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Portland is a Sanctuary City

Find sanctuary city resources from the City of Portland's Immigrant & Refugee Program, including free legal services and state resources for reporting hate crimes, bias incidents, discrimination, and violations of Oregon's sanctuary laws.

Customer Service

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A graphic with the headline Portland Permitting & Development illustrates the goals of the new bureau. On the left, a man holds his hands in the air looking confused, surrounded by four doors. Text beneath his image says "One project, so many permits. Where should I begin?" On the right, a professional woman welcomes customers from a wide-open door. Beneath her, text says "Welcome to the City. How can we help?"
Commissioner Ryan is passionate about applying customer service principles to City government: Portlanders deserve responsiveness, accountability, efficiency, transparency, & dedication from their government. Commissioner Ryan advances policies that improve operations while reimagining City culture.

Real continuous improvement is quiet, hard work. Commissioner Ryan built Portland Permitting & Development on a customer service foundation, developed constituent relations protocols, passed the first-ever Citywide Outgoing Grants Administration Policy, and much more. 

Constituent Relations

A headshot of Mark Jamieson

Commissioner Ryan’s office prioritizes constituent communications, and his staff prioritizes engaging with constituents to understand their concerns and resolve constituent issues. As a part of this process, Commissioner Ryan's office responded to more than 10,000 emails and processed over 400 phone calls from January through August of 2024.

As part of these services, the commissioner’s staff actively facilitates the following areas of engagement:

  • Helping constituents navigate city bureaucracy and processes
  • Assisting constants with specific questions and concerns
  • Providing weekly reporting to the commissioner related to the topics and volume of constituent concerns
  • Facilitating constituent meetings with the commissioner

For Commissioner Ryan, understanding Portlander’s concerns and attitudes is paramount to how he represents the city. Whether it is working to provide shelter and housing opportunities for those in need, simplifying city bureaucracy for the benefit of those navigating the system, advocating for small businesses that provide meaningful jobs with livable wages, or expanding and protecting the city’s open spaces as places for safe and peaceful connection, Commissioner Ryan seeks active engagement with stakeholders and constituents to develop meaningful public policy.

International Relations

Commissioner Dan Ryan and the City of Portland team compete in the 2024 Dragon Boat Race on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.

Commissioner Ryan is committed to strengthening Portland's ties with sister cities and international communities. Our sister city relationships build the City of Portland's diplomatic skills, share culture, stimulate the economy, and learn from one another so we can continuously improve our respective governments. Commissioner Ryan knows that many Portlanders have moved to our city from their sister city location, and strengthening ties and cooperation between our sister cities is a great way to leverage our position as an international port city. Commissioner Ryan's diplomatic style is friendly, fun, and fosters friendship across the globe. 

Learn more about Commissioner Ryan's International Relations work

Citywide Grants Policy

Commissioner Dan Ryan, Commissioner Carmen Rubio, Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, Commissioner Mingus Mapps, and Mayor Ted Wheeler at Portland City Hall

In September of 2024, Commissioner Dan Ryan’s Citywide Grants Policy passed City Council in a 5-0 vote. As of 2024, the City of Portland did not have consistent guidelines or an award framework for the distribution of nearly $17M in outgoing grants. By adopting the Citywide Grants Policy, City Council created consistent guidelines and a citywide award system for the outgoing grants administered by the Grants Management Division or individual City Service Areas that ensures transparency, accountability, and the responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars in advance of Portland’s government transition. Commissioner Ryan's Citywide Grants Policy is long-overdue, common-sense housekeeping. Taxpayers deserve a return on your investment, and this policy fix creates consistent guidelines and a citywide award system for outgoing grants.

Read the Citywide Grants Policy Press Release

Commissioner Ryan has also improved citywide customer service by: 

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