Tonight at the Multnomah Building (501 SE Hawthorne, 7 pm), there’s a panel discussion on Portland’s neighborhood association system. Sounds like a snoozer, I know—but this should be interesting.

The neighborhood system is at a crossroads: Portland used to be a model for neighborhood involvement, but lately there are plenty of neighbors who are disenchanted with the current system, saying that they don’t have much of a voice at city hall. And the mayor has—guess what!—a project devoted to studying the neighborhood system (I’ve heard grumbling from activists who don’t even want to bother with filling out the mayor’s survey—they don’t feel it’ll do the neighborhood associations any good).

All of this should be part of the discussion tonight, which follows an exhaustive League of Women Voters’ study of the current system.

Through November League members will meet to discuss what they have learned about the city’s Neighborhood Program and, through a process of discussion and consensus, will develop a new advocacy position on how the Neighborhood Program should be structured in the future.

“We feel our work in this area is very well-timed in light of the reforms that are being discussed by Mayor Tom Potter’s Community Connect work group,â€� said League President Carol Cushman. “We hope the community as well as our members will benefit from our research.â€�