City Maintenance

Taking a walk downtown? Watch where you’re stepping; You might be in for a surprise!

Between broken glass, hypodermic needles, and human feces (Shigellosis, anyone?), a stroll through downtown Portland can turn nasty pretty quickly. We fail as stewards of the Pacific Northwest’s natural beauty when the necessary upkeep of our city is not performed, and too frequently, residents and visitors are met not with the City of Roses but the City of Grosses (sorry, that’s a stretch)! Compounded by the effects of graffiti and general vandalism, Portland is long overdue for a little (or a lot of) TLC.

The pandemic really did a number on downtown

The desertion of downtown during the pandemic disrupted many processes, and as a result, Portland’s maintenance has gone to pot. We wouldn’t have to contend with a public health emergency like shigellosis if existing agencies took basic steps to keep our city clean, but it seems that no one is behind the wheel. Disorganization and inefficiencies in spending money where it matters. Sound familiar?

Same inefficiencies, different department

Our many processes for keeping the city clean rarely interact with one another, and the City Manager takes little accountability for their aggregate performance. Drug paraphernalia, graffiti, human and animal waste: It’s a tragedy that these are familiar sights in Portland, and we must consolidate our efforts if we’re to have any hope of cleaning up our act without burdening taxpayers further.

What's John going to do about it?

Hold the City Manager accountable for the city’s maintenance

As an appointed position the City Manager is under the direct purview of the City Council. This provides an opportunity for real-time, direct discussion on issues and initiatives without the interference of bureau politics or intermediaries. The upkeep of the city is in all ways the manager’s charge, and they must be held accountable for its maintenance.

Coordinate the city’s multiple agencies to ensure our streets are cleaned timely and efficiently

We’ve all seen an overflowing trash can downtown that sits full for a week or more at a time. The solution isn’t a difficult one, but through the magic of bureaucracy we’ve created a system too bogged down in process waste to get to the real stuff. Portland is the city that works, and consolidation and coordination between waste management efforts is necessary to keep it that way.

Increase engagement to recognize and encourage those who keep their neighborhoods clean

Community is everything in Portland, and we’re blessed with so many citizens who spend their free time picking up other people’s trash. And sure, it’s a great pleasure knowing you’ve cared for the space in which you live, but their efforts should not go unnoticed! From neighborhood associations to not-for-profits like SOLVE, keeping channels of communication open for coordination and joint effort will be fundamental in the ongoing process of beautification.

Dedicate funds and resources to graffiti clean-up, creating sanctioned art installations for artists

In a very Warhol-esque way, maybe “Penis Girl” is an artist. Regardless of your opinion on the value of their prolific work, we can all agree that it doesn’t belong on every bus stop in the city or splayed across the face of off-ramp signage. The graffiti riddling our city must be addressed, and creating designated areas for genuine artists to showcase their work will provide an outlet that doesn’t inappropriately disrupt daily life for everyone else.