37609

Change Driver One: Ballot Measure 26-228 Compliance

WHEREAS, on November 8, 2022, voters approved Portland Measure 26-228, which amended the City’s Charter by establishing a mayor-council form of government, establishing the role of a City Administrator, creating four new geographic districts with three councilors representing each district, and electing City officials using ranked choice voting; and

Change Driver Two: Organizational Alignment Around Service Areas

WHEREAS, with this new form of government taking effect in January 2025, City Council has less than two years to transition how City bureaus are administratively managed to prepare for City Administrator oversight and improve service delivery to Portlanders; and

WHEREAS, on December 30, 2022, Mayor Wheeler issued an Executive Order assigning bureau portfolios by service area to City Commissioners; and

WHEREAS, during the two-year implementation window, the Commissioners-in-Charge must work to align the bureaus under the new service areas, including building one submission for each service area in in the development of the FY 2024-25; and

WHEREAS, this resolution establishes focused priorities for each service area that will be advanced by each Commissioner-in-Charge in partnership with the Mayor’s office and in coordination with other stakeholders, provided that the Mayor retains authority under the Charter to reassign departments and bureaus as necessary in the public interest; and

WHEREAS, this resolution lays out a 90-day City Council Action Plan to improve transparency on Council direction for both city staff and members of the public;

Change Driver Three: Addressing Council Priorities

WHEREAS, as the City prepares for the transition to the new form of government and shifts to approaching work through service areas, we must continue to address Council’s four shared priorities: homelessness, community safety, livability and economic recovery, as identified by Council in a January 2021 Council Work Session and refined through subsequent budget guidance; and

CHANGE DRIVER ONE: BALLOT MEASURE 26-228 COMPLIANCE

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council directs the Chief Administrative Officer to develop and implement the City’s transition plan and community engagement plan as necessary to implement Measure 26-228, including project schedule and budget management, resource allocation, and funding strategy. To implement Measure 26-228, the plans should address the transition to the roles and responsibilities of the Mayor and the new expanded Council, the City’s administration and operations under a City Administrator, ranked choice voting and district-based elections, voter education, and other matters to the extent expressly provided in Measure 26-228; provided, however, that Council retains all legal authority to approve any City Code changes or budgetary appropriations related to the transition to the new form of government; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council directs the Chief Administrative Officer to coordinate with the City Attorney to identify, prioritize and draft City Code revisions needed to align the code with Measure 26-228, and present them to Council for consideration; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Chief Administrative Officer shall inform and engage Council as a key stakeholder throughout this transition process and will identify opportunities for communication and presentations related to this body of work in forums including, but not limited to: Council Chiefs of Staff meetings, Work Sessions, Independent Council Briefings, and email updates; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Directors and employees of City bureaus shall provide assistance and follow the direction of the Chief Administrative Officer on matters to the extent they relate to the transition to the new form of government and electoral process provided in Measure 26-228 and will assist the City Attorney with the code alignment project; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Chief Administrative Officer will regularly report to the Mayor, Commissioners and Bureau Directors on implementation and transition progress;

CHANGE DRIVER TWO: ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT AROUND SERVICE AREAS

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Council members, in their role as Commissioners-in-Charge, will support the bureaus within their assigned service area, to participate fully in efforts related to organizational realignment through a common methodology developed and recommended by the Chief Administrative Officer; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Commissioners-in-Charge will play a key leadership role in the process outlined below, convening and facilitating discussions among and between their portfolio service area bureaus, providing ongoing input and guidance throughout the process, and approving organizational changes requiring Code or budget adjustments; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that under direction of the Chief Administrative Officer, the Office of Management and Finance will focus on the following in the near term:

1. Develop a common methodology to guide organization-wide conversations toward organizational realignment in support of improved service delivery in the City’s new form of government;
2. Include in that methodology the vetting and consideration of organization-wide or multi-bureau alignment questions for potential implementation. All proposals will be considered and evaluated at the overall organizational level as part of this realignment work. Elements may include:
   1. Program assessment including review of:
      1. Program inventory;
      2. Key performance measures;
      3. Funding sources; and
      4. Potential gaps or duplication.
   2.  Management structure recommendations to support realigned services and programs:
      1. At minimum, these recommendations will propose realignment sufficient to support the work of the future City Administrator; and
      2. Initial recommendations about management structure changes will be made in October 2023 so that the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget development process may reflect those recommendations, and formal implementation can begin July 1, 2024, after adoption of the FY 2024-25 budget by Council.
3. Create a change advisory team where ideas that do not move forward for immediate implementation can be considered by future City executive and legislative leadership;
4. Ensure that this methodology also supports conversations toward service area budget presentations to Council in March 2023, with a focus on shared performance information and common challenges and opportunities;
5. Center change management strategies to support lasting and successful change.
6. Support City Council offices to help facilitate these discussions;
7. Collaborate with the City Budget Officer to restructure the budget process to align with the future organizational structure and the future work of the City Administrator.

CHANGE DRIVER THREE:  ADDRESSING COUNCIL PRIORITIES

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Council re-affirms its commitment to the top four shared priorities: homelessness, community safety, livability, and economic recovery, and is committed to addressing those priorities through the lenses of good government, equity, and climate/sustainability while continuing to advance other individual and shared Council priorities and projects; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Council will use a 90-day Action Plan to identify short term actions related to addressing Council’s four shared priorities and advancing immediate opportunities for service delivery alignment to achieve its focused priorities, and to improve transparency on Council direction for both City staff and members of the public; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Council establishes the following as 90-day City Council Action Plan:

A.  Council as a whole. Council directs the follow actions to be advanced in next 90 days:

1. City Budget. Work with bureaus within Service Areas through the FY 2023-24 budget process to identify the highest bureau priorities and potentially offer realignments within each service area – all of which will be presented to Council through Work Sessions in late March 2023;
2. State. Work closely with the Office of Government Relations on advocating for the City’s 2023 state legislative agenda; and
3. Administrative Coordination.  Work closely and cooperatively with their fellow Commissioners-in-Charge to advance the administrative initiatives necessary to achieve the Council’s near-term and long-term action plans.

B.  Mayor Wheeler - Administration

Under the leadership of Mayor Wheeler and the bureaus in the Administration service area and in partnership with other Council offices and other bureaus, Council directs the following actions to be advanced in next 90 days:

1. Homelessness. Complete the next steps on addressing homelessness and implementing Council Resolution 37595 and Resolution 37596, including but not limited to:
   1. Form and launch a Director’s Cabinet to engage bureaus in the implementation of the resolutions;
   2. Approve sites for three temporary alternative shelter sites and begin permitting and construction on those sites as directed by Resolution 37595;
   3. Contract with service providers for temporary alternative shelter sites;
   4. Community outreach to the residents, neighborhood associations and business districts that are near the sites;
   5. Begin recruitment for City Outreach staff team; 
   6. Continue to seek funding from Multnomah County, Metro and the State of Oregon to provide services to the first three temporary alternative shelter sites; and
   7. Continue negotiations with Multnomah County regarding the Joint Office of Homeless Services’ (JOHS) Intergovernmental Agreement.
2. Public Safety. Complete the next steps on Public Safety efforts and implementing Council Resolution 37597, including but not limited to: 
   1. Finalize and approve a data driven long term gun violence reduction strategy;
   2. Review data and outcomes of the Safer Summer PDX initiative to better improve program outcomes;
   3. Begin expansion of Street Level Outreach using the Cure Violence Global model;
   4. Organize a Spring auto theft and catalytic convertor program;
   5. Continue targeted missions on dangerous street takeovers and retail and property theft, and expand community outreach for proactive safety training,
   6. Expand place-based violence interventions in collaboration with communities through Safe Blocks program and stakeholder partnerships;
   7. Continue Portland Police Bureau’s efforts to increase staffing and complete technical budget adjustments in anticipation of FY 2023-24 budget; and
   8. Advocate with state partners to expand the state’s Department of Public Safety Standards and Training academies and create regional academies to clear hiring bottleneck.
3. Citywide Activations. Advance Citywide Activations, including but not limited to:
   1. Complete the citywide lighting program;
   2. Partner in launching the Winter Light Festival, to be held February 3–11;
   3. Complete the Central Eastside Industrial Council (CEIC) 90-day reset and report out findings; and
   4. Increase and deploy contracted graffiti abatement, including identifying additional resources as needed, while reinforcing private property owner responsibility and preventing future graffiti through targeted prevention.

C.  Commissioner Gonzalez - Public Safety

Under the leadership of Commissioner Gonzalez and the bureaus in the Public Safety service area and in partnership with other Council offices and other bureaus, Council directs the following actions to be advanced in next 90 days:

1. Homelessness. Analyze existing policies and procedures to reflect a move from dispersed, unsanctioned camping to temporary alternative shelter sites across all bureaus in the Public Safety service area;
2. Strong Foundation
   1. Work to stabilize Rapid Response Vehicles (RRV) funding for Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R);
   2. Develop a staffing plan to reduce overtime spend and mandatory overtime across PF&R and the Bureau of Emergency Communication (BOEC); and
   3. Maintain or improve current service levels that are core to livability and safety in the city. This includes BOEC call response times, PF&R incident response, and any other public facing service originating from the Public Safety cluster.
3. Partnerships
   1. Work with local and regional partners to minimize negative impacts of state policies on equity and overall staffing numbers in BOEC’s candidate recruitment process;
   2. Work across bureaus to centralize and establish new efficiencies and an emergency management and crisis response plan led by PBEM; and
   3. Begin discussions with internal and external stakeholders and deliver initial findings on a potential municipal court concept.

D.  Commissioner Rubio - Community & Economic Development

Under the leadership of Commissioner Rubio and the bureaus in the Community and Economic Development service area and in partnership with other Council offices and other bureaus, Council directs the following actions to be advanced in next 90 days:

(For background and more details on action items, see Exhibit A)

1. Increase Housing Production
   1. In partnership with the Mayor’s office, advance the work addressed in Council Resolution 37593, including but not limited to:
      1. Identify up to 400 publicly owned sites in Portland for an affordable housing landbank. 
      2. Assess the impact of City policies and regulations on the cost of building housing.
   2. In partnership with the Mayor’s office, bring a proposal for waiving System Development Charges for Office-to-Housing conversion projects to Council;
   3. The Bureau of Development Services shall research the permits for multi-dwelling and mixed-use projects that are delayed in the permit process to determine the cause of the delay and then, for permits where the issue is with the City review of the project, identify steps to get the issues resolved, these reviews completed, and these permits issued;
   4. The Portland Housing Bureau will partner with Multnomah County and Home Forward to distribute the additional $15 million in COVID rent assistance by the end of fiscal year 2022-2023; and
   5. The Portland Housing Bureau and Office of Government Relations, in partnership with Mayor’s office and in alignment with Council Resolution 37593, will engage jurisdictional partners to:
      1. Work with the State of Oregon and Metro Regional Government to help the Portland Housing Bureau to close its remaining funding gaps for projects already in the City’s affordable housing development pipeline;
      2. Work with the State of Oregon to create a framework for coordinated affordable housing development funding solicitations, with a goal of streamlining the process for affordable housing projects; and
      3. Work with the Oregon State Legislature to maximize the amount of funding appropriated for the 2023-2025 fiscal biennium for affordable housing development, and other affordable housing and homelessness programs and services.
2. Improve Permitting Services
   1. In partnership with Commissioner Mapps, the seven City bureaus involved in permitting are directed to accelerate all efforts on consolidation, alignment, and coordination, with a focus on Housing, Public Works, and Code Development, including without limitation:  
      1. The Bureau of Development Services shall launch an immediate Multi-Family Housing Pilot to proactively monitor and intervene to keep these projects moving through the permit process;
      2. The manager of the Public Works Pilot Project shall work with an Infrastructure Team made up of the permit review staff from the Bureau of Transportation, Bureau of Environmental Services, Water Bureau and Parks Bureau to develop an implementation plan for resolving conflicts within this new team; and
      3. The Regulatory Work Group, comprised of City staff from various bureaus participating in the Permit Improvement Task Force, shall develop recommendations for changes necessary to have a cohesive regulatory development and maintenance system with a feedback loop from those administering and enforcing regulations back to those writing and maintaining the codes.
   2. The Bureau of Development Services shall develop a proposal to change, for at least a period of two years with the possibility to increase to five years, when System Development Charges are required to be paid for any new construction project that provides one or more dwelling units, to reduce the time that a customer needs to carry those costs, thereby making projects more financially feasible;
   3. Each bureau providing mandatory and optional early assistance services to multi-dwelling developers shall evaluate the fees for these services and aim to offer a 50% reduction as soon as possible for projects with 19 or more units;
   4. The Bureau of Development Services, Prosper Portland, the Permit Improvement Task Force and the Infrastructure Team manager shall develop a proposal to support small businesses through the development of several interdisciplinary teams that will provide a single point of contact, early assistance for early issue identification, and collaborative problem solving through early conceptual design, regulatory thresholds, permitting, and inspections; and
   5. The seven City bureaus shall continue to work with the Permit Improvement Task Force to make additional changes, including but not limited to:  
      1. Develop a plan to provide a Single Point of Contact for multi-dwelling housing projects.
      2. Develop a plan to fix Permitting Web Content Alignment.
      3. Continue work on Performance Management, particularly with proactive employee communication to collaborate and assist customers.
3. Workforce and Economic Development
   1. In partnership with the Mayor’s office, participate with Worksystems and other local partners to design curriculum to train shelter workers and behavioral health workers and advance Resolution 37594 related to non-standard work;
   2. In collaboration with the Mayor’s office, present and adopt a final Inclusive Economic Development Strategy to City Council:
      1. Upon adoption, create an implementation task force chaired by the Commissioner-in-Charge and including the Mayor’s Office and relevant bureaus.
      2. Upon adoption, direct bureaus to work with Prosper Portland to prioritize the recommendations and incorporate accordingly into their budget, work plans, or performance measures.
   3. The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and Prosper Portland will initiate an industry-led planning process to set and meet carbon reduction goals consistent with the City’s climate emergency workplan; and
   4. The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and Prosper Portland will partner with private sector employers and trade associations, climate advocates, and environmental justice advocates in order to establish Portland as the national leader in industrial symbiosis with the goal of recruiting and developing new traded sector employers.
      1. The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and Prosper Portland will partner with the private sector and community partners and begin planning efforts necessary to host the nation’s first industrial symbiosis conference in Portland in early 2024;
4. Civic Life programs to the Bureau of Development Services and Prosper Portland
   1. In partnership with Commissioner Ryan, work on a plan to transfer to BDS the following three programs by July 1, 2023: 
      1. The Noise Program 
      2. The Liquor License Program 
      3. The regulatory and enforcement portion of the Cannabis Program. 
   2. In partnership with Commissioner Ryan, transfer the Recreational Cannabis Fund and its administration to Prosper Portland by July 1, 2023.

C.  Commissioner Ryan - Culture and Livability

Under the leadership of Commissioner Ryan and the bureaus in the Culture and Livability service area and in partnership with other Council offices and other bureaus, Council directs the following actions to be advanced in next 90 days:

(For background on action items, see Exhibit B)

1. Safe Rest Villages
   1. In partnership with the Mayor’s office, the Safe Rest Villages program will work with the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Data and Equity Strategies Team to create a Safe Rest Village-specific dashboard to share progress and outcomes, and over time refine what data is shared and how it is shared;
   2. The Safe Rest Villages program will work to open the Sunderland RV Safe Park, to provide services for those experiencing houselessness while living in RVs, in partnership with Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Houseless Services (JOHS), which has responsibility for contracting shelter operators; and
   3. The Safe Rest Villages program will begin construction of Peninsula Crossing Safe Rest Village and Reedway Safe Rest Village, and work in partnership with the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS), which has responsibility for selecting shelter operators, or select shelter operators on its own from a list being generated by the Temporary Alternative Shelters Operators RFP, to hasten the opening of these additional sites.
2. Office of Community & Civic Life
   1. In partnership with Commissioner Rubio, Commissioner Ryan will work with the Office of Community & Civic Life on a plan to transfer to BDS the following three programs by July 1, 2023 (details can be found in Exhibit A): 
      1. The Noise Program 
      2. The Liquor License Program 
      3. The regulatory and enforcement portion of the Cannabis Program
   2. In partnership with Commissioner Rubio, Commissioner Ryan will work with the Office of Community & Civic Life to transfer the Recreational Cannabis Fund and its administration to Prosper Portland by July 1, 2023, where the funds shall be used to support the activities outlined in Section 6.07.145 of the City Code, particularly those related to supporting neighborhood small businesses and providing economic opportunities and education for communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition; and
   3. The Office of Community & Civic Life and the Office of Equity and Human Rights will evaluate the City’s neighborhood associations through an equitable lens, with metrics, and produce a report identifying high-impact and strategic opportunities for collaboration between Bureaus, the City, and Portland neighborhoods.
3. City Arts Program
   1. The Arts Liaison, in partnership with the Mayor’s office, the Office of Management and Finance, and the Chief Administrative Officer, will work with the City Arts Program to evaluate the City’s current model of contracted Arts-related services for impact, performance, and opportunities for improvement and prepare a preliminary report on the City’s cultural planning findings and a timeline for implementation;
   2. The City will launch an internal cross-bureau Arts table led by the City Arts Program, in partnership with the Arts Liaison, to convene the Office of Equity and Human Rights, Procurement, Portland Parks & Recreation, Prosper Portland’s Office of Film & Events, the Office of Community & Civic Life, and other Bureaus to partner with and advise on City Arts service delivery conversations as part of the City’s transition and reorganization efforts; and
   3. The City Arts Program will recruit and initiate the process to hire an Arts Education Coordinator to support arts education in public schools and will work with the Arts Education and Access Fund Oversight Committee to formalize its structure, clarify operational processes, and submit a formal report to the City Council detailing the impact of the Arts Education and Access Fund since voter adoption of the Portland Arts Education and Income Tax in 2012.
4. Portland Parks & Recreation
   1. In partnership with Commissioner Mapps, the Bureau of Environmental Services, Portland Parks & Recreation, Portland Water Bureau, and the Portland Bureau of Transportation will initiate a process and develop a work plan to be delivered to the City’s Chief Administrative Officer by Fall 2023. The work plan should include details and timelines for the integration of services related to nature, green infrastructure, watershed management, natural areas, urban tree canopy, and other areas of alignment, including a new organizational and reporting structure that reforms and enhances central service delivery, meets regulatory and financial requirements and best practices, and includes community engagement and consideration—in order to directly support the City of Portland’s commitments to addressing homelessness, community safety, economic recovery, and livability.
5. Office of Equity and Human Rights
   1. Conduct an organizational assessment to assess the impact of their 2021/24 strategic plan and provide guidance for future recommendations which will include a proposal for broader equity scope across the City’s multiple bureaus.  

F. Commissioner Mapps - Public Works

Under the leadership of Commissioner Mapps and the bureaus in the Public Works service area, and in partnership with other Council offices and other bureaus, Council directs the following actions to be advanced in the next 90 days:

(For background on action items, see Exhibit C)

1. Good Government
   1. Maintain or improve current service levels to ensure that Portlanders’ core services are not negatively impacted while their government structure is undergoing historic change;
   2. Begin to create a Public Works budget in the Spring of 2023 that promotes innovation, collaboration, and increased efficiency across the three bureaus, while working to address PBOT’s structural budget deficit;
   3. Improve and support innovative procurement and contract administration practices across the Public Works portfolio that prioritize contract equity and workforce equity outcomes for Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, women, and others who have not historically benefited from the City’s contracting opportunities. In addition, establish refined performance metrics and performance reporting standards to increase accountability and ensure progress toward more equitable outcomes; and
   4. Continue to aggressively pursue comprehensive asset management through assessment, maintenance, planning, and investment.
2. Livability. In partnership with the Mayor’s Office, BES, PWB, and PBOT will work with the Public Environment Management Office (PEMO) and the Street Services Coordination Center (SSCC), and the Community Safety Division (CSD) to improve the cleanliness, safety, and access to the City’s right of way, and address safety concerns at critical infrastructure sites;
3. Public Safety. PBOT will continue to identify and implement strategies to improve traffic safety and decrease traffic fatalities in partnership with the Mayor’s office, the Portland Police Bureau and other local law enforcement agencies to enhance traffic enforcement;
4. Environment & Climate. Continue to invest in environmental and climate priorities and look for opportunities for collective impact including working with bureaus outside of the Public Works portfolio, specifically:
   1. In coordination with Commissioner Ryan’s Office, BES, PP&R, PWB and PBOT will establish a process that results in a work plan delivered to the City’s Chief Administrative Officer by Fall 2023. The work plan should include details and timelines for integrating services related to nature,  green infrastructure, urban watershed management, natural areas, urban tree canopy, and other areas of alignment, including a new organizational and reporting structure that reforms and enhances central service delivery, meets regulatory and financial requirements and best practices, and includes community engagement and consideration--in order to directly support the City of Portland’s commitments to addressing homelessness, community safety, economic recovery, and livability. (For additional background, see Exhibit B);
   2. Present a policy resolution to Council outlining strategies to further accelerate the decarbonization of the transportation system in Portland led by PBOT in partnership with BPS, including increasing EV charging in the right of way. In alignment with the City’s Climate Action Plan, the resolution may also identify policy and regulatory adjustments, areas of investment, funding opportunities, and/or public-private partnerships to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus preparing for the Portland’s future while addressing the needs of today.
5. Permit Improvement. In partnership with Commissioner Rubio’s Office, continue to focus on streamlining permitting services across the Public Works portfolio with a focus on expediting affordable and multi-family housing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, each Council Office shall inform and engage Council as a key stakeholder regarding the implementation of this 90-day plan beginning no later than May 1, 2023, and every three months thereafter through a variety of forums including, but not limited to: Council Work Sessions, internal Council Chiefs of Staff meetings, progress reports, and independent Council briefings; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this resolution is non-binding city policy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, as part of the FY 23-24 Budget Process and subsequent budget development and implementation processes leading up to January 2025, the Mayor and Council will prioritize investments advancing the Council’s four key priorities – homelessness, community safety, livability, and economic recovery through the lenses of good governance, equity and climate/sustainability – along with supporting the transition of City government as mandated by Measure 26-228.