City of Portland Alerts

City News Round Up: Friday, October 17, 2025

City News Round Up: Friday, October 17, 2025

Meetings & Agendas
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Council, Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings, and to view agendas, backup materials, and videos from past meetings. Read a recap of the October 6 City Council meeting. The next City Council meeting is Monday, October 20, at 5:00 PM. You can find the agenda preview at the end of this message.

Taxes Due Today
The first half of property tax payments are due today, 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.

Unitil Work on Tukey’s Bridge Begins Monday, 10/20
Starting Monday, 10/20, Unitil will be conducting gas pipeline maintenance on the Tukey’s Bridge section of the Back Cove Trail. Work will take place 10/20-10/24 and the trail will be closed to the public. Signage has been posted at trail entrances and at the main Back Cove Trail parking areas to alert trail users. Back Cove Trail will re-open for weekend events on 10/25-26, with Unitil finish work taking place the week of 10/27. Please contact Unitil for more information: 1-888-301-7700. During this pedestrian and bicycle path closure, Greater Portland Metro is offering free rides for travelers boarding at three nearby stops. 

October 19-25 is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW)
Portland Public Health encourages you to take part in NLPPW! Order a free lead dust test kit from the Maine CDC to identify lead hazards in your home, enter the Cleaning Kit Giveaway for a chance to win $150+ worth of cleaning supplies, and learn more about preventing childhood lead poisoning!

166 New Trees Planted Across Portland!
Each year, our Forestry team aims to plant 150 new trees citywide, and we’re happy to report that in 2025, we exceeded that goal with 166 new trees planted! Here's the breakdown:⁠ 85 trees planted in the spring⁠; 45 trees planted this fall⁠; 36 trees added through the City's Co-op Tree Planting Program⁠. The City continues its commitment to equity-focused planting, prioritizing low-equity urban areas. In addition, more trees are planted through the development review process, contributing to the city's expanding tree canopy.⁠

Join Us for Annual District Meetings! District 4 Next on 10/22
Annual District Meetings are underway with District 4 up next on Wednesday, 10/22. All meetings are in-person and begin at 6:00 PM.  Visit our website to learn your district and find the full details.⁠ Mayor Dion, City Councilors, City Manager Danielle West, and City staff will be available to discuss neighborhood issues and answer questions from the public. ⁠These meetings are a perfect opportunity to provide feedback and discuss the issues that matter to you in our city. Free childcare will be available for kids ages 5-12! Pre-registration is not required, but helpful for our team.

10/23: Gorham's Corner Mini Roundabout Project Public Meeting 
In coordination with the Portland Water District, our Public Works team is actively designing a sewer separation and mini-roundabout project on Center Street and the intersection of Pleasant Street, York Street, Center Street, and Fore Street (known as Gorham’s Corner). A public meeting is scheduled for October 23, 2025, at 5:00 PM in the Kippy Richardson Room 24 in City Hall to hear public feedback and concerns.

Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, October 25
The Portland Police Department will take part in the DEA’s 29th Nation Drug Take Back Event on Saturday, October 25, from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM on the Middle Street side of the Police Station at 109 Middle Street.

Reminder: Time to Register Your Dog!
State law requires you to license your dog each year; residents can register dogs online or at the City Clerk's office. Register annually by January 31 to avoid the $25 late fee. Fees: $6 per year; $11 unneutered/unspayed. (A $1 transaction fee + a $1.75 shipping/handling fee is added to online registration transactions.) 

Save the Date! Pumpkin-Cycle With Us on Saturday, 11/8
Don’t throw your jack-o-lantern in the trash or in the woods, bring it to Pumpkin-Cycle instead! Come chuck your slumpin' pumpkins in the Payson Park Little League Parking Lot on Saturday, November 8, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. We'll make sure the pumpkins get properly composted and don't go to waste. Pumpkin-Cycle is a free, kid-friendly event; bring as many pumpkins (and gourds) as you want! Crepe Elizabeth food truck will be there too, serving hot, sweet and savory crepes.

Curbside Yard Waste Collection Happening All of November
Public Works crews will be collecting leaf bags November 1-30. Please note that the leaf bag collection MAY NOT COINCIDE with the day of your trash & recycling collection. There is no set day of the week that crews will service your location. Unpredictable leaf amounts at the curb, staffing issues, and weather conditions are all obstacles that make it difficult for us to predict the exact timeframe of your collection. Please follow the curbside guidelines to help our Public Works team work efficiently and smoothly.

Veterans Day Parade
Save the date! The parade will take place on Tuesday, November 11 this year, beginning at 10:00 AM at Longfellow Square and proceeding down Congress Street to City Hall, where ceremonies will take place.

Congress Square Reconstruction Now Underway
The Congress Square Intersection reconstruction work began on Monday, October 6th. 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.

In-Person Absentee Voting October 6-30
In-person early absentee voting for the November 4, 2025, State Referendum and Municipal Election is currently underway in the State of Maine Room, adjacent to the City Clerk’s Office, on the 2nd Floor of City Hall. Regular hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. The last day to in-person absentee vote is Thursday, October 30, unless you have a special circumstance. The Clerk’s Office will be open until 7:00 PM on Thursday, October 30, only for voter registration and in-person absentee voting. Find answers to all of your voting questions here.

The external ballot drop boxes are set up at City Hall and Canco Road and ready to receive completed absentee ballots 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Absentee ballots must be returned by 8:00 PM on Election Day. Absentee ballots must be returned via mail or the external ballot box outside of City Hall and Canco Road, and not to your normal polling place.

Portland Police Expands Community Policing Offices 
The Portland Police Department announced the expansion of its Community Policing Offices, a step forward in strengthening relationships with residents, businesses, and community organizations across the city. New locations have recently opened at 443 Congress Street to serve the Monument Square area and at 80 Elm Street. 

Volunteer for the 2025 Window Dressers Community Build
WindowDressers is looking for volunteers for the Portland build October 10-20 to help build insulating window inserts for the community. No experience necessary. Learn more and sign up for a slot that fits in your schedule! 

10/25: Spooktacular Morning with the Kotzschmar Organ!
Celebrate Halloween in a fun and unforgettable way with Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ. Perfect for kids under 12, this lively, one-of-a-kind musical event features favorite movie tunes and spooky Halloween music performed by Portland’s Municipal Organist, James Kennerley, on the mighty Kotzschmar Organ. Don’t forget your costume for a festive parade across the stage at the end!

Annual Street Maintenance Parking Restrictions Back In Effect
Attention residents who live or park on the peninsula! Overnight street maintenance parking restrictions are back in effect (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. 

Nominate Your Tree to Light Up Monument Square this Winter!
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. 

Survey Time:  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.

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. Read vaccination recommendations on our full release.

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!

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. 

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

Parks, Recreation and Facilities Update

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.

October 20 City Council Meeting - Agenda Preview

The City Council will conduct this meeting in the Council Chambers, 2nd floor of City Hall. The public may attend in person or watch online.

5:00 PM: Public comment period on non-agenda items

Proclamations
#12 Recognizing Jacqueline Burris for Outstanding National Service Volunteer Award

Appointments + 4 Consent Items (Public comment taken)
#68 Appointing Mercedes Bohaty and Val Petersen as Constables for 202
#69 Appointing Directors of the Portland Widows' Wood Society for the 2025-2026 Term

Resolutions (First read only)
#3 Amending Council Rules

Unfinished Business (Public comment taken)
#92 Waiving Beano/Bingo License Fee for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6859
#63 Accepting/Appropriating $2,000,000 in U.S. EPA Funding to the City's Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund
#64 Appropriating $360,000 from Jill C. Duson Housing Trust Fund to Lambert Woods North LLC
#65 Appropriating $5,500,000 from Portland International Jetport's Unrestricted Funds for Battery Energy Storage System + Authorizing the Acceptance of Grants/Incentives
#66 Appropriating $9,300,000 from Jetport Unrestricted Funds to Improve/Expand the Public Surface Parking Lots
#67 Amendment Portland City Code Chapter 25 RE: Naming of Assets

Orders (Public comment taken on #74 - #76, others First Read only)
#74 Accepting a Portion of Pomeroy Street as a Town Way
#75 Accepting An Easement Deed from Chabad Lubavitch of Maine, Inc. for a Turnaround on Pomeroy Street
#76 Approving Amended + Restated Agreement with Portland Music Festival, LLC RE: Back Cove Music and Arts Festival at Payson Park
#77 Accepting/Appropriating $30,460 Maine Department of Environmental Protection Waste Reduction Grant 
#78 Approving the Collective Bargaining Agreement Between the City of Portland and the Professional and Technical City Employee Association
#79 Designating Lambert Woods South Affordable Housing Development and Tax Increment Financing District and Adopting the Municipal Development Program for the District
#80 Approving the Lambert Woods South Affordable Housing Credit Enhancement Agreement with Lambert Woods Cooperative
#81 Appropriating $2,200,000 from the Jill C. Duson Housing Trust Fund to Lambert Woods Cooperative RE: Lambert Woods South 165 Lambert Street

Amendments (First Read Only)
#82 Amendment Portland City Code Chapter 14 RE: Hotel Inclusionary Zoning
#83 Amendment to the Portland City Code Chapter 28 RE: Snow Ban Fee

Past Alerts