ORDINANCE No. 180288

*Authorize contract with Resolutions Northwest for $276,016 annually for conflict resolution services for the period July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2008 (Ordinance)

The City of Portland ordains:

Section 1: The Council Finds:

1.  In November 2002, Council passed Ordinance 177047, which executed a contract between the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) and Resolutions Northwest (RNW) to provide community mediation services.

2.  The contract with Resolutions Northwest, which went into effect on February 1, 2003, expired June 30, 2005. An option for extension was stated in the request for proposal: “if outcomes are consistently met and services are provided in an effective manner, ONI will seek to extend the contract in accordance with City contracting requirements for up to a total of five years (ending Feb. 1, 2008).”

3.  Since February 2003, Resolutions Northwest has provided consistent services and has met stated contract goals including case workload, volunteer utilization, responsiveness, and success in resolving disputes.

4.  ONI staff along with its neighborhood coalition partners underwent a review of the conflict resolution services provided by the contract with RNW with the goal of linking these services more directly with the neighborhood coalition offices and individual neighborhood associations

5.  The outcome of this contract review was a commitment to continue a community-empowerment model of conflict resolution services. To further strengthen this commitment, the contract was broaden to include collaborative decision-making and problem solving services for communities in conflict.

6.  Funding for conflict resolution services were included in ONI’s 2006-07 Fiscal Year budget in the amount of $256,016 for neighbor-to-neighbor mediation services.

a.  An additional $20,000 has been added to this contract for conflict resolution services related to the siting of community residential facilities. The funding for conflict resolution services involving community residential facilities is from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) provided through the Bureau of Housing and Community Development; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:

a.  The Commissioner-in-Charge and Auditor are hereby authorized to enter into a contract with Resolutions Northwest in a form substantially in accordance with the agreement attached as Exhibit A.

b.  With the exception of amendments increasing the total compensation to the Contractor, amendments may be agreed to and executed by the Project Manger or his/her designee.

Section 2. The council declares an emergency ordinance exists in order to avoid interruption in the continuity of conflict resolution services that are currently being provided; therefore, this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by Council.

Passed by the Council, July 05, 2006  GARY BLACKMER

           Auditor of the City of Portland

Mayor Tom Potter        By: /S/ Susan Parsons

Prepared by: Eric King            Deputy

June 21, 2006

BACKING SHEET INFORMATION

AGENDA NO. 906-2006

ORDINANCE/RESOLUTION/COUNCIL DOCUMENT NO. 180288