Update: Portland Mayor Charlie Hales and Commissioner Steve Novick will be taking questions today at 2 p.m. Tell us what you want to know, and see what each is saying about the decision to delay.

Portland Commissioner Steve Novick made it official Tuesday morning: a vote on the city's controversial street fee is getting delayed until November.

Novick's confirmation came a day after The Oregonian reported that Novick and Mayor Charlie Hales were considering calling off Wednesday's scheduled City Council vote.

Officials heard more than 5 ½ hours of testimony about the street fee, much of it negative, during a public hearing last week. Novick and Hales had already decided to delay a vote on the business side of street fees because of pushback.

Now, Novick said Tuesday on the "Thank You Democracy with Jefferson Smith" radio show, he and Hales are postponing the street fee vote indefinitely.

"As of this morning, we're also going to delay the residential," he said.

The street fee, as originally constructed, was expected to raise up to $50 million a year. Most homeowners were expected to pay $11.56 a month and businesses would have paid based on the type of business, square footage and projected vehicle trips.

Hales and Novick have not responded to requests for comment since Tuesday. At 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, Hales' office released the following statement:

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The proposal by Mayor Charlie Hales and Commissioner Steve Novick to launch a street fee in 2015 remains on schedule. However, the council vote on how to structure the fee will be pushed back until November.

"We have not taken care of our largest asset: our streets. We have to change that," Mayor Hales said. "We've been talking about this for 13 years, and we held several town halls this winter and spring to hear from people. Despite that, many constituents still haven't been heard yet. We get that. Postponing the Council vote will give people time to weigh in on whether this is the best solution to this dire need, and to consider changes to make it work better."

"The last street free proposal in 2008 was derailed by a lobbyist filing a referendum petition," said Commissioner Novick. "This one has been temporarily delayed due to concerns voiced by small business owners and low-income people and advocates. We are in a hurry to get to work, but if we're going to be delayed, it's for the right reasons."

The City Council on Wednesday will still vote on referring a charter change that would lock in the use of any street fee for transportation purposes.

"Voters need to be assured that we will spend this money the way we say we will," Hales said. "A charter change will ensure that we stay true to that commitment, administration after administration."

However, the council vote on both the residential fee, and the non-residential fee, will be pushed back to November.



Further public forums will be scheduled to hear from residents and the business

community. And two work groups will be formed. Their charges:



* To analyze city policy regarding low-income residents and fees. The work group will look at the street fee as well as fees for other city utilities, including water and sewer, to see how well low-income residents are being served and how widely discounts can be applied.

* To further engage with small business, nonprofit and government partners on design and implementation of the fee.

"Think of this as a track race," Hales said. "We haven't moved the finish line, which is July 2015. But we're moving the starting blocks. We heard from the community: We are taking our time to hear a more robust debate on the details of this fee. But we have not wavered in our resolve. It is our intention to finally address our deteriorating streets."

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Reading:

The Oregonian: Boon or bust? What happens when McDonald's considers building -- in east Portland

The Oregonian: In heart of east Portland neighborhood in need of jobs, is McDonald's the answer?

Portland Tribune: City pins plans for water fix on panel

-- Brad Schmidt