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Councilors propose storefront inventory, business-safety initiative and a Parks Tennis Partnership
Summary
Councilors said they will propose a storefront vacancy inventory and a coordinated business-safety initiative for storefronts, and one councilor said she will bring an amendment for a Portland Parks Tennis Partnership to improve conditions for children and families.
PORTLAND, Ore. — At a June 4 budget work session, councilors said they will bring amendments and budget notes aimed at supporting storefront businesses, improving public-safety coordination for commercial corridors, and creating a Parks Tennis Partnership.
One councilor said she will submit an amendment for a Portland Parks Tennis Partnership intended to save money and improve conditions for children and families. The same councilor said she will also propose measures to support storefronts, including creation of a storefront vacancy inventory, exit interviews to understand why businesses close, and a business-safety and livability initiative to coordinate responses to crime, vandalism and livability concerns.
The business-safety proposal described in the work session would formalize coordination across multiple city units, including the Portland Police Bureau’s bike patrol, neighborhood response teams, Portland Solutions, PBEM, impact reduction teams (IRT) and other city partners. The proposal would create deliverables such as a centralized tracking system, information-sharing protocols and more consistent response approaches across bureaus.
The councilor framed the effort as proactive coordination in light of new shelter services being added in the region: “With the mayor’s overnight shelters, the day shelters...it’s now more important than ever to make sure we have a system in place to manage the challenges on the streets when we keep adding these services,” the councilor said.
No formal votes were taken; the councilor said more details would be circulated to council offices for review and that additional amendment language will be shared ahead of the budget committee meetings.
