Late update: Three city commissioner candidates slated for Sumner meeting on Mar 20

Posted on March 17, 2012 by

We have three guest speakers for the meeting this Tuesday evening (March 20) of the Sumner Association of Neighbors (SAN) in NE Portland. We will be joined by State Representative Mary Nolan and local business owner Bruce Altizer, who are candidates for Portland City Council, Position #1.

In a late addition, incumbent Position #1 City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who is seeking re-election, but had a prior engagement on this date will join us during the pre-meeting social time (which starts at 6:30 PM) and the very first part of the meeting until 7:15 PM.

A fourth candidate for Position #1, Teressa Raiford, was also invited to attend.

The meeting starts at 7 PM in the CNN conference room, 4415 NE 87th Ave (map). Social time (with light refreshments) starts at 6:30 PM.

Other topics include:

  • Two volunteers needed for an ad hoc ‘blue ribbon’ committee we’re seating to review and propose revisions to our bylaws (287K PDF file)
  • Updates about litter patrol, graffiti grant, WTS, community garden, SAN lot ‘adopt a highway,’ Sandy sidewalk project. In other words, all your favorites.
  • Upcoming events: Litter patrol on March 31; Newsletters in late April; Neighborhood Clean-up on Saturday, May 19, at Helensview; Neighborhood garage sale on Saturday, June 2 (sign up now); SAN board elections (no date set)
  • Your ideas and suggestions

And don’t forget: Saturday, March 31: Sumner Pride litter patrol, 10 AM at the CNN office. Everyone is invited! We had a great turnout on Feb 24 despite the iffy weather.

Posted in Cleanup, cnn, garage sale, gardening, helensview, litter, san, transportation | Leave a comment

SAN winter 2012 newsletter is now available; neighborhood meeting is tomorrow evening

Posted on February 20, 2012 by

The newsletter for winter 2012 (1.7 MB PDF) for Sumner Association of Neighbors (SAN) in NE Portland, Oregon is now available online!

newsletter thumbnail Hopefully, this issue has already been delivered to your home. It includes a lot of stuff you might’ve already seen here on this website.

On a related note: Tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb 21 is our next neighborhood meeting at 7PM with two guest speakers:

#1: State Rep and Portland mayoral candidate Jefferson Smith
#2: Sarah Figliozzi of PBOT, who will talk about the upcoming Sandy Blvd sidewalk project.

We’ll also have updates on WTS, the community garden, and other stuff.

Social time with light refreshments at 6:30 PM. Meeting is at the usual location: CNN conference room, 4415 NE 87th (aka side door of Fire Station #12, just north off Sandy Blvd).

Posted in gardening, helensview, newsletter, san, transportation, wts | Leave a comment

Septic pumper WTS stopped receiving septage in early December; now taking only landfill runoff

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

Under a deadline to file for a conditional use permit or face daily fines, Water Truck Service (WTS) decided to pull the plug. On Nov 30, WTS notified the city and SAN that they would stop trucking and disposing septage — human waste from septic tanks — at their site at NE 89th and Killingsworth on Dec 2.

Instead, WTS said they would limit their activity to processing ‘leachate,’ which is runoff from landfills. Activity has ramped down sharply, but even so some nearby residents have reported noise and garbage odors since Dec 2 when WTS is active.

WTS wide shot
Caption: A short truck backed into a pumping bay at WTS, as viewed from NE 89th in June 2011

On Feb 1, new WTS site manager Jamie Hartley, called to request that his number be shared with all our neighbors, so everyone can contact him with concerns, questions and complaints. His number will be included in winter 2012 newsletter coming out in the next week or two.

WTS is based in Sherwood. They opened here in spring 2010. Noise and chronic odor issues — nuisances under city code — were noted by neighbors from early on. Two residents asked SAN for help at our June 2011 meeting. WTS was fined on Aug 27 for violation of land use laws, and completed a conference with the city on Oct 20 in preparation for the required conditional use permit. The tough compliance requirements for the permit — including traffic, setbacks, noise, odor and enclosed space for loading and unloading waste — led to the decision by WTS on Nov 30 to stop pumping septage in Sumner.

Despite these big positive steps, homework remains to see if leachate is also considered ‘waste-related’ under the city zoning code. Any waste-related use at the site requires the same conditional use permit.

For more background, see:

For a video report by local TV reporter Ed Teachout on KGW, see their report.

Posted in health, land use, noise, odor, san, wts | Leave a comment

November 2011 meeting notes: Holiday crime prevention tips and a bunch of neighborhood updates

Posted on December 11, 2011 by

Thanks to Erica, the secretary for Sumner Association of Neighbors (SAN) in NE Portland for drafting these meeting notes.

Guest Speaker: Officer Mark Wells – Crime Prevention Coordinator
Mark provided crime statistics on Sumner Neighborhood. To learn more about the current statistics, check out http://www.portlandonline.com/police/crimestats/index.cfm.

Other items from Mark:

  • Property Related Crimes: (such as car prowls) on slight rise, especially with the holiday season, throughout Portland. A tip on preventing car prowls from Office of Neighborhood Involvement: Keep your vehicle “showroom” clean. This means don’t leave ANYTHING in your vehicle, especially something of value. Even visible spare change can entice a criminal to break into your car. If you must store items in your car, use your trunk. Also, park in a well lit area, roll up windows and lock your doors every time you leave your vehicle.
  • Crime Prevention Programs: Neighborhood Watch (training provided) and the Operation Recovery programs. With the help of Officer Wells, Scott will create a flyer to canvass the neighborhood to generate and take poll of neighborhood’s interest of Neighborhood Watch program. Training for the Neighborhood Watch program also includes training on Neighborhood Problem Solving.
  • Operation Recovery: a tool to use for Property Inventory Record. Office Wells encouraged neighbors to itemize belongings, as information listed on the form would be useful and needed in case of theft/burglary for police reports and insurance claims. In the case of theft, property has a better chance of being recovered.
  • A reminder: To report any suspicious activity, please call Portland Police non-emergency at 503-823-3333.
  • Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) Bureau is preparing the 2012-13 budget and all are invited to attend Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings. Officer Wells also encouraged neighbors to part a part of that process. To see a list of upcoming meetings, visit ONI website: http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/index.cfm?c=56501.
  • ONI General Fund Cuts – must submit 4%, 6% and 8% cuts (approximately $220,000 to $500,000) (Police and Fire Services fall into this category and would be affected.)
  • Opportunities for Public Input: ONI BAC meetings –5:30pm, Portland Building Room C (during non-budget, City Hall Lovejoy Rm). Or online testimony/input, Contact Council directly: http://www.portlandonline.com/index.cfm?c=28533.

Updates

  • Community Garden: Meeting tonight at 8pm of Helensview Community Garden Steering Committee.
  • Halloween Party Recap: Good Turn Out, Ready for next year
  • WTS: From 10/20 Pre Application Process- WTS to submit/file a detailed plan by Dec 20th. Bureau of Development Services (BDS) minutes can be found on Sumner’s website at: SumnerPDX.org
  • Litter Patrol update: a total 1,738 lbs of litter collected, as of current. Working with School to Work Coordinator at Helensview to involve the students in the Litter Patrol.
  • Don’t Forget the Sumner Assoc. of Neighbors Holiday Gala December 6th 6pm-8 pm at CNN office.

New Business
Next General meeting February 15, 2012 6-8:30pm 20, 2012, 6:30-8:30 PM

Old Business
Conversations of the SAN lot were brought up- walking path around the field. More to be discussed at future meetings.

Posted in crime, fun, gardening, helensview, litter, san, wts | Leave a comment