Portland is Looking for a Way to Get the Fair Rent Portland Referendum Back on Track. Portland Ranks # 2 in the Nation for Rent Increase Rates.

Who Is Running City Hall?  Must be the Guy on the Front Steps.

Genevieve Cox, Zack Anchors, Jack O’Brien, Patrick Williams and Nicholas Pellenz, Fair Rent Portland Members Who filed the Petitions Yesterday at City Hall.

“We made a mistake with the 90 day period and the city’s attorney is tryng to find a creative way to get the referendum back on track and on the November ballot,” said Jessica Grondin, at an impromptu press conference at noon today at city hall.  “This was not an error made by the petitioners. We all want this.”  Apparently the deputy city clerk discovered the error yesterday afternoon. The City sent out a press release nullifying the two potential referendums because of a process problem.

The City notified a member of the Fair Rent Portland, (FRP) non-profit who happened to be on vacation and out of touch yesterday afternoon.  So he could not pass the news along to other members of the FRP.  So FRP actually learned of the nullification notice from two members of the press when the press release was issued yesterday.

Grondin said that she had talked on the telephone around 11:00 am this morning with Zack Anchors of the FRP, although she did not say what she told him.  Anchors arrived at city hall around 10:00 am hoping to meet with Grondin and  clear up the confusion as to why the non-profit had not heard directly from the city and what should the group do next. Anchors left city hall and talked on the telephone with Grondin later as reported above.

Kathy Jones, City Clerk, is on vacation all week as is city manager Poor Jon.  Grondin, the city spokesperson said that the city manager is aware of the situation, although she has not spoken to him. Poor Jon has been apprised of the situation by copies of press releases Grondin said. Mayor Ethan Strimling is on vacation until this Thursday.

So, who is running City Hall?  Don’t go there.  Maybe the guy on the steps in the above left,  photo.

For more background information on the controversy, please look at the past three posts herein.