PORTLAND, Ore. — With the anticipated launch date for a drug deflection center just over two weeks away, Multnomah County leaders are looking over a draft document meant to lay out both this temporary facility and a more permanent one not expected to open until 2026.
As of Sept. 1, simple drug possession will again become a crime in Oregon, the result of a law passed this spring that partially rolls back Measure 110. Under the law, counties are given the freedom to set up a "deflection program," which would funnel people caught in possession of drugs toward treatment and services instead of jail and prosecution.
A group led by Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson previously released the details of the county's plans for deflection — giving people 30 days to engage with recovery services after getting assessed at the deflection center, otherwise facing arrest and prosecution.
But details about the deflection center itself have still been in development. This week, the county began circulating a 57-page draft document that lays out what officials have thought of thus far. When finalized, the document is supposed to guide both the operation of this temporary deflection center and a more permanent facility to come.
The short timeline for the deflection center, located off Southeast Sandy Boulevard in Portland's Central Eastside, has not provided much opportunity for neighbors to engage with the planning process — leaving some with grave concerns.
Safety and security
Under the draft plan, Multnomah County would contract on-site security so that two guards would be stationed there 24/7, costing the county $740,000 for the first 10 months. The county's own security teams will patrol the block and call 911 if they see an emergency or criminal activity.
"As far as I’m concerned, it’s pretty much a fig leaf — a lot of empty language but no real substance," said David Watnick.
Watnick is an attorney representing Escuela Viva, a preschool located about 450 feet from the deflection center. It's outside of the area which Multnomah County's plan identifies for security patrols, which is a big concern for Watnick.
Security is supposed to tell people seen camping or loitering in the immediate vicinity of the deflection center to move along, but enforcement will still be left to police. For people like Watnick, that leaves open the possibility that people released from the deflection center will linger near Escuela Viva.
While the draft plan does cover things like transportation to and from the facility, it's light on details. In terms of coming to the facility, that will be largely handled by first responders at this stage in the process. But the plan gives five different options of transport for people leaving, and it's unclear whether Multnomah County has arranged for any of them as yet, or to what extent, and whether transport away is a requirement for people who visit the deflection center.
Earlier this month, Watnick wrote to the county on behalf of the school, demanding they delay opening the center; arguing that it could create an unsafe environment for the children, including his own.
"We are prepared to file a lawsuit to get a court order blocking the opening on Sept. 1 if the county intends to do that and doesn’t make really significant change," he said.
Watnick's view has at least some support on the county board. This week, Commissioner Sharon Meieran called for a 90-day delay of the center's launch.
"I’m dismayed; I’m frustrated," she said. "We are supposed to open in two and a half weeks — we do not have a safety plan in place; we do not have operational plans in place."
Meanwhile, the county has formed a committee that will come up with the "framework" for a Good Neighbor Agreement by Sept. 1, with plans to review a draft next week. However, a finalized agreement isn't envisioned until after the deflection center opens.
A matter of time
County leadership acknowledged that the Sept. 1 deadline is tight, referring to it as a "challenge" in the draft plan. They've indicated that they're prepared to punt if need be.
"What the community should know is that Multnomah County is planning on launching its plan as long as everything is ready and all the questions are answered," said Ryan Yambra, a spokesman for Multnomah County. "The county is moving at breakneck speed to be ready on September 1."
While the deflection center is envisioned as a 24/7 drop-off facility, the county said it may not be open round-the-clock when it first opens — Tuerk House, the Baltimore recovery organization contracted to operate it, is still working to hire the necessary staff.
And speaking of staff, the ideal plan is for construction on the facility to be finished a few days prior to launch so that staff can get familiar with the building and how they'll be operating within it. But if the building's not ready, that may not happen.
As of this week, efforts to improve the building were ongoing; KGW spotted a paint crew there Friday morning.
It's unclear if even the deflection center's basic services will be ready in time for a smooth Sept. 1 launch, but overall, the draft plan envisions a gradual ramp-up in three phases, beginning with a place for people who agree to deflection to receive assessments, screening and connection to treatment and services. While those people will be able to stay and "recuperate," those stays won't be longer than 24 hours.
The second phase, according to the plan, would involve adding between 13 and 16 sobering beds to the Central Eastside facility, while offering medications for people addicted to opioids.
What county leaders don't anticipate until 2026 is the opening of a permanent deflection and sobering center, one that (ideally) the county would buy instead of lease. That would allow for stays longer than 24 hours — like the 72-hour involuntary holds that police are now empowered to issue — and as many as 50 sobering beds.
The draft plan stipulates that this permanent facility should be at least 1,000 feet away from any schools or child care centers, which seemingly was not a consideration for the current facility.
County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards and Portland Police Chief Bob Day have been critical of that timeline for the permanent sobering facility, wanting it open sooner. The sobering portion of the plan is based on a proposal Brim-Edwards developed prior to the pivot toward a deflection center.
"I haven't agreed to that timeline," Brim-Edwards told KGW, "nor, as you can see, has Chief Day. And I don't think the community has agreed to that timeline, either."
Multnomah County has lacked a centralized sobering drop-off center since the beginning of 2020, when a longtime facility operated by the nonprofit Central City Concern closed due to concerns about the safety of both the staff and clientele.