News

Displaying 41 - 60 of 68

Recreational Cannabis Tax: Greater transparency and accountability needed

The City should improve the transparency and accountability of the recreational cannabis tax revenue, according to our audit.

Report

White icons on a green background representing the elements of the recreational cannabis tax.

Clean-ups of Homeless Camps: Improved Communications and Data Needed

Portland created a program in 2015 to address some of the impacts of people living in tents and other makeshift shelters on City property. We make recommendations to improve the program’s public information, data, and internal policies.

Report

Photographs of a posted illegal campsite notice and collected belongings from people experiencing homelessness.

Restoration Projects and Green Streets: Planning and evaluation needed to confirm success

Though some specific improvements are undeniable, the Bureau does not have a planning and evaluation framework to quantify and communicate where it has invested those millions and how successful it has been in achieving overall goals for improving environmental health.

Report

Restoration projects and green streets improve water quality, restore wildlife habitat, and prevent flooding. Our audit found that without formal methods to select projects and document outcomes, the City risks not meeting those goals.

Data Loss Prevention: City's approach is sound but its practices should be strengthened

Overall the City of Portland’s approach to data loss prevention is sound. The audit did, however, identify some vulnerabilities and recommend actions the City can take to strengthen its data security program. Continued progress will help decrease the risk of data loss.

Report

White icons on blue backgrounds illustrating data loss prevention concepts

Short-Term Rental Regulation: Enforcement is lax and effect on housing crisis unknown

Despite concerns about the effect of short-term rentals on housing availability and affordability, the City of Portland does not collect data needed to regulate these rentals and monitor the housing market.

Report

A map of northwest Oregon with a red dart on Portland, Oregon.

Private Stormwater Management: City reliance on property owners requires review of risks and results

We found that the Bureau of Environmental Services did not have reliable data on private structures and did not evaluate the effectiveness of its programs. We make recommendations to ensure that the Bureau’s programs to manage stormwater on private property are effective and working as intended.

Report

A photograph of a stormwater management example: a rain garden in the front yard of a private residence.

Portland Police: Improvements made to training program

The Portland Police Bureau implemented or is in the process of implementing 12 recommendations made by the City Auditor in 2015 to improve police officer training, according to our follow-up audit.

Report

Photograph of the front of the Portland Police Bureau's training complex.

Regional Arts and Culture Council: Clear City goals aligned with strong Arts Council strategy will improve arts and culture services

This report makes recommendations to improve the City’s provision of art and culture services through its contract with the Regional Arts and Culture Council.

Report

A photograph of murals at Southwest Alder Street and Southwest 11th Avenue in Portland, Oregon

Gang Enforcement Patrol: The Police Bureau must show that traffic stops are effective

Auditors found racial disparities: 59 percent of the Gang Enforcement Team’s traffic stops affected African Americans. Community members told auditors their concerns about such stops.

Report

A photograph of Gang Enforcement officers making a traffic stop in March 2017. Two officers stand next to the driver and passenger sides of a blue car.

Gang Crime Investigations: Lack of accountability and transparency reduced the community's trust in police

The Police Bureau was still collecting information about people’s gang associations, auditors found. Such practices raised concerns and potential legal questions.

Report

A screenshot of the Gang Enforcement Team's list of active gang members and associations (personally identifying information has been redacted)

Streets Improvement Projects: Bureau of Transportation has an inclusive planning process, but should improve assessments of neighborhood impact

Expectations for the project planning phase were met, but evaluation of project effectiveness needs improvement.

Report

Photograph of a white and green painted crosswalk on a street in Portland. A sign is posted near the crosswalk that describes what the different colors in the crosswalk mean.

Recreation Scholarships: Conflicting policy direction and communication barriers limit access

The City of Portland has contradictory goals for recreation services, according to our audit. The Bureau of Parks and Recreation wants community centers to charge fees to pay for activities while also ensuring access to all.

Report

Illustration of a community center in the middle of competing budget and access interests.

Portland Housing Bureau: Improved monitoring to protect housing investments

Improved monitoring at the Portland Housing Bureau has helped protect the City’s investments in housing, according to our audit.

Report

A collage of people, money, and building icons with photographs of affordable housing projects in Portland, Oregon.

Prosper Portland: Disciplined property management needed to achieve future revenue goals, equitable outcomes

Prosper Portland is at a crossroads, transitioning both where its resources come from and who benefits from its work . Real estate will be a major part of that transition.

Report

A photograph of vehicles approaching the Union Station train station in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Utility Payment Assistance: Program improvements would enable City to assist more customers

We recommend the Portland Water Bureau strengthen payment assistance by collecting and using customer data and improving outreach and training. We also recommend the Water Bureau continue to study how assistance could be extended to residents of multifamily housing.

Report

A photograph of a Portland water meter installed in the ground and surrounded by snow.

Tree Code: Implementation phase shows progress and pitfalls

The City’s comprehensive Tree Code went into effect in 2015 and applies to more trees than previous regulations. We audited whether the City is on track to both effectively implement the Code and to measure how well it works.

Report

A photograph of a fence in front of a tree with a yellow City of Portland "Tree Root Protection Zone" notice affixed to it.

Audit of the Auditor: 2017 Peer Review of the Audit Services Division

Outside auditors conducted a peer review of Audit Services’ quality control procedures and concluded they were working appropriately to ensure Portland’s performance audits meet professional standards.

Report

Logo of the Portland City Auditor, Audit Services. An octagonal geometric rose.

Risk Management: City loss prevention needs a proactive approach

The City’s Risk Management Division spends about $16 million each year to help City bureaus avoid injuries and loss and manage and pay claims against the City if an accident occurs. We audited the loss prevention and claims management processes.

Report

A photograph of a broken water main with standing water filling an intersection in downtown Portland.

Translated Community Survey: Half report City is doing a good job

We conducted a Community Survey to see how Portlanders view the quality of City services. In 2016, the Community Survey was translated into Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Mandarin), and Russian. This report presents a snapshot of those survey responses.

Report

An image of a question from Audit Services' community survey translated into Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

Portland's Financial Condition: Funding infrastructure should be high priority

This report provides residents and public officials with information on the City of Portland’s financial health. The report uses information, primarily from the City’s audited Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and identifies favorable and unfavorable trends at a high level.

Report

A photograph of a pothole on a street being filled with gravel by a construction worker.

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