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City Councilor Steve Novick had a rough go of it on May 21 as dozens of people publicly testified against his proposal to shut down the Multnomah Arts Center as a belt-tightening measure.
After dozens of people (including a children’s string quartet) protested Novick’s idea, saying it would decimate a treasured community space and resource, Novick sent an email to constituents who had reached out in opposition. In a rare move for a public official, Novick apologized.
“I want to let you know that I hear you. I will no longer be considering the amendment,” Novick wrote.
He said he had been thinking about trying to get ahead of the growing maintenance backlog at Portland Parks & Recreation by closing its most rapidly deteriorating facilities. “What I, unforgivably, was not thinking about was the impact on the supporters and users of the centers.…I should have realized that I would be causing great anxiety and grief.” Novick added that he “displayed a spectacular lack of emotional intelligence.”
He told WW over the weekend that he had heard from many constituents and was “overwhelmed by their capacity for forgiveness.”