Portland City Council Public Works Committee 08/11/26
Council voted 5-0 to let ads run on city-owned streetcar benches and shelters, next stop full council. Also: Bull Run water filtration project is 37% done, $881M spent of $2.46B, with $202M in change orders mostly from permit delays — Smith's flagging a conflict-of-interest issue with the project's outside owner's rep.
Agenda
- 2026-212: Amend Advertising on Bus Benches Code to allow advertising on City streetcar benches and shelters (amend Code Chapter 17.45)
- 2026-281: Bull Run filtration projects: owner’s representative and independent financial oversight panel update
- 2026-282: Vision Zero data analysis and intersection safety
- 2026-283: Waterfront Park redevelopment update
Summary
A code amendment allowing advertising on city-owned Portland Streetcar benches and shelters was approved 5-0 and sent to the full council. The change updates code written before the modern streetcar system existed, adding the city as an authorized advertising entity while keeping TriMet's authority intact. Councilors debated whether to promote city programs like the Portland Clean Energy Fund on the assets, with staff noting that doing so forgoes some advertising revenue. Councilor Smith pushed back against any suggestion of excluding certain businesses, such as car companies, from advertising.
The committee spent significant time on oversight of the Bull Run Filtration Project, now 37% complete with $881 million spent against a roughly $2.46 billion program budget. The Water Bureau detailed cybersecurity protections, an expanded owner's representative role handled by existing consultant Brown and Caldwell, and plans for a new Independent Financial Oversight Panel of five volunteer members to be recruited this fall. Councilor Smith raised a conflict-of-interest concern about the owner's rep also holding other project contracts, and the City Attorney will provide a recommendation. About $202 million in change orders and amendments have been driven largely by land-use permitting delays.
PBOT walked the committee through its data-driven Vision Zero approach, using the transformation of Southeast Division and 148th, where 39 traffic deaths occurred citywide in 2025, to show how layered treatments like curb extensions, better lighting, no-turn-on-red, and separated bike and pedestrian phases reduce crashes. Parks and Recreation closed the meeting with an update on the Waterfront Park redevelopment design competition, which drew 50 RFQ responses and over 1,000 community survey replies, framing downtown as a neighborhood in need of a more active, river-focused park. Next steps include a full council vote on the streetcar advertising ordinance, continued oversight panel recruitment, and a broader downtown activation discussion planned for October.
Key Points
- Committee voted to refer a code amendment allowing advertising on city-owned Portland Streetcar benches and shelters to the full council with a do-pass recommendation
- Received an oversight update on the Bull Run Filtration Project, including establishment of an owner's representative function and independent financial oversight panel
- Heard a Vision Zero presentation on data-driven intersection safety improvements using Southeast Division and 148th as an example
- Received an update on the Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park redevelopment and design competition
Votes (1)
Document Number 2026-212 - Bus/Streetcar Bench Advertising Code Amendment
Amends City Code Chapter 17.45 to allow advertising on city-owned Portland Streetcar benches and shelters, adding the city as an authorized entity while keeping TriMet's existing authority in place
Action Items
- PBOT to raise the possibility of city PCEF messaging on streetcar assets with the Mayor's office
- City Attorney to provide recommendation on conflict of interest regarding owner's representative holding other project contracts
- Water Bureau to provide procurement risk/benefit analysis of using an existing contract for owner's rep versus new procurement
- Water Bureau to provide past city auditor reports and follow up on schedule for next audit report
- Water Bureau to share oversight panel recruitment materials with council offices to help circulate opportunities
- Water Bureau to consider expanding oversight panel from five to seven members and including a District Two member and a 'person on the street' perspective
- PBOT to provide cost figures for intersection safety treatments and total cost for Division/148th improvements
- Councilor Smith to submit draft ordinances on curb extensions, lighting requirements, and automatic walk cycles to Director Williams
- PBOT to check for current plans at Prescott/60th/Cully five-way intersection and consider alternative treatments
- PBOT to return with information on regulating high-lifted/oversized vehicles
- Parks to explore adjustments to parks policy or city code to enable floating amenities on the waterfront
- Parks to provide a broader downtown activation update at the October Committee of the Whole
Issues Discussed (14)
The Water Bureau updated the committee on the Bull Run Filtration Project (37% complete, $881M spent of a $2.46B budget) and its expanded owner's representative role held by existing consultant Brown and Caldwell, alongside plans for a new five-member Independent Financial Oversight Panel to be recruited this fall. Councilor Smith raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest since the owner's representative also holds other project contracts, prompting the City Attorney to provide a formal recommendation and the Water Bureau to conduct a procurement risk/benefit analysis.
PBOT presented its Vision Zero data-driven safety approach, citing 39 traffic deaths citywide in 2025, using the Southeast Division and 148th intersection redesign—featuring curb extensions, improved lighting, no-turn-on-red rules, and separated bike/pedestrian signal phases—as a model for reducing crashes through layered infrastructure treatments.
Parks and Recreation updated the committee on the Waterfront Park redevelopment design competition, reporting 50 RFQ responses and over 1,000 community survey replies, and framed downtown as needing a more active, river-focused park. A broader downtown activation discussion was set for October as a next step.
Not addressed in this meeting; the summary contains no reference to single stair building design policy.
The committee reviewed multiple infrastructure efforts, including the Bull Run Filtration Project (37% complete, $881 million spent of a $2.46 billion budget) with new oversight measures, PBOT's Vision Zero intersection safety improvements at Southeast Division and 148th, and the Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park redevelopment design competition that drew 50 RFQ responses and over 1,000 community survey replies.
The committee reviewed the Bull Run Filtration Project, now 37% complete with $881 million spent of the $2.46 billion budget, noting about $202 million in change orders largely driven by land-use permitting delays. The Water Bureau outlined new oversight measures including an expanded owner's representative role and a planned Independent Financial Oversight Panel, while Councilor Smith raised conflict-of-interest concerns about the owner's rep holding other project contracts, prompting a City Attorney review.
Not mentioned in this meeting; the session focused on streetcar advertising, Bull Run Filtration Project oversight, Vision Zero safety measures, and Waterfront Park redevelopment.
The committee reviewed the Bull Run Filtration Project's status (37% complete, $881M spent of a $2.46B budget) and plans for a new Independent Financial Oversight Panel, while Councilor Smith raised concerns that owner's representative Brown and Caldwell also holds other project contracts, prompting the City Attorney to provide a conflict-of-interest recommendation. About $202 million in change orders, largely tied to land-use permitting delays, was also disclosed.
The Water Bureau announced plans to establish a five-member volunteer Independent Financial Oversight Panel for the Bull Run Filtration Project, with recruitment to begin this fall; the update came alongside broader project oversight details showing 37% completion and $881 million spent of the $2.46 billion budget.
PBOT presented a data-driven Vision Zero update, citing 39 traffic deaths citywide in 2025, and used the Southeast Division and 148th intersection transformation as a case study showing how layered treatments—curb extensions, improved lighting, no-turn-on-red restrictions, and separated bike/pedestrian signal phases—reduce crashes.
The Water Bureau reported the Bull Run Filtration Project is 37% complete with $881 million spent of a $2.46 billion budget, and outlined plans for a five-member Independent Financial Oversight Panel and an expanded owner's representative role held by existing consultant Brown and Caldwell. Councilor Smith flagged a potential conflict of interest since the owner's rep also holds other project contracts, prompting the City Attorney to prepare a recommendation and the Water Bureau to conduct a procurement risk/benefit analysis.
The Water Bureau announced plans to establish a five-member volunteer Independent Financial Oversight Panel for the Bull Run Filtration Project (37% complete, $881M spent of $2.46B budget), with recruitment to begin this fall; Councilor Smith raised conflict-of-interest concerns about the owner's representative holding other project contracts, prompting the City Attorney to provide a recommendation.
Not addressed in this meeting; the session focused on streetcar advertising, Bull Run Filtration Project oversight, Vision Zero traffic safety, and Waterfront Park redevelopment, with no discussion of community budget advisory committees or budget process reform.
Not addressed in this meeting; the session focused on streetcar advertising, Bull Run Filtration Project oversight, Vision Zero traffic safety, and Waterfront Park redevelopment, with no discussion of police response times or call volume.