Update 23 — Thank You, PTC Community

Thank you to everyone who has read, shared, and signed. We just reached 415 signatures and more than 4,000 views — a strong reminder that our community cares deeply about keeping public tennis accessible, affordable, and protected.

⚠️ Important: A 30‑year contract means PTC is gone from public hands for a lifetime. Portlanders won’t get it back.

Below is today’s installment of our community translation series, helping players understand the CFO’s memo in clear, simple English.

 
🎾 CFO Memo Translation (Part 3 — What “Favorable to the City” Really Means)
This section explains what the CFO actually means when he uses phrases like “favorable,” “potentially favorable,” or “could be favorable,” and why these lines are not endorsements of the USTA proposal.

A simple-English explanation of the CFO’s conditional language
In government finance, “favorable” language is conditional, not approval. When the CFO says something “could be favorable,” he is describing possibilities that depend on strict conditions — not saying the proposal is a good idea.

Below is what each “favorable” phrase means in context:

 
📌 1. Operating Costs

CFO phrase: “highly favorable to the City”
What it means: This applies only to operating costs, and only if you ignore everything else — capital gaps, oversight costs, long‑term obligations, and risks.

Plain English: 
This part looks good by itself, but it does not reflect the full picture.

 
📌 2. Capital Costs

CFO phrase: “could be favorable to the City, if…”
What it means: The $2.3M contribution is only favorable if USTA PNW:

• maintains public access
• takes full responsibility for operations
• participates in ongoing maintenance
• contributes to future capital needs
• These conditions are not yet guaranteed.

Plain English: 
The $2.3M only helps the City if USTA meets strict requirements — and those requirements are not currently in place.

 
📌 3. Programming

CFO phrase: “potentially favorable to the City”
What it means: Programming might improve, but the City still needs more information about pricing, access, and specific offerings.

Plain English: 
This could work, but only after more analysis. It is not approval.

 
📌 4. Partnerships

CFO phrase: “likely favorable to the City”
What it means: USTA PNW has national connections that might bring new partners, but this depends on future actions and actual benefits to the public.

Plain English: 
This could help, but it is not a guarantee.

 
⭐ Overall Meaning for Players

Across the memo, the CFO uses careful, conditional language. Whenever he says something “could be favorable,” he is not endorsing the proposal — he is identifying possibilities that depend on strict protections.

The CFO’s message is: 
These parts might help the City only if USTA meets specific conditions. Those conditions are not yet met, and the City must do much more analysis before moving forward.

This is cautious, professional finance language — not support for the proposal.

 
🤝 Closing

Thank you for staying engaged and helping ensure the community understands the CFO’s memo clearly and accurately. Please share this explanation with other players so everyone can see what the CFO’s language really means.