Category Archives: Public Safety

Public Meetings to Discuss “Respectful Traveling” on Williams

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From PBoT:

Dear North Williams Community Members,

This summer, the City of Portland will run a special educational campaign to encourage safe and respectful traveling on North Williams.

While discussions about changes to the roadway continue as part of the North Williams Traffic Safety Project, we have heard loud and clear from the community that how people interact with one another while traveling up North Williams is just as important as engineering, and that conditions on the street feel dangerous today and should be addressed as soon as possible.

Please come to a special brainstorming meeting to answer these questions:
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Friends of Last Thursday Seek Community Input

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Friends of Last Thursday, the organization tasked with taking responsibility for the administration of the monthly street festival, is seeking feedback from the communities surrounding Alberta and the Last Thursday participants. This is your opportunity to explain what is good about LT and what needs to change.

From FoLT:

Friends of Last Thursday (FoLT) is on the move! Tasked by the city to localize stewardship of Last Thursday within the Alberta community, FoLT began hands on engagement during May Last Thursday to extremely positive result. Infractions were down, the street was reopened in record time and the FoLT Ambassador program made great progress in its education and outreach component. One of the cornerstones of the FoLT mission is to help create a safer event, which means working with participants to gain their compliance with city and county safety laws, including observance of ADA, parking, noise, fire and food handling codes, zero tolerance for open containers, and a Leave No Trace refuse goal. Also of high priority is engendering greater neighborhood respect. FoLT has listened to the concerns of our neighbors and is actively working to educate Last Thursday participants in the ways in which they can exert the lightest possible impact on our community.

FoLT Letter and Community Survey

Meeting to Address Additional Regulation of Liquor Licensees

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PUBLIC MEETING:
Proposed Changes to City Code Time Place and Manner Regulations of Alcohol Licensed Establishments (PCC 14B.120)

What: Community members are invited to a public meeting to learn about the proposed changes to local regulations of liquor licensed establishments, ask questions and submit testimony or comments. Comments may also be submitted in writing to the contact above.

When: June 28th, 2011 at 6pm

Where: Portland Building, Room C
1120 SW 5th Ave Portland, OR 97204

Why:
The City of Portland will be proposing changes to the city code that allows local regulation of liquor licensed establishments and is seeking comments from community members. Enacted as an avenue for neighbors and local enforcement agencies to address problem establishments, the Time Place and Manner code has been effective in addressing many livability and public safety issues that arise out of the sale of alcohol. The goal is to work with the licensee to address the issues before they become egregious. However, there are several areas that the City’s authority is insufficient to address problems. The proposed changes will expand the authority slightly to allow:

• Drug activity, prostitution, overcrowding, and serious incidents involving death or the risk of death to be considered nuisance activities for the purpose of this code.
• A violation and abatement process if three nuisance incidents occur in 60 days (rather than 30 days currently allowed).
• A violation and abatement process in the event that a serious incident occurs at an establishment.

The proposed changes have been reviewed and supported by the Time Place and Manner Oversight Committee, which includes community and industry representation. Time Place and Manner is a reasonable process to a responsive licensee and has been effective in mitigating harm. These changes will help to better serve the communities of Portland, and ensure that licensed establishments do not act irresponsibly or negligently at the cost of the community. It will also allow the City of Portland to take intervening steps with a premise earlier and avoid more serious problems from occurring. This is the only avenue to address problems at licensed establishments at the local level. All other regulatory authority is held by the state Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

The proposed changes are viewable online at www.portlandonline.com/oni. A second meeting will be held in July as well. If you would like to hear more, or would like to comment on the proposed changes please attend the public meeting or contact Theresa Marchetti.

Theresa Marchetti
Liquor Licensing Specialist – ONI
1221 SW 4th Ave Ste 110
Portland OR 97204
503-823-3092
theresa.marchetti@portlandoregon.govTo view applications currently in process go to http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?&c=48007

FoLT Seeks Volunteers

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From Friends of Last Thursday:

Friends of Last Thursday (FoLT) is seeking more Friends!

In our effort to lift much of the responsibility for Last Thursday from city shoulders, we need friendly volunteers to help manage the event.

FoLT has several Ambassador positions available now. Ambassadors are the face of LT. They will promote awareness and outreach to artists and visitors during the event and provide a buffer between participants and outside city and county agencies. Roaming the streets in colorful hats and vests, Ambassadors play a vibrant role in ensuring a fun & safe LT.
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