190519

The City of Portland ordains:

Section 1. The Council finds:

1. Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), along with partner bureaus, continually seeks to improve its processes to provide the best possible service to residents in the City of Portland. PBOT’s Right of Way Acquisition Section (RWA) is responsible for the administration and implementation of street vacations on behalf of the City of Portland. While some responsibilities for this program had been previously shared with the Auditor’s Office, the Auditor’s Office has requested that RWA assume all work done for this program moving forward.

2. PBOT staff have worked on updating Chapter 17.84 Street Vacations along with TRN-1.06 Street Vacations and the Street Vacation Manual to ensure a cohesive and coherent set of policies that will help clearly establish the street vacation process. The changes to Chapter 17.84 Street Vacations being approved in this ordinance reflect changes being made to shifting program responsibilities as stated above, and clarifications being made to match current City policies and practices. PBOT staff will update TRN-1.06 Street Vacations and the Street Vacation Manual to further explain and establish requirements for the street vacation process.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:

1. Amend Code Chapter 17.84 Street Vacations as shown in Exhibit A.

Section 2.  The Council declares that an emergency exists because failure to adopt will delay PBOT’s ability to effectively manage the street vacation program and to assume duties from the Auditor’s Office; therefore, this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Council.