Nick Fish Still Stumping for Parks Bond

By AARON MESH

Even though Portland Parks & Recreation has cancelled plans for a bond measure on this November's ballot, City Commissioner Nick Fish keeps reminding voters the idea will come back soon.

At his opening address for the Pearl District's new dog-oriented Fields Park this afternoon, Fish put in a plug for a future bond—urging the assembled crowd to support the parks system "at budget time, at bond time."

"Let us be there for it," Fish concluded, "because it is what makes Portland a special place in the world."

Fish's continued stumping for the parks bond serves two purposes: It seeds the ground for a bond measure scuttled earlier this year because of insufficient polling numbers, and it keeps Fish associated with parks bureau funding as Mayor Charlie Hales assigns bureaus. (Hales' bureau decisions are set for May 31, and his office isn't tipping its hand on any assignments.)

In the wind-whipped dog park, Fish told WW he's running a one-man PR campaign for the parks bond.

"I want it to be in people's consciousness," he says. "Every time I get a chance, I'm going to salt the discussion with that. Subliminal advertising. I want parks at the front of the line."

WWeek 2015

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