Portland Mayor blasted during “Ten Minutes with Tom” tour in Parkrose
Mayor Tom Potter held his “Ten minutes with Tom” On Saturday, May 6 in Parkrose at Beale Street NW Family BBQ Restaurant at 10721 N.E. Sandy Blvd., fielding kudos and complaints deftly; having a delicious lunch afterwards with Beale Street NW Family BBQ owner Margaret Erikson and others.
Potter enjoyed visiting the Parkrose neighborhood and meeting local residents despite hearing a raft of complaints genially and respectfully delivered from Parkrose Business Association President Wayne Stoll.
Issues discussed with other community members included residents’ concerns about crime linked to methamphetamine production and addiction; the future of Parkrose and its prospects for redevelopment; economic development strategies and attracting businesses to Parkrose.
Ten Minutes with Tom in Parkrose, held May 6 had Valerie Curry, Argay Neighborhood Association chair in attendance with her back to the camera, and Parkrose Neighborhood Association chair Marcy Emerson-Peters, from left, visionPDX chair Gary Marschke, Jeremy Van Keuen, Mayor Tom Potter and Portland Police Bureau officer Pete Taylor.
Going five minutes over his allowed time to make his points, Wayne Stoll, president of the Parkrose Business Association, took his turn and gave Potter an earful.
Stoll told the mayor the city spends “Way too much money on ‘sexy’ new projects while neglecting ongoing maintenance on existing infrastructure.” Stoll also told the mayor Parkrose has streets with potholes, unpaved streets, and many streets with no sidewalks. At thee same time watching the city spends millions for infrastructure in the Pearl District, South Waterfront and on the Eastbank Esplanade.
Stoll also complained that in 1998 he asked then mayor Vera Katz to get the Portland Development Commission’s Storefront Improvement Project instituted in Parkrose on Sandy Boulevard but that it never happened.
As another example of what he felt was the city’s neglect and indifference towards Parkrose, Stoll pointed outside to the traffic medians on Sandy Boulevard. The medians the Portland Department of Transportation installed despite strenuous objections by the PBA and Sandy Boulevard business owners. The city, after promising to provide ongoing maintenance when they were installed in 1999, has never done so Stoll said. Stoll told Potter that in 1998 during the Sandy Boulevard re-development project, a city employee at PDOT told him threatened that if the PBA didn’t accept the project in its entirety including the traffic medians PDOT would not do any work in Parkrose for five years.
Potter was stunned and appalled. He asked Stoll for the name of the PDOT employee that said this, Stoll said he’d get him the name.
Stoll also told Potter the PBA felt snubbed by the lack of direct advance notice of the “Ten minutes with Tom” tour coming to Parkrose saying Potter’s office should have directly contacted the PBA to inform them.
Potter agreed.
Stoll told Potter that because of the poor communication at least two PBA members felt snubbed and didn’t attend. Stoll told the mayor “The city likes to give us (outer east Portland) a pat on the head now and then and send us on our way.” Stoll isn’t sure his talk had any effect on “hizzoner” but overall says his meeting with Potter was genial. Knowing Stoll and his demeanor, even when upset, he is always genial.
