The following is a snapshot of the Commissioners' activities and appearances this week.
Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson
Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson spoke at the Dec. 2 TriMet press conference where TriMet fueled up its first renewable diesel bus (see County photos at the link). TriMet is transitioning to renewable diesel as part of its eventual transition to a zero-emissions fleet, which Commissioner Vega Pederson advocated for when state lawmakers increased funding for transportation. She also convened a private conversation with families impacted by gun violence, and attended the Central Catholic High School “Democracy in Action” event. On Dec. 14th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., she will host a town hall on child care issues with U.S. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Family Forward Executive Director Andrea Paluso. Registration details will be available next week.
Commissioner Lori Stegmann
Commissioner Lori Stegmann met with more than 100 high school students at Central Catholic High School’s “Democracy in Action” event where she engaged seniors in a discussion of civic action and how to connect with local elected officials. She’ll also be participating in the Gresham Holiday Light Cruise on Dec. 4 and delivering socks collected from County employees for St. Mark’s Lutheran Church to distribute in their outreach to residents.
Commissioner Susheela Jayapal
Commissioner Susheela Jayapal appeared on a panel on engaging in public leadership for “She Should Run: The Road to Run.’’ Commissioner Jayapal participated in an engaging conversation with Multnomah County employees from the Division of Assessment, Recording and Taxation on the documentary “Priced Out” on gentrification and housing discrimination in Portland and work she is doing to prevent and mitigate the impacts of displacement . On Dec. 4, Commissioner Jayapal will meet with neighbors and property managers from North Portland to hear concerns and strategize ways to support both the housed and houseless neighbors in the area around the Peninsula Crossing Trail.
Commissioner Sharon Meieran
Often, people who commit low-level criminal offenses by virtue of an underlying mental illness or substance use disorder are taken to jail or an emergency room because there is nowhere else for them to go. Commissioner Sharon Meieran has been engaged in work to establish a Behavioral Health Emergency Collaborative Network (BHECN) in Multnomah County, which can function as a sobering center and help triage, stabilize and connect people to the services they need. This week, Commissioner Meieran was in Arizona to observe the Pima County Crisis Response Center in action, and learn about the collaborative work being done to change the trajectories of people’s lives. This visit was informative for her work on BHECN and Multnomah County’s overall outreach and crisis response system. On Dec. 8, Commissioner Meieran will join Oregon Representative Lisa Reynolds and Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan for a Town Hall about Houselessness in Portland.