This fall, Portland City Council appointed 27 Portlanders with diverse backgrounds and interests to a new work group on unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. On December 17, the URM Building Work Group will hold its first meeting, kicking off a new City initiative to address the risks associated with URM buildings. The meetings are open to the public:
The group is expected to spend a year focused on recommendations to promote seismic retrofits for URMs. URMs are the most dangerous buildings in an earthquake. There are believed to be at least 1,600 URM buildings in Portland.
In contrast to past efforts, the new work group will focus on programs to support voluntary seismic retrofits, rather than on standards for mandatory retrofits. The work group will consider the needs of non-profits, as well as how to support for-profit businesses.
For more information on this effort, please call 503-823-4375, email urms@portlandoregon.gov, or visit www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/urms.
Media inquiries please contact:
Dan Douthit, Public Information Officer
Portland Bureau of Emergency Management
dan.douthit@portlandoregon.gov; 503-793-1650
Alex Cousins, Communications Manager
Portland Bureau of Development Services
alex.cousins@portlandoregon.gov; 503-823-5929