December 24, 2003

Document Offers Look At Leonard Proposal For 'Mini City Halls'

A draft document out of the office of Commissioner Randy Leonard provides a glimpse into his controversial proposal to create so-called "mini City Halls" throughout Portland's neighborhoods.

The document, obtained yesterday by PORTLAND COMMUNIQUE, describes the North Portland Neighborhood Services Center, the proposal's pilot project getting underway in the Kenton neighborhood.

Its details may undercut at least some of the apprehensions -- not to mention misrepresentations -- about the proposal.

"As part of the overall assets based community development mission of North Portland Neighborhood Services," reads the project's mission statement, "increase the effectiveness of the public participation and service by locating and coordinating an array of services, both from the City and other local jurisdictions and agencies into the offices of North Portland Neighborhood Services in the Historic Kenton Firehouse."

In describing aspects of the historic firehouse, the document hints at the environment Leonard's proposal aims to create within the "mini City Halls."

These conditions make the building less corporate/bureaucratic and more community based and accessible. As such the building is less intimidating to citizens than then typical facility housing City services. It will require an adjustment by staff ... becoming familiar with the natural interaction with citizens that takes place in its office.

The goals of the pilot project -- and by extension (with the proper geographical adjustments, of course) of the overall "mini City Hall" proposal -- are listed as follows:

Create the opportunity to offer City and other services in partnership with the North Portland community.

Enhance access and effectiveness of neighborhood associations, other involved community groups, and citizens.

Enhance City and other services offered for North Portland residents.

Locate staff in the NPNS office from the City and other jurisdictions and agencies whose work assignment impacts North Portland and its residents to increase cross program communication and to recognize that residents identify involvement opportunities and services rather than jurisdictions.

Provide staff with a relaxed, encouraging, and safe work environment with the best tools possible to increase program effectiveness of each program and all programs collectively that offer services to residents of North Portland.

Provide a unique non-bureaucratic work environment for residents to interact, both proactively and responsively, with staff from the City and other government jurisdictions and agencies.

Encourage cross-fertilization and communication of staff to increase the effectiveness of services offered to residents of North Portland.

Among the staff and services to be housed or available at the North Portland Neighborhood Services Center: Neighborhood Service Center Assistant, Public Involvement (Neighborhood Association Support/Facility Management), Neighborhood Inspection (City of Portland Partner), Bureau of Environmental Services (City of Portland Partner), Crime Prevention (City of Portland Partner); and Fire Inspection (City of Portland Partner).

In addition, a Community Desk is planned, whose "programs will spend minimal time at the center and may simply drop by on a daily basis, hold all of their North Portland meetings in the building, attend cross agency meetings, etc." Individuals, agencies, and services envisioned as part of this Community Desk include: Senior Neighborhood Officers, Portland Development Commission, Bureau of Housing and Community Development, Office of Sustainable Development, and various community groups.

Also intended to be available at the center are: Public Involvement (Arts/Beautification/Community/Economic Development), State Representative Gary Hansen Constituent Services (State of Oregon Partner), Bureau of Planning (City of Portland Partner), AARP (loaned employee), Latino Outreach North Portland – Frente Commun (Non-profit Partner), Latino Outreach General – Latino Network (Non-profit Partner), and St. Johns Review (Community Partner).

To create public awareness of the center, there are plans for an opening event, bus advertising, website, newspaper features, radio public service announcements, television appearances, brochures, Spanish language services, and a distinctive logo. In addition, City Council will receive monthly reports on "district acitivities that have happens or are anticipated to happen," including an "assessment of community activity and reaction as well as staff services provided."

As for the areas of staff coordination and community interaction, the draft document says the following:

The center director will meet individually with staff members on an ongoing basis to assist in the transition to community based services. Monthly center interagency staff meetings will be held with the purpose of discussing cross-program understanding and coordination and in discussing office issues. Social events will scheduled from time to time that staff voluntarily will have the option of attending. The purpose of these events is to build trust.

...

Due to the community based nature of the office, interagency staff will get to know residents on a regular basis. Staff will be asked to adopt one of the 11 district neighborhood associations or affiliated programs in order to serve as a champion and/or liaison to between the City and the group. All staff will serve as a resource and liaison for their programs to all residents and groups in the North Portland area.

Since Leonard first floated his "mini City Halls" proposal over the Summer, it has been swept up in ongoing and varied neighborhood criticisms of the Commissioner's stewardship of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement.

Much of this criticism, however, seems to stem either from a concern that Leonard (or whichever Commissioner might end up with ONI after Mayor Katz shuffled bureau assignments early next year) will place so much focus on providing services that ONI's original mission will suffer, or from a misunderstanding -- or, indeed, in some cases outright misrepresentation -- of the proposal's intentions.

There is little to be done to address the former, beyond keeping a properly watchful eye on how the Kenton pilot project performs, and how the overall proposal evolves over time.

But the latter perhaps has been fueled in part by a lack of specific details as to the proposal's aims, or the pilot project's structure.

There does not appear to be anything in the draft document on the North Portland Neighborhood Services Center to confirm the expressed concerns of some neighborhood leaders and activists that the "mini City Halls" proposal will somehow subvert ONI's mission, or "shanghai" the overworked staff and volunteers of the City's neighborhood coalitions and associations into abandoning their traditional roles.

Nothing in the draft document indicates that anyone other than selected staff from City (and other) agencies will be responsible for providing services through these centers.

And as previously-indicated by Commissioner Leonard, it is not foreseen that such "mini City Halls" will claim sort kind of eminent domain (for lack of a better term) over the existing facilities of the City's neighborhood coalitions and associations -- although it is not inconceivable, for example, that coalitions could, by their own free will, opt to rent out space to these centers.

In the end, there of course is nothing illegitimate in opposing the very idea of "mini City Halls," or perhaps objecting to their being coordinated through ONI. Nor is there necessarily anything illegitimate in being concerned that any potential overemphasis upon providing services might dilute or distract from the bureau's role in neighborhood involvement.

But it is entirely illegitimate to misrepresent -- with or without intent -- the nature of the proposal, as some neighborhood leaders and others seem to be doing. And now that details of the pilot project in Kenton have begun to make their way onto paper, there no longer will be any excuse to do so.

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