On Monday, March 30, I participated in a video conference on construction activities and COVID-19 sponsored by the Portland Chamber of Commerce with various City of Portland officials and representatives of the developer/contractor community. The City wants to keep construction going, and protect public safety. As a follow up to that discussion, the City of Portland this afternoon issued the following “Guidelines and Procedures for All Construction Sites and Workers at all Public Works.” Under the terms of this “operational guidance,” construction activities in Portland are conditioned on compliance with the terms of the City’s specified procedures. Towards that end, and per the City’s requirements: “Each [project] site/company should adopt a policy and protocols for managing the safety of their employees and consequently their impact on public health.”

Regardless of whether you have a project in Portland, I urge you to read the "Guidelines and Procedures for All Construction Sites and Workers at all Public Works.” These requirements are likely to be adopted by other municipalities and serve as a best practice for operating in this challenging time.