PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Portland City Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance on Wednesday to expedite graffiti removal on private property.
The ordinance, which was introduced by Commissioner Carmen Rubio, enables the Code Hearings Office to enforce the code on the most “egregious” private properties, which may receive a civil penalty for violating city code.
The ordinance comes after more than 500,000 square feet of graffiti has been removed since the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability took over the Graffiti Abatement Program in October 2022, according to the city.
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“I don’t need to tell Portlanders that the amount of graffiti throughout our city has increased exponentially over the past few years – they can see it with their own eyes,” Rubio said. “I am committed to addressing this problem because I share in the love and pride for Portland with all who live here and visit our wonderful city.”
The commissioner says the ordinance was introduced because some property owners, particularly those from out of state or who own vacant buildings, do not meet city code requirement of removing graffiti from their property within 10 days or after multiple warning letters.