Since this is likely the last Community Policing Forum meeting here at Southeast Precinct, the meeting agenda will be a little different. There will still be the regular check-in and updates from the Precinct, NRT, Crime Prevention, District Attorney and the Community.

There will also be an opportunity for new precinct alignment information and staffing updates for NRT, Crime Prevention and the District Attorney. Any information regarding Central Precinct and/or East Precinct Public Safety meetings will be provided.

Finally, we will recognize and celebrate the great community policing collaborations, partnerships and projects that both the precinct and the community have shared. This occasion will be noted with a pizza party complete with refreshments.

6:00-7:00 PM
CHECK-IN
♦ Neighborhood Response Team and Precinct Check-In
♦ Crime Prevention/District Attorney Updates
♦ Community/Discuss Hot Spots
STRUCTURE AND CHANGES
♦ Precinct Realignment and NRT assignments
♦ Crime Prevention Staff updates
♦ New Precinct Public Safety meetings

7:00 – 8:00 PM
COMMUNITY POLICING CELEBRATION

TO RSVP OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Katherine Anderson, Southeast Crime Prevention Coordinator:
503-823-3234 or kanderson@ci.portland.or.us
Havilah Ferschweiler, Southeast Crime Prevention Coordinator:
503-823-0540 or hferschweiler@ci.portland.or.us

Monitor other land use notices at the following link, click on the District Coalition.
http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=36652

Community Forum on Precinct Restructuring
Monday, April 20, 2009
6:30PM – 8:00PM
Cleveland High School (in the library)
3400 SE 26th Ave.
Portland, OR 97202

Bureau Advisory Committee Response to Proposed Budget Cuts
January 27, 2009
Doing a better job with less is an admirable accomplishment. The Bureau Advisory Committee (BAC) is very impressed with the Portland Police Bureau’s efforts to do just that. The emphasis on reducing commanders in order to increase patrol will enable the bureau to have more emergency response and neighborhood patrol. However, there is an area of concern for the BAC regarding this new configuration, specifically, the increase in command staff by creating three new captain positions and the elimination of six NRT positions. These proposals do not enhance community policing. While the boundaries might change for the precincts, the citizen population does not. A reduction in NRT officers does not serve the best interest of our neighborhoods and is a serious blow to community policing. An increase in upper management at a time of budget constraints does not make economic sense. Coupled with a decrease in NRT officers is alarming! We endorse the concept in the proposed “Three Precinct Configuration” as a means to provide more service in a time of budget constraints. In past BAC reports we have recommended moves towards precinct consolidation. This new version surpasses our previous recommendation with an increase in over all savings while attempting to maintain police presence in the affected neighborhoods and allows for an increase in sworn officers. Utilization of the proposed closed precincts for training and traffic not only saves money on leases, and improves accommodations for both those functions but keeps a police presence in both North and Southeast neighborhoods. Neighborhoods that have historically protested the closing of precincts should feel a sense of relief knowing that bureau members will continue to be in their neighborhoods for training purposes. Plainly stated, by eliminating the three new Captain positions and restating the six NRT positions will make the new configuration practical, efficient and a good use of taxpayers money.
The BAC is concerned in this atmosphere of dire economic turmoil that there will be a push for deeper cuts to the PPB. We strongly urge that if this becomes necessary, look towards revenue production versus service cuts. Before eliminating prioritized programs on the list, please consider these recommendations first. Year after year in the BAC has urged the bureau to recoup the expenses of special event overtime. Repeatedly, we have recommended special event organizers be required to pay the costs associated with a requested police presence. The BAC has also repeatedly requested an increase in alarm monitoring fees and fines. In addition to these suggestions for revenue we would like to add a new one, the PPB should recover the costs of investigating non-injury auto accidents. The rationale for this recommendation is simple; there is no crime being committed, no threat to our citizens. The investigation of a non-injury automobile accident is merely legwork for the insurance industry. The insurance industry should pay for the service.
In addition to revenue producing actions the BAC recommends the PPB actively reviews their entire command structure, not just the operations branch staffing, with the objective of optimizing supervisory positions. When the economic downturn hit corporate America the first course of action taken was to analyze middle management. The discovery of a heavy middle management sector led to restructuring and cost savings. The exact same cost savings approach used in the proposed three precinct configuration should be applied to all management positions. All Sergeant and Lieutenant positions should be analyzed with an eye towards efficiency. Keeping programs running and officers on the street should be the priority if the PPB is to maintain public safety at current levels.
The BAC urges City Council to adopt Option A.. The combined precinct restructure, reprogram and one-time restructure responsibly meets the 5.11% requested budget reduction. Public safety is one area of public service that cannot be compromised. This plan cuts dollars not public safety. Let us repeat, if more reductions become necessary, we strongly urge reviewing the ways to increase revenue sources and/or cost recovery over cuts that will adversely affect public safety. Finally, a continual search for efficiencies, such as the recommended optimization of supervisory positions should be undertaken immediately.

Train Horn Noise
The Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project is exploring how horn requirements may apply to light rail trains that share a freight rail right-of-way. Please join TriMet, train horn noise specialists Rail Control Limited and the cities of Milwaukie and Portland to learn more about options for minimizing train horn noise.

Tuesday, April 7
6-7:30 p.m.

Llewellyn Elementary School Cafetorium
6301 SE 14th Avenue
Portland, OR 97202

This location is served by bus lines 19-Woodstock and 70-12th Ave. Plan your trip on TriMet.

TRIMET’s GET INVOLVED – HOW TO (see link)

Home at SE 21st & Taggart sometime during the 1930s.

Read the report here. (.pdf document)

You can find more on their website: www.visitahc.org.

Expect more information on future historic preservation programs created specifically from the findings in the Needs Assessment.

March 23, 6:00-9:00: Grand (Location: Metro Regional Center, 600 NE Grand)
March 30, 6:00-9:00: Broadway (Location: Metro Regional Center, 600 NE Grand)
April 6, 6:00-9:00: 39th (Location: Hollywood Theater, 4122 NE Sandy)

HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON GRAND AVENUEFrom: ballestrem@gmail.com
Val Ballestrem points out that ….” even though it isn’t tied to a person, the name Grand Avenue does have historic significance, otherwise the historic district that bears the name Grand, wouldn’t be so named.”

Grand Avenue Historic Information – most of this information comes from the 1990 National Register Historic District nomination for the East Portland Grand Avenue Historic District.
* Grand Avenue, along with Union (now MLK) were the main thoroughfares through the separate city of East Portland .
* Grand Avenue was a primary north-south streetcar route
* 1990 National Register Historic District nomination refers to Grand Avenue as “the commercial spine” of the district.
* The significance of the East Portland Grand Avenue Historic District is its history and the theme behind the district nomination is commerce. Grand Avenue was one of the two major streets in the district; the other Union Avenue has already been renamed.
* The district can be defined by the historic commercial and community activities of Grand Avenue.
* “The East Portland Grand Avenue Historic District is significant for its historical origins as the commercial center of what was once the City of East Portland.”
* “Between 1883 and 1915ŠGrand Avenue and adjacent streets developed into a fully articulated community business centerŠGrand Avenue emerged as the major north-south streetcar artery linking the Madison, Morrison, and Burnside bridges.”
* Construction of the Weatherly Building (1928) points out the continued role of Grand Avenue as a community business center.
* “Grand Avenue was the first north-south street that was high enough to avoid problems of bridging and trestlingŠGrand Avenue quickly became the artery used by horse cars and then by electric streetcars”
* The heart of the district is clearly defined by the commercial buildings erected in the 1880s-90s along Grand Avenue from Morrison to Oak Street.
* Grand Avenue was the location of the annual Rose Festival Children’s parade.
* “It [5th] was changed to Grand Avenue in 1893 at the request of aspiring East Siders who wanted their main commercial artery to have more imposing name.” From Eugene Snyder’s Portland Names and Neighborhoods: Their Historic Origins Binford & Mort, 1979.
Val

City of Portland
Update on Street Renaming
The City of Portland’s Office of Transportation advises that the City Auditor has verified enough signatures to validate the application of the Cesar E. Chavez Committee. The committee has nominated Broadway, 39th, or Grand as candidates for renaming. A formal process will begin soon. This process is described in Portland City Code Chapter 17.93.
Though it was adopted almost 20 years ago, this process has never been used to rename a city street. The code creates a Historian Panel to consider the appropriateness of the nominee and the historical significance of the current street names.This panel will hold a series of public hearings:
March 23, 6:00-9:00: Grand (Location: Metro Regional Center, 600 NE Grand)
March 30, 6:00-9:00: Broadway (Location: Metro Regional Center, 600 NE Grand)
April 6, 6:00-9:00: 39th (Location: Hollywood Theater, 4122 NE Sandy)

In addition, the City Engineer will formally notify neighborhood and business associations that they have 45 days to submit written comments (in addition to their testimony to the Historian Panel) and the City Auditor will send a postcard survey to owners and occupants of property along the three streets.

You can get more information on the City’s website at www.portlandonline.com. To get to the Street
Renaming page, go to “Government”, then “Special Projects,” then “Cesar Chavez Street Renaming Process.”

PGE Substation Expansion
The neighborhood association is tracking PGE’s proposal to expand its substation and tear down three historic homes at SE 32nd and Yamhill. Neighbor interest continues to grow, with more than 100 people signing up for our mailing list during the Belmont Street Fair. We have organized two special community meetings to focus on this topic:

* October 7: Discussion and strategy meeting with neighbors

* October 16: Community meeting with PGE representatives

Both meetings are set for 7 p.m. at the Sunnyside Environmental School auditorium (on Salmon Street between SE 34th and SE 35th). A Conditional Use application for the proposed expansion is expected to be filed in late October. For more information or to sign up on the mailing list, email mohle@comcast.net or call 503.295.1699

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The attachment gives more specific information about it.

And a great plug from Jonathan Maus @ BikePortland.org.