December 23, 2004
Eight Scenes From A Final Council Session
Francesconi/Katz Eras Gavel To A Close
We sat through an entire day of City Council yesterday, despite not having any interesting in covering most of the items on the agenda. Why? Because yesterday was the final session of Council for Mayor Vera Katz and Commissioner Jim Francesconi. Council does not come back into session until next year, when Mayor-Elect Tom Potter and Commissioner-Elect Sam Adams are in office.
Over the course of the day, we noted a few comments and remarks that are in some way reflective of the end of their respective tenures at City Hall.
Adieu, Little Beirut
At the start of the session, Katz briefly explained that the previously-scheduled hearing on renewal of Portland's participation in the Joint Terrorism Task Force was being postponed until the new Council takes over.
Katz laughed, as if in relief. "We're not going to be here," Katz said of herself and Francesconi.
"We're not going to watch on TV either," added Francesconi.
"That's Off The Record"
During a description of the just-announced renovation and hotel plans for the Meier & Frank building, the developer remarked that the renovation will bring the store "up to the standards" of other Meier & Frank locations "like the Washington Square store".
"We don't discuss that," Katz said. "We got in trouble at the press conference."
Earlier this morning, Katz and the developer held a press conference in the Rose Room at City Hall, during which the developer made similar off-the-cuff comments about Marriott hotels. At the time, Katz jumped in with a sudden, "That's off the record." To which everyone laughed. Of course, what followed next during the Council session in essence negated that attempted after-the-fact admonition, since Katz proceeded to parrot the developer's comment from the press conference.
Following the developer's reference to the hotel as a "boutique hotel," Katz chimed in again: "It's not the vanilla type." Which prompted the developer to reply, "I have to stop saying that or I'll get a call from Mr. Marriott."
If The Vote Fits
After voting on an agenda item regarding system development charges and parks, Francesconi offered an observation: "I wish this was my last vote, and instead it''s going to be an off-leash dog report. Which is probably fitting."
Commissioner Of Flibberty-Gibbet
In regards to a transportation-related item, Commissioner Sten asked if it specified the Commissioner of Public Works or something else. After his question was answered, Katz turned to him and said, "When you start redoing the Charter, you should get rid of those titles, because they don't make any sense."
In the City Charter, Article 3, Section 2-301 designates five departments: Department of Public Affairs, Department of Finance and Administration, Department of Public Safety, Department of Public Utilities, Department of Public Works -- while Article 3, Section 2-302 specifies that "the Mayor shall designate one member to be Commissioner In Charge of each department, who shall thereafter be designated as Commissioner of such department".
These designations are entirely irrelevant.
Presidential Impact Area
"Way to go, Mr. President, way to go," Francesconi said. "You're slipping, Mayor." This after the Mayor called for the roll call on an item regarding an Alcohol Impact Area in North Portland, until Commissioner Saltzman (current Council President) interrupted to remind that they needed first to amend the item to include a new map.
It's A Dog's Life
"I do feel sorry for Commissioner Francesconi," said Katz as the off-leash dogs item finally arrived. "This is not a way, on the next item, to end his political career."
"When Parks first told me they wanted to bring this report," Francesconi said, "frankly I said, 'No, are you nuts, let's do this for the next Council.'" However, he said he'd changed his mind because it was something that Parks and residents have been working on for some time.
After introducing the report and recapping the history, Francesconi added another remark: "So actually it's very fitting to end on this note, because it's the tough problems that we need to together try to solve as a community."
"It's my pleasure to accept this report," Francesconi said following public testimony. But he added: "We also want to leave something for the next Parks Commissioner, because he wouldn't feel like the Parks Commissioner if he didn't have this issue."
Goodbye, Farewell, Amen
Following public testimony on the off-leash issue, as Council members voted to accept the report, which includes some direction for the future of the issue, the Commissioners and Mayor also used the opportunity to offer some final remarks.
Francesconi called handling Parks & Recreation, the Office of Transportion, and Portland Fire & Rescue "the privilege of my life".
"We have great citizens," he said. "They care about things." He added that "we do have to do a little bit better job" when it comes to understanding each other, and being more inclusive. "It's been the privilege of my life to have the privilege of being one of your commissioners."
Commissioner Saltzman took the opportunity to "thank the two people on my right here," signalling Commissioner Francesconi and Mayor Katz. "This is the only Council I've served with," he said. "I wanted you to know I've learned a lot about being an elected official by serving with both of you."
"I think that Jim's hard work on this is emblemtic of a career where he has not shied from jumping in and tried to get all sides together to solve a problem," said Commissioner Sten. "It's not just the easy issues. ... It's been an honor to work with Jim Francesconi."
After making sure to vote to accept the report right off the bat -- "Because if I don't do it now I'm probably going to forget." -- Mayor Katz spoke of having it suggested to her fourteen years ago that she should run for Mayor. Her response at the time: "Oh my. You know what issues we'd have to deal with? Dog poop."
"I keep saying the world comes around in circles," she said. "And now, the last vote is dog poop".
To Francesconi, she said: "I do wish you luck. I do know you will find something that will make you very happy, and that Shelley will allow you to do."
"I know it's a sad few minutes for all of us, at least for the two of us," she continued. "I know I will never bang the gavel again."
And in the end, she offered the same, well, warning that she's offered up many times in the final weeks of her Mayoral career: "You will see me. I will probably haunt this chamber. I'll hide behind those posts so you don't see me, but I'll be here. And I'll be watching Channel 30."
Finally, both Commissioner Francesconi and Mayor Katz received flowers from Parks & Recreation (from Portland's parks themselves, we believe). And the City Auditor and Council Clerk presented to each of them their respective Council Chambers name plates.
Well, almost finally. Katz had one final piece of advice for Commissioners and Saltzman Sten: "Okay, you two. You are our senior members of the Council. You need to teach the two junior members a thing or two from time to time. And the third one almost all of the time."
Anti-Matters
A postscript of sorts, because there's another imminent departure from City Hall. Oregonian reporter Henry Stern, who among other things writes the "City Matters" column (which for all intents and purposes is something of a "print blog") has his final day on that beat one week from Friday.
If our recollection is correct, Stern was the first local reporter to approach us while we were out and about covering a local event and introduce himself. In a sense, that marked the start of our beginning to notice that we had somehow insinuated ourselves into the local media scene, so Stern's departure is worth taking note of here.
Comments (1)
Scott Jensen on 23 Dec 2004
It was great meeting you yesterday in council chambers. Finally putting a face to the famous
B!x.