Portland Mayor Charlie Hales' spending plan for a $49 million surplus includes $8 million for transportation improvements on 122nd Avenue and $2 million aimed at getting at-risk youths off the streets and into free parks programs.

Hales touted his budget Tuesday as a back-to-basics package that underscores his commitment to fixing crumbling infrastructure while following through on promises he made in his State of the City address Jan. 30.

"I hope it shows people that we are very serious about using the dollars we have to take care of the streets," Hales said. "It's not enough, but it's a good faith effort." He added that the city would re-examine additional revenue sources for transportation later this year.

The mayor spent much of 2014 alongside Commissioner Steve Novick advocating more transportation revenue to fix streets.

Of the $49 million surplus, Hales was required to set aside roughly $18 million for parks, transportation or emergency management maintenance after the City Council mandated in January that half of one-time spending go to infrastructure. Hales' proposal exceeds the 50 percent threshold, with $19.3 million dedicated to maintenance projects.

Novick's Transportation Bureau proved the big winner in Hales' budget, bringing in more than $18 million from the city's general fund for paving, safety improvements, a bridge replacement project in Northeast Portland and the resurrection of a policy from the Sam Adams administration to start picking away at 60 miles of unpaved streets.

According to Hales, all told, the proposal marks the largest general fund contribution to transportation projects in in the city's history. The Transportation Bureau is largely funded by gas tax dollars and parking revenues.

The mayor's spending proposal for the city's largest discretionary spending source, the $484.5 million general fund, comes ahead of several budget hearings and a public meeting Thursday where the community can weigh in on his plan. The City Council will vote June 18 to adopt a final city budget in time for the 2015-16 fiscal year that begins July 1.

Potential new safety crossings on 122nd Avenue

Here are a few sites the city identified for new safety crossings, part of $8 million worth of investments along 122nd Avenue:

- Northeast Stanton Street

- Northeast Multnomah Street

- Southeast Woodward Place/Tibbets Street

- Southeast Boise Street

- Southeast Liebe Street

(Source: PBOT)

The proposed transportation improvements on 122nd Avenue include $3.4 million in paving from Northeast Siskiyou to Northeast Skidmore, which city officials said is in poor condition.

Hales and Novick said if they combine the paving with $4 million in pedestrian crossings, sidewalks and other projects along the 122nd, TriMet will bring more frequent bus service to the area.

Mary Fetsch, TriMet spokeswoman, confirmed that the agency would improve service on Line 71 between Parkrose and Lents "as soon as possible" once the city invests on the what's designated as a high crash corridor Fetsch said buses now run about every 20 minutes most weekdays. Frequent-service lines run every 15 minutes.

Hales said regardless of TriMet's service, Portland should invest in a road he called a main street for the region.

"It's a good idea to have safer crossings in a part of the city where we've had lots of pedestrian deaths," Hales said. "It's a good idea to have sidewalks where we don't have sidewalks."

Hales started his budget briefing Tuesday at the East Portland Community Center, a deliberate choice for its proximity to the well-documented transportation issues east of Interstate 205 and to the site of a March gang shooting involving two teenagers.

Hales cited the shooting outside the community center in announcing that he had asked the Parks Bureau, along with Commissioner Amanda Fritz, to look into programs to help get kids off the streets and into a gym or free program.

The first-term mayor was perhaps most proud of his proposal to create a $2 million parks program to open four community centers to at-risk teens 40 Saturday nights a year. Matt Dishman Community Center in Northeast Portland would be open all summer to kids 18 and younger, Hales said.

Invoking Charles Jordan, the late former parks director, Hales said opening the city's community centers to kids is the right thing to do and must be continued "so our kids can count on us."

"Get them inside with a basketball or a paintbrush in their hand," Hales said, calling the proposal a "restoration rather than an innovation."

Beyond the transportation and parks proposals, Hales' budget includes several policies he advocated in his State of the City address.

The mayor wants $100,000 to hire an attorney to work on the city's yet-to-be passed "Ban the Box" ordinance to help convicted felons during their job search.

Hales wants to set aside $900,000 in ongoing spending to pay the city's full-time employees and contractors at least $15 an hour.

Roughly $6 million is dedicated to housing programs, including $2.5 million for affordable housing outside urban renewal areas.

Hales also requested $1.9 million in city funding to pay for safety work and to grant free public access to some events surrounding the upcoming 2016 World Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Portland.

He defended the funding request, citing the success of the MLS All-Star game in Portland last year. "There are times when its appropriate for us to walk out onto the world's stage and take our place.":

Here are a few additional big-ticket items from Hales' budget proposal:

$440,000 for marijuana permitting

$960,000 for TriMet Youth Pass

$250,000 for streetcar capital improvements

$2.6 million for the Portland Building

$1.4 million to maintain 26 firefighter positions that would otherwise be lost due to the end of a federal grant



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@cityhallwatch