The Trail Blazers spared no time Thursday morning telling Portland City Council that the question of whether the Moda Center meets a “first-class” standard was stalling negotiations. “The first-class standard has been wielded as a weapon chilling our negotiations,” said Blazers president Dewayne Hankins. “To be clear, the first-class standard is a relic language from a 30-year-old lease.” Hankins was referring to a provision in the team’s existing lease making Rip City Management responsible for the center’s maintenance, including keeping it “first-class.” That means the city can sue the team for the value of a renovation if the Blazers choose to leave Portland after the lease ends in 2030. The Blazers said the threat of a lawsuit needs to be taken off the table for negotiations to continue. But for the city, the first-class provision is among its few bargaining chips in the negotiations. The work session is ongoing, though Blazers representatives were only present for the first hou...