By Carol McCracken (Post # l,085)
Two task forces were established last week on issues held over from last year’s committee calendars that were not completed because of the merging of committees and the recent reschuffling of councilors to those committees.
The first task force to be established was a food truck task force charged with returning to the Public Safety and Health & Human Services Committee, chaired by councilor Ed Suslovic, any policy options or ordinance changes relating to food trucks in Portland and to do this in a timely fashion in order to give food truck operators sufficient time to be up and running this season. Appointees to the task force include Doug Fuss, Andy Graham, Dick Grotton, Godfrey Wood, City representatives. Councilor David Marshall added Steve DiMillo, DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant and Ron Gan, former developer turned food cart vendor to the committee. Jill Duson will be the council member of the task force; saying that she had seen designated food truck areas out west and was interested in the issue. This task force was recommended by Portland Creative Corporation, chaired by Andy Graham, with its own recommended guidelines.
The other task force established was on street artists in the City. This issue was also a carry over from the Health & Recreation Committed chaired by former councilor Dory Waxman previously. The issue came up last fall regarding the issuje of street artist and street vendodrs selling their goods on public property, specifically in and around Bell Buoy Park in anticipation of the arrival of the cruise ships.
Last October 18th, a well attended public meeting was held at Merrill Auditorium rehersal hall where chair Dory Waxman heard over two hours of testimony from about 50 testifiers, overwhelmingly artists, with little testimony from the business community. Appointed to this task force are: Jan Beitzer, Portland Downtown District; Jennifer Hutchins, Creative Portland Corporation/PACA; Don Tuski, President of MECA; Susan Tran, Buy Local Portland and Vanessa Pike, Greater Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau. Councilor Ed Suslovic will be the council member of the task force as well as Waxman.
For more background information, please see Post # 999, dated 10/19/ll herein.