[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6577615,"mediaKeyId","3112713-3058183cc4fd3eb0576a226151d5d43e","parentId",3112713,"title","Committee forwards mayor’s 20 appointees to new Sustainability and Climate Commission to full council with recommendation for confirmation","audioSeconds",2802,"startMs",2461895,"endMs",5264000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3112713-3058183cc4fd3eb0576a226151d5d43e&start=2461&end=5264","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3112713-3058183cc4fd3eb0576a226151d5d43e/thumbnail_2461895.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6577615/Portland/Multnomah-County/Oregon/Committee-forwards-mayors-20-appointees-to-new-Sustainability-and-Climate-Commission-to-full-council-with-recommendation-for-confirmation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577615-d6f55feeb119d3b9a32f5f9713ab61cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775150787&Signature=cQbGgPGdJz73a1iotnb2OOJ9Ipj8HFA9LwPbbackCmbOawJtJi3BLI0AHnMbSF09nUPl9-Whw6rFUfiQFypmbe2D3PFsUTZJaGoBqpo4phHMRh7zrJJt1fruq1K1~JKVhZTgB-nM~KtsMnxeAln-phUgvohboPiQmKQ6QjDkxAhlJ~z6gGbROUWUoDo7gBk-tmlUTAdtL4aIF2Z4-F~1mZV25-r0xjKM9pJ6T5zBKCdQpFe77Tak7HrIpkEgk3oS0oLWfr9nfN8DS6uLuneq4fK2Em2Wkjf00ybvIJyuSvEu7Tgdblmao~wG0W6-ol3SBGvx9kx1kofERunGKc-oLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Portland, OR","date","2025-04-24T18:11:14.617Z","article","The Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee voted unanimously on April 24 to forward the mayor’s appointments and alternates for the new Sustainability and Climate Commission to the full Portland City Council with a recommendation that the council confirm the nominees.

Vivian Satterfield, the city’s chief sustainability officer, and Elaine Viska Livingstone, the commission coordinator, told the committee the commission will advise the mayor, the city administrator and council on climate action, environmental justice and accountability, and will evaluate and help shape the city’s next climate action plan.

Satterfield said the commission framework was developed after the Planning and Sustainability Commission was disbanded and following charter reform and public listening sessions that called for a climate oversight body centered on frontline communities. She said the ordinance establishing the Sustainability and Climate Commission was approved by the prior council in May 2024.

Viska Livingstone described the commission’s structure and duties: 20 active members with at least four designated youth seats (ages 16–24), five alternates, staggered four‑year terms for most members and one‑year youth terms, and at least two members from each council district. The commission’s powers include recommending actions, holding hearings and work sessions, coordinating joint meetings with other advisory bodies, and reporting to the chief sustainability officer, who will set agendas.

City staff described the recruitment process: applications opened in November 2024 for eight weeks and produced 240 applicants, including 39 youth applicants. Staff convened about 30 city staff scorers, conducted panel‑style interviews designed to mimic commission dynamics, and presented top candidates to the chief sustainability officer; the mayor made the final appointments.

Satterfield reviewed applicant demographics gathered from an optional survey: 67% of applicants completed the survey; applicants ranged in age from 16 to 81; the pool skewed toward higher household income and higher educational attainment than the city average; a majority identified as homeowners; and about a quarter of applicants identified as renters. Staff said the nominee pool was intentionally intergenerational and includes community practitioners, academics, business and nonprofit representatives and youth leaders.

Several appointees who attended or joined remotely introduced themselves at the committee meeting. Those who spoke included youth and adult nominees such as Shreeya Janam, a student organizer; Jessica Zahn, a sustainability and communications professional; Vivek Shandas, a Portland State University professor who cited research linking historic redlining to heat exposure; Dana Bissie, a Metro senior climate analyst; Alina Pacharone, a sustainability practitioner with a biotech and supply‑chain background; Galen Whalen, an architect focused on embodied carbon; Dan Trefone, a Multnomah County climate and health program specialist; Garrett Wong, a sustainability associate; Carla Chen and Bea Sloane, both alternate nominees who described their interest in urban heat and implementation goals; and others whose biographies were included in the nomination packet or provided via prerecorded video.

Committee members praised the recruitment process and the level of interest, and several emphasized the importance of ensuring district and demographic representation in future recruitment cycles. Councilor Novick urged commissioners to prioritize the intersection of transportation and climate justice; several nominees indicated willingness to work on those topics. Committee members also raised procedural questions about alternates and how alternates would be confirmed to full membership if vacancies occur; staff said alternates would be expected to attend meetings and be ready to step in but that confirmation of alternates to full seats would return to council for confirmation under current procedures.

A motion to forward the list of appointees and alternates to full council with a recommendation for confirmation was moved by Councilor Knoell and seconded by Councilor Novick. The committee recorded five affirmative votes and the motion carried. Staff said the code updates establishing the commission are expected to be effective June 7, and appointments can be aligned with that schedule.

The committee will transmit the nomination packet and the committee’s recommendation to the full council for final confirmation. Councilors and staff signaled intent to continue engagement with nominees and noted additional follow‑up on recruitment and alternate procedures could occur before the commission’s first regular meetings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Portland City Council Climate, Resilience & Land Use Committee 04/24/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee on April 24 voted unanimously to send the mayor’s 20 appointees and five alternates for the inaugural Sustainability and Climate Commission to the full council with a recommendation for confirmation. Staff described the commission’s authority, recruitment process and applicant demographics.","taxTitle","Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon","taxId",2765,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6577620,"Portland Clean Energy Fund advisory co-chairs urge protection of fund’s investment plan, voice concerns over proposed surcharge increase",1071,624700,1696000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3112713-3058183cc4fd3eb0576a226151d5d43e&start=624&end=1696","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3112713-3058183cc4fd3eb0576a226151d5d43e/thumbnail_624700.jpg","/articles/6577620/Portland/Multnomah-County/Oregon/Portland-Clean-Energy-Fund-advisory-co-chairs-urge-protection-of-funds-investment-plan-voice-concerns-over-proposed-surcharge-increase","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577620-c2e80843e5d5c3ccd5dd5c80d6f4acf5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775150787&Signature=jK7ueXYDN56n2Y0GDSY6KOtFkXP~7JBanITR-Y3Xu8TxTAuPYGakNBSzKINBhUAqOu6KjC7R~L8wlLjsiR9yM1mkaOv1iy6fBClWg6rgxXnIDaCLGLbRe-bmT9L56YkTWJKTAkQOj0DkWcPjd1eW73WCPlBLCn5zsqZujSN6NaOoPFm5B1zkFDjvx9q0KIVe84Y6sx71FtEbclwX-xkErW-jIAMAaYitq-en5P7yK86drEiS38gjau6DFNAjC7uA3Q8Pls-P-uQqwX05WdkUDk9PNp2YXRu9e13tHtJJOK~kZaWHECkBBvtaPHq31ihxb6fCaaHKvaQ1a6o5qFP~DA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Portland Clean Energy Fund community advisory co-chairs Megan Horst and Ramfeese told the Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee on April 24 that the advisory body has serious reservations about a proposal to increase the PCEF surcharge and wants stronger guarantees that the fund’s climate investment plan and community grant priorities will be preserved.

Horst, a longtime PCEF advisory co-chair, said committee members see the fund as a unique, voter-approved tool to advance climate justice and resilience and urged council to “keep the climate investment plan intact and keep money that’s dedicated to PCEF towards PCEF.”

The co-chairs framed their remarks as a preliminary “temperature check.” They said the committee has not taken a vote on any surcharge proposal and that their comments reflected preliminary discussion and questions raised at a recent committee meeting. Horst said committee members repeatedly raised concerns that an increase in the surcharge could lead to “mission creep,” and questioned whether protections are adequate to ensure a fixed set‑aside for community grants remains enforceable.

Ramfeese said the committee recognizes the city’s broader budget pressures but cautioned that PCEF — which the co-chairs described as a five‑year climate investment program designed to support greenhouse gas reductions and resilience projects — is “a drop in the bucket” compared with what the city will need to meet climate challenges. He and Horst urged councilors to include the committee early in any amendment process and to use a transparent, public process if the climate investment plan is revised.

Committee members and Horst described the advisory body’s priorities: protecting funding directed to community‑based organizations and priority populations, maintaining an annual review process for the climate investment plan rather than ad hoc changes, and ensuring reliable revenue projections to guide planning. Horst said the advisory committee is composed of nine members (recruitment was underway to fill two additional seats) and that demand for community‑responsive grants is high.

Council members present acknowledged the committee’s concerns. Councilor Carmen Kanel (recorded in the meeting as \"Canal\") and others asked for more detail about how and why a larger share of PCEF funds has been used for city bureau projects in recent years; the co-chairs said earlier budget decisions and higher-than-expected early revenue projections played a role and that the committee wants better processes and earlier communication when investments change.

Horst and Ramfeese asked that any proposed amendments respect the PCEF code’s amendment process and that the committee and affected communities be formally notified and consulted before changes to the climate investment plan or the surcharge are finalized. Ramfeese said the committee submitted a formal letter to council offices this past week summarizing those expectations.

The co-chairs emphasized the committee’s dual mission — reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing community resilience while centering priority populations, including low‑income communities, communities of color and workers underrepresented in the trades — and said they will continue meeting with council members and staff. They reiterated that the committee’s prior discussion of a surcharge increase was a preliminary review and not a formal recommendation.

The committee’s remarks closed with an invitation for further dialogue; council members indicated they would continue exploring revenue options and meet with the advisory committee one‑on‑one or in committee to address the concerns raised.

Next steps: The PCEF advisory co-chairs said the committee will continue recruitment and hold further meetings; any formal code amendments or surcharge proposals would be expected to return to the advisory committee for review before final council action.","Co-chairs of the Portland Clean Energy Fund community advisory committee told the city’s Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee on April 24 that the committee is wary of a proposed surcharge increase and urged that the fund’s five‑year climate investment plan and set‑aside for community grants be protected.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee forwards mayor’s 20 appointees to new Sustainability and Climate Commission to full council with recommendation for confirmation

Portland Clean Energy Fund advisory co-chairs urge protection of fund’s investment plan, voice concerns over proposed surcharge increase