Consulting and Applied Research Reports

In accordance with Task Order 3 TO PSU Contract 785311, the Center for Public Service has provided the following deliverables to assist the county in resetting county commissioner district boundaries based on 2020 Census data.

In March of 2021, the City of Beaverton (City) and the Center for Public Service (CPS) at Portland State University (PSU) developed a partnership to help the City determine how to engage with the Construction Career Pathways initiative. 1 Construction Career Pathways is a regional effort among local jurisdictions in the Portland metro area led by the Metro Regional Government (Metro) to develop a coordinated regional strategy for the recruitment and retention of women and people of color into the construction trades.

In November 2020, the City of Coos Bay engaged Portland State University’s Center for Public Service (CPS) to conduct a comprehensive compensation study to aid the City of Coos Bay in their collective bargaining.

Strategic planning in Lane County is similar to other communities in that the process is evolutionary. As the organization learns what works and what does not, it adapts and changes. In part, this is because as objectives are achieved, the County and community changes. This plan builds upon previous efforts that have established a strong foundation for achieving Lane County’s mission.

Based on survey responses from 86 out of 270 heritage organization leaders (32% response rate), and 186 volunteers from across approximately 25 heritage organizations, this report highlights the importance of volunteers in supporting and making the work of Oregon’s heritage organizations possible.

In September 2019, the City of Junction City engaged Portland State University’s Center for Public Service (CPS) to conduct a compensation study.

To better understand Clackamas County employees’ perspectives of diversity and equity, the Clackamas County Diversity Assessment Survey was administered in November-December 2019. A similar survey was administered in 2013, and the information collected at that time was used as a benchmark to assess change over time.

This is the first of three reports between now and March of 2021 addressing the strategic planning opportunities and action steps for scaling-up the LiveWell Method™ (LW) throughout Oregon’s 600+ assisted living and residential care facilities (ALFs and RCFs). The LW website (https://www.livewell-oregon.com/) captures the essence of this innovative, how-to method by stating: “LiveWell™ is about improving life in long term care communities. LiveWell ensures that the culture of the community enhances the dignity of every resident. To do that, LiveWell engages and empowers both staff and…

The following is an analysis of the regulatory feasibility of reallocating some portion of the inpatient bed capacity currently offered by Curry Health District d/b/a Curry Health Network (“Curry Health Network”) at Curry General Hospital at a location in or near Brookings, Oregon (the “Brookings Facility”). This analysis specifically focuses on the unique benefits, appurtenant restrtictions, and required criteria associated with gaining and maintaining a Critical Access Hospital (“CAH”) designation for inpatient services offered by Curry Health Network licensed facilities.This was…

The purpose of this report by The Nonprofit Institute (NPI) at the Center for Public Service at from Portland State University is to provide the draft data and analysis conducted as part of the Nehalem Bay Health District (NBHD) planning process. This draft report reflects data gathered as of March 4, 2019. The NBHD Board may consider this data as a part of its discussion and decision making process(es) as it completes its strategic plan.

Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R) is committed to equity and inclusiveness. To reaffirm and strengthen its commitment to equity and inclusiveness, PF&R commissioned the Center for Public Service (CPS) at Portland State University (PSU) to conduct an assessment of its workplace culture. The study involved three types of data collection: (1) leadership interviews, (2) focus groups, and (3) a survey. Data collection occurred during January 2018 to July 2018.

Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) has expanded its teen services programming since 2015 as part of the Mayor’s Community Center Initiative. This emphasis on youth is an important component of PP&R’s Bureau-wide mission to increase the wellness of Portlanders, especially young people, and create opportunities for people to be “outside, active, and connected to the community.”Portland State University’s Center for Public Service (CPS) conducted a series of facilitated discussions with PP&R stakeholders to identify lessons learned from the Mayor’s Community Center Initiative,…

The City of Brookings (City) and Curry County (County) each maintain 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) that serve as call taking and dispatch centers to notify emergency personnel of incidents and the need for services. The Curry County PSAP is located in Gold Beach and operated by the County Sheriff. The second PSAP is located in the City of Brookings, and operated by and under the jurisdiction of the city government. The City of Brookings PSAP dispatches heavily to the City’s police department and to the Cal-Ore Life Flight ambulance. The County PSAP heavily dispatches to…

Hazardous materials are prevalent in all communities in the United States. They are stored and they are transported. Regardless of the method of transport, (for this study defined as: pipeline, rail, roadway, air, or water) hazardous materials are generally transported without incident. However, consequences of a hazmat transportation incident can be extreme with serious repercussions to public safety, life and wellbeing, the environment, and infrastructure. To plan for and mitigate these consequences, communities may choose to examine the transportation of hazardous materials through…

In 2003, the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) established a team to streamline environmental permits for City-managed projects. Today, this Streamlining Team is comprised of representatives from city, state, and federal regulatory agencies (BES, 2015a). Facilitated by BES, the team meets monthly with public sector project managers / applicants. The team reviews projects early in the design phase and offers collective feedback regarding the types of permits needed, suggested actions, potential areas of difficulty, and other advice to help ease the otherwise…

Dredged sediment has a contradictory nature that challenges management: it is a valuable resource in some locations and an unwanted nuisance in others (RSMW, 2013). Nationwide, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) dredges 300 million cubic yards (CY) of material annually to maintain the nation’s navigation channels. Approximately five to ten percent of this material is unusable due to contamination. The remaining 90-plus percent can be re-used (IADC, 2009). This dredging is essential for the safe and efficient operation of the nation’s 25,000 miles of navigable waterways, and 926…

As a fundamental service of government, the City of Creswell provides police services to its citizens. Determining the City’s service needs, defining a desired level and quality of police services, and ensuring a high efficiency and value are ongoing challenges faced by the City Council and the citizens of Creswell. This report by the Portland State University Center for Public Service responds to these questions with a comprehensive incident analysis and development of alternative policing approaches. This report strives to provide a factual basis that can support reasoned debate and…

In the fall of 2017, the North Star Civic Foundation contracted with the PSU Center for Public Service team to look at the current and near-term fiscal fortunes of 35 representative local governments in Oregon. The backdrop for this analysis is a reality that’s long been acknowledged: many Oregon local governments’ revenues are growing more slowly than their expenses due to a combination of many factors.

The Portland State University Center for Public Service (PSU, CPS) proposes a joint consulting project with NeighborWorks Umpqua (NWU) to examine the condition of manufactured housing in rural Oregon communities, and to examine occupant/ owner financial capacity and health concerns.