Many DNA members have expressed interest in reporting and tracking issues in our city. Below is a list of resources as well as information and assistance to help resolve issues.
The kid includes cleaning solvent, gloves, safety glasses, cleaning rag, small nylon scraper, small bucket and a link to an instructional video. To request your kit, email graffiti@portlandoregon.gov
For graffiti on the face of traffic signs, report online or 311
During this meeting, the board will be asked to consider:
approving a recommended motion from the Land Use / Transportation committee regarding an appeal for a River Place Master Plan project. This meeting is necessary because of the timing of a hearing on the project.
approving changes to the administrator and signature authorities to the DNA checking account. These changes are imminent, and the bank requires evidence of board approvals.
This is a public meeting that is expected to be short.
DNA Objective: improve the livability and character of Portland’s Downtown Neighborhood.
DNA Goal: reach out, listen, and strive to represent the opinions and interests of the DNA residents, students, and employees.
DNA standards of conduct: open, dignified, respectful, civil; separating business from personal; everyone will be heard, and their thoughts considered.
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Time: May 6, 2022 04:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
ADA ramp repairs will be under construction in April 2022, as part of the Willamette River Crossing Project.
ADA ramp repairs require week-long closure in April
The pedestrian and ADA ramp between S Harbor Drive and SW Naito Parkway will be closed for repairs during daytime working hours in mid-to late-April 2022. Contractors working for the Water Bureau will repair damaged handrails, remove garbage and hazardous materials, and cut back vegetation. During ramp closures, pedestrians will have access to the nearby staircase, and people using mobility devices will detour north to SW Columbia Street.
Ramp closure timing and duration
Work on the ramp is expected to take two to five weekdays in mid-April. We will update the project website with specific dates once those are available.
Ramp closure hours
The ramp will be closed during working hours, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The ramp will be open during evening hours.
Pedestrian detour–use staircase
The staircase connecting SW Naito Parkway and S Harbor Drive will be open to pedestrian use during ramp repairs.
ADA detour
During this closure, the ADA-accessible detour will be through Tom McCall Waterfront Park, crossing SW Naito Parkway at SW Columbia Street.
The Downtown Portland Neighborhood Association (DNA) sent a letter (below) to Mayor Wheeler and the City Council on March 24, 2022, urging the immediate preservation and restoration of the Thompson Elk Fountain.
The Elk Fountain has been restored many times over the years and the time has come to make it whole once more. In 1974 the City designated the “David P Thompson Fountain” or “Elk Fountain” as a local Historic Landmark. It’s described as an elk statue on a granite pedestal, surrounded by a reservoir with four animal troughs served by water spouts in form of animal heads. The elk and pedestal are inextricably linked.
As the City is well aware, it is responsible to conserve historic landmarks. The Thompson Elk Fountain is historically significant because it was designated by the City as a historic landmark, and it is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
The public have tried tirelessly to engage with City staff and have been absolutely stonewalled in these efforts. Individuals and organizations that have reviewed and endorsed the findings in the letter below include Bill Hawkins, Aubrey Russell, Chet Orloff, the Architectural Heritage Center, Restore Oregon, Portland Coalition for Historic Resources, and many others. The public is desperate for a forum where the alternatives to demolition can be discussed.
The City must not only comply with state law and local preservation program requirements but also be transparent and up front about intentions with respect to the protection of historic resources. This should be accomplished in a public forum where the public is given a formal opportunity to be heard by a politically accountable decision-maker.
This message is to announce a regular DNA Member and Board Meeting.
DNA Meeting Agenda
This is a Virtual, Zoom meeting. Zoom invitation appears at the end of this agenda. DNA Board members will have video and audio, but other attendees will not. Questions and comments can be raised via “chat” which will be answered as time allows.
DNA Objective: improve the livability and character of Portland’s Downtown Neighborhood.
DNA Goal: reach out, listen, and strive to represent the opinions and interests of the DNA residents, students, and employees.
DNA Standards of conduct: open, dignified, respectful, civil; separating business from personal; everyone will be heard, and their thoughts considered.
Executive Session will be at 5:00 pm due to scheduling issues. In order to facilitate board review and approval of attorney items this evening, the executive session discussion is being rescheduled to begin at 5:00 pm rather than at the end of the DNA Member and Board meeting. Board members will meet in a separate, earlier Zoom session.
The board will enter an executive session to discuss the DNA’s instructions to an attorney.
Board of Directors executive session call to order.
Executive session adjourned.
Members of the press who are interested may call 503-490-3907 to receive the Zoom link to this session. After completing this executive session, the board will enter the DNA Member and Board meeting at 6:00 pm using the Zoom link posted in the earlier email announcement.
General Membership Meeting, 6:00 pm
Call to order
There are no guest presentations this evening.
Open forum for comments and suggestions
Adjournment of General Membership Meeting
The DNA’s Board Treasurer position will be open. This position has the responsibility to maintain a single checking account containing modest funds and at least three sub accounts. Interested DNA members are encouraged to contact Walt Weyler, 503-490-3907.
The DNA’s and the DNA’s Land Use/Transportation chair position is open. This position leads the DNA’s activity to review and take positions on important physical property developments in our area. This is the basis on which Portland recognizes the DNA. This committee and its chair are important, recognized, and influential in Portland. Interested DNA members are encouraged to contact Walt Weyler, 503-490-3907.
A purple vest and a backpack will be a new sight for regular streetcar riders. Newly-hired Rider Ambassadors are working aboard the streetcar to provide a non-security presence to help keep the system safe, supportive and comfortable.
Completing mental health outreach training and equipped with water, dry socks and other supplies, this team will respond to riders experiencing homelessness or struggling with mental illness or addiction.
“Providing more helping hands on the streetcar is a way we can help our neighbors in need while also keeping the streetcar safe and clean for all riders,” said Dan Bower, Executive Director of Portland Streetcar, Inc. “The Rider Ambassador program is an extra layer of community support, and the team can respond to situations where otherwise a security or police response would be called in.”
The one-year pilot program is funded by a research and demonstration grant from the Federal Transit Administration. The grant is also funding the transition from cloth upholstery to easy-to-clean vinyl seat covers and new rider information screens at key stops.
Portland Streetcar expects to collect data, stories and rider feedback about the program to evaluate its effectiveness at the end of the year. The team will be in addition to existing customer service representatives and PBOT’s fare officers.
Oct 31, 2021 was the end of our first year of the GNP. I thought you’d like to see what all of your dedication and hard work has done to help our unsheltered neighbors. It’s a long list, but that’s thanks to all of you committing to the work. You should all be proud of yourselves, I know I am!
Alcohol wipes
5
Batteries
6
Blankets, fleece
362
Blankets, mylar
243
Blankets, wool
19
Bug Spray
2
Bungee cords
197
Coats
27
Condoms
12
Cooling towels
72
Deodorant
12
Dog food
105
Energy Bars
139
Ensure
87
Fem. Hygiene
157
First-aid kits
277
Flashlights w/batteries
421
Gloves
424
Hand/foot warmers
73
Hand sanitizer
493
Hats, Baseball
158
Hats, warm
413
Hat/Scarf combos
8
Hydration packets
280
Hygiene kits
667
Light cards
64
Masks
421
Ponchos
125
Rose City Resource Guides
175
Rubber gloves
6
Sandwiches
17+
Scarves
26
Sharps containers
9
Snack boxes
96
Socks
1,531
Spray bottles, reusable
6
Sunscreen
18
Sweatpants
43
Sweatshirts
61
Tarps
140
Tents
60
Toilet paper
7
Toothbrush kits
4
Trashbags
1,386
Water
2,400
Water bottles, reusable
6
Wipes
513
With our continued efforts, we can play a part in helping those on the street get through this winter with the gear so necessary for survival. Thank you to all of you.
Heiliger is head of school at International School of Portland. Byrnes is principal and executive director at Bridges Middle School.
Three months ago, Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan announced plans to site one of the city’s first “Safe Rest Villages” at 2300 SW Naito Parkway near downtown Portland. This new outdoor homeless shelter village will be a stone’s throw from our two schools, Bridges Middle School, an independent school serving fifth through eighth-grade students with learning disabilities, and the International School of Portland, an independent language immersion school with students from pre-K through fifth grade. Given the current unsanctioned encampments already near our schools, it’s a plan that we greet with a combination of hope, concern and clear expectations for the city.
Staff, students and parents of both schools are aware of the humanitarian crisis within our city and the need for the increased safety and well-being of its residents, both housed and unhoused. Our schools believe that global citizenship begins with our taking responsible action within and outside of our community. Our students, staff and families strive to actively model our schools’ values, including being open-minded, caring, deep-thinking and principled in our actions. As such, we wholeheartedly support the mission and vision of the Safe Rest Villages.
There have been many questions about why the city chose the Southwest Naito site, given its proximity to two schools. But this is not the first transitional village located close to a school. St. Johns Village is directly next to The Montessori House preschool and a block away from James John Elementary School. Administrators at The Montessori House and local community members have said that St. Johns Village has been a positive experience for both the neighborhood and the village residents. The village itself is beautifully maintained, and the residents are committed to being positive members of the community.
There are many lessons that we can harness from St. Johns Village, in tandem with the enforcement of local ordinances. The safety of our school communities is our top priority, and we share deep concerns about the unsanitary conditions, including trash, drug paraphernalia and human feces that we have already experienced with some nearby unsanctioned campsites. Currently, we are collaborating with representatives from the Downtown and South Portland Neighborhood Associations, Commissioner Ryan’s office and other stakeholder groups to develop a comprehensive good neighbor agreement that outlines our expectations for the success of the Southwest Naito Safe Rest Village, including:
No camping in the vicinity of the Safe Rest Village, the International School of Portland and Bridges Middle School: This includes the enforcement of Emergency Ordinance 190478, which prioritizes the relocating of high-impact, unsanctioned campsites within 150 feet of any public, private, or parochial preschool, elementary or secondary school.
Clear expectations for Safe Rest Village residency: Residents will be accepted by referral only, and we expect the contracted site operator to ensure background screening of potential residents so that only those appropriate for living within the Safe Rest Village will be permitted.
Robust safety and security measures: In addition to clearly articulated expectations for safety and security within the village, we expect to have a clear line of communication between the site operator and our schools.
We are committed to working with Commissioner Ryan and other city representatives to ensure that the site provides necessary support for our unhoused neighbors while also increasing the safety and security of our campuses by removing unsanctioned campsites nearby. We believe that Portland can, and should, both protect our students and set an example of what a compassionate community looks like.
The Homeless/Houseless Team (H/H Team) is seeking Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) Board approval of the following criteria for development of Safe Rest Villages or sanctioned camping areas within the DNA boundaries. Additionally, the H/H Team is seeking approval to represent the DNA in all discussions with the city related to homelessness. The H/H Team will keep the DNA Board informed on all issues related to houselessness, and seek Board approval for any final decisions, documents, or significant positions that must be taken by the DNA.
Conditions for Development
The DNA understands that the city of Portland is considering development of a Safe Sleep Village or a sanctioned camp to provide shelter for the houseless at 2300 Naito Parkway. The DNA’s support for camp development is based on the following conditions.
A “Good Neighbor Agreement” is developed between the neighborhood association and the city and is in place prior to the development of the camp. The city commits to enforcing all aspects of the Good Neighbor Agreement that are applicable to them and the neighborhood will commit the same.
The DNA is taken as a collaborative partner and is at the table from day one of planning and development of this project.
Safe and sanitary space be allocated for our unsheltered neighbors downtown. Unsheltered campers currently living within DNA boundaries are given priority for becoming camp residents
A restriction is in place to disallow ancillary camps within 150 feet of this sanctioned camp. Ancillary camps around the perimeter of this village must not be allowed.
This camp will be developed with best practice strategies, and sanitation facilities are attached to city water and sewer lines.
All conditions not defined in this document will be developed within the Good Neighbor Agreement.
Until we understand the next steps the city is going to take, we will gather feedback from people who live in the neighborhood and prepare to develop a vision of what an ideal best practice safe shelter village in this area should look like, should the city change their mind about utilizing this area for a Safe Sleep Area/Village/Camp.
Initial members of the Team organized to address this issue are DNA Board members LaJune Thorson and Stephanie Hansen, developer and Harbor of Hope founder Homer Williams, retired Mercy Corps executive Janice Yadin, The Strand resident Dick Teutsch, and H/H Team members Darlene Urban Garrett, Diane Odeh, and David Dickson, Mary Lucerno-Larson, representing American Plaza. The Team is looking to add additional stakeholders. These include but are not limited to more people with lived experience, as well as representatives from the International School, and businesses in the area.
The Portland Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) needs your help in an exciting new initiative. The Portland Downtown Good Neighbor Project will support approximately 200 unhoused downtown neighbors by distributing essential goods for survival (water, cold weather clothing, etc.) and building “good neighbor” relationships.
Call for Volunteers
The initial call is for volunteers to deliver cold weather gear: hats, gloves, scarves and socks. We already have commitments from Transition Projects, Blanchet House, and Northwest Pilot Project to donate items. Our challenge is to find PEOPLE to serve as Good Neighbors.
Teams
Volunteers will work in teams of 2 or 3, with each team assigned to a segment of the downtown. You may sign up as individuals or as teams.
Orientation/Training
Volunteers will receive initial orientation. Ongoing training will include information and referral and mental health first aid.
Timing
A Zoom orientation meeting will be held the week of November 16, 2020. The program will kick off soon thereafter.
Longer Term Goal
The long term goal is to build relationships. Consistent with the solution ideas presented at our November forum, we want to build community and be a support system to help our unhoused neighbors find a way to a better life. For example, this might include referral to places like Bybee Lakes Hope Center or Cascadia Behavioral Health for rehabilitation or Work Systems Inc. for assistance in finding a good job.
To Sign up or Ask Questions
Contact DNA Homeless/Houseless Co-chairs to sign up or ask questions:
