Jo Ann Hardesty – Portland City Commissioner 2019-2023

January 5, 2023
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Below we’ve captured a journal of work of former Portland city commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty from the city of Portland website – 1/2023.

A summary of major accomplishments and notable moments during Commissioner Hardesty’s first year in office: 2019 – 2020. During this time Commissioner Hardesty was assigned to oversee Portland Fire & Rescue, Bureau of Emergency Communication (BOEC), and the Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM).

Commissioner Hardesty is sworn in as the First Black Woman Ever Elected to the Portland City Council 

After emerging as the winner of a historic grassroots campaign for Portland City Council with 62% of the vote, Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty was officially sworn in on January 2nd, 2019 – becoming the first Black woman to serve as a City Commissioner in the history of Portland.

Commissioner Hardesty was sworn in by Justice Adrienne Nelson – the first African American to ever serve on the Oregon Supreme Court.

Portland City Council chambers were packed with a diverse crowd of Portlanders who came to celebrate the historic occasion.

Remarks were offered by Mayor Wheeler, Commissioner Eudaly, and Commissioner Fritz and a celebration followed.

Withdrawal from Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) 

Commissioner Hardesty made it a priority to fulfill a campaign promise to withdraw the City of Portland from the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) soon after entering office.

The JTTF is a controversial agreement between the FBI, ICE, and local law enforcement agencies that was lacking transparency, leading to excess surveillance, and targeting immigrants, political activists, and racial & religious minorities – concerns that were all heightened under the Presidency of 45. Portland had previously left the JTTF under former Police Chief and Mayor Tom Potter in 2005 over similar concerns.

This action was about ensuring that all communities in Portland felt safe, including those often-lacking representation in elected office.

In January, Commissioner Hardesty hosted a public information session co-hosted by Unite Oregon and the ACLU of Oregon.

In early February, Commissioner Hardesty hosted a rally outside City Hall before the meeting where Council would vote 3-2 to withdraw from the JTTF to the cheers of a supportive audience.

Cesar Chavez Day Proclamation

Commissioner Hardesty brought forward the first ever City of Portland proclamation recognizing the great labor and immigrant rights organizer Cesar Chavez in collaboration with PCUN, Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project, and former City Hall staffer, now State Representative Andrea Valderrama.

Year 1 Annual Budget Process – the Fight for Parks Workers & Community Centers, Against Racial Profiling in Policing 

In preparation for Commissioner Hardesty’s first annual budget process, her office hosted “The People’s Budget Meeting” in East Portland to provide Portlanders an opportunity to learn how the city budget process works. This included community members providing feedback through interactive exercises regarding what the city should prioritize as difficult budget decisions are made.

As the budget process moved along, it became dominated by a debate over a structural deficit for Parks & Recreation and a council proposal to address the budget gap by eliminating community  centers, services, and firing over 50 workers.

Commissioner Hardesty heard the overwhelming call from the majority that this was not what Portlanders wanted. She instead offered an alternative proposal that would fully fund parks for another year, eliminate the racially profiling, ineffective Gang Enforcement Team that had just been rebranded as the Gun Violence Prevent Team (GVRT), and fund anti-displacement and anti-gentrification efforts in East Portland to ensure BIPOC, immigrant, and low income communities could keep living in their neighborhoods.

Powerful testimony from a long-term educator working with current and former gang members made it clear Portland had a moral choice to make in this budget, which Commissioner Hardesty repeatedly called a moral document.

“I’m going to present our elected officials with a very simple equation and it is this. You can educate, or you can incarcerate, but you can not have it both ways. You want to start taking away programs from these kids…their art classes, their football classes, their dance classes, and their weight rooms – you want to take away their community? They’re going to get community, and they are going to get it another way.”

The proposed budget amendments that prioritized community investment over incarceration unfortunately did not pass, and Commissioner Hardesty voted no on the overall budget package that included substantial cuts and layoffs to Parks & Recreation.

Some of Commissioner Hardesty’s ideas were accepted into the final budget, including $250,000 for community outreach in preparation for the 2020 Census and $270,000 for anti-displacement work in East Portland.

Development of Portland Street Response 

Shortly after being elected to the Portland City Council, Commissioner Hardesty got to work exploring her campaign idea to develop an unarmed, alternative first response option to ensure we are sending the right first responders to the right 911 call.  Our first response system hadn’t seen a major update in over 100 years and needed a more effective, compassionate response for those experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis.

Commissioner Hardesty was assigned Portland Fire & Rescue, where as Fire Commissioner she learned about innovative programs within the bureau that were already trying to address some of the unmet needs within our first response system. This led her to believe Portland Fire & Rescue was the best place for this new first response option to be housed under.

Meanwhile, Street Roots wrote extensively about the need for a better first response for those experiencing houselessness, as well as those experiencing a mental or behavior health crisis. That led to Street Roots developing a blueprint called “Portland Street Response” and launching an advocacy campaign behind the concept.

Commissioner Hardesty endorsed the Street Roots campaign and along with Portland Fire & Rescue, began working with them and additional community partners to build off the idea.

Early outreach and development included:

Much of the outreach work with Portland’s houseless community was summarized in the report “Believe Our Stories & Listen,” which was a collaborative effort that included the Portland Street Response Community Outreach Workgroup, Portland State University Homeless Research & Action Collaborative, Street Roots, Mapping Action Collective, Street Books, Yellow Brick Road, Right 2 Survive, and Sisters of the Road.

Commissioner Hardesty was provided an opportunity to do a Ted Talk about the concept and development of Portland Street Response.

To develop Portland Street Response, the offices of Mayor Wheeler and Commissioner Hardesty formed a work group that also included representatives from Portland Fire & Rescue, Portland Police Bureau, Office of Management & Finance, Multnomah County, PSU Homeless Research Collaborative, service providers, houseless advocates and more.

Sara Boone Hired as Chief of Portland Fire & Rescue

Fire Commissioner Hardesty selected Division Chief Sara Boone as Fire Chief for Portland Fire & Rescue during her first year in office. Chief Boone had been with Portland Fire & Rescue for 24 years, rising through the ranks from entry-level firefighter. Chief Boone had spent the majority of her career in emergency operations before transitioning into assignments as the Bureau’s Safety Chief, Logistics Deputy Chief, and currently, the Division Chief of Medical Services and Training. In 1995, Chief Boone became the first African-American female firefighter to enter the ranks of Portland Fire & Rescue since its inception in 1883 and became the first African-American Fire Chief for the City of Portland.

Commissioner Hardesty said at the time: “Chief Boone impressed our interview panels with her commitment to community, her technical knowledge, her passion for the fire service, and her leadership style. She is well-respected throughout the bureau and we have a great collaborative relationship. I know that she has the vision and experience to lead the bureau as it takes on new challenges. I am confident that she will make sure our city is safe and cared for under her watch.”

Stop Abortion Bans Resolution

Following unprecedented attacks on abortion care throughout the country, Commissioner Hardesty worked with local reproductive health organizations including Pro-Choice Oregon, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, and Forward Together to unanimously pass a resolution that declared the right to safe and legal abortion and affirmed the City of Portland’s commitment to act in support of that right by authorizing the City Attorney to participate as an amicus in federal lawsuits challenging abortion bans around the country.

Portland Police Training Contract with ICE Cancelled

After organizations advocating for Portland’s immigrant community brought forward concerns about a contract between PPB allowing ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to use their training facility, Commissioner Hardesty pressured the City internally to cancel the contract. Commissioner Hardesty argued that the contract was contrary to Portland’s status as a sanctuary city, which “prohibits the use of city funds, personnel or equipment to enforce federal immigration law.”

Mike Myers Hired as Director of Portland Bureau of Emergency Management 

Commissioner Hardesty announced that former Portland Fire & Rescue Chief Mike Myers would serve as the Director of the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM).

Impressed with his vision and values when they met before taking office, Commissioner Hardesty reached out to Mike Myers to see if he would consider coming back to Portland to work with her in this new capacity. She was overjoyed when he said yes. Myers now serves as the Director of the Community Safety Division.

Climate Justice Leadership

During her first year in office, Commissioner Hardesty showed her leadership on environmental issues, starting with the implementation of the voter approved Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) that she helped create and champion. That included the hiring of a program manager and approving the inaugural PCEF committee members – who’s job would be to help disburse funds to support living wage jobs, sustainable agriculture, green infrastructure, and residential/commercial renewable and efficiency projects throughout Portland.

Commissioner Hardesty showed up in support and spoke at many youth led rallies demanding climate justice be at the forefront of all government policy, and that as elected leaders we walk our talk in fighting for our planet. These included the Youth v Gov rally in Director’s Park and as the only elected official invited to speak at the Youth Climate Strike, where thousands of Portland students walked on City Hall. She also took a pledge to take no fossil fuel donations while serving as a City Commissioner.

Commissioner Hardesty quickly responded to concerns about the Zenith Oil Facility and made it clear she does not support crude oil production and transport in Portland. She sought creative ways to approach the situation at the City and advocated for state law changes to address the situation and respond to community concern.

Consulting Experts and Community on Portland Police Association Contract Negotiations

As the City prepared to enter negotiations over the next collective bargaining agreement between the City of Portland and the Portland Police Association (PPA), Commissioner Hardesty hosted a public work session to consult national experts with Campaign Zero regarding best practices in police union contracts.

The offices of Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty then hosted two community conversation events about the City’s contract negotiations with PPA. The goal of the events was to educate the public about the collective bargaining process, to listen to thoughts and concerns, and to gather input to help ensure the contract best served the interests and welfare of the public. City attorneys were present to share guidelines and offer background on the current contract that was set to expire in June 2020. The events provided language interpretation and childcare.

A summary of the feedback collected during these two packed meetings was compiled into a report by the Bureau of Human Resources that was made available to the public online. 

Community Meetings Throughout Portland

Completing another campaign promise, the office of Commissioner Hardesty held four community conversations throughout Portland during her first year in office.

Over 250 attendees joined to speak with each other in facilitated conversations that provided feedback to inform Commissioner Hardesty’s policy priorities. These events included translation, space for children, and accessible locations.

Commissioner Hardesty hosted and participated in numerous additional events during her first year in office to ensure she was hearing directly from Portlanders about their lived experiences and the changes they wanted to see.

 

Commissioner Hardesty Year 2 Recap (2020 – 2021)

A summary of major accomplishments and notable moments during Commissioner Hardesty’s second year in office: 2020 – 2021. During this time Commissioner Hardesty was assigned to oversee Portland Fire & Rescue, Bureau of Emergency Communication (BOEC), and the Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM).

The Passing of Commissioner Nick Fish 

On just the second day of 2020, tragic news was released that Commissioner Nick Fish passed away after battling cancer.

This was a very sad moment for Portland. I knew Nick for decades, and while our time as colleagues on Council was briefer than expected, I always respected his deep commitment and tenacity as a public servant – even as he managed his illness.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response

2020 was an exceptionally difficult year of crisis upon crisis, starting with the overarching COVID-19 global pandemic that has claimed millions of lives worldwide.

The pandemic exasperated the many inequalities that were already present in our society. The City prioritized the most vulnerable populations during these uncertain times – including BIPOC communities, seniors, houseless, food insecure, and more.

It is difficult to encapsulate all that Commissioner Hardesty and her team worked on during these long, hard hours alongside so many City employees and essential workers to help coordinate an effective and equitable response during unprecedented times.

This included:

  • Sharing accurate and accessible public information as part of a City & Multnomah County coordinated effort, which required close alignment to share important health updates, policy changes, vaccination opportunities, program and service changes, and so much more.

  • Establishing the Small Business Relief Fund.

  • Coordinating volunteer efforts and donation needs in coordination with Multnomah County.

  • Aiding those suffering from food insecurity.

  • Creating emergency Hygiene Stations & Services throughout Portland.

  • Conducting Council meetings virtually and allowing remote public testimony.

  • Distributing Federal CARES Act dollars equitably.

  • Instituting an eviction moratorium, providing direct cash assistance for rent, food, medication and other urgent household needs, and establishing the Emergency Housing Stabilization Fund.

  • Securing PPE for hospitals, clinics, first responders, healthcare workers, and vulnerable populations. Portland Fire & Rescue stations were used as donation drop off locations.
  • Allowing outdoor seating for restaurants to promote safer social and business opportunities

  • Establishing the first shelter expansion following the onset of the pandemic in 3 C3PO villages, while supporting shelter expansion of public buildings and purchase of hotels and other shelter options.

  • Portland Fire & Rescue conducting vaccination clinics prioritizing vulnerable communities and delivering prescription medication to vulnerable adults through a new MEDS on WHEELS outreach program.

Public & Private Sector Ban of Facial Recognition Technology

The Office of Commissioner Hardesty began working closely with a coalition of privacy and racial justice advocates and the City of Portland’s Smart Cities PDX team to explore a ban on the controversial use of facial recognition technology. This included City Council holding two public work sessions and holding community engagement events.

This action was taken because Facial Recognition Technology is an intrusion on Portlanders’ privacy and is shown to have gender and racial bias and inaccuracies. No one should have something as private as their face photographed, stored, and sold to third parties for a profit. No one should be thrust into the criminal justice system because the tech algorithm misidentified an innocent person.

Council voted unanimously to support a ban on facial recognition technology. Portland’s public sector ban is among the most stringent compared to other city bans, and the private sector ban is the first of its kind in the nation.

Residential Infill Project (RIP)

A five-year effort, the Residential Infill Project (RIP) aimed to allow more opportunities for “middle housing” by allowing more housing units in parts of the city to meet the city’s growing population needs.

Commissioner Hardesty’s team worked closely with advocates and city staff to include anti-displacement efforts in the  final proposal.

Commissioner Hardesty voted to pass the Residential Infill Project (RIP) and expressed appreciation to an idea that was conceived by the community, refined by community, and championed by the community.

Racial Justice Uprising & Police Reform Efforts

After the horrific murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, a worldwide racial justice reckoning was sparked and Portlanders protested for over 100 days straight of mostly peaceful action – an effort that received praise from George Floyd’s own brother.

Commissioner Hardesty advocated for non-violent protest to keep up the pressure on Portland City Council to transform our public safety system. As the annual budget process approached, Portlanders sent tens of thousands of emails and almost 800 people testified at Council advocating to rethink community safety during the pivotal historical moment.

Commissioner Hardesty led the council budget response to re-allocate $15 million from vacant police positions and police units that multiple audits found to engage in racial profiling while not demonstrating a positive impact on crime and reducing violence. The money was re-invested in expanding community safety by increasing the Portland Street Response budget and efforts to address racial inequality.

For too long we’ve invested so many resources to a law and order approach that has been unjust, unfair, and violent particularly towards communities of color, especially the Black community. We simply cannot police our way out of inequities. Today, we disrupt that pattern. Today, we begin to collectively reimagine and build towards community safety and police alternatives.

Throughout the summer, Commissioner Hardesty spoke out repeatedly against the constant police brutality that both Portland protesters and federal agents were deploying on those exercising their constitutional rights.

During the height of protests, the office of Commissioner Hardesty continued to push forward, working closely with community advocates to write and pass a ballot referral to voters to change the city charter to establish a truly independent, empowered civilian police review board that can provide real police accountability. Portland voters went out to pass the ballot measure by a resounding 82%, and a community commission is currently developing recommendations for the final independent police accountability board.

This new system would review at the minimum four types of cases: Excessive use of force, deaths in custody, civil liberties violations, and acts of police towards a protected class.

The new system would be different from the city’s current system in several critical ways:

• The new body would have final say within the city on discipline;

• It would be able to directly impact PPB policies and directives;

• It would be removed from all bureaus and elected offices;

• It would mandate adequate funding for this critical work; and

• It would have expanded investigatory powers including better access to evidence and ability to compel testimony.

As the summer went on, tensions and trust rapidly eroded between community members and PPB, Commissioner Hardesty  wrote an open letter to PPB Chief Lovell expressing these concerns, asking a number of questions and making reform proposals.

Other notable actions included:

  • Asking for control of the Portland Police Bureau
  • Preventing collaboration between PPB and federal occupiers
  • Joining the DPSST task force to influence police training policy at the state level
  • Leading a candlelight vigil that partnered with Hip Hop Stands Up, while joining protesters in the streets to hear directly from those on the ground of the racial justice movemement
  • Advocated for a tear gas ban that was eventually implemented by Mayor Wheeler
  • Brought new transparency requirements to PPB weapon and munition purchases

Connecting with Community – In Person & Virtually

Commissioner Hardesty continued to be a regular presense at community events throughout Portland until the COVID-19 pandemic forced a temporary end to most in person events. To stay engaged, Commissioner Hardesty held a series of events centered around rethinking community safety.

 

Commissioner Hardesty Year 3 Recap (2021 – 2022)

A summary of major accomplishments and notable moments during Commissioner Hardesty’s third year in office: 2021 – 2022. During this time Commissioner Hardesty was assigned to oversee Portland Fire & Rescue, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), and the Office of Community & Civic Life.

Portland Street Response Pilot Launched, Expanded, & Evaluated 

In February, the long anticipated launch of the initial Portland Street Response (PSR) pilot team occurred as they began taking calls dispatched from 911 to offer an unarmed response for people suffering from a mental or behavioral health crisis.

For the first two months of the pilot, the team responded to calls solely in the Lents neighborhood during limited hours. This first shift was composed of a firefighter paramedic, a licensed clinical social worker and two community health workers.

After 2 months the pilot boundaries were expanded to cover eight Portland Police Bureau (PPB) districts in the greater Lents area.

In April, the PSR team also started responding to additional call types: for a person either outside or inside of a publicly accessible space such as a business, store, public lobby, etc.

The team also started co-responding with Portland Fire & Rescue on certain public burning calls (such as outside warming and cooking fires) to offer wrap-around service assistance.

Portland State University, the outside evaluator hired by the City to determine if PSR is meeting its goals, released its six-month report and presented the results to City Council.

Dr. Greg Townley, director of research at PSU’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative and the lead evaluator, reported that the investigators believe Portland Street Response was well on its way to becoming a citywide solution to responding to 911 and non-emergency calls involving unhoused people and people experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis.

Key findings included:
● A 4.6% reduction in total calls traditionally responded to by police.
● A 22.5% reduction in police response on non-emergency welfare checks as well as dispatches coded as “unwanted persons” and “suspicious persons” calls.
● A 11.6% reduction in fire department activity on behavioral health calls and illegal burn calls.
● Clients rated PSR 5 on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the best.

In November, PSR embarked on its next expansion with the launch of its night shift and additional team members including a Firefighter/EMT, a Mental Health Crisis Responder, and two Peer Support Specialists.

This increased the boundary from 13 square miles to 36 square miles.

In November, Portland City Council voted to release $2 million in funding to PSR as part of the Fall Budget Monitoring Process, paving the way for citywide expansion.

Portland Fire & Rescue Vaccination Effort 

Portland Fire & Rescue teamed up with Multnomah County health officials to administer tens of thousands of vaccinations across clinics throughout Portland that were primarily focused on targeted outreach to BIPOC and harder to reach communities.

To promote vaccination efforts knowing that Black communities have a valid historical distrust of government vaccines – Commissioner Hardesty received her vaccination from Portland Fire & Rescue on video.

Her office also worked with the county to promote a webpage including details about the diversity in COVID-19 vaccine studies to help alleviate concerns.

Mount Scott-Arleta Violence Intervention Pilot

Following the destabilizing effects of the pandemic, gun violence skyrocketed nationwide, and Portland was no exception. The Portland City Council made a historic investment in community-based organizations that interrupt violence and address upstream solutions – but more urgent action was lacking.

Community members in the Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood observed a correlation between gun violence and high-speed traffic and proposed an intervention. Commissioner Hardesty’s staff worked with PBOT experts and residents to explore options for how the deployment of temporary traffic control devices could help discourage or mitigate the effects of gun violence.

Commissioner Hardesty’s office and PBOT were not alone, as the intervention became a collaborative effort involving PBOT, Parks & Recreation, OMF Division of Community Safety, Portland Police Bureau, and local community residents.

The all-hands-on deck, holistic response:

  • PBOT placed 18 traffic calming barrels as requested by neighbors

  • Parks & Recreation increased Park Ranger patrol and repaired lighting in Mt. Scott Park

  • Portland Police Bureau increased patrols to area, enhanced collaboration with Park Rangers

  • Commissioner Hardesty’s office surveyed residents in area to capture their concerns and ideas

  • City staff spoke with local businesses, encouraged installation of security cameras

  • Built upon partnership with Multnomah County Youth Violence Prevention Office

Police Accountability Commission Recruitment & Appointment

The Portland City Council came together during the summer of 2020 to unanimously send a ballot measure to voters to create a new system of independent police oversight. An important piece of building trust in our police bureau will be a system of oversight and accountability with a structure that centers the community the police are sworn to protect and serve. The ballot measure stipulated the next step in the process would be recruiting and appointing a group of community members that would have 18 months to create a framework and structure for the final police oversight board approved by 82% of Portland voters.

After reviewing applicants, The Police Accountability Commission was appointed unanimously by Council. The Commission is composed of individuals from community justice organizations, small businesses impacted by community safety issues, and people from overpoliced communities, such as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), immigrants, refugees, people living with low-income, experiencing houselessness, and/or mental health or substance use.

Interim Director Michael Montoya Appointed to Stabilize Office of Community & Civic Life

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty appointed Michael Montoya as the interim director for the Office of Community & Civic Life. Montoya formally served as Civic Life’s strategy, innovation & performance manager.

Commissioner Hardesty knew the Office of Community and Civic Life needed a year of transformation and healing and believed Montoya was the leader for the moment to foster a stronger, more resilient, more responsive bureau.

Under Montoya’s leadership, the Office of Community & Civic life moved on from past  controversies and proceeded with important work – including the nationally renown Cannabis program and efforts to support our immigrant and refugee communities.

Year 3 Annual Budget Process

Commissioner Hardesty expressed process concerns that the community and council was not involved enough in the deliberation of her third annual budget.

One of the most contentious debates during this budget was whether to fully fund the expansion of Portland Street Response citywide. By a 3-2 vote, Council voted down an amendment for PSR expansion. Later during the Fall Budget Monitoring Process, Commissioner Hardesty was able to secure Council support for expansion.

Despite disappointment that her PSR amendment was voted down, the budget had been significantly improved by other proposed amendments.

Commissioner Hardesty ultimately voted yes on a budget that included:

  • Funding for staff support for the voter approved police oversight board.

  • Funding support for alternative shelter program to allow safe sleeping options for those currently sleeping on our streets.

  • Funding to support a Truth and Reconciliation process between the Portland Police Bureau and community members of the City of Portland.

  • Increased resources to the City African American Network.

  • Increased funding for the Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services.

  • Directed PBOT to develop new revenue sources that reflect Portland’s climate goals and addresses the bureaus structural deficit

  • Continued to fund the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Healthy Businesses program, allowing the creative use of space to provide outdoor dining, drinking, and more. This provided a lifeline to small businesses operating during the pandemic.

  • Increased money to Neighborhood District Coalitions and reinstated the small grant program to Neighborhood Associations.

  • Funded a citywide anti-white supremacy training for city staff.

  • Avoided cuts to the budget of Portland Fire & Rescue.

Transfer of 82nd Avenue from State to City Control with $180 Million Investment

A long-held priority for East Portland residents, the City of Portland and the State of Oregon agreed to transfer 82nd Ave from State to City Control following decades of organizing. Commissioner Hardesty was part of the coalition of elected leaders and community advocates who successfully advocated for, negotiated, and secured the transfer with substantial funding.

The transfer included $80 million in state funding on top of an additional $70 million pledged by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), plus $35 million committed from PBOT for a total of over $180 million. The historic transfer and investment will make possible the transformative changes community has been calling for on 82nd Avenue for decades.

This would not have been possible without community advocates calling attention to the long record of traffic violence on this high-crash corridor. This was a truly collaborative effort that highlighted the importance of diversity in representation for East Portland. which includes many of the most diverse neighborhoods in Portland.

Rapid Street Safety Improvements 

Responding to a record rise in traffic-related fatalities, Commissioner Hardesty introduced and passed an emergency budget amendment during the summer that allocated $450,000 for rapid street safety improvements on high-crash corridors.

These high-crash streets are disproportionately in East Portland. They generally are in areas with higher rates of people living on low incomes and people who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color.

The High-Crash Corridor safety interventions included:

  • Speed safety cameras
  • Increased safety and visibility at intersections
  • Turn-calming infrastructure like rubber bumps
  • Center turn lane delineation
  • Speed limit reductions
  • High-crash intersection warning signs

Safe Routes to School

2021 saw many children return to school in person for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it vital to enhance investments in PBOT’s Safe Routes to School program. Commissioner Hardesty secured that funding boost from Council.

These dollars funded safety infrastructure on primary school routes such as crossing, sidewalks, and traffic calming.

PBOT Healthy Business Permit Extension

Commissioner Hardesty championed and secured council support for an extension of PBOT’s Healthy Businesses permit program by allocating $3.5 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to continue the program while waiving all permit fees through 2021.

The Healthy Businesses program was created in the first months of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Providing much needed sidewalk and street space, it allowed Portland businesses and their customers to continue operating in a safe and healthy way during the pandemic. PBOT agreed to waive all fees to support business resiliency in the face of unprecedented economic challenges.

Restaurants, bars, and other small businesses represent many of the pillars of the Portland economy. By providing businesses, especially restaurants, with more outdoor space, the Healthy Businesses program directly helped pull many back from the brink of disaster. As one participating business said, “Without those outdoor seats, we’d be closed and there wouldn’t have been a penny for anyone, or jobs for the 50 people we’ve got working now.”

Portland Public Plaza Expansion

A priority during the summer of 2021, PBOT rolled out numerous new public plazas around the city in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and neighborhoods. These included the Northeast Dream Street Plaza, “A Black-centered space for community and microenterprise in historic Albina.” It also included the downtown Pride Plaza, “a new LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhood gathering space with street art, public seating, community activities, and expanded space for businesses into the street.”

Ankeny Food Carts

Upon becoming Transportation Commissioner in 2021, Commissioner Hardesty asked her staff to bring together PBOT, Prosper Portland, Parks, and council colleagues to rejuvenate the process of finding a home for many of the food carts displaced by the construction of a Ritz-Carlton luxury hotel downtown. Permitting solutions were found and the city was finally able to get food carts placed and operational in a beautiful new space.

Additionally, Commissioner Hardesty successfully advocated for a funding package to revitalize O’Bryant Square across from the Ankeny Food Carts as part of the connecting vision of the Green Loop downtown.

Increasing Waterfront Access to the Willamette River

In collaboration with the Human Access Project, Commissioner Hardesty directed PBOT to help make Duckworth Dock a safer and more accessible place for Portlanders to cool down and hang out in the Willamette River during Portland’s increasingly hot summers. This included providing eight new ladders from the dock to the river, slow no-wake buoys for safety from river traffic, a bike rack, a life ring, and opportunities for live music.

Also related to waterfront access, Commissioner Hardesty worked with Human Access Project and Commissioner Mapps, who introduced an amendment to conduct a feasibility study that could contribute to a vision for increased public access to Portland’s beautiful but underutilized waterfront.

New Green Revenue Sources

There is no debate – climate change is here and its effects on Portland have been catastrophic. This was clear during the tragic heatwave we experienced during the summer of 2020.

PBOT is in a position to lead our transition to a sustainable green Portland that is less reliant on cars, with increased access to healthier, safer options for travel: from public transit to biking to scooters and more.

Today revenue sources for PBOT have an inherent contradiction toward meeting Portland’s climate mitigation goals, because so much of their revenue derives from fossil fuel infrastructure such as parking fees.

During the budget process of 2021, PBOT was formally directed to explore new revenue sources that can adequately fund Portland’s transportation needs without relying on fossil fuel infrastructure.

Division Transit Project

SE Division Street is a high-crash corridor that is most dangerous in Outer East Portland. The Division Transit project included critical safety improvements like crosswalks with signals, new crosswalks near bus stops, better lighting, protected bike lanes, and medians for pedestrians crossing the street.

TriMet also unveiled their new “FX – Frequent Express” transit service to provide faster, more frequent, and more sustainable service to SE Division Street from Gresham to downtown Portland.

The City of Portland heard from the community that people wanted this to be more than just a transit project. They also wanted safety, jobs, and housing for the people in our community. That’s what was delivered. This project also hired Raimore Construction, awarding the largest construction contract for a minority contractor in Oregon history.

Commissioner Hardesty Year 4 Recap (2022 – 2023)

A summary of major accomplishments and notable moments during Commissioner Hardesty’s fourth year in office: 2022 – 2023. During this time Commissioner Hardesty was assigned to oversee Portland Fire & Rescue, Portland Bureau of Transportation, and the Office of Community & Civic Life.

Successful Advocacy to Change State Law to Expand Speed Safety Camera Deployment Through Civilian Enforcement

Commissioner Hardesty advocated for removing a provision in state law that required sworn police officers to review all photo camera citations through the City legislative agenda and then testified for this change to the Oregon State Legislature.

The bill was passed and signed into law, allowing Portland and other local cities to operate traffic-camera systems more effectively by allowing a “traffic enforcement agent” to review and issue tickets. This relieves police officers of some time-consuming administrative work, enabling them to spend more time on patrols in the community and responses to emergency calls from the public.

Ban on Use & Sale of Fireworks

Portland City Council unanimously passed a ban on the personal use and sale of fireworks brought forward by Fire Commissioner Hardesty. The driving factor for developing and passing the policy was the safety of Portlanders.

During the summer of 2021, we witnessed climate catastrophe as extreme heat and draught brought devastating wildfires to Portland and throughout Oregon. In response, Portland issued a temporary ban on the personal use and sale of fireworks and the results spoke for themselves: In 2021 Portland reduced firework caused fires by 66% during the fire season and 83% on the Fourth of July compared to 2020 when no ban was in place.

Portland Street Response Expanded Citywide, Received Glowing Report  

In March of 2022, Portland Street Response expanded citywide, just over 1 year from when the pilot first began as a single team operating in the Lents neighborhood.

A press conference was held at Fire Station 1 in Old Town to commemorate the historic occasion and inform the public about this expanded service area and new hours.

Soon after citywide expansion,  Council was provided an extensive one-year evaluation report from Dr. Greg Townley from the PSU Homeless Research & Action Collaborative.

What the report showed is that Portland Street Response has been a resounding success after completing its initial pilot year, making significant progress on every intended outcome set for the pilot. For example, during the pilot’s operating hours in the PSR pilot service area:

  • The PSR call load represented a 4% reduction in total calls that police would have traditionally responded to.

  • PSR activity represented a 27% reduction in PPB response on non-emergency welfare checks and unwanted persons calls.

  • PSR activity represented a reduction of 12.4% in PF&R activity on behavioral health calls and illegal burn calls.

  • 89% of PSR calls involved no co-response with another first responder entity. PSR only requested a PPB co-response 18 times throughout their first year.

  • PSR was able to resolve the vast majority of its calls in the field, with only 29 clients (3.2% of all calls) transported to the hospital for additional care.

  • PSR staff engaged over 2,500 community members in outreach and engagement activities during the first year of the program. These included de-escalation trainings, door-to-door canvassing at businesses and residences to raise awareness about PSR, efforts to keep unhoused people and other community members safe during the record heatwaves of summer 2021, and community health clinics.

  • PSR clients rated PSR 5 on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best.

Agreement Reached on new contract between City of Portland and Portland Police Association

In early 2022, the City of Portland and the Portland Police Association settled a four-year contract through mediation, after negotiations first began in February of 2020. Commissioner Hardesty made a promise to Portlanders the City was going to do this PPA contract differently. Over 3 years, the City took community input, provided as much transparency as labor law allowed, hired outside legal counsel with expertise in police union contracts, and brought about real change.

This included the ability to continue expanding Portland Street Response and creating a clear, fair discipline guide to provide accountability for police misconduct.

Responding to high community interest and advocacy around this contract, Mayor Wheeler and Commissioner Hardesty teamed up to bring national experts to Portland for a work session on best practices in police contracts in October of 2019. In November of 2019, Mayor Wheeler and Commissioner Hardesty co-hosted two “PPA Contract Community Listening Sessions” and that feedback was incorporated into a summary report by the Bureau of Human Resources.

Negotiations for the current contract officially began in February of 2020 and the City immediately prioritized community feedback that requested a transparent bargaining process. Ground rules were negotiated that allowed all City of Portland hosted bargaining sessions to be observable to the public. The first few City hosted sessions were observable in person until the COVID-19 pandemic began. For the City to keep their commitment to transparency, a one-year extension of the contract was made while we learned more about the extent of the pandemic and developed a virtual negotiation setting. The one-year extension also allowed Portland Street Response to operate with up to 6 vans during PSR’s initial pilot phase.

Contract negotiations resumed on January 13, 2021, with City-hosted sessions observable virtually on Zoom. A website was created to keep the public up-to-date on the latest tentative agreements, joint City-PPA statements, and additional information. On June 14th, 2021, PPA filed for mediation under a law that allows either side to file for mediation after 150 days of bargaining.

Highlights for the new contract included a new discipline guide, allowing the continued expansion of Portland Street Response and creation of a workgroup to define issues such as call types and co-response.

Soon after an agreement was reached, Commissioner Hardesty’s staff helped host a virtual education session about the agreement with lead negotiator Steven Schuback and Chief Deputy City Attorney Heidi Brown.

Violence Intervention Pilot Data Released, New Public Plaza Created

Transportation Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Carmen Rubio, and Mt. Scott-Arleta Neighborhood Association Chair Matchu Williams held a walking tour and press conference to discuss the results of the first 3 months of a multi-bureau, collaborative pilot project aiming to reduce gun violence and related vehicle speeding in the area. The pilot evaluation ranged 3 months from October – December of 2021.

Commissioner Hardesty’s office and PBOT began the intervention, which became a collaborative effort involving PBOT, Parks & Recreation, OMF Division of Community Safety, Portland Police Bureau, and local community residents.

The evaluation results included:

  • 64% decrease in verified shootings during first 3 months of pilot project following intervention that began in October of 2021, compared to the 3 months prior to pilot project intervention

  • Following the intervention, gun violence went down in the neighborhood compared to the city as a whole. This decrease occurred while rest of city shooting numbers remained consistent.

    72% of those responding to our survey were seeking solutions other than traditional enforcement, such as youth violence prevention outreach and creating an active, positive community space

  • Twice as many survey respondents believed the traffic intervention reduced traffic from people escaping a shooting compared to those that didn’t perceive a difference.

Later that evening, Commissioner Hardesty held a virtual forum to discuss the gun violence epidemic and the violence intervention pilot.

An independent investigation conducted by the Community Safety Division also concluded the pilot project showed promise, and funding was eventually secured to continue these type of interventions through the Community Crossroads Initiative.

During the summer of 2022, what was once a dangerous slip lane and an intersection plagued by vehicle and gun violence had been transformed into an active, positive community space – the new Arleta Triangle Square. Commissioner Hardesty was invited to join the celebration as the new plaza officially opened.

Healthy Business Outdoor Seating & Plazas Made Permanent

Commissioner Hardesty joined the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to announce the extension of two popular programs that were created during the COVID-19 pandemic: Healthy Business Outdoor Seating & Public Plazas. These were created to help the community continue to use street space for restaurants and community gatherings.

Hundreds of small businesses told the City of Portland that operating outdoors was essential to their survival during the pandemic. We had seen many communities come together using our streets to create plazas as well. At the press conference, Commissioner Hardesty directed PBOT to extend these two programs and work to make them permanent. She encouraged community members to contact City Hall to show their support, and during the annual budget project funding was approved.

Black Youth Leadership Fund Established

Responding to Black Lives Matter protests for racial justice and police accountability, Commissioner Hardesty developed a fund that invested in the leadership development of Portland’s Black youth. These community investments aimed to help close the racial inequality gap locally by providing youth opportunities for leadership and prosperity.

Year 4 Annual Budget

Commissioner Hardesty’s 4th annual budget process was the least contentious throughout her term, and she gave credit to Mayor Wheeler for collaborating with Council in development.

Some of the proposals Commissioner Hardesty was thrilled to see included in the budget were:

  • Expanding Portland Street Response 24/7 citywide

  • Funding to make Portland’s outdoor seating program, aka “Healthy Businesses” permanent in City Code

  • Funding PBOT Transportation Safety Improvements

Commissioner Hardesty’s office brought forward additional amendments that passed with Council support:

  1. $250,000 allocated to the Sellwood Moreland Improvement League (SMILE) for SMILE Station Building Rehabilitation, which will be used to eliminate black mold and provide a new roof for this vital family resource in Southeast Portland.

  1. Directs study on allocation of TIF district dollars to better understand the impact of these investments to ensure we are preventing displacement and gentrification.

  2. Directs Portland Police Bureau to return to Council in 6 months with policy updates in response to recommendations from a troubling recent Audit showing PPB continues to engage in unconstitutional policing of protests

Portland Rejoins I-5 Rose Quarter Project

Commissioner Hardesty formally rejoined the City of Portland in ODOT’s I-5 Rose Quarter project, reversing the city‘s unprecedented decision to pull out of the project in 2020.

Commissioner Hardesty, working with regional and community partners, negotiated directly with Governor Kate Brown to create the option known as Hybrid 3. The option provides 8 acres of buildable land to reconnect the Albina neighborhood and ensures variable rate pricing will limit congestion and pollution.

  • These acres provide the kind of city street grid that other Portland neighborhoods take for granted. They reconnect North Flint Street and North Hancock Street — two neighborhood streets that were amputated by the original construction of I-5.

  • These acres provide a platform where we can create buildings and community spaces that bring back the neighborhood.

With this compromise, Portland has accountability. If ODOT breaks their promises as they have in the past, this agreement makes it clear that Portland will walk away again.

Abortion Access Increased Locally following Texas Abortion Ban

Following the draconian Texas abortion ban that could increase demand on Oregon’s local providers, Commissioner Hardesty championed an effort led by Pro-Choice Oregon, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, and Northwest Abortion Access Fund to allocate funds to assist local providers, which was supported by four out of five members of Council.

In June when the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, ending the federal right to an abortion, Commissioner Hardesty called for more action and spoke at a massive downtown rally.

Local Elected Officials from Across the Country Visit Portland Street Response

In October, more than two dozen local elected officials, government staffers, and community leaders met with the Portland Street Response to learn from the program and identify best practices that can be adapted in their localities.

Participants included local elected officials from Antioch (CA), Austin, Chicago, Detroit, Durham, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Oak Park (IL), Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Rochester (NY) – each who is interested in creating or scaling a community responder program.

Portland Street Response is one of only two citywide programs that is housed within a local government department – which experts and advocates say better promotes the creation of high-quality jobs and pay equity.

The learning experience was hosted by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty and organized by Local Progress and the Local Progress Impact Lab, which bring together local leaders, partners, and issue experts to build the knowledge, skills, and leadership needed to advance racial and economic justice at the local level.

Shortly after the visit, Portland Street Response reached additional milestones, including:

  • Portland Street Response employees unionized with PROTEC17 and membership was voluntarily recognized by Commissioner Hardesty.
  • New PSR Vans arrived.
  • A PSR Public Awareness Campaign Began
  • Movement towards Future Medicaid Reimbursement from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Which Could Save Portland Millions of Dollars.
  • Portland Street Response Year 2 Mid-Point Evaluation Report released.

Emergency Ordinance Established New School Zones, Made Safety Improvements on Southeast Powell & Beyond

A fatal crash on Tuesday, October 4 at SE 26th Avenue and Powell Blvd shook Portland, leading to widespread community outcry and calls for safety improvements – including jurisdictional transfer of Powell Boulevard from the state to the City of Portland. Commissioner Hardesty echoed this call in her own initial response to the tragedy.

The crash killed Sarah Pliner, a well-respected local chef, adjacent to Cleveland High School. It happened at an intersection where PBOT and ODOT had a history of public disagreements about traffic safety. The situation led ODOT Director Kris Strickler to issue a statement on October 10, saying, “this road cannot, and should not, function as a traditional highway anymore.”

Commissioner Hardesty responded that she was optimistic PBOT and ODOT could work together as partners to make the streets around all Portland schools safer, but action could not wait.

Commissioner Hardesty introduced a resolution that was unanimously passed by Council, which:

  • Directed PBOT to install a school zone on SE 26th Avenue and requested ODOT create a school zone on SE Powell Blvd in both areas adjacent to Cleveland High School.
  • Asked ODOT to install school zones at all schools on state-owned highways in Portland.
  • Directed PBOT to pursue school zone installation at any street adjacent to a high school where the speed limit is higher than 20 mph, whether it’s a city street or state-owned highway.
  • Directed PBOT to propose additional safety improvements on other parts of SE 26th Avenue, Inner Powell and other busy state-owned streets. The bureau would use safety improvements called for in ODOT’s Blueprint for Urban Design, which the state agency does not apply consistently in the Portland area.
  • Directed PBOT to study the city’s freight routes and street classifications that may be leading large trucks to use SE 26th Avenue instead of streets that are wider and more appropriate.
  • Directed PBOT to work with ODOT to develop a thorough cost estimate for the improvements needed to bring Powell up to city standards for safety and maintenance, from SE 9th Avenue to I-205. Without an understanding of the true cost of transfer and a commitment to fund the full cost, a transfer will not make the road safer.
  • With a realistic cost estimate and adequate funding, these improvements could lead to a transfer of Powell to city control, using the recent transfer of 82nd Avenue as a model.

Portland Fire & Rescue Receives $2.07 million in Federal Funds to Hire New Firefighters, Fully Staff Station 23

Persistent efforts applying for federal aid to support Portland Fire & Rescue came through in 2022. Together with Portland Fire & Rescue, City of Portland Office of Government Relations, Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Ron Wyden, Portland brought home $2.07 million in federal funds to hire 6 firefighters & fully staff station 23 in SE Portland for the 1st time in over a decade. As part of the grant agreement, Council can not cut Fire’s budget for the next 3 years.

Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden once again delivered for our city, providing a needed funding boost for the Fire bureau.

Protected bike lanes, safety & maintenance improvements coming to Cully Neighborhood on NE Killingsworth

Following extensive community outreach, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty announced that a variety of safety improvements are coming to NE Killingsworth St, from NE 53rd Avenue to Cully Boulevard – including parking protected bike lanes.

Commissioner Hardesty requested PBOT perform more community engagement that examined additional design options following a joint letter from the advocacy organization Andando en Bicicletas y Caminando (ABC) and the Community Cycling Center. That increased engagement led to the final design.

Agreement to Begin Revitalization of O’Bryant Square

Commissioner Hardesty signed off on an emergency procurement letter to move forward with the first step towards reopening O’Bryant Square – demolition of the current unsafe structure. The plan to proceed with the demolition follows years of collaboration between Council offices and multiple bureaus.

For the last 2 years, Commissioner Hardesty’s staff and PBOT’s team have been working tirelessly in collaboration with Council offices and multiple bureaus to bring this agreement across the finish line.

With an agreement now in place, demolition is expected to start in early 2023 with hopes towards completion during the summer of 2023. This will include the removal of all hardscape and structures, filling the structure with dirt, and then covering the surface with a new layer of grass.

Portland Parks and Recreation will begin work in early 2023 to program the new space in the near term, while designing a permanent new park long term.

“Exit Interviews”

As Commissioner Hardesty’s historic term came to an end, she sat down for a number of interviews with local media to reflect on her 4 years in office. This included joining OPB’s Think Out Loud, the Portland Mercury, and the Oregonian.

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