City of Portland Alerts

City News Round Up: Friday, April 3, 2026

City News Round Up: Friday, April 3, 2026 

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 March 16 City Council meeting. The next meeting is Monday, April 13, at 5:00 PM. 

Tonight is First Friday Art Walk! Download the map.

Upcoming Closure: Monday, April 20
City Hall and City buildings will be closed on Monday, 4/20, in observance of Patriots' Day. There is no change to trash and recycling collection.

Share Your Input! Future of "Midtown" Properties in Bayside
We are seeking community input on the future of four City-owned parcels in the Bayside neighborhood, collectively known as the "Midtown properties." Before these sites are marketed for potential sale, officials are inviting the public to share their vision through an online survey and upcoming public meetings: April 15th, 12-2PM at 212 Canco Road, and April 29th, 4-6 PM at City Hall, Kippy Richardson Conference Room 24. 

Mayor & Council Select New City Clerk
Mayor Mark Dion and the City Council have selected Abbey Lombard as the new Portland City Clerk. Her confirmation is set for the April 13 Council meeting. She currently serves as the Interim City Clerk. 

2025 Health & Human Services Annual Report
Our Health & Human Services Department released its 2025 Annual Report to share how its work is enhancing the health and well-being of Portland's residents. We hope you will take a few moments to look over the report and learn about their impressive work. 

Vacant Storefront Ordinance Goes Into Effect
A reminder to commercial property owners in the Pedestrian Activities District regarding the April 1 registration deadline for the Vacant Storefront Ordinance. Designed to revitalize downtown and reduce street-level vacancies, the ordinance requires ground-floor spaces that have been unoccupied for 180 days—specifically those vacant since the ordinance took effect on October 1, 2025—to be officially registered with the City by April 1, 2026.

Reiche Parent Cafe is BACK!
New and expecting parents are invited to Portland Public Health's free play group at Reiche Community Center, starting Thursday, April 9, at 10 AM. Caregivers of children ages 0-5 are invited! Let your children play while you connect with other caregivers.

Coffee & Climate: The Future of Solar in Maine
Join the chat this month on Friday, April 10th, 9-10 AM, for a panel discussion with state leaders to discuss the post-federal residential solar tax credit era and explore new opportunities for solar energy. Different solar models available to Maine residents will be reviewed, and more.

Celebrate Earth Day With Us! April 18 at Deering Oaks Park
Join us for a free, family-friendly Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 18 from 11AM–2PM at Deering Oaks Park by the Bandstand, just steps from the opening day of the Portland Farmer's Market. Enjoy live music, food trucks, interactive games, a clothing & bike repair station, facepainting, and more!

Runaways Portland Plog 2026 – 9th Annual
Join the 9th annual Runaways Portland Plog on April 18, 11 AM-2 PM, their annual city street clean-up project in the Bayside neighborhood. Plogging is "plucking" trash while "jogging" also known as "plogging." They have collected over 1,500 pounds of trash to date in partnership with the City and local businesses!

The Great Portland Pick Up - Call For Volunteers
Join your neighbors for a fun morning of giving back and helping Portland shine! The Portland Parks Conservancy and the City's Sustainability Office are hosting a citywide cleanup event, The Great Portland Pick Up, on Saturday, April 25th, from 10 AM–12 PM, at eighteen locations across Portland. Cleanup supplies & refreshments will be provided.

We’re Hiring! Summer Pool Staff
Be a part of the inaugural season at the brand new Rising Eddy Community Pool. Work with us as a Seasonal Lifeguard or Pool Guest Service Attendant. We're also offering Lifeguard and Water Safety Instructor Courses to get you certified just in time! Bonus: Course participants hired as a Lifeguard by the City are eligible for full reimbursement of the course fee upon completion of 200 hours of work as a Lifeguard within the first year of employment!

Hummingbird Grant Applications Now Open Through April 15
We are accepting applications for the annual Hummingbird Grant now through  April 15. This $1,000 award supports Portland cosmetology businesses owned by Maine residents with a gross income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. Read the full guidelines and apply, or tell a friend!

Spring Curbside Yard Waste Collection ⁠Begins Monday, April 27
Annual spring curbside collection of yard waste will start on Monday, April 27, and continue through Friday, May 8. Leaves must be in large, paper biodegradable leaf bags. Please do not place bags curbside until the collection period begins, to avoid interfering with winter cleanup operations. Once collection begins, bags can remain curbside regardless of the weather or your trash collection day. Yard waste curbside collection MAY NOT coincide with your weekly trash collection day. Due to safety risks, crews will NOT collect bags of mulched leaves, sticks, branches, rocks sod, and/or bags of dirt. Public Works cannot accurately predict when the collection crews will be on your street, as it depends on the volume of leaves they collect each day as they work their way through the city.

Spring Street Sweeping is Underway
Happy spring! Street sweeping is underway and will be ramping up over the next several weeks. In order for this work to be effective and done by the end of May, we ask for your compliance with parking restrictions. These parking regulations are in effect annually from October 1 to May 31. Find parking restrictions by area and to try our web app for an estimated timeframe of when the City's sweepers will be in your neighborhood. On peninsula: Please help our operations team and follow the street maintenance parking restrictions (overnight & daytime, check your zone) to avoid tickets or towing. ⁠Street sweeping is a City regulatory requirement; it reduces water pollution (by removing salt/sand), and prevents materials from clogging our sewer/storm drain systems. ⁠

Greater Portland Metro Fare Policy - April Public Meetings
Greater Portland Metro is holding public meetings in April to present information and gather feedback about possible fare increases. The in-person meetings will be held on Thursday, April 9, 3:30 - 5:30 PM, at the Portland Public Library (Rines Auditorium), and Saturday, April 11, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, at the Westbrook Community Center (Elm Room). A webinar option will also be offered on Tuesday, April 14, 6:00 - 7:00 PM.

Community Survey Results Available for Review
Our community survey results are now available for review! The survey, conducted in late 2025, provided an opportunity for Portland residents to share their feedback and insights regarding the programs and services provided by the City. Our staff worked with ETC Institute, a nationally recognized survey research firm specializing in municipal-level resident surveys, on this effort. ETC compiled and analyzed the results and presented them to the City Council at a workshop on Monday, March 23, 2026.

In the News
Visit our “In the News” webpage to find facts and context about recent topics you may have read or seen in the news or on social media.

City Manager Releases Recommendations for FY27 CDBG Allocations
City Manager Danielle West has released recommendations to the City Council for FY27 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. The City Council will hold two public hearings on Monday, April 13 and Monday, April 27 regarding the CDBG funding, with a final vote at the second hearing.

Read the City Manager’s Recommended FY27 Capital Improvement Plan
The City Council’s Finance Committee hosted a public hearing and final review of the City Manager’s recommended FY27 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) at its Thursday, March 5 meeting. Following the committee process, the CIP budget will be sent to the City Council for consideration and adoption at the April 13 meeting. 

Stormwater Online Billing - Payment Processor Changes
Due to a change in our online stormwater payment processor, all stored customer payment information has been deleted, and auto-pay status has been disabled. Beginning in March, customers can set up auto-pay again, and your information will be stored with our new online processor. Because of this change, auto-pay will be in a pending status until your next bill is imported. Please sign in to your account and select "Pay Now" if you have an outstanding balance. 
Lambert Woods Housing Cooperative
This North Deering housing co-op is taking reservations now for move-in Spring 2027. Monthly expenses, including utilities, are: $1,750 for 1 Bedroom, $2,150 for 2 Bedroom, $2,750 for 3 Bedroom -plus $5,000 share cost.

Portland’s Co-op Tree Planting Program Returns
Our Co-op Tree Planting Program is a partnership in which a resident selects and purchases a tree from a local nursery, and Forestry staff completes the pick-up and planting process. Co-op trees can be planted in esplanades, tree wells, or lawns!

P-STEP Applications Now Available
Portland Senior Tax Equity Program (P-STEP) applications have been mailed to those who qualified last year and are now available on our website via an online fillable form, a PDF fillable and printable form, and in-person at the Treasury Department. Please call our Treasury staff with questions at 207-874-8490.

Public Works Updates

Parks, Recreation and Facilities Updates


We’re Hiring!
We are hiring across several departments, 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.
Past Alerts