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Council hears first reading to let PBOT temporary street‑use staff reserve metered parking spots
Summary
A first reading would amend the parking‑space reservation code to allow PBOT temporary street‑use permitting staff to reserve metered parking spaces and install signage in non‑metered areas; councilors discussed whether such operational assignments belong in code.
Portland city councilors on Wednesday heard the first reading of an ordinance that would amend city code on parking‑space reservation to allow the Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) temporary street‑use permitting staff to reserve on‑street parking spaces in metered areas and to authorize the city to install parking reservation signage in non‑metered areas when appropriate.
Claire Adamsick, council policy analyst for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, summarized the ordinance and staff materials, noting the committee recommended the measure to council after an August hearing. Adamsick said the full impact statement identifies no anticipated budgetary, economic or community impacts and committee staff reported there was no written or verbal testimony submitted prior to committee action.
Several councilors questioned why the code names specific staff roles rather than leaving operational assignments to administrative rule or bureau practice. Councilor Zimmerman asked why a matter as operational as who places signs was encoded in ordinance rather than handled administratively; Matt Grum of PBOT explained the history: parking enforcement staff historically managed metered area reservations, and PBOT determined temporary street‑use permitting staff have the competency to take on metered reservations as well. Grum said the bureau could expand the list of authorized staff in the future, but for now the two groups are the professionals PBOT expects to assign the work to.
Councilors suggested the specificity belongs in administrative rules rather than code and flagged the item for further refinement at second reading. Councilor Ryan and others supported the change as an efficiency measure that would allow PBOT to use staff capacity more effectively, while other councilors asked for a future code cleanup to move operational assignments into administrative rulemaking.
No final vote was taken; the ordinance will return for a second reading.
