Committee recommends five mayoral appointees to Portland Planning Commission

The Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee recommended that the City Council confirm five mayoral appointees to the Portland Planning Commission, the committee chair said Thursday.

The committee voted to forward the nominees — Dreyesha Brannan, David Knowles, Ruben Alvarado, Lucas Pollock (youth commissioner), and the reappointment of Eli Spivak — to the full council with a recommendation that they be confirmed. Councillor Novick moved the recommendation and Councillor Kunal seconded; the roll call recorded all members present voting yes.

The Planning Commission guides Portland’s long-range land-use planning, including the comprehensive plan and the zoning code. Sandra Wood, principal planner at the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, told the committee the recruitment for the five seats drew 85 applications and that staff interviewed 21 candidates before recommending the slate. "We received 85 applications and in April staff reviewed the applications and selected 21 people to interview," Wood said.

Bureau of Planning and Sustainability director Eric Engstrom summarized the commission’s duties and membership rules, including that the nine-member panel should represent Portland’s diverse communities and that terms are generally four years except for the youth seat, which is two years. Engstrom said the commission uses climate and equity lenses in making recommendations to council and that city code outlines the commission’s powers, including holding hearings and advising council.

The mayor’s five nominations include a mix of professional experience and lived-experience perspectives. Dreyesha Brannan, who has worked on environmental justice and civic engagement and has held leadership roles with local chapters of professional organizations and state advisory councils, said she looked forward to “helping truly make Portland supported for all our communities.” Ruben Alvarado, executive director of the Community Cycling Center, said he hoped to improve equitable access to land-use planning and active transportation. Lucas Pollock, the mayor’s youth commissioner nominee, said he wants to bring student and youth voices into planning discussions. David Knowles, a former Metro councilor and planning director with decades of public- and private-sector experience, said he welcomed the opportunity to return to land-use work in Portland. Eli Spivak submitted a short video to the committee describing his record developing affordable housing and his interest in continuing work on equitable, climate-friendly housing.

Wood described outreach for the recruitment as extensive, with direct contact to 16 professional organizations and engagement through youth career events; the Office of Community and Civic Life’s voluntary demographic survey was completed by about 75% of applicants. Of respondents, Wood said 67% identified as white, 6% as Latinx and 5% as Black or African American; applicants came from across city geographies, including 9% from east of Interstate 205.

Committee members thanked the nominees and discussed process questions, including staggered term lengths and retention of commissioners. Engstrom explained the current composition came out of a 2023 reconstitution of planning bodies that reset some terms to stagger future turnover.

The committee forwarded the nominations to full council for confirmation. No public testimony was offered at the committee meeting on the appointments.

The committee moved on to a separate agenda item on electrification after the vote.