Portland council debates scope and procurement as HRNA proposes governance retreat and road map

Portland City Council members and outside consultants met in a work session to discuss a proposed governance program from HRNA Advisors, with councilors asking for clearer procurement steps, limits on policy scope and more council meeting time before any retreat or formal engagement.

The presentation by Andrea Bautista Schlesinger and Juan Visser of HRNA Advisors laid out a multi-step plan that would collect individual feedback from councilors, hold a post‑budget retreat, identify “quicker fixes,” and produce a governing agenda and implementation roadmap. “Good governance has to be grounded in what you want to work toward,” Bautista Schlesinger told the council during the presentation.

Why it matters: Councilors said the city is still adjusting to a new form of government and that clearer rules and shared expectations are needed to reduce confusion on committee roles, tie‑breaking, committee frequency and how legislation moves to the full council. Several councilors said procedural clarity would make the council more effective when it returns to policy work after the budget.

Discussion and concerns

Vice President Koyama Lane, who sponsored bringing HRNA to a full‑council work session, said she had done background checks and conversations with other jurisdictions and that HRNA had told her “their services are at no cost to the city. They get all of their funding. They’re fully funded.” Several councilors nonetheless asked for the process to be treated as a competitive option rather than a sole‑source selection.

Councilor Smith asked whether HRNA was a sole‑source hire and urged a competitive procurement process; Councilor Kunal, Councilor Avalos and others echoed concern about synthesis and who summarizes the body’s views. Councilor Ryan and others said they were open to HRNA but wanted more examples of comparable work; HRNA listed prior work including New York, Miami‑Dade, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Oakland and Dallas.

Scope and sequencing

Multiple councilors asked HRNA to limit the engagement to internal governance (procedures, committee roles, decision processes, public testimony protocols and intergovernmental relationships) rather than to steer a broader policy agenda. Councilor Avalos and others read the draft scope as potentially including policy priorities and urged the team to avoid “scope creep.” Andrea Bautista Schlesinger said the firm’s practice is to ground governance work in clear objectives and noted the firm can tailor the engagement to the body’s preferences.

Timing and format

Councilors and HRNA agreed that most substantive work should occur after the budget is complete. Councilors discussed an off‑site or closed retreat to allow candid conversations and scenario planning; HRNA said in‑person facilitation would be part of its approach. Possible logistical costs such as room rental or food were mentioned as modest and optional.

Directions given

By the end of the session councilors signaled general support for asking HRNA to refine the draft scope and convert it into an RFP that the council could use to compare options. Juan Visser said the firm would take the council’s feedback and refine the scope accordingly: “If we were to move together, move forward together, I think we’ve gotten a lot of critical insights that would allow us to refine the scope,” he said.

What was not decided

No contract was signed and no formal vote was taken during the work session. Several councilors asked for time to research other potential facilitators and for clarity on public‑meeting and public‑records constraints for any closed or facilitated sessions.

Next steps

The council signaled a preference for a post‑budget retreat and asked HRNA to return with a revised scope presented as an RFP; councilors may also identify other vendors for comparison. Council staff and the city attorney were present and will be involved in follow‑up on procurement and public‑meeting law constraints.

Ending

Council leaders closed the work session with a plan to collect further individual input during the budget period, have HRNA or an alternative vendor refine the scope into an RFP, and return after the budget for a retreat and continued planning.