Council approves one‑year $100,000 Downtown Partnership contract after debate over scope and metrics

The Hillsboro City Council approved a one‑year contract worth $100,000 on July 15 with the Hillsboro Downtown Partnership (HDP) to support downtown beautification, placemaking and early efforts to expand business outreach beyond the historic Main Street core.

The vote followed a lengthy discussion and a failed attempt earlier in the evening to approve a three‑year agreement not to exceed $360,000. That three‑year proposal had proposed $100,000 in fiscal year 2025–26, $100,000 plus up to $20,000 in matching funds in 2026–27, and $100,000 plus up to $40,000 in 2027–28. The council did not approve that longer deal; members expressed concerns about HDP governance, a lack of measurable deliverables and uneven engagement with businesses in expanded service areas.

Carla Antonini, Economic Development Department, introduced the HDP funding request and described the proposed contract as urban‑renewal‑eligible spending to support the downtown urban renewal plan. "The funding for the agreement would come from the downtown urban renewal fund," she said.

Harrison Butler, executive director of the Hillsboro Downtown Partnership, said HDP provides cleanup, graffiti abatement, banner installation, volunteer coordination and an organizational home called the Downtown Hive that hosts market operations and community partners. "With a small staff, a powerful volunteer force and deep relationships throughout the district, we get real things done at a street level every day," Butler said.

Councilors raised multiple concerns during the discussion: past governance and financial reporting problems tied to earlier leadership; a treasurer vacancy on HDP’s board; whether HDP’s expanded service area has outpaced its capacity; the extent to which HDP relies on city contracts for most of its revenue; and requests for clearer, measurable metrics that would let the council judge performance. Several council members said they wanted written deliverables and a measurable reporting schedule before committing multiyear funding.

City staff and HDP told councilors that HDP also holds separate city contracts for specific services: a public works contract (approximately $125,000) for a broader downtown cleanup footprint and a smaller parks contract (about $9,000) focused on an adjacent corridor. Butler said HDP’s full operating budget would be about $386,000 for the coming year if the requested $100,000 is included, and he described a staff of seven people with several field employees handling daily cleanup and beautification; HDP also reported several hundred volunteers and an estimated in‑kind volunteer value used for grant matching.

After the initial three‑year motion failed, Councilor Sinclair moved, and Councilor Salvato seconded, a one‑year contract for $100,000. The council adopted that motion by roll call; the motion passed with a majority of votes in favor. The approved one‑year funding is intended to cover HDP’s core downtown beautification and placemaking work in the historic core while HDP and city staff refine metrics and an implementation schedule for expanded outreach in the Tenth Avenue and M&M Marketplace areas.

The council asked staff to return with clearer, time‑based deliverables and a reporting schedule that ties HDP deliverables to specific budget lines (beautification, place design, economic vitality) and to clarify the relationship between HDP, economic development staff and other city programs.

Ending: Councilors and HDP leaders agreed the organization provides tangible street‑level services, but several members emphasized they expect specific metrics and regular reporting before committing to longer‑term funding.