Follow up to neighborhood meeting

Here are the internet links for issues discussed at BNA meeting on February 14th

The panel report for the CRC

http://www.columbiarivercrossing.com/FileLibrary/GeneralProjectDocs/BRP_Report.pdf

Leslie will be sending out a proposed letter to the governors later this week.

The sites for information on the Flood Zone issues.

FEMA NFIP, CFR 44, Chapter 1, Parts 59-77

www.fema.cov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2206

City of Portland - Flood Ordinance, Title 24.50.040

www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c+53483

Dave Hendricks is the Deputy Director at MCDD and can be reached at 503-281-5675. His email address is dhendricks@mcdd.org.

Maybe You Should Work For You

In today's economy thinking outside the JOB box and finding a way to be self-employed just might be what you need to do!

Where? Kenton Library community room
8226 North Denver Avenue
When? Wednesday Feb 16th from 5 to 6 PM

• Every one of us has skills and levels of expertise that someone else needs or wants

• There is sufficient money in our economy – you just have to figure out how to go get it for your own business

• Having your own business has great tax advantages – so great that it seems the IRS code was designed for self-employed persons

Come to a short presentation this Wednesday evening and learn about the pros and cons of being self-employed
and how to think about getting outside the JOB box!

Where? Kenton Library community room
8226 North Denver Avenue
When? Wednesday Feb 16th from 5 to 6 PM

This is general information only and no specific businesses can or will be mentioned!

An HD44 PCP event and open to the public.
Not affiliated with the library
Please let your friends know about this...
Thank you

February Neighborhood Meeting

February 14th - 7 PM - Columbia Pioneer School @ Bridgeton and Marine Dr

AGENDA:

Flood Zone for houses on the Levee

Dave Hendricks from MCDD will discuss the issues

CRC—What Now!!!

Environmental Evaluation of the Sloughs/West Hayden Island

Spring Clean-up ---April 23rd

Bridgeton Neighborhood Updates

Neighborhood Night out plans

Form a committee to work on a neighborhood disaster response plan

From Earl Blumenauer

This is from our Federal Rep.....

Dear Neighbor,

This morning I attended two events directly tied to job creation in our community.

Thanks to $50 million in rail upgrades to the Rivergate industrial district in North Portland, goods can now be moved more quickly and safely. A more efficient rail system that eliminates delays and bottlenecks is creating expanded opportunities for exports, greater resources for manufacturing, and, of course, new jobs for the region. These upgrades were helped in part by funding from the last Transportation Reauthorization Bill. Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway were also both on hand to be recognized for their critical investments to these projects. When the private sector and government work together, the result is more jobs and economic vitality for Oregon.

Next, I toured the MEMC manufacturing facility. This company, which manufactures parts for solar technology, moved to Portland in 2007 and has created approximately 120 new jobs at various skill levels thanks in part to the renewable energy manufacturing tax credits in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The success of this business is not only a victory for local jobs and manufacturing, but integral in a clean energy future.

After two weeks in Washington D.C. listening to the Republican leadership speak at length about the need to create jobs and strengthen the economy, we've yet to have a single vote toward achieving these goals. It is refreshing to return home to see projects actually moving forward thanks to the work that has been done in Congress. I look forward to spending the rest of this week meeting with small business and community leaders about where our efforts have been successful and what improvements can be made on the federal level.

Sincerely,





Earl Blumenauer
Member of Congress

An update from Rep. Tina Kotek HD44

This is from Tina Kotek our state Representative. A section of her letter is very pertinent to us in Bridgeton floating homes and I highlighted it in RED font Dear Friends and Neighbors, The 76th Oregon Legislature convened in Salem on January 10th. We installed the first Oregon governor elected to serve three terms, selected leadership for the first-ever evenly divided House of Representatives, and organized committees in preparation to address a historic slate of challenges including a $3.5 billion budget deficit, continuing high unemployment, and essential services stretched beyond capacity. I am honored to have been elected the Co-Speaker Pro Tempore for the House, sharing the position with my colleague Representative Andy Olson from Albany. In addition to this leadership role, I will continue to serve as Co-Chair of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Services (sharing that role with Representative Tim Freeman from Roseburg) and a member of the full Joint Committee on Ways and Means. These committee assignments mean that I will be deeply involved in crafting the state's next two-year budget. I am committed to protecting crucial funding for education, human services, and public safety as we strive to do the work of state government differently in these cash-strapped times. Lastly, a big THANK YOU to the 40+ people who attended my Community Conversation earlier this month. I really enjoyed the discussion. I hope you did, too.

Keeping the Focus on Our Neighborhoods This session I will be focusing on several bills that address concerns unique to North and Northeast Portland but have statewide relevance as well. These bills reflect the conversations I've had with many you about the issues facing our communities, and I'll look to you again to work with me on these challenges in the coming months. A few of my 2011 legislative priorities include: · Problem Bars and Taverns: I will introduce, with Senator Jackie Dingfelder, a bill to improve public safety by providing local governments the ability to suspend liquor licenses temporarily in the aftermath of a serious incident like a shooting, giving the Oregon Liquor Control Commission additional enforcement tools to address problem establishments, and adding a public safety expert to the membership of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. · Manufactured Home Rent Stability: On behalf of the Hayden Island Livability Project, I'm working on a bill that will protect residents of manufactured home, mobile home, and houseboat communities from exorbitant rent increases. These residents are in a unique position in that they own their homes, but must rent the physical space underneath. Often, they can't move their property because of the condition or age of their residence - even if they wanted to do so. The bill would allow local governments to intervene on this issue. · Police Oversight: After the repeated tragedies of police shootings in our community, it's clear that we need to do more to ensure that our law enforcement officers are being appropriately trained in the reasonable use of deadly force and that incidents are appropriately addressed when they do occur. I'm working with Representative Lew Frederick from neighboring House District 43 on bills to respond to these recent events and to make sure we do everything possible to avoid similar incidents in the future. · Foreclosures: I look forward to supporting "good neighbor" legislation again this session to address the problem of abandoned properties in our neighborhoods. I have signed on to House Bill 2957, which would allow local governments to take action when an abandoned foreclosed property is posing a threat to public safety and heath. I also plan to lend my support to bills that will require more accountability from banks and loan servicers, not only for people who are in foreclosure, but also their tenants, neighbors, and communities. What Are Refund Anticipation Loans? As tax season is upon us, many people turn to tax preparers like H&R Block and Liberty Tax Service to do their taxes. These services are popular, but can come with hidden predatory loans. Refund Anticipation Loans, also known as RALs, are short-term loans that tax preparation companies offer to filers so they can get their tax refund right away instead of waiting for the IRS to process their refund. Unfortunately, these loans come loaded with extra fees and very high interest rates - from 50 percent up to 500 percent. Families strapped for cash are pressured into these loans without being fully informed of their actual cost. In fact, in 2008, working families in Oregon lost an estimated $8 million in RAL-related fees, with lower-income families being disproportionately affected. Tax preparation companies need to be held responsible for providing full information to consumers about the loan products they are offering and being up front with any associated fees. I'm working with advocates to introduce a bill called the Tax Preparation Transparency Act. This law would prohibit add-on fees, require all tax preparers who offer RALs to be registered with the Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners, and ban deceptive loan sales practices. It's unacceptable for these companies to continue to misrepresent the cost of their loan products to consumers. To join the fight against RALs, visit the Economic Fairness Oregon website.To locate a free tax preparation site, check out the nonprofit CASH Oregon website.

As the session moves forward, I look forward to hearing your comments on these and other priorities - so please keep in touch! Best wishes,