Council confirms two appointees to Urban Forestry Commission after debate over enforcement experience

The Portland City Council confirmed two nominees to the Urban Forestry Commission after commissioners debated whether the panel should include members with experience in tree-regulation enforcement.

The council on May 20 (recessed meeting) confirmed Matthew Sanchez and Vesla Lee to terms ending March 31, 2029. Matthew Sanchez was confirmed in a separate roll-call vote that recorded 12 ayes. Vesla Lee was confirmed later in a roll-call vote that recorded 10 ayes and 2 nays.

The nominations were pulled from the consent agenda for discussion. Councilors said the candidates had been vetted in committee and praised their preparation. Councilor Ryan said he supported Matthew Sanchez but voted no on the other nominee after committee interviews because the second candidate did not demonstrate the same familiarity with the commission’s responsibilities during questioning.

Councilor Zimmerman raised a specific point of concern about enforcement experience, asking whether any current or prospective members had direct experience with the bureau’s tree-regulation enforcement program. Brian Landa, who staffs the Urban Forestry Commission, said he was not aware of enforcement-specific experience among the nominees and that most interactions would be with permitting rather than enforcement.

"Given what I've learned over the last few weeks, that's a perspective that I'm going to be looking for," Zimmerman said, explaining he would not support appointments until the commission included more enforcement experience. He added that recruiting for that viewpoint should be a priority for future appointments.

Other councilors urged balance. Councilor Murillo asked colleagues to consider the volunteers' perspective: many nominees come to serve without prior bureaucratic experience. Councilor Knaell (Knoell) described the reason he pulled appointments from consent: the council should engage more deeply in recruitment to ensure advisory bodies have perspectives that allow their recommendations to be useful to the full council. He said he planned to vote for the nominees but wanted future appointments to broaden representation.

The nominations had already been reviewed by committee; committee records showed a committee vote of 5–0 to approve Matthew Sanchez and 4–1 to approve Vesla Lee. Council votes followed motions offered on the floor: Matthew Sanchez’s confirmation was moved by Councilor Novick and seconded by Councilor Knoell; the record shows the motion carried with 12 ayes. Vesla Lee’s confirmation was moved by Councilor Knoell and seconded by Councilor Novick and carried 10–2.

How nominees engage with the bureau’s permitting and enforcement functions was a recurring theme. Brian Landa told the council he did not know of any nominee with direct enforcement background but that appointees could have interacted with permitting as property owners. Councilors asked staff to prioritize recruitment to ensure the commission includes a range of perspectives, including people who have worked on enforcement and permitting operations.

The council took no additional action on urban forestry policy or fees during this session; the appointments were considered first-reading or confirmation items and are recorded as official confirmations in the council minutes.

Ending: The confirmed commissioners will serve through March 31, 2029. Council members said they expect future recruitment to focus on filling the remaining seat and on bringing additional perspectives—such as enforcement experience—into the Urban Forestry Commission.