Murmurs: PAT President Eyes Oregon Legislature

PAT PRESIDENT EYES OREGON LEGISLATURE: Angela Bonilla, president of the Portland Association of Teachers, is considering a challenge to state Rep. Rob Nosse (D-Portland) for his legislative seat, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Bonilla made a name for herself shortly after assuming the teachers’ union presidency in 2022, leading a controversial November 2023 teacher strike that kept students out of school for weeks. That strike, however, doesn’t seem to have damaged the union’s brand among Portland voters, who elected three of four PAT-endorsed candidates in the May election, with the fourth contest tantalizingly close. In text messages to WW, Bonilla says she is currently focused on preparing for the start of the school year, which includes upcoming bargaining with Portland Public Schools. “My plate is pretty full at the moment,” Bonilla said. But she did not deny considering a run: “I’m too busy being a union president to focus on a race for the House right now, but anything is possible.” Nosse, who has held the seat since 2014, has indicated he will seek reelection. He is a longtime organizer for the Oregon Nurses Association and went unchallenged in the 2024 election. An eye for a House seat might also help explain Bonilla’s decisions recently to wade into conversations only tangentially related to schools. This spring, she criticized Portland City Councilor Dan Ryan for his position on police funding and sent a strongly worded letter to the Northwest Oregon Labor Council when it admitted the police union to its ranks (a move that was later reversed).

GRAYSON PARTS WAYS WITH RITZ-CARLTON DEVELOPER: Barclay Grayson, right-hand man to Walter Bowen, the developer of the struggling Block 216 tower and Ritz-Carlton hotel in downtown Portland, has parted ways with Bowen after 22 years and is looking for a job, according to his LinkedIn profile. “I’m seeking a new role and would appreciate your support,” Grayson wrote on LinkedIn last week. “If you hear of any opportunities or just want to catch up, please send me a message or comment below. I’d love to connect.” As senior vice president for acquisitions and development, Grayson pushed Bowen’s BPM Real Estate Group to develop the first five-star hotel in Portland (“Five-Star General,” WW, March 26). In addition to the Ritz-Carlton hotel, the Block 216 tower contains posh Ritz-Carlton residences that BPM aims to sell. In a lawsuit filed May 23, Grayson says the entity that controls the residences is denying his right to buy one, and that he has spent $2 million on improvements of it, including “luxury closet built-ins,” window coverings and glass treatments. Grayson wants BDC Real Estate Investments LLC, a BPM affiliate, to honor the sales agreement or pay him $2.6 million. BPM didn’t return an email seeking comment, and the office voice mail box wouldn’t record a message. Grayson didn’t return a message sent on LinkedIn.

COPS SUGGEST METAL DETECTORS AT CENTRAL LIBRARY: The commander of the Portland Police Bureau’s Central Precinct has advised Multnomah County to install metal detectors at the Central Library, remove exterior benches, and disable Wi-Fi outside the building after a fatal shooting this month on the library’s front steps. That advice, issued by Cmdr. Brian Hughes on July 7, comes amid a pressure campaign by the Portland Metro Chamber to compel county leaders to crack down on drug use and weapons at the iconic Central Library. “The current environment reflects a troubling refusal to acknowledge the severity of what is occurring both inside and around the library,” writes Jason Gerlt, chair of the Downtown Retail Council, a subset of the Metro Chamber. “The county’s repeated attempts to distance itself from these safety failures—while downplaying law enforcement as a necessary partner—have led to harm, distrust, and a visibly deteriorating public space.” A spokeswoman for the Multnomah County Library told WW the problem stems in part from slow police response when employees call 911. “Without action and prioritized response from the Portland Police Bureau when we call, the surrounding area will not improve,” she said. “What we have asked for are more police patrols on the perimeter with a daily walk-through and timely responses to our calls for help.”

MAYOR WILSON GROWS FRUSTRATED WITH COUNTY HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE: In a recent meeting with Multnomah County officials, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson expressed growing frustration at the county’s response to the city’s homelessness crisis, which those close to Wilson say he feels is lackluster. “We have got to flood the market with shelter to provide basic lifesaving care to address the crisis,” Wilson said at a July 18 meeting of the steering and oversight committee of the joint city-county Homelessness Response System. “We do an awful lot of talking, but we have so much firepower in this room to make big swings, and I think it’s time to shake things up. I would like to see a more laserlike approach on outcomes.” Wilson’s comments come as he aggressively opens nighttime shelters across the city as part of his plan to create 1,500 shelter beds by the end of the year—a charge he is undertaking largely without financial support from the county. “Recently, we had a person die on the streets of Portland, found behind a dumpster, riddled with maggots,” Wilson said at the meeting. “This is more important than a conversation. This is about immediate action.”