{"content":[{"text":"But Houck said he has some misgivings about the grades not capturing how far the city has come in \n restoring habitat in difficult areas such as the Columbia Slough. Houck suggested a weighted grade \n system that would capture the city's strides. \n \"We don't want to dispirit people who have been working their butts off for decades,\" he added. \n Fish thinks the watershed health index, which will be updated again with the next four years of data and \n revised scores in 2018, arrives at the perfect time. \n His bureau is preparing to hire a new director, and the city fought off a ballot measure last November that \n would have stripped the City Council of control over setting water and sewer rates. \n Combined with the $1.4 billion Big Pipe cutting down sewage overflows into the Willamette River and \n the Gray to Green infrastructure program, Fish said the sewer bureau has \"turned a corner.\" \n \"We're no longer fighting yesterday's battle. So there's kind of a bright future,\" Fish said. \n Houck said the report card also serves as an educational tool for the general public \"and probably some \n folks on council\" who might not know the mission of BES and what projects it's completed. \n The city has come a long way, Houck said. \"But the scorecard shows we have a helluva lot of \n investments to make.\"","bbox":{"left":0.117631,"top":0.054966,"width":0.758206,"height":0.273674}},{"text":"The Portland Tribune \n Hales to release proposed budget Tuesday \n By Jim Redden \n May 4, 2015 \n Mayor Charlie Hales will release his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year on Tuesday. \n It will first be released at a press conference that begins at 9:30 a.m. at the East Portland Community \n Center, 740 S.E. 106th Ave. in Portland. \n Hales and city budget staff will then meet with reporters at City Hall at 3 p.m. Tuesday to answer more \n questions in an informal session known as a Budget Scrum. \n The next fiscal year begins on July 1. After years of revenue declines caused by the Great Recession and \n a slight increase as the economy began to recover, city revenues are now growing at a near-record rate. \n According to the most recent revenue projection released by the City Budget Office last week, the City \n Council will have $49 million more General Fund dollars to spend next year. That includes an additional \n $13.1 million in ongoing resources and an additional $35.9 million in one-time resources. \n Although General Fund dollars are only a portion of the overall budget, they are the ones with the fewest \n strings attached, giving the council the most discretionary in how they are spent. The CBO projects \n General Fund revenue will total $484.8 million next fiscal year. \n The revenue forecast can be read here. \n Some of the additional money is already committed. In January the council approved a proposal by \n Commissioner Amanda Fritz to commit 50 percent of annual one-time funds to maintenance or \n infrastructure improvements. The policy applies to transportation, parks and emergency management \n projects. \n Transportation Commissioner Steve Novick issued a statement Thursday asking for $10 million — half of \n the 50 percent one-time fund set-aside — for paving projects. Novick asked for another $8 million to \n make the improvements on 122nd Avenue that TriMet says is necessary to begin frequent bus service. \n Novick also asked Hales to commit a large portion of the additional ongoing General Fund dollars to \n upgrading the Portland Building, a project now estimated at $175 million for a complete renovation. \n The council will consider Hale's proposed budget over the next two or so months. A community budget \n forum is set from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, at George Middle School, 10000 N. Burr Ave. \n More budget information can be found on the CBO's website at www.portlandoregon.gov/cbo.","bbox":{"left":0.117614,"top":0.360574,"width":0.7624540000000001,"height":0.556738}}],"images_bbox":[],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[]}