Overview of changes
In 2022, Portland voters approved an overhaul of City government. In this update, voters established a city council that focuses on setting policy and engaging with community, transitioning day-to-day oversight of City services to a mayor elected citywide and a professional city administrator.
The updated Portland code and charter aims to unify bureaus, programs, and services under the leadership of a city administrator. Organized by service areas, the new model includes key leadership positions and realigned core services to operate efficiently and effectively. The new form of government also established new roles for the mayor, city administrator and city council.
To ensure administrative rules and other policy documents conform to the appropriate delegations of the new authorities, BPS leadership has proposed the changes in these rules to align with the new leadership and authorities granted. These proposed changes do not make substantive edits to policy or rules; they simply update authorities and delegations as per the new City code and charter. In many instances the authority of the director is transferred to the city administrator, though in practice many of these day-to-day duties are delegated back to the bureau.
Public comment period is open
The public is invited to review the proposed changes to the following BPS-led administrative rules. All files show edits in track changes (strike-through [deleted text] and underline [new text]) except for the Franchise Utilities rules as these have been combined from several prior rules – UTL 1.01-1.03, 1.05, 3.02, 3.03, 3.06-3.08, 6.01, and 6.02.
Affected administrative rules
Solid Waste and Recycling
Franchise Utilities
The Franchise Utilities rules have been combined from several prior rules – UTL 1.01-1.03, 1.05, 3.02, 3.03, 3.06-3.08, 6.01, and 6.02 – as noted below.
Climate and Energy
Other
How to submit comments
If you have specific comments or edits about any of the above proposed Admin Rule changes, email your comments to bps@portlandoregon.gov. The deadline to submit comments is May 4, 2025.
After the comment period closes
BPS leadership will review all proposed changes. Staff will then finalize and create clean copies of the rules for final review and posting by the City Auditor’s office. A notice will be sent via email to all recipients of the original notice (previously identified stakeholder groups for one or more of these administrative rules) once the updates are complete. If you did not receive the notice of the comment period and would like to receive the final notice, please sign up on our email list.