About Enhanced Services Districts
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:
- Financially responsible for the water service to a property,
- Exclusively occupy a property, or
- 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.
About the Lloyd ESD
In 2001, property owners within the Lloyd District banded together to address the needs of the community by creating the Lloyd Enhanced Service District. This Enhanced Services District (ESD) is meant to augment the City services within the District and is funded through license fees paid by the property owners. The Lloyd ESD and the associated license fees have continued to be supported by the property owners to date.
Over the past 22 years, the Lloyd ESD created and funded the first designated EcoDistrict in Portland, rallied the community to bring the Portland Streetcar to the Eastside, and assisted in the development and funding of the Earl Blumenauer Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. More recently, the Lloyd ESD has been providing the District with valuable services, including:
- Funding the Transportation Management Association known as Go Lloyd, which supports transportation options for the District
- Funding the Lloyd EcoDistrict which supports the District through placemaking and community building
- Funding the Lloyd Community Association which promotes the Lloyd District as a desirable place to live and visit
- Maintaining the Holladay Street greenspace, enhancing the beauty along a major corridor in the District
- Funding the non-profit Right 2 Dream Too rest area, supporting temporary accommodations for those experiencing houselessness
- Cleaning services with ambassadorial duties, that will remove trash, needles, biohazards, and discarded furniture from the public rights-of-way
The Lloyd District is managed in partnership with Lloyd ESD and has 77 ratepayers. The district’s most recent sunset renewal occurred in January 2024.
Reports on Programs and Activities
The Lloyd ESD releases quarterly reports on their programs and activities. These reports can be found at:
Recent Reports
Contracts and Related Documents
Sunset Review and Contract Renewal
The Lloyd ESD's current contract with the City runs through January 31, 2029.