Invitation to Participate in ONI’s Budget Development for Fiscal Year 2015-16 (FY16)

Plus budget orientation online, ongoing funding equity and DCL program expansion dialogue, how to get involved

 

Next meeting:

Monday, November 17th

5:30pm

Portland Building, 2nd floor Room C

1120 SW 5th Ave

 

From:    Amalia Alarcón de Morris, Bureau Director

 

It is budgeting time again!  The Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) is starting our annual community process to review our programs and to develop our budget for Fiscal Year 2015-16.  In addition to our budget deliberations we are into our fifth month of discussion about developing a funding equity strategy for our civic engagement programs.

 

We would like to take this opportunity to:

1.   Extend an invitation to our staff, community partners and the general public to participate in this very important process. Please attend our next budget meeting on Monday, November 17th, 5:30pm, Portland Building, 2nd floor Room C, 1120 SW 5th Ave, Portland OR 97201.

2.   Invite you to join our funding equity strategy discussion with the goal of developing a shared values statement by the end of January that will help inform agreement on how to split any new funds for ONI’s CNIC civic engagement programs that brings existing partner organizations and programs closer to parity with each other as part of the FY 2015-16 budget cycle.

3.   Extend an invitation to anybody that may be interested to view our budget orientation presentation online. This is an opportunity to learn the basics of our budgeting process and what it means to participate.

4.   Provide information about how to get involved.

5.   Provide an overview of current budget opportunities;

6.   Outline the expectations of budget work group members;

7.   Provide an overview of the budget meetings and timeline; and

8.   Language Interpretation and other Special Needs or Accommodations

 

1.   All are invited to participate

While our ONI Bureau Advisory Committee (BAC) will be at the core of this budgeting effort, we are looking to expand participation to include as many diverse stakeholders as possible to help inform our decisions. Please consider this memo an invitation to join ONI’s FY16 Budget Advisory Committee, and please forward it to any others you believe may be interested. This is an important opportunity to serve your community and we need and welcome your involvement. Please contact Amy Archer to be added to the member list (amy.archer@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-2294).

 

2.   Equity Funding Strategy and DCL program expansion

This is a project the ONI Bureau Advisory Committee (BAC) embarked upon this summer to address two parallel but closely interrelated bureau policy initiatives regarding equity funding allocations for our civic engagement programs and future expansion of our Diversity and Civic Leadership program. More info at: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/65550

The goals of this project are:

 

Equitable funding allocation formula:

  • Short-term –Develop shared values that will help inform agreement on how to split any new funds for ONI’s CNIC civic engagement programs that brings existing partner organizations and programs closer to parity with each other as part of the FY 2015-16 budget cycle. This topic will be a priority to be completed by the end of January.
  • Long-term – Develop a methodology and set of criteria for determining an equitable fund allocation formula for ONI’s CNIC civic engagement programs and partners bringing existing partner organizations and programs to parity with each other in future years.

Diversity and Civic Leadership (DCL) program expansion:

  • Develop a short-term strategy that brings existing DCL partner organizations closer to parity with other ONI funded grantees.
  • Develop a long-term strategy for achieving parity, funding equity, and expansion of the DCL program.
  • Develop a recommendation that incorporates the DCL program structure into ONI’s City Code Chapter 3.96 as a core component of the City’s civic engagement strategy.

 

3.   Note that a general budget orientation is available online. 

Whether you know you want to participate or are not sure and want to learn more, this orientation is intended to give a general overview of budgeting at the City and what it means to participate in ONI’s process.

 

4.   How to get involved:

The first full budget kickoff meeting is on Monday November 17th from 5:30-8:30pm in the Portland Building Room C (2nd Floor, 1120 SW 5th Ave). The agenda will focus on providing an update the mayor’s budget directives and initial development of draft values for the funding equity discussion.

 

All ONI BAC meetings are public meetings and anyone is welcomed to attend.  However, if you want to go a step further and become an official working member of this Budget Advisory Committee please let Amy Archer, ONI Business Operations Supervisor know as soon as possible.  This will help ensure that you are on the list of participants and receive meeting announcements and materials. Amy can be reached at Amy.Archer@portlandoregon.gov or via phone at 503-823-2294.

 

5.   Overview of current budget opportunities:

What we know about the budget development this year:

  • ONI’s base budget for all programs is about $7.8 million.
  • The Mayor has released early guidance characterizing FY16 as a “stabilization budget” meaning city bureaus are not being asked to submit reduction packages. However, bureaus are directed to submit requested budgets at their current appropriation levels as additional new ongoing resources will likely be modest.
  • Any add packages are asked to be submitted alongside options for how requests might be offset by a reduction to an existing program or service and what the trade-offs might be. Any new General Fund resource requests must show evidence of making measurable progress in areas such as:

o   Equity and Opportunity: Bolstering economic and housing opportunity for all Portlanders, as well as equity in service delivery.

o   Complete Neighborhoods: Extending Portland’s vaunted livability to more areas of the City.

o   Emergency Preparedness: Equipping bureau operations and our citizens to better withstand a disaster.

  • ONI’s Bureau Advisory Committee has already spent several months on the Funding Equity Strategy issue learning about and reviewing existing data from the Regional Equity Atlas, the Coalition of Communities of Color “Disparity Reports,” and learning about Multnomah County’s efforts utilizing a race equity lens to guide budget decision-making.
  • The ONI BAC makes decisions by a modified consensus model. All participants have the opportunity to ask questions, share information and contribute to the decisions.

 

 

6.   Expectations of ONI Budget Advisory Committee members:

  • Must be committed to attending and participating in all or most meetings, which typically occur downtown in the Portland Building.  Parking vouchers can be provided for SmartPark locations or TriMet tickets can be supplied to committee members preferring to use public transportation. Food will be served when appropriate.
  • Must be willing to communicate to ONI staff and partners what materials and information they need to best understand ONI’s budget and to make the most informed decisions.
  • Must be willing to go back to their constituency group (coalition, neighborhood, community-based organization, staff, contractor, etc.) and if appropriate hold one or more focus group discussions as necessary to incorporate a broader point of view into ONI priorities.
  • Must be willing and able to put the interests of their constituency group(s) in a larger context and first and foremost represent the best interests of neighborhoods and communities citywide.

 

7.   Expected Timeline:

  • ONI Budget Orientation is available online. This presentation can be viewed at your convenience prior to the budget kickoff and will provide an important overview for anybody considering participation. View the presentation at http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/budget.
  • ONI Budget Advisory Committee kicks off on Monday November 17th, 2014 at 5:30pm.
  • The City budget season goes from the kick-off date through the end of June of 2015. The bureau’s requested budget is typically due at the end of January or beginning of February, so the most intensive meeting schedule is between November and January;
  • The workgroup will generally meet on scheduled evenings from 5:30 – 8:30pm. Meetings are located at the Portland Building Room C (2nd Floor, 1120 SW 5th Ave). Following are the currently scheduled meetings:

o   Monday, November 17th, 5:30-8:30pm (Budget Kick-off)

o   Monday, December 1st, 5:30 – 8:30pm

o   Monday, December 8th, 5:30-8:30pm

o   Monday, January 5th, 5:30-8:30pm

o   Monday, January 12th, 5:30-8:30pm

o   Monday, January 20th, 5:30-8:30pm

o   Monday, January 26th, 5:30-8:30pm (tentative, if needed)

  • There may be additional meetings scheduled as needed, most likely between December and January. These may be daytime or evening meetings as determined by the group.
  • Through this process participants will: gain understanding of ONI’s programs and budget; review program prioritization; generate budget ideas that could result in realigning programs/services; present ONI’s final budget to the Commissioner-in-Charge (along with ONI staff); testify about the budget decisions before Council throughout the budget process, both at City Hall and at community budget forums.
  • After the Requested Budget is submitted in February, the Bureau Advisory Committee will likely return to meeting on the second Monday of the month from 5:30-7:30pm from February through June 2015.

 

8.   Language Interpretation and other Special Needs or Accommodations:

  • To help ensure equal access to City programs, services and activities, the City of Portland will reasonably modify policies/procedures and provide auxiliary aids/services to persons with disabilities. Call 503-823-2294, or the City’s TTY at 503-823-6868, or the Oregon Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900 no less than five (5) business days prior to the event.
  • If you are unable to view the online orientation, please contact Amy Archer to make alternative arrangements for budget orientation.
  • Language Interpretation services available upon request. Please contact Amy Archer at 503-823-2294 or Amy.Archer@portlandoregon.gov at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting to make arrangements.
  • Although resources do not allow us to provide childcare for the meetings, the meeting room is large enough that your child(ren) may be able to play quietly in the room under your supervision if necessary. ONI can bring some toys/books to the meeting upon request. Please contact Amy Archer at 503-823-2294 or Amy.Archer@portlandoregon.gov at least 2 hours prior to the meeting to make arrangements.

 

 

Brian Hoop

Manager, Community and Neighborhood Involvement Center Office of Neighborhood Involvement

Phone: 503-823-3075

Fax: 503-823-3050

Email: brian.hoop@portlandoregon.gov

1221 SW 4th Ave., Rm 110, Portland, OR 97204

Web: www.portlandonline.com/oni

 

To help ensure equal access to City programs, services and activities, the City of Portland will reasonably modify policies/procedures and provide auxiliary aids/services to persons with disabilities. Call 503-823-3075, TTY 503-823-6868, or the Oregon Relay Service at (800) 735-2900 with such requests or visit http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bibs/48889