Clean & Safe District

The City of Portland Enhanced Services District (ESD) Program is governed by City Code 6.06 and overseen by the City’s ESD Coordinator. There are thousands of place management districts across North America that go by many different names, including Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Community Benefit Districts (CBDs), Economic Improvement Districts (EIDs), Public Improvement Districts (PIDs), and so forth; in Portland, they are known as Enhanced Services Districts or ESDs. ESDs are intended to expand upon basic city services, adding economic resiliency, vibrancy, and vitality to a district.

To create an ESD, property owners and/or property management companies (those defined by City Code 6.06.010 and 6.06.020 H. as engaging in property management activity and referred to here on out as licensees) within a specific district must petition the City to establish an ESD, followed by a vote of City Council. If approved by City Council, an ESD is established for a renewable 10-year lifecycle, managed by two five-year contracts per lifecycle, and is managed by a Board of Directors (Board) comprised of ESD ratepayers. Once established, all licensees within the newly formed ESD must pay an annual property management license fee. This fee is collected by the City’s Revenue Division and redistributed to the ESD for reinvestment back into their district. These fees are what fund the operations and programs of the ESD. 

ESD Boards decide what programs are offered within their district based on the needs of their community and within the constraints of their annual budget. Typical ESD programs include, but are not limited to, district cleaning and beautification, public safety, ambassadors, events and activations, public art, marketing, advocacy, business attraction and retention, etc. Ultimately, ESDs are designed to help their communities access local dollars that can be reinvested back into their district, with the goal of improving the economic resiliency, vibrancy, and vitality of the district for the long-term. An ESD Board will typically hire a District Management Association (DMA), a separate non-profit, to implement and manage its programs. 

City Council must approve a renewal of an ESD at the conclusion of its lifecycle. If approved, the ESD will be renewed for another 10-year lifecycle. A district can be terminated anytime if licensees who collectively contribute more than 33 percent of the total revenue submit written objections. 

ESDs are currently required to:

• Regularly hold Board meetings (ESD Coordinator is an ex-officio non-voting member on all ESD Boards)
• Quarterly provide ESD Coordinator with tracking measures on all programs
• Yearly:
  • Provide an Annual Report to City Council, their ratepayers, and the ESD Coordinator.
  • Host an annual meeting open to all ratepayers. 

The property management license fee (ESD fee) is paid by entities who meet the following criteria for properties within a district’s boundaries, in order of importance:

1. Financially responsible for the water service to a property,
2. Exclusively occupy a property, or
3. Exhibit other indicators of property management

Examples include property owners, tenants, property management services, and developers. Visit the City’s Revenue webpage to learn more about the ESD fee. 

To learn more about the ESD Program, visit the City’s ESD Program webpage where you will find the ESD Handbook, ESD contracts, quarterly ESD program stats, Annual Reports, and information about the property management license fee. 

The Clean & Safe District was established in 1988 and is managed in partnership with Downtown Portland Clean & Safe, a non-profit that services one of the oldest, largest and most successful enhanced service districts in the nation. The Downtown Portland Clean & Safe ESD provides enhanced essential services to the people, places and businesses within the specific geographic boundaries of the ESD. Starting October 1, 2025, the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe ESD will undergo changes that will impact new and existing ratepayers. These changes include the expansion of the ESD’s boundaries from 213 to approximately 270 downtown city blocks. This expansion will also increase the ESD’s district ratepayers from 426 to 457. 

Furthermore, the ESD’s new rate structure has been simplified and now includes a residential rate cap, which will reduce most residential assessments. These changes come after a successful ESD-led ratepayer outreach and engagement campaign throughout 2024, and an affirmative City Council vote in November 2024. These new changes are outlined in City Ordinances no. 19156 and 191960, passed by City Council on November 13, 2024. Learn more about the ratepayer outreach and engagement and view the City Council presentation slide deck.    

2024 Changes to Clean & Safe District

View full size image of Portland marquis next to map showing current and proposed boundaries

On Aug. 21, 2024, Downtown Portland Clean & Safe petitioned the City of Portland asking for revised boundaries, a rate structure overhaul that will include residential rate caps, and a new 10-year district reauthorization.

Read the news article about the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe petition.

On November 13, 2024, Portland City Council approved the expansion of the Clean & Safe District in alignment with the District Petition. 

The Clean and Safe ESD's current contract with the City runs through September 30, 2026 and its next sunset renewal was to occur prior to September 30, 2031. Following the adoption of Ordinances no. 19156 and 191960 passed by City Council on November 13, 2024, the existing contract and sunset will be set to renew prior to September 30, 2025.   

As of October 1, 2025, the new Clean and Safe ESD license agreement and contract begins October 1, 2025. Its next contract review will occur prior to September 30, 2030, and its sunset renewal will occur prior to September 30, 2035. 

Fees and Payments

View Clean & Safe fee administration information