RESOLUTION NO. 36369 AS AMENDED

Support the development and implementation of an inter-bureau City strategy that includes the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, the Portland Development Commission, the bureaus of Police, Fire, Housing and Community Development and Development Services to facilitate the identification, clean up and rehabilitation of houses used to manufacture methamphetamine (Resolution)

WHEREAS, the presence of vacant and abandoned contaminated methamphetamine lab properties in communities throughout Portland have created numerous negative impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods, including the contamination of soil, air and water, threats to the health, safety and welfare of nearby residents, trespass activity, illegal dumping, deteriorated housing and reduced property values; and

WHEREAS, the State of Oregon passed legislation this year to define state designated Meth Drug Labs that are unfit for use and have not been cleaned up within 6 months as a Public Nuisance; and

WHEREAS, there are currently 14 identified properties within the City of Portland that have been designated by the State of Oregon as unfit for use due to the manufacture of methamphetamine; and

WHEREAS, there is a growing body of evidence that there may be no safe level of cleanup for contaminated methamphetamine lab properties, especially for children.

WHEREAS, the Office of Neighborhood Associations has proposed to use the City’s nuisance abatement process to clean up residential drug lab contamination on properties that have remained on the State’s Unfit for Use list for over six months, billing and placing a lien on the property for the value of the work; and

WHEREAS, the Portland City Council has recently allocated $72,000 in general fund resources for fiscal year 2005-06 to begin the clean-up of these 14 properties; and

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City commits to securing at least $200,000 to fund the rehabilitation or demolition of properties either through the allocation of grant funds from federal allocations or the City’s FY ‘05-06 Winter BUMP; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the City will adopt appropriate measures to assure that properties rehabilitated or demolished with city funds are owned and operated by responsible parties; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council designates the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) the lead bureau responsible for cleaning up drug labs and the Bureau of Housing and Community Development (BHCD) as lead bureau for the rehabilitation of residential properties that have received a Certificate of Fitness; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ONI and BHCD will work collaboratively with other City bureaus, including the Portland Police Bureau, the Fire Bureau, the Bureau of Development Services, the Portland Development Commission, and the City Attorney’s office to improve inter-bureau coordination to identify, clean-up, rehabilitate or demolish drug labs in the city to ensure the expeditious return of cleaned up residential properties to appropriate residential use; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, ONI and BHCD will report back to City Council within 90 days on status of clean-up or demolition operations and program funding opportunities.

Adopted by the Council: December 21, 2005  GARY BLACKMER      Auditor of the City of Portland

Mayor Tom Potter  /S/ Susan Parsons

Commissioner Erik Sten          

Prepared by: Ed Marihart/Andrea Matthiessen

December 15, 2005                

BACKING SHEET INFORMATION

AGENDA NO. 1601-2005

ORDINANCE/RESOLUTION/COUNCIL DOCUMENT NO. 36369 AS AMENDED