COMMISSIONER RANDY LEONARD'S BLOG

2011 Spirit of Portland Awards

Commissioner Leonard announced his selections for this years Spirit of Portland Awards.  This years honorees will receive their awards on October 27th from 7-9 pm, with a reception preceding at 6 pm in City Council Chambers in City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Avenue.

 

Commissioner Randy Leonard will not seek re-election

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Sara Petrocine 503.823.3005

Commissioner Randy Leonard will not seek re-election

 Portland, OR— After careful consideration, I have decided not to seek re-election to the Portland City Council. 

At the end of my current term, January 1, 2013, I will have worked for the City of Portland for 35 years starting as a front-line firefighter and ending my service 18 months from now as a Portland City Commissioner.

I will have served on the City Council for 10 years at the end of my most recent term.  I also served 9 years in the Oregon Legislature in both the State House of Representatives and the State Senate.  I was the President of the Portland Firefighters Association for 12 years, nearly half of the time I worked at the Portland Fire Bureau.

Since my first election to the city council in 2002, I have strived to make the city a better place for all Portlanders.  Some of my accomplishments that I am most proud of include:

Permitting Reform

When I ran for the City Council, the City's permitting agency was so dysfunctional that it was driving good employers like Columbia Sportswear out of town.  During my campaign, I promised to reform the City's permitting system to make sure that everyone who needs a permit for a deck, a remodeling project, or a skyscraper finds a helpful professional at the City who is empowered to help them achieve their goals.  When I became Commissioner in Charge of the Bureau of Development Services in 2002, I made sweeping changes to the leadership of the organization, and directed the creation of a culture that emphasizes customer service as the foundation of how the City's permitting bureau does business.  Since that time, Portland has been recognized both locally and nationally as an excellent model for permitting, and I was very proud that the City received an award from the Home Builders Association for the permitting system improvements I implemented.

 Service Coordination Team/Project 57

I led the effort on the City Council to open a wing of the Justice Center jail for the exclusive use of the Portland Police Bureau to help address rampant drug related crime in the Downtown core that was exhausting the city's resources as offenders would be arrested and released within a matter of hours because of a lack of available jail space.  Coupled with the newly available jail beds, we secured drug and alcohol treatment services for offenders, and instituted regular missions in parts of the City where crime was its highest.  This innovative effort yielded unprecedented success in reducing crime by helping the offenders treat the underlying issues that were drawing them into drug use and crime.  Today the program boasts many "graduates" who have turned their lives around because of this program.

 The Portland Loo

A universal challenge that cities around the country face is how to provide public restrooms in a cost effective way that is also safe and sanitary.  In Portland when people had no place to go, businesses in the downtown area would regularly find urine and feces on the sidewalk.  The circumstance was both a nuisance to small businesses, and a failure on the part of the City in providing an outlet for the most basic human need.  To address these issues, I worked with a designer to create a durable, low-cost restroom design that provided a minimum level of privacy and a maximum level of security, and received the City’s very first patent ever, Patent # US D622, 408 S for the unique design.  Today, there are 4 Portland Loos in service in the City with several more planned, and the Cities of San Diego and Victoria, B.C. are in talks to purchase several loos from the City of Portland.

Major League Soccer

I led the two year effort that resulted in an agreement to renovate Jeld-Wen Stadium and bring a Major League Soccer team to Portland.  The protection for the City embedded in the structure of the deal were heralded around the country as an outstanding deal for the City of Portland, and the Portland Timbers are already exceeding expectations on the field and in ticket sales.  I am very proud to be known among Timbers fans as "The Negotiator."

Strengthening Police Oversight

When it became clear to me that the City's Independent Police Review function lacked the necessary authorities to provide strong oversight of the Police, I wrote and passed an ordinance that gives the City's Office of Independent Police Review the access and authority necessary to make sure that Portland's police are held to a high standard of accountability.

Here is a list of just some of the other accomplishments I am proud of:

• Passage of Fire Bond Measure 26-117
• The Portland Oregon Sign
• Portland Development Commission Reform
• Portland's Renewable Fuels Standard ( 5% Biodiesel in all diesel sold in the City)  
• Negotiation of Joint Terrorism Task Force Protocols
• City Archives Building
• Eldon Trinity Fire Rescue Boat
• Creation of Hydroparks
• John Yeon Visitor's Center renovation/Rose Festival Assistance
• Time, Place, and Manner Ordinance
• Powell Butte II
• Water House
• Dodge Park Renovation
• Bear Creek House/Bull Run Cabins Historic Renovation
• Minority Contracting Ordinance
•  2003 City of Portland School Funding Package
• Tibet Awareness efforts

I have been honored to serve Portland in the variety of capacities I have.  I still have much work to do in the next 18 months.

Thank you….Randy Leonard

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Download the release announcing Commissioner Leonard's decision

100 Years Strong

Today marks the 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day, a day of celebration of the political, economic and social achievements of women all over the world, past and present.  The first International Women's Day events were held in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland in 1911. 100 years later, International Women's Day has become a globally celebrated day across many countries.  However, activity has not always been on the increase.  Australian entrepreneur and women's campaigner Glenda Stone said:

 

"A decade ago International Women's Day was disappearing. Activity in Europe, where International Women's Day actually began, was very low. Providing a global online platform helped sustain and accelerate momentum for this important day. Holding only a handful of events ten years ago, the United Kingdom has now become the global leader for International Women's Day activity, followed sharply by Canada, United States and Australia. 2011 will see thousands of events globally for the first time."

 

Today, social networking has been a helpful tool to fuel International Women's Day activities.  International Women’s Day become a mainstream celebration of women's achievements around the world.

 

Visit www.internationalwomensday.com for more information about International Women’s Day.

Oregon's Food Code is Under Review

  
Food Handlers Beware

 

The State of Oregon’s food industry has been operating under food codes that have not been updated since 1999.

 

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and food service stakeholders are working to update the statewide food code for Oregon.  Whether you are a food processor, grocery store or restaurant, everyone will be held to the same food safety standards and criteria, including food carts.

  

Given the proliferation of food carts, the parties are focused on regulations that promote health and safety for food cart owners and patrons alike.

  

For more information on Oregon’s food code review, click here.

The key question in considering the City's role in JTTF

Commissioner Leonard wrote the following letter to his Council colleagues Wednesday outlining the protocols that were agreed to by the City, the US Attorney, and the FBI when the City withdrew from the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in 2005.  The protocols were developed to insure the free flow of information and resources as necessary to thwart terrorist threats.  The resolution outlines those protocols, which led to a successful partnership among the City, FBI, and US Attorney in apprehending the suspected Pioneer Courthouse Square terrorist.

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From: Leonard, Randy
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010 5:09 PM
To: Saltzman, Dan; Adams, Sam; Fish, Nick; Fritz, Amanda
Cc: City Elected Officials Exec's; Reese, Mike; Kuykendall, Mike; Meng, Linda
Subject: Joint Terrorism Task Force

Colleagues-

What would have happened that didn’t happen in the successful apprehension of the Pioneer Courthouse Square suspect if the City were a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force?

That is the first question that should be asked before anyone in a position of responsibility should suggest that the attempted bombing of the tree lighting ceremony in Pioneer Courthouse Square demands that the City re-join the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).

I am deeply concerned at the near universal mischaracterization of the City Council’s decision to withdraw from the JTTF in 2005.

The resolution passed in 2005 (attached) contained thoughtful protocols within which the Portland Police Bureau, the FBI and the US Attorneys Office will work as partners to investigate any terrorist threat made towards the City of Portland. 

Here is the list of those protocols, taken directly from the 2005 resolution:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution does not prohibit the cooperation and collaboration between the Portland Police Bureau and Federal Government on specific cases or investigations; and

_{BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that with respect to the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the Mayor and the FBI have agreed that the Portland Police Bureau officers currently assigned to the JTTF will be removed from JTTF and reassigned to the City’s Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) with direct oversight and supervision of City officials within 90 days after passage of this resolution;}  

 _{BE IT FURTHER  RESOLVED that to ensure Citizen Security and Safety}

                                _{• Portland Police Bureau officers will continue cooperating with all federal partners to insure                                 the security and safety of the city,}

                                _{• Portland Police Bureau/CIU officers will contact the FBI immediately with any information                                 regarding possible terrorist threats,}

                                _{• The Police Chief will remain a member of the JTTF Executive Group, which is briefed on the                                 work of the JTTF.} 

                                _{• The Police Chief will brief the Mayor immediately after each Executive Group meeting, and}

                                _{• The FBI Special Agent in Charge has agreed to immediately contact the Mayor and Police Chief                                 for briefings regarding terrorist threats.}  

_{BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that regarding Security Clearances}

                                _{• Portland officers currently assigned to JTTF will retain Top Secret clearances, however,                                 those clearances will not be used except during a critical incident or imminent terrorist threat,                                 as determined by the FBI,}

                                _{• The FBI has agreed to  brief the Mayor the Police Chief regarding any such incidents or                                 threats, and}

                                _{• The Police Chief will retain Secret clearance, and}

                                _{• The Mayor will apply for Secret clearance.} 

_{BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that regarding Communication and Collaboration between City and Federal Agents}

                                _{• The need for assistance from PPB/CIU officers on JTTF terrorism investigations will be                                 determined by the FBI on a case-by-case basis,}

                                _{• The participation of PPB/CIU officers will be limited to Secret-level investigations and will be                                 consistent with ORS 181.575 and ORS 181.850,}

                                _{• The Mayor and Police Chief will provide oversight of PPB officers during these investigations,}

                                _{• The City and the FBI have agreed that if the City determines that participation by PPB/CIU                                 officers may violate ORS 181.575 or ORS 181.850, the City may withdraw its officers from                                 participation, and}

                                _{• Terror Alert information will continue to be shared with City officials by the FBI and the                                 Department of Homeland Security.}

_{BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that regarding Training and Assistance}

                                _{• The FBI has agreed to provide PPB officers with roll call training, supervisory and                                  management training on terrorist-related issues.} 

_{BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that regarding the Portland Criminal Intelligence Unit}

                                _{• The CIU will not conduct independent terrorist investigations,}

                                _{• The CIU will contact the FBI immediately with terrorism information, and}

                                _{• The CIU will consult with the FBI on questionable cases as to who has jurisdiction and the FBI                                 will determine jurisdiction.}

_{BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor, the Police Chief and the FBI will meet in six months to review and evaluate their operations under this Resolution.}

It is clear from the 2005 resolution that the same coordination between the FBI and the Portland Police Bureau is required when a specific terrorist threat exists whether the City of Portland is a member of the JTTF or not.

In fact, the Portland Police Bureau did cooperate and work with the FBI beginning this past September when it became clear to the FBI that Portland was the target of a potential terrorist act.

Given this information, I hope that we can each do our part to dispel the myth that has been promoted by some to the public that the Portland Police Bureau was not fully engaged with the FBI in the investigation and arrest of the suspected Pioneer Courthouse Square terrorist.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you….Randy

See the full text of the Council's 2005 resolution on the Joint Terrorism Task Force. 

Sneak Preview of the real-life Portland Oregon Sign!

The sign will be officially unveiled November 26!

History Repeats Itself

 
The inaugural lighting of the new Portland Oregon sign is a week away.  The City of Portland anticipates the new sign to light up, warm up and kick off the holiday season. 

Did you know?...

Back in November 26, 1896 (114 years ago), citizens of Downtown Portland, stood at the corner of SW Third Street and SW Yamhill to watch letters light up letter by letter to spell out the name “Cordray” by electricity.  It was an electrical phenomenon at the time and an amazing attention grabber for the owner of the Cordray Theater.

This little tidbit came straight from the Oregon Almanac 1940.  No lie!

 

 

Changes to Made in Oregon sign begin

Work is underway to convert the Made in Oregon sign to read "Portland Oregon."  Video of the work can be found on the Oregonian's site.

For more background on this, click here.

 

Breaking News: Oregonian Editor Peter Bhatia sides with Leonard on misleading news story

On Wednesday, Commissioner Leonard wrote an email to Oregonian Editor Peter Bhatia to express his dismay at a news story by Oregonian writer Brad Schmidt that extracted 3 words from a long statement by Commissioner Leonard and used them out of context. In the article, Schmidt falsely and purposely suggests to readers that Commissioner Leonard and the City accepted the cost overruns of the City's new payroll and finance system lightly, and that Commissioner Leonard called the City's management of the project "perfect."

Fortunately, Oregonian Editor Peter Bhatia agrees with Commissioner Leonard, as evidenced by the subsequent exchange, which is posted below:

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________________________________________
From: Leonard, Randy
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 11:53 PM
To: Peter Bhatia
Cc: Therese Bottomly; Michelle Brence; Susan Gage; JoLene Krawczak; Brad Schmidt; Comm Leonard All; Adams, Sam; Saltzman, Dan; Fritz, Amanda; Fish, Nick; City Elected Officials Exec's
Subject: RE: Brad Schmidt's November 9 article on City finance and      payroll system

Peter-
Thank you for writing that "the important issue here" is quoting me accurately.  I am frankly surprised that you agreed with me and did so in writing.

I also appreciate you writing that Brad was not "aggressively" living up to the minimum standards that most of the community expects from Oregonian reporters.  That too was an unexpected candid response from you.

Thanks for getting back to me....Randy

________________________________________
From: Peter Bhatia
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 7:10 PM
To: Leonard, Randy
Cc: Therese Bottomly; Michelle Brence; Susan Gage; JoLene Krawczak; Brad Schmidt
Subject: Re: Brad Schmidt's November 9 article on City finance and      payroll system

Commissioner Leonard:

Thanks for your e-mail. As you know, the story is about a $47.4 million project that has more than tripled from its original $14.2 million estimated cost, as reported by the City Auditor. I think you would agree that's the important issue here.

You wrote that Brad's article quotes you as saying cost overruns "just happen." In fact, the article states that you suggested such increases unfortunately "just happen."

You wrote that his article stated your reaction to Ken Rust's management of the project was "perfect." The article states that you called the response from Ken Rust, who essentially fired the contracting company, "perfect."

Brad quoted you accurately and in context. You can be sure he will continue to report the story aggressively, fairly and in great detail for our readers, and you will have ample opportunity to talk with him and to our readers on this important issue.

Thanks again.

Peter

Oregonian article on City technology implementation unbalanced and misleading

In response to an article that appeared in the November 9 edition of The Oregonian, Commissioner Leonard wrote the following letter to Peter Bhatia, Editor of the Oregonian to express his concern about the balance and accuracy of the article, written by The Oregonian's Brad Schmidt.

UPDATE 11/11/10:  See the follow up exchange between Commissioner Leonard and Peter Bhatia at the bottom of this post. 

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Date:  November 10, 2010

To: Peter Bhatia, Editor, The Oregonian

From: Commissioner Randy Leonard

Re:  November 9 Oregonian article on City finance and payroll system

I believe it is the job of a reporter to report the facts in a balanced manner and trust that the reader is intelligent enough to understand and draw their own conclusion.  Unfortunately, the story written by Brad Schmidt in the November 9th edition of The Oregonian entitled “City Hall:  Costs triple, implementation delayed, features missing for Portland’s $47.4 million software system” does not meet that basic standard.  Mr. Schmidt selected 3 words from a long statement I made in a City Council hearing, and instead of including the proper context of my words, he manufactured the false implication that I accepted the cost overruns in the City’s new finance and payroll system as something routine.

Mr. Schmidt’s article quoted me as saying cost overruns “just happen” in describing my reaction at the 2008 city council to a presentation on the troubled SAP system by Ken Rust, the city’s Chief Financial Officer.  He further suggested that my statement was that Mr. Rust’s management of the project was “perfect.” 

I do not believe it is fair or accurate to use my words in the manner Mr. Schmidt used them when you review my actual statement.  Here is my complete statement during the 2008 City Council meeting that includes the 3 words Mr. Schmidt lifted for his story.

Leonard:  These are the kinds of issues that haunt those of us up here more than anything. But they happen…they are real world, they happen in the private sector all the time.  They don't get the notoriety they do when they happen to us, rightfully so.  So for me, the issue is always not so much that these kinds of incidents occur, but how do we manage them, how do we react to them? And I have to tell you, Ken, I think your reaction has been perfect.  I think you have handled this professionally.  You have assumed responsibility where appropriate and assigned responsibility where appropriate.  So I find your reactions to have been credible… to have served all of us well… there’s a cost overrun, but I don’t have a lot of issues with how this has been managed, other than obviously just wishing it didn’t happen, but it just happens.  And so I really appreciate the work of you, your staff, how you approach this, and I have high confidence in your high confidence that this is going to get done.  So thank you very much.” (City Council Minutes, May 7, 2008)

During the same 2008 city council meeting Commissioner Saltzman acknowledges and agrees with my observations:

Saltzman:  ”I certainly would not approve a no-bid contract of $11.5 million.  But I do think these are not ordinary circumstances, and I think the case as Commissioner Leonard has said, has been handled by OMF, all of you well and responsibly, and I believe this is clearly -- it's also a fixed fee, but clearly a path to successful implementation of the new enterprise business system.  So I will support this, but I don't do it easily.” (City Council Minutes, May 7, 2008)

In the period leading up to and at the 2008 City Council meeting Ken Rust identified for the Council the flaws and errors of the SAP implementation process.  He informed the Council that he had terminated the contract with the vendor that was developing the project for the City, realigned the staff assigned to the project and was now going to be personally involved on a day to day basis to make sure the mistakes that had been made up until that point would not be repeated.  A fair discussion of Ken Rust’s role in the implementation of this system should also have noted that he inherited oversight of this project from the City’s previous Chief Administrative Officer, Tim Grewe, who undertook the project with the support of then-Mayor Tom Potter.

I met with Brad Schmidt, at his request, on the evening prior to his article appearing in the Oregonian.  He read to me his planned use of the portion of my statement where I state that overruns “just happen” and I asked to see the entire comment I made so I could understand why I would say such a thing given the gravity of what Ken Rust testified to at the 2008 city council meeting.

After reading my entire comment, I pointed out to Mr. Schmidt that he was taking out of context what I said.  He ignored my concern and printed it in The Oregonian anyway.

It is clear from Mr. Schmidt’s article that his choice to use 3 words from a long statement of mine in a City Council meeting and plug them into his chosen context is designed to suggest to readers that the City in general and I in particular were not reacting appropriately to the problems with implementing the SAP system.

He also intentionally left out of his article the proactive steps Ken Rust articulated to the Council, which were part of the Council record, and also provided in detail to Brad in a recent interview with Ken Rust ahead of his article.

Mr. Schmidt’s piece reflects poorly on the standards we trust The Oregonian to adhere to in delivering information to the public.

It is worth noting that I very much appreciate and agree with the Auditor’s observations and recommendations in her audit.  I believe it provides a fair and valuable review of the missteps that occurred in the City’s implementation of these vital technology systems.  

Unfortunately, the Auditor’s considerable effort gets lost in the reporting by Brad Schmidt who, in my opinion, chose to inflame public opinion rather than inform it.

I look forward to your response.

 

Sincerely,

Commissioner Randy Leonard

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Here is video of the City Council discussion on this issue:

 

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UPDATE 11/11/10:  Here is the exchange that ensued between Commissioner Leonard and Peter Bhatia:

________________________________________
From: Leonard, Randy
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 11:53 PM
To: Peter Bhatia
Cc: Therese Bottomly; Michelle Brence; Susan Gage; JoLene Krawczak; Brad Schmidt; Comm Leonard All; Adams, Sam; Saltzman, Dan; Fritz, Amanda; Fish, Nick; City Elected Officials Exec's
Subject: RE: Brad Schmidt's November 9 article on City finance and      payroll system

Peter-
Thank you for writing that "the important issue here" is quoting me accurately.  I am frankly surprised that you agreed with me and did so in writing.

I also appreciate you writing that Brad was not "aggressively" living up to the minimum standards that most of the community expects from Oregonian reporters.  That too was an unexpected candid response from you.

Thanks for getting back to me....Randy


________________________________________
From: Peter Bhatia
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 7:10 PM
To: Leonard, Randy
Cc: Therese Bottomly; Michelle Brence; Susan Gage; JoLene Krawczak; Brad Schmidt
Subject: Re: Brad Schmidt's November 9 article on City finance and      payroll system

Commissioner Leonard:

Thanks for your e-mail. As you know, the story is about a $47.4 million project that has more than tripled from its original $14.2 million estimated cost, as reported by the City Auditor. I think you would agree that's the important issue here.

You wrote that Brad's article quotes you as saying cost overruns "just happen." In fact, the article states that you suggested such increases unfortunately "just happen."

You wrote that his article stated your reaction to Ken Rust's management of the project was "perfect." The article states that you called the response from Ken Rust, who essentially fired the contracting company, "perfect."

Brad quoted you accurately and in context. You can be sure he will continue to report the story aggressively, fairly and in great detail for our readers, and you will have ample opportunity to talk with him and to our readers on this important issue.

Thanks again.

Peter