The 2009 Graffiti Summit
Keeping Our City Streets and Neighborhoods Friendly
Thursday, May 14, 2009
9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
McMenamins Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97211
The Portland metropolitan area has quietly earned its international reputation for sustainable livability. The deepening economic recession challenges the entire spectrum of funding for essential public services and difficult decisions are being made about priorities and funding levels. There are some essential services and programs which, due to their tiny budgets and efficient operation, can be undervalued and all too easily discarded with disastrous unintended consequences. Graffiti Abatement is one such program.
The 2009 Graffiti Summit is an opportunity to quickly scan the breadth and efficacy of regional graffiti abatement efforts and explore how those efforts can be sustained in these difficult times.
The City of Portland’s Office of Neighborhood Involvement and the Portland-based non-profit Friendly Streets are co-sponsoring the 2009 Graffiti Summit on May 14, from 9:30 to 1:00 (lunch provided) at the McMenamins Kennedy School. Registration is free, but seating is limited to 110 persons. Neighborhood, business and community leaders from throughout the greater Portland metro area are invited to participate with the Graffiti Abatement Task Force in assessing and planning region-wide efforts to sustain a successful program of graffiti suppression. Attendance is free.
Come help us address these vital and urgent questions:
*What funding and staffing levels will be sustained in local government graffiti abatement budgets? (The City of Portland is making a 50% cut in its Graffiti Abatement program…effectively eliminating free cleanup for private property, i.e. small businesses, owner-occupied residential homes and non-profit agencies.)
*What improvements can be made in partnerships with local business, neighborhood and volunteer organizations?
*How will law enforcement and prosecution efforts be sustained?
*What are the opportunities for attracting stable new funds to employ more people in graffiti abatement?
*How can we systemically strengthen the roles of building owners and property managers in fighting graffiti?
*Are there ways, even with declining resources, that we can improve communications, documentation and coordination of abatement efforts?
Maintaining a beautiful and vibrant urban environment requires focused commitment and much hard work. Success is built on systemic programs that realistically manage the daily details of taking care of business. The 2009 Graffiti Summit offers an opportunity to make certain that Portland’s famed livability does not suffer the destructive influence of vandals. You are invited to attend; your participation can make a difference.
Marcia L. Dennis
Graffiti Abatement Coordinator
Office of Neighborhood Involvement
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 110
Portland, OR 97204
Ph: 503-823-5860
Fax: 503-823-3050
www.portlandonline.com/oni
Up until recently, the King neighborhood has been marginally affected by the monthly Last Thursday event on Alberta. As attendance continues to grow to 10,000 its impacts spread over an increasingly large area as people drive in from elsewhere and park in the neighborhoods. Complaints of public drunkeness and numerous associated “livability” crimes dog the event. Magnus Johannesson, the founder of the event and the non-profit organization tasked with organizing its future, believes that the least intervention is best and that the best path is to let Last Thursday be unregulated. 