Council OKs $ for wall repair

The city will pay for repairs to the wall of a downtown building after adjacent structures were demolished.

Portland City Council on Monday approved allocating $49,809 for repairs to the north wall of 206 N. Meridian St.

The city’s board of works agreed last week to move forward with a contract for the work, pending the council’s approval of the funding.

Attorney Eric Welch, representing Reclaiming Design owner LeeAnn Miller, explained Monday that the north wall is in need of repairs following the demolition earlier this year of 208 and 210 N. Meridian St. The city had declared those structures unsafe in August 2023 and subsequently went through the process to have them torn down. It also purchased the property.

The board of works on Thursday reviewed three quotes Miller provided for the work to repair the north wall. Members Jerry Leonhard, Steve McIntosh and Mayor Jeff Westlake approved moving forward with the lowest quote — $49,809 — from Trisco Systems of Lima, Ohio, to repair the wall and leave a flat plaster surface for a potential future mural.

Council member Dave Golden expressed support for the board of works and thanked Miller for her willingness to invest in the city’s downtown.

He then joined council members Matt Goldsworthy, Mike Aker and Ashley Hilfiker in approving the funding. (Council members Kent McClung, Michele Brewster and Ron May were absent.)

Also Monday, the council unanimously approved an ordinance regarding the sale of alcohol in city parks on second reading. (It had been approved on first reading at the July 1 council meeting.)

The ordinance requires any organization seeking to sell alcohol in a city park to receive a permit by petitioning the park board. (Previous regulations only allowed alcohol sales at Hudson Family Park.) Vendors must be licensed by the state, have licensed bartenders for the event, provide adequate security and follow any other terms or conditions imposed by the city. The permit application asks for the anticipated number of guests at the event and whether it will be open to those under 21 as well as the time, date and location.

There is a $250 fine for anyone found in violation of the ordinance.

The ordinance does not address individuals bringing their own alcoholic beverages to parks or the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the parks.

In other business:

•Golden thanked everyone who visited the Jay County Fair last July 6 through 13 and especially those who supported the stands run by local service organizations. (He is a member of the Optimist club.) He noted that funds raised by those groups are returned to the community.

•Approved Rollin J Lanes’ compliance with its development agreement tied to an economic development income tax (EDIT) loan. The loan was eligible to have 50% forgiven if terms were met, mostly regarding employment. Goldsworthy noted that the city’s EDIT Advisory Committee reviewed the agreement and determined that Rollin J Lanes had met the conditions. Council then voted to forgive 50% of the loan, dropping the amount owed to $25,000. Payments on the loan will begin in September.

•Heard Golden say he has received comments from residents regarding the four-way stop at the intersection of Main and Pleasant streets. The four-way stop was put in place during the John Boggs administration after a four-way stop was removed at the intersection of Main and Ship streets. Earlier this year, the council voted to bring back the four-way stop at Main and Ship streets. The four-way stop at Main and Pleasant streets has remained in place. Golden said he’d like council to consider shifting the intersection of Main and Pleasant streets back to a two-way stop with through traffic on Main Street. Hilfiker repeated her request that a process be put in place to record resident concerns and allow council members the opportunity to review them before they are addressed at meetings.