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Public commenters urge extended MCAS director search, Preschool for All continuity and memorial upkeep at Multnomah County meeting
Summary
During public comment, community members urged the board to extend the Multnomah County Animal Shelter director application deadline and involve outside stakeholders; other speakers raised Preschool for All continuity-of-care concerns, requested improvements to a Gladys Sims McCoy memorial, and made allegations about Mercy Corps and the River Patrol.
Several community members spoke during the meeting’s public-comment period, raising personnel, program and community-maintenance concerns.
Jacqueline Leedy, co-founder and co-owner of Mutt’s Coffee Roasters, said her business has promoted adoptable dogs from the Multnomah County Animal Shelter and urged the board to extend the June 29 closing date for the shelter-director position. Leedy told commissioners she had seen only limited social-media outreach for the vacancy and asked the county to consider only outside candidates and to convene a stakeholder panel of rescue groups, volunteers and veterinarians to participate in the hiring process. “It takes time to reach a broader audience and collect a pool of qualified applicants,” Leedy said.
Jeff Furnish testified about a family case involving Preschool for All (PFA). Furnish said his daughter’s family resolved a placement issue but urged program changes to prioritize continuity for three- and four-year-olds: give preference points to children already attending a center, account for families with multiple children at the same center, and allow application forms to capture special medical needs beyond the current ‘developmental delays’ item.
Lynn Groves, a Southwest Portland resident, asked the county to improve the small garden memorial for Gladys Sims McCoy on MLK, saying the site appears neglected and currently displays a for-sale sign from the private seller Kidder Matthews. A resident identifying as Lightning urged the county to remove municipalities from arena ownership, advocated for private purchasers of the Moda Center and repeated allegations about punitive actions by Multnomah County River Patrol related to his marina business; he characterized those actions as corrupt and said he would pursue legal remedies.
Patrick Fitzpatrick Stuffle identified himself as a whistleblower and survivor and repeated allegations concerning Mercy Corps and the death of a survivor he named; during his remarks he requested the county consider revoking Mercy Corps’ permit. The board did not take action on those allegations during the meeting; staff and the board proceeded to scheduled agenda items.
Board members acknowledged the testimony, with at least one commissioner saying the Preschool for All continuity policy merits a fuller board discussion in the coming months.
