PORTLAND, Ore. — Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle is obsessed with trash. More specifically, he is obsessed with cleaning up trash around the city of Portland’s high traffic corridors.
"It's mind boggling for me to figure out why this can't be done,” the apparel company head told the Portland Business Journal in an interview Monday.
With all the major issues that need to be addressed in the city, including the homelessness and drug use crises, setting aside money to clean up trash around Interstate-405 and other areas seems like an easy place to start, Boyle said.
But he’s cautiously optimistic, because five years ago he gave Oregon Department of Transportation nearly $150,000 to do the same thing. Nearly all of the money was returned to him because of a lack of staffing at ODOT, he said.
“It's not like you can raise your hand and say, ‘Hey, let's all go this way,’ and then have a bunch of people behind you," Boyle said. "It's pushing. And the people that have to be pushed are the government. It’s not like the government is here to help you accomplish these goals. They're basically in the way.”
But this time Gov. Tina Kotek and ODOT announced that they intend to work together with Boyle to set aside $20 million to clean up Portland’s streets when the Oregon Legislature is in session in February.
Boyle also said he’s spoken with Nike CEO John Donahoe, who told Boyle that he would also pitch in some funds for the clean-up. Because his past contributions weren’t fully used, Boyle said he wants to see action from the state before he puts any of his own money up.
More from Boyle’s interview is at the Portland Business Journal.