City News Round Up: Friday, July 31, 2026 

UPCOMING MEETINGS

• 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 July 20 City Council meeting. The next City Council meeting is a double meeting on Monday, August 24 at 4PM and 5:30PM.

NEED TO KNOW

• On Monday, August 3, the Portland Police Department will conduct an enhanced traffic safety operation aimed at improving roadway safety for everyone who lives, works, and travels in Portland. This operation will be followed by increased traffic enforcement in the weeks and months ahead. Increased traffic enforcement is one of the City’s objectives listed in its Vision Zero Action Plan to reduce pedestrian incidents.  
• Ocean Avenue (Forest Ave to Chenery St) is closed through August 2 as part of Phase 2 of the Hersey Street Sewer Separation Project. 
• The sidewalk upgrade in Deering Oaks Park is almost complete! Paving Tennis Court Road, alongside the new sidewalk, will begin in August.
• We're working hard to complete the Congress Square intersection improvements by August 31!

LATEST NEWS AND CITY EVENTS

• We're developing a GIS-based mapping tool that will help staff better understand how sea level rise will impact our shoreline.
• Road crews installed temporary road safety features on Commercial Street last weekend for the Safe Streets for All temporary demo project.
• Join Portland Parks Conservancy and City staff on Thursday, August 20 for a Walk & Talk at Dougherty Field and the Rising Eddy Community Pool from 4-5 PM. Hear the story behind Portland's newest community pool, the partnerships that made it possible, and the importance of water safety and equitable access to swimming. Attendees will also enjoy a guided tour inside the pool facility.
• We're partnering with Trellis Health to launch a pilot program that will provide 200 eligible employees with access to a new model of primary care designed to expand access, improve employee health, and address rising healthcare costs.
• The Portland Parks Conservancy, in partnership with the City, is developing an Urban Forest Master Plan to create a healthier tree canopy. Check out the project website to learn how to get involved! 
• Slow Down, We Walk Here. A new community-driven pedestrian safety campaign is running this summer in Portland to address the growing number of pedestrian fatalities and serious crashes. Yard signs encouraging drivers to slow down are now available! Please email info@portlandmaine.gov if you’d like one.

CITY SERVICES

• Job Creation Grants: Applications Now Open! The City's Business Assistance Program for Job Creation (BAP) provides reimbursement-based matching grants of up to $20,000 to new and expanding for-profit Portland businesses. Apply by Monday, August 3, 2026.

SHAPE YOUR CITY

• Take this quick community survey about the Portland Urban Forest Management Plan - open until September 20, 2026.
• Shape Federal Funding Locally: Please take our community survey by September 15 to help guide how local housing and community development programs will run moving forward. 

COMMUNITY NEWS

• Portland Public Health is hosting a FREE Community Narcan Training on August 3, in honor of International Overdose Awareness Day. Join us at the Equality Community Center, 5:30-6:30 PM, to learn life-saving skills, ask our expert staff your questions, and leave with your own Narcan! No registration required. Direct questions to: PSanborn@PortlandMaine.Gov.
• Save the date for National Night Out happening Tuesday, August 4, 2-4PM at the Fox Field Futsal Courts.
• FREE Movies on the Monument series continues Thursday, August 6 with Jurassic Park. Pre-show at 7 PM, Movie at 8 PM!
• We're collecting backpacks for the 11th annual Fill-A-Backpack Challenge through Monday, August 17! 
• Check out our Park Events Calendar for a list of events, including the many summer concert series happening in the parks.
• Third Wednesdays: There’s a new street art activation program in the heart of the Arts District! Join them next on August 19.
• Save the Date: Concerts on Congress Returns August 20! The City is proud to co-sponsor these events.
• Volunteers are needed to help bring this year’s Porchfest to life on Sunday, September 13, 12–5 PM, in Deering Center.
• Blood donors are urgently needed throughout Maine and across the country. Schedule an appointment today!
• The Alpha Legal Foundation AmeriCorps Legal Access Navigator Program hosts free civil legal education workshops every Friday, 1-2 PM at the Portland Public Library. 

PUBLIC WORKS UPDATES

• We'd like to thank MaineDOT for the major infrastructure boost! MaineDOT has tripled the number of improvement projects it has in Portland this year over last year. 
• Check the full 2026 Paving Projects list for the latest updates.
• The Commercial Street/Portland Fish Pier Storm Drain Improvements project began Monday, July 6. Construction will be focused on the Fish Pier property from July through the end of September. Traffic impacts on Commercial Street are expected to be minimal for the first few months of the project until the work moves into the roadway in October. Learn more and sign up for updates.
• Licensed Commercial Waste Haulers: Reminder to residents and contractors that City Code requires the use of a City licensed waste hauler for all building renovations or construction projects. Hiring a licensed hauler ensures compliance with City Code regarding disposal methods. 
• Ongoing: Neighborhood Drainage and Sewer System Repairs 2025-2028. Gorham Sand & Gravel plans to start work on Concord Street West on Tuesday, July 21.

PARKS, RECREATION AND FACILITIES UPDATES

• Read the latest updates in the July 2026 newsletter or subscribe. 
• Work with us! Portland Recreation is seeking childcare site staff to join our After the Bell program. Help us offer exciting and enriching activities for students (Kindergarten-5th grade), right in their own school.
• The next Park Ranger Hike Club walk is this Saturday, August 1, 10 AM- 12 PM! Meet at the Western Prom at the Thomas Brackett Reed Memorial (227 Western Prom).
• Site improvements to the parking lot area at Riverton Trolley Park start August 3.
• Riverton Pool Update: Due to additional structural and mechanical issues discovered during repair work on the pool, the City Council approved $1.6M in additional funding for the Riverton Pool reconstruction project. In the coming weeks, we will issue a Request for Proposals for a new Construction Management firm to complete the project. Project staff is working to expedite the project for completion by Summer 2027.
• Join us to learn about the state of Portland’s urban forest, why we are creating a Portland Urban Forest Management Plan, and how you can participate! Public info sessions with City Arborist Mark Reiland are coming up on August 3 and August 5. 
• A Portland MyRec account is the key to all recreation programs in Portland! Create your account household today so you can be ready to register for programs/activities, reserve facilities, access aquatics, and more!
• Dougherty Field: We are actively working to secure a contract to complete the planned remediation of the soil stockpiles at Dougherty Field in accordance with Maine Department of Environmental Protection best practices. Staff continue to monitor the site in the meantime, including checking the plastic covers over the soil stockpiles and repairing/replacing them if they become displaced. We have an environmental consultant under contract to provide ongoing oversight through regular inspections and dust monitoring, as well as another contract for third-party reporting to ensure conditions remain safe and in compliance with environmental requirements.
• Summer discount tickets are available for Funtown Splashtown and Aquaboggan Water Park! 
• Please check Rec Calendars: Tracks and courts are shared spaces and a home base for many of our youth programs. To ensure you don't arrive during a closed session, please check the MyRec Calendar before your visit. 
• A mid-summer rest period for select grass fields started July 26. 
• The Rising Eddy Community pool is now open! Find answers to all of your questions on our Know Before you Go webpage. Find ALL Splash Pad locations and details. 
• Safety Alert: Union Branch Multi-Use Pathway Under Construction. Please be aware that the Union Branch Path Trail is still an active construction site.
• The Reiche Playground Renovation Project is now underway.
• Join The Friends of Evergreen for historic one-hour walking tours this summer! View the schedule. Meet at the cemetery office, 672 Stevens Ave. Tours are $5 for ages 18 and over. 

CITY STAFF & JOB OPPORTUNITIES

• Get to know our June Employee of the Month, Raymond McMann! Raymond is recognized for his commitment, thoughtfulness, and unwavering dedication to maintaining our Portland cemeteries and ensuring operations run seamlessly. Whether he is staying late assisting with a wedding or service in the Chapel or offering a helping hand to a visitor, his commitment to excellent customer service is evident to all. 
• At the end of June, one of our Solid Waste team members proudly represented the entire City department at King Middle School’s "Remarkable Mainer" program!⁠
• 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.