Politics
Portland delays Moda Center funding debate as council weighs renovation authority
Portland’s City Council began considering the city’s role in a state-, city- and county-run authority overseeing Moda Center renovations, but held off on any funding decision. A vote on the authority agreement and proposed city appointees is scheduled for Oct. 21, with a mid-December deadline to finalize arrangements tied to state funding.
Portland City Council members on Wednesday began reviewing the city’s participation in a public authority that would oversee Moda Center renovations and future capital improvements, but took no formal action and postponed discussion of how the city would pay its share.
The proposed Joint Authority would include staff from the state, Portland and Multnomah County. The city’s participation is required under Senate Bill 1501, which set aside money for the project. The partners have until mid-December to complete the arrangements needed to access that funding.
Council President Jamie Dunphy said he would not schedule a final vote on renovation funding in December unless the city has the definitive documents required by a resolution adopted in August. He said negotiations over the intergovernmental agreement are progressing, but talks over what the Trail Blazers expect to purchase with public money remain unresolved.
“Where we’re not on track is the concrete negotiations about what the Blazers are actually expecting to buy with our public dollars,” Dunphy said.
The council also discussed Mayor’s recommended appointees to the authority’s three Portland seats: City Administrator Raymond Lee, Building Official Natalie Didion and Deputy Budget Office Director Brian Connell.
Councilor Sameer Kanal objected to the proposed slate, arguing that the council’s legislative role was not represented. He said the process had been run through the executive branch and that excluding the council reflected the politics of one elected official.
The council is scheduled to vote on the authority-related items Oct. 21, the date of the Trail Blazers’ home opener. Team owner Tom Dundon is expected to attend the game. Dunphy said Dundon is welcome at City Hall and that council members would like to hear his commitment to the team’s long-term future in Portland.
Dundon recently met with state lawmakers and Portland business leaders, while city officials said they had not met with him. The council’s pending decisions will help determine how Portland participates in oversight of the arena work, while the city’s financial commitment remains unsettled.