A snapshot of County Commissioner activities and appearances this week
Commissioner Sharon Meieran
On Dec. 21, Commissioner Meieran attended the community vigil marking the National Homeless Persons Memorial Day organized by Sisters of the Road. The event honors people who died in 2020 while trying to survive outside. With the healthcare system continuing to be strained by COVID, Commissioner Meieran also stepped up to work shifts in the ER last month. During the recent severe winter weather storm, Commissioner Meieran volunteered as medical staff at two emergency shelters – first at the Oregon Convention Center and then at Mt. Scott Community Center on New Year’s Eve. Commissioner Meieran is grateful to the County and City of Portland employees, and community members who worked together to provide exceptional and compassionate service to people in dire need.
Commissioner Susheela Jayapal
This week Commissioner Jayapal joined Capaces Leadership Institute and the American Leadership Forum for a discussion on elected leadership and public service for and by Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, facilitating a lively discussion about opportunities and challenges faced by BIPOC leaders. She also attended several meetings of the Association of Oregon Counties, including that of the Governance and Revenue Steering Committee, which she co-chairs.
Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson
Commissioner Vega Pederson volunteered at the East Portland Community Center’s emergency shelter last weekend. She was grateful for all the county and city employees serving our community during a time of dangerously cold weather. Commissioner Vega Pederson also hosted a community town hall on affordable housing and gentrification with state Representative Andrea Valderrama, EcoNorthwest President Lorelei Juntunen, and Tom Armstrong, Supervising Planner for the City of Portland. The full discussion from the town hall can also be found here.
Commissioner Lori Stegmann
This week, Commissioner Stegmann was honored to be appointed as Vice-Chair of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners for 2022. It was a busy end of the year with Commissioner Stegmann volunteering at severe weather shelters at the East Portland Community Center and Reynolds High School, as well as supporting Multnomah County Roads to help clear the roads in Corbett during the snow event.
News from the Board the week of Dec. 13, 2021
The following is a snapshot of other board activities the week of Dec. 16 that were not immediately published due to the severe weather conditions and holiday staffing.
Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson
On Dec. 16, Commissioner Vega Pederson championed a County resolution that will start the process of phasing out gas powered leaf blowers throughout Multnomah County. These devices emit tremendous amounts of pollution for their tiny motors, as well as harmful and obnoxious noise. The Commissioner will partner with Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio to coordinate outreach efforts and develop a timeline for their phase out. Commissioner Vega Pederson also testified before Portland City Council on the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge project, providing an update on the project’s status. She also hosted a town hall on childcare with Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Family Forward executive director Andrea Paluso. You can watch the full town hall here.
Commissioner Lori Stegmann
Serving on the East Multnomah County Transportation Committee, Commissioner Lori Stegmann is focusing on the issues of equity, safety and revenue and economic opportunity as she reviews mobility pricing strategies and options for regional transportation projects. The Commissioner was honored to serve as a Teacher for the Day at Benson Polytechnic High School on Tuesday, where she worked side by side with Counselor Amy Henry and visited with students in Benson’s outstanding technical programs.