Sources Say: Hales: Water 'terrorists' in our midst

In the Portland Tribune

Portland OKs $100K tax deduction

Malia Spencer in the Portland Business Journal

Portland wants to direct some surplus to soften the tax burden for small business owners

Andrew theen in The Oregonian

Portland Development Commission may loan $20 million for Pacific Northwest College of Art headquarters

Elliot Njus in The Oregonian

November 15, 2013

Nick is pleased to host an exhibit of "We Are Portland" – a group of family portraits posed, taken, and developed by local youth – here in City Hall.

The City was proud to partner with My Story on their 2013 "We are Portland" program.  With the help of an Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, youth learned new skills through fun workshops, and then put their talents and artistic abilities to work by taking free family portraits for their friends and neighbors.

"We are Portland" empowers youth and builds community through the arts, and the portraits help showcase our community’s diverse and ever-changing demographics and culture.

Drop by City Hall through Wednesday, November 20 to view the "We Are Portland" exhibit in our first floor atrium. And keep an eye out in the community for these beautiful portraits – they could be coming soon to a public library or community center near you!

To learn more, visit My Story online.

November 18, 2013

Don’t let the holiday shopping countdown stress you out. This year, participate in Portland’s Little Boxes shopping event and raffle.

Little Boxes takes place over “Black Friday” and “Small Business Saturday” at 200 local businesses throughout Portland. The event is a great way to support local businesses and explore the shops that make Portland rich and vibrant.

Little Boxes’ roots stem from 2011 when small business owner and jewelry designer Betsy Cross of betsy & iya, along with her business partner and husband Will Cervarich, brought together several small business owners who agreed to offer discounts, pool funding to create a print and web presence, and collect donated prizes for shoppers.

The event has been a success - growing from 90 participating business in 2011 to an expected 200 this year.

Head out to any Little Box on November 29 and 30 and fill out a raffle ticket. You can do this on paper or with their App on your iPhone. There’s no purchase necessary to enter the raffle, and you’ll receive one entry for each store you visit.

If you make a purchase at one Little Box, they will give you a stamp for your Passport. Show the stamp at the next Little Box and get 10% off. Collect enough stamps, and earn bonus raffle entries.

To learn more about Little Boxes and see the list of participating businesses, visit their website or like them on Facebook.

November 20, 2013

Monday, Portland-based design firm Mayer/Reed accepted an honor award from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) for its outstanding design work for Bud Clark Commons.

Bud Clark Commons opened in 2011. The unique eight-story building, named for former Portland Mayor Bud Clark, provides a continuum of services. The City was proud to partner with Transition Projects and Home Forward to provide access to healthcare, shelter, and counseling to help homeless people transition from the vulnerability of the streets to safe, permanent homes. It includes a walk-in day center with access to services, a temporary shelter with 90 beds for homeless men, and 130 studio apartments for very low-income individuals.

Mayer/Reed designed the streetscape and exterior pedestrian spaces and two courtyards at Bud Clark Commons. They also created the building entries, a gardening terrace, and eco-roofs. The courtyards and exterior spaces were intended to become transformative places that would create a positive environment of hope, dignity and respect. 

Winning the ASLA award is another wonderful recognition to an already incredible list of awards and accomplishments for Bud Clark Commons. In addition to LEED platinum certification, the Commons have also received the 2013 Residential Architect Design Awards Project of the Year, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s "Creating Community Connections" award, and was featured in Dwell Magazine in 2012.

November 22, 2013

Nick was proud to join Governor John Kitzhaber in our State Capital on Wednesday as the Governor signed House Bills 2349 and 3112 into law.

HB 2349 renews part of the City’s Limited Tax Exemption (LTE) program. The LTE program offers a break on property taxes in exchange for affordable homes, both apartments and single-family houses.

The bill reauthorized the City’s Homeownership Opportunity LTE (HOLTE) program, allowing the City to continue providing affordable homeownership opportunities to low- or moderate-income families.

At last count, 2,064 low-and moderate-income homeowners are currently benefiting from the 10-year property tax exemption provided through the HOLTE program. HOLTE has helped many Portland residents priced out of the market to experience the stability and pride that comes with homeownership.

The other, HB 3112, clarified that buildings owned by the City and used to provide affordable housing are exempt from property taxes. Previously, it was unclear whether this exemption applied to City-owned buildings in addition to buildings owned by non-profits of housing authorities.

Together, these two bills help the City continue providing affordable homes to Portlanders who are priced out of the private housing market.