TO CITYWIDE LAND USE GROUP:
This year’s budget process is coming to an end. The Tree Manual
needs your help to happen.

This major element in the Tree Policy work completed to date is not a part of the Mayor’s budget request. The Tree Manual needs to be funded. We need to express our support for a very minor funding request (.0003 of the total City budget) that will provide permanent value to everyone in the City.

The Tree Manual is a basic educational tool to inform all types of
users within the City about the many values of trees and how to
protect them. It will explain how the tree code elements currently
found in seven different bureaus within the City have been combined,
clarified, and explained so tree policy is clarified. As
importantly, it will explain how to avoid unintentional damage to
trees and the species differences that need to be understood.

More than 50% of the trees in the City are on private property. The
role of trees as builders of property value, protectors of watershed
values, filters for water and air quality, habitat, temperature
managers, or simply contributors to quality of human life needs to
be compiled and shared so we can fully understand the multiple ways
in which trees make Portland the city it is. A common source of
comprehensive information is needed for builders, developers,
homeowners, staff doing development review, contractors working in
the field, the general public, and the next generations who will
live in Portland.

The Tree Manual is a really minor investment to provide for the
education of current residents as well as the next generation. That
is why one of fundamental uses of the Tree Manual will be as a
background for curriculum development in schools throughout the
City. This educational tool for multiple users will help change
tree protection from being a source of rule making and enforcement
to its more appropriate role as preserving a valuable asset for
everyone in the City.

Please ask the Mayor and City Council to restore funding for the
Tree Manual to the 2009-2010 City budget.

Here are some ways to do that:
Final Public Budget Hearing
Thursday, May 21
6:00-6:30 PM Community Fair
6:30-8:30 Budget Hearing (2-minute testimony only)
-
Mt. Tabor Middle School
5800 SE Ash St.
Parking: available in lot and on street
Bus Routes: 20, 71, 15

TESTIFY ONLINE
www.portlandonline.com/communitybudget

The Council will adopt the final budget on Wednesday, May 27, 2009.
Please make sure it includes funding for the Tree Manual.
Thanks for one more effort.

Bonny McKnight; Coordinator; Citywide Land Use Group

To create a more meaningful dialogue, members of the community will be asked to choose two focus areas from the following: parks, transportation, utilities, community development and public safety. We, the neighborhood system, are part of the community development area.

There will be many opportunities for citizen participation coming up. Here are a few ways you can have your voice heard.

Attend a Citywide Community Budget Forum
Join City Council, Bureau Directors and your neighbors at one of Portland’s Community Budget Forums and voice your priorities for next year’s City budget. Finances are tight and your input on what programs and services are most important to keep is needed! Saturday, February 21Floyd Light Middle School10800 SE Washington StCommunity Fair and refreshments at 9:30 AM forum from 10 AM – 12 noon

This is one of three forums that are being held around the city. Visit the website for additional dates and locations.
ADA accessible; for accommodations call 503 823-2559, TDD: 503 823-6868.

Comment online If you cannot attend a forum you are encouraged to send your comments, questions or concerns online. www.portlandonline.com/communitybudget

Learn more about the budget The city has developed a presentation for you and your neighbors to understand the budget process and to be able to share that information with others. Please help get the word out and keep your neighbors and friends informed! Click here to view the presentation.

Become a partner In addition to the three citywide community budget forums traditionally hosted by the City of Portland, this year, neighborhood/business/community organizations have the opportunity to partner with the City to host their own budget forum.

Selection criteria will be based on the organizations’ ability to recruit and bring people to the event, the organizations’ capacity to organize and co-sponsor the event, and the City’s ability to address your selected budget topics. To learn more about the program and to apply visit the city’s website.

Click below for survey:
Bureau of Transportation Budget Prioritization Survey

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has been going through a budget prioritization process since mid-summer as a result of sagging gas tax revenue and lower parking revenues.

In order to bring expenditures in line with the reduced revenue, a prioritization of all discretionary funded activities has been done. This prioritization has been done on the basis of criteria which assess the significance of the activity to the core mission and objectives of the organization.

A Budget Advisory Committee made up of members from the community and organized labor was selected in September and charged with reviewing the process. Additionally they’ve been tasked with helping Transportation identify the cuts necessary to cover the $6.4 million shortfall for FY 09/10 budget.

Twenty-five program listings were broken out into priority order. If you had to cut $6.4 million out of Transportation’s budget, how would you prioritize the following programs? Please respond by January 2, 2009.