November 1, 2021
Dear Friend of Lan Su,
I hope you are enjoying the brilliant colors that come with fall in Oregon. I am writing today to update you on meetings the executive directors of three other cultural organizations and I have had with city and county leaders over the past few weeks.
Last month I shared with you a letter sent to our elected officials raising concerns about rapidly deteriorating conditions in and near Old Town. The letter was signed by myself and the executive directors of the Portland Chinatown Museum, Japanese American Museum of Oregon, and Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. In response to that letter, we met with Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Commissioners Mingus Mapps, Carmen Rubio and Dan Ryan.
We were unable to get time on Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty’s calendar until November 22. That appointment has been set.
We have also met with Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury and County Commissioners Sharon Meieran, Lori Stegmann, Susheela Jayapal and Jessica Vega Pederson.
The other executive directors and I sincerely appreciated the time these local officials (and their staffs) took to listen to our concerns. We believe most, if not all, better understood the serious problems Old Town and, particularly our houseless neighbors, face right now.
Some solutions proposed by the elected leaders during those meetings included additional law enforcement presence, expanded social and mental health supports, increased housing options, and trash removal. We also heard that our elected leaders intended to address some of Old Town’s issues as part of the upcoming “Fall Budget Monitoring Process” or "Fall BMP".
However, I am genuinely concerned that most of the proposed solutions face steep challenges and will take months, if not years to implement. In fact, these meetings were often frustrating because they demonstrated a genuine lack of leadership at a time when we need it most.
Our group made it clear that Old Town urgently needs leadership and action. Earlier today, we followed our meetings with a second letter urging our local elected officials to develop 30-, 60- and 90-day plans so that we know more immediate solutions are being considered and implemented. We are asking our elected leaders to step up for Old Town. You can find links to these joint letters in the bottom of this message.
If you are inclined, I urge you to send your own email or letter to our city and county officials asking for immediate attention for Portland’s oldest neighborhood. You’ll find a list and links to their email addresses below.
While this has been a challenging time, your encouraging words remind me how important Lan Su Chinese Garden and Old Town is to you and to our city.
Thank you for being there for us.
Elizabeth Nye
Executive Director
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Here is a list of the elected officials you can send an e-mail to:
Portland City Council
Mayor Ted Wheeler | mayorwheeler@portlandoregon.gov |
Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty | joann@portlandoregon.gov |
Commissioner Carmen Rubio | comm.rubio@portlandoregon.gov |
Commissioner Mingus Mapps | mappsoffice@portlandoregon.gov |
Commissioner Dan Ryan | commissionerryanoffice@portlandoregon.gov |
Multnomah County Commissioners
Chair Deborah Kafoury | mult.chair@multco.us |
Susheela Jayapal | district2@multco.us |
Sharon Meieran | district1@multco.us |
Lori Stegmann | district4@multco.us |
Jessica Vega Pederson | district3@multco.us |
Click the links below to read the follow-up letters from the four cultural organizations in Old Town to the local elected officials:
Follow-up Letters to Portland Elected Officials
Letter to Mayor Ted Wheeler 11.01
Letter to Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty 11.01
Letter to Commissioner Mingus Mapps 11.01
Letter to Commissioners Carmen Rubio & Dan Ryan 11.01
Follow-up Letters to Multnomah County Commissioners
Letter to Chair Deborah Kafoury 11.01
Letter to Commissioner Sharon Meieran 11.01
Letter to Commissioners Susheela Jayapal & Jessica Vega Pederson 11.01
Letter to Commissioner Lori Stegmann 11.01
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