City of Portland Alerts

City News Round Up: Friday, April 17, 2026

City News Round Up: Friday, April 17, 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 April 13 City Council meeting. The next meeting is Monday, April 27, at 5:00 PM. 

City Manager Presents FY27 Recommended Budget

City Manager Danielle West presented her FY27 recommended budget to the City Council at its April 13 meeting. The proposed budget includes an estimated 4.2% tax rate increase. The Finance Committee has now begun its review before the budget goes before the Council for approval. Two public hearings will be held at the May 18 and June 1 Council meetings.

Celebrate Earth Day With Us! Tomorrow 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, face painting, and more!

Riverside Golf Course Now Open

It’s time! The Riverside Golf Course opened today, April 17, for the season. 

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!

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

Help Serve Your City - We’re Seeking Volunteers!

The City Clerk's office is seeking applications for various board and committee positions. Learn about the various open positions, full board and committee descriptions, and how to apply online by May 14. 

Request Absentee Ballots for June 9 Election
Voters can now request their absentee ballots for the June 9, 2026, municipal election. Visit our website to request a ballot online and learn other ways to request a ballot. Ballots will be sent out once they are ready in May. Learn more about Elections & Voting in Portland. 

Commemorating National Crime Victims’ Week

The Portland Police Department and Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office will commemorate national crime victims' week by hosting a press conference and community gathering on April 21 focused on resources available to victims of crime in southern Maine. 

Envisioning the Future of James A. Banks, Sr. Portland Expo
We’re working to envision the future of the James A. Banks, Sr. Portland Exposition Building (the Expo). After 110 years of service, the facility is now the oldest operating municipal arena in the U.S. and requires significant investment to meet modern safety and accessibility standards. The City Council will begin discussions regarding next steps, including whether or not to renovate or replace the Expo, at its Housing & Economic Development Committee meeting on April 21. 

National Drug Take Back Day on April 25

The Police Department will participate in the DEA National Drug Take Back Event on Saturday, April 25 from 10 AM - 2 PM. Drop-off will take place on the patio of police station headquarters at 109 Middle Street. This event provides a safe, convenient, and anonymous way to dispose of unused or expired medications. Take a few minutes to check your medicine cabinet—you may have items that can be properly disposed of and kept out of the wrong hands. If you have medications you no longer need, haven’t used, or that have expired, we encourage you to stop by and make a difference.

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 at a public meeting on April 29, 4-6 PM at City Hall, Kippy Richardson Conference Room 24. 

Do You Rent in Portland? 

Find out if your rental unit is covered by Rent Control and what your past rent amounts have been. Check your rent information by visiting portlandmaine.gov/RentHistory. You’ll see whether your unit is a rent controlled unit plus your base rent, past rent, and any banked rent. Rent increases for 2026 can be increased by 2.2% (based on the Consumer Price Index). For new tenants, landlords may also add 5% of the base rent. If a landlord didn’t take the full allowed increases in past years, they may apply that banked rent or unused amount in 2026. Rent for a controlled unit can’t go up more than 10% in a 12-month period. 

Job-a-Palooza: Community Hiring and Resource Event on April 23
Our Office of Economic Opportunity is excited to partner with the Career Center and the Maine Department of Labor for a Job-a-Palooza event on Thursday, April 23, 10 AM-1 PM at the Portland Expo (239 Park Ave). Municipalities play a critical role in supporting residents by creating meaningful workforce development opportunities. It’s wonderful to be able to collaborate with organizations that understand the challenges and barriers that many people face in the workforce and are committed to creating opportunities in a lively, engaging way. 

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 25, from 10 AM–12 PM, at eighteen locations across Portland. Cleanup supplies & refreshments will be provided.

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.

“Coffee with a Cop” at the Portland Public Library
The Portland Police Department, in partnership with the Portland Public Library, will host “Coffee with a Cop” on the first Tuesday of May, and June from 10:15–11:00 AM at the Library’s downtown branch. “Coffee with a Cop” brings officers and community members together, over coffee, to talk, ask questions, and get to know one another in an informal setting. For more information, please contact Jennifer Rogers at jrogers@portlandmaine.gov.

Portland Harbor Dredge Project Work Completed for Season
We're happy to announce that after a busy winter season along the waterfront, the Portland Waterfront dredging work is complete. On the Portland side of the Fore River alone, over 10,000 linear feet of berthing has been deepened and restored, resulting in over 45,000 cubic yards (equivalent to 4,500 dump trucks) of material relocated to the CAD cell disposal site. 

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. 

New Infant/Child CPR Class - May 7
Learn life-saving skills for infants and children (under age 8) from Portland Public Health's certified instructors. Free class offered May 7 from 4:30-6 PM for parents and caregivers. Spots are limited! Register by May 1, 2026.

Creative Portland Announces 9th Juried Art Exhibition
Eighteen local Maine artists from the Greater Portland area have been selected for Creative Portland’s ninth juried art exhibition, Resistance, which will open to the public during the First Friday Art Walk on May 1, 2026 and run through April 2027, Monday through Thursday, from 10AM-4PM and every First Friday thereafter, unless noted otherwise. 

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

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!

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. ⁠

Food Business Bootcamp Starts April 30
The Women's Business Center at CEI will host a free, 6-week, in-person course for aspiring food entrepreneurs. Classes will take place every Thursday starting April 30, culminating with a full day ServSafe Course and Exam on June 4. 

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 City programs and services. Watch a presentation about the results.

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. 

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