RESOLUTION No.: 36303 AS AMENDED

Provide additional monies for organizations that support small business districts to enhance their capacity and ability to serve City business district associations (Resolution)

WHEREAS, the City of Portland recognizes that neighborhood business districts and business organizations such as the Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations (APNBA), Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Native American Business Network, the African American Chamber of Commerce, MercyCorps and others contribute to the vitality and diversity of the region.

WHEREAS, the City of Portland recognizes that many neighborhood business districts are comprised of locally owned small businesses.

WHEREAS, the City of Portland recognizes that small local businesses are the backbone of our economy. In Multnomah County, 94.2% of all firms are small businesses and for the Portland Metro area, that percentage increases to 95.2%.

WHEREAS in Multnomah County alone there are 20,654 small businesses that employ 125,032 people with a payroll of $1.1 billion and, of these, almost 13,000 or over half are micro-enterprises with 5 or less employees.

WHEREAS, the City of Portland strives to create an environment that nurtures business formation, and encourages and supports job growth and sustainable economic development.

WHEREAS, the City endorses contracting with small business associations as a cost effective means of achieving the City’s goals for healthy and growing neighborhood business districts, providing business assistance and community economic development

WHEREAS, the Small Business Prosperity Strategy (“Strategy”), cosponsored by PDC and the Portland Business Alliance in September 2003, identified among other things, that the City’s business districts are grossly under funded as compared to other comparable communities throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, the Strategy consultants recognized the value of business district associations in contributing to the revitalization, providing assistance to businesses, contributing to the cultural diversity of a community and as a job creation strategy; and

WHEREAS, PDC as the administrator of the City’s BDA Program, and the Grantee desire to enter into this Agreement to establish the terms of a grant administered by PDC on behalf of the City.

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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: the City of Portland hereby approves this one-time additional funding of $100,000 for the Business District Association Grant Program managed by the Portland Development Commission.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that resources within the expanded Business District Association Grant Program, they can market their summer fairs outside and inside their neighborhood. In order to ensure these funds are used effectively, business association will be asked to submit a proposal, following the current grant guidelines established by PDC.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that resources within the expanded Business District Association Grant Program, the business district associations and other business associations who have been newly created or are underdeveloped can establish the important groundwork necessary for a successful, self-sustaining Neighborhood Business Association.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that resources within the expanded Business District Association Grant Program be used for creating an annual APNBA capacity building workshop in order to elevate the program and to draw in select expertise from outside Portland familiar with the challenges of urban neighborhood business districts and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that by providing this funding, the City recognizes the value of organizations that support small businesses and the nearly 36 business district associations they serve in helping contribute to the region’s economic vitality.

Adopted by the Council: March 30, 2005  GARY BLACKMER

             Auditor of the City of Portland

             By /S/ Colleen Phillips

Mayor Tom Potter          Deputy

Commissioner Sam Adams

Commissioner Dan Saltzman

Commissioner Randy Leonard

Commissioner Erik Sten

Prepared by:  Warren Jimenez

March 24, 2005

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BACKING SHEET INFORMATION

AGENDA NO. 250-2005

ORDINANCE/RESOLUTION/COUNCIL DOCUMENT NO. 36303