Elected-in-charge: Carmen Rubio
Bureau or Office Director: Donnie Oliveira
We are tracking one report and six recommendations
Our 2022 Planning and Sustainability audit examined the Portland Clean Energy Fund.
All recommendations are pending.
Highlight from Last Year
There was no activity in 2022.
To Do
We recommended that the Commissioner-in-charge and the Bureau Director work with the Portland Clean Energy Fund to propose to Council guidelines for the purpose, qualifying activities, and desired outcomes of capacity-building spending for the program.
Portland Clean Energy Fund: Additional steps needed to implement voter-approved program
Report published March 10, 2022 | Contact Tenzin Gonta
Voters approved a tax to create the Portland Clean Energy Fund in 2018 as an ambitious way to tackle climate change and social inequities. This audit found that the program began putting management systems in place, but other elements were not yet implemented or needed direction from City Council.
This is a new audit with six recommendations pending follow-up.
Pending Recommendation Details
We recommended that the Commissioner-in-charge and the Bureau Director work with the Portland Clean Energy Fund to set timeframes and publicly present plans to Council for: reporting on funding allocations by category; setting program performance goals and developing reporting systems; and completing their workforce and contractor equity plan. (Portland Clean Energy Fund: Additional steps needed to implement voter-approved program)
We recommended that the Commissioner-in-charge and the Bureau Director work with the Portland Clean Energy Fund to propose to Council a plan for how the program will proceed with the legislation’s climate initiatives given that the Climate Action Plan has expired. (Portland Clean Energy Fund: Additional steps needed to implement voter-approved program)
We recommended that the Commissioner-in-charge and the Bureau Director work with the Portland Clean Energy Fund to propose to Council guidelines for the purpose, qualifying activities, and desired outcomes of capacity-building spending for the program. (Portland Clean Energy Fund: Additional steps needed to implement voter-approved program)
We recommended that the Commissioner-in-charge and the Bureau Director work with the Portland Clean Energy Fund to evaluate oversight responsibilities and, if needed, seek input and propose legislative changes to Council. (Portland Clean Energy Fund: Additional steps needed to implement voter-approved program)
We recommended that the Commissioner-in-charge and the Bureau Director work with the Portland Clean Energy Fund to clarify and communicate to Council which expenses are included as administrative costs subject to the cap. (Portland Clean Energy Fund: Additional steps needed to implement voter-approved program)
We recommended that the Commissioner-in-charge and the Bureau Director work with the Portland Clean Energy Fund to continue to work with the Revenue Division to obtain timely revenue reports to improve budgeting and administrative cost management. (Portland Clean Energy Fund: Additional steps needed to implement voter-approved program)
Data Notes
At the end of every audit report, we issue a series of recommendations intended to make programs work even better. This report includes the status of Bureau recommendations since 2018, which was the beginning of our new follow-up process. We prepared it with a few audiences in mind:
- City Council can use it to identify bureaus that may need additional resources or support in order to implement recommendations.
- Bureau directors can use it to assess bureau performance and to determine if any changes in policy or procedure are necessary.
- Bureau management and staff can use it to track recommendation status across audits to develop work plans and priorities.
- General public can use it to monitor the status of recommendations related to topics of interest and to compare performance across bureaus.
This report includes recommendation status as of December 31, 2022.
Translated reports
Most reports are available in four languages: Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Russian. We are translating new reports as they’re released, but older reports may not be available in a language other than English. If you would like to request a translated version of a report, please contact KC Jones.
Links
Portland Clean Energy Fund: Additional steps needed to implement voter-approved program