No deal yet for Buckman area deflection center

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- The Buckman Neighborhood Association sat down with Multnomah County officias Monday night to try and come to a "good neighbor agreement" about the deflection (drug user drop-off) center. But the public meeting was not open to the public.

A Multnomah County spokesperson told KOIN 6 News the Buckman community members asked for the public meeting to become a private discussion because some people did not want to voice their concerns "in the spotlight" after plans to livestream the event were announced.

"A couple people voicing the concerns that they didn't want to be, you know, in a public setting and under the spotlight, essentially, you know, for the whole world to see," Buckman Association co-chair Jens Knudsen told KOIN 6 News.

Another neighbor told KOIN 6 News he wanted the meeting to provide "clarity, clarity, clarity to help the county figure out what they're doing to try to get a positive outcome."

Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards -- who was not part of the Monday night meeting -- told KOIN 6 News safety and security is the main concern of the community members. She shares those concerns.

"They're the same concerns I had and other commissioners and other community members" had is "there wasn't a detailed plan about what services they were going to provide, how to what deflection would be."

Commissioner Sharon Meieran pushed for a resolution to pause the opening on the much anticipated Southeast Portland deflection center. Earlier Monday, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson announced plans to paus the opening of the deflection center about a month, citing the struggle to hire nurses and reaching a good neighbor agreement in the Buckman neighborhood.

Knudsen said they are "definitely" going to pick up the pace.

"Community members here are very involved. All of these representatives are very involved. so that's reassuring that we're all committed to accelerating that timeline and really getting some stuff done," he said.

Knudsen added the neighborhood association will now meet with the county weekly as they hope to get a more straightforward plan in place for the deflection center.

KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.