The record · Transcript
Council Session — 2026-08-05
Transcript from the session's official auto-captions (33,539 words), shown in readable case and split into speaker turns. Speakers are not yet identified (colors just separate consecutive turns). Auto-captions can contain errors — check the recording for anything that matters.
Session summaryEditor-reviewed
On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, the Portland City Council held a session with roll call recorded and decorum rules read. Following agenda approval, public communications included testimony on a proposed change-management job application, concerns about autonomous vehicles affecting professional drivers, Home Forward governance and board vacancies, and remarks urging civility among councilors. A clarification was offered regarding withdrawal of Home Forward board appointment documents from committee. The City Administrator gave updates on a land-use legal matter with a September 8, 2026 filing deadline, and on a chemical munitions rule with an effective date around August 2026. The Council took up reappointments to the Prosper Portland Board of Commissioners, discussed a prior settlement issue tied to Lower Albina displacement, and votes occurred, with outcomes recorded in the vote ledger. The remainder of the session addressed a non-binding term sheet for Moda Center arena renovations and a long-term lease with Rip City Management/Trailblazers Holdings. Multiple proposed amendments were described covering ticket fees, parking revenue, charitable donations, bonding transparency, and restricted-fund processes. Extensive invited and public testimony followed, covering labor standards, community benefits, economic impact, tax concerns, and relocation risk. Figures describing project costs and funding were stated inconsistently. The Council recessed until the following day.
AI-drafted from the session's auto-captions, reviewed by an editor — describes the discussion only; recorded votes live in the vote ledger. Captions contain errors.
Procedural markers in this session
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0 Good morning. I'm calling to order this meeting of the Portland city council. It is Wednesday, August 5th, and for councilor Koyama Lane is all alone by over there. Keelan could please call the roll.
1 Good morning. Koyama Lane here. Aye, Morillo here. Here. Clark. Here. Green here. Zimmerman. Avalos.
2 Present.
3 Smith.
4 Here.
Procedural episode · turns 5–13
Parliamentary activity detected in this stretch (see the markers above). An editor-reviewed analysis has not been published for this episode yet.
5 Kanal.
6 Pirtle-guiney here today.
7 Ryan.
8 Here.
9 Dunphy here. And can we please read the rules of decorum for the chamber.
10 Good morning. Welcome to the Portland city council. To testify before council in person or virtually. You must sign up in advance in the council agenda at www.Portland.gov/council. Agenda information on engaging with council can be found on the council clerk's web page. Individuals may testify for three minutes unless the presiding officer states. Otherwise, your microphone will be muted. When your time is over, the presiding officer preserves order disruptive conduct such as shouting, refusing to conclude your testimony when your time is up, or interrupting others testimony or council deliberations will not be allowed. If you cause a disruption, a warning will be given. Further disruption will result in ejection from the meeting. Anyone who fails to leave once ejected is subject to arrest for trespass. Additionally, council may take a short recess and reconvene virtually. Your testimony should address the matter being considered when testifying. State your name for the record. Your address is not necessary. If you are a lobbyist, identify the organization you represent. Virtual testifiers should unmute themselves when the council clerk calls your name. Thank you.
11 Thank you very much, colleagues. We have a few things to get through before I know the main show is here. I suspect almost everybody is here for. Our first item is as every week is agenda approval. Are there any requests to amend the agenda to reorder items or reschedule an item to a future meeting dates? No. Do I have unanimous consent to approve the agenda? The agenda is approved. Thank you very much. Item two can we please call public communications?
12 First up, we have ghalib bin in l.
13 I'm coming.
14 Come on down. Thank you very much. We'll wait just a second as you come on downstairs. Is this the time where I tell a joke? Okay. What has five toes and isn't your foot? It's my foot.
15 Oh my god.
16 Thank you. I was going to ask if it was like a frog's foot or some other animal.
17 I know.
18 You need. You need nine votes to relieve a council president.
19 Mr. President, as someone with four toes on one foot and three on the other, I must take offense at your toast.
20 Apologies. Councilor. Novick. Welcome, sir. Introduce the record. You're welcome to share your pronouns. And you have three minutes.
21 Hello. Good morning. I am ghalib ben imhotep l, and I'm domiciled in district four. As someone who regularly attends these meetings and other committee meetings as well, I have a consistently sought to bring about sustainable, constructive solutions to this chamber through every public testimony and committee meeting. One thing has resonated resoundingly in my ears and hopefully in yours as well. And that is the word change. Today I am formally offering my services to the city of Portland as a candidate for the change management change management position that may open up in the bureau of planning and sustainability if it ever becomes available, or if it has already based strictly on traditional credentialing. I possessed some college education, no actual degree as of yet. I have an ncc certification, which means that I'm pretty good with construction, even though my real world experience in construction is much more impressive than just the ncc certification. I also have an osha ten certification as well. You will also notice that I have served six years in prison for a felony dui, a tragic event where I lost someone that was like a brother to me. Not any one of those events or any combination of those events, defines who I am as a person and what I bring to the table. I have an extensive skill set. Portland has sown a transformation in me, a lived, real world experience of change, structural adaptation, transparency, and complete and total accountability to truly lead change within any organization or municipality. One must understand what it means. To rebuild from the ground up and have actually done the work within themselves first. The fruits of that transformation. I would be remiss to deny Portland, and there is one saying in this situation that I think applies very well here. Use your heart, not your eyes. My complete packet, including my statement of intent, a verifiable background and my contact details have been submitted to the clerk for your review. And I would ask, respectfully, that you direct my materials to the bts leadership and human resources. A recommendation or two wouldn't hurt. Thank you for your consideration to a more progressive Portland, and just know that no matter what you choose or how I feel about that choice, I love you all unconditionally. Thank you.
22 Thank you so much for being here. Also perfect timing.
23 Next up we have david gwyther.
24 Good morning. Welcome.
25 Good morning.
26 Let's go ahead and introduce yourself for the record in three minutes.
27 David gwyther I'm a lease driver with radio cab. Unfortunately, some of the finest minds of our generation are being put to the task of eliminating human drivers, especially professional drivers. And. And that is very sad. They could be carrying cancer. No, they're trying to get people out of jobs so that the billionaires who control, waymo and the other, autonomous vehicle companies can make even more money. Anyway, the safety comparisons are very interesting to me because they, they generally don't take into account professional drivers. They say human drivers. That's true. But professional drivers are vastly better. And human drivers have a lot of flaws, especially between 11 at night and three in the morning, when 90% of the drivers on the road are impaired, either from drugs, alcohol or lack of sleep. And the police, came up with that statistic. What we're facing now is a situation where the city is looking at sanctioning, a group of, very well financed, non human driven vehicles to take over the taxi business. Now they have invested billions of dollars in putting this company together. They're not coming here to take 5 or 10% of the business or even grow the, the pie, so to speak. They're here to make incredible amounts of money, which I don't know where they're expect to get it from. One of the problems with the safety aspect is they don't take into account the distraction that their vehicles cause by just driving around, when they stop moving them is virtually impossible for the fire or police towing them requires special equipment. And the monitors are in the philippines. Hopefully somebody has those on a speed dial at PBOT to, get them to move the vehicles if they decide to stop at a fire hydrant or in the middle of an intersection or wherever they stop, the other side problems, the collateral damage is public transit. They can come in at almost zero cost to the consumer, cut into public transit, which they have. And most of the other cities that have been, brought these vehicles in. And that hinders our public transit considerably. All of the other cities involved have sales taxes, so they have a chance to recoup some of the costs. And they also have high tech bases. Austin, texas comes into mind where, even though the human drivers are 4% better human professional drivers, they still have active autonomous vehicle, group because of high tech. Thank you for your time.
28 Thank you so much for being here today.
29 Next up we have jennifer mcmillan.
30 Good morning. Welcome. Go ahead and introduce yourself for the record. You're welcome to share your pronouns. And you have three minutes.
31 Thank you. Jennifer mcmillan representing afscme local 3135.
32 Thank you.
33 Go ahead. Good morning, chair and councilors. For years, my two children and I have lived in home forward's public housing. Now I am a homeowner. For the last 15 years, I have worked for home forward and I am currently a policy and quality control coordinator. I am also have the honor of representing afscme local 3135, which is the voice of more than half of the employees at home. Forward. As union president, I have publicly spoken about concerns regarding home forward's leadership. These concerns are real, and our members have called for greater accountability and meaningful change. We have been through a difficult period and important work is still ahead. Our union has begun working with michael and chair kim. We are encouraged by their willingness to engage with employees and address long standing challenges. Our expectations have not changed. We will continue to advocate for accountability, transparency and strong leadership. We have already requested that employees have a voice in hiring the next executive director and cfo, because we believe that lasting solutions require collaboration. We are also encouraged by the efforts that are underway to address issues such as safety in our communities, work that we believe will have a meaningful impact on both our residents and staff. Many of you have been asking difficult questions of home forward, and that oversight is important and accountability matters. But I also know what home forward can accomplish when it has strong leadership and effective governance. I am living proof that the opportunities the agency can create, and I remain committed to helping it succeed. That is why I've taken time off of work today to speak to you today. For more than six months, the board of commissioners has operated without a full board, with most vacancies existing even longer. No commission can be at its best when one third of its seats are vacant. Every vacancy represents another voice missing from the conversation, another perspective absent from important decisions and one less commissioner Providing oversight and accountability. A full board isn't simply about filling positions, it's about strengthening governance at a time when home forward needs to rebuild trust and address significant challenges. Today, I respectfully ask you to move forward with the appointments for the home forward board. Filling these vacancies is an opportunity to strengthen governance, support accountability and help home forward continue the work of rebuilding confidence and delivering on its mission. Thank you for your time, your service and your consideration.
34 Thank you so much for being here this morning.
35 Next up we have jacob schnoor. Jacob, schnoor. Next, we have kathleen sadat.
36 This one. Yeah.
37 Good morning. My name is kathleen sadat. I've been an activist and a bureaucrat. I've held positions with the city of Portland, Multnomah county and Oregon state government. I have been involved in advocating for people of all colors women, poor people, the disabled, and along with keystone lowery, I hope to craft our city's civil rights ordinance protecting the lgbt. Q plus communities. There's only. There's. That's enough. I only have three minutes. I'm here to express my feelings and present recommendations regarding the way I see our Portland city government members treating one another, I am angry, I am frustrated seeing the name calling, slights and disrespect. I am confused. I present my thoughts without identifying any individual as being responsible for my angst, because I consider each and every one of you to be responsible for the overall functioning of this council. There is a difference between advocacy and governing. We elected you to govern. We hired you to set policy and facilitate change. We want you to work together without recreating in Portland what we currently see at the federal level. Please keep manifestations of your personal likes and dislikes out of council chambers. They are not the business of the people. In your position as city councilor, I encourage you to continue to expand your knowledge of the people of Portland and pay attention to what we say. I ask that you develop your positions on policy by using relevant, at minimum, relevant data, documented need, available resources, the opinions of those affected by the policy and how the policy expresses the values of the city of Portland. And I expect each of you to reflect those values. I don't want to see you paid to bicker. I don't want you to pay you to call one another names or disparage one another. For over 40 years, I have been a trainer in the areas of diversity, inclusion and equity, believing we can do better working together than against one another. Some of your behaviors will challenge my work. You, because of your positions, are now role models for the. For diversity, for younger people. For people aspiring to elected office, you are modeling how to work together and how to disagree with dignity and self control. I encourage you to think globally, act locally, and know when your ego is in the way of progress and put it in your desk drawer. Thank you.
38 Thank you, thank you very much.
39 Our alternate today is robert butler. Robert butler. That completes communications.
40 Thank you very much. Keelan. Councilor Kanal.
41 Yeah, thank you, council president I just wanted to clarify something because it for it came up in miss mcmillan's testimony. There were home forward board appointments that were placed onto an upcoming, committee, the whole agenda, and then they were removed from it. And it might have appeared that that was because of a council decision to delay that or to withhold that conversation. That is not the case. The proposer of the document was the mayor, and it was withdrawn by the mayor. As soon as those appointments are resubmitted, those will be placed on a committee of the whole agenda, as promptly as possible and considered. I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of how that got to be added and removed. Thank you.
42 Thank you. Councilor Kanal colleagues. Our third item on the agenda is the presidential update. I'm going to here turn it over to city administrator lee to see if there's any status updates regarding our ongoing responses to federal interventions in the city. City administrator.
43 Thank you, council president, and good morning, city council. The parties have conferred and will continue to work with the court to set a briefing and hearing schedule. The building owner has until September the 8th, 2026 to file its final writ of review, challenging the city's hearing officer's decision. That will then put the issue squarely in the hands of the county circuit court for consideration, and this is related to the land use. As we look at the chemical ammunitions, as you know, the period for comment closed earlier, we're looking at the permanent men role to go into effect around August of 26. I believe we do have staff here to answer any questions. I know council Morillo had questions as it relates to maybe some of the comments as it relates to, that have coming out of the public comment period that we can address as well. And that's the latest that we have.
44 Thank you very much, city administrator colleagues. Any questions? Okay. Thank you very much. Keelan can we please move to item number four.
45 Document 2026-224, reappoint marcelino alvarez and Eric kress to the prosper Portland board of commissioners for terms to expire September 5th, 2029.
46 Thank you very much, colleagues. This is a report coming to us out of the committee of the whole. We have had some conversation about this, but we have folks available in the room for technical or clarifying questions. And I understand there are some folks signed up for public testimony. Colleagues, before we invite testimony, are there any technical or clarifying questions about these appointments? Will not be having a second presentation at full council. Okay. Keelan. Can we please call public testimony on this item if there's anybody signed up?
47 No one signed up.
48 Okay. My notes are wrong. Great. Councilor Kanal.
49 Thank you, council president. I'll try to make this brief just because I know we have the main event, as you put it, to get to. During the committee, the whole I asked questions of one of the two appointees. Both are appointees, but one was appointed in April of this year for the first time. No concerns about that. The other was in office during the time in which the city council considered the increase of a settlement to folks who were displaced from lower albina by the proposed expansion, legacy emanuel hospital. At the time, we were told that, prosper would consider chipping in its share of it. That information does not appear to have made its way onto a prosper agenda. And so I asked an appointee, a proposed appointee, I should say, if he would be willing to request that that be something that prosper discussed publicly, not to commit to a particular outcome, but to have the conversation about whether it makes sense for an $8.5 million settlement to be 7.5 million from the city and 1 million from prosper, I feel sufficiently comfortable with the response I got to know that that will be on an agenda. And I spoke to the deputy city administrator who liaises with the with prosper as well. So I it may have appeared that there was opposition or reason for that, but I just wanted to clarify that. And I'll be comfortable voting yes on both appointees today.
50 Thank you. Thank you very much, councilor Kanal colleagues, any further discussion about these appointments? Seeing none. Keelan, can we please call the roll.
51 For this report? We'll want a motion to accept the report.
52 Can I have a motion to accept. Second councilor Kanal moves vice president clerk seconds. Oh, I'm sorry, Zimmerman. I see everybody's screwed up. I was here, deep voices from the left side of me. Not. Could we please call the roll now?
53 Okay.
54 Okay, so for this report, moved by councilor Zimmerman, seconded by clerk Koyama Lane. I Morillo. I Novick.
55 Deep voices from the left is a great book from the 1930s, by the way, I.
56 Clark.
57 I.
58 Green. I Zimmerman.
59 I'll sign it for you. Novick I.
60 Avalos I. Smith I Kanal.
61 I pirtle-guiney.
62 I.
63 Ryan I.
64 Dunphy I.
65 The appointments are confirmed with a vote of 12 ayes.
66 Thank you very much. Can we please call item number five?
67 Document 2026-280. Authorize a non-binding term sheet with rip city management llc and trailblazers holdings, llc outlining the terms for moda center arena renovations operating in lease agreements that will keep the Portland trail blazers playing in Portland for at least 20 more years.
68 Thank you, colleagues. Before us today is a term sheet for the negotiation of a 20 year operating lease on the moda center between the city of Portland and the Portland trail blazers. But for the sake of the of the public, I think it is important to ground us in this moment in time and the unusual circumstances we find ourselves in. We started this process with an understanding that on August 12th, you all would be voting on a negotiated term sheet that represents a general agreement between the city, state, rip city management and the nba, the term sheet that has been filed for your consideration has not been subjected to back and forth negotiations. It was drafted by the city's legal and negotiating team to reflect a reasonable starting point that reflects requirements contained in sb one 501, negotiated with rip city management, important benefits for Portland and the outcomes that councilors have said that they would like to see addressed. After sharing a first draft with rip city management, we expected that there would be some official back and forth. Had that happened. Staff would be bringing council trade offs and identifying openings. We would be having a meteor conversation about what is possible with our negotiating partner and what we want to prioritize within the window of possibility, but that did not happen. We were glad to have our our friends with the from the blazers join us in the work session last week. But as to the question of what the blazers want to see in this term sheet for the future of the team in Portland, we are still waiting for the team to engage. The term sheet has been broadly acknowledged for what it is a reasonable first draft that demonstrates that the city wants to keep the blazers in Portland and maximize public benefits through long term public partnerships and public investment. The final lease agreement in December must build on that must be more comprehensive and describe what the future of the moda center looks like and what it means for Portland. To be clear, Portland city councilors are not the city's negotiators. By charter, the mayor and our negotiating team are under his authority, and they are the negotiating body of our government. City council's task is to give, advise, advice and consent on terms negotiated by our city team, the joint authority with the state and the Portland trail blazers. Importantly, via our power of the purse, we must formally approve this and any negotiated deal that commits public funds. We have always called this a middle of the bat proposal, and I agree, in some ways, this opening proposal looks more like what we'd expect to see at the end of a negotiation than what some of us wanted to see as a first proposal. Anybody who's been following this conversation can see that the compromise is already built into this sheet. Our good faith and discipline is something to be proud of, balanced with recognition that there is absolutely more that we could be asking for. So to that end, today we will hear testimony from invited panelists and from the public on this term sheet. We expect it to take the full day tomorrow. We will return as a body to discuss what we have heard before returning next week for a final vote. Last week, this body went through the term sheet in detail. There have been some minimal adjustments since that time in the service of time, and to ensure that everyone who has come here today has the opportunity to speak, I'd like to move now to hear from our invited guests and from the public. There are also, as I understand it, some, amendments that are being proposed. I'd like to recognize councilors to not to introduce them, but to explain them. We will be formally introducing amendments tomorrow, but I'd like it so that the public can have an opportunity to hear what is on the table. So, councilor. Novick. And then. Councilor. Green.
69 Thank you, mr. President. I have three amendments. One is to raise the ticket revenue user fee from 6% to 7%, with the additional percent to be spent as the city sees fit. Another is to state that the city gets 100% of non blazer event parking revenues. And the third would be to ask the blazers to commit that they will continue to make $2 million a year in charitable donations to the community through the blazer foundation.
70 Thank you. Councilor Novick, councilor Green and aye, Morillo.
71 Yeah. Thank you. My amendment does two broad objectives. The first is to add clarifying language about the, the duties and authorities of the joint authority that we will be establishing by the term sheet to provide, both a role for council to appoint someone, but also to remove someone to have more accountability over the process and to, to make sure that they know that they're supposed to be approving, expenditures that are in the public interest. So that's the first piece. The second piece strikes whole cloth. The post-renovation contribution, over the course of 20 years, keeping more free cash flow for the city to choose to invest in the moda center for wishes, but not encumber that entirety, which lowers the overall exposure to the city of Portland to 120 million, not 400 million. And then there are some edits in the financial impact statement side of the resolution itself that, strike claims that are unsubstantiated in the 2023, economic impact analysis. So that's what the amendments do. Thanks.
72 Thank you. Councilmember, do you have anything?
73 Thank you, council president.
74 I have two amendments that I'm bringing forward. The first one is Morillo one, and it says that 30 days before the council votes on a formal, definitive document or any ordinance that authorizes city bonds, basically anything that has to do with the city committing financials, that we have to get information about how those funds are going to be used and the potential impacts on our city funds moving forward. So one of the things that I specifically listed is if we're going to be bonding, how that's going to impact other projects that council has already approved, like cip, the sidewalk improvement plan. Because obviously there's only so much of that that we can do. The second amendment, is just about, sorry, the second amendment. Is about street pricing and just making sure that when folks are attending the moda center, it's just part of a fair deal that they're going to be able to get regular street pricing for any of the food or things that they are purchasing there. So the first amendment is just going to be an analysis of the opportunity costs that the city will have if we commit to any funding or do any bonding, and that the administration would have to provide us with an analysis of how that would impact other projects that we've already approved.
75 Thank you.
76 Thank you, councilor.
77 Morillo, I have two colleagues in the queue is also for amendments. Councilor Smith.
78 No, it's a technical question. Okay. Mr. President, thank you. I want to make sure that folks know that this term sheet is a non-binding term sheet. Is that correct?
79 That is correct.
80 Okay.
81 Thank you. Thank you, councilor Smith.
82 Councilor Kanal thank you, councilor Dunphy. I'm also considering two amendments. One of them evidently, councilor Novick and I had some similar notes. It appears, one is to increase the user fee to 7%, but it also includes an increase in the property tax offset from 3 million to 4 million a year and from 5 to 7% in the escalator. So that's three components of a single amendment. The other is to the resolution, itself, which would add a be it further resolved, noting that in the use or potential use of restricted funds would require a standard city evaluation process, which includes the receipt of information from city management and or trailblazers holding, including an itemized list of things that may be eligible for restricted funds with sufficient time to conduct the standard process for each restricted fund. To ensure that we're not putting ourselves in a position where we might be, feel forced, or feel compelled to waive that process for piece f or other restricted funds. Thanks.
83 Thank you.
84 Councilor Kanal. Councilor. Morillo.
85 Just to add an additional clarifying question, while the term sheet is non-binding, what we move forward with here today is what our city team can negotiate based on. Correct? Correct. So anything that is in this term sheet moving forward are the only things that are negotiating team is going to carry out for us.
86 Okay. Thank you. Councilor Morillo councilor Avalos.
87 I guess I do have one more follow up on that. Yes, I understand that that is essentially the ceiling, right? The term sheet is the ceiling, and that is what the negotiating team believes they have authority to do. But if there are opportunities along the negotiation where maybe, you know, the blazers say, oh, actually, we don't want this thing that we actually want. Our does the negotiating team feel like they will be able to pursue like better terms on our behalf? And I don't know how you define better, which is why I'm asking. I'm trying to understand how they are going to be what they feel their limitations are, entering the negotiation with what we approve.
88 So I will, I will turn it to city administrator, but I will also just say that my understanding is the negotiating team, we are empowering them to go. And if there is a requirement for additional terms or things where some. For example, if something on this term sheet is simply an unworkable. With the blazers. But there is a different path forward that they will be able to come and provide more with us and city administrator, you can help from there.
89 You're 100% correct. Council president and councilor Avalos, you know, this does give us a framework, but it does not box us in from the standpoint of there's other things that come up, that previously have not come up as a part of these negotiations, that it is off the table for us to be able to negotiate, to bring back the best possible terms and conditions to the city council for consideration.
90 And a follow up on that is and we don't have to talk about it right now, but maybe a question for you to think about and help find a solution. Help me understand what are the ways that you're going to inform council about new developments, right? Like, I just want to make sure I know that we've got the joint authority. Obviously, that's their main job. But again, if there is a new opportunity that is enticing or you all like, aren't sure if it's something that we would be interested in, is that something that, you know, will be brought to an executive session and say, hey, new development, what do you think? Is it something where along this between now and December, council can or should update this term sheet or update, maybe not the term sheet, but the resolution or write another resolution. I'm just trying to understand from this point, because I know that we're trying to put our best foot forward with this term sheet. I hope that we can strengthen it with some of these amendments, but I just want to understand, what are the other places you believe council will be able to give more feedback along the way?
91 If there's any changes or things that we need to have council to take under consideration, that would be done in executive session, for negotiation terms to give us, consensus on where the council is wanting us to proceed with negotiations with the trailblazers.
92 And councilor as council president, I think it is my responsibility to ensure that councilors are not surprised by something that arrives on their desks in December. The public deserves to understand where things are going, and the councilors deserve a progress updates as we receive them. So I will be ensuring that this council continues to get good information.
93 Thank you. And I'll just say, to end the reason I'm trying to put this on the record as well is, you know, depending on where we land on these terms, I want to know if there are going to be chances for us to maybe propose other things. Or again, if there are new developments that arise, that we will have some flexibility or some authority to say, hey, yeah, let's take on this opportunity. So that's, that's why I'm planting this, and getting clarity, but I appreciate that. It sounds like we will have space and exec session to hear along the way. And my request is that we be very consistent and that we urgently get updates to council.
94 Thank you.
95 Thank you councilor. Yes, absolutely. Councilor pirtle-guiney.
96 Thank you, council president, I just want to put a finer point on the conversation that councilor Avalos was just having. I think it was important because we are two different perspectives on what this term sheet means. Should we and should the public see whatever wherever we end up, when we do a final vote as what the council and the city through us is saying, seems like a a fair proposal since to your point, we didn't get feedback. But certainly not the ceiling in what we can do. And I, I ask it that way because I know in some negotiations, you come with your first offer, the other side comes with their first offer and you work closer together. But it seems from what we've heard, that this is going to be a more fluid process than that. Is that accurate?
97 That's my understanding. Yes.
98 Okay. Thank you.
99 Thank you, councilor Pirtle-guiney. Okay, to start us, we have a panel, a number of panels of invited testimony. And so I'm going to be calling up our invited testifiers, and then we will move to public testimony. And that will be our entire show today, is we are going to be hearing from all of you. Up until this, we run out of time. So to start, I'd like to invite up mike theilen, victoria lara, and carlos phillips from the we are city coalition to kick us off. Good morning.
100 Good morning, council president Dunphy and everyone on the council. Good to be here. My name is mike thielen. I've spent my entire career trying to build stages that are national and global for the culture of our city, and I just have a challenge for everyone today is to try to think, let's all try to think bigger as a community about this. What I've learned, the biggest takeaway in building culture is within an ecosystem. The best strategy is don't lose what you have. Hold on to the assets that you have. Every time I go to a game, I eat at a local restaurant. Usually for me, it's right before a blazer game. Every every game. I'm one of 20,000 people doing the same thing. Restaurant bars, music venues and yes, sports team are all part of this ecosystem. They collectively form our local, our national, and our global identity. It's taken years for these develop. It can take minutes of bad decisions to to unravel them. Part of this deal is pretty straightforward. I understand there's complications and I respect what you all have to navigate, but the city needs to make an investment to unlock 365 million in state funding, bonded directly against the revenues of the team. Money that doesn't exist without the team being here in Portland. That's so lost from the dialog. Often in the public, I'm having a hard time understanding why that isn't a good deal. I also want to challenge us what this could do if we don't get it right, will it derail other momentum? You know, recently I was at the tedx Portland event and I saw rekia adams and others showcasing the beautiful vision of albina vision and the 1803 fund. I couldn't help but wonder what happens if we have an empty arena right in the middle of that? What a middle finger that is. To one of the most ambitious projects in the history of our country. As a as also as a city. We don't control both sides of the deal. And I think sometimes it's a waste of time trying to think, trying to guess what others are thinking or what their intent might be. It's not our job. Our job as a city is to look back and say that we took care of everything that was within our power, and that we showed up for our city and for everyone collectively working to make it a better place, because this is so much bigger than a team. We all know blazers are 20% of what happens at the moda center. There's the fire, there's concerts, it's bigger than concerts. It's bigger than a building. It's bigger than a neighborhood. It's about the future of our city. It's about a signal and a direction that shows that we're able to do things that contribute to a much, much larger vision. I don't think history is going to be kind to us if we end up on the wrong side of this one. I think that impact will resonate far beyond this media and this election cycle, and I challenge all of us in the community, on the council and government to think bigger and have the courage to do the right thing. Thank you.
101 Hola. Buenos dias. Mi nombre es victoria lara. And good afternoon, mayor and councilors. For more than 25 years, I have dedicated my life to helping build a Portland where families thrive as small businesses succeed, and every community member feels like it belongs. I'm a of indigenous and I'm. I came from mexico almost 30 years ago. That's why I accepted the honor of serving as one of the co-chairs of we are rip city. But today I want to speak from my heart to, you know, as a business owner or community leader, I want to speak to you as a mom. My son does here, and he's going to testify to grow up in Portland. And like so many kids, he celebrated victories at the moda center, attended graduation concerts and community events. One of those events is el grito Portland. The I have organized for the last 20 years. It's a free event for everyone every September 15th and is the largest latino event in the pacific northwest. It's not just parties and mariachis and tequila. It's a platform for free resources. For a lot of families. We get 10 to 15,000 people there, and every background, language and neighborhood come together in one place. Every time we walk through the doors. My son is real. He seems everything powerful. He sees that his community belongs and everybody feels so proud. As an immigrant and a single mother, that matters more than I can put into words. Because he celebrates his heritage, his cultures, and has the opportunity to unite both cultures. Because not just a latino and a mexican, he's an American too. He celebrate what he is and every child deserves to grow up believing that there is a place for them in this city. The moda center is more than an arena. It's where memories are made for us, for my son, where dreams begin, for businesses. Because we support and help support thousands of businesses. And if you want to know, go there and check it out. Because small businesses have grown, it's where thousands of workers earn a living. And because of that, a lot of others get resources. And where Portland comes together as one community, I really appreciate your commitment to protecting workers and ensuring fair wages and benefits, but I am also concerned that we don't move forward. We risk losing jobs, losing opportunities for most businesses, losing something that helps define who we are as a city. This is more than a building. This is more than a negotiation. This is more than making sure and looking good in a negotiation. We cannot change the other side of the person or making him like a good person. I know he's a bad person. We know that we cannot change him. I mean, forget about changing him. We cannot make nothing. Trying to do something that we cannot change is insanity. What we can do is look for Portland and fight for Portland and what it is, and have hope and be persistent. Please don't let Portland to do something that we never get back. Thank you. Muchas gracias.
102 Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
103 Okay.
104 My name is kara stoudemire phillips. I'm a native portlander here today wearing three hats. First hat. I'm proud to help lead. We are rip city second hat. I'm the vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at moda health. Moda health and the Portland trail blazers began our partnership in 2013. And though yes, we are the naming rights partner, it has never been about just putting our name on a building and seeking a naming rights partner. The blazers wanted a home grown organ company with an established commitment to community. Moda topped that list and we have been better together building healthier communities across the state of Oregon, starting right here in Portland for 13 years. My third hat, like everyone in this room today and so many portlanders, both native and transplants, I have my own personal blazers love story. Mine began as a little girl listening to blazers games on the radio, and my grandmother's living room just blocks from the memorial coliseum in the lower albina neighborhood. My cousin, damon stoudamire, holds the same blazers love story. He, too, grew up in grandma's living room listening to blazers games on the radio, damon honed his basketball skills at matt dishman community center, then called knott street, and he attended harriet tubman middle school, all in the lower albina neighborhood, less than half a mile from the moda center. That young man with hoop dreams grew up to play for the Portland trail blazers. In our city of roses. Roses do grow and bloom past thorns. And dreams do meet reality. So I ask each of you today to do two things. First, think about the economic vitality that the moda center brings to the entire city, peaking during the blazers season. And second, recall your own personal blazers love story. It may be one of triumph. It may be one of heartbreak, but it is your story and you remember it and you love it. Every portlander for generations to come should have their own blazers love story too. I look forward to one day taking my grandchildren to blazers games just blocks from grandma's house and telling them about their cousin damon and watching them fall in love with the blazers home town hero and our team. Again, as my shirt says, rip city runs deep, runs deep for all of us. Thank you.
105 Thank you all so much. Next, I'd like to invite claire hamill, president of the Portland fire. Kathy keithley, president of the Gresham city council, and rose out of touch with the local 28. Jump in. Whoever wants to come.
106 Okay, I'll jump in. Mayor keith wilson, councilors, my name is claire hamill, and I am president of your Portland fire. I'm here to speak about what this moda center renovation means specifically for the fire and for the future of women's professional basketball in this city and region, and urge your support for funding this renovation. First, some context about who you're investing alongside in sports. Raj sports are the owners of Portland thorns and the fire, and they are making a substantial investment in this region. First, we invested in the purchase of the thorns and the fire, and now we're building the kaiser permanente performance center, which is soon to open, a $150 million privately funded, first of its kind dual sport training center for the fire and the thorns. Additionally, we've added more than 150 high paying net new jobs in addition to hundreds of construction and day game workers we employ at the moda center. That's new economic activity flowing into this region and the state today from an ownership group actively growing its footprint here. Now, the building itself, the moda center, the moda center, hasn't been meaningfully updated in 30 years. It was designed decades ago around a single tenant. The moda center isn't just home to our teams, the blazers and the fire. It's where this city hosts concerts, major events that draw people from across the region, a first class arena, a modern moda center, as we call it, is part of what brings these events here, and it builds civic pride and economic value beyond any single franchise. Now back to what I know best basketball. The current locker rooms or the, as we call them, the dressing rooms, training and medical facilities, player amenities were not built to support a second growing franchise, let alone a women's team competing for talent in a league where facility quality, quality, excuse me, increasingly shapes where players choose to sign. That's the equity piece we ask you to hold on to. The renovation is a chance to build the fire facilities at the moda center to a genuine first class standard from the ground up, just like we are doing with our $150 million investment at the performance center. Not an afterthought squeezed in later. Equitable access means a new framework where women athletes get the same treatment as their male counterparts. Full stop. The arena standards in the wnba are comparable to the arena standards in the nba, not lesser standards. These renovations are needed for our collective future in the moda center. We are an ownership group investing, hiring, and building in this community. We urge you to move forward with clear commitment to equitable facility design and help us make the fires return to Portland even brighter than it already is. At raj, we believe Portland is the global epicenter of women's sports. We're building that investment every day, and we ask you to join us. A vote to fund the moda center renovation will send a message loud and clear. Portland is the epicenter of women's sports. In a few weeks. We are hosting our second epicenter, women's sports women's global sports summit. We will close that week with a fire game against the Washington mystics in the moda center on August 23rd. Join us and see what an investment in the motor center could do for Portland and Oregon and for women's sports. Thank you for your time.
107 Thank you very much.
108 Good morning, president and members of the Portland city council. Mayor wilson, thank you all for allowing me to speak today. I am here on behalf of Gresham city council and mayor travis stovall. I'm not here to tell you how to do your job as a fellow policymaker. I know these decisions are rarely simple. Every major public investment requires balancing competing priorities while protecting taxpayers. And all of us take that seriously. I'm simply here to say that our region is rooting for you to find the right deal. For more than 50 years, the Portland trail blazers have been part of what it means to be an Oregonian. If you're anything like my family, being a blazers fan has meant celebrating incredible highs, enduring some tough seasons, and always believing next year might be our year. That's a lot like life. I still remember taking a picture with bobby gross, which dates me, and I still have an old clyde the glide t-shirt. Those memories are not unique to me. They are shared by generations of Oregonians. Rip city isn't just a slogan, it's a part of our identity. The blazers and the moda center are also an economic anchor for the entire region. They support thousands of jobs, bring people into our downtown, drive tourism, and create opportunities that extend well beyond portland's borders. And today, with these comments, it's not just about the blazers. The moda center must be reinvented for all of the other uses that we have. In many ways, though, their success is our region's success. We also know oregon's tax structure makes decisions like this especially challenging. I don't envy the responsibility before you, but I deeply respect it. Each of you were selected to ask hard questions, weigh the facts, and make thoughtful decisions for your community. That is exactly what we hope you will continue to do. Over the last several years, our region has heard plenty from critics and cynics, but they won't write oregon's next chapter. You will, and I hope we can look back and say, this generation of leaders found a way to preserve one of oregon's defining institutions for the next 50 years. On behalf of the city of Gresham, thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your service. May you find the deal that honors both the ledger and the legacy, so that rip city's next chapter is written not in doubt, but in a shared belief. Thank you.
109 Thank you both for being here. Rosetta is attempting to get online. I'm not sure if she's there yet, but that's. I'll call the next three, which are yasmin ibarra with seiu local 49, winter yohannes with albina vision trust, and terry johnson with the boys and girls club of Portland metro. Come on down. Introduce yourself for the record, please.
110 Good morning, council president Dunphy and members of the council. My name is yasmin ibarra. I'm the political director for seiu local 49. Our union represents over 15,000 service workers that are janitors, security officers and other industries, including the janitors who currently clean the moda center. As a community, our north star must be to support the inclusive redevelopment of a neighborhood. This is not about a team. It should never be about billionaires or corporate handout. Moda center is oregon's arena, our city's publicly owned asset and gathering place. As a council considers the city's term sheet and funding package, we appreciate the opportunity to share our perspective about the need for community led development and accountable partnerships. This is so much more than just sports. This is about how we invest public funds in ways that benefit working people. Make a real investment in the rose quarter and lower albina. Any negotiations should be framed by what workers and the neighborhood get, including job standards and preferences for small and local businesses, not just the project's price tag. Seiu and the Oregon labor movement look to you and other elected officials to ensure that this process centers working people and creates good jobs, high road jobs at every stage of the project. The city of Portland has the opportunity to be a model for how a city raises standards for janitors and security officers who will maintain and protect this publicly owned asset for decades to come, raising standards means creating union jobs with good wages, quality, affordable benefits, and respect and security that come with a collective bargaining agreement. Today, you'll hear directly from two of our members, whose lived experiences show exactly what those standards mean in practice. Linda sporer, security officer, union steward and executive board member. And then gisella marroquin, a janitor and union steward, three years of hard work organizing with other union members. They have set high standards for wages, benefits and respect on the job at many janitorial and security employers in the city and throughout the region. And I know that the city has supported service workers by doing things like establishing the fair wage policy and choosing janitorial and security providers that have signed on to union contracts. And gisella's and linda's story show precisely why it's important for the city of Portland to take leadership and ensure that janitors and security officers who maintain and protect the moda center have access to the same union standards. We are pleased to see that the city's draft term sheet includes explicit commitments to community and labor peace agreements. Those provisions send a clear message about the community standards we expect to see reflected in the final agreement. The Oregon labor movement remains eager to work with the city to ensure that renovating oregon's arena and our shared public owned asset also means building a stronger Oregon, where public investment supports local workers, local families and a thriving regional economy. Thank you for your time.
111 Thank you.
112 Good morning councilors. My name is wendy johannes and I have the privilege of serving as the executive director of the albina vision trust. The albina vision trust exists to rebuild a historic neighborhood in a way that is both world class and working class. I'm here today in support of the term sheet and the moda center renovation, because we understand that this conversation has always been about more than the arena. I spent the last week in the bay area visiting communities, doing similar work to us, and had a chance to ask about what it meant for oakland to lose all of its professional sports teams in the last few years. Their community leaders offered us a cautionary tale. It is obvious that the sky did not fall. However, that is not to say that the impact has not been severe. The most valuable asset oakland lost, and what is at stake for Portland is civic capital, which includes shared community experiences in oregon's most diverse gathering place, national visibility and a stronger sense of place. And as you know from our work, these three ingredients are absolutely critical to the albina vision because it is our belief that it is cultural and civic capital that can be used to attract the right kinds of financial capital that will ultimately transform a neighborhood. And with it, the entire city of Portland. As you know, we believe that having a mothballed arena in our district no way advances the albina vision. It is our hope, though, that we can both prevent that very bad outcome, while also making progress on actions that enable economic growth and restorative redevelopment to move forward together. That is the opportunity in front of you today and in our work in coming years. Thank you.
113 Thank you very much.
114 Good morning. My name is terry johnson and I am the ceo for boys and girls clubs of boys and girls clubs of Portland metro, and also a former club kid, a proud former club kid. As I'm a product of the clip of the clubs growing up in my formative years, I'm here today in strong support of the city's proposed investment in the renovation of the moda center. The Portland trail blazers have been a big part. An important partner of the boys and girls clubs of Portland metro since 1996, helping us serve young people and families throughout the. Throughout Portland and the surrounding communities. In fact, it was a vision and leadership of trailblazers legends terry porter and jerome kersey that helped establish the blazers boys and girls club in northeast Portland on mlk nearly 30 years ago. Today, that club remains the only boys and girls club out of more than 5500 clubs nationwide. With a naming partnership with an nba franchise, that's something Portland should be proud of. Over the past three decades, the trailblazers have invested more than $2 million in our organization. Their players have visited our clubs year after year after year, hosting basketball camps, mentoring young people, and creating unforgettable experiences for our kids who otherwise would never have had those opportunities. As a matter of fact, scoot henderson is hosting a back to school event for the community at our blazers club in a couple of weeks on August 22nd. Child blazers like scoot are continuing a tradition of community engagement that stretches back
115 Generations. But my support today extends well beyond the trailblazers. A vibrant moda center is an important economic engine for our city. It brings people downtown, supports local restaurants, hotels and retailers, and small businesses, and it strengthens the broader economy. Those businesses in turn, become donors, sponsors and partners for nonprofit organizations like ours that depend on private philanthropy to serve children and families. When portland's economy is strong, our nonprofit community is stronger, more young people have access to opportunities, and more families receive the support they need. For that reason, I encourage you to view the proposed the proposed term sheet not simply as an investment in an arena or team ownership, but as an investment in the long term vitality of Portland and the organizations that help make our city a better place to live, work, and raise a family. I respectfully urge you to support the city's $120 million investment in the moda center renovations. Thank you for your time and consideration.
116 Thank you very much and thank you all three. Rosetta was able to join us online.
117 I have to go to work real quick, but if you subsidize a.
118 Sorry. Thank you friend.
119 You're still. Kids and that's horrible.
120 Thank you very much, rosetta. Go ahead and join us.
121 Hello? Can you hear me? Okay.
122 Yes. Go ahead. Sounds good.
123 Good morning, council president Dunphy and members of Portland city council. My name is rosetta venitucci. I represent its local 28. We are the stagehands that work at the moda center. We have been there since the day it opened. I am here today to share our union's perspective on the importance of a funding package for the renovation of oregon's arena. Our state and region's public asset that centers working people and communities. As the city council considers this term sheet and funding package, it's important to remember that this conversation is about so much more than just sports. 1.5 million annual visitors and the significant economic activity in the city and the region that comes with those visits. The city of Portland, Multnomah county, and the state of Oregon are charting our own future on our own terms, and working people must be kept at the center of that future. It is important to keep in mind that our region has an affordability crisis, one where working people are having a harder and harder time living in the city where we work, and one where rising costs are eating into our family's already thin margins. The point is decisively to this points decisively towards the need to ensure that any public investment in a publicly owned arena like the moda center must be done in a way that guarantees that jobs that are created are uplifted, our quality, local jobs that our region can be proud of. We are there for every show. We have over 200 people there right now at the moda center. Loading. In benson boone. We need help with the arena. We all the reservations are needed. This is not glitz and glamor. This is all things we need to continue to work and to get more work in the future, and to help our city from the construction workforce that will build a remodeled, modern arena to the jobs that sustain and protect the venue for decades to come. This project must raise our region's hard won standards, not lower them. And that means creating good union jobs with good wages, quality, affordable benefits and the security of our collective bargaining agreements. The good news is that these types of standards and commitments for stadiums are common, and in fact, they are the industry standard on the west coast and many parts of the country. By ensuring that jobs are created and maintained at the moda center are good family supporting jobs, the county is helping chart a path for. Our region's best days are ahead of us. We need the city, the state and the county to all work well for all the humans. Thank you for this opportunity to share my testimony this morning. I apologize for the hiccups with the zoom. I am over at metro negotiating our p5 contract. Special thanks for all of you for taking care of us. Thank you very much.
124 Thank you very much. Our last three invited testifiers are jim etzel from sports Oregon, megan conway with travel Portland and graham trainer with the Oregon afl-cio.
125 Good morning, council president Dunphy and members of the city council. I'm jim etzel, ceo of sport Oregon, the state's nonprofit sports commission, and co-chair of we are rip city. I'm here to ask the council to see the moda center for what. It is one of the largest pieces of shared economic infrastructure this region has. And the clearest test this year of whether Portland can compete for its own future. Let's be honest about where we sit by metro population. We're one of the smallest markets in the nba, and Portland has no natural right to a team. What we have is a fan base and a civic identity that have consistently punched above the market's weight. Class a 55 plus year unbroken relationship with one franchise that most comparably sized markets haven't sustained, and a global footprint in the sports and outdoor product industry that exists nowhere else in its density in the world. Sport Oregon does not exist to protect one team. We exist for our city and state so that we can compete for the events that only a modern, large capacity venue can host. Great infrastructure creates great opportunity. A modern moda center means we can continue to compete for ncaa championships, major concert tours, family entertainment and other major events, including the women's final four. Major events like the final four, are awarded years in advance. We were awarded our 2030 hosting in 2022, but we are no longer being considered to host the biggest events because the arena has not been modernized. The most recent cycle to to bid for the final four, we are not eligible because of the state of our arena in this current year. Being passed over now doesn't just cost us the next 3 to 5 years, it can cost us the next 10 to 15. A place like the moda center is more than economic. It's emotional, it's social, it's aspirational. It's inspirational. It's a place that brings our community together day in and day out. It unifies people from every background, whether you're from rockwood, saint john's or hillsdale, every neighborhood, every corner of Portland and beyond. We didn't have a choice in who bought the blazers. We have more, far more to lose in this than the team's owner. New owner does. At the end of this process, the owner still owns the franchise here or somewhere else. I know that puts hard choices in front of this council in a process none of us asked for and none of us fully control. But I'm here to tell you it's worth it. If the blazers leave, we will not get another major league team in Portland for the next 30 years. Maybe not ever. Portland built a national reputation in sports and the sports product industry, not because it was the biggest market, but because it decided generation after generation to act like a market that can compete with anybody. Thank you all for your work and the opportunity to speak with you this morning.
126 Thank you very much.
127 Good morning, mayor wilson, council president Dunphy, vice president Clark and the members of the council. I'm megan conway, ceo of travel Portland, the city's destination marketing organization. Thank you for the opportunity to express the tourism industries. Strong support for funding moda center renovations and keeping the blazers in Oregon. The moda center is one of our most impactful year round assets for drawing, leisure, business and convention travel to our region, and it's one of the largest multipliers for our tourism economy. Visitors spent $5.5 billion and created 35,000 incremental jobs in 2025 alone. Looked at through tourism lens. There is much more to this story than basketball. Beyond infrastructure upgrades impacting sports franchises, a reimagined moda is necessary for modern day concerts, demanding improved sound rigging and loading capabilities. In 2024, hotel occupancy in Portland was just above 60% on 28 nights. Events at moda center, coinciding with conventions booking more than a thousand rooms drove that occupancy above 75%. 26 blazer games in the same year, coinciding with conventions oftentimes increased occupancy by more than 20 percentage points, 5% of the 6% lodging tax on the city goes to the general fund. Increased occupancy rates, drive compression that drives room rates, and results in higher lodging tax collections for the city general fund. To have this conversation, we must also evaluate what's at risk without investment, the reputation of our city remains fragile. We know all too well the damage that occurs every time Portland is at the center of yet another negative news cycle. As a global asset, our position as one of only 30 u.s. Cities with an nba team puts portland's current branding and name recognition in markets around the world at severe risk. The moment is now to show that Portland and the state's largest arena are worthy of investment. Please join our state legislators to guarantee the future of this marquee asset in the heart of Portland. Thank you for your time.
128 Thank you very much.
129 Good morning, council president Dunphy, vice president Clark, members of the Portland city council, and mayor wilson. My name is graham trainer, and I'm proud to serve as president of the Oregon labor federation afl-cio, representing over 300,000 working Oregonians in every corner of this beautiful state and in every sector of the economy. And we appreciate the opportunity to bring the voice of working people into this conversation about the funding package for the renovation of oregon's arena, our proud public asset, as council considers this term sheet and funding package, it's important to remember, as you've heard, that the conversation is about so much more than just sports. With 1.5 million annual visitors annually and the significant economic activity in the city and the region that comes with those visits, and the working people who make it all possible, from the skilled and trained construction workforce that will build a remodeled, modern arena to the jobs that sustain and protect the venue for decades to come. The event and guest service workers who helped you navigate the arena. When you visit the janitors and security workers, the concessions and food service workers, the audio visual technicians and stagehands, the maintenance workers, to name just a few. This project must raise our region's hard won standards, not lower them. And this begins with a two part process. First, a requirement for a project labor agreement during the construction phase of the project, and two ongoing commitments from the owners for operations and maintenance beyond construction. And we do appreciate the owners existing letter of commitment to negotiate a project labor agreement. The good news is that these types of standards and commitments for stadiums are common, and in fact, they are becoming the industry standard on the west coast and in many parts of the country. We've seen firsthand local, regional and national examples showcasing that major sports and entertainment venues can operate successfully, with clear expectations like these in place, that cover all phases of a project. By ensuring that jobs created and maintained at the moda center are good, family supporting jobs, the city is helping chart a path where our region's best days are ahead of us, and the labor movement stands ready to partner with you as you adopt a strong term sheet next week and as you negotiate a fair deal and a long term future for the moda center that places working people and a community led future for lower albina at its core. Thank you for your work and the opportunity to engage in this conversation.
130 Thank you all very much. Thank you. That concludes our invited panel of testimony. Testifiers. The time is currently 1045. I'd like to give us a ten minute break to go use the restroom and then come back, and we will spend the rest of our council hearing on public testimony. So if folks could please try to be back at 1055. Thank you. All right. I'm bringing us back to order, folks. Thank you all so much for your accommodation. As we all recognize, we are human. Keelan can we begin calling up folks in groups of five for our public testimony?
131 Just a second.
132 Sorry.
133 Okay, so before we get started, just a couple reminders. I will call up testifiers in groups of five. Each individual will have 90s. For those testifying in person, you will see the timer countdown displayed on the monitor in front of the testimony table. For those testifying virtually, the timer is displayed in zoom. You will hear the timer timer chime twice, once when there are 30s left, then a second time when your time is up. Before you begin your testimony, please state your name for the record. Thank you. Our first five testifiers are. B masten, randall friesen, gisela marroquin, spore, alex aurora.
134 Come on down, folks. Thank you. Feel free to jump in whoever sits down first and introduce yourself. For the record, you are welcome to share your pronouns and you got 90s apiece.
135 Hello, I'm b masten pronouns she her. I'm a proud member of unite here local eight and I work for a company called levy restaurants at the Portland five venues. The work we do there is the same work that levy workers at the moda center do, but the working conditions and compensation are very different. That's because moda center workers don't have a union. I used to be on public assistance, but through the years we have fought for and won better standards. Our cooks make 2925 an hour. Our dishwashers make 2625 an hour. A recent posting for a cook at moda center on indeed showed an hourly wage of $20 p five workers are eligible for good union full family health insurance. We pay $50 a month and we get that if we work 960 hours in a year, moda center workers do not have good, affordable health insurance. This needs to change. Our siblings at the moda center deserve better. I know this council agrees, and we thank you for sending workers as you make this decision.
136 Thank you.
137 Very much.
138 Good morning. President Dunphy and members of the council. For the record, my name is randall friesen. I'm the executive director of the columbia pacific building trades council. Our council represents over 20,000 building and construction trades professionals across the Portland, metropolitan and southwest west Washington regions. We are proud the blazers have committed to negotiating an agreement with the union labor for the renovation of this historic and vital project. With the passage of Oregon sb 1501 securing state funding for this project, the time is now to move expeditiously to help reach a deal allowing funding to be released for this project. These funds have an expiration date and would be a disservice to the community if the project was delayed, potentially forfeiting the much needed fiscal support. The proposed $600 million renovation project will provide thousands of family wage jobs for members of our community, and the starting point for many apprentices entering the building and construction trades through a state registered apprenticeship programs. Any project or facility that utilizes public funding has a responsibility to provide community benefits through safe and reliable employment opportunities and the best family benefits possible. It is no secret that the Portland metropolitan region and the state of Oregon face significant economic challenges. This project represents a promising turning point for Portland as we restructure our community and attract new business investment to the region and the state, we ask the city and county work together to get a deal done, ensuring this project and facility will benefit the community for decades to come. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thanks.
139 Thank you very much.
140 Buenos dias. Mi nombre es gisela marroquin.
141 I have you swap with this interpreter.
142 Thank you. Friends.
143 Gracias. Buenos dias. Mi nombre es gisela marroquin, soy miembro. Delegate the queue for quarantine for catorce. Anos quiero contarles un poco de mi historia para mostrar porque es importante crear trabajos con union.
144 Good morning, council members. My name is gisela marroquin. I am a janitor and a member of and steward of seiu local 49. I want to share a bit about my story, to show why it is so important to create union jobs and to support this term sheet for the moda center renovation.
145 Condiciones para la renovacion de moda center. And trabajé siete anos para una compania de limpieza, donde no tenemos union solo me aumentar cinco centavos por ano y nunca llegamos a solo ganar dolares. Los trabajadores tenia seguranca no tenia proteccion de trabajo mesitas medicas es la medicina ahora trabajo para a m, the janitor. Me sueldo ahora es veintidos veinticinco tengo a seguranca no tengo problemas de seguranca. Tengo un trabajo. Un tiempo en el elevador por cinco anos en la for, excuse me, for cinco horas. En la compania no tenemos union lo mismo me paso a m la otra compania no yo ni siquiera una serie de la manana por ayuda de trabajadores del edificio. Ningun supervisor ninguna de la oficina pudo atender mis llamadas lo mismo okay, sorry.
146 I previously worked for nearly seven years for a cleaning company where? Where we didn't have a union. My pay only went up by a few cents each year, never rising above $8 an hour. I had no health insurance, and I had to spend a lot of money on medical appointments for my four children and myself. I also didn't like at all the way we were treated. Once, while working alone in a building in hillsboro, I got trapped in an elevator from 1 a.m. To 6 a.m. I called the supervisor many times, but they never answered. When I finally managed to get out, my employer said nothing. Not even. We're sorry for what happened to you. I have now been working for ibm, where we have a union for 14 years. Just look at the difference that makes. I earn 2225 an hour. That helps a lot. Now, when everything is more expensive, I have good health insurance. I pay only 22 a month for two blood pressure medications, and we have grievance procedures that respect our rights.
147 Es por eso es muy importante moda center trabajamos con asegurarse de buenos sueldos y protection en nuestros trabajos todos necesitamos la misma attention cualquier trabajador. Muchas gracias.
148 That is why we ask you to keep fighting to establish good jobs for everyone at moda center and to support this term sheet. We all deserve good jobs. Thank you for your time and attention.
149 Thank you.
150 Good morning, council members. My name is linda spohrer. I am a security officer, executive board member of the seiu 49. We support the current term sheet, which we think is a good framework to make sure any deal at the moda center is a good one for working people. Right now, security officers at the moda center don't have a union. That means they might have lower wages and benefits that security officers just blocks away. So when I started working as a security officer 30 years ago, I didn't have a union. They paid us 925 an hour. There is no way you can get by on that. And they charge $300 a month for health insurance. We organized a union in 2012. I make $21 an hour now, and we have good insurance for only $80 a month. When I got breast cancer, it was affordable health insurance. I got the union that kept me alive and not buried in medical bills. Every worker at the moda center deserves a good job, fair pay, benefits and respect. You can help make that happen by supporting this term sheet. Thank you.
151 Thank you very much.
152 Hello. My name is alex and I'm a concessions worker at the moda center. I work for the trailblazers contracted food service provider, which is the largest food service corporation in the world. I have over 500 coworkers. First off, I want to thank city council for putting forward a moda center funding term sheet that includes a labor peace agreement. Special thanks to council councilors Dunphy, Koyama Lane and pirtle-guiney for listening to moda center workers concerns and an extra special thank you to Mitch Green, who is in my district and has vocally supported a labor peace agreement. A labor peace agreement is a path to a union contract without threatening the public interest. We need a union for many reasons. Many of us are food and housing insecure, and many of us rely on city funded food and housing supports. Unfortunately, the jobs do not allow us to work ourselves up out of our situation. Rather, we are pitted against each other in a race to the bottom. This is reflected in the hourly pay, which is extremely low. The company I work for has a unionized location right across the street from moda at the convention center. My counterpart there makes $9 more an hour and has access to health insurance I do not. Perhaps the most important union benefit is seniority based scheduling. This gives workers security and dignity. Just because someone works at the moda center doesn't mean they will actually work at the motor center. No work is promised to any individual, and if a manager doesn't like you, they can just leave your name off the schedule. This makes us vulnerable and we are coerced to accept being taken advantage of in ways we should not accept. So thank you again for including a labor peace agreement and the term sheet. I look forward to the day we have a union contract and can make hundreds of people's lives better.
153 Thank you all very much for being here today.
154 Our next panel of testifiers include jennifer graham, chris carpenter, anjanette banuelos bolanos, elijah hoffman, jose Avalos.
155 Welcome, folks. Come on up. Introduce yourselves. For the record, you're welcome to share your pronouns. And you have 90s.
156 Great. Thanks, president Dunphy. Members of the council. My name is chris carpenter. I'm the political director for ibew local 48, where the electrical workers union here in Portland, Oregon, covering out from north coast to Oregon, out towards the central part of the northern side of the state and southwest Washington. I'm going to try to keep this pretty brief. I think you've heard a lot about a lot of the long term and very robust community impacts that this project has. I want to talk just a little bit about some of the work that our members do out there right now as we're looking at this. And we want to. And first, I want to acknowledge that we really appreciate the responsible stewardship everybody's showing and the very thoughtful way in which people are approaching this project. I think we want to make sure that as we're looking at a profound amount of investment coming out of the state and from other partners on this, that we don't miss the opportunity to do something huge here with the moda center, our members. And right now in the area, we've seen a lot of work slow down. We have members who have to travel out to idaho or california to try to find work and leave their families. One of the things that this really shows us, and this project presents us with an opportunity for, is getting members back on the job. We have about 6000 members. We have roughly 800 apprentices in our program right now. The way that those programs are run is that they are trained mostly with on the job training. So having projects like this in their backyard helps us get the next generation of electricians ready to roll. Those folks who are going to be doing all the work on Green energy, on housing, on everything else. So we need to make sure that those opportunities are here. So thank you for your time and really encourage you to keep moving forward and get the deal done. Thank you.
157 Thank you very much.
158 Good morning councilors. My name is jennifer graham. I'm the Oregon vice president for unite here local eight. Our union represents hospitality workers in Portland, including at the Oregon convention center in at area hotels. For many months now, we have heard from food service workers at the moda center about their jobs and how they are fighting to make them better. We've also heard that many of them can't afford the cost of living in Portland, and many are struggling with housing insecurity, food insecurity, paying for child care and other necessities of daily life. Many need to rely on public social services to get by. You have an opportunity to change people's lives. Imagine workers at the convention center, the moda center and the Portland performing arts venues being able to combine their hours to qualify for affordable health care and create truly transformational jobs in portland's hospitality industry. Any investment of public dollars you make is only worth it if the resulting jobs are good jobs, allowing workers to support themselves and their families. I also want to address the proposal for a street pricing policy, street pricing policy, and our experienced street pricing puts a downward pressure on wages and benefits. Workers are experiencing that dynamic at the Portland airport every day. Street pricing sounds great, but it comes right out of the pockets of workers and would absolutely hurt the 500 food service workers at moda center. Thank you for centering the working people of this city as you move this process forward.
159 Thank you.
160 Good morning, council president Dunphy and members of Portland city council. My name is anjanette banuelos bolanos. I live in district one. I'm also a business representative for liuna local 737. We represent approximately 2800 union members across Oregon, including 178 registered apprentices and more than 100 people waiting to dispatch into the first union apprenticeship opportunity. I'm here today to ask to ask you to move forward with the funding package of the moda center renovation and to ensure this investment continues to create quality union jobs. This project is more than is about more than a sport. It's about investing in oregon's workforce, supporting working families and strengthening our communities. At a time when many families are struggling with the rising cost of living and public investment should create careers that provide family wage jobs, health care, retirement, security and opportunities for future generations. I know that because they changed my life 17 years ago, after being released from incarceration, I was looking for a second chance, a chance to Oregon trans woman pre-apprenticeship program and apprenticeship. I found one today, I celebrate 19 years of sobriety and building a career that allows me to help others find the same opportunities. Projects like this create more than temporary jobs. They create lifelong careers, and we encourage the city council to move this project forward using proven tools like project labor agreements, community benefit agreements to ensure the public investment benefits Oregon workers and our communities. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to oregon's working families.
161 Thank you very much.
162 Good morning, council president Dunphy and council members. For the record, my name is jose Avalos. I am a business representative and a member of opc. Mi local 555 concrete finishers. I serve on the executive board of the columbia pacific building trades council. Local 555 represents more than 700 workers across Oregon. For many portlanders and Oregonians, projects like this create real pathways into family supporting careers throughout state. Registered apprenticeship programs. They also keep current apprentices and journey level workers employed, earning wages, and supporting their families. Delaying delay could put vital state funding at risk and create uncertainty for workers, contractors and the success of the project. This is the opportunity to turn public investment into good jobs, stronger apprenticeship pathways and long term benefits for working families. I respectfully urge the council to move this agreement forward without delay and help ensure this project delivers for Portland, for Oregon and for workers who build other communities, our communities. Thank you for your time and consideration.
163 Thank you very much.
164 Good morning, council president Dunphy, members of Portland city council, mayor keith wilson. My name is elijah hoffman, and I'm a business agent with teamsters local 162. And I'm here today representing teamsters joint council 37, and its seven affiliated local unions. Our union represents more than 35,000 active and retired members from more than 200 area employers. In every industry in our local economy, we are urging the city of Portland to do everything in its power to protect and preserve the moda center, which is our area's premier entertainment venue, and to grow and preserve jobs. The moda center not only generates hundreds of jobs at its on site operation, there are thousands more impacted outside of moda in area hospitality, construction, food and beverage manufacturing, air and ground transportation, and the extensive supply chain of goods and services into and out of moda center. Teamsters are all about jobs, good jobs, jobs that allow workers to provide for their families with job security in their earning years and secure retirement in their golden years. Good jobs are the foundation of a strong community and a thriving economy. Let's all work together for good jobs at the moda center and support the term sheet and funding package for moda. We appreciate your time and consideration in this matter, and stand ready to partner with the city in this endeavor. We want the moda center to succeed and benefit our entire economy and our entire community. Thank you very much.
165 Thank you. Thank you all very much.
166 Our next panel of testifiers include burke nelson, richard mcneil, jordan lewis, catherine jurgens, brian orndorf.
167 Come on down, folks. I see some folks coming from upstairs, too. So whoever's sitting down. Welcome, burke. Why don't you kick us off?
168 Okay. Good morning everyone. Good morning, mayor and members of Portland city council. On behalf of the national association of minority contractors named Oregon chapter. We write in support of the resolution approving the proposed terms for the moda center arena renovation and post-renovation operations team term sheet, and authorizing negotiations toward a long term lease agreement with the Portland trail blazers and rip city management as advocates of equitable economic development, workforce inclusion and long term investment in oregon's infrastructure. Nimac recognizes the significance of this opportunity for the city of Portland, the regional economy, and the diverse contracting community we represent. The moda center is not only a premier sports and entertainment venue, it is a critical economic asset that generates substantial activity for local businesses, workers and communities. According to the city's economic analysis, the rose quarter campus contributes more than 600 million annually in economic impact, supports nearly 6000 jobs, and generates approximately 290 million in labor income throughout the region, preserving and strengthening the economic engine through strategic and reinvestment is an important step toward sustaining portland's competitiveness and long term economic vitality. We understand that this resolution is non-binding and represents the beginning of a negotiation process rather than a final funding commitment. Nevertheless, approving the term sheet is a necessary step in advancing discussions with the trail blazers organization, Multnomah county and the state of Oregon. The state's commitment of 365 million, together with anticipated county participation, presents a significant opportunity to leverage outside investment in the city owned asset while maintaining public ownership of the facility. For these reasons, respectfully urges Portland city council to approve this resolution and continue negotiations. Thank you for your consideration and leadership.
169 Thank you very much.
170 Good morning. My name is richard mcneil. I'm a resident in district three, and I am quite upset about the process that this term sheet creation has followed. To date, there has been very little public input. Hastily arranged city council conferences in several districts. We don't have an independent evaluation of the moda center repairs and upgrades that are needed, nor do we have a list from the, trailblazers of what those would include. We're negotiating in the dark. We don't even have, alternate operators who have evaluated what the opportunity cost of, of operating the motor center would be. We need public answers to these questions. And according to the motor, trailblazer organization, their public answers would not be well received by the public. I think that says it all. I strongly suggest that we take more time to figure out a term sheet that works for Portland. Every dollar that we spend needs to come back into the coffers of Portland city. We do not have funds available. We're already cutting parks and critical, city services. We do not have the money to invest. Thank you.
171 Thank you very much.
172 Hello. Portland city council. My name is jordan lewis. I'm a volunteer lobbyist for the Portland democratic socialists of America. First, if any nba execs are watching this right now, I just want to say the hostage situation has affected my enjoyment of the brand. I did not grow up enjoying sports, but this spring I watched my first blazers game. I had fun, but recent negotiations have given me the ick. I was at a bar during the playoffs and happened to see the knicks, a team who stuck through the through there, the knicks, a team who stuck with their city through hard times. Imagine that. And they won the championship after like a 50 year drought. That was a powerful moment which the team knew would come. Their brand matters and moving, moving damages the brand. If the knicks can handle 1976 new york city, the blazers can handle 2026 Portland. Last week, the blazers showed up just to trash the city. They publicly accused the city of going woke and going broke. You know the whole there are poor people outside fix it now routine. They whinged about high taxes while asking Portland taxpayers to give them $900 million. Which make that make sense. If our problems are so bad, maybe $900 million would be better spent fixing those problems. I'd like the team to stop speaking out of both sides of their mouths. If they really loved the city and wanted to stay here, they wouldn't be charging $1 billion for the privilege of staying here. This can't be a transformative investment and a bid to maintain what we have. At the same time, at the moment, it's trendy to bash coastal blue cities and venerate the almighty sunbelt of arizona, texas, north carolina. Our own governor has done it with her prosperity council. All I have to say is, yes, Portland has some problems. We may never butcher a pig as quickly and cheaply as child laborers in raleigh, and we may not build suburban tract homes on wetlands like houston does. But we have a lot going on, and I think the blazers know that. And they'll stay here. Thank you.
173 Thank you very much.
174 Brian orndorf, district four, former member of the rose quarter advisory committee. This debate is far more about basketball. It's about whether Portland can remain competitive as a major league city. The question isn't who owns the moda center. The question truly is who has the leverage? In third place is the city. The city owns the arena, but the ownership is not leverage. The city purchased moda center for $1 because it came with hundreds of millions of dollars of deferred maintenance. Renovation costs are now estimated at over 600 million. The city's proposed investment is only a fraction of that total. While asking the owner to accept relocation restrictions, lease commitments and other conditions. Some are reasonable, but we need to recognize that tom dundon is under no obligation to accept any of these. Tom dundon is in second place. He invested 4 million to acquire the trailblazers. Like any business owner, he has a fiduciary responsibility to maximize the franchise's long term value. If other markets offer greater long term economic opportunities, he has leverage to move, but he cannot move without the nba. The nba is first place. The league holds the ultimate decision making authority. No relocation happens without the nba, so the negotiation is not really about convincing tom dundon. It's about convincing the nba that remains committed to being a viable nba market. My recommendation is simple reduce political rhetoric. Stop treating this as a fight with the owner and focus on negotiating a financially responsible agreement that protects taxpayers, modernizes the arena, and demonstrates to the nba and the world that Portland is serious about keeping the trailblazers for generations to come. Thank you.
175 Thank you all very much.
176 Catherine, catherine is joining us online.
177 Welcome, catherine.
178 My name is catherine jurgens and I live and work in district four. I moved to Portland in 2001, answering the call of a city that was affordable, creative and dynamic. Much has happened in those 25 years. Politicians have come and gone. Whole neighborhoods have been built from the ground up. The new york times fell in and out of love with us. We built a tram, but we didn't build enough housing. We mismanaged a homelessness crisis, impacting the livability of all residents, and we took sustained economic growth for granted. Through all of this, one thing has stayed the same our Portland trailblazers, from bill walton and the championship team to wallace and stoudemire in the conference finals to the short lived dream of odin, roy and aldridge, to the best moments of our goat, damian lillard. Since 1970, the blazers have united us in heartbreak and in joy. This is what I want you to remember when debating the term sheet in front of you. I urge you to consider the benefits that can't be enumerated by a hired economist to try and calculate the roi of hope, to quantify the power of inspiring blazer mania in future generations. I ask you to seriously consider the immense long term damage of losing something important and irreplaceable. Portland should do big things, the big civic pride to its residents. We believe that Portland can thrive. We can build a modern moda center that is an anchor to a revived albina and a reimagined lloyd, and we can keep our team here for decades to come. Thank you. Go, blazers.
179 Thank you very much.
180 Our next panel of testifiers include christopher olsen, katie woodruff, ej wisniewski, donald kenny, adriana lock.
181 Come on down, folks. Over sitting down. You're welcome to go first, please introduce yourself for the record and got 90s. Go ahead. Right in the middle here.
182 Who? Oh, me? Sure. Yeah. My bad. Sorry. All good? Yeah. Okay, so I'm all for sports and community events. And respectfully, those who appeal to the loss of a basketball team miss the point. Keith wilson, when asked if he was prepared to lose the blazers, said it would result in job and population loss. He said, quote, I can't fathom losing the blazers. I'm not prepared to lose the blazers. You're not prepared to lose a basketball team with a 52% win loss ratio, who haven't won a championship since 1977, rarely make the playoffs and only play 41 home games a year. I'm sure you could replace that with different talent if you lost them. Homelessness is increasing under keith wilson's leadership. The city of Portland and Multnomah closed six shelters, which resulted in layoffs. At my job, and the mayor's not prepared to lose a basketball team. Tina wants to give 365 million to renovations, yet just proposed a $4,421 million cut to medicaid. But the mayor is unprepared to lose a basketball team. The state right now is on fire. We are inheriting a world that's burning from climate change, and the mayor is unprepared to lose a basketball team. You walk outside and you'll see crumbling infrastructure in our roads and our transportation system. Sick and homeless people are everywhere in desperate need of help. Real work needs to be done, real work. And that real work is not getting done because it's tied to someone's profits. Instead, we are here arguing over 600,000,600 million for dundon and hawkins, who admit they have. They don't have a plan. They
183 I don't know what they'll need the 600 million for. They only have concepts of a plan. This is shameful. It is. And it makes you look weak. You're lying to us, and you know that. You're lying to us.
184 Thank you for being here.
185 Concepts of a plan. A plan that is a black box.
186 Thank you. Fortunately, that's your time.
187 Insane.
188 Thank you.
189 Okay.
190 Whoever wants to jump in.
191 I'll go next. Good morning. Members of the council. My name is donald kenney. For 17 years, I've owned and operated spirit of 77, just a short walk from the moda center in the lloyd district. Spirit of 77 has been portland's blazers bar community and members of our community have been coming through our doors before games and returning afterwards and building traditions around this team. This is about more than basketball, however. The moda center hosts roughly 150 events a year, and more than 100 of those are not trail blazers games, and those alternate uses will dwindle to none without this investment. If you come out tonight before the benson boone concert or tomorrow before the Portland fire game, you will see the value of the rose quarter is not an abstract economic impact number to us. I see it in our employees, our local vendors, and the families and members of the community who support our business. The city purchased this building in 2024 to gain control, a greater control over its future and make an investment possible and negotiate a long term agreement. And that moment is now. The entire lloyd district represents less than one half of 1% of portland's land area and less than 2000 registered voters, and it contains some of the city's most important civic, convention, entertainment and transportation infrastructure. Public investment in a public building should secure something meaningful in return, and a binding 20 year commitment and real protection against relocation. The blazers are not a replaceable tenant if they leave. Portland still owns the building and its future costs enormous future costs, but loses the anchor tenant paying rent that makes this building possible. Portland is showing up now that nba needs to show up as well. Let's move to a growth mindset for our city. I urge you to move forward with this term sheet.
192 Thank you very much.
193 Hey. Good morning councilors. My name is chris olson, and I'm coming to you today as an Oregon taxpayer and resident of district two who doesn't live too far away from the moda center. There are two reasons that we are in this mess right now. And it's really simple. Billionaires and corporate democrats. In 2024, the corporate democrats and the old Portland city council purchased the motor center for $1 from the blazers. And as I've heard it said before, when you're buying anything for a dollar, it's buying a liability and not an asset. The billionaire portland's family knew that dumping their largest liability onto the people of Portland would make the sale of the blazers more attractive to new ownership, and the corporate democrats on the Portland city council and in Salem sold us out by prioritizing the profits of a billionaire over the interests of working people. And I urge this council not to make the same mistake with this term sheet. The moda center is now our stadium, whether we like it or not. So public investment is reasonable. But footing the entire bill is not. Especially when corporations have received hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks at the state level, which led to cuts in education, public transportation and road maintenance, to name a few. Plus, on top of that, kotek says that over $400 million in medicaid cuts are expected, and at the same time, the city of Portland has had its largest budget deficit ever, leading to layoffs and cuts in services working people rely on. But there's really only one enemy here, and that's tom dundon, who purchased the blazers intending to rip off portlanders instead of investing into the community or even the team that he bought. Remember when working people are in tight spots. We cut back. We have to make sacrifices and the people here need health care, safe roads, Green infrastructure and schools, and those should be our priorities. The term sheet must include private investment, and the man who is worth over $2 billion can spend a little bit more money on the team he just bought. Thank you.
194 Thank you very much.
195 Good day, city council and my fellow Oregonians. My name is adriana locke. Oregon is bracing for $421 million in cuts to medicaid next year. So when I heard that the state legislature approved $365 million to renovate the moda center, I felt deeply betrayed. At a time when so many of us are having to tighten our belts. Investing so much public money requires a careful scrutiny that I did not see. My small business is within walking distance of the moda center, but we don't benefit from its business like the center itself. However, we benefit from the public services offered by the state, county and city. These include health care, child care, and transportation. How many moda center employees are on ohp? How many employees use preschool for all? How many event attendees use TriMet services? Let's be clear that lots of public funds are already invested in the motor center economy. It's important that the opportunity of a new lease does not cost us the infrastructure that allows all businesses to thrive. The blazers are a beloved Oregon tradition, but gone are the days of paul allen investing millions of his own money in the places and teams that he loved. It's a shame that the new owners don't share his community minded values, love of the team, or respect for the thousands of jobs that hang in the balance. But that's why we elected you to be good stewards of our city. We need you to play a different game and find a way forward to create good jobs without risking state and local public funds.
196 Thank you very much.
197 Katie is joining us online. Katie. You're muted.
198 Thank you. Good morning. My name is katie woodruff. I believe professional sports means so much more than the scoreboard. The trailblazers are not simply a team that plays here. They are a part of how Portland sees itself. In 1977, our incredible team brought Portland its first and only nba championship. Creating a connection that has lasted for generations. Clyde drexler once said the blazers and their fans had a unique relationship. I'm not sure there has ever been a love affair between an nba team and its fan base like we had. That is rip city. Opposing teams prepare for the raucous energy inside the moda center because our fans don't simply attend games. They create that atmosphere. That connection reaches beyond the arena in so many ways. It lives in our youth programs, our neighborhood courts revitalized by the city and the trailblazers, giving young people a place to play, build confidence and feel they belong. It lives in the first game our kids attend at moda, their first blazer jersey, or simply watching with a family who remember 1977. Yes, there is an economic conversation here, but there is also a human one. The trailblazers are a part of who Portland is, and we must protect that connection. Mayor, council members, please do what it takes for our kids and generations.
199 To come. Thank you.
200 Thank you very much. Colleagues, I'm going to invite up one of our panelists who was an invited panelist earlier but wasn't able to make it. We have chair chair of Multnomah county, jessica vega. Petersen. Welcome, chair.
201 Thank you so much. I really appreciate the flexibility. Thank you all for having this discussion today. Good morning, council president dunfee and Portland city councilors. My name is jessica vega. Petersen. I'm the Multnomah county chair. Thank you for providing me the opportunity to speak today. This is part of a of a large debate that's happening right now over the motor center renovations, and rightly so. It is a large public investment and a civic asset. And both the city of Portland and Multnomah county just went through a grueling budget process. Today is a critical discussion. The action that the state, Multnomah county and the city of Portland collectively do or do not take at this moment will have an enormous impact on the future of Portland and Multnomah county. I want to make the case that despite legitimate concerns and a frustrating negotiating process with the blazers, this is a deal we must get done, and it must be a deal that benefits our entire community. These are not mutually exclusive concepts. In fact, they must be paired together for us to reach a deal. Tomorrow, the Multnomah county board of commissioners will vote on a resolution that will guide our negotiations with you, the city of Portland. Our resolution will lay out the terms we expect to be included as the city. The owner of the moda center negotiates directly with the blazers. I believe many of the conditions I'm hopeful our board will approve tomorrow are aligned with what I have heard from many of you during this public discussion. To start with, we need a commitment that this deal will ensure the blazers stay in Portland for at least the next 20 years. But this is so much bigger than the blazers. We need a deal that includes strong community and neighborhood benefits. A significant moda center renovation should serve as the foundation of a rose quarter and lower albina revitalization, in partnership with local community organizations like the albina vision trust, who are already doing transformational work to reconnect and renew this historic neighborhood. Our deal should include robust labor agreements that ensure good paying union jobs, are part of the renovation and future operations and maintenance. With this condition, we have heard robust support from local unions including seiu, the teamsters and isc. They understand how crucial a deal is to preserving current jobs provided by moda center activity, and how beneficial new job opportunities through a renovation project are for the working families of Multnomah county. A deal should provide direct revenue streams for the governments contributing towards the project that can be reinvested in crucial public services. We need to ensure renovations accommodate the unique needs of a moda center's newest tenant, the Portland fire of the wnba. We must have protections for our investment that ensure we are not responsible for cost overruns and have the ability to claw back dollars if the terms of our agreements are broken, and we need the blazers to show up as better partners in this work. We might not get every term we ask for, but we must start with a strong line of what we want to see and what it will ultimately get approval, both by the votes of our respective governments and the approval of the community we are elected to serve. This is an incredibly important moment for our region. If we don't have a long term turnaround in our economic trajectory. Multnomah county's budget, the city of portland's budget, the state's budget, our school district's budgets will all be suffering for years to come. A renovated, activated moda center is a key part to that recovery. The moda center is a crucial economic engine for our county, and it's imperative that we negotiate in good faith to sustain this civic asset for future generations. It not only generates hundreds of jobs at its on site operations, there are thousands more impacted outside of the moda, from the people living and visiting the area to the small businesses throughout the neighborhood in front of us is an opportunity. I implore you to take action today to move Portland one step closer to joining the state of Oregon and Multnomah county in our shared commitment to our region's economy and overall well-being. Thank you.
202 Thank you chair. Lovely to see you.
203 Our next panel of testifiers include diane riley, benjamin gilbert, Eric bailey, gabriel pascuzzi, cash. Carter.
204 Come on down, folks, as you're arriving. Whoever wants to sit down gets to go. First, introduce yourself. For the record, you're welcome to share your pronouns. And you got 90s.
205 Hi, my name is diane riley. I use she and her pronouns. I'm honored to be here today and show up with all of the portlanders and people who are speaking today. I can't say that there's a lot that I disagree with from any of the people who have testified. We are in a dilemma. I believe that Portland is being tested and that we need to step up to our values, and those values include integrity, compassion and understanding about our neighbors, our, our, our city, and our state. I have never heard of a an economic development plan, including sports that actually produced the kind of outcomes that we think it does. It is a great investment in culture. It's a great investment in joy. I believe in both of those things, but it is not necessarily an economic. It doesn't produce the economic outcomes that we suppose it does. If it did, we wouldn't be in this position right now because we have the blazers. I would like us to think about health care for all health care for all Oregon, not firing any more of our public school teachers and, you know, stepping up for all the things that are basic. If we want to keep the blazers, we've got to wrangle it away from a tyrant who wants to change us completely from who we really are.
206 Thank you very much.
207 Hi, I'm Eric bailey. I'm a small business owner in district two. Basketball is the second most popular sport in the world with professional leagues on every continent. But unlike soccer, which has several top leagues, there's undeniably one top league in basketball, and that is the nba. Even the 30th and worst team would wax any other team in the world. Any major city, domestic or abroad, would die to have an nba team. But this is our team and they can't have it. Let's be clear. The deal that was made between the state, city, county and the blazers to renovate moda and have a long term lease signed was made before duncan became owner. I have little doubt that duncan wants to move the team, but I'm equally convinced that if we pass this original deal, commissioner Silver will make duncan ultimately sign on the dotted line. Espn said recently that moving the blazers to any one of several markets would make the franchise worth $1 billion, plus more than they are right now. The blazers generate $600 million a year in economic activity in our area. That's $12 billion over a 20 year span. If the team has moved, duncan becomes richer and the city becomes poorer. We cannot let that happen. The 6% ticket tax on all events at moda, combined with the parking revenue from blazer games, generate between 5 and $8 million a year for the city. That's money that goes away if we lose our major tenant, causing the arena to become an annual drain on the budget for basic repairs. My most cherished childhood memories are of going to games with my dad. Some of my favorite fatherhood memories are going with my son. I vividly remember cheering with my dad as kevin duckworth came out of the tunnel with a broken hand to play in game seven of the 1990 western conference finals. Councilor. The job you have before you is not to convince duncan of anything. It's to show the nba directly how serious we are about keeping this team. Start by passing this deal and also sending over a much more reasonable term sheet. Our city. Our team. Our arena.
208 Thank you very much.
209 Hello.
210 My name is benjamin gilbert and I'm a volunteer lobbyist for the Portland democratic socialists of America. With over 3700 dues paying members in the Portland metro area, the city should not spend the people's money without transparency on how it will be spent. And if our money is being spent, we need private investment and a ton of community benefits. Many of our members are also proud members of their unions, so seeing a deal that directly benefits working portlanders is of the utmost importance to us. The blazers, mr. Predatory lending texas billionaire owner tom dundon has done nothing to build relationships with rip city, but we are counting on you councilors to hold them accountable with a stronger term sheet, one that recognizes that dundon has no interest in the rights or conditions of Portland workers and has every incentive to rip rip city off. Anyone who votes to hand public money away without private investment will have an albatross around them, the city survey survey showed clear public opposition to a giveaway, so let's make sure this isn't a giveaway. This must not be funded with pcf dollars robbing our climate adaption fund while we're covered in smoke would be outrageous. We need more public process, need to keep our leverage, and have to negotiate from a place of strength and transparency. Backdoor deals are bad for Portland. Just like workers benefit from open bargaining, the public needs transparency, not ndas. There is a false sense of urgency. Let's keep our powder dry and push for a better process. Thank you.
211 All right. Thank you. My name is cash carter, and my pronouns are him. God is great, but that's something to say. Blazer fans, I'm sorry to tell you. The team is moving. We are being relocated. But to where? The nba finals, the nba championship. And that starts today. With that being said, we got five years now reimagine what a nba championship parade would look like if we won right now. Would we have enough law enforcement to secure that perimeter? What's the answer? No. How long would that parade look like? Look at our current big parade for the royal festival. It gets shorter and shorter and shorter every year, so that means our city is not in alignment to win a championship right now. But we have five years or less to get ready for that, to envision that, to see that, go outside, see that route, see what empty building is sitting there, envision what business is going to be there. Envision what food vendors are going to fill that parade route, and most importantly, envision what Portland musicians besides damian lillard are going to be performing at that parade. Where's it going to be at? This is not paul allen's team anymore. We have an outsider who came here, and sometimes the best things are seen from the outside. And he's telling us that our vision does not align with his vision. He's a winner. I'm a winner. The year I, I worked for the timbers, they won a championship. That building at the moda center, my father helped build that. His name is on the building. I came home every day. I came home every day. Thank you for saying that. Last thing I want to say.
212 Sorry. We're at time. Sorry. Thank you very much, friend. Thank you, thank you. Thank you all very much.
213 Checking to see if gabriel pascuzzi is here. Next up we have rohan harvey, devin ruiz, jonathan. Pulvers. Quinn. Hadley. Eden. Krulwich.
214 Come on down, folks. Take your time. Don't rush. Kevin, why don't you kick us off?
215 Good morning council. My name is devin ruiz. I live in district two and I'm a registered lobbyist for. Next up, a nonprofit organization that works to achieve a more just and equitable Oregon for young people. Nearly every time I've stood in front of this council, it's been to plead with each of you to consider the affordability crisis, crisis that young people are facing as they're building their lives in Portland. We are here today because losing the blazers is being dangled above our city by a billionaire who is unwilling to spend his money on a team he purchased, all while sporting events and concerts are becoming a luxury. Working portlanders are priced out of working class. Portlanders are already consistently asking for safety nets and investments in the city. If we agree to a term sheet that doesn't actually have material benefits or revenue, I'm afraid of what our city will lose. The blazers are not working with the city or the fans they claim to love. They should be making investments in our city significantly contributing to union jobs, revitalization, our school district, things that will make Portland better. Instead, we are being rushed into a deal that will only drive portland's affordability crisis further. While billionaire becomes richer. As councilor Avalos mentioned last week, other groups that get funding from the city are subjected to a rigorous process that the blazers, as we saw in the k2at article last night, are refusing to answer simple questions. We urge Portland city council to require private capital investment for renovations to be secured for any agreement we support Morillo one for more transparency and oversight of city bonds. Morillo two for street pricing inside of moda center and support Green Avalos. Portlanders should know where the money we are giving to this project is sourced from, all while having a limit for that contribution, I will submit my full written testimony. Thank you.
216 Thank you.
217 Hi everyone. My name is idan carlowitz. Thank you very much for your hard work on this. This isn't a referendum on whether we love the blazers. I think you can look around the room and say that everyone loves the blazers. I support investing public dollars to keep them in Portland, but public investment deserves a public return. Today, you're being asked to commit more than $1 billion in public resources to a city owned arena that, as proposed, returns less than $0.10 on every taxpayer dollar invested. Two years ago, the city estimated about $253 million in needed improvements. Today, we're considering more than twice that amount. Yet the public still hasn't seen what the money buys. We've been told that the choice today is a weak deal today or a dark arena tomorrow. That's a false choice. This term sheet may be technically non-binding, but it is politically binding. It tells the blazers and the nba what you won't fight for. So put a true market rate proposal on the table. Meaningful private investment, revenue sharing, fair rent and real economic returns. These are things many other cities, even small market teams, receive. And if Portland truly has no choice, if no fair market partnership is possible, if meaningful public protections are unacceptable and taxpayers are simply expected to pay whatever is demanded, then the public deserves to hear that plainly. Don't call it a partnership. Tell the public there is no negotiation. I don't believe that's true. I believe the blazers want to stay. I believe the nba wants the blazers in Portland, and I believe a fair market partnership is possible. The only way we'll find out is if this council has the courage to ask for one. Thank you.
218 Thank you very much.
219 All right. Good morning councilors. My name is rohan harvey. I'm a resident and a field organizer with. Next up, a civic home for diverse young people to build up their organizational power. And I'm here to urge you to continue to push for clear private capital investments and to pass both Morillo one and two and the Green Avalos amendment. This moda center controversy began because some of our public officials in office at the state, county and city levels decided for the public that we didn't need to be a part of the discussion at any point. They decided that the public didn't know what was best for them, which is apparently giving millions of our tax dollars to a texas billionaire instead of negotiating a better deal on our behalf. Working class young people are being priced out of attending large scale sports events and concerts at our local venues. We deserve to have our voices heard and taken seriously. And what we're saying is we don't want to pay for upgraded locker rooms and executive suites when we can barely afford our own rent, groceries, childcare, you name it. We want better paying jobs, so maybe we can afford to attend an event at this beloved venue, something a lot of us can afford maybe once or twice a year. Dundon doesn't just get to waltz into our city by our team and demand us to foot millions again, with minimum minimal community input to renovate a venue. The people who live, work and play here cannot afford to access. If he wants an upgraded arena, then he can pay his part and find capital, private capital, investments and buying a team he clearly doesn't care about, isn't it? We urge you to require private capital investment for the renovation. We support Morillo one for more transparency and oversight of city bonds and Morillo two for street pricing inside the moda center and the Avalos Green amendment. Thank you.
220 Thank you very much.
221 Jonathan is joining us online.
222 Thank you, president Dunphy, vice president Clark, mayor wilson and councilors. My name is jonathan pulvers. I'm a lifelong blazer fanatic. I'm here as part of rip city, not rip off. I live in southeast Portland, right near brooklyn. I watched with sadness last week as top blazer brass came before you. Forced to say things that they obviously don't. Behest of the father of stanley cup winner dax dundon, his venality is the apotheosis of a years long campaign of municipal negging, showing contempt for the team, the fans and the city, and manipulating our shared love for Portland and the blazers into a demand for tax cuts and subsidies for large companies and wealthy individuals. Make no mistake, the term sheet that you approve next week will be as good as it gets for the public in these negotiations. I deeply appreciate that all 12 of you have shown a willingness to examine the facts and precedents and to stand up for our city. There is no earthly reason that we can't make a deal that is as good as other crappier mid-sized markets have made with their sports teams, a partnership that brings revenue back to the city in the form of private capital, rent naming rights pilot. Et cetera. Please include these items in your term sheet. Give your negotiating team the strongest hand that it can play over the next. Next four months the chips and you'll have a decision to make in December. Thank you so much for your time and your consideration. Go Portland go blazers.
223 Thank you jonathan and thank you for maybe saying apotheosis for the first time in city council history.
224 I'm checking to see if quinn hadley is here. Next up we have brian steelman. Annie ellison, brianne margolin, sean o'connor, alex stange.
225 Welcome, folks. Whoever wants to jump in.
226 Good morning, mayor and city councilors. My name is brianne margolin. I'm a native Oregonian, and I've lived, worked and built my life in the Portland community. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom carefully painting the blazers pinwheel on my cheek before home games. Those weren't just memories of basketball. They were memories of family traditions, community, and the excitement of cheering on our home team. Whether you're there for sports, music, family, entertainment, or graduation, it's a place where people come together to create lasting memories. I'm here today in support of authorizing the term sheet. This is a once in a generation opportunity, hundreds of millions of dollars in annual economic output and 450 million in funding that would otherwise not be available to help preserve this public treasure. As negotiations continue, I encourage the city to keep its eye on the prize, put its strongest commitment on the table, and not let relatively small financial differences stand in the way of an agreement that can actually cross the finish line. Just as portlanders invest in our parks because they enrich our lives, we should also invest in moda center. It too is a public asset that deserves long term stewardship. Great cities invest in their future. They preserve the public places that bring people together, welcome visitors, and strengthen their local economies. That's the kind of community we all deserve. Please authorize the term sheet. Thank you.
227 Thank you very much.
228 Good afternoon, councilors and mayor. My name is brian steelman, and I own a restaurant called pork no. And I live and work in district two. I'm not here to talk about tax mechanisms or term sheets, and I'm not here to point any fingers at an owner that needs to find a heart. I am here to convey a few things. One, that I love this city very much and I want to. I want us to negotiate a fair deal for the moda center remodel. Like so many other cities that are of our size. Secondly, I want to tell you what a trailblazer or fire home game night actually looks like at my restaurant. And most importantly, I also want to speak about two transformational projects happening on lower albina called albina vision trust and the 1803 fund, which are working to make historical wrongs right. And we have to do everything in our capacity to make sure that these two organizations have all the wind in their sails to do this work. I opened my business on north mississippi near the moda center 21 years ago. Our first winner was dreadfully slow, and the only weeknights that created enough business to actually break even during that first winter were blazers, home game nights, and accepting chalupa coupons for free tacos. When the blazers scored, 100 points were part of a gaining momentum to this day. When business owners. When business slows in the winter, those blazer and fire games add extra joy to the whole neighborhood. I'm going to skip to the most important part. Most importantly, modernizing the moda center is essential for the future of the albina district, supporting the investments that albina vision trust in 1803 is making in a neighborhood that has experienced generations of displacement, a renovated arena will help support housing, more businesses, more jobs, and more investment in our central city. And these visions of these two organizations are foundational to what Portland can look like in the future. The editor of alpine division trust went on hiatus when ohana said something very pertinent when giving testimony at the Multnomah county last month, she explained how the lower albina area was cleared of majority black housing to make room for the veterans memorial and moda center, and to not maintain it would be a travesty.
229 Thank you very much.
230 Hi, alex. Danny. District two. I want to talk a little bit about numbers. So we're talking about $120 million in public funding for a 20 year lease right. So if you divide that that's $6 million a year. And just for a taxpayer's perspective the arts tax brings in between between 10 and $13 million every year. So we're talking about an amount of money. That's maybe half the arts tax, right? If you bonded it, maybe it's like $9 million a year or something, right. I'm surprised we're having this many public hearings about $9 million a year. You know, we own three arenas moda center, memorial coliseum and providence park. Last year, the blazers attendance matched the entire visitor count at providence park, and it was more than two times the attendance at memorial coliseum. The money that we get from tickets and parking for all three of those arenas goes into a fund that pays for maintenance. That was an $18 million fund last year. And as somebody stated, we would lose, you know, 5 to $8 million of that fund if the blazers left, meaning that we would have less money to maintain three facilities that we still own. But we are investing in the buildings. We spent $25 million last year renovating memorial coliseum, per person per visitor. It's basically the same amount as this $120 million that we're talking about for the blazers. One more thing. I don't think it's worth including the property tax offset in the term sheet. That's $99 million over 20 years that we're asking from for the team when they've said they don't want to spend any money. And, councilor Kanal is you're suggesting making it more, they're going to say, no, thank you.
231 Thank you very much.
232 Good afternoon.
233 Annie ellison, many affiliations here as an individual from rose city park. You know, I moved to Portland because it was the center of the universe for me. I was a young, queer woman athlete, and now I'm just a queer. A lot of this conversation around the moda center has been focused on the men's nba. Okay. I became a thorns season ticket holder in 2014. Portland had the best supported women's club in the world at that time. Any sport, any country, planet earth, that that's who we are. And we also had the best players in the world. This is a world class city for women's sports. And not unrelated to women's sports. This is a world class city to be a queer. Okay. Speaking from experience, definitely to be a queer parent. And there is something about that to be incredibly proud of. So the invitation is, when you get like morally stuck with this deal because I know that's what a lot of you are grappling with. Like think about the women athletes, coaches and fans who fought for the women's game not to be an afterthought. You know, at this moment, moda center is not sufficient to attract the best athletes in the w. That's just a fact. So don't treat them like afterthoughts. We are hosting the ncaa final 4 in 2030, and it is not the men's final four. Okay. Ask yourself, is what you're about to say. Do tweet. Good for the fire. Is it good for the w? Is it good for women's sports? Because if it's good for women's sports, it's good for Portland. Thank you.
234 Thank you very much. Thank you all.
235 Sean o'connor. Next up we have doctor. Oh I'm sorry, I don't think they are here. Everett. Creel. Matthew gilbert, keely hughes, darren hertzberg. Israel palacios.
236 I'd give another joke while they're walking down, but that didn't go well last time. Anybody else? Okay.
237 Mr. President.
238 Councilor. Novick.
239 I'm sure they'll be down here lickety brindle.
240 Sure. What? What?
241 It's a bill sean lee line lickety brindle up the middle.
242 Appreciate it. Welcome down folks. Whoever wants to jump in, feel free to go first.
243 Sure, I can go first. My name is darren herzberg. I am a resident of district four. Thank you, city council, for coming out here and listening to us. This term sheet is not acceptable. You can negotiate better than this. The moda center does need to be renovated. There are things we need to take care of. We have 4 to 5 years to negotiate this. It's not like the blazers are just going to pop out of here. Not to mention, we have a lot of other fantastic teams that have already been mentioned considering. I mean, there's there's a lot to consider here, but, we are facing one of the most catastrophic wildfire seasons in oregon's history. We have, houselessness on the rise, unemployment on the rise, teachers are being fired, TriMet lines are being cut. People are being, losing their health insurance. And we're concerned about a $600 million moda center renovation, largely funded by taxpayers. And we have not. Like you, I cannot believe that we have considered using PCEF funds, climate funds that are intended for the most vulnerable communities here in Portland to fund a, a a moda center renovation at the behest of a texas billionaire who doesn't live here and really, seems to have come here, to take advantage of our unfortunate situation of, of paying a dollar for a. Moda center that needs millions in renovations. So obviously, this is a cheap deal for him. You need to negotiate better on the behalf of of Portland and portlanders. And, don't work with the billionaires who are trying to to screw us over hand over fist.
244 Thank you very much.
245 Okay. So listen, I really understand everyone who is arguing to, you know what?
246 Don't forget to say.
247 Your name. What?
248 Say your name for.
249 The record. Oh, sorry. My name is everett. I use he him pronouns. I really understand everyone who does not want to accept the deal because, like the guy who went before me mentioned, you know, climate change. Houselessness. But I feel like to lose the blazers would be a real bummer. I'm a huge fan. I know, yeah. Well, I feel like just the sense of community in Portland for the blazers is amazing. Like what other city do you go to and you see trash cans painted for the blazers, you know? Yeah, my friends, we bond over the blazers. And yeah, I'm not just talking about me. Like everyone who's been to a blazers game knows like what other city sells out. Just regular season games. You know that's how important the blazers are to us. So I really hope they stay. Also, you know, let's be honest, Portland doesn't have a bunch of huge attractions that pull people downtown like seattle or some of the cities near us. But the blazers, they really bring people out into Portland. My parents say, you know, Portland is on the rise again. And the blazers are really part of that. You know, they bring people here and they really help the community shine. So thank you.
250 Thank you very much for being here.
251 Hello. My name is Israel palacios. I'm a current college student at the university of Washington. I've grown up here in Portland all my life. Growing up, the moda center has been an integral part of my life. From blazer games to my mom's el grito event to March madness games this past spring. But the moda center isn't just another stadium. It is an iconic place in the heart of Portland, a place that has witnessed historical achievements in sports like the Portland fire's first game back, as well as hundreds of artists and organizations that have performed there over the years. Some of my fondest memories have been going with my friends and family to experience these live events, and it's hard to picture Portland without the moda center. Going to school at the university of Washington has opened my eyes to what it's like to lose a sports team you once cherished. As many of my friends and their families remember that day back in 2008, you go up to anyone in the city of seattle and ask them if they missed the sonics. The answer would be yes. You look at a city like oakland, which has lost every major sports team it had once had, and the impact it's had on their communities. That perspective makes me realize I cannot imagine the city without one of its most iconic brands that millions of people tune into every year with the amount of money it generates, and the millions of people who go there every year, it should be a place that is invested in and cared for for years to come, as the memories it has given. Portlanders can never be forgotten. All in all, the moda center will forever be a place I love and cherish for the memories and experiences I have been lucky enough to have, and it will always have a special place in my heart and in the heart of every portlander. Thank you.
252 Thank you very much.
253 Matthew gilbert and keely hughes. Next up we have claire dennerlein manson loop w david bloom, jessica wadley, jim rice.
254 Come on down, folks. Thanks so much. Take us away right here in the middle. Yeah.
255 Thanks for meeting with us, city council. My name is lupe. I'm in district four. Rip city, not rip off city shows that this deal will cost taxpayers $1.1 billion. Texas billionaire tom dundon is holding our city hostage, and I don't think we should negotiate with an extortionist. He won't even tell us where our money will go, so we only guess it will mostly be spent on his luxury booth and making our seats smaller. Like in other cities, the trailblazers are contracted at moda through 2030, so this false urgency and the corrupt secrecy of project mount hood that our mayor and governor colluded in is even more infuriating. Let me tell you what's really urgent. Hundreds of thousands of Oregonians are struggling to survive, and you are cutting vital services, homeless services, cut education, cut health care, cut public transit, cut. I mean, this city isn't even ADA compliant. And now Oregon has record breaking wildfires like the one in warm springs. And we've got a government that is denying FEMA funds to us. Yes, we have a government actively preventing our own taxpayer money from being used to help us. Sound familiar? And that is exactly what you would be doing by stealing over $1 billion from all of these vital services and handing it over to the moda center instead. I've recently seen bruce springsteen, tom morello of rage against the machine, and multiple basketball games at the moda center. If the moda center is good enough for the boss, it's good enough for me.
256 Thank you so much. Whoever wants to jump in.
257 My name is david bloom.
258 I am a small business owner. I own the civic taproom. It is a beer bar right next to the timber stadium, providence park. And I know for a fact as being a business next to an arena, the impact that it has. And we have now secured a long lease with them. Right all if the timbers were to leave, my business closes. All the other businesses around in goose hollow would close. I mean, we are strictly a business based off of events and people coming and going. So if the blazers were to leave all those businesses around, you heard from spirit of 77, all those like lazy day brewing, those those businesses are impacted. And I just want you to remember that, that when we're not just when we're agreeing for this term sheet of 20 years, it's 20 years of stability for those businesses to. Okay. And for all this talk about tom dundon and all these things, I mean, he's a businessman, okay? He invested $800 million around raleigh with his real estate firm because it was a good business opportunity. Now, if we sign a 20 year lease with him and the blazers and we show portland's on the rise, he will also invest money around his arena. So think about that. He has done it before. Let him do it again. Thank you.
259 Thank you very much.
260 Hi. My name is claire manson. I am publicity director for pink martini, an avid concert goer, casual blazers fan and enthusiastic fire season ticket holder, and a proud longtime albina neighborhood resident. But I'm not here as a fan, but as a passionate teller of portland's continuing story. From where I stand, this vote has a pr problem. You've heard from plenty of people passionately arguing that this is fiscally detrimental to a city to pay for the development in a time of undeniable high human need and deep budgetary deficits. Many others today have said that an already strained spirit and character of the city cannot afford to lose the blazers, and we must do whatever we can to keep the team here. I believe this narrative is a false dichotomy and that Portland does not have to, and in fact, cannot get into the trap of either standing up to or bending to the whim of an outside billionaire in the service of just a basketball team. This is why it is so important to clearly articulate the how this renovation can make economic sense for our city beyond just quote the benefits to the blazers, as well as the why it makes emotional sense to the character of the city. After hearing from so many today, I hope you understand that many of your constituents see this vote as an unfair trade off of good vibes for bad budget. We've heard proposals that substantially protect and benefit portlanders that justify and reward the city for investment. Instead of just asking a sacrifice. The math can work. A renovation can support our city. I have faith that this council has the best interest of Portland and all its residents. It is incumbent upon you to take the time to ink the best deal for the city, to show your work and to clearly articulate it, so that all portlanders can cheer for the moda center. As loud as we cheer for events, artists, and the teams who play inside.
261 Thank you very much.
262 My name is jim rice, small business owner here in Portland. Daily we watch, businesses living wage jobs and tax revenue leaving. We're ranked 80th out of 81 cities for investment. You all just finished fighting over the budget cuts, and next year is going to be worse. We all watched city council members with what appeared to be an anti billionaire agenda, protesting the new owners of the trail blazers, forcing him to clarify the obvious. Portland is competing with other cities and we're losing. Seattle mayor katie wilson. After seeing businesses leaving and facing a $488 million budget deficit, finally admitted that her actions weren't being helpful. These actions are not being helpful. We lose when the question is, is why would businesses actually want to come here? What are we doing? Are we attracting them? When we lose the blazers to nashville or a dozen other eager, competitive cities, we lose a lot. We lose tax revenue, we lose businesses, we lose jobs. It's an overall impact on the entire city. We need the blazers more than the owner needs us. We need to be recruiting the trailblazers owner, not pushing him and the nba to other cities. We were at a crossroads. Will we will we be the ones to be able to stop the doom loop that we've been entered into? Or are we going to continue down that loop? Thank you.
263 Thank you very much.
264 Jessica is joining us online.
265 Good morning. My name is jessica wadley and I am a Portland resident and devoted trail blazers fan. I never feel more like a portlander than when I'm standing in the motor center screaming alongside 20,000 other blazer maniacs. The blazers are part of our civic identity, our shared history, and the cultural fabric of this city. I want them to remain here, but loving this team does not require Portland to accept any deal placed in front of us. I bring a message for tom dundon. Owning something does not make you special. Portland built rip city. We celebrated this team during its greatest years. We kept showing up through the difficult ones and you were nowhere to be found. Having the money to purchase a franchise does not excuse anyone from basic soft skills. Respect, communication, good faith and an understanding of the community whose loyalty gives this asset its value are what closed deals. Not bullying, not posturing. The proposal asks the public to contribute up to $573 million, including as much as $120 million from the city for worthwhile protections here. But portlanders deserve transparency and certainty before that money is committed. While Portland city council is doing a good job bringing this term sheet forward, it is incumbent on the team to work productively if they want to convince us that they're actually serious about continuing the legacy of the blazers in this city. Please keep negotiating, but do not confuse urgency with surrender. Keep the blazers in Portland while securing a deal that is fair, enforceable, transparent, and worthy of the city that created rip city. Thank you.
266 Thank you very much.
267 Next up we have emerson odom, julie garner, tom kilborn, skyland, wonders jay bank.
268 Welcome, folks. Please go ahead, start us off here.
269 All right. Hello, I'm emerson odom, and I want to speak about why the city should pay for the renovations for moda center. To avoid relocation for the trail blazers. Portland and the blazers go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. The blazers put Portland on the map and have brought portlanders together for nearly 60 years. From bill walton to clyde drexler to damian lillard. These players have become cultural icons that mean so much to our city. Rip city is a huge part of the community here, and the trailblazers are more than just a basketball team. They are a rallying point for the city and state. As one of the most historic franchises in basketball, we cannot lose the blazers. And we will not let tom duncan steal our team. Will I encourage the city council to consider is that duncan has already said he won't cover any costs to help with the moda center renovation costs. If you care about keeping the team in Portland, then you know that the city needs to pay for the renovations for moda center, not because it should be the city's responsibility, but because otherwise we face a major risk for losing our team. Thank you.
270 Thank you very much.
271 Good afternoon councilors. My name is julie garner from district one. I'm a rose city till I die thorns supporter, in case you didn't notice. While I know what it means to love a team and what sports mean to the city, yet every budget is a statement of values. Right now, Portland needs more affordable housing. We need to strengthen TriMet by increasing services for the people who depend on them every day. We need to ensure every portlander has access to life's basic necessities. These are the kind of investments that strengthen our city and make everyday life more affordable. I know firsthand what it's like when every dollar matters just to get through the month. I'm actively looking for work, but I'm currently unemployed and rely on several public benefits like ohp and snap just to keep my head above water. Why shouldn't every public dollar be treated with the same care? Even valuable projects should be measured against more urgent public needs. When portlanders are struggling to afford the basics, our priorities should reflect that reality. What message does it send? If we're prepared to commit more than half a billion taxpayer dollars to renovating a sports arena, while so many basic public needs remain unmet, I don't believe Portland should be forced to choose between investing in its people and rewarding threats of relocation with public dollars. Our budget reflects our values, so let's invest in Portland first. Thank you.
272 Thank you very much.
273 Council president Dunphy, members of council. My name is tom kilbourne. I live in district four. We all know that Portland has been through a challenging few years, and we're seeing signs of recovery. One of the clearest signs of this recovery is the progress that we've seen on several large redevelopment projects in the central city. You know them all. Omsi, albina vision trust, lloyd center, all promising to deliver vibrant new neighborhoods just across the river. We can add the city's broadway corridor to the to that list. One of the things that all these have in common is that they will require a significant amount of private investment to be successful. No matter how you feel about real estate investors, that's how these projects work. If the blazers were to leave Portland, it would have a chilling effect on investor sentiment, which is already negative. It would make moving these projects forward even more difficult than it already is. I want to acknowledge the difficult position that the city is in. This is a strange negotiation. You have a counterparty that doesn't really seem to be at the table, which makes this especially challenging. And I recognize that you're working to protect taxpayer dollars as a Portland taxpayer, I appreciate that. My ask is that you continue working together, give the negotiating team the support they need, and get a deal done, because it would be a serious blow to the Portland economy and to the Portland psyche for to lose the blazers right now. Thank you.
274 Thank you very much.
275 Jay is joining us online.
276 Excellent. Hello everyone. My name is jay binky. She they pronouns. I'm a child abduction and sex trafficking survivor who was trafficked right here in the pacific northwest. Among my many roles, I am also the co-founder of the sex trade survivor caucus. Portland is at a breaking point. Our city is a human trafficking hub. We don't have enough public defenders to move trafficking cases through the courts. We have the highest rate of sex offenders per capita. Oregon's women and girls experience rape at rates well above the national average, and our streets have a reputation across the country as some of the most dangerous and volatile places for people being bought and sold for sex acts. Our crisis is escalating. Oregon lost $15 million in voca funding. As a result, programs closed, services paused indefinitely, staff lost their jobs. Victims have been left without support. The Oregon doj's human trafficking division was essentially dismantled. Our state's only labor trafficking specialist was laid off and remaining staff were reassigned, all while Oregon has consistently received an f on the national human trafficking report card. In a city where victims lack legal protections, services are disappearing, prosecutions are delayed, and trafficking happens in plain sight, especially around sporting events. Orgs like mine are expected to fill the gaps with no support. Oregon, moko, Portland and the blazers have contributed exactly $0 to our work. I didn't get to finish high school because I was abducted and trafficked to oregon's sex buyers. I nearly died from my injuries and lived with permanent disabilities. If I can build an award winning organization from and with nothing to help portland's victims, then surely the owner of the blazers can find a way to pay for some of his own paint and two by fours so Portland can contribute to our growing human trafficking crisis. Thank you so much.
277 Thank you so much for being here.
278 Skyland. One wonders. Next up we have randy swanson, anthony d'andrea, tim halbur, theo cho, les hendrick.
279 Welcome.
280 Hello.
281 Go ahead and introduce yourself for the record and go ahead.
282 Good afternoon. It's nice to see your faces. For the record my name is theo cho. And thank you for letting me speak today. Relocating the blazers would mean more than losing just a basketball team, but a part of our city's identity as one of the city's only major pro sports teams, the blazers have brought people together for generations and created countless unforgettable memories, from damian threes to brandon roy driving layups. Portland is known for having one of the most passionate and loyal fan bases in the nba, and that connection can't be replaced. In my opinion, relocating the team now would just destroy 60 years of history between us and the city, and in my eyes, would be a lose lose for both the city and the team. I encourage the council to carefully consider all aspects of the trailblazers impact on Portland. And that means not only the financial impact on the city, but the community, culture, history and future of the city. Before making any decisions, thank you for your time and consideration.
283 Thank you so much for being here today.
284 Is joining us online. Blaze. You're muted.
285 Can you hear me now?
286 We can hear you.
287 Good morning. My name is blaze hendrick. And I was named after the Portland trailblazers. Even though I currently reside in the state of texas, I have been following the local media like 159 the fan, because I'm still an Oregonian living in texas. I understand the difference between the two states. Unlike tom dundon, he doesn't understand three simple words keep Portland weird. It's who we are. We are different. Unlike texas, we only have one team and they are our identity. Forget about the billionaire for a second and understand that this is an opportunity to update our arena to allow the next generation of blazers fans to love our team. For me, it's about taking my kids to games like my dad did with me. It may be all for business for tom, but for us it's personal. I mean, I even named my son after brandon roy. I'll stick to what makes this personal by ending with a few names harry glickman, paul allen, rick adelman, jerome kersey, kevin duckworth, drazen petrovic, clifford robinson, brian wheeler, maurice lucas, bill walton, doctor jack ramsey, and mr. Rip city bill shawn lee. These people meant and still mean something. We are all trailblazers and the moda center is our house. Let's make it as nice as we can. Vote yes and let's show the nba that we love our blazers because this isn't business. This is personal. If we show up in good faith, the nba will not allow tom to steal our team. Thank you for hearing me today. And I know I don't have a dog in a fight because I live there, but this is my team and I love them.
288 Thank you very much.
289 Okay. Checking to see randy swanson, anthony d'andrea, tim halbur. Next up we have sean mcdavid, debbie kitchen, myra ault, edith gillis, elijah Morillo.
290 Takes away debbie.
291 Good afternoon. Chair and council members I really appreciate I'm debbie kitchen. I live in district two. I really appreciate the opportunity to be here today. I know you've heard through all this testimony, that the arena is more than the blazers. It includes the fire. It includes concerts, events, and graduation. I have fond memories of taking my daughter to disney on ice when she was about six years old, and was gobsmacked by all the disney characters. So. And then I'm a huge fan of the fire. They have just been really wonderful to see, and I love that we are an epicenter for women's sports. I think what I want to talk about today is just the importance of what you have before you, and really urge city council to come together, find the path. I know all of you, and I know that all of you have what's best for Portland in your hearts. I see it all the time, every day, in the work that you do together as a council. And I think that a united Portland is much stronger. The division, it creates weakness and and it prevents the best deal from being achieved. So, you know, the whole space around winning hearts and minds of portlanders. The blazers have abandoned that. Take that space. Jump in there, bring Portland together, find the common ground to get a deal that renovates our facility, creates a world class arena, and keeps the blazers here, the fire and all the good things that can happen for our community.
292 Thank you very much. Whoever wants to jump in.
293 Hello, my name is elijah Morillo. I'm a student athlete out of jefferson high school and a really big blazer fan. I just want to talk about my experience as a fan and just how the blazers can help bring bring the community together. You can't really find another place in Portland that can have 2000 people cheering for the same thing, for blazers win. And as a fan, I always cherish those memories. Going to games with my dad, rooting for the team who's in the bottom of the standings, and also the team who's trying to compete for a play in spot. Even besides basketball, the moda center can bring a lot of opportunities to to young kids. At my school we had michael holton, who was a blazers announcer. He would bring people to the moda center and show them opportunities of jobs you can get. Besides being a basketball player and showing that you can do things for the nba that aren't being a basketball player. And yeah, that's kind of I want to say thank you.
294 Thank you very much.
295 Good afternoon. Sean mcdevitt, longtime Portland resident. Working in downtown Portland every day as well. This is a 2022 trail blazers summer league championship shirt. It's my pride and joy. It brings me back immediately to a glorious afternoon. On that day, a group of spare parts has beens never quite will bes and never weres celebrated on my tv screen without a hint of irony. The chosen leaders of that team celebrated two offering feel good platitudes seemingly meant only to either fuel their own delusions of grandeur or to appeal to real sickos that lurk in obscure corners of the internet. Or one particular member of my beloved blazers group chat. This shirt is quite clearly a joke. It is satire. It pokes fun at what was a deeply painful era for the blazer fans in the room, fading hope, a hollowed out core, a series of ego driven, poor decisions that set our opportunity at nba relevance back a decade. A leadership team that became complacent with previous unearned success, confused circumstance with superiority, and took their place among the western conference's elite for granted, only to fumble the ball so hard that they ran a once in a generation civic treasure out of town. My shirt is also a powerful metaphor. Thank you.
296 Thank you very much.
297 Edith gillis is joining us online. Edith. Go ahead.
298 My name is edith gillis in district three. Can you hear me?
299 We can hear you, edith.
300 The state requires cities in Oregon to be responsible for water, roads, clean air, public safety, housing and democracy. Mandating strict procedural financial planning and public safety rules. Portland city council claimed that our priorities are to address our emergencies with housing, which is denied most portlanders climate justice and resilience, social economy and economic justice, police accountability and public safety, earthquake disasters, prevention and resilience and justice, and local sustainability with water, food security, superfund, site cleanup and clean air and public health robbing all of those priorities and requirements in order to give charity to a billionaire extortionist is violating your mandate. The public treasurer we need to invest in is our people who are otherwise being unhoused, trespassed, and repeatedly victimized by crimes. My happy memories of being in my family are creating kind acts, helping our unhoused, disabled, hungry, scared neighbors, not skipping meals and sanitary napkins to pay for overpriced tickets for passive audience. That does not create the active, strong, self-trust self respect, community, courage and hope that we need, as well as karma for building a better Portland. Passive entertainment doesn't do it. What we need is to build stronger. Change what you're requiring. Give us more time to think it through. Thank you over whether someone leaves, but we have control over what we choose and what we choose.
301 Thank you so much, edith, for being here.
302 I'm checking to see if mira is here. Next up we have alex klein, michael johnson, calvin porterfield, amara sanders, claire russell.
303 Come on down, folks and folks hanging out in the balcony. There are additional seats down here below if you are interested in coming down.
304 My name is alex klein and I'm a resident of district two. I'm an attorney who works downtown, and I live two stops away from the rose quarter transit center at the seventh avenue stop. The max is my primary mode of transportation, and I don't own a car. I use the Green line to come here today. I bring up my reliance on TriMet because while the city, county and state were colluding behind closed doors to give tom dundon $600 million in public dollars, while some elected representatives in this room were attending private parties celebrating that collusion, they also failed to fully fund TriMet. That real failure means that soon I would not be able to get on the line. I rode to come here today. That's not completely on city council, but it's one very tangible contrast to the lengths that elected leaders have gone to give a billionaire more money. Instead of investing in Portland during a year where politicians have told the community that there isn't enough money to make our lives better, it is reprehensible to allocate millions without significant investor investment by the owner. I urge city council to only improve public money for the billionaire tom dundon once there is a significant funding commitment from him, and once city council is provided with concrete plans for how our public dollars will be spent. Thank you.
305 Thank you very much. Whoever wants to jump in.
306 Hi. How y'all doing today? My name is calvin porterfield. Pronouns. He him. I've lived in Portland my whole life. Been a Portland trail blazer fan for as long as I can remember. And I just wanted to come here to say that we have time to come to a better, more transparent deal than this. A lot of this conversation is made up on the assumption that the blazers will be snatched away at any minute. Tom dundon doesn't have an immediate or easy way to move the Portland trail blazers. I understand that some public investment in the moda center is perfectly reasonable. We do own the building, but pledging hundreds of millions of dollars at the behest of a billionaire who is basically giving our city the middle finger since he realized it existed without a clear plan of where that money is going is criminal, especially when the city is already being asked to live with cuts to so many other public services. I just wanted to say that I hope that we can talk to dundon in a language that he is all too familiar with. And rather than start with this current deal, start with a sub prime offer. Thank you for your time. I yield the remainder of mine.
307 Thank you very much.
308 Hi there. My name is claire russell. She her? I'm a small business owner in district three and a proud transsexual woman. I moved to Portland four years ago and have come to love and care deeply for the city. I have a cautionary tale for you. I'm originally from san diego and I saw the chargers leave in 2017. San diego agreed to renovation after renovation over the years, but it was never enough. Dean spanos, billionaire owner of the chargers, could not be satisfied in his greed after the city refused to spend $1 billion on the latest demand for renovation, he moved the team to la. Do you know what happened? San diego had a very small dip in economic output for one year, and then the city carried on with expected economic growth ever since. That's all compared to being in debt for the decade. For decades after accepting this renovation deal, I'd say that's not half bad. Please do not let these billionaire owners of the trailblazers hold us all hostage for our tax dollars. Do not fear economic backlash because it will not come. Their promises of private donations do not make up for the strain this will cause to our city budget. These are scare tactics these billionaires and their lobbyist groups are using to manipulate us and use our love and adoration for our team against us. Let's support our local unions and businesses by funding the building of vitally needed public infrastructure instead of billionaire vanity projects. It is better for our local businesses to support things like vienna style public housing, health care, expanding public transit, child care and public schools, repairing our roads or any other number of other projects. Please say no to the renovations at this time. Thank you for your time.
309 Thank you very much.
310 Okay. Michael johnson, amara sanders. Okay, we're going to circle back. Doctor j w matt hennessy.
311 Hi, apologies. Can you hear me?
312 Oh, hi, lorena. Just a second. We haven't called you yet. Okay. We'll move on. Next up we have slater wearing lorena guyot, sean sosnovik, nakia hunter, santino juarez.
313 Hey, lorena. You want to kick us off?
314 I'll let a few of the in-person people go.
315 You're good. Go ahead.
316 Oh, okay.
317 Oh, sure.
318 Sorry. That's confusing, I apologize. My name is lorena guyot. I'm advocating for a worksheet that focuses on accountability towards the moda center, as well as equity in regards to the shared responsibility for it. I'm going to be very, very honest. I am not usually a sports person. The last time I was at the moda center was for a hozier concert. I still very much understand the vital importance of sports to a community, but I am having a hard time swallowing the narrative being presented to me as a taxpayer. I find this a very difficult time to see this. After some of the most recent budget negotiations and seeing how certain jobs were slashed. And now I'm being told that my tax dollars, while can't save as many city worker jobs, is able to completely help the blazers owner to avoid their contractual obligations to be responsible for the necessary maintenance of the moda center. This is apparently an investment that's so important that dundon or that dundon considers so important and necessary that he's not even willing to use his own money to even cover the cost of a consultation, to provide a city with plans, just concept or concepts of a plan. I definitely feel like that's a lack of accountability on where responsibility lies, and I find that this is a bit of a davo situation. I do want good things for the city and I want the blazers to stay. But I also believe that that means that we need to make sure that we're having the negotiating team be given a sheet that is able to advocate for fair and equitable deal, that preserves that responsibility. Thank you.
319 Thank you very much.
320 Good afternoon council. My name is nakia hunter and I'm a representative of both union and nonunion carpenters here in our region. I'm here to support the moda center renovation. I also believe that this project is an opportunity to strengthen portland's economy. The city owns this property, and as its stewards, you have the responsibility to ensure that any agreement with private partners who lease and profit from this public asset deliver a measurable return to the people of Portland. That means putting expectations in the contract from the beginning, opportunities for Oregon workers investment and apprenticeship, local contractors, participation, transparency, reporting and clear accountability for the communities that are for the commitments that are made. Apologies public investment should create public opportunity. Let's build more than an arena. Let's build family wage careers, strengthen local businesses, and keep more than these dollars circulating in portland's economy. That's how we protect the public investment and ensure that this project leaves a lasting benefit for generations to come. Thank you.
321 Thank you very much.
322 All right.
323 Cool. My name is tino. I'm with the north coast states carpenters union. And I just want to thank you guys for your time. Real quickly, I just want to, we heard a lot, but about today and there's a lot of folks in this room that meant a lot smarter than I am, but I just want to give my little $0.02 if I can. You know, when we're talking about a project like this, we're talking about construction and what's so valuable to construction that it brings to the city, man, is that, you know, I've heard a lot of people recently talk about mental health and suicide prevention and things like that, and I've seen many of you on your socials address that type of topic, man. But you know what, man? Portland doesn't need another program, man, or this and that. You know what? We need to get to work. We need to build buildings, man. We need things to start happening in our city. Look outside at the construction market. It sucks. And some of you are know what's happening in affordable housing. Now, all those jobs are are what they're supposed to be, you know, and I think this is a great opportunity to do it correctly, get responsible contracting, build with contractors that benefit the community. And I know the businesses and all the offshoot that it talks about. But what about the worker, the person that's getting up at 5:00, 6:00 in the morning, lacing up their boots, man, to go to a job that's close to their neighborhood where they can make some good money for the damn family. Man, that's I think there's so much opportunity at this table that we can bring, man. Thank you guys for your time.
324 Thank you very much.
325 Go ahead. I'm happy to. I'll just jump in. My name is sean. I'm here to support the renovation. I'm a humble citizen. Husband, father three work downtown the last 14 years. Born here. Clyde drexler. Bill shanley raised me. You know, I remember watching damon stoudamire when he was at wilson high school as I was a kid. It was one of the most formative experiences of my youth. When he came back to play for the blazers and I was in high school, it was like the prodigal son had returned. He gave $250,000. I still remember it so vividly to the Portland public schools. You know, these leaders, you see terry porter, you see cj mccollum, you see even chris dudley, you see, you know damian lillard, like what they do goes way beyond anything. Like no disrespect to the consultants. Like you could possibly begin to quantify. So, you know, I know it's, it's difficult this ownership group, I don't get it. I really don't I know it's hard. You guys are in a tough position. You didn't ask for this. You didn't run expecting to have to deal with this. So I really sympathize with you. And I think frankly you're doing a very admirable job. Please keep doing that. Keep taking the high road no matter what. Stay optimistic. Stay positive. And I hope you vote for this next week. I really do. I know it's not perfect, but don't let perfect get in the way. It's non-binding. You move to, you know, negotiating the particulars of the lease. And even there I would say whether it's a great deal, good deal or even a below average deal, like within a few months, certainly within a few years, no one will remember any of it. But if we lose this team, it'll be just crushing, right? So let's, let's let's get this behind us. I appreciate the work that you're doing. And we support you. Thank you very much.
326 Thank you very much.
327 Hi. Lynn slater wearing from district four. I live in downtown. I work in downtown. I, I mean, we all love the blazers, right? Important team to the city. But when I talk to clients and friends in, in milan and in london and in tokyo and in mumbai. You know, they know Portland for not the blazers, they know us for our microbreweries, for our culture and for our music, for our queer community, for our restaurants, for our. For our incredible lounges and bars and quirky places and fashion. But I don't know if it's for the blazers. This idea that the blazers is integral to outside investment because it's part of the city's identity. It's just not. I love having them here and I and I hope they'll stay. But like at the behest of thomas dundon, who is a maga republican from texas who has given money to the trump campaign where subsidizing a billionaire's effort to fund the blazers, who if he funded it himself, he would still be a billionaire. And if he can't still be happy with billions of dollars, then he doesn't deserve billions of dollars or our hundreds of millions in investment.
328 Thank you.
329 Thank you all very much.
330 Okay, let's check in doctor j w matt hennessy.
331 Yes. Thank you so much. And I'm ready when you're ready if you can hear me.
332 Yep. Go ahead. Thanks.
333 Wonderful. Thank you to the mayor, president Dunphy, vice president Clark and the Portland city councilors. Let me begin by saying that as a nearly 36 year portlander who has lived and rather served in senior levels in business, community, city and state administration in the faith community, I love each of you and respect you and want you to play at the top of your game always. Some of you may not know me, but that doesn't diminish the fact that I respect and appreciate the work that you're elected to do and the challenges that you are dealing with right now. I want to be a servant to says to you, number one, I really, really want to see as you're making these decisions the best decision possible. I support the statements that have been made today about the moda center. I absolutely believe it's important as a key economic engine of the city for it to be here. And for as my former boss at nike, claire hamill, mentioned today, the Portland fire as well. I also want to ask you to work with us in community on how things go at the city council table so that there is a esprit de corps that gives our children a good model and number. And the last is to say that we want to work with you to do everything that we can to be the people that people in the world have always known us to be in Portland. Keep up the good work and know that there are many of us who support you.
334 Thank you very much.
335 Next up, we have robert millis, lakota tow, lightning, super creativity, jim atwood, samuel chavez.
336 Kick us off.
337 Awesome city council. Thank you.
338 My name is lakota. I'm a representative with the north coast states carpenters union, and I'm here in support of funding for the moda center improvements. When people look at a project like this, they see the finished building, but I see the people who build it, the investment. This investment means family wage jobs for skilled tradespeople and real opportunities for apprentices who are learning a craft while earning a paycheck. It gives young people a path to a rewarding career without taking on overwhelming debt, while helping experienced workers continue supporting their families and contributing to our local economy. These projects don't just improve buildings, they strengthen communities. The wages earned on these jobs are spent at local businesses, restaurants and stores, creating benefits that extend far beyond the job site. As someone in the construction industry, I've seen firsthand how these opportunities can change lives. They develop highly skilled professionals, create long term careers, and ensure projects are completed with quality, safety and pride. This decision is about more than improving an arena. It's about investing in the people who build Portland, creating opportunities for the next generation of skilled workers and supporting families across our state. I respectfully ask you to support this funding. Thank you for your time.
339 Thank you very much.
340 Good afternoon. My name is jim atwood, and, my father was born in Portland 104 years ago and lived his entire life here. And I've been here for 78 years myself. So I care deeply about the city. I think the elephant in the room is not just the funding of moda center, but it's our, very high tax structure. We have the Portland city business license tax, the Multnomah county business income tax, the preschool for all tax, the homeless tax, the TriMet payroll tax and the self-employment tax, not to mention the corporate activity tax. So if you want to keep taxing the socks off of everybody, you're going to have to give them something for their money. We're not just supporting a billionaire here. We're supporting ourselves. The blazers only played 41 regular season home games in the moda center. There's another 329 a year that are available for concert use and other uses, and other sports teams that are all important. We're not just looking at the blazers alone. So in, I've heard a lot of people want certain things in the agreement myself. I'd like you to have them sell hot dogs and sodas for the same price as costco. But if everybody puts their own two bits worth into the deal, you won't get any deal at all. So I'd encourage you to make the deal as quickly as you can. Portland's a dying city, and I want you to do what you can to help it survive. Thank you.
341 Thank you very much.
342 Yes. My name is lightning. I represent lightning, super creativity, humanity lab. Again. Your economy is flatlined. You're trying to save it. You're getting desperate. You're going to give this group anything they want, how much money they want, the terms they want. And you know what? Your little, standard in there on first class standard arena. If you don't remove that, they're going to walk anyway and they're going to challenge you in court. We're going to be in court again. They're going to relocate. They're going to relocate. Austin, possibly. Vegas is still in the running. Now. Here's why. Vegas, adam silver needs to understand one thing. Your preference may be Portland, but that's not your job to make the final determination, ask the commissioner and you better get that straight real fast. They want to move to las vegas. They should have the opportunity to go to las vegas, and las vegas will be the most valuable nba franchise in history. It will surpass everything, and they're already coming in bids. At ten. It'll go up to 12 billion. But tom dundon will go in with a relocation fee in place. And he will win. He will win 8 billion to 12 billion on the relocation. He's not going to turn that away. And you're not going to stop him. Your little five year bridge agreement is nothing but a trap to trap him in. If he wants to leave, let him leave. Let him go. What's your problem? The fire could be your main marquee tenant. Let him go.
343 Thank you very much. Appreciate you. Thank you.
344 Robert is joining us online. Robert, you can unmute.
345 There we go. Hi, my name is rob millis. I live in district four. There's nothing in this term sheet that supports redirecting 100 million, give or take, from the Portland clean energy fund, over to moda center improvements. There's a single sentence that refers to zero net zero energy use, but it's incredibly vague. And the details even imagining that could not possibly support some of the numbers that have been floated, for redirection from funds that are already allocated. I want to put it in, in really basic terms, businesses in Portland, large and small, have paid in advance for infrastructure, job training, climate risk management and mitigation that reaches all communities in the city. Redirecting this money for anything else betrays underserved communities and insults every business owner in the city. The final terms that we need to see are required budget specifics, specific lines for clean energy and Green infrastructure projects. Anything else cannot use these funds. The second point I want to make is regarding complaints by the blazers management and new ownership over city ticketing fees. I would urge them and I urge the nba to review and analyze and encourage competition between ticketmaster, seatgeek, stubhub, and other ticket sellers and resellers. If we are taking 1 or 2 or 3% out of the pie, it actually benefits ticketmaster more than it does the blazers. I don't think that's a public subsidy that we should be making.
346 Thank you very much.
347 Samuel chavez. Next up, we have danielle sciver, connor cash, beverly voytko, brandon papi, jared essig.
348 Welcome. Go ahead and jump in.
349 Good afternoon council. For the record, my name is danielle sciver. I'm here today as a longtime Washington county resident, a local employee and a mom. Last year, my son was the victim and a witness of a violent crime in Portland. After a delayed response by police and emergency services, my son's best friend died. The toll that it has taken on our families has been indescribable. I hate sharing this story, but these stories are now the norm across Portland. I believe this murder could have been prevented with a regional relief and economic development rebuilding the silicon forest and the bioscience network, investing in a return to downtown and now more than ever, ensuring that the moda infrastructure is redeveloped for the next iteration of oregon's sports economy. Currently, Oregon lacks business competitiveness as other states lure tech companies away for expansion. The parallels feel eerily similar to where we are today, with the moda center approving the moda redevelopment will have far reaching impact at a time when many have lost confidence in oregon's ability to compete in a global economy locally, we can measure success with multilevel job creation, and this agreement means hundreds of construction jobs. It's going to take regional courage and investments and business opportunities to ensure that we have a tax base that protects our social safety net and our public services, like law enforcement and the judicial system. Good luck, and thank you for your work to move this project forward. I'm confident that you can balance Oregon values while investing in this redevelopment.
350 Thank you very much. Whoever wants to go. Yeah, yeah.
351 I'm bev voytko. Go ahead. Okay. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I want to just note that because others have, many others have come before me. Some of my comments have already been noted. And that's that this is not just about the blazers that the moda center hosts a variety of events, everything from arena concerts, hence the term arena, the fire, cirque du soleil, disney on ice, the pro bull riding. It's a major community center. It needs renovation and the costs will only rise. We have seen that with the I-5 project, costs will not go down over the years. The council has expressed support for two broadway show ready venues. We have not demonstrated a need for two broadway show ready venues, let alone having a payment plan in place. Portland is struggling to recover. We've seen businesses close, restaurants close, buildings sell for pennies on the dollar. Truth in advertising. I am a blazer season ticket holder, a season ticket holder for broadway in Portland, and I live downtown. I have skin in the game. Please, please renovate the arena. It needs to get done and thank you for your time.
352 Thank you very much.
353 Brandon papp, district two. He him. Pronouns. For many of us, childhood memories of attending games with our families are something we will never forget. Even as time passes and we lose the ones we love, we will never lose those precious moments. The blazers have long been the foundation that holds the city together. They transcend basketball regardless of income disparities, backgrounds, or political divides. Oregonians can unite behind one thing their love for the blazers through through the highest highs and lowest lows. We support this team. Our love is so much is about so much more than basketball. It is about love for our community, civic pride and those few glorious hours we can rise together as one. But to tom dundon, all of these things are meaningless. He views the blazers as a dollar figure on a balance sheet, and he views every Oregonian that has spent years supporting this team as expendable. Tom dundon does not care about the city, and he never will. We have all seen the implicit threat that if the funding is not approved, he will move the team. Tom dundon has acted in bad faith from day one and continues to act as though if the funding is not approved and the team is moved, the very real consequence of thousands of Portland employees losing their livelihood will be the fault of the Portland city council and not his own greed. Nothing could be further from the truth. Tom dundon has shamelessly chosen to use the threat of losing this team to turn us against each other. I commend the Portland city council for standing up for our city, and I admire their courage, and I admire their courage to do so with the knowledge that it could have consequences for their political careers. I humbly request that members of this council continue to follow their hearts and do what is best for the entire city, not merely what is best for one man. Thank you for your time.
354 Thank you very much. Thank you all.
355 Good morning, Portland city council and, us representatives and senators for the state of Oregon. My name is jared essig. I'm speaking on my own behalf right now. I'd like to raise a national issue behind the moda center negotiation and ask this council to act on it as a city and not just as a landlord. Okay. The nba's leverage over Portland isn't only about this one lease. Part of it comes from federal law. The sports broadcasting act of 1961 lets the nba's 30 competing team owners pool and sell their broadcast rights together as a single block. Under ordinary antitrust law, 30 separate businesses agreeing together on price and output is illegal collusion. Now, congress carved out the exemption to the sherman antitrust act for professional sports leagues in 1961. For a broadcast television world that no longer exists before cable streaming, before the league's new 11 year, $76 billion national media deal. That pool bargaining power is what funds the nba's leverage over every city that hosts a team, including this one, and exists only because congress chose to exempt it from the law every other industry has to follow. Portland city council can't repeal a federal statute, but you can lobby the people who can. I'm asking you to send a formal request to oregon's congressional delegation. By the way, I like to play ball more than watch ball. What if we had Beaverton playing Gresham in the moda center? What if we had interstate or municipal sports leagues? Now, this corrupted high school athletics as well. I was a varsity athlete in high school. But what about what about sports players? Not just, you know, health care for all and preschool, you know, so the opposition needs to improve their game in opposing this. Thank you.
356 Thank you very much.
357 Connor cash. Next up we have kristi blomster, markus berger, bryce. Claggett, dave. Vejce, joseph niedermayer.
358 Welcome, folks. Come on down and introduce yourselves for the record.
359 Hello, council.
360 My name is bryce. I'm a union letter carrier in north Portland. Shout out district two. And also nobody thanked city attorney, council clerk and the city administrator for being here. Sorry the mayor couldn't make it. I really I did not grow up in Portland, but I've lived here the majority of my adult life. And I just want to say I really enjoy basketball. Never had a basketball team growing up. There's a concept I like talking with my coworkers. Back when the blazers tickets were $3, ticket fees were higher than the tickets themselves. For the nosebleeds, the healing power of inexpensive nba basketball. It is great. I you know, I would be remiss if we were to lose our team. And now it's, you know, we have the fire. I just the moda center investment. It just seems like a great thing for just all the different things in the arena. We're going to be on the hook for it regardless. It's better to take the state's money while we can. And I just would love to just push it forward. And it'll really just put the whole ball on. Tom dundon I don't think adam silver will possibly, let it happen again because it opens up the possibility of somebody buying, say, the new york knicks or the las vegas expansion and moving it back to Portland. I think it'll scare the other governors of the nba council. And that's just what I want to say.
361 Thank you very much. Whoever wants to go.
362 I'll go. My name is dave veitchi. I'm a lifetime resident. And, recently retired head custodian at llewellyn school, which I think is the best school in ps in my opinion. Thank you for giving us the chance to speak today. I think that both sides need to do better. I'm kind of disappointed that it's gone this long. I think great leadership would get things done as soon as possible, and it's kind of disappointing that it's taken this long. But I believe that if the funding is can be done for renovating the moda. And also not just that, but the rose quarter, albina district and lloyd district, I think it could be an economic boom. And some people are skeptical, but I'm not. I think if you get that funding done, it'll get jobs going. Multnomah county has lost thousands of jobs since the pandemic. Let's get all these things going. And I believe the economy is going really good. One more thing. I think that there are five pro teams in Portland, and four of those five seem to love Portland and think Portland is great. I know they know that it can be better, but there's one outlier and that's the ownership of the blazers needs to be more genuine in saying how good Portland can be and not just say it's bad. Thank you.
363 Thank you very much.
364 I'll go.
365 My name is joseph, born and raised in Portland. Parents are from here, grandparents are from here. And great grandparents. Anyway, multi-generational Portland. And, let's see, I, my mom and I go to a lot of blazer games and, she was talking last night like, oh, there's a city council meeting tomorrow. We thought we'd come. And, as I was listening, I was like, I'll put my name on the thing. So I don't really have a ton prepared here. Sorry if I ramble. I know you guys are in a tough spot. I just want to say, I don't know, there's probably no chance that, any, you know, nba brass will hear this, but, if adam silver's listening, if this kind of move, the fact that it's gotten this far, I want him to hear that. Where's the camera? I almost want to, you know, point at him and say this, but, you'll be the worst nba commissioner of all time. Easily. I mean, there's only five of them, so it's not not that hard, but, do not let this, this thing happen. Use whatever leverage you can. You let a kind of a grade a of an owner to buy the team. And tom dundon stay in Portland. Okay? It'll it'll work out. I just want to say of all the stuff, like all the use of taxpayer money, there's a lot of, you know, money that goes out to these nonprofits that like, you know, their, actual product is dubious and what they do. And I know those are your constituents and your, your cronies and whatnot, but, of any use of taxpayer money, this seems like the most obvious roi of anything. Just take the economic stuff. But also, like as many people said, the non-quantifiable aspect of what sports does to a city. Again, I think some guy said this earlier. What was I going to say?
366 Thank you. Sorry. Over time there.
367 Sorry. Last thing no one's going to remember the little small thing. Thanks. All right.
368 Thanks, brother. Thanks, thanks. We're good guys. We're good. Cool. All good.
369 Hi. I'm marcus. I'm also a lifetime Portland resident. Third generation, just about to go on 50 years. Blazers represent team identity and culture, but really, they've been embedded in the dna of rip city since before I was born. If you think about it, the nba experience is about seeing the best basketball in the world. And it includes climate controlled arena. I mean, we've all seen football fans in buffalo, new york freeze to death while they cheer on their team. We get to beat the rain and gather rain and enjoy world class basketball in the moda center. I think that we deserve to have a world class, state of the art arena for this fan experience of it, and right now, there's a lot to be lost on the table if we can't get a deal done. And by that, I'm talking about the global brand of the blazers. Right now. We have a superstar from Israel. We have an emerging defensive ace, and that's danny avila. We have emerging defensive ace tamani kamara who brings from belgium who brings a french speaking audience with him. We just signed jeremy sohan from poland to our roster. Unless we not forget last year we invested our draft pick in young johnson from china. He's currently the best basketball player from china. If he actually becomes what we want him to be, that's a billion person market. Can we be responsible and like, leave that on the table? Of course not. So let's get over the ideological bent on this, eat the rich stuff and get this deal done. I mean, if we want to be responsible adults, let's do a better job managing the asset that's the moda center than, say, we did the PSU library last year when it got trashed. This is owed to the city of Portland, the stakeholders. Thank you. I yield my time.
370 Thank you very much. Yeah.
371 Hi. My name is connor cash. I was born and raised in the woodlawn neighborhood in northeast Portland, home of damon stoudamire. I'm currently a student at PSU and I work at the safeway on campus bagging groceries. But the job I've had that I found the most passion in was being a volleyball referee for five years. The job as a referee is interesting. They tell you to. If you perform your job perfectly, no one will notice. We. I grew up playing team sports. I was often the man setting screens, grabbing rebounds and letting other people score. So I'm a little out of breath. I just sprinted to get here. I want to take this time to remind you guys that you are also a team. You are a team just like my columbia christian high school team, the blazers, the fire. You guys are a team. You guys aren't always going to get along together. You guys are going to have disagreements. But at the end of the day, if you guys perform your job perfectly, no one will notice. No one will cheer, no one will throw a parade. But I can guarantee if you guys screw this up, if you lose my team, my mom's team, my grandma's team, my great grandma's team, people will notice. If you think Portland can riot over something that happens across the country, wait until you see what happens when you take this team from us. I know you guys don't have this all in your control, but just remember, you are a team and if you execute your job perfectly, there won't be any riots outside your house or your place of business. But if you guys this up, I can't guarantee that that will happen. We need to team up together and realize that the only daddy that can save us is adam silver. So let's team up and work together. Thank you.
372 Thank you.
373 Christy blomster. Our last testifier today is michelle eshelman.
374 Welcome, michelle.
375 Good morning.
376 I'm going to say rip city. I'm here. And if I look familiar, it's because, I went viral in 2016. I am a 29 year survivor of domestic violence in the state of Oregon and one of the biggest cases in the state of Oregon. I speak for domestic violence. I'm a former motor employee. When I went viral. The obamas, richard branson and prince harry came to my aid that day. Some of. I will not name the Portland trailblazers came to my aid. They didn't know who I was and they have a heart of gold and I am off and not at you. This is a decision which is like a pie. Everyone that knows me knows I am a solver. What do I do? I solve problems the. The fact is. When they are at away games, they're people in the building of moda and your three other buildings are events. The back needs to be passed to every darn event, not the Portland trailblazers out of their pockets, but every event divided them up. You've got three buildings and the blazers and those events, and that would solve this problem. And if you're going to build a new building, make it available to everyone. The, the, the people that are disabled.
377 Very much. Thank you for your time today. Thank you. Thank you so much.
378 That completes testimony.
379 Okay, colleagues, having completed our testimony, we are reserving our time for discussion until tomorrow. And so, I see councilor Kanal do.
380 Yeah. I just wanted to update colleagues that the amendments I mentioned are filed. They will be clerks obviously got been doing a lot right now, so we'll soon be posted. And I wanted to correct a misstatement earlier. I said it would increase the escalator from 5 to 7%. I misspoke, it increases it from 5 to 6%.
381 Thank you counselor. To that end, colleagues, as we are considering amendments for discussion tomorrow, if we could please reduce those to writing and get them to the clerk today. With that, we are in recess until tomorrow at 2:00.