In a scenario much like that currently unfolding with the Kentucky Public Pension Authority and demands for disclosure of a consultant's final report—for which taxpayers will foot the bill to the tune of $1.2 million—the City of Portland, Oregon has been ordered to disclose an unredacted copy of a taxpayer-funded consultant's report—and not a sanitized "summary" of the report.

In ordering full disclosure, District Attorney Mike Schmidt rejected the city's claims of attorney-client privilege:

Dozens of scathing statements made by staff from Portland's Office of Community & Civic Life are "included in a report on the bureau's culture released on Tuesday.

"The city was forced to turn over the independent report after Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt ruled last week that the city could not withhold the report from the public by claiming attorney-client privilege. The city had previously denied a public records request for the report, prompting OPB to appeal along with Willamette Week, the NW Examiner and a former civic life employee.

"The report is blistering. Released with no redactions, it paints a picture of deep dysfunction and toxicity within the city bureau responsible for civic engagement in Portland.

"The assessment was carried out over an eight-month period between August 2020 and March 2021 by strategic design consultancy firm ASCETA.

"In a separate report, ASCETA dove deeper into the conduct of five specific employees, revealing a stunning amount of personnel information. The 24-pages contain a long list of cutting complaints.

"ASCETA proposes a few possible courses of action for the city to take with the five employees, including firings.

"Since receiving the report earlier this spring, Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty's office had kept it close to the chest. No other council member had received the report as of Tuesday afternoon — including the mayor.

"Commissioner Hardesty wrote in a statement that she was disappointed the report had been publicly released but emphasized the bureau was entering a new chapter.

"'Although I value the need for transparency in public spending and operations, and always intended to make available a public summary report, I am disappointed in the District Attorney's ruling as this makes publicly available what were intended to be confidential recommendations,' she wrote.

"At least one respondent said they felt this rebuilding process would only work if managers were held accountable.

"'If there is not accountability for the abuse managers put their employees through these past few years, then this entire process has been nothing but a waste of taxpayer money," the staff member said. 'Real action needs to happen or this process is not real.'"

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/05/18/portland-office-of-community-civ…