Green building questions answered

Metro, the City of Portland, Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties want to ensure you know about their joint community resource the Regional Green Building Hotline. The Hotline provides practical and impartial information about green home strategies, resources and incentives for new and existing commercial and residential projects in the region. We’ll answer your questions about ways to reduce your carbon footprint, renewable energy, indoor air quality, salvage, training workshops and more. The Hotline is a bridge to the information, programs and local resources to help you be as green as you would like to be.

Inquiries are welcomed from homeowners, renters, real estate professionals, non-profits, contractors, students, developers, business owners and design professionals in the tri-county area. It is the Hotline’s intent to inspire callers (not overwhelm!) to incorporate as many sustainable choices, either material or behavioral, into their projects as possible. The Hotline can also help callers overcome barriers and obstacles they have around green building.

A great place to start is right where you are, know which resources are available and take it one day at a time. How can you get money back on my stormwater/sewer bill? What actions can you take to save on your home energy use? Where can you tour a green home? When is the next class on rain gardens? What is the WaterSense label? How can I retrofit my house to age-in-place? Can I get a rebate for planting a tree? Call us!

The FREE Regional Green Building Hotline can help! 503.823.5431
www.buildgreen411.com
we tweet! @greenhotline
join us on Facebook: Green Development Resource Center.

King Mural Proposal Chosen by PSU

The King Mural Project proposal, on behalf of King Neighborhood Association, was chosen by the PSU community development colloquium. A group of graduate students from Portland State University’s Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning will be working to shape and define the scope of the project, partners involved, timeline, and other factors.

The envisioned project is a collaboration between one or more nonprofit groups that serve youth, one or more muralists, the King Neighborhood Association, and other interested community groups. The idea is that a group of King teens will receive paid employment to work with an experienced muralist to create a mural within King.

The PSU students will be working to answer these questions:
-which community groups wish to be involved?
-are there enough teens in King interested in being involved?
-where should the mural be sited?
-what grants are applicable?
-what is the overall budget?
-which artists will be involved?
-what role will each community group play, including the KNA?
-what is the overall timeline?

A rough timeline: research into these questions, and others, will take place between now and the end of the school year; grant-writing and planning to continue fall/winter 2011/12; actual project started not until summer of 2012.

SALT to Address Sabin Reboundary

From the NECN Safety and Livability Team:

Chris Lopez from NECN’s Safety & Livability Team here.

SALT has added a community discussion on the Grant High School Boundary Advisory Committee to its agenda for this coming Monday’s meeting. The prospect of a boundary change between feeder schools in the Grant cluster has fomented discontent within our Northeast Portland neighborhoods and SALT would like to give our neighbors another venue and opportunity to voice their hopes and concerns for an amicable solution.
Although the neighborhoods may have different perspectives on this issue, this is an opportunity to discuss common concerns or suggestions.

In addition, the Police Bureau will be making a presentation regarding budgeting priorities and soliciting feedback (probably at a later date) on community priorities for the police budget. We have added a few more items to our original agenda which is attached to this email.

The SALT meeting is this Monday, January 17th at the NECN offices, 4815 NE 7th Ave. It starts at 6:30pm and should adjourn by 8:30pm.

Hope to see you there,

Chris Lopez
Chair, NECN Safety & Livability Team

Meeting Agenda

PPB Seeks Citizens to Ride Along

Officer Ryan Bren addresses KNA

King Officer Bren

At the last meeting of the King Neighborhood Association, King patrol officer Ryan Bren reiterated his invitation for neighbors to participate in ride alongs with the him as he patrols our neighborhood. By doing so, people can get a first hand perspective of policing in our community and share their concerns directly with an officer working directly on the street.

King Representative, Irek Wielgosz, spoke highly of his experience taking part in a ride-along in the past. He recommended that others take part. By being out on the street with the officer, issues that may go unnoticed by the officer as he drives by in a patrol car can be brought to the officer’s attention and given context.

You can arrange a ride along by contacting Officer Bren at ryan.bren@portlandoregon.gov or by calling the North Precinct at 503-823-5700.

Citywide Tree Project Open House on Wednesday, January 19

From the Bureau of Planning and Sustainabillity:

Residents invited to talk with City staff and Urban Forestry Commissioners about the upcoming proposal to City Council

Open house about the Citywide Tree Project, a citywide project to enhance Portland’s urban forest through regulatory improvement and improved customer service

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011, 4:30 – 7 p.m.
1900 SW 4th Ave., Suite 2500A
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