City News Round Up: Friday, December 12, 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 December 1 City Council meeting. The Mayor’s State of the City Address is Monday, December 15, at 5:00 PM, followed by a Special City Council meeting at 5:30 PM. Read the agenda preview at the end of this message. 

Warming Shelter Open Overnight Sunday, 12/14 and Monday, 12/15
The City will be opening the overnight Warming Shelter at 166 Riverside Industrial Parkway on Sunday, December 14, and Monday, December 15. The overnight hours are 7:30 PM through 6:30 AM. A free shuttle service will be available to bring guests to and from the Warming Shelter. Visit our Emergency Management webpage for the full details, including shuttle times and locations, and to read the 2025 Winter Warming Plan.

Grand Menorah Lighting at City Hall
Join Chabad of Maine for an evening of light and joy at their Menorah Lighting this Sunday, 12/14 at 4:30 PM. Fun, festive, and perfect for all ages--don’t miss this special community celebration! Kids and adults will work together to build a giant CANORAH--a menorah made entirely from donated cans of food! After the event, all cans will be given to local families in need. Please bring canned fruits, vegetables, or beans to add to the CANORAH. 

Upcoming Office Closures
The Treasury office will be closed on Wednesday, 12/17, from 12:00 Noon - 2:00 PM for a staff event. The City's Parking Department office will be closed from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM on Friday, December 19 for a staff gathering.

• Portland City Hall and City offices will be closed for the Christmas and New Year holidays at 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, 12/24, all day Thursday, 12/25, and Thursday, January 1, 2025. 

Holiday Trash + Recycling Collection Changes
With the holidays falling mid-week, please be aware of the changes to the trash and recycling collection schedule. Additional questions can be directed to solidwaste@portlandmaine.gov.

• NO collection on Christmas Day, Thursday, 12/25: ⁠Make-up collection will be on SATURDAY, 12/27.⁠
• NO collection on New Year's Day, Thursday, 1/1/26: The make-up collection will be on SATURDAY, 1/3/26.⁠

Flu Vaccines Are Now Free to the Public!
Flu vaccines are now FREE to the public at Portland Public Health! Regardless of insurance, any adult/child can stop by 39 Forest Avenue for a FREE flu vaccine; walk-in hours are every Monday and Friday, 9AM-4PM. Bonus: Qualifying patients can also get a free COVID vaccine.

Barron Center Helps Neighboring Facility in Winter Emergency
The City's long-term care facility, the Barron Center, executed a rapid emergency response last weekend, accommodating 33 clients from a neighboring senior care facility that lost heat during Maine's cold snap. Barron Center staff have continued to support the operation throughout the week. 

Council to Vote 12/15 on Maine Bureau of Highway Safety Grant
The City Council will vote soon to accept a $15,250.50 grant award from the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety. If approved, the Portland Police Department will use the funds to support traffic safety initiatives. These funds will further support a multitude of efforts the City has been working on cross-departmentally to achieve vision zero, a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries within two decades. The item received a first read at the Council’s December 1st meeting, and action is scheduled for the December 15th meeting. 

Toys for Tots Gift Drive, Donate by Monday, December 15
The Portland Police Department’s annual Toys for Tots gift drive is officially underway and will run through December 15. Stop by to meet our Community Policing Officers and Coordinators, who will make sure your donated gifts reach children in need this holiday season. Please remember, gifts should not be wrapped. Visit their Facebook page for the full drop-off locations and details.

Winter Recreation Reminders
Attention Winter Recreation fans: please STAY OFF thin ice until it is safe for skating! Find more safety information, and a winter biking guide, on our Winter Recreation webpage. Bookmark our Skating, Sledding, and XC Skiing Conditions Map to stay up to date on Portland Winter Rec conditions!

Targeted Outreach Following Rise in HIV Diagnoses in Cumberland County
Portland Public Health (PPH) has issued a renewed call to action for HIV, Hepatitis C, and Syphilis testing and prevention following a recent Public Health Advisory from the Maine CDC. The advisory highlights an increase in new HIV diagnoses among people who inject drugs in Cumberland County. PPH is increasing targeted outreach to the priority population and working closely with community partners and healthcare providers.

Take our 2025 Community Survey!
Please take our 2025 Community Survey and help shape your city! This important survey provides an opportunity for residents to share their feedback and insights regarding the services we provide, and is available in multiple languages, online and by phone.⁠ A random sampling of residents will receive paper copies of this survey in the mail from the consultant helping us with this process.

Portland and South Portland Advance Harbor Infrastructure
We are working with the City of South Portland to move forward a critical marine dredging project aimed at restoring and maintaining working harbor operations in the Portland Harbor and Fore River area. Prock Marine has been contracted to perform this work, which will begin on Monday, December 15, and take place over two dredging seasons, which run from November 15 to March 15.

City & GMRI Launch Major Climate Partnership to Build Coastal Resilience
We celebrated a groundbreaking partnership recently with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute that positions Portland as a national leader in coastal climate adaptation and working waterfront protection. Mayor Dion presented GMRI with a City Council resolution formalizing collaboration on climate resilience, blue economy development, and infrastructure electrification. The partnership brings together municipal leadership and scientific expertise to address the challenges facing coastal communities in the rapidly warming Gulf of Maine.

Resilience Education Project
Have you seen our Resilient Education signs across Portland? These signs highlight city infrastructure that helps us adapt and prepare for climate change. Learn more about Portland's climate-resilient infrastructure and find all the signs across the city through the Portland Resilient Education Project story map. 

FlashVote Climate Change Survey 
If you’ve received a FlashVote survey about climate change, it’s legit, and we hope you’ll participate! This fall, a team of graduate students from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government has been working in partnership with the City's Sustainability Office to collect community input on climate change. They want to hear from residents about your thoughts on Portland’s climate risks, your concerns, and solutions. In addition to focus groups and interviews, they’re running a short FlashVote survey. Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your voice!

2026 Minimum Wage Rate in Portland
The City would like the public to know that effective January 1, 2026, the minimum wage in Portland is $16.75 per hour. Section 33.8(a) of the Portland City Code requires every Portland employer to post a notice informing employees of the current minimum wage rates in a conspicuous place. This poster is available to download at no charge on our website.

Dougherty Commons: Phase 2 Condos Now Complete
These new affordable workforce homeownership opportunities offer attractive pricing and manageable monthly expenses. Dougherty Commons is in a fantastic location adjacent to playing fields, a skate park, an outdoor swimming pool, a playground, and public transit. Phase 3 of Dougherty Commons is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Learn more on our Housing & Community Development webpage.

Reimagining Franklin Street Update
The project team has been hard at work turning your input into action; visit our website to see what we've been doing! This work has involved synthesizing public input, refining the project’s vision, goals, and objectives, and analyzing the many different ideas for Franklin Street that were presented and heard in June 2025. We'll have opportunities for you to weigh in on draft street design and land use concepts early in the new year - stay tuned! 

Reminder:  Winter Storm Operations Information

Please visit and bookmark our Winter Operations webpage to find our full winter storm operations information and reminders! The Department of Public Works is ready for the season, in which they care for more than 560 lane miles of road, and the City’s Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department cares for more than 100 miles of sidewalks during and following snowstorms. The fastest way to receive parking ban notifications is to sign up for our city alerts; you can choose to receive these via email and/or text message. 

Sidewalk Snow Removal Rules: Business and Residential Owners
Reminder! Once City plow operations end after a winter storm, the clock begins for business and residential owner sidewalk clean up. For properties that are not on a city sidewalk plow route, the City ordinance requires that abutting property owners clear snow and ice from sidewalks. Business owners have 12 hours following a winter storm to do so. Residential owners have 18 hours following the end of a storm or when the City finishes snow removal operations, whichever is later.

 

Ticket Fee for Failing to Move Vehicles During Parking Ban is now $130
The ticket fee for failing to move vehicles this winter during a parking snow ban is now $130. Vehicles are still subject to towing. The fine has been increased to achieve greater compliance so we can better perform snow removal operations. When vehicles do not move during declared parking bans, it greatly affects plow crews' ability to successfully clear snow and ice, leading to safety concerns for first responders, as well as residents' ability to get in and out of their neighborhoods. Please note: we’ve added six new snow ban parking locations with 750 spaces, on top of the existing 22 locations already approved. Read the full parking ban update.
 

Sand Shed at Payson Park Now Open for Portland Residents
The City’s residential sand and salt pile is located at the Little League parking lot at Payson Park. This sand and salt pile is for residential use only; contractors are not allowed. Residents can take two 5-gallon pails at a time.

Volunteer Snow Shovelers Needed This Winter
Age Friendly Portland needs volunteers to help older neighbors safely clear snow from their walkways. Shovelers are needed in every neighborhood, and Volunteer Coordinators are needed in Rosemont and Deering Center. If you can help, or if you need assistance, please visit our Elder Services page to learn more!

City Hall Continues To Accept Non-Perishable Food Donations
City staff have organized a collection for non-perishable food items in the City Hall Rotunda (1st floor) for donation to Project Feed on Brighton Avenue. If you are coming to City Hall this month, or if you are nearby and would like to donate, please leave items in the box in front of our digital kiosk. ⁠We thank you in advance for your help and support of those in our community who benefit greatly from this assistance. 

Annual Rental Registrations Due December 31st
Attention landlords and property managers! The City’s annual rental registration process is currently open, and renewals are due by December 31, 2025. Read the full details and learn more. Long-term rental Renewal Notices for 2026 were mailed out in the first week of November. We strongly encourage landlords and property owners to renew their registrations online via our Citizen Self Service Portal. 

• Licenses not renewed within 14 days of their expiration date will be assessed a $50 per-unit late fee. 
• Licenses not renewed within 45 days of their expiration date will be assessed a $200 per-unit late fee. Incomplete renewals are subject to late fees. 

Vacant Storefront Art Initiative - Call For Art
The City Council recently passed an order that will soon require vacant commercial storefronts in the Pedestrian Activities District (PAD) that have been empty for six months or more to register their vacant property within 30 days of their property becoming vacant. Owners of vacant properties in the PAD are encouraged to take advantage of a new Temporary Use Permit. The City is also currently accepting submissions for art to be reproduced in windows. A juried art selection will be available for property owners to select from in the coming months. Read the full update. 

Register Your Dog by January 31, 2026
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.) 

Parks, Recreation and Facilities Updates

• Read all the latest updates in the November 2025 newsletter or subscribe! Check out the 2025-2026 Parks & Recreation Program Guide.
• The entrance gates at Evergreen Cemetery now close daily at 4:30 PM. This earlier closing time is in effect until Spring.

Public Works Updates

• Visit portlandmaine.gov/PublicWorks for links to all the most recent DPW project updates. 
• NEW: Neighborhood Drainage and Sewer System Repairs Starting Soon

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. Come make a difference with us; our wellness benefits are award winning.
 

December 15 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 - State of the City Address, 5:30 Special City Council Meeting

5:30 PM: Public comment period on non-agenda items

Appointments and 3 Consent Items (Public comment taken)
#98 Confirming Appointment of Abbey Lombard as Interim City Clerk
#99 Authorizing Special Council and Outside Board and Commission Appointments for 2026
#100 Appointing Constables for 2026 

Communications (No Public comment, No Council action)
#8 Fiscal Year End 2025 Tax Increment Financing Annual Report
#9 2025 Annual Accomplishment Report for the Housing and Economic Development Committee
#10 Progress Report on City of Portland's Vision Zero Quick Action Plan

Unfinished Business (Public comment taken)
#241 Amendment to Portland City Code Chapter 30 RE: Golf Carts
#95 Accepting/Appropriating $15,250.50 Maine Bureau of Highway Safety Grant
#96 Amending Order 62-24/25
#97 Amendment Portland City Code Chapter 6 RE: Short Term Rental Unit Registration Requirements

Orders (All First Read only)
#103 Approving Agreement between MaineDOT and City re: Improvements to Route 26/100
#104 Approving Agreement between MaineDOT and City re: Improvements to Route 302
#105 Approving Agreement between MaineDOT and City re: Improvements to St. John, Danforth, Fore, and Commercial Streets
#106 Accepting/Appropriating $2,500 Donation from Oldcastle Lawn & Garden, Inc. for the Shop with a Cop Program 

Amendments (First Read only)
#107 Amendment to Portland City Code Chapter 4 Re: Amusements