February Recap

February was an incredibly active and exciting month for the Sumner Association of Neighbors. We kicked things off at the Parkrose Winter Light Festival launch party, which was a massive success. We handed out over 250 glow stick bracelets, necklaces, light up rings, and bubbles, even running out early and making a quick run to the dollar store to restock! A huge thank you to Historic Parkrose, Jamie Dunphy, the District 1 Councilor staffers Emma, Sabina, and Malynda, and the SAN board members who braved the cold to help make it happen.

Later in the month, our dedicated neighbors and board members braved blustery weather for our neighborhood litter pickup, collecting nine bags of trash from our streets. We appreciate our sponsors Metro and the D1EC for helping make these beautification events possible. Mark your calendars for our next cleanup on March 15 in collaboration with the Madison South Neighborhood.

During our February board meeting, we approved our full 2026 events calendar and voted to apply for the District 1 East Coalition small grants to help fund upcoming summer and fall activities, including the Ice Cream Parade, National Night Out, Dumpster Days and our Halloween events. The board also established a subcommittee to actively explore options for preserving the three acre SAN Lot as a permanent community park or protected nature space. Additionally, our Land Use (LUTOP) committee has been actively collecting and submitting neighbor testimony to PBOT to request a comprehensive safety review of NE Prescott Street through Sumner. We are looking forward to keeping this momentum going into the spring.

Sumner Seed Library

We have a fun, sustainable treat for the neighborhood: eco-friendly 2026 plantable seed calendars! Our board member, Hannah, has stocked these awesome little calendars in her Sumner Seed Library, located right near the SAN Lot. Once you're done with a month, you can plant the page in some soil and watch it grow into beautiful wildflowers. Swing by to grab yours, and be sure to check out what else is blooming at instagram.com/Sumnerseedlibrary

💻 Stay Connected: New Website Updates

We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to update our community website! Be sure to check out sumnerpdx.org for the latest neighborhood news and resources. Here are a few new additions you won't want to miss:

• Updated Bylaws: Following the January board vote, our newly amended neighborhood bylaws are now officially posted. You can review the full document at sumnerpdx.org/bylaws.
• 2026 Events Calendar: Now that the board has approved our full schedule for the year, you can find all our upcoming meetings, cleanups, and summer events listed under the "Calendar of Events" tab.
• New Resources & Photo Blog: Board member Hannah has been hard at work adding a brand new photo blog under the "About SAN" section, as well as building out our neighborhood "Resources" page.

City Council Update

The Portland City Council has advanced amendments to the Chronic Nuisance Property Code (Chapter 14B.60) to address administrative processes and expand the scope of covered offenses. The updated ordinance broadens the definition of nuisance activities to explicitly include violations related to human trafficking and gun violence. It also modifies the threshold for intervention, requiring two documented nuisance activities within a 90 day window, compared to the previous requirement of three incidents within 30 days. Additionally, the amendments shift the administrative sign off authority from the Police Bureau to the City Administrator and introduce specific abatement measures for property owners.

You can read the full text of the proposed changes here: https://www.portland.gov/council/documents/ordinance/amendments-chronic-nuisance-property-code

PBOT Wants to Hear From You, Still!

To help build our case for a safety review of Prescott, PBOT has requested photos of cars blocking intersection views on Prescott. If you see problematic parking, especially in the evening, please snap a picture and send it to my chair email at sumner.neighborhood.chair@gmail.com. Please make sure to note the specific time and day the photo was taken so we can pass accurate data along to the city.

Help Support the Rocky Butte Farmer's Market

We are also sharing a quick note on behalf of our friends at the Rocky Butte Farmer’s Market. They have a fundraiser running to support the upcoming season, and you can find more information or contribute at: https://gofund.me/05a145462

Upcoming Events: https://sumnerpdx.org/events/

• Feb 28 – March 8: Slough Fest. Click here for more info

• March 3 (6:00 PM – 7:30 PM): Parkrose Enhanced Service District: Town Hall Night. Join City Councilor Candace Avalos at Historic Parkrose (10402 NE Sandy Blvd) to learn what an Enhanced Services District (ESD) would mean for the area. Business owners and community members are welcome.

• March 3 (7:00 PM – 7:30 PM): Sumner Safety Committee Meeting. Public welcome!

• March 4 (6:30 PM – 8:00 PM): District 1 East Coalition Board Meeting.

• March 5 (6:30 PM – 9:00 PM): Human Trafficking Community Conversations. Head over to the McDaniel High School Library for presentations by the Portland Police Human Trafficking Unit, followed by community discussions.

• March 9 (8:00 PM – 9:00 PM): SAN LUTOP Committee Meeting. Public Welcome!

• March 10 (6:30 PM, doors open at 6:00 PM): District 1 "Meet Your City Councilors". This free event is at the IRCO Sokhom Tauch Community Center (10323 NE Glisan St). Come meet Councilors Candace Avalos, Jamie Dunphy, and Loretta Smith. You can RSVP at pdxcityclub.org.

• March 13: Deadline for the 2026 District 1 Budget Survey. Take about 15 minutes to share your feedback at tinyurl.com/mt8bknrb to help guide future investments in the neighborhood. You'll also have the option to enter a drawing for a $100 grocery gift card!

• March 15 (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM): SAN Monthly Litter Patrol & Sumner Cleanup. We are partnering with the Madison South Neighborhood Association this month at NE 90th & NE Skidmore. Supplies are provided, plus there will be pie for Pi-Day!

• March 17 (6:30 PM – 8:00 PM): SAN March Board Meeting. This will be held virtually via Zoom.

• March 24 (8:00 PM – 9:00 PM): SAN Lot Committee Meeting. Public Welcome!

Community Resources