Meeting Summary: Public Hearing on Commission’s Draft Final Report. Commissioner O’Brien will be presenting amendments to the Governance model based on commission’s ad-hoc public workshops.

Meeting Minutes

Agenda & Relevant Files

Significant Votes taken? Yes.

• Governance proposal amendments:

  • Friendly amendment to shift first Executive Mayor (for 2023 election) to be a five year term in order to comply with charter change that mayor be elected in presidential year. Passed.

  • Increase the mayor’s salary to no less than 2 times the median household income and to increase Council compensation to a minimum of 10% of the mayor’s salary, with parity for School Board members’ compensation Passed. (7 in favor (Houston, Kebede, Sheikh-Yousef, Barowitz, Washburn, O’Brien, Buxton) to 2 opposed (Eglinton, Lizanecz)

  • Adoption of additional friendly ammendments clarifying language around removal/vacancy of mayor. (See minutes)

• Police Oversight amendments:

  • Barowitz & Lizanecz presented amendments paring down proposal language for length and clarity. Passed unanimously. (9-0, Stewary Bouley, Chann, Waxman absent)

Meeting Summary: This is a workshop for interested commissioners to continue to work through potential amendments or changes to the Governance proposal. Attendance is not mandatory, public comment will not be taken, nor will official votes be held. Instead, this is an opportunity to work through and build consensus around some of our disparate ideas.

Topics may include: Examining Commissioner Chann's Governance amendment.

• Including Commissioner Sheikh-Yousef's discussion of number and distinction of branches.

Agenda & Zoom Link

Significant Votes taken? No votes will be taken.

Meeting Summary: Public Hearing on Commission’s Preliminary Report. All are welcome to attend and comment. This is the second to last hearing before the Commission concludes our work.

Agenda & Zoom Link

Significant Votes taken? No votes will be taken.

Meeting Summary: This is a workshop for interested commissioners to continue to work through potential amendments or changes to the Governance proposal. Attendance is not mandatory, public comment will not be taken, nor will official votes be held. Instead, this is an opportunity to work through and build consensus around some of our disparate ideas.

Topics may include: Mayor's role in developing the city's draft budget.

• Plus Commissioner Washburn's revisit of councilor pay.

• Plus Commissioner O'Brien's request to discuss constituent services and council access to public documents.

Agenda & Zoom Link

Significant Votes taken? No votes will be taken.

Meeting Summary: This is a working sessions for interested commissioners to continue to work through potential amendments or changes to the Governance proposal. Attendance is not mandatory, public comment will not be taken, nor will official votes be held. Instead, this is an opportunity to work through and build consensus around some of our disparate ideas.

Focus of the meeting may include: Mayor's powers and limitations in directing city staff.

• Including Commissioner Lizanecz's proposal language for wordsmithing.

• Plus Commissioner Barowitz's suggested edits and clarifications to our preliminary report

Agenda & Zoom Link

Significant Votes taken? No votes will be taken.

Meeting Summary: Charter Commission discusses next steps following the release of our preliminary report.

Agenda, Relevant Files & Recording

Minutes

Significant Votes taken? No.

Meeting Summary: Vote on Economic Leadership Amendment for Mayor (O’Brien), to be added to governance proposal. The Commission ratifies language of the majority of proposals for inclusion in preliminary report, May 9, including:

• School Budget Proposal:

  • Joint Committee

  • School Board Budget Autonomy

• School Capital Improvement Process

• School Board & City Council Vacancies

• City Council Districts

• Clean Elections

• Universal Resident Voting

• Proportional Ranked Choice Voting

• Ethics Commission

• Peaks Island Council

• Governance Language

(Preamble, Participatory Budgeting, and Police Citizen Oversight proposals ratified at prior meetings.)

Agenda, Minutes, Relevant Files & Recording:

Significant Votes taken? Yes.

• School Budget Autonomy: PASSED, 8 (Kebede; Barowitz, Buxton, Chann, Houston, Lizanecz, SheikhYousef, Stewart-Bouley) to 2 (O’Brien, Waxman ) (Eglinton, Washburn absent)

• Capital Improvement: PASSED, 10-0 (Eglinton, Washburn absent)

• Mayor’s Economic Development Leadership PASSED, 7 (Houston, O’Brien, Barowitz, Lizanecz, Buxton, Sheikh-Yousef, Kebede) to 4 (Chann, Waxman, Eglinton, Stewart-Bouley)

• Governance Language PASSED 8 yes (Kebede, Washburn, Buxton, Lizanecz, Sheikh-Yousef, Houston, O’Brien) to 4 no (Eglinton, Stewart-Bouley, Chann and Waxman)

  • Amendment by Lizanecz to include language about mayor not interfering with day-to-day operations of city failed 4-7 (4 in favor (O’Brien, Houston, Lizanecz, Kebede) and 7 opposed (Barowitz, Waxman, Sheikh-Yousef, Washburn, Stewart-Bouley, Buxton, Eglinton) with one abstention (Chann).

  • Amendment by O’Brien to reduce divisive language between Council/Mayor passed 8 (Houston, O’Brien, Barowitz, Lizanecz, Buxton, Sheikh-Yousef, Kebede) to 4 (Chann, Waxman, Eglinton, Stewart-Bouley) .

  • Amendment by Buxton to allow council to pick its own leadership, remove mayor as facilitator/agenda setter fails (6 in favor (Buxton, Barowitz, Houston, Washburn, Kebede, Sheikh-Yousef) and 6 opposed (O’Brien, Lizanecz, Chann, Waxman, Stewart-Bouley, Eglinton)

  • Amendment by Chann to reinstate City Manager, reduce Mayor’s executive role, and put them back as a voting member of council, eliminate executive committee fails (6 in favor (O’Brien, Stewart-Bouley, Waxman, Chann, Lizanecz, Eglinton) and 6 opposed (Houston, Barowitz, Buxton, Washburn, Kebede, Sheikh-Yousef).

• Clean Elections PASSED 11 to 0 (Eglinton absent)

• Redistricting PASSED 10 to 1 (Waxman; Eglinton absent)

  • **Amendment by O’Brien to also expand School District seats to match 9 new council districts passes 9 to 2 (Waxman, Stewart-Bouley; Eglinton absent)

• Ethics Commission PASSED 11 to 0 (Eglinton absent).

• Proportional Ranked Choice Voting PASSES - 9 in favor (O’Brien, Chann, Waxman, Washburn, Lizanecz, Buxton, Houston, Stewart-Bouley, Kebede) and 2 against (Barowitz; Sheikh-Yousef) (Eglinton absent)

  • Amendment to change language from “shall” to “may” failed ((Barowitz, Washburn, Lizanecz, SheikhYousef, Kebede) and 6 against (O’Brien, Chann, Waxman, Buxton, Houston, Stewart-Bouley) (Eglinton absent).

• Universal Resident Voting - PASSES 8 in favor (Chann, Barowitz, Washburn, Lizanecz, Sheikh-Yousef, Kebede, Buxton, Houston) to 3 against (O’Brien, Waxman, Stewart-Bouley) (Eglinton absent)

• Vacancies PASSES 11 to 0 (Eglinton absent)

.

Meeting Summary: Commission holds discussion and votes on the Governance model, including some amendments.

The commission holds public hearing and vote on Communications Policy & Office of Information.

The commission votes to ratify School Budget, Capital Improvement, Participatory Budgeting, and Vacancies proposals for inclusion into final report.

Agenda & Recording:
Minutes

Significant Votes taken? Yes.

Governance Model passed: 7-5 (7 (O’Brien, Kebede, Buxton, Houston, Washburn, Barowitz, Sheikh-Yousef) to 5 (Waxman, Chann, Eglinton, Stewart-Bouley, Lizanecz),

Note: Many amendments discussed see minutes for details.

Communications Policy passed (11-1, Waxman)

Office of Information failed. 5 for (O’Brien, Houston, Eglinton, Buxton, Kebede) and 7 against (Washburn, Chann, Barowitz, Stewart-Bouley, Waxman, Lizanecz, Sheikh-Yousef).

Participatory budgeting & Vacancies proposal ratified unanimously.

School budget & capital improvement proposals tabled.

Meeting Summary: Commission holds votes on the following proposals: Ethics Commission Proposal, School Budget Autonomy and Capital Improvement Process. First read of Governance Compromise prepared in Charter language, Peaks Island Council, Office of Information.

Ratifies Preamble.

Agenda & Recording:

Minutes

Relevant Files:

• Ethics Commission Proposal

• School Budget Autonomy

• Capital Improvement Process

• Governance Compromise Memo

• First draft charter red line

Significant Votes taken? Yes.

Ethics Commission idea referred to charter language. Passed unanimously.

School Budget Process Proposal, split into two proposals:

• Joint Budget Committee: Approved unanimously.

  • School Budget Autonomy:

    • (Friendly amendment by Commissioner Chann to codify council’s ability to hold hearing and make non-binding budget recommendations before school board approval of budget.)

    • Passed by 9 (Washburn, Buxton, Barowitz, Lizanecz, Houston, Stewart-Bouley, Chann, Sheikh-Yousef, Kebede) to 3 (O’Brien, Waxman, Eglinton) in favor of the School Board Autonomy proposal.

      • Note Proposal will still need legal review and may not be included in final recommendation pending legal judgement from our lawyer and others.

Meeting Summary: Commission continued to deliberate on Governance Structure, including the introduction of developing more compromises between different models introduced over the last few months.

Public Hearing on Ethics Proposal, School Budget, and Capital Improvement Proposals. First read on School Board Vacancies.

Agenda, Minutes, Relevant Files & Recording

Significant Votes? No. Committee heard testimony for School Budget, Capital Improvement, and Ethics Commission Proposals, but voted to table due to the late hour and desire for more public comment.

Meeting Summary: Commission will continue to deliberate on Governance Structure. Votes on Ethics Commission Proposal. Vote on final language for Police Oversight proposal.

Agenda, Minutes & Recording

Relevant Files:
Governance Proposal

• Commissioner Washburn’s Illustrated ‘Overlap’ Diagram: This takes ideas from Chann-O’Brien proposal & Kebede et. al Ammendment and sees where ideas are shared and where there needs reconciliation and work.

Ethics Commission (Sponsored by Barowitz, Departments Committee) :

• Proposal

• Research

Significant Votes? Yes. Committee unanimously approves final language for Police Oversight Proposal.

Meeting Summary: Commission will continue to deliberate on Governance Structure. Votes on Clean Elections Proposal, City Council Districts, Ethics Commission, and Participatory Budgeting. First Reads on School Budget Process and Capital Improvement for Schools.

Ethics Vote tabled due to lack of lead time for public to observe changes and prepare comment.

Minutes: HERE

Recording: HERE

Relevant Files:
Clean Elections Proposal (amendments made in meeting not included)

Council Districts Proposal.

Participatory Budgeting Proposal.

——-

Significant Votes Taken? Yes.

Clean Elections Proposal passes, amendment to strike debate requirement fails (5-5), amended to include provision about preventing corporations from financial gain from election contributions. (10-1, Washburn, Stewary-Bouley absent.) Full proposal passes: 11-0 (Stewart-Bouley absent.)

Council District Passes, amended to 12 councilors (9 district, 3 at-large) — Amendment passes (6 YES (O’Brien, Houston, Lizanecz, Eglinton, Waxman, Chann) to 5 NO (Washburn, Barowitz, Sheikh-Yousef, Kebede, Buxton). Full proposal passes 8 - 3 (Eglinton, Sheikh Yousef & Waxman opposed. Stewart-Bouley absent.)

Participatory Budget Proposal Passes. (10-1. Lizanecz and Stewart-Bouley absent.)

Meeting Summary: Commission begins first of 3 to 4 facilitated deliberations about governance structure. No formal votes will be taken, these will be consensus building workshops to move towards a final proposal. First Read - Council Districts.

Minutes: HERE

Agenda, Recording & Files HERE

Relevant Files:
Council Districts Proposal Folder

Significant Votes Taken: No.

General Meeting Summary: Public hearing and vote on the following proposals:

• School Board Vacancies

Minutes: HERE

Recording, Agenda & Relevant Files: HERE

Substantial Votes taken? Yes. School Board Vacancy Proposal passes unanimously.

Meeting Summary: Commission will host a public hearing on the number of Governance Proposals submitted to the commission. Decides to table vote. Committee will instead hire facilitators to help move towards greater consensus and streamline deliberative process.

Public hearings and votes on Universal Resident Voting and Councilor Pay proposals.

First Reads of Participatory Budgeting, Clean Elections and Ethics Commission Proposals.

Minutes, Agenda, Recording & Files HERE

More files:

Universal Resident Voting Proposal & Resources

Council Pay Proposal & Resources

Significant Votes Taken: Yes. Commission votes to send Universal Resident Voting proposal to legal advisor to draft Charter language (10 - 2, Waxman & Eglinton).

Commission does not pass councillor pay, as votes were tied and therefore aught not to pass. (6 YES: Kebede, Buxton, Sheikh-Yousef, Washburn, Barowitz, and Lizanecz, to 6 NO: Chann, Waxman, Eglinton, O’Brien, Stewart-Bouley, and Houston).

General Meeting Summary: Committee holds a hearing a vote on both Joint Ethics Commission proposal and Citizen Initiatives proposal.

Agenda, Relevant FIles & Recording: HERE

Minutes: not on city website…PENDING

Substantial Votes taken? Yes. Committee votes to send Joint Ethics proposal to full commission. Committee votes to send Citizen Initiatives proposal to full commission. (All votes unanimous.)

General Meeting Summary: Q&A with Councilor Pious Ali to answer committee questions about experience as at-large councilor, followed by Public Hearing on Council Districts Proposal.

Recording, Relevant Files & Agenda: HERE

Minutes: HERE

Substantial Votes taken? Yes. Committee votes unanimously to send proposal to full commission.

General Meeting Summary: Public hearing and vote on the following proposals:

• School Budget Autonomy + Joint Budget Committee

• School Board Bond Authority

• Joint Capital Improvement Plan

• School Board Vacancies

Minutes: HERE

Recording, Agenda & Relevant Files: HERE

Substantial Votes taken? Yes.

• School Budget Autonomy + Joint Budget Committee: Passes unanimously

  • Amendments: Switching Cmr Houston’s language for Cmr Eglinton’s — unanimous passage.

• School Board Bond Authority: Fails (YES: Houston, NO: Eglinton, Chann)

• Joint Capital Improvement Plan: Passes Unanimously.

• School Board Vacancies: Tabled

General Meeting Summary: Commission holds a workshop on governance models. Hosts public hearing on official charter language for Citizen Police Oversight Board. Hosts public hearing and vote on Proportional Ranked Choice Voting proposal. First reads on proposals for Universal Resident Voting, Code of Ethics, and Raising City Councilor Pay.

Agenda & Relevant FIles: HERE

Recording: HERE

Minutes: HERE

Substantial Votes taken? Yes. Simplified version of PRCV proposal approved. (12-0), Citizen Police Oversight Proposal Charter Language Approved to move proposal to legal counsel for final review.

General Meeting Summary: Committee holds vote on 2 proposals: Simplified Participatory Budgeting Language and Ethics Commission. First read on Citizen Initiatives.

Agenda, Relevant FIles & Recording: HERE

Minutes: HERE

Substantial Votes taken? Yes. Committee votes to send Participatory Budgeting to full commission. Committee tables Ethics commission in order to combine proposal with Depts. Committee’s similar proposal.

General Meeting Summary: Committee discusses Ethics “Board” proposal and how to move forward with proposal.

Agenda, Files & Recording: HERE

Minutes: not on website PENDING

Substantial Votes taken? No. Committee decides to draft joint proposal and move through Procedures committee to send to full commission.

General Meeting Summary: Committee Discusses two proposals:

-Joint Budget Committee and Joint Capital Improvement Plan proposed by Cmr. Eglinton.
- School Budget Autonomy and Joint Budget Committee by Cmr. Houston

(Both proposals include similar joint budget committee, which will be combined in future proposals.)

Minutes: HERE

Recording, Agenda & Relevant Files: HERE

Substantial Votes taken? No.

General Meeting Summary: Public Hearing on Universal Resident Voting proposal. Final workshop of City Council Districts.

Recording, Relevant Files & Agenda: HERE
Universeal Resident Voting Proposal Text: HERE

Minutes: HERE

Substantial Votes taken? Yes. Committee votes unanimously to send proposal to full commission.

General Meeting Summary: Commission invites four guests to discuss the pros and cons of different forms of city government, as well as history of different systems in Portland .

Municipal Experts:

• Professors Andrea Benjamin of the University of Oklahoma

• Anthony Crowell of New York Law School

• Jered Carr of the University of Illinois at Chicago

Historians:

• Earl Shettleworth, Maine State Historian

• Tom MacMillan, PhD Candidate in History, Concordia University

Agenda, Recording, & Relevant FIles: HERE

Minutes: HERE (Not official minutes, but notes prepared by one commissioner during the meeting)

Substantial Votes taken? No.

General Meeting Summary: Commission holds workshop on governance models.

Commission holds public hearing on Proposals: Preamble & Land Acknowledgement, and Citizen Police Oversight proposals. First read of Proportional Ranked Choice Voting.

Agenda & Relevant FIles: HERE

Also: Amendments to Police Oversight proposal not included in meeting packet: Removal of stipends, changing membership # and Funding mechanism from PD budget.

Recording: HERE

Minutes: HERE

Substantial Votes taken? Yes. Police Citizen Oversight Board proposal passes. Sending to lawyer to convert to charter language. Stipend and membership amendment passes. (8-3, Buxton, Kebede, Wwashburn), funding ammendment fails (3, Buxton, Kebede, Washburn to 8, Stewart-Bouley absent).

Premable passed unanimously (10-1, Chann, Stewart-Bouley absent.)\

General Meeting Summary: Committee holds vote on 2 proposals: Official legal language of Council Pay proposal. Participatory budgeting proposal. Public Comment invited.

Agenda, Relevant FIles & Recording: HERE

Minutes: HERE

Substantial Votes taken? Yes. Committtee votes to send Council Pay proposal to full commission. (3-1, Waxman opposed.) Participatory budgeting to be re-drafted.

General Meeting Summary: Interview with Kaitlin Caruso, UMaine Law, as consult on civics oversight boards, ombudsperson roles (Notes from interview included in minutes, very interesting!), Consideration of Ethics Proposal.

Meeting Minutes: HERE

Agenda, Files & Recording: HERE

Substantial Votes taken? No.