As if it's not bad enough to be termed "non-essential," businesses in Portland--from book stores to art shops to music purveyors and more--have been faced with local restrictions that have prohibited them from pursuing any form of revenue stream during the COVID-19 pandemic. I've been hearing from A LOT of folks on this one over the last few days, and here's the gist of what I've been writing in response.
These Restrictions Aren't New
First off, the restrictions placed on local businesses during the pandemic were not new as of last week. They went into place on March 25th with the City's stay-at-home order, and I have found them problematic from the beginning.
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In fact, I've been trying to get them lifted since they were announced.
I offered an amendment to do just that at the March 30th Council meeting, but it was voted down 7-2 by the Council with only Councilor Kim Cook voting with me. Psst! If you would like to see/hear the debate around this from the March 30th meeting, it can be watched at this link. The amendment and debate begins at 3 hours, 6 minutes into the meeting. After failing on March 30th, I tried again at our next meeting on April 14th with the same result: a 7-2 vote with only Councilor Cook and I in favor of lifting the restrictions. |
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The City's FAQ
It was after the April 14th meeting that the City widely publicized the restrictions through the FAQ published on its website. This FAQ was further publicized by organizations including Portland Downtown, and Portland Buy Local.
Since then the outcry has been tremendous. At this time, having heard directly from business owners, employees, and the community at large just how detrimental these restrictions are to the health and well-being of our local economy—which is directly related to the health and well-being of the people of Portland—I am hopeful the Council will reconsider its previous actions. |
Council Workshop, Monday, April 20th
To that end, I'm happy to say that we have scheduled a Council workshop for Monday, April 20th, at 5:30pm to discuss this issue. There won’t be a public hearing at this meeting, but you can watch and/or listen to the workshop by calling-in or connecting via Zoom using the instructions found here. In the meantime, the City Manager has announced that these restrictions will not be enforced.
At the workshop, we won’t be able to take action on our order. What we can do is advise staff to continue NOT enforcing the restrictions this week. Then, next week, when we have our Council meeting on the 27th, we can take action to rescind these restrictions altogether. (There will be opportunity for public comment at that meeting, btw. You can access the agenda and find out how to call-in/Zoom at the City's Agenda Center once the agenda is posted. It will be there by Friday, April 24th.)
If we vote to extend our emergency order at that time, I will again offer my amendment to lift these restrictions and allow non-essential businesses to operate in accordance with social distancing guidance provided by the State--hopefully with greater success this time.
At the workshop, we won’t be able to take action on our order. What we can do is advise staff to continue NOT enforcing the restrictions this week. Then, next week, when we have our Council meeting on the 27th, we can take action to rescind these restrictions altogether. (There will be opportunity for public comment at that meeting, btw. You can access the agenda and find out how to call-in/Zoom at the City's Agenda Center once the agenda is posted. It will be there by Friday, April 24th.)
If we vote to extend our emergency order at that time, I will again offer my amendment to lift these restrictions and allow non-essential businesses to operate in accordance with social distancing guidance provided by the State--hopefully with greater success this time.
One Last Thing
I know, without a doubt, that my colleagues who have previously voted in favor of these restrictions have been acting with good intent and out of concern for public health. They have sincerely believed the restrictions to be necessary to stem the pandemic and flatten the curve, and I appreciate their concerns.
I have simply disagreed that this level of restriction is necessary to achieve those aims, and I have consistently felt that such restrictions would do much more harm than good, leading to business closures, unemployment, poor health, and spiraling financial difficulties for a large segment of our community.
Big thanks to everyone in the community who has written out of concern for the many wonderful businesses (and business owners, and employees) that help to make Portland the unique place that it is. And equally big thanks to my colleagues on the Council who did not hesitate to schedule a special meeting to revisit this issue upon hearing these concerns.
I have simply disagreed that this level of restriction is necessary to achieve those aims, and I have consistently felt that such restrictions would do much more harm than good, leading to business closures, unemployment, poor health, and spiraling financial difficulties for a large segment of our community.
Big thanks to everyone in the community who has written out of concern for the many wonderful businesses (and business owners, and employees) that help to make Portland the unique place that it is. And equally big thanks to my colleagues on the Council who did not hesitate to schedule a special meeting to revisit this issue upon hearing these concerns.
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