City starts to turn clean energy initiative into reality

The Rev. E.D. Mondaine speaks at a campaign rally for the Portland Clean Energy Fund.

 Tribune file photo

The Portland City Council took the first formal steps Thursday to start turning the voter-approved Portland Clean Energy Fund into reality.

In two unanimous votes, the council put rules for the program into city code and authorized the hiring of four city staff to work with a citizens committee, which will recommend projects to spend some of the $54 million and $71 million a year officials estimate will be raised by a new city tax on large corporations.