Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly on Wednesday rebutted criticism of her efforts to alter city laws that regulate neighborhood associations, saying “nothing is changing” for the groups.

Eudaly made her comments during a meeting of the Portland City Council after Mary Ann Schwab, a resident and longtime neighborhood activist, testified that she disliked the proposal and wanted the committee that oversaw its development to start over.

“I am respectfully suggesting that more work is needed on the code language before it is viewed as completed by the city’s auditor, mayor and commissioners,” Schwab said.

In her testimony, given during a portion of the weekly Council meeting in which residents may address the mayor and commissioners for three minutes on any topic, Schwab also stated, incorrectly, that the code change would defund neighborhood groups.

Eudaly responded that she needed to correct Schwab and launched into a defense of the code rewrite.

“You are spreading misinformation along with media outlets and other community members that I can’t let stand,” Eudaly said. “We are absolutely not dismantling the neighborhood associations. Nothing is changing for them. They will continue to exist.”

Currently, city code gives special recognition to Portland’s 95 neighborhood associations, seven district coalitions and its many business district associations. The code also outlines requirements to keep that recognition, such as making meetings open to all and retaining copies of records.

In return, the code states city agencies must tell recognized associations and coalitions of zoning changes and any other actions “which affect neighborhood livability.” The groups may also appeal zoning decisions free of charge.

After a 2016 audit showed neighborhoods had been given unequal resources by the city, the City Council empaneled a 25-member committee to come up with improved code. The effort was run by the Office of Community & Civic Life, of which Eudaly is commissioner-in-charge.

The committee’s recommended code would repeal the existing laws and replace them with new language stating the city’s desire to lift up the voices of all people and groups, including neighborhoods.

Some residents who testified to the committee applauded the city’s push to adopt a more inclusive outlook. Many also voiced concerns that effort was a pretext to defund neighborhoods, which detractors have cast as white- and homeowner-dominated forces against development.

Neighborhood activists have said their groups should have special powers in Portland’s unique system of government, in which the mayor and commissioners serve city-wide rather than represent particular parts of town.

Officials have worked to allay those concerns by saying neighborhoods will retain all their powers under the new scheme, though that has done little to calm the skepticism and even rancor expressed by some neighborhood leaders.

On Wednesday, Eudaly added her voice to the moderating chorus.

“It does not eliminate any opportunities for neighborhood associations to participate,” she said of the code change. “We are simply adding chairs to what has been a very exclusive table.”

Starting over is a no-go, Eudaly told Schwab, and the notion is “very disrespectful to the people that volunteered their time to this process.”

“I’m just very disappointed to hear what you had to say,” Eudaly said. “Let’s have a debate about what’s really happening, not spread misinformation about it.”

Schawb began to respond but Eudaly interjected.

“It’s not a dialogue,” the commissioner said. “We’re done.”

Schwab gathered her papers. As she turned away from the dais she said, “We can agree to disagree.”

The commissioner responded: “I am absolutely not going to do that.”

— Gordon R. Friedman

GFriedman@Oregonian.com