Portland gas tax to be delayed, while Terminal One may be disqualified as a homeless shelter.
OREGON NEWS
— The Portland gas tax, approved by voters in May, won’t likely be implemented until January. The Oregonian reports it will take the software vendor contracted by the state, Avalara, at least five months to add Portland to its online system for reporting gas sales. That doesn’t mean road improvement projects will be delayed, however. Smaller projects could begin soon. But let’s hope this software rollout isn’t another Cover Oregon in the making.
— The Portland City Council will consider a proposal to place a homeless shelter at Terminal One tomorrow. But the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality says that’s not possible. The DEQ wrote a letter stating a risk assessment is needed before any work could begin. Read more from the Portland Tribune.
— Two groups, the American Forest Resource Council and Earth Justice, have filed lawsuits against the Bureau of Land Management in response to the department’s updated land management plan. The plan contended more timber could be harvested with minimal environmental impact. Those who have filed suit disagree, alleging the BLM has only considered the potential to harvest more timber. The Statesman Journal has more.
— Online bank Simple is opening a second building, just three months after expanding to a larger headquarters on the Eastside. The Portland Business Journal reports the bank is growing rapidly — more than 43% in the past six months.
— The Coos Bay Rail Link has named one of its locomotives “The Peter DeFazio.” As U.S. Representative, DeFazio worked to secure federal funding for the freight line. The Register Guard has more.
NATIONAL NEWS
— Google has acquired another startup to fuel its cloud platform. Orbitera — which helps other startups sell software to businesses — was purchased for $100 million. Business Insider reports the purchase will help Google gain traction on Microsoft’s Azure as No. 2 in cloud software.
— Software company RedOwl Analytics says it can predict if an employee will steal intellectual property or other company information. The Washington Post reports the issue is a growing trend. The software tracks the behavior of employees and can alert employers to potential risk.
