Commissioner Amanda Fritz leads listening session
City Commissioner Amanda Fritz says she is listening to the concerns of the people, which is why she has launched a new listening series designed to help people listen better in listening sessions.
About 30 people attended the initial session of Listening Closely and Carefully to Improve our Community Listening Group, which began with a listening exercise to fire people up. But there were many points of interruption that followed. In one outburst, a participant wondered aloud to the group about how difficult it was to hold down a full-time day job and attend critical listening sessions on yard waste disputes, outdoor lighting hours, TriMet poetry rewrites and public odors.
“Listen, people,” said Bob Brisbane, a paramedic from Southeast Portland. “I missed seven meetings this week because of work and scheduling conflicts with other meetings. I don’t want to stop listening.”
As he trailed off, Commissioner Fritz gave an understanding nod as the rest of the audience paused and listened.
“Everyone in the audience feels we should move toward action on this issue,” blurted out Ramona Windsor from North Portland. “But it’s hard to listen and do things at the same time..”
Fritz nodded, and with a commanding look, instructed her assistant to make a note of what was happening.
The speaker was cut off by a chorus of understanding eye rolls.
The listening session is held the third Friday of each month in the Rose Room at City Hall. It is open to the public.
City Hall bans fragrances
City Hall took bold action last month, creating a fragrance free workspace after several city employees were using Axe body spray to cover up the smell of skunk weed in their backpacks.
The City voted 5-0 to create the fragrance-free work space, which asks city employees to “refrain” from wearing perfume, cologne and after-shave and “avoid” strongly scented deodorant or other hygiene products.
In protest, several city employees at the housing bureau stopped wearing deodorant or taking a shower in silent protest of the new law.
“Just because my co-workers smoke weed and can’t control the Axe, doesn’t mean I should be punished with Bill’s natural scent,” says one water bureau employee. “Let’s see, Old Spice, or that disgusting pee smell. I’m at a loss. You tell me.”
Erik Sten gets basement storage area at RAC named after him
The new Bud Clark Commons, also known as the Resource Access Center, also known as the most expensive affordable housing project in town, also known as the last new homeless project in downtown for another decade, aslo known as a key strategic tool in the 10-year plan to end homelessness, announced that a basemanet storage area will be named after former Housing Commissioner Erik Sten — who helped move the project forward in 2008.
“The city and service providers really appreciate the people that came before, especially the people that helped create this project,” says one provider who sat on a blue ribbon committee to help name the storage area. The center will provide a one-stop shop for services, along with transitional housing for more than 100 individuals.
“Erik Sten has done a lot over the years, and its fitting that the storage area is named after him. It’s a really important honor to the person that got this thing started from the ground up.”
Note: SR writes a satirical edition of the paper each April 1.