Your Daily Guide

Changes to City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez’s Camping Ban

Portland City Hall looks like they’ll spend the week debating what the city’s camping ban should look like. Late last week, Commissioner Rene Gonzalez backtracked on his proposal: he’s no longer asking for penalties of up to a month in jail for anyone who violates the proposed camping ban. The key difference now between his proposal and the competing one from Mayor Ted Wheeler is that Gonzalez wants the mayor and city administrator (as opposed to the incoming City Council) to control camping ban rules going forward. Gonzalez is running for mayor. [Willamette Week]

• Related: What’s working (and not) in Portland’s shelter programs? KC Jones, the city’s director of the audit services division, has some answers after the city conducted its first audit of the Joint Office of Homeless Services — the city-county agency founded in 2016 to address homelessness. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Multnomah County in Arbitration Over Ambulances

The county and its ambulance contractor American Medical Response have been sparring over whether it’s necessary to have two paramedics on each ambulance. It’ll be interesting to see if the county compromises, but there are additional ways the county could improve response times in emergencies. “Some of the deeper causes are sleeper problems that the public hasn’t heard as much about,” OPB’s Amelia Templeton says. “And one of them is surprisingly heavy use of the 911 system by places like nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, even regular hospitals.” [OPB]

Seeking $100M for Teachers Strike’s Effects

Four parents are seeking $100 million in damages for the Portland teachers strike. A legal complaint, filed as a first step with the state Employment Labor Relations Board, says the Portland Association of Teachers delayed the resolution of the strike by bargaining over issues that the district didn't need to settle in contract negotiations under Oregon law. The suit comes from a Chicago law firm with conservative ties that has filed similar suits in at least four other states. [Oregonian]

Portland, it’s time we overhaul the city’s official slogan — “the city that works.”

The unofficial slogan from the TV show “Portlandia” — “put a bird on it” — seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird (thank goodness). “Portlandia” co-creator Carrie Brownstein did kinda, sorta apologize for that one last week.

After all, we’re about to celebrate 503 Day — a new, totally real holiday for civic pride. The City Cast Portland podcast and the Hey Portland newsletter picked May 3 (5/03) for obvious reasons: 503 is our area code and the 71st day of September doesn’t work (or exist).

Last week, I solicited ideas for a new slogan, at least for all of us to use unofficially.

And (wow!) newsletter readers have already emailed in some creative and splendid ideas, including:

• “I hear it every time I ask a question about something odd that baffles me about this town. The response is ‘It’s Portland.’” — George Van Es
• "The city that tries." — Libbi Layton
• ‘We nominate ‘Portland: Ahead of the Curve’ —because we are! In things both good & not so great … [Or] our call to action: ‘Portland: Start Making Sense.’” — Jane A. Black
• “I agree there’s a tragic irony to the city’s current motto, but after a particularly tough few years I’d argue there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the direction we’re headed. And even after we finally shake off the COVID-era funk, there will still always be room for municipal self-improvement! So instead of “The city that works” how about… “The city that’s working on it.” — Jack A. in Southeast
• “Rose Rip Slab Puddle Bridge Landia” — Travis Neff

We’re still accepting suggestions for slogans — as well as other ideas celebrating: What would you eat, listen to, and wear to celebrate our new holiday? Please send us your ideas for expressing your Portland civic pride.