City of Portland Alerts

City News Round Up: Friday, September 26, 2025

City News Round Up: Friday, September 26, 2025

Meetings & Agendas
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings, and to view agendas, backup materials, and videos from past meetings. Read a recap of the September 15 City Council meeting. The next City Council meeting is Monday, October 6, at 5:00 PM. 

Tomorrow: I-295 Partial Northbound Lane Closure in Portland
The Maine Department of Transportation will conduct emergency guardrail repairs on I-295 northbound between Exits 4 and 5 in Portland on Saturday, September 27, 2025, between 6:30 AM and 10:00 AM. 

Upcoming Closures
City Hall and City offices will be closed Monday, October 13 in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day; trash and recycling will be collected as normal. 

City Hall & Canco Road buildings will also be closed Thursday, October 16, from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM for an Employee Appreciation Event.

Last Weekend! Sundays on the Boulevard Ends 9/28
Reminder: Baxter Boulevard is closed to vehicular traffic Sundays only, 9 AM - 4 PM, and OPEN for walkers, bikers, pedestrian traffic + play through Sunday, September 28!

Annual Street Maintenance Parking Restrictions Return 10/1
Attention residents who live or park on the peninsula! Overnight street maintenance parking restrictions go back into effect Wednesday, 10/1 (daytime also, in some areas). This applies to all citizens who live or park on the peninsula (and the Nathan Clifford area). Regulations are in effect annually from October 1 - May 31. Cars not in compliance with City street maintenance signs are subject to ticketing and towing. View the residential parking zone map and read the full details on our website.

Congress Square Reconstruction Work Now Starts Monday, 10/6
The Congress Square Intersection reconstruction work has been pushed back and is now scheduled to begin on Monday, October 6th. The public should expect traffic delays during construction. This project includes mill and overlay of the intersection, sidewalk and ADA improvements, installation of new traffic signal infrastructure, and lighting and landscaping improvements within the Congress Square intersection. Read the full traffic details and project timeline.

Tukey’s Bridge Section of Back Cove Trail Closed for Pipeline Maintenance
Unitil will be conducting gas pipeline maintenance on the Tukey’s Bridge section of the Back Cove Trail from Monday, 10/6, through Friday, 10/17. During this period, the trail will be closed to the public. Signage will be posted at trail entrances, and two large electronic message boards will be placed at the main Back Cove Trail parking areas to alert trail users of the closure. Please contact Unitil for more information: 1-888-301-7700.

City Council to Consider Funding an Overnight Winter Warming Shelter
The City has been awarded $400,303 by MaineHousing to run an overnight winter warming shelter in Portland this winter. The City Council must still accept and appropriate this funding prior to the warming shelter’s activation. The Council is expected to discuss this item at its Monday, October 6th meeting; public comment will be accepted. Find the agenda for this meeting in our agenda portal by Friday, 10/3/2025.

Maine Marathon Road Closures
As a reminder, the Maine Marathon is coming up on Sunday, October 5th, find the road closures on their website.

Nominate Your Tree to Light Up Monument Square this Winter!
The search is officially underway! Along with Portland Downtown, we are excited to announce a community-wide effort to find the ideal tree to illuminate Monument Square this winter season! Visit portlandMaine.com/Tree to learn more + submit your tree by November 1, 2025. The chosen tree will be carefully removed and transported from its current location at no cost to the owner. 

Free Games in Monument Square this October
Throughout the month of October, Monument Square will feature a variety of free games for everyone to enjoy! Challenge a friend to a match of ping pong, chess, or foosball. There will also be classic favorites like Connect 4 and cornhole. All the necessary playing equipment is provided in the blue storage box conveniently located under the ping pong table. Just grab what you need and get ready to play!

10/10: Discuss Maine's Changing Climate with Rep. Chellie Pingree
Join the next Coffee + Climate virtual chat at 9 AM on Friday, 10/10, to discuss climate change and action being taken in the Pine Tree State with guest speaker, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, U.S. representative for Maine's 1st congressional district and former State Senator. Register to join the Zoom chat.

GPCOG Invests $3.9 Million in Brownfields Redevelopment in Portland
This week, the Greater Portland Council of Governments announced it will be making $3.9 million in brownfields investments to transform old, vacant, and contaminated properties into new homes, childcare space, and community assets. Together, these projects will create 600 new homes — including 221 affordable apartments — double the capacity of a local childcare center and generate hundreds of jobs.

City Expands Walk-In Hours for Vaccine Clinics
The City’s Public Health Clinic has expanded its fall vaccine walk-in clinic hours (39 Forest Avenue) for eligible members of the public. On Mondays and Fridays from 9 AM to 5 PM, children and uninsured adults will be able to drop in, without an appointment, to receive no-cost vaccines and prevent respiratory infections this fall. At this time, flu vaccines are in stock and ready to be administered, and COVID-19 vaccines will be available soon. Read vaccination recommendations on our full release.

Maine CDC Rabies Notice 
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed a bat in Portland tested positive for rabies on September 25, 2025. Residents are reminded that rabies is common in Maine's wild animal population and to always take caution. Visit the Maine CDC Rabies website for the full information on prevention exposure concerns. 

Take Our Survey - We Want Your Input on Emergency Planning! 
We want your input on emergency planning priorities. Please take our survey and tell us what is important to you! Visit our emergency planning project page to find more information about the work the City is doing to update our emergency operations plan and share your ideas for how we can share emergency preparedness information.

Congratulations to our August Employee of the Month
Aaron Bridges is a Fire Captain at the Portland Fire Department with over 18 years of City service. Captain Bridges was recognized for his outstanding customer service and commitment to providing the best possible fire prevention to the citizens of Portland. Staff recognized Captain Bridges’ dedication to his work and going above and beyond. 

Help Us Keep the Neighborhood Association Directory Updated
A reminder to our Neighborhood Associations to update your City-hosted pages on our website. Please take a look and be in touch with us if your info needs to be updated - whether that be info related to new leadership or if an association is no longer active. Thank you!

Tax Bill Payment Dates
All property tax bills were mailed the week of September 8. The first half of property tax payments are due on October 17, 2025, and the second half is due on March 20, 2026. Please remember we only mail the bills once. Property tax bills can be viewed and paid online. As a reminder, the new mil rate is $11.98 per thousand dollars of assessed value, a decrease of more than 25% from the projected FY26 mil rate prior to any revaluation. 

Join the 2025 Walk to End Alzheimer's October 18
Age-Friendly Portland invites you to the 2025 Walk to End Alzheimer's on Saturday, October 18, 2025! The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's is the world's largest fundraiser for Alzheimer's care, support, and research. Learn more about the event, registering a team, and volunteering here!

Funding for Housing Related Programs Available 
As part of the Healthy Neighborhoods Partnership program, the City, in partnership with Maine Medical Center (MMC), is seeking applications from parties interested in utilizing MMC grant funding for the purposes of developing or continuing housing-related programs or projects in the neighborhood surrounding MMC, particularly within the St. John Valley neighborhood. Read the full details.

Routine CMP Pole Work on Select Portland Streets 
A Central Maine Power contractor will be working on a variety of Portland streets, starting around 9/22 for approximately two weeks, to replace existing poles with new ones and to transfer the utility services onto these new poles. This is relatively routine work and should not cause any road closures or other delays. This work is scheduled to occur on Park Avenue and Alder, Parris, Sherman, and Cedar Streets.

New 2026 Allowable Rent Increases and Short-Term Rental Regulations
Landlords and tenants should be aware that the new allowable rent increase per the consumer price index (CPI) as part of the rent control ordinance has been published for the calendar year 2026. Postcards are being mailed to all registered long-term rental units in the city. The City has also published the new limit on non-owner occupied short-term rentals for units on the mainland for 2026. Read the full update.

Request Your Absentee Ballot for the November Election
Absentee ballots can now be requested online for the November 4, 2025, State Referendum and General municipal election. To learn more about other ways to request your ballot, please visit our Absentee Voting Information webpage. Ballots will be sent out once they are ready in October. 

October Re-Forest the City Events
Save these dates for fall events hosted by the West End Neighborhood Association: Oct 7 (Tree Walk), Oct 21, Oct 28 (Film). Learn more about Re-Forest the City on their website.
Parks, Recreation and Facilities Updates

Public Works Updates

We’re Hiring!
We are hiring across several departments in the city, with a variety of open positions: healthcare roles (RNs/CNAs), trades workers, before and after school recreation counselors, lifeguards, 911 dispatchers, community health workers, and more. Recently posted: Housing Program Manager. Come make a difference with us, our wellness benefits are award winning.

Be the Next Harbor Master!
The Board of Harbor Commissioners for Portland Harbor is seeking a knowledgeable, dedicated, and community-oriented individual to serve as the Portland Harbor Master. This leadership role is responsible for ensuring the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible operation of Portland Harbor. Learn more and apply.

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