Portland Mercury · on the Zenith–ISQ franchise transfer, approved on a 6–6 tie
On September 23 the council voted 7–5 to reconsider the Zenith franchise transfer that had failed 5–6 with one absence on September 16; Koyama Lane, Morillo, Green, Avalos and Kanal opposed reconsidering, and Council President Dunphy joined Novick, Clark, Zimmerman, Smith, Pirtle-Guiney and Ryan to reopen it. The revote tied 6–6, with all six progressive-caucus members including Dunphy voting no, and Mayor Keith Wilson broke the tie to approve the transfer to ISQ Springer Holdings, his second tie-breaking vote since taking office. Dunphy told Willamette Week he voted to reconsider because he "hoped that there could be some negotiations to find mutually agreeable conditions," and the paper reported no such agreement was reached; Morillo posted that she voted no "because I believe accountability is not optional."
The Green–Morillo citizen-enforcement amendment to the same ordinance failed 6–6 on September 9, and Zenith sued the city in U.S. District Court in July over the delay.
KOIN · on the CEI Hub fuel-storage reduction ordinances and the Green-led amendment
On September 24 the council held a first hearing on two Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub ordinances (2026-311 and 2026-312) that would require the hub's 11 bulk fuel terminals to cut storage capacity by at least 20% by December 1, 2036, then closed the oral record and continued both items to October 1. Councilor Green, with co-sponsors Pirtle-Guiney, Kanal, Clark and Koyama Lane, filed an amendment directing the city administrator to report alternative reduction approaches by September 1, 2027, deleting the aviation-fuel exemption, and moving to annual reporting; Councilor Novick filed three amendments of his own. KOIN reported a McCullough Research paper describing the risks from wildfire, flood and a Cascadia earthquake as "grave."
The written record closes October 1 at noon and the hearing resumes at 2 p.m. that day, time certain.
Portland City Council record · on the failed Zenith–ISQ franchise transfer ordinance
The council failed to pass consent to transfer the Zenith Energy fuels franchise to ISQ Springer Holdings on second reading, 5 aye to 6 nay with Loretta Smith absent: Novick, Clark, Zimmerman, Pirtle-Guiney, and Ryan voted aye; Koyama Lane, Morillo, Green, Avalos, Kanal, and Dunphy voted nay. A Green–Morillo amendment that would have let affected residents ask the courts to enforce the franchise had failed 6–6 at the September 9 first reading. A motion to reconsider is pending after the council voted 8–4 to postpone it to the September 23 session.
A committee motion to refer the ordinance to council with a recommendation to pass carried 7–5 on August 6, with Dunphy and Smith joining the aye side.