The Joint Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) and Department of Land and Conservation Development Commission (LCDC) Subcommittee met on July 19th. They will move the TPR Mission Statement amendments to the full LCDC at the November meeting in Medford.

The TPR Workgroup will discuss the changes again on August 2nd. To my knowledge, no other formal meetings are scheduled, unless DLCD (or ODOT for that matter because they are funding and driving the process) are pushed.

Apparently LCDC Commissioner Marilyn Worrix requested specific feedback on how the changes shift the policy, which specific changes are problematic and why, and “what is the harm” in the proposal (also echoed by Ron Henri.)

View Issue Paper 2 and other agendas items, etc..

I would like to note that:

1. The original reason to change the rule had to do with the words “Reduced Reliance on the Automobile.” A secondary, and more recent issue is the readability. Do these issues warrant a complete rewrite?

2. ODOT states publicly that this rewrite does not alter the policy. However at least two staff/consultants have conceded that this both a policy document and that there is a shift.

3. Public participation has been totally lacking. ODOT failed to post the meeting materials prior to the meeting (but the BTA did) and there are no recorded minutes of either the Workgroup or Sub Committee meetings. In fact, to date, there has been more discussion on Portland Transport (albeit about issues not relating to the topic) than anywhere else.

I encourage people to contact:
LCDC members
Craig Greenleaf at ODOT
Bob Cortright at DLCD