Council adopts governance handbook and package of technical amendments
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Summary
Council adopted a governance handbook intended as a living guide to council procedures and authorities, approving an amendment package (including clarifications and technical fixes) after public testimony; the amended resolution passed with nine ayes and three absent.
Portland City Council approved a resolution establishing a Portland City Council governance handbook that will collect policies, procedures and current practices into a single living document to support operations and transparency under the city's new form of government.
Vice President Tiffany Koyama Lane (sponsor) said the handbook is intended as an onboarding and public-facing resource that will be owned and maintained by Council Operations. Council President Dunfee introduced an amendment to enumerate council authorities more explicitly and the sponsor introduced three technical amendments addressing typographical errors, clarifying the code-amendment process and adding a row for non-code amending ordinances.
Four members of the public (Terry Harris, Edith Gilles, Crystal Otero and Jana Tesman) testified in support of the handbook and urged clarity about which handbook elements would be binding rules versus guidance. Testimony also called for maintenance and regular review of the handbook.
Council moved the four amendments as a package and voted to approve the amended resolution. The clerk recorded the amendment package approved and the final amended resolution adopted with 9 ayes and 3 absent. The council adjourned after completing the agenda.