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Committee directs city administrator to develop storefront support plan, resolution sent to full council
Summary
Portland's Arts and Economy Committee voted unanimously to send a resolution to full council directing the city administrator to develop a coordinated storefront support program. The plan will map vacant storefronts, propose inter-bureau service changes and identify resources; it is due Jan. 31, 2026 and will be discussed in the 2026–27 budget.
The Arts and Economy Committee on Sept. 23 voted 5-0 to send a resolution to the full City Council asking the city administrator to develop a detailed storefront support plan intended to help small, public-facing businesses across Portland.
The resolution, introduced by Councilor Dan Ryan, asks the administrator to produce a plan that will map vacant storefronts, formalize coordination between bureaus that address crime and livability, and identify staffing and funding needed to implement the program. The plan is due Jan. 31, 2026, and members said it will inform discussion during the 2026–27 budget process.
Councilor Dan Ryan said the plan grew out of prolonged conversations with merchants across neighborhoods, and cited an economist’s estimate showing a shortfall in business license receipts. “This explosion this morning will set back many of the small business owners,” Ryan said in reference to an unrelated early-morning Cartlandia food cart pod explosion; he added: “This resolution can have a real positive impact for public-facing storefront merchants.”
The resolution lays out three core tasks for the administrator: (1) track and map vacant storefronts to identify concentrations of vacancy that can attract crime; (2) develop a service model that streamlines responses by bureaus working on crime and livability issues, including the public environment management office, Portland Police Bureau, Prosper Portland and Portland Solutions; and (3) identify resources and a timeline for implementing the program. Ryan told the committee the goal is to “herd these cats” — to get bureaus working collaboratively and to provide a clearer avenue for businesses to find help.
Testimony from small-business owners and business organizations emphasized the urgency. Shelley Bigley, a longtime owner, said she has experienced multiple break-ins and violent incidents and asked for a helpline or a single point of contact to direct businesses quickly to appropriate services. “There’s got to be a better solution for support for small businesses,” Bigley told the committee. John Isaacs, executive vice president of public affairs for the Portland Metro Chamber, gave statistics about retail vacancy and small-business employment and urged a plan that minimizes regulatory hurdles and supports retention.
Police and operations staff described capacity limits during committee questions. Rob Simon, commander of the Detective Division with the Portland Police Bureau, said staffing and retirements have created response challenges. Anne Hill, director of the Public Environment Management Office (PEMO), described existing triage efforts — including contractor litter and needle pick-up and a planned sidewalk-cleaning program — and said a coordinated approach could link short-term triage to longer-term strategies.
The committee moved the resolution by motion of Councilor Dan Ryan, seconded by Councilor Clark. The roll call was Clark — Aye; Dunphy — Aye; Smith — Aye; Ryan — Aye; Green — Aye. The committee recommended the resolution be adopted by the full council.
Next steps: The city administrator will assemble relevant bureaus and community stakeholders, develop the plan and deliver it to the council by Jan. 31, 2026. Committee members signaled the plan will be revisited during the 2026–27 budget discussions.
