The Stoic Duo of Brandon Mazur, Chair of the Planning Board and Christine Grimando, Director of the Planning Office, at Today’s City Council Meeting.
Bulldog Mark Dion Appears Ready to Unmuzzle Himself at his December 4th Inauguration at City Hall at 6:00 pm. Apparently he Made a Promise to Mayor Snyder to Keep that Muzzle on his Snout Until Then. Don’t Miss His Holiday Performance1 Admission is Free
Earlier this evening the City Council voted 7 – 2 to approve a zoning change that will permit a major development to go into Ocean Avenue, despite the testimony of about ten residents of the area who spoke against the zone change. The zone change is from R-3 to R-5a. The two councilors voting against the development were Zorro and Phillips. An amendment by Councilor Zorro that passed excluded properties at 852 and 840-846 Ocean Avenue from the zoning change.
Among the more memorable moments during the testimony was a suggestion by Kerri Lord that there be a moratorium on any housing construction unless it is “affordable.”
In the “Stop the Sweeps” matter, when this blogger left city council chambers aroud 9:15 pm., the council was still taking testimony on the At that time, eight people had testified in support of the ordinance and eighteen had voted in opposition to the ordinance. The line to testify before the council was very long.
Those opposed to the proposed amendment to the city code were heavily outweighing those testifying in favor of the amendment. The measure was initiated by councilors Rodriguez and Trevorrow. Many of the testifiers that this blogger heard said that stopping the sweeps was no “solution” to the homeless crisis. However, no one ever claimed it was a solution. But, its implementation might save lives.
One woman who testified in support of # 68 said in part: “The fact that we are able to disconnect the humanity from our unhoused community members so much that we normalize bull dozing their homes is so disheartening. Folks will say its an issue of safety, but to that I have to ask, “safety for whom?” because at the end of the day if we are not centering the safety of those most impacted by homelessness, i.e. our unsheltered neighbors, than this whole claim about valuing safety is disingenuous.”
The measure was voted down by city councilors 6 – 3: Those voting against it were: Fournier, Bulldog Dion, Ali, Phillips, Zarro and Snyder. Incidentally, it looks as though Bulldog Dion can’t wait to be unmuzzled following his inauguration on December 4th as Portland’s next mayor. No doubt the recent profile of Bulldog Dion in “The Portland Press Herald” ruffled the sensitive feathers of outgoing Mayor Kate Snyder. The headline of the front page article was: “We have to get stuff done.” Was that a hint that he knows full well this has been a very unengaged city council? He realizes the Council has refused to take on the tough issues in Portland?
“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members,” Mahatma Gandhi. Portland has a dismal record by this standard or by any standard involving humane treatment of those less fortunate than most.