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 Connecting to something good
Welcome to the first issue of Rose City Connection! Every week, our goal is to share information you can use as a bridge to the programs, services, resources, events, and engagement opportunities offered by the City of Portland government offers. We hope you enjoy the sights along the way!
Inside this issue
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A farewell message from Mayor Ted Wheeler |
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As my tenure as Mayor concludes, I want to reflect on the progress we've made together and extend my gratitude to you, Portlanders, for your trust and resilience during these transformative years. It has been an honor to serve a city defined by its creativity, determination, and strong sense of community.
While the Mayor often serves as the 'face' of our organization, the City of Portland proudly employs over 7,500 committed individuals, each representing the rich diversity of our community and overseeing 26 bureaus. Our invaluable team members work in various settings, from parks and water filtration facilities to firehouses and shelter sites. The progress we’re making is a direct result of the hardworking individuals here at the city, and I am incredibly grateful for their dedication.
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 Mayor Ted Wheeler, wearing a rainbow sash, claps and acknowledges the crowd at a Portland Pride Parade.
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Over the past eight years, Portland has faced unprecedented challenges. From navigating a global pandemic and economic uncertainty to addressing multiple crises on our streets, we have worked together to respond with bold solutions and an unwavering commitment to the future of this city. Alongside these challenges, we have embraced historic opportunities—most notably, the transformation of our government structure to better serve all Portlanders.
As I lay down the gavel, I want to thank the city staff, community leaders, and residents who have made these accomplishments possible. Your dedication and passion have been the driving force behind our progress. While this is a farewell, it is also a moment of optimism. Portland’s strength has always been its people, and I have every confidence in Mayor-elect Wilson and the newly elected City Council to carry this work forward.
This newsletter will highlight our achievements and provide insight into ongoing operations. I look forward to you getting to know the selfless and hardworking City of Portland employees who strive to make our community a better place, just as I have over the last eight years.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Mayor. Portland’s best days are ahead, and I look forward to watching this city continue to grow, thrive, and evolve.
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Twenty Portlanders will be selected to serve on the new commission, including four youth seats (ages 16-24).
Deadline to apply: January 17, 2025
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Funding is for small businesses located in the City of Portland that have sustained physical and economic damage due to break-ins and vandalism.
Application closes December 31, 2024
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The Community Peace Collaborative serves as a vital platform for dialogue around gun violence prevention efforts and information sharing and collaboration between the Office of Violence Prevention, internal and external stakeholders, community-based organizations, and community members.
Next meeting is December 20, 2024 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
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The City of Portland offers a wide variety of grants and funding opportunities to improve our community. Here's a list of grant opportunities and more information about how to apply.
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Meetings and Ongoing Opportunities
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 Ground Score Association workers walk a waste collection route in Portland's Pearl District. (Photo by Taylor Cass Talbott)
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The City’s Impact Reduction Program has partnered with Ground Score Association since 2020, working collaboratively to serve people experiencing homelessness and address environmental concerns. New data reveals the big impacts of this partnership, with huge positive outcomes for people & planet.
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Portland Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry team is planting Free Street Trees from now through March 2025 in key Portland neighborhoods with a noted need for more tree canopy. City contractors will install over 1,000 young trees in the rights-of-way, typically between sidewalks and roads. The plantings are targeted for locations where the deficit of tree cover has left communities most vulnerable to heat illness.
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Portland Parks & Recreation is the proud steward of more than 200 parks, gardens, and natural settings which can be reserved for weddings and receptions. Our Customer Service Center will begin granting reservations for weddings scheduled for the 2025 calendar year on Monday, January 6, 2025. In-person reservations will be prioritized from 8:00 am-12:00 pm. Beginning at 1:00 pm, staff will begin processing requests received by phone, by mail, and online.
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With expenses outpacing revenue, City leaders have been planning ahead for financial challenges. They now have more detailed information about what it will take to stabilize the budget. Most bureaus that rely on the City’s general fund will need to reduce spending by 8 percent to fill an ongoing hole of $21 million per year and stabilize finances for the long-term, according to the general fund forecast, released Tuesday by the City’s economist. Meeting this target will require the City to cut programs and staffing.
Applications for the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and Portland Permitting & Development Director positions are being accepted until January 6, 2025.
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Elected officials and special guests react to the moment the lights were switched on during Portland’s Tree Lighting event at Pioneer Courthouse Square the day after Thanksgiving. More than 9,500 colorful LED lights brighten the 75-feet Douglas fir, which can be enjoyed throughout the holiday season. The tree was donated by Stimson Lumber Company.
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Request an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for any City of Portland program, service, event, or activity. To ensure the best response, please make your request at least five business days before the program or event, if possible.
Free events
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Delivering pizza and smiles
Local students were treated to pizza recently when members of Portland Fire and Rescue and the Portland Police Bureau joined Harbor of Hope, a local non-profit organization, to share lunchtime at school.
The teams have visited Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Schools and will be visiting Prescott Elementary and Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elementary Schools this week as a kick off into the holiday school break.
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Traducción e Interpretación | Biên Dịch và Thông Dịch | अनुवादन तथा व्याख्या
口笔译服务 | Устный и письменный перевод | Turjumaad iyo Fasiraad
Письмовий і усний переклад | Traducere și interpretariat | Chiaku me
Awewen Kapas
Translation and Interpretation: 311
The City of Portland ensures meaningful access and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services. To request these services, call 311 for Relay Service or TTY: 711.
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