Windowbox · Portland City Council

The City Council passed a franchise transfer of the Zenith Energy fuel terminal to ISQ Springer Holdings on a 7-6 vote, with Mayor Keith Wilson breaking a 6-6 tie to approve it (02:05:31).

Zenith fuel terminal transfer

The transfer had failed the previous week, and Council President Jamie Dunphy (District 1), who voted against it, moved to reconsider in hopes of negotiating conditions. He told the council he "didn't vote for the franchise transfer, and I'm not going to," saying no citizen-suit condition had seven votes and that a denial would bring "vastly greater legal and financial risk to the city." Council voted 7-5 to reconsider, with Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane (District 3) changing her vote to no during the roll call (01:59:57).

On the underlying transfer, the council tied 6-6 (02:02:14). Councilor Angelita Morillo (District 3) voted "Absolutely not" (02:01:41). Councilor Eric Zimmerman (District 4) voted yes and said, "sometimes you got to take tough votes. No less than 3 members who are going to vote no today on this have asked me to make sure I vote yes" (02:01:49). Mayor Wilson was called down under Charter Section 2-401 and cast the deciding aye.

Two ODOT traffic grants and a police-oversight fight

The council spent about 45 minutes on a $207,411 Oregon Department of Transportation grant for speed-racing street-takeover enforcement, most of it over an amendment by Councilor Sameer Kanal (District 2) moving $10,370.57 from general-fund contingency to the Office of Community-Based Police Accountability to keep its funding at 5% of the police budget, which the city charter requires. Chief Deputy City Attorney Heidi Brown told the council the charter sets that 5% at budget adoption and that mid-year changes are not required but "would not violate the charter" to adopt (00:58:34). Councilor Loretta Smith (District 1) said the match comes from the operating budget, not individual grants, and opposed it. The amendment passed 8-4 (01:23:11); the grant passed 11-1, with Councilor Olivia Clark (District 4) opposed (01:25:05).

The debate turned pointed. Councilor Mitch Green (District 4) said "there's a lot of conversation... about decorum at this dais, and oftentimes it focuses on my colleague, Councilor Morillo. But at multiple times over here, folks have stepped out of the order of the queue and interrupted" (01:02:27). Kanal said, "I understand that there are people who represent the 18% proudly up here... But we have to listen to the majority" (01:01:07). Councilor Dan Ryan (District 2) replied, "I was part of the 82% that voted for police accountability in 2020, and we all don't think exactly like you, Councilor Knoll" (01:03:45). Councilor Candace Avalos (District 1) said she was "tired of being lectured about decorum by people not great at following it" (01:14:45).

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The City Life Committee referred a surveillance- and dynamic-pricing ordinance to the full City Council as amended on a 4-1 vote, after rejecting a broader rewrite that would have barred retailers from using personal data to set discounts. The committee, chaired by Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney (District 2), spent roughly two hours on the measure before three other items.

Pricing ordinance clears committee over one dissent

The ordinance, introduced by Councilor Eric Zimmerman (District 4), would add Code Chapter 7.28 to bar "surveillance pricing" — setting a price for a specific customer from their personal data — and limit "dynamic pricing" to one change per calendar day. Zimmerman said the measure targets retail goods, not services, preserves loyalty programs, and would take effect July 1, 2027, with penalties of $1,000 for a first violation in a calendar year, $5,000 for a second and $7,500 for later ones, with a 45-day cure for a first violation (00:24:30). He described the aim as preventing a future "PII market" before the technology arrives.

The committee first adopted a Zimmerman amendment adding a "retail price" definition on a 5-0 vote (00:41:49). It then took up a competing package from Councilor Angelita Morillo (District 3), who argued the underlying ordinance "does not actually address surveillance pricing as it operates in practice" and left a loophole allowing data-driven discounts inside loyalty programs. Morillo said that if one shopper pays $4.99 and a neighbor $4.49 for the same item because of their data, "that's differential pricing, whether the store got there by marking you up or by marking your neighbor down," and the store "will always choose discount" as the label (02:00:08). Her amendment failed 2-3, with Morillo and Councilor Candace Avalos (District 1) in favor and Zimmerman, Councilor Dan Ryan (District 2) and Pirtle-Guiney opposed (02:06:40).

Pirtle-Guiney framed the two approaches as distinct — a future practice to stop now versus a current practice warranting deeper study — and said she wanted the surveillance ban "out the door as quickly as possible" to signal the Legislature (01:36:26). The committee referred the amended ordinance 4-1, Morillo voting "Regretfully, no" (02:11:16); Avalos voted yes but called her vote "symbolic" and reserved the right to seek changes (02:11:26).

Invited testimony on grocery practice

Michael Salvaggio of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 backed the Zimmerman draft and named pricing-technology vendors — Nationwide Group, UiPath and Tenging — quoting one marketing line about "a reduction of missed margin opportunities" (00:25:26). Amanda Dalton of the Northwest Grocery Retail Association said grocers "are not doing this today," preferred state action, and opposed Morillo's package, warning it would create a recordkeeping burden and a private right of action with a $1 million cap without the small-grocer exemption Seattle included (01:03:34). Dalton said four states have passed such laws — Maryland and Connecticut effective in October, plus New Jersey and New York — while Colorado's was vetoed and California's died (01:28:19). One member of the public, Rod Pittman of Johns Landing, spoke in general support (00:43:59).

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The Public Works Committee voted 4-0 to send three transportation ordinances to the full City Council, then took an hour of testimony on how Portland will spend and bill the new street fees residents start paying January 1.

Council Vice President Olivia Clark (District 4) presided over the September 22 meeting; Councilor Mitch Green (District 4) was absent, and the committee's four other members formed the quorum. The committee opened by approving its July 28 and August 11 minutes by unanimous consent (00:09:29).

Streetcar contracting method advances

The committee referred Ordinance 2026-333, which authorizes a Construction Manager/General Contractor method for the Montgomery Park Streetcar Extension, to Council with a recommendation to pass (00:28:48). PBOT Capital Project Manager David Backus said the project would extend the streetcar about 1.3 miles into a former industrial site in Northwest Portland, with riders projected around 2030. Backus said construction cost is "likely in the $60 to $70 million range" (00:20:17) and that the project scored 30 out of 32 points on the exemption scoring sheet — "I haven't seen a project score this high" (00:20:18). Chief Procurement Officer Sylvester Donaldson said disadvantaged-business engagement with TriMet would begin that week. One person signed up to testify but did not appear.

Two eminent-domain authorizations for East Portland safety projects

The committee referred two ordinances letting PBOT acquire temporary construction easements through eminent domain if negotiations fail, both 4-0. Ordinance 2026-334 covers the SE Division 148th-to-174th project (00:42:55); Ordinance 2026-335 covers SE Stark 111th-to-151st (00:56:52). Capital Project Manager Elizabeth Tilstrom said Division segments with raised center medians saw crashes fall 55%, compared with 7% where medians were not added. The Division project needs one easement; Stark needs two, of 65 and 63 square feet.

Councilor Loretta Smith (District 1) pressed staff to phone affected owners rather than rely on mail: "sending a letter, you know, it's, it's probably not going to work" (00:49:29). Property Services Division Manager David McEldowney said the process runs nine months or more and that condemnation is rare — "We have not had a trial. I cannot remember the last time" (00:53:23). Smith also asked that any move to eminent domain trigger an executive session on the Division item.

New street fees: how the money will be spent and billed

PBOT presented its investment strategy for the transportation utility fee and street damage restoration fee that Council passed in spring, an item placed on file without a vote. Program manager Gabe Graff said the strategy directs $57.4 million in investment next fiscal year. Three-quarters of transportation utility fee revenue goes to maintenance — $15.7 million for pavement, $8.1 million for signals and streetlights, $5.1 million for local street cleaning, $3.2 million for striping — and one-quarter to safety, split evenly between $5.3 million for Vision Zero and $5.3 million for sidewalks. All $10.7 million of street damage restoration fee revenue goes to pavement maintenance, held as contingency for now.

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The council rejected the transfer of Zenith Energy's fuel-terminal franchise to a new owner on a 5-6 vote, then spent much of the night in a procedural fight over whether to bring it back — ending with an 8-4 vote to postpone that question to next week.

Zenith franchise transfer fails, then reopens

The transfer of a petroleum-terminal franchise from Zenith Energy Terminals Holdings to ISQ Springer Holdings failed to pass, 5-6, with Councilor Loretta Smith (District 1) absent (00:39:55). Councilor Angelita Morillo (District 3) voted no because amendments adding public accountability measures had not secured a seventh vote, saying "I can't really in good conscience support this" (00:36:04). Councilor Mitch Green (District 4) cited the company's "long history of broken promises in this town" (00:37:04). Councilor Sameer Kanal (District 2) said the record lacked clear criteria to judge the recipient's technical, legal, and financial qualifications (00:38:16).

When Smith returned from an approved absence, she moved to reconsider (01:50:07). Council President Jamie Dunphy (District 1) ruled she was ineligible, interpreting the rules to mean an absent member was not on the prevailing side. Kanal read Code 3.02.030(J), which treats absences as no votes only for a mayoral tiebreak (01:51:55). City Attorney Robert Taylor said the rules could be read two ways and the chair could rule. Smith and two others appealed; the appeal was decided on a 6-6 vote, which sustained Dunphy's ruling (02:07:19). Smith pressed repeatedly afterward, and Dunphy told her, "Councilor Smith, you're out of order" (02:03:30). Dunphy then moved reconsideration himself, seconded by Smith, before withdrawing it as Councilor Eric Zimmerman (District 4) argued the withdrawn motion had never been properly closed (02:07:27).

At the meeting's end, Dunphy again moved to reconsider, seconded by Council Vice President Olivia Clark (District 4), saying he saw "room" to add an enforcement and disclosure provision as a condition (03:23:48). Kanal noted a rule barring new items after 9 p.m., and Taylor confirmed the item could not be discussed that night. Morillo urged colleagues to change the transfer, invoking climate impacts on her generation. Steve Novick (District 3) responded, "I just have to say that I find Councilor Morillo's assertion that anyone who disagrees with her on an issue relating to which company has a franchise agreement means that they don't care about climate change" (03:35:36). Morillo replied, "I'm sort of done with that happening repeatedly to me and being chastised on council. So you can take my words at face value" (03:39:35). Council voted 8-4 to postpone the reconsideration vote to next week (03:41:05).

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Portland planners told the council a proposed CEI Hub package would cut in-service fuel storage capacity in the city's riverside fuel hub by 20% by December 2036, a target industry and environmental advocates both urged the council to rework before a September 24 hearing.

The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability presented two ordinances at a work session on the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub, the cluster of bulk fuel terminals along Highway 30 and the Willamette River. Council President Jamie Dunphy (District 1), presiding, said four councilors had asked that the items be heard in full council rather than committee, and that the session was meant to give members and the public "a reasonably equal understanding" before the hearing.

The BPS proposal

Supervising planner Tom Armstrong said the hub holds 11 bulk fuel terminals with about 315 million gallons of storage (00:12:33) and provides 90% of the liquid fuels consumed in Oregon (00:24:20). One ordinance amends the comprehensive plan and the zoning and building codes; the other creates a Title 17 program requiring each terminal to cut in-service storage by 20% from a January 1, 2027 baseline by December 2036 (00:27:07). Armstrong said the 2036 date tracks the decade terminals will need for state-required seismic upgrades. Exemptions cover a regulated public utility — a single 7-million-gallon Northwest Natural tank — aviation fuel, and expansions approved through a land use review (00:28:20).

Penalties would run $12,000 a day, and $24,000 after 30 days for inventory violations, and $0.25 per gallon per day for failing to meet the reduction (00:31:03). Armstrong cited an Eco Northwest analysis finding a sustained 10% fuel price increase could cost 4,600 jobs, against 1.9 million jobs statewide in 2025 (00:34:07). Updated modeling using 2024 data raised projected hub utilization from about 75% to 91% after the 20% cut, he said (01:10:33).

State seismic program

Svetlana Lazarev, who manages the Fuel Tank Seismic Stability Program at the Department of Environmental Quality, said the program is in its fourth year and that 98% of hub tanks were built before 1993, when codes first accounted for a Cascadia earthquake (00:49:35). Facilities get 10 years to complete mitigation after plan approval, and she expects work to run through about 2038 (00:58:11). A 2026 law, HB 4100, requires facilities to show they can cover spill damages up to $300 million (00:53:35).

Advocates split on how to cut

A coalition of more than 20 organizations meeting weekly since May 2025 asked the council to measure reductions by fuel volume rather than tank count. David Labbe of the CEI Hub Task Force said tanks run roughly 40% full and that reducing built capacity alone could leave actual fuel unchanged (01:34:29). Nikki Mandel said the Land Use Board of Appeals twice remanded city decisions, calling the comprehensive plan language "hortatory and aspirational" (01:41:38), and the coalition seeks stronger, mandatory wording. Asked by Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane (District 3) whether their approach could yield less than 20%, Labbe said, "It certainly could" (01:44:01).

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The Finance and Governance Committee took no vote on how Portland finances its police and fire pensions, placing a discussion of the $3.6 billion legacy plan on file after staff said the city's best option is to stay its current course.

Councilor Sameer Kanal (District 2), who chaired the committee in place of Council President Jamie Dunphy (District 1), opened the pension discussion by confining it to financing. "I'll call to order any councilor who veers outside the scope of the financing discussion today," he said (00:18:36), adding that benefits are protected by the voter-approved charter and legally cannot be changed.

How the police and fire pension is paid for

Franco Lucin of the City Attorney's Office walked through Chapter 5 of the charter, which funds the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement plan through a dedicated property tax levy and created a new tier, FPDR 3, under a 2006 ballot measure that moved officers hired after January 1, 2007 into the state Public Employees Retirement System.

Chief Financial Officer Jonas Beery and FPDR Deputy Director Stacy Jones described the legacy plan as pay-as-you-go, meaning current property taxes pay current retirees. Jones said the plan closed at the end of 2006, that a little over four-fifths of legacy members are retired, and that full closeout will likely come in the 2070s. She put the total plan liability at $3.6 billion as of June 30 (00:44:56), but said that in cash-flow terms "there is no funding gap." Jones said current taxpayers bear a double burden — funding legacy retirees while prefunding current officers' PERS pensions — and compared it to "paying for your kids' college tuition while you're paying off your student loans" (00:47:19). She said the assessed-value rate taxpayers see in 2026-27 is about $3.19 per $1,000 (00:49:31), and that the real-market-value levy is projected to peak around $1.75 in about five years.

Beery laid out four options: a cash reserve (unviable), a one-time levy increase (highly disruptive), a gradual levy increase within the charter limit, and pension obligation bonds, which the Government Finance Officers Association advises against. Absent "a low-risk windfall resource," he said, the viable strategy "is to stay the current course" (00:53:00).

David Drain, Principal Officer for the State Fiscal Policy Project at the Pew Charitable Trusts, recommended forward-looking analysis and cited Indiana's teacher retirement system, which seeded a $425 million stabilization fund to begin prefunding. He noted the actuarial firm Milliman found the levy exceeds its cap in less than 2% of scenarios.

Councilor Mitch Green (District 4), who serves on the work group with Kanal, said any prefunding money "would need to be a tax or a fee" and would need to be referred to voters (01:51:34). He warned the FPDR share of a property tax bill could grow from about a third to 40% over a decade, reaching roughly $240 million a year at peak. Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney (District 2) separated two questions — whether to prefund at all, and who pays — and asked when a prefunding "breakpoint" passes. Kanal cited written testimony estimating $200 million upfront could save $2 billion. Beery asked the council for direction on where any prefunding money would come from.

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Portland's Housing and Permitting Committee took no action at its September 15 meeting, using two hours to examine the city's decade-old mandatory relocation assistance policy and to hear renters and landlords debate whether the payment that renters get when a rent hike forces them out should be triggered at a 5% increase rather than the current 10%. The committee, chaired by Councilor Candace Avalos (District 1), placed all three agenda items on file.

What the relocation policy does, and why fewer people use it

The Portland Housing Bureau briefed the committee on the Mandatory Relocation Assistance policy, known as RELO, which requires landlords to pay a departing tenant when a landlord's decision — a no-cause termination or a rent increase of 10% or more — forces a move. Interim Director Light and Policy and Planning Director Josh Roper walked through a policy adopted by emergency ordinance in 2017 and made permanent in 2018, with 5 triggering events and 12 exemptions. The current payments — $2,900 for a studio, $3,300 for a one-bedroom, $4,200 for a two-bedroom, and $4,500 for three or more bedrooms — have not changed since 2017 (00:22:00).

Roper said relocation notices tied to rent increases fell from 27 in fiscal 2022-23 to 4 in fiscal 2024-25 (00:26:15), which staff attributed largely to state law — Senate Bill 611 in 2023 capped covered increases at the lower of 10% or 7% plus inflation — and softening rents. Asked by Avalos whether fewer people were being displaced or the policy was simply reaching fewer of them, Roper said staff could not be certain (00:49:22). If the payment amounts were revised, he said, "I would expect it to go up based on the numbers" (00:51:43). The bureau reported 728 help desk contacts about RELO in fiscal 2026, and noted it does not track what happens to tenants after they receive assistance.

Vice Chair Mitch Green (District 4) pressed on the state cap, saying it functions as roughly 10% because inflation is never zero — "this year it's ... 7.9%" — and that at that rate "rents double in 7 years" under the rule of 72 (00:40:18). Green also questioned whether the bureau's hired consultant would understand tenants; Roper named the firm as Stout, citing its right-to-counsel experience (00:39:23). Staff clarified the broader review covers all landlord-tenant policies, including FAIR and the North/Northeast preference policy, not RELO alone (01:07:29); the request for proposals went out last December and the contract is being finalized this month. Councilor Steve Novick (District 3) noted that 15-20% rent increases were once routine and that no-cause evictions remain the largest source of relocation payments (00:59:30).

Renters, a landlord, and a councilor testify

Eleven people registered and two walked in for the renter forum. The dominant proposal came from Jamie Evenstar, a District 4 council candidate who described herself as author of Portland's tenant protections, including FAIR and RELO. Evenstar urged lowering the RELO trigger from 10% to 5%, saying "10% ... has always been too high" and that her 2017 analysis showed anything above 5-7% pushes the average renter into severe rent burden (01:28:14). She said the city defended RELO "all the way to the Oregon Supreme Court" and named city attorney Denis Valliere.

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The Community and Public Safety Committee laid a firearms ordinance on the table 3-2 after passing an amendment to it 5-0, deferring a proposal to strip the concealed-handgun defense for guns carried into three downtown city buildings. (01:51:24)

Steve Novick (District 3) chaired the meeting. The committee approved its July–August minutes by unanimous consent (00:07:29) and took up three items.

Firearms in city buildings tabled after procedural clash

The ordinance, introduced by Council President Jamie Dunphy (District 1) on behalf of the administration, would remove the affirmative defense that lets concealed-handgun-license holders carry into City Hall, the Portland Building and the 1900 Building. The City Administrator said the idea grew from Multnomah County's move to bar firearms from its meetings and from an incident in which a person breached a secured area, and that he wanted a safe environment "as tensions are rising" on many dais conversations (01:14:39).

Dunphy said city HR policy has barred staff from carrying since 2002, and that the highest penalty for a violation would be a Class A misdemeanor, adding that a person "would need to make a lot of compounding bad decisions" before police became involved (01:17:09). The committee passed his amendment 5-0, directing the City Administrator to write administrative rules that start with education and an opportunity to store a weapon before any law-enforcement referral (01:31:58).

Eric Zimmerman (District 4) challenged that framing: "that's actually not how laws are enforced," calling the measure "a solution in search of a problem" and a "pet project" brought back "every couple weeks with no substantive difference" (01:24:23). He said a September 1 public records request seeking the item's origin had gone unanswered 14 days later: "I don't take kindly to what I felt was a reasonable request" (01:32:13). Sameer Kanal (District 2), questioning limits on councilor briefings tied to quorum rules, said, "If any state legislators are listening to this, this is absurd" (01:39:07).

Zimmerman moved to table the ordinance with no date. A drawn-out exchange followed over whether the motion was a "table" or a "postpone indefinitely," which the clerk warned would kill the item; Zimmerman kept his original motion, saying it "more reflects my intent" (01:50:47). The committee laid the item on the table 3-2, with Novick and Angelita Morillo (District 3) voting no (01:51:24). Loretta Smith (District 1) had said she was prepared to support the ordinance but that lawful owners "must receive clear notice" of the change (01:29:07).

Police expansion cost report placed on file

A report requested by Smith's February resolution laid out what growing the Portland Police Bureau would cost. Performance analyst Nick McDonald said a mid-range 10-year model adds about $700,000 the first year, rising to roughly $38 million a year above current levels by 2036, net of overtime savings, plus about $340 million in capital costs for buildings and vehicle storage (00:14:39). He said overtime could be cut by two-thirds by 2036, saving about $13 million a year (00:12:07). Smith stressed the report "is not a final staffing plan" but a framework, and welcomed a projected 207% increase in community policing activity (00:26:20).

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The Finance and Governance Committee of the Whole voted 9-0 to refer the appointment of Omar K. Salomon to the Homelessness Response System's Steering and Oversight Committee to the full City Council with a recommendation to accept, with three members absent (01:53:22).

Councilor Sameer Kanal (District 2) presided in the absence of Council President Jamie Dunphy (District 1), who had a preplanned absence. Councilors Olivia Clark (District 4) and Loretta Smith (District 1) were also absent. Councilor Eric Zimmerman (District 4) arrived at 10:45 a.m.

Homelessness oversight appointment

The committee heard the nomination of Salomon, owner of Zocotl, a juice and smoothie bar with two Portland locations, to fill the business-sector seat on the Steering and Oversight Committee. Jillian Schoney of the Homelessness Response System staff said the seat is one of five non-voting positions and that its holder must be nominated by a chamber of commerce; Salomon was elevated by the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber (01:22:54). Policy advisor Robin Johnson described a roughly four-month recruitment reaching 17 chambers and business associations, of which two recommended candidates; Salomon was the single person meeting the standards.

Salomon told the committee he had been a business owner about eight years and previously worked as a social worker with families experiencing or at risk of homelessness (01:27:51). Councilor Dan Ryan (District 2) said he had pushed for independent members "that aren't connected to the industry" and encouraged Salomon to "own your voice," adding he was "a little bummed" the seat is non-voting (01:34:38). Zimmerman, who sits on the committee, said the business voice had "been missing for a few months now."

Schoney clarified that the oversight committee uses a two-step process: a consensus 3-2-1 vote by all members, then an official vote by the five voting members (01:48:33). Councilor Mitch Green (District 4) said he had difficulty finding minutes and vote tallies from prior committee meetings and asked that summaries be made public. The motion, moved by Zimmerman and seconded by Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney (District 2), passed 9 aye, 3 absent. The appointment is tentatively on the County Board of Commissioners' consent agenda for September 17.

2020 protest police discipline reviews

Kanal questioned Deputy City Administrator Warren about reviews of six investigations into the Portland Police Bureau stemming from 2020, two involving former chiefs of police. Warren said the city has a past practice of having a neutral party review so that a current chief does not review a former chief, and that the mayor's office worked with the city attorney's office. She said the Bureau of Human Resources provided a recommendation to the mayor, who made the decision; she was Human Resources Director when the cases were assigned and continued the work in her interim role (00:39:57). She described herself as a "second recommender" alongside Independent Police Review, and said the City Attorney's Office told her there is precedent, though it had not happened during her tenure as HR director.

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Portland's budget team laid out four areas of possible changes to the city budget process for the 2027-28 cycle at a September 10 work session, taking direction from the 12-member council but casting nothing as a recommendation and taking no vote.

Chief Financial Officer Jonas Biery and Budget Director Ruth Levine presented options grouped into four themes — information access, decision-making support, community engagement, and budget accuracy — each option flagged as easy, challenging, or medium to implement. Biery told councilors the options were "a synthesis of the feedback that we've heard" and that "nothing in here is identified as a recommendation." Council President Jamie Dunphy (District 1) ran the queue and held members to five minutes per theme.

Members press for spreadsheets over narrative

The sharpest agreement of the afternoon came on how budget information reaches the council. Councilor Loretta Smith (District 1) said she wanted line-by-line data showing programs, dollars, and staffing counts. "I don't need a story for you to explain. I just need a spreadsheet," she said (00:35:05), and objected to internal-fee charges she put at rising 22% a year. Councilor Eric Zimmerman (District 4) said forward-facing budget documents carry too much internal accounting data, pointing to fund transfers of $500,000 between identical line items as meaningless for decisions. "Names help, numbers don't," he said (00:47:46).

Councilor Angelita Morillo (District 3) asked the team to restore the program-offer detail published under the former form of government. Levine said program offers still exist in the budget book but changed with new software, and are tied to the city's SAP financial system, making a full overhaul a multi-year effort. Councilor Mitch Green (District 4) said his office got answers when it asked but the process is "under-resourced relative to the demand," and urged the next proposed budget to fund training so council staff can run standardized data queries. Councilor Steve Novick (District 3) and Councilor Dan Ryan (District 2) asked for standardized one-page bureau summaries; Ryan wanted a 5- and 10-year look-back and figures on money going to private and nonprofit partners.

Whether to issue a City Administrator report

On decision-making, Biery said members disagree over whether to keep the City Administrator's budget report and what it should contain, with general agreement it should not carry balanced recommendations. Dunphy, in his opening, said cutting that report this year left the mayor's proposed budget appearing to "come out of a black box." Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney (District 2) said she would accept a report framed as analysis but not one resembling a budget proposal.

Levine described scenario guidance built around cut targets such as 3% and 10% from current service level. Ryan said, "I find across-the-board cuts to be lazy and not very strategic" (01:05:51). Morillo cautioned against asking for deeper cuts than needed, citing employee morale after years of feared layoffs, and said the council learned merit increases went unawarded to non-represented staff because some bureaus budgeted for them and some did not.

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