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Citywide Asset Management Group urges coordinated long‑term funding, data and governance
Summary
The Citywide Asset Management Group (CAMG) briefed the committee on the need for consistent asset inventories, comparable risk models, workforce and capital controls, and recommended a funded, centralized approach to raise maturity across bureaus.
Members of the Citywide Asset Management Group told the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that Portland needs a more coordinated, funded and governance‑backed approach to manage assets across multiple bureaus.
“Maturity varies across bureaus,” said Tate White, who led a citywide asset management maturity assessment. “If you don't have data to bring to the table, then you don't get to be in that conversation about what to fund.”
CAMG members described asset management as a discipline that balances performance, risk and life‑cycle cost and called for consistent inventories, comparable risk modeling and business‑case methods so that council can prioritize limited funding in an apples‑to‑apples way. The group noted the Water Bureau and BES already have relatively advanced practices, while other bureaus vary in maturity.
Maddie Sautter, director of the Bureau of Fleet and Facilities (presenting on behalf of the city administrator), said charter and governance changes present an opportunity to set consistent expectations and to stand up an office or directive to raise citywide asset‑management maturity. She said the Citywide Asset Management Office envisioned in the new form of government had not yet been established and that the group's recent deliverables include a citywide assets report, a 2022 maturity and funding assessment and an asset management policy.
CAMG members urged council to fund not only capital projects but also the organizational capacities that enable them: data systems, HR and contracting capacity, fleet and materials, and training. They said coordinated capital planning and integrated CIPs would help stretch taxpayer dollars and reduce emergency spending.
Ending: Councilors and CAMG members agreed to continue engagement; the city auditor is drafting an audit of citywide asset management practices and the committee signaled interest in using the auditor’s findings to inform governance and funding choices.
