December 31, 2004
(Updated) Dramatically New City Council Begins Work Next Week
Countdown To First Glimpse Of New World At City Hall
Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.
When we moved here in 1997 (using the Directory of Past Elected Officials), the City Council consisted of Mayor Vera Katz, and Commissioners Gretchen Kafoury, Charlie Hales, Erik Sten, and Jim Francesconi. Not that we would have known this, because it wasn't until much later that we started paying much attention to City politics.
In 1999, Commissioner Dan Saltzman replaced Kafoury. In 2002, Commissioner Randy Leonard replaced Hales. Days from now, two members of the current Council (Katz and Francesconi) will be replaced (by Mayor-Elect Tom Potter and Commissioner-Elect Sam Adams) in a single election, and a third (Leonard) will begin his first full term in office.
All together, we figure this represents a rather sweeping change on the Council, certainly since we began Portland Communique and arguably since not long after we moved to Portland in the first place.
All of which is a semi-dramatic build-up to a couple of quick notes as to what the Council, and/or its new members, will be up to next week.
First off, next Monday will feature the swearings-in of both Potter and Adams, beginning with the new Mayor being sworn-in at David Douglas High School, located at 1500 SE 130th, in an event starting at 10:00 AM and followed by a reception at 10:45 AM. This inaugural event will include music and dance performances, comments by Commissioners, and an introduction by Katz.
Somehow, we then have to make our way all the way from SE 130th back into downtown by 12:00 PM, which is when Adams will be sworn-in at the Native American Student and Community Center, located at Portland State University. If we're lucky, someone else will be attending both these events and will offer us a ride from the first to the second. Hint, hint.
Later that day, both Potter and Adams will be hosting an inaugural open house at City Hall, from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM.
Which brings you up to speed as to the inaugural hoopla, but what about City Council getting to work? Yes, they will be in session on Wednesday morning. On the agenda: Three communications to Council, a fairly full consent agenda about which there will be no discussion unless someone pulls an item onto the regular agenda, and a single resolution introduced by Leonard to "[p]romote racial justice and denounce acts of hate in the City of Portland".
Update
A couple of extra items, one which we forgot, and one which we didn't know about. Taking the latter first, as indicated by him in the comments to this post, Commissioner Leonard will be sworn in at 2:00 PM Monday in Council Chambers. So for those of you obsessive enough to be making the rounds, that's David Douglas HIgh School, to Portland State University, to City Hall.
Secondly, the bit we forgot, which is that Adams announced his staff a little more than a week ago.
Comments (2)
Randy Leonard on 31 Dec 2004
Actually, following Mayor elect Potter and Sam Adams swearing in, I will be sworn in at 2pm in the council chambers. Of course, the public is invited and encouraged to attend.
The One True b!X on 31 Dec 2004
Somehow, it's vaguely comforting to know I'll be starting off the new year running all the Hell over the town.