one of the city’s treasures.

Favorite Bridge: I generally take Steel bridge or Broadway on my bike commute and love to cross the river each day to work. But St. Johns and the Tillikum bridge are my favorite bridges to look at lit up at night.

Favorite city event: Summertime Music Concerts in the Parks. I love packing a picnic and enjoying music on a summer evening with friends and family.

Favorite restaurant: Depends on my mood and the company. My kids and I love Ethiopian (Beta-Lukas) and Indian (Indian Oven or Hello India). Mediterranean Exploration Company is one of my personal favorites.

Favorite workout: I love barre and spinning. I haven’t tried Burn Cycle yet, but hope to soon.

Last book I read: Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan.

Guilty pleasure: Dark chocolate and wine. 

The meaning of the City Council resolution

If City Council approves the resolution, city staff at the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and Office of Equity and Human Rights will be empowered to work with other City of Portland bureaus to identify and develop a process for creating, reviewing, an implementing and strengthening equitable and anti-discriminatory policies and procedures that promote the Citywide Privacy and Information Protection Principles. This would include determining the staff and budget resources needed to implement this process as part of an overall Data Governance strategy for the City. Additionally, staff would be directed to make recommendations to assure community involvement in the review of City procedures, practices and policies.

Portland city government collects data and information for different purposes and we need to assure equitable services while following our values for racial equity and providing access to people living with disabilities and other marginalized communities as a critical component in assessing outcomes. These same communities can also be more vulnerable to the misuse of data, which highlights the importance of safeguards that guides institutional practices and informs the community of our commitment to their privacy.

Resolving complex issues that our city faces like homelessness, traffic congestion and people’s mobility, transition to clean energy, and safe spaces for all may require multiple agencies to exchange data. Without clear rules, and resources devoted to managing data and information with modern standards, this type of agile, responsible data sharing won’t be possible.

One of the main priorities in our Smart City PDX program is to implement best practices in information management that make the City of Portland a better and more trusted steward of data. Developing these principles took the involvement of city staff from our information security, legal and equity teams, and experts involved on privacy efforts at the City of Seattle and City of Oakland. After our first draft was ready last year, it took several months to get feedback from community members, technical advisory bodies and all bureaus, resulting in the draft resolution to be submitted to City Council.

The balance between transparency, privacy and data utility can also be complex

The City of Portland’s Citywide Privacy and Information Protection Principles include asking ourselves about the value of collecting personal information in the first place. The goal is to make sure the City only uses data for a well-defined purpose that brings value to the community. By promoting transparency in how data and information is used, our City can make sure to provide a fair, equitable and accountable processes in the services we provide.

City Council will consider the Citywide Privacy and Information Protection Principles resolution on June 19. Read the proposed principles here. For more information about the work on privacy and these principles send an email to: smartcitypdx@portlandoregon.gov or visit www.smartcitypdx.com.  Sign up to receive project updates by email. 

That’s why planners at the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability are working on two projects that prepare us for the future, while building on our history. At upcoming events in March and April, planning staff will share new ideas from: 

Design Overlay Zone Amendments (DOZA) Project

New regulations for design overlay zones are being proposed for commercial areas throughout the city, including Gateway, St Johns, MLK/Alberta, SE Division, 122^nd Avenue, Hillsdale, Central City and many other places. Most growth and development will occur in  the city’s centers and corridors – buildings in these places will be bigger and taller – and the diversity of people and level of activity will increase. With attention to design, these changes will result in great places in which people live, work, gather and play.

The DOZA team will share new regulations that affect:

• The purpose of the Design overlay zone
• Where the Design overlay zone applies
• The process used to review projects in the Design overlay zone
• The tools used to evaluate projects in the Design overlay zone
• Additional improvement to support clarity and transparency for all stakeholders

Check out the Discussion Draft and give us your feedback!

For more information, visit the project website: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/doza

Historic Resource Code Project (HRCP)

For more than 20 years, Portland’s historic buildings and other resources have been protected by designations established by the federal government. Proposed amendments to the zoning code would allow the City of Portland to have more control over what should be protected from demolition and major alterations. The proposals are based on feedback staff received during an earlier concept development phase that resulted in 3,442 unique comments from the public.

Read the staff report and proposed zoning code changes in the Discussion Draft, as well as summary documents

For more information, visit the project website: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/hrcp

Join us at an open house

HRCP / DOZA Open Houses

Saturday, March 16, 2019, 2 – 4 p.m.
Tabor Space, 5441 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR
TriMet Line: #15

Tuesday, March 19, 2019, 4 – 7 p.m.
Center for Architecture, 403 NW 11th Ave, Portland, OR
TriMet: Line #77, Portland Streetcar

Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 4 – 7 p.m.
Design Week Portland Open House: PDX Design Zones will shape your city!
Lobby, 1900 SW 4^th Avenue, Portland, OR
TriMet: Lines #1, 8, 9, 12, 17, 35, 36, 54, 56, 43, 44, 94, 99, MAX Green Line and Portland Streetcar

TBD Date/Time/Location
East Portland

Public comments on both DOZA and HRCP are due by April 12.

Monday, February 25, 2019

CONTACT:

Sandra Wood
503-823-7949

Julie Ocken
503-823-6041

WANTED: Three new members for Portland's Planning and Sustainability Commission

Opportunity for a variety of community members to become the next "city shapers"

Portland, ORE. — Portland’s Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) will soon have three openings as commissioners' terms expire. Portlanders are invited to apply to join this influential body of community advisors.

The PSC includes 11 volunteer members with expertise in a range of areas. Their major role is to advise City Council on Portland’s long range goals, policies and programs for land use, planning and sustainability to promote a prosperous, educated, healthy, resilient and equitable future for all Portlanders. The Portland Plan, 2035 Comprehensive Plan, and many other community-shaping efforts have benefitted from their oversight and direction.

It’s not an exaggeration to say their contributions to our city will live on for years to come.

Be the next “city shaper” – or help us find one!

Given the number of open seats (almost one third of the Commission), this is a chance to lead with equity and include more people of different ages, cultural backgrounds, incomes, residences and abilities to move our community closer to the city we aspire to be. 

To complement the existing voices on the Commission, people who have backgrounds in and care about the following are sought:

• Equity / social justice
• Climate action / sustainability
• Business / economic & community development 
• Zoning code / general land use / traditional long-range planning 
• Central Eastside / new industry

Application information

This recruitment is open until March 15, 2019. A full description of the position, as well as the application form, is available on the Office of Community & Civic Life website.

This is a big opportunity for the community to move our city forward. There haven't been as many openings on the PSC since it was formed in 2010. New PSC members will be appointed by Mayor Wheeler (and confirmed by City Council).

Timing

Interviews with final candidates will likely be determined in early April. Top candidates will meet with the Mayor in late April, followed by City Council appointments in mid-May. Start date for all three newly appointed Commissioners will be June 1, 2019.

# # #

 

PRESS RELEASE

MAYOR TED WHEELER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

02/22/2019

Contact: Eileen Park, (503) 823-6541

Eileen.park@portlandoregon.gov

Mayor Wheeler is proud to select Andrea Durbin as the new Director of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. After a thorough and inclusive selection process involving multiple internal and external stakeholders to define imperative experience and attributes, the choice became clear.

“Andrea brings over 20 years of effective environmental policy leadership in Portland and beyond,” says Mayor Ted Wheeler. “Her leadership as the Oregon Environmental Council’s Executive Director resulted in real progress as we fight to combat the realities of climate change. I’m looking forward to seeing all that BPS will accomplish under her leadership.”

“I am excited by the opportunity to lead the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability for the City of Portland. We’re at a pivotal point in this city.  As the local economy and population grows, we know our livability, affordability and quality of life are challenged,” says Durbin. “I look forward to working with the Mayor, City Commissioners and the hard-working staff at BPS to help our city realize a healthier, more equitable and resilient community for all Portlanders.” 

Durbin served as the Executive Director of Oregon Environmental Council since 2006. Prior to that, she worked in consulting, which allowed her to advise clients in the financial sector on the development of their environmental and social standards for international lending practices. She also worked as a National Campaign Director for Greenpeace and as International Program Director for Friends of the Earth.

Due to the enormous amount of time and effort that went into this selection, the bureau is getting an ideal and passionate leader, and the City will benefit for years to come. Durbin brings a collaborative and equity-centered approach to BPS, which aligns with the mission and values of the bureau. Her experience in advancing sound and effective environmental policy here in Oregon will be a welcome addition to the City of Portland’s staff as we work collectively to meet the challenges posed by the reality of climate change.

Her first day will be Thursday, April 18.

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Leave your carts at the curb and your garbage and recycling company will collect  them as soon as driving conditions permit.

While your street may be clear, access to and from your neighborhood may not.

In the case of severe weather, collection will be prioritized in the following order: 

1. Garbage
2. Recycling
3. Composting

Know who to contact

Call your garbage and recycling company directly to find out their winter weather collection plans for any day you're concerned about. Find your company's phone number on your bill, the side of your roll cart, or on our website. 

Stay ahead of the weather

Sign up for a weekly email that includes weather messages and reminders for your collection day at www.garbagedayreminders.com.

Data from the first year of the Home Energy Score program shows that Portland homes have plenty of opportunities for improvement. The average Home Energy Score in Portland to-date is 4.6. If these homeowners implemented all the cost-effective improvements recommended in the Home Energy Report, they’d save an average of nearly 20 percent annually on utility bills. An energy efficiency improvement is considered cost-effective if it has a simple payback of 10 years or less.

Homeowners with the lowest Home Energy Scores – a score of 1, 2 or 3 – could save nearly 30 percent on their annual utility bills by implementing the recommended energy efficiency improvements. These lowest scoring homes represent nearly 40 percent of all homes that were scored in Portland.

The most cost-effective ways to save energy and increase comfort vary from home to home, but the most helpful measures help keep heat in during the winter and heat out in the summer. This includes attic and wall insulation and air and duct sealing. Mechanical upgrades for heating, cooling and water heating can also be cost-effective if replaced with more efficient models when the equipment reaches end-of-life.

Northeast Portland homeowner Marcia Norrgard received an initial Home Energy Assessment for her mid-century house and it scored a 1, even though it had a new high-efficiency furnace and new windows. However, the house had little attic or wall insulation and an inefficient water heater.

“I noticed that during the summer, my living room was getting hotter and hotter,” said Norrgard. She prefers a cool living space in the summer and knew there could be value in saving energy in the winter. Norrgard worked with local contractor Kris Grube of Good Energy Retrofit to increase her insulation levels and replace her water heater. These upgrades cost her less than $10,000 and her house now has a Home Energy Score of 7.

Besides benefiting homeowners’ bank accounts, reducing energy use in homes also helps reduce carbon pollution in the atmosphere, a benefit for the entire community.

“NAMC Oregon’s mission and mandate is Building Bridges – Crossing Barriers. We accomplish this by working with value-driven organizations who focus on minority business concerns and show a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI),” said Nate McCoy, NAMC executive director. “BPS was honored for the Agency Leadership Award because of their Equity Guiding Principles, leadership on stakeholder engagement and new policy and programming efforts underway. These policy and programs are vital tools to address the need to increase participation of workforce diversity and minority-owned business inclusion, more importantly, the need to create a conduit for diverse firms to have access to substantial and consistent opportunities to create generational wealth and legacies in their communities.”

BPS recently developed a Waste Equity Workplan to record the commitments that grew out of a recent residential garbage and recycling franchise review stakeholder process. The franchise review looked at ways to increase franchisee workforce diversity and reduce barriers to economic opportunities for minority-owned and woman-owned companies. 

During the year-long conversation, the scope expanded as participants realized that the collection system governed by the franchise agreement represents just 20 percent of the waste generated by Portland residents and businesses and to make real change, action needs to occur across all sectors of the waste system. 

The Waste Equity Workplan identifies the growing multifamily sector as a high priority for increasing access and opportunity for minority-owned and woman-owned companies.  In 2019 BPS will launch a process to engage stakeholders in considering options and selecting a path forward. 

The City’s own waste collection contracts represent another important opportunity, especially as BPS is poised to expand public trash collection across Portland.  The Waste Equity Workplan directs BPS to make changes to the procurement approach for waste collection from public trash cans and City offices and facilities to increase access for minority-owned and woman-owned companies. 

In December, BPS took a big step in that direction when City Council authorized an exemption from procurement rules for waste collection from public trash cans and City offices and facilities.  The exemption allows the City to direct procurements for public waste collection into a new Waste Collection Access and Opportunity Program that will be available to underrepresented contractors. 

BPS will use this new process during the procurement for waste collection from the new public trash cans that will be installed in East Portland this coming spring.  Over the next few months BPS will also convene a Waste Equity Advisory Group to provide feedback during implementation of the Waste Equity Workplan and to evaluate progress annually.

Questions?  Email wasteinfo@portlandoregon.gov or call 503-823-7202.    

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12/13/2018
Contact: Eileen Park, (503) 823-6541
Eileen.park@portlandoregon.gov

City of Portland Commits to Clean Air Construction Standard

Portland, ORE -- Today, the City of Portland committed to reducing diesel emissions on public sector construction sites. Multnomah County is also expected to adopt the Standard later this month by executive order.

The Portland City Council voted unanimously to adopt an amendment to the City’s Sustainable Procurement Policy, which would phase-in requirements for contractors working on City construction projects, with contract values over $1 million, to meet engine standards that will reduce emissions of diesel particulate matter. 

“I’m very pleased the City of Portland and Multnomah County are working together to provide leadership on a regional approach,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “A regional commitment will help ensure that the impacts of this go far beyond City and County projects and it provides the necessary certainty for our contracting community. This approach will also help to alleviate some of the impact to people of color and low-income populations, who experience the effects of diesel pollution at a disproportionate rate.”

Chair Kafoury is scheduled to pass an executive order requiring the same Clean Air Construction Standard for all County construction projects later in December. “This is a market-based approach,'' Chair Deborah Kafoury said. "We're using the spending power of public construction projects to move the market toward clean equipment. And we're excited because it can be expanded beyond the City and County toward a regional solution.”

The Standard requires equipment used on City and County construction projects to dramatically reduce particulate matter emissions from older diesel engines. The requirements will apply to non-road diesel equipment with equal to or greater than 25 horsepower, and on-road dump and cement trucks. It will include a phase-in period to allow contractors the time and flexibility to plan for the new standard. The City and County are also pursuing funding options to help disadvantaged, minority, women-owned and emerging small businesses upgrade their equipment to comply with the standard.

Portland and Multnomah County residents have the highest exposure to air toxics in the state and are well above national averages for cancer risk and respiratory hazards from air toxics. Diesel particulate matter from older engines is among the most prevalent and harmful airborne toxins in the region. According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Portland Metro area registers diesel particulate matter (PM) levels above the ambient benchmark concentration set by the state.

The City and County worked with a coalition of local jurisdictions to develop this Standard with the intent that as multiple agencies adopt the Standard, it will foster a growing market for clean air construction equipment and improve air quality at a regional level. The coalition includes Washington and Clackamas Counties, the Port of Portland, Metro and the Department of Environmental Quality.

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The City of Portland is committed to providing meaningful access. To request translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, or other auxiliary aids or services, contact 503-823-1125, Relay: 711.

(503) 823-1125: 口笔译服务| Chiaku me Awewen Kapas | अनुवादन तथा व्याख्या |Устный и письменный перевод | Turjumaad iyo Fasiraad | Traducción e Interpretación | Письмовий і усний переклад | Biên Dịch và Thông Dịch |

December 5, 2018

Contacts

Eileen Park
503-823-6541
Office of Mayor Ted Wheeler

Christine Llobregat
503-823-7007
Bureau of Planning and Sustainability 

Portland City Council passes ordinance to cut back on single-use plastic serviceware while Portlanders who rely on items for healthcare situations can still obtain what they need.

After a second reading and unanimous vote, Portland City Council passed a new ordinance to reduce the automatic distribution of single-use plastics in Portland. Since Portland already has bans in place for Styrofoam and plastic grocery bags, the new ordinance repeals the existing code for Single-use Plastic Checkout Bags and Polystyrene Foam Food Containers and replaces it with Code Prohibitions and Restrictions on Single-use Plastic (Ordinance; replace Code Chapter 17.103; repeal Code Sections 17.102.300-340). 

Besides overwhelming our landfills, plastic straws and other single-use disposables affect the health of humans and animal communities. Over 660 species, including sea turtles, whales, dolphins and seabirds, are impacted and in many cases die from ingesting or becoming entangled in the plastic debris. A lot of people feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the plastic problem. This is a small but important step in the right direction.
– Mayor, Ted Wheeler

The City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) worked with the Mayor’s office to research the policies of other cities, conduct a series of workgroup meetings, analyze community feedback and land on a policy recommendation: Restrictions on plastic serviceware including; straws, stirrers, utensils and condiment packaging.

“This ordinance will multiply the impact we’ve seen with our grassroots #DitchTheStrawPDX program, preventing millions of single-use items from entering the waste-stream, said Nancy Nordman, Ditch the Straw coordinator of the Portland chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. “We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with businesses and the city to implement this policy, ultimately making a measurable reduction in waste and stopping plastic pollution at its source.”

The ordinance will include the restrictions on plastic serviceware (defined as straws, stirrers, utensils and condiment packaging) for the following situations, when applicable to the food and beverage order:

• By request policy: In dine-in situations, plastic serviceware will be only available by request of the customer.
• Ask first policy: In fast food, take-out and delivery situations, plastic serviceware will only be provided after the customer has been asked and confirms they want the plastic serviceware.

Notification and outreach to businesses will begin in January 2019 and the ordinance will go into effect on July 1,2019.

Community feedback guided policy development

The work group, consisting of restaurants, wholesalers, a medical facility, American Disability Act (ADA) straw users, and environmental advocates, contributed their time to discussing plastics reduction at a series of meetings, along with partners from Multnomah County, Prosper Portland and the City of Portland Bureau of Equity and Human Rights.

“The Mayor and taskforce embraced the need to create an inclusive policy that balanced the needs of both people living with disabilities and the environment,” said Nickole Cheron, ADA title II and disability equity manager, City of Portland Office of Equity and Human Rights. “We must continue to always ask ourselves who is the most impacted by our decisions and make sure we bring them to the table to insure an equitable path forward.”

“The Portland restaurant community appreciates the city keeping the ordinance “by-request”, respecting the need for single-use plastics for our customers, especially those in the disabled community," said Greg Astley, government affairs director, Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association. "Portland restaurants recognize the need to reduce plastics in the waste stream balanced with the needs of our guests.”

Survey and public feedback results

A public survey focused on City action to reduce single-use plastics. Over 4000 responses resulted from the survey and were overwhelmingly supportive of City action to reduce single-use plastics.

The results of stakeholder engagement and the survey highlighted these focus areas. 

• The community sees the need for government intervention.
• Waste prevention (not using) is the highest and best available alternative to single-use plastics.
• Plastic straws are a crucial tool for people with disabilities and those recovering from injury or illness and therefore should be restricted, but not banned.
• Alternatives for reuse and single-use plastic were not specified due to variabilities in environmental impact. Switching to paper may reduce marine impact but result in cutting down more trees and higher carbon emissions. 
• Human health impacts from single-use plastics, including toxicity need to be considered. 

Visit  www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/reduceplastic for more information.

In 2015, the City of Portland passed an ordinance requiring buildings that are 20,000 square feet and larger to track and report energy performance. Buildings are the single largest contributor to carbon emissions in Multnomah County, making them a critical area of focus in the City's efforts to combat climate change. Existing commercial buildings have shown little improvement in energy efficiency over the past three decades.

Across the nation, cities are addressing this problem through mandatory energy reporting and disclosure requirements. Building managers enter energy usage information and building details into ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®, a free online tool that calculates metrics describing how the building performs. Tracking this information is the most common first step for a building owner in considering whether to make operational adjustments or building upgrades that could ultimately result in cost savings and carbon emissions reductions.

Building managers report their energy performance metrics to the City annually and that information is then made publicly available. The data reported in 2017 has been published and can be explored in an easy-to-use, interactive online map. Users can view and compare buildings according to their size, use type, energy performance, compliance status and whether the building’s score has been verified by professional. The same information can also be viewed in a sortable spreadsheet.

In addition, each year the City analyzes the data and publishes an annual report summarizing broader trends in energy performance. The analysis examines how buildings of different uses and ages perform compared to their peers and how energy performance has changed over time.

Online interactive Building Energy Map: www.portlandmaps.com/bps/buildingenergy

List of 2017 verified top performing buildings: www.portlandmaps.com/bps/buildingenergy/#/list

Energy Performance Reporting program website: www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/energyreporting

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, Americans throw away about 204 million pounds of turkey meat after Thanksgiving. That number doesn’t even include other leftover foods like side dishes and desserts.

Check out the Guest-imator!

Save the Food offers cooks and eaters alike options for food-and-money saving tips. The latest tool is the Guest-imator, a dinner party calculator that estimates how much food you need to keep your guests full and happy. What a concept!

Visit a local farmers’ market

There are some farmers’ markets open year-round and even more open for Thanksgiving, so it’s a great time to get back out to the market. The farmers market map allows shoppers to find a market based on the neighborhood and the day they want to shop.

Choose from a wide variety of seasonal food that tastes fresh and looks beautiful on your plate, including apples, pears, cranberries, winter squash, hazelnuts, walnuts, chard, kale, leeks, beets and potatoes.

Don’t be afraid to try some creative uses for leftovers either. Leftover turkey curry or turkey breakfast tacos, anyone?

Compost what can’t be used

And when you’ve gotten everything out of your meal, add the turkey bones and any other food left to your kitchen compost container or directly in your green Portland Composts! roll cart. Get a detailed list of what goes in the green compost roll cart.