Portland City Hall OKs $25 Million Contract To Clean Downtown

PORTLAND, OR —The Portland City Council voted Wednesday to renew a contract with Downtown Portland Clean and Safe to keep downtown, well, clean and safe.

The $25 million contract pays the contract to provide security, clean up garbage – including picking up needles – and clean up the streets, including removing graffiti. The renewal – for five years – came in the nick of time for the group, whose 10 year contract expires Thursday.

The contract was not without controversy.

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Many people came forward with allegations of harassment by the paid security officers, who are sometimes armed. Critics of the program also bemoaned the lack of accountability.

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty was the only person to vote against it.

Hardesty wanted the contract to be for one year and make the organization prove that they can improve their performance.

She was outvoted by her colleagues who kept citing the fct that tourism and business has been hit hard downtown as the homeless problem has grown.

Portland Business Alliance, which operates the program, told commissioners that they will hire more trained mental health professionals and make sure that the performance of workers will be reviewed more often.