Portland City Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution directing the city administrator to deliver a plan by Jan. 31, 2026, to create a storefront support program to track vacant storefronts, coordinate city responses to crime and chronic nuisance issues that affect businesses, and identify staffing and funding needs.

The resolution, sponsored by Councilor Dan Ryan, asks the administration and Prosper Portland to propose standardized data-collection methods, coordinated response systems among bureaus, and options for program funding. "This resolution will have real positive impact for our public-facing storefront merchants," Ryan said during the meeting.

Why it matters: Small business owners from across Portland urged council action at the meeting, describing rising vandalism, shoplifting and street-based drug activity that they said has driven customers away and increased operating costs. Councilors said the plan aims to break down bureau silos and produce concrete, fundable steps so city responses are faster and more coordinated.

What the plan must include: The resolution requires the city administrator to identify staff and financial resources, propose standardized data collection to log vacancies and causes of business closures, develop coordinated responses so reports of crime and vandalism receive timely follow-up, and recommend monitoring and reporting timelines. The resolution also asks for storefront representatives from each council district to advise implementation.

Public testimony: More than a dozen business owners spoke at the meeting. Jonathan Jawade, a local restaurateur and retailer, said, "The storefront support program gives me hope." Retailer Steven Lin urged a better livability reporting system so businesses can record incidents that currently go unreported: "We need that ability to report, and I think this resolution helps the city try to get the resources in place for a GIS livability reporting system." Several speakers described repeated break-ins, broken windows and assaults.

Budget and next steps: The resolution asks the city administrator and chief financial officer to identify funding options and return budget implications to council. City staff told council that developing the plan will require resources and that funding tradeoffs will be considered in the FY 2026 budget process. Councilors added amendments to clarify scope and to require district representation in planning.

Council action: The resolution as amended was adopted in a roll-call vote; the final tally recorded 12 yes votes and 0 no votes.

Looking ahead: Councilors said the January report will produce follow-up actions for the mayor and bureaus. The resolution does not itself allocate funding; it instructs the administration to return a proposed, funded implementation plan for council consideration.