Establish new City Council committee structure
Resolution Document 2025-323
Establish new City Council committee structure
Derived from official scheduling fields
2 Council session appearances; latest Aug 14, 2025.
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Supporting documents
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Official material
11 linked filesDocuments
Official page textRead
WHEREAS, Sec 2-111 of the Charter of the City of Portland provides that the Portland City Council (Council) shall determine its own rules of procedure and may establish committees and subcommittees; andWHEREAS, City Code Section 3.02.050 provides that Council, by resolution, may form or terminate committees to assist Council’s legislative functions; and WHEREAS, City Code Section 3.02.050 grants authority to Council to adopt rules for the subject matter, duties, structure, and schedule of Council committees; andWHEREAS, on January 1, 2025, Portland transitioned to a new form of government, creating geographic representation across four districts and increasing the number of elected Council members from five to twelve; andWHEREAS, to ensure effective governance and equitable representation under this new system, a consistent, district-inclusive committee structure is necessary for managing the increased volume of legislative and oversight responsibilities; andWHEREAS, since January 2025, Council has operated with eight standing policy committees meeting on a bi-weekly basis, without consistent district representation on each committee and with an output that exceeds the available time for full Council deliberation; andWHEREAS, a revised committee framework consolidates the number of policy committees from eight to five, to balance duties and subject matter, equitable representation, and Council workload; andWHEREAS, this revised framework supports equitable participation across all districts, reduces complexity for the public in tracking policy, and enhances Council’s ability to serve the needs of Portlanders citywide; andWHEREAS, this revised structure will allow for a leadership group of no greater than six Councilors that includes all Committee Chairs, the Council President, and the Council Vice President.NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Council Committees, including their duties, subject matter, membership, and leadership, are established as provided in the attached Exhibit A. Exhibit A shall replace the exhibit adopted with Resolution 37696, and the revised committee structure herein shall take effect immediately.
Meeting-specific record
7 vote recordsMotions, amendments & votes
Motion to table the item: Moved by Clark and seconded by Smith. (Aye (5): Novick, Clark, Zimmerman, Smith, Pirtle-Guiney; Nay (6): Koyama Lane, Morillo, Green, Avalos, Dunphy, Kanal; Absent (1): Ryan). Motion failed to pass.
Motion to amend Exhibit A as shown in Pirtle-Guiney A: Moved by Pirtle-Guiney and seconded by Kanal.
Motion to divide Pirtle-Guiney A to vote on the amendments in Sections B.1.a. and 5. in Exhibit A separately: Moved by Kanal. Vote on Pirtle-Guiney A amendments in Sections B.1.a. and 5. in Exhibit A: (Aye (2): Dunphy, Pirtle-Guiney; Nay (10): Koyama Lane, Morillo, Novick, Clark, Green, Zimmerman, Avalos, Smith, Kanal, Ryan). Motion failed to pass. Remainder of Pirtle-Guiney A withdrawn.
Motion to remove Dunphy B from the table: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Avalos. Approved by unanimous consent. Vote to amend Exhibit A as shown in Dunphy B: Previously moved by Dunphy and seconded by Green. (Aye (3): Morillo, Green, Dunphy; Nay (9): Koyama Lane, Novick, Clark, Zimmerman, Avalos, Smith, Kanal, Ryan, Pirtle-Guiney). Motion failed to pass.
Motion to amend Exhibit A as shown in Dunphy C: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Zimmerman. (Aye (1): Dunphy; Nay (11): Koyama Lane, Morillo, Novick, Clark, Green, Zimmerman, Avalos, Smith, Kanal, Ryan, Pirtle-Guiney). Motion failed to pass.
Motion to amend Exhibit A as shown in Dunphy D: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Green. (Aye (2): Green, Dunphy; Nay (10): Koyama Lane, Morillo, Novick, Clark, Zimmerman, Avalos, Smith, Kanal, Ryan, Pirtle-Guiney). Motion failed to pass.
Motion to amend Exhibit A as shown in Green 1: Moved by Green and seconded by Kanal. Vote not called. Continued to future meeting date.
Motion to amend Exhibit A has shown in Novick 1: Moved by Novick and seconded by Koyama Lane. Vote not called.
Motion to amend Exhibit A as shown in Dunphy A: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Koyama Lane. (Aye (4): Clark, Zimmerman, Dunphy, Smith; Nay (8): Koyama Lane, Morillo, Novick, Green, Avalos, Kanal, Ryan, Pirtle-Guiney). Motion failed to pass.
Motion to amend Exhibit A as shown in Dunphy B: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Green.
Motion to table Dunphy B and close debate: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Green. Approved by unanimous consent. Continued to August 14, 2025 at 2:30 p.m.
Motion to amend Exhibit A as shown in Dunphy C: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Zimmerman. (Aye (1): Dunphy; Nay (11): Koyama Lane, Morillo, Novick, Clark, Green, Zimmerman, Avalos, Smith, Kanal, Ryan, Pirtle-Guiney). Motion failed to pass.
Motion to amend Exhibit A as shown in Dunphy D: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Green. (Aye (2): Green, Dunphy; Nay (10): Koyama Lane, Morillo, Novick, Clark, Zimmerman, Avalos, Smith, Kanal, Ryan, Pirtle-Guiney). Motion failed to pass.
Motion to remove Dunphy B from the table: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Avalos. Approved by unanimous consent. Vote to amend Exhibit A as shown in Dunphy B: Previously moved by Dunphy and seconded by Green. (Aye (3): Morillo, Green, Dunphy; Nay (9): Koyama Lane, Novick, Clark, Zimmerman, Avalos, Smith, Kanal, Ryan, Pirtle-Guiney). Motion failed to pass.
Motion to divide Pirtle-Guiney A to vote on the amendments in Sections B.1.a. and 5. in Exhibit A separately: Moved by Kanal. Vote on Pirtle-Guiney A amendments in Sections B.1.a. and 5. in Exhibit A: (Aye (2): Dunphy, Pirtle-Guiney; Nay (10): Koyama Lane, Morillo, Novick, Clark, Green, Zimmerman, Avalos, Smith, Kanal, Ryan). Motion failed to pass. Remainder of Pirtle-Guiney A withdrawn.
Motion to table the item: Moved by Clark and seconded by Smith. (Aye (5): Novick, Clark, Zimmerman, Smith, Pirtle-Guiney; Nay (6): Koyama Lane, Morillo, Green, Avalos, Dunphy, Kanal; Absent (1): Ryan). Motion failed to pass.
Motion to table Dunphy B and close debate: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Green. Approved by unanimous consent. Continued to August 14, 2025 at 2:30 p.m.
Motion to amend Exhibit A as shown in Dunphy A: Moved by Dunphy and seconded by Koyama Lane. (Aye (4): Clark, Zimmerman, Dunphy, Smith; Nay (8): Koyama Lane, Morillo, Novick, Green, Avalos, Kanal, Ryan, Pirtle-Guiney). Motion failed to pass.
Official impact statement
Money & effects
This legislation is being proposed to adopt a streamlined and district-equitable Council committee structure under Portland’s new form of government. Since January 2025, the City Council has operated with eight standing committees meeting on a bi-weekly basis. While this structure has enabled early implementation of policy committee work, it has also led to several challenges:Not all committees currently include representation from each of Portland’s four geographic districts, limiting equity in legislative deliberation.The volume of committee meetings has outpaced the available time for full Council to consider and act on items in public session.The existing workflow places a disproportionate time burden on Councilors, staff, and support teams without sufficient space for whole-Council collaboration or public input on cross-cutting issues.This resolution addresses these structural challenges by consolidating the number of standing policy committees from eight to five and giving the Council President explicit authority to bring matters of the full Council to work sessions or Council meetings to minimize redundant deliberations. It creates a more balanced and sustainable legislative process that ensures district representation on all committees, and reduces the total number of committee meetings. This adjustment supports long-term functionality and accessibility as the City continues to transition to its reformed structure.
Not applicable.
The revised committee structure is intended to enhance transparency, accessibility, and equity in City governance. By ensuring that every standing committee includes representation from all four districts, this ordinance strengthens geographic equity and brings a broader range of community voices into the policymaking process.Reducing the total number of committees and establishing a predictable, balanced meeting schedule improves public access by making it easier for Portlanders to follow Council business, attend meetings, and engage with their elected representatives.
This legislation is not anticipated to have significant financial or budgetary impacts. The revised committee structure reflects a rebalancing of Council workload, with fewer overall committee meetings and an increase in full Council meeting time. Existing staff and operational resources are expected to accommodate the new schedule.
Not applicable.
Follow-through
Implementation & accountability
Responsible organization
The reviewed source does not identify a responsible City organization.
Exhibit A shall replace the exhibit adopted with Resolution 37696, and the revised committee structure herein shall take effect immediately.
Append-only history
Timeline
- DOCUMENT PUBLISHED
Observed in the official source.
- Council Action
Continued
- Council Action
Continued