1) Neighborhood mural update
2) Homeless camps on N Going Street
3) Beach Elementary not ready for an earthquake
4) PBOT seeks citizen oversight
The neighborhood mural continues to move forward. Since the last update, the project has received additional grant funds, including $1,000 from the Lester Viles of the North Portland Project Fund, $500 from the North Portland Neighborhood Services Spring Boost Grant and $75 from New Season’s towards food and beverages during the mural painting.
Final drafts of the mural design will be presented by July 22. The mural youth teams’ next steps are to go to the Grand Rhonde reservation to meet with Kalapuya Tribe elders. The Kalapuya are one of the tribes that lived in the area that is now Overlook. The youth will ask permission to use iconography and legends of the tribe in the mural. While there they will also visit the cultural center and study historical archives on the reservation.
The mural project will be completed in late summer. It will beautify the Overlook neighborhood, spotlighting our history and many beautiful green spaces.
2) Homeless camps on N Going Street
The Overlook Neighborhood Association continues to work with Portland Fire and Rescue on camping along N Going Street. One particular camp that was using open fires and cutting trees has been relocated as a result of that collaboration.
3) Beach Elementary not ready for an earthquake
Carmen Merlo, director of the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, recently spoke to a Portland Public Schools planning committee about which schools are at risk during a major earthquake. Beach Elementary in the Overlook Neighborhood was among the 20 most at risk. Learn more in this news report.
4) PBOT seeks citizen oversight
The Portland Bureau of Transportation seeks volunteers to serve on two important advisory committees:
Bureau/Budget Advisory Committee | Application due July 19
PBOT convenes a Bureau/Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) to inform the annual transportation budget and think critically and strategically about Portland’s complete transportation system. The BAC will also review program priorities and infrastructure project lists and provide input on Bureau strategy and direction for incorporating equity and the inclusion of communities that are traditionally under-served by the Bureau. The BAC meets monthly and is year round. Learn more.
Fixing Our Streets Oversight Committee | Application due July 19
On May 17, Portland voters approved Measure 26-173, creating Portland’s first local funding source for transportation maintenance and safety via a 10 cent per gallon fuel tax. The Fixing Our Streets Program will implement Measure 26-173. The Oversight Committee will monitor overall program implementation, with special attention on construction impacts on businesses and neighborhoods and the utilization of minority-owned, women-owned, and emerging small businesses. The Oversight Committee will meet quarterly. Learn more.
Both of these advisory groups will play an important role in shaping the future of our work at PBOT and the bureau will work to ensure that these spaces are both informative and meaningful for committee members. For each group PBOT seeks a diversity of perspectives and experience. Onboarding and supplemental information sessions will be offered to assist with facilitating full participation of committee members regardless of experience with PBOT or budget/policy process. Individuals may apply for both if interested.