Governance committee previews draft council procedures handbook; staff to gather council feedback by Sept. 22

Council Operations staff presented a draft table of contents for a proposed Portland City Council governance handbook at the Sept. 8 Governance Committee meeting and asked councilors to submit topic feedback by Sept. 22.

Craig Cook, policy analyst in Council Operations, and Aubrey Chen, a council aide, described the handbook as an informational, user-friendly reference that would collect guidance from the city charter, code, and other best practices into a single, living document maintained by Council Operations. The stated purpose is to help new and current councilors, staff, and the public find consistent information on procedures — for example, how to request briefings, how the budget process works, committee and meeting types, and roles of council-adjacent offices (Clerk, City Attorney, Council Operations).

Committee members supported the idea but urged caution on sections that touch on executive–legislative collaboration and decorum. Councillor Clark said the handbook should be simple and public-facing; several members suggested reserving prescriptive norms for a future procedure manual or a section of the handbook that council formally adopts. Vice Chair Ryan and others recommended adding entries that explain executive sessions, quasi‑judicial/land‑use hearings, intergovernmental agreements (IGAs), and an acronym/index for commonly used terms. Members also asked Council Operations to reach district coalitions and other civic groups for public input.

Council Operations said the draft topics sent to council on the preceding Friday are a starting point, that the handbook will be updated as council adopts policies, and that staff will draft the handbook in October and November with a goal of initial publication in December. Staff asked councilors to submit input on broad topic areas to counciloperations@portlandoregon.gov by Sept. 22; they said written input would be treated discreetly and not attributed without permission.

No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff suggested the document could evolve into a more prescriptive procedure manual over time if the council chooses to adopt norms or procedures formally.