Sameer Kanal

Context

Councilor. From the city website (retrieved 2026-10-22); verify. Member of the Community & Public Safety Committee. Supports all eight Portland Street Response recommendations and has pressed the police bureau since July 2025 for a written body-worn camera release policy.

Issues

• Ida B Wells High School Rebuild Land Use Appeal
• Portland Street Response Advisory Committee Report
• Portland Street Response Funding
• Body-Worn Camera Footage Release Procedures
• FY 2026-27 Fall Supplemental Budget
• FY 2027-28 Budget Calendar
• Business License Tax Stabilization Reserve
• Business License Tax CEO Pay Ratio Surtax
• Council Operations Staff Merit Increases
• Citywide Asset Management Strategy - asked for data by asset type and raised engagement standards
• Local Regulation of Automated Vehicles - called for an outright ban and a human-driver amendment
• Lloyd Event District Event Parking Rate - district councilor; moved the do-pass referral
• ODOT Naito Parkway Property Transfer MOU - seconded the do-pass referral; asked about the MOU fallback
• Oregon Arena Joint Authority IGA - voted no on the ordinance over council's lack of appointment authority.
• Concealed Handgun Ban in City Buildings - supported; raised data privacy of screening technology.
• Cherry Blossom Hazard Tree Complaint - asked about the inspection team.
• Home Forward Board of Commissioners Appointments - corrected the nominee's name on the record; invited the Home Forward board's view.
• East Portland Tax Increment Financing Community Leadership Committee Appointments - asked about the applicant pool and the Vancouver experience.
• Community Board for Police Accountability Alternate Appointment - co-sponsor; had voted against the removal.
• Council Leadership Election Process - reported the work group's options; favors the incumbent abstaining, straw polls and a prior work session.

Log

• 2026-10-21 - Finance & Governance Committee (Whole) - Chaired; handled chair updates, the TIF, Home Forward and police board items, and presented the leadership election work group report; closed the queue and set a November 5 discussion.
• 2026-10-21 - Council - Voted no on the arena ordinance citing legislative branch authority; supported the handgun ordinance and asked about screening data privacy; asked which team handles tree inspections.
• 2026-10-13 - Public Works Committee - Pressed on cross-bureau data and engagement, called for a ban on robotaxis, questioned the data and fleet cap rules, moved the Lloyd parking referral as the district's councilor, and seconded the ODOT referral.
• 2026-10-15 - Finance & Governance Committee (Whole) - Chaired; handled committee updates, the three fall items, and the surtax discussion; closed the queue and continued the surtax item and the street renaming presentation.
• 2026-10-22 - Page created from public sources.
• 2026-10-20 - Community & Public Safety Committee - Supported the Portland Street Response recommendations, disputed the deficit framing, and led detailed questions on the police footage release procedure, including asking PCCEP to consider whether narrated versions should exist.
• 2026-10-15 - Council - Voted aye on the motion to tentatively deny the appeal with the added condition.
• 2026-10-08 - Finance & Governance Committee (Whole) - Chaired; gave the chair's updates, set testimony rules and ran panels of testifiers.