Tag: Tiffany Koyama Lane

Community, Construction, Government, Infrastructure

Montavilla Picnic Shelter Added to Budget

On May 20th, at the end of a marathon budget session, the Portland City Council approved an $8.5 billion city budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 with a $755,000 line item for a replacement Montavilla Park picnic shelter. Portland City Council Member Tiffany Koyama Lane’s amendment to the budget came back to consideration at the tail-end of the proceeding after a quick revision to specify Parks Local Option Levy money as the intended funding source. This budget addition passed seven to five at the end of an evening Council session that saw many failing amendments with 6-6 ties as city leaders addressed a $160 million revenue shortfall.

A construction site showing the partial demolition of a building, with scattered debris and a bulldozer in the foreground.
Montavilla Park picnic shelter demolition October 2021, photos by Weston Ruter

Political interest in funding a replacement picnic shelter ramped up recently; however, the community’s desire for its replacement began years before. In October 2021, demolition crews removed the aging picnic shelter at Montavilla Park and installed new grass turf rather than preparing the site for an already-designed replacement structure. Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) postponed the planned modern 2,000-square-foot open-walled replacement shelter due to a department-wide budgetary shortfall. Before its removal, the area was fenced off for safety concerns. Earlier this month, a community group began circulating a petition to build that Montavilla Park structure.

Architectural drawings of a picnic shelter, including a floor plan and elevation views from the east/west and north/south. The design features a metal roof, wood rafters, and a concrete foundation.
Proposed Montavilla Park Picnic Shelter from 2021

The petition effort, led by members of the Hope & Bread Street Church who gather in the park for Sunday service, gained community interest, with ABC Television affiliate KATU and MV News covering the campaign. On May 17th, Councilor Koyama Lane from Montavilla’s District 3 included shelter funding as part of her seven proposed budget amendments, later receiving expressed support from other elected officials, including Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards and Oregon Representative Thuy Tran.

Votes for the Montavilla Park picnic shelter did not fall strictly on Portland City Council District lines with District 3 and District 1 residents having local access to the park. District 3 Councilor Steve Novick voted against the funding due to reservations regarding project priorities, given the City staff reductions and program cuts necessary to balance this year’s budget. He expressed support for the project but worried about the potential to overlook other needed projects without an evaluation process to rank community needs. “I would love to be able to vote for this. This is important, but I think that we should make all of these decisions in the context of considering trade-offs, and parks as a huge maintenance backlog,” said Novick, preceding the vote. “I just can’t make this decision out of context. Maybe if we took a long look at all the things that communities have been promised in the maintenance backlog, this would rise to the top. But I can’t say that I’ve done that work, so I can’t support this today.”

Black and white photograph of NE 82nd Street at NE Glisan Street, featuring a mix of storefronts and residential homes, with a wet road and power lines visible.
1933 Portland Archive image. 82nd Ave roadwork looking north from NE Glisan St. A previous Montavilla park shelter is visible at the right but is not the one removed in 2021

Some petitioners supporting replacing Montavilla Park’s picnic shelter had been watching the proceedings since early afternoon and had to wait until nearly 9:30 p.m. for the session’s final budget amendment vote. The Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission will conduct a legal review of the amended budget. The council can make further adjustments to the approved budget, provided that no individual fund is adjusted by more than 10%. In June, the Portland City Council must formally adopt the budget ahead of July 1st, when the new fiscal year begins. At that point, Parks planners can begin project planning for the return of a Montavilla Park picnic shelter, restoring a nearly 100-year run of having a covered outdoor gathering space at this location.

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Jacob Loeb

Portland City Council District 3 members and Representative Thuy Tran are up for reelection in November 2026. Julia Brim-Edwards is seeking the Multnomah County Chair position. Montavilla News does not endorse individual candidates or ballot measures.

Update: Portland Archive image description expanded to note that the shelter shown in 1933 photo is not the one demolished in 2021. It was removed at an unknown date.

Government

Portlanders Vote on Parks Levy

The November 4th Special Election ballot has just one question for Portland voters centered on renewing and increasing a five-year parks levy first approved in 2020. Measure 26-260 asks property taxpayers to renew the Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) supplemental funding source at $1.40 per $1,000 of assessed value from the previous 80 cents per $1,000. Portlanders tend to vote in favor of supporting parks. However, a recent Portland Auditor’s Office report casts doubt on the Parks Bureau’s fiscal management to date, raising concern among some about increasing park funding taxes without a sustainable budget plan.

A green park featuring trees, a paved walking path, and circular picnic tables surrounded by well-maintained grass.

The report outlines several issues driving PP&R’s budgetary shortfall, including unfunded pet projects from past City Council members and politicized management under the last form of government. However, the report identified the expansion of Portland’s Park system, including new locations and amenities, as a substantial fiscal burden for the Bureau. Building new parks without first securing a maintenance funding source exceeded PP&R’s share of the City’s General Fund, leaving the Parks Bureau with few options other than reducing services or closing locations.

Five years ago, during the pandemic, voters approved the parks levy to support services provided by PP&R after the Bureau cut costs during a 2019 $6 million shortfall. Those funds kept the parks’ programs open but did not address a substantial maintenance backlog. All the while, during its budgetary crunch, PP&R had a sizable source of money from developer fees. However, State and City laws prohibit the use of those funds for maintenance activities. That created a situation in which PP&R could add assets to the parks system without the funding to maintain them.

Sign for Gateway Green Park in Portland, indicating park hours and association with Portland Parks & Recreation.

Current District 3 Councilor Steve Novick also served previously on City Council under the Commissioner form of government during a pivotal time for parks, when its overbuilding phase ramped up due to City leadership’s increasing System Development Charges (SDCs) collected for parks from fees charged to development projects. His history with PP&R’s funding leads him to believe that Portlanders should approve 26-260 to give the current City Council time to rebalance park funding. “It would be rather absurd to take it as reason to vote against the levy because of what the auditor pointed out, which is true, we’ve been building new parks without the money to fix the old ones,” explained Novick.

Sign for Gateway Discovery Park in Portland, Oregon, with decorative sculpture and modern building in the background.

Councilor Novick believes the PP&R leadership has taken the blame for a systems failure that predates the 2019 budget shortfall. “Five years previously, in 2015, when I was on the council, we voted to increase parks SDCs; [Commissioner Dan] Saltzman and I voted no,” recalled Novick. They expressed concern about its impact on housing costs. A concern supported by the current City Council, which recently suspended SDCs temporarily on new residential projects. Novick noted that at the time, he was also concerned that PP&R would build facilities they could not maintain without additional funding that the former City Leadership did not provide. “The attitude of the council at the time was build baby build and don’t really worry about the crumbling assets.”

In Novick’s opinion, the current City Council can address PP&R funding in a more sustainable way, but needs to stabilize the decline before it starts making hard choices. “I think arguing that adopting the levy defers tough decisions is sort of fair, but we shouldn’t be making those tough decisions at the point of a gun in the context of having to come up with a budget that savages the parks system,” said Novick.

Three councilors seated at a table during a meeting, with nameplates indicating their names and positions.
Councilors Tiffany Koyama Lane, Angelita Morrillo, and Steve Novick representing District 3 in a March 2025 budget community listening session.

Conversations about park funding took center stage at City Hall during this last budget cycle, where PP&R competed for General Fund money alongside other large line items, such as police, fire, and homeless services. Some of the possibilities City leaders envision require changes to how the Bureau uses SDCs. “One thing that we’re going to do is go to the legislature and ask them to change the SDC statute so that SDCs can be used to repair existing structures, not just build new ones,” explained Novick. This change would allow PP&R to use development-fee-generated funds to maintain existing parks. This approach is favorable, as infill housing development brings more people into existing neighborhoods that may have languishing parks in need of attention to support new residents.

Another potential funding source comes from outside contributions. “I also think that there is a lot more thought now about trying to get some private money into the parks. The example that everybody always brings up is Central Park in New York City, [which is not funded by] City tax dollars. There’s a consortium of foundations and rich people to take care of Central Park,” said Novick. “I think that’s a conversation we need to have with our money elite in the city. Maybe there’s Nike branding or whatever all over the parks. Personally, I would live with that.”

A mural on the side of the Montavilla Community Center featuring colorful mosaic figures engaged in various physical activities, including sports and dance, with the center's name prominently displayed above.

Councilor Novick also noted that the city may need to issue a parks bond to address the backlog of repairs and reduce the operating expenses currently burdened by the system’s condition. “Hopefully, we can do the minor maintenance with this levy. That will prevent us getting to major maintenance costs in some facilities,” remarked Novick. He worries that without Ballot Measure 26-260, the City Council will have to make drastic cuts to parks without the time to plan spending reductions strategically. “What we learned [during the last City budget cycle] is that pretty much everything that parks does is really important to a bunch of people, and if the levy fails, then we’re gonna have to prepare a budget for next year which assumes we’re making massive cuts to parks.”

Ballot Measure 26-260 text says the median homeowner would pay $310 per year if the levy passes, which is just under $26 per month, and represents an $11 increase over what current property taxpayers have contributed to parks since the 2020 levy’s approval. Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on November 4th at a county drop site (multco.us/dropsites) or postmarked in the US mail system by November 4th.

Montavilla News does not endorse candidates or ballot measures.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, New Business

Oak Street Village Shelter Opens

On February 19th, representatives from Multnomah County, the City of Portland, and Montavilla community leaders joined the Oak Street Village shelter operators at 333 SE 82nd Avenue for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This event officially opened the temporary shelter site that can house up to 40 adults in 29 sleeping pods with 33 parking spots so residents can store their personal vehicles. This opening follows years of delays while the Joint Office of Homeless Services, now transitioning its name to the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department (HSD), worked through its community outreach efforts to sufficiently include area residents and business owners in a Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA).

  • ADA parking next to accesible pods
  • 24-hour staffed office
  • Accessibel restroom

Before invited guests help cut the ribbon, marking Oak Street Village‘s launch, they addressed the gathered crowd of neighborhood visitors and TV news crews. Montavilla East Tabor Business Association president Neil Mattson and Montavilla Neighborhood Association president Laura Mulligan both expressed their appreciation for the efforts undertaken to develop a GNA that should mitigate many concerns Montavilla residents and business people expressed in the several community meetings held ahead of opening this shelter site. They also voiced their appreciation for the support of Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards, who helped align the site’s construction schedule with the community outreach and GNA work. When addressing the crowd, Commissioner Brim-Edwards remarked on the success of the community engagement’s outcome.

  • Montavilla East Tabor Business Association president Neil Mattson
  • Montavilla Neighborhood Association president Laura Mulligan
  • Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards
  • Commission Chair Jessica Vega Pederson
  • Pastor Dwight Minnieweather
  • HSD Director Dan Field

Multnomah County Commission Chair Jessica Vega Pederson joined Commissioner Brim-Edwards in stressing the importance of shelters like Oak Street Village in addressing homelessness. The County’s efforts to address the housing crisis include layers of support that attempt to prevent people from losing their housing and transition people off the street through various shelter formats. This unique village configuration allows those living in cars to move into more suitable shelters with electricity, heating, and cooling. The Pallet shelter branded sleeping pods have locking doors and an integrated bed. Oak Street Village also offers residents trash services, showers, restrooms, laundry facilities, and a communal kitchenette in shipping container-style units surrounding the site. Similar shelters offer the same amenities, but this location allows people to keep their vehicles, which may be their most valuable possessions. Giving up a personal car can remove one’s ability to find employment or travel to places to receive services. Oak Street Village’s configuration may better support certain people’s transition back to regular housing and jobs by not requiring them to give up their vehicles before receiving help.

  • Inside sleeping pod
  • Shower room
  • Pet relief area

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson celebrated this shelter’s opening and thanked the Montavilla Neighborhood for its support. His fondness for the community predates his elected position. While running for office, he helped open the PDX Saints Love Day Services Center across the street from Oak Street Village. Both locations complement the Mayor’s plan to end unsheltered homelessness in the city. He also thanked the former Montavilla Neighborhood Association president, Spencer Knowles, for his work bringing the neighbors into the GNA process for both facilities. Knowles stepped down from the board to take a position on Portland City Councilor Steve Novick’s staff. Knowles and Councilor Novick attended Oak Street Village’s opening ceremony along with Portland City Council Vice President Tiffany Koyama Lane.

  • Council Vice President Tiffany Koyama Lane
  • Councilor Steve Novick

Pastor Dwight Minnieweather leads this shelter’s service provider, Straightway Services. His remarks focused on the importance of encouraging people to see their self-worth. He shared his story of addiction recovery from decades ago and how it was the words of one person who set his life back on track. He intends to offer the same supporting guidance to as many people as possible coming through his shelter. His organization recently rented office space across SE 82nd Avenue from the county-owned shelter site, and he intends to make roots in the community. HSD Director Dan Field spoke about his appreciation for Pastor Minnieweather’s commitment to his work and acknowledged that as a black man, Minnieweather faced heightened expectations. Field also talked about the challenges of creating shelters like Oak Street Village while being good stewards of public funds, and he thanked all those public employees involved for their dedication to delivering this project.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson

Residents and staff will soon begin moving into the Oak Street Village. Outreach specialists invite people to become residents, prioritizing people living in a vehicle, excluding recreation vehicles or motor homes. Straightway Services will focus on serving people in the Montavilla area first before inviting others from around Portland, ensuring the shelters keep people in their chosen communities and reduce unsheltered homelessness around the Village site. People should anticipate seeing activity at 333 SE 82nd Avenue within the coming weeks as people slowly take residence at Oak Street Village.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Government

2025 City Council Leadership Elected

On January 2nd, Portland’s new 12-member City Council elected Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney from District 2 as the Council President and Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane from District 3 as Vice President. The morning council session stretched into the afternoon as repeated votes failed to yield a majority for any one Council President candidate. What originally started as a tie vote between Councilor Candace Avalos of East Portland’s District 1 and Councilor Olivia Clark of Downtown’s District 4 delivered more centrally location leadership. After today’s vote, City Council leadership will reside with representatives from North-Northeast and Southeast Portland.

The hours-long election for Council President was in contrast to the swift election of Councilor Koyama Lane for Vice President. She ran unopposed for the position and had broad support. Early in the voting process, Councilor Loretta Smith pushed for new Mayor Keith Wilson to provide the tie-breaking vote against the advice of Portland’s City Attorney. Fellow Councilors disagreed with that path forward, and the group put in hours of discussion and voting to end up with a seven to five vote in favor of Councilor Pirtle-Guiney against Councilor Avalos.

Anyone looking for an indication of how the new 12-member City Council will function in the coming year has hours of deliberation to review while forming that opinion. However, the group of electeds left the proceedings with supportive and congratulatory words for each other, and this early test of the system yielded the results that many Portland voters envisioned for this new form of City government. The representatives worked for their District’s position and the city as a whole, resulting in a compromise that moves the work forward.

By

Jacob Loeb