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Portland’s Equitable Contracting and Purchasing Commission came close to dissolution Monday night, before members were able to convince their chairman to try to make the committee work.

Dante James, director of the Office of Equity and Human Rights and chair of the ECPC, had asked commissioners to consider rolling their involvement into the city’s Fair Contracting Forum, a longstanding panel with a mission similar to the ECPC’s, though under a different bureau. But after hearing strong opposition from the four commissioners in attendance, James backed off.

“I listened to their comments and concerns, and they were persuasive,” he said after the meeting. “I’m here to support them in trying to find the best way to move this workforce, so I’m going to give them all kind of ideas to do that.”

The ECPC has experienced a rocky tenure since it started meeting last fall. Founded by ordinance to help the council improve diversity in workforce and contracting on city projects, the committee’s monthly meetings have become the regular scene of venting against a perceived lack of buy-in by officials, and missing or incomplete data.

In February, commissioners voted “no confidence” in the city council – a meaningless vote that succeeded in getting an article in the Oregonian, and the attention of City Hall. Mayor Charlie Hales responded by sending key staff to meetings, before attending one himself. He convened a retreat to “hit the reset button,” and last month, relocated the nascent board away from the OMF to James’ OEHR. The reason, he said, was to provide it a “broader lens” through which to view its work.

But that didn’t quite quell the frustration. This month, three ECPC members resigned – Andrew Colas of Colas Construction, Professional Minority Group’s Rosa Martinez and Tony Jones of the Metropolitan Contractor Improvement Partnership. (Jones told the 91ÊÓƵ he quit primarily because of James’ dual role as commission member and bureau head, which he said calls into question James’ independence; Martinez and Colas did not return phone calls seeking comment.)

With this drama and dissatisfaction as a backdrop, James on Monday floated an idea for ECPC members to begin attending meetings of the Fair Contracting Forum. He acknowledged the forum’s attendance has diminished over the years, but said “that can change next meeting,” if ECPC members become involved.

“I guess I’m unclear why this work can’t be done by the forum,” he said.

James’ suggestion was met with forceful pushback from ECPC members. All four said they’ve attended FCF meetings in the past – one as a member – and all spoke negatively about their experiences.

ECPC commissioner Michael Burch said, “I don’t know anyone in any of the circles I run in that has a very high opinion of it.”

Commissioner Marcela Alcantar said that though it’s not perfect, the ECPC represents a step forward.

“All these years we’ve been singing the same song. And after all these years, the data hasn’t changed. But I think that the dynamic of this group – the asking the tough questions – has made a difference,” she said.

James asked commissioners for suggestions for filling the three empty seats. The remainder of the meeting was spent discussing an upcoming presentation to city council.

“I think he recognized the error in his proposition,” Burch said following the meeting. “That Fair Contracting (Forum) has been around for 20 years with very little, if anything, to show for it in terms of results. And he says he’s all about results.”

Ultimately, if the ECPC is dissolved, it would come by way of a council vote.

“I guess it’s too soon to ask you to trust me that I can make a difference,” James said. “I was going to be pretty adamant about pushing this idea, but the more I listen to you, the more I appreciate and hear what you’re saying.”

ECPC commissioners have requested an hour-long hearing at the Aug. 10 city council meeting.