City News Round Up: Friday, November 19

Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. The City Council’s next regular meeting is on Monday, December 6 at 6:00 PM via Zoom. This meeting will include the Inauguration of three new City Councilors as well as a regular business meeting. View the full Meeting Calendar.

Holiday Season: Upcoming City Hall Closures

All City of Portland offices will be closed the following dates: Thanksgiving, Thursday and Friday, November 24 and 25. We will observe the Christmas and New Year holidays on Friday, December 24, and Friday, December 31.

Trash and Recycling will take place as usual: Friday 11/26, Christmas Eve Day, 12/24 and New Year's Eve Day, 12/31. Find the Riverside Recycling Holiday schedule here; closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.

Thanksgiving Week Pool Closures

Riverton Pool will be open Monday, 11/22 but will then close for repairs Tuesday and Wednesday, 11/23+24, and for the Thanksgiving Holiday: Thursday-Sunday, 11/25-28. Reiche Pool will be closed for the holiday only: Thursday through Sunday.

Tree Delivered to Monument Square - Tree Cam Returns!

The Monument Square tree has landed! Learn more about the history of the tree and donor here. While there will not be a scheduled “countdown” to the lighting of the tree, it will be illuminated at dusk on Friday, November 26. Enjoy free Hood Eggnog® from 3:00 – 5:00 PM via the Hood Eggnog® truck on Monument Square. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing should you visit Monument Square. View the Tree Cam live-stream anytime – 24/7 – beginning Friday, November 26 c. 4:00 PM at portlandmaine.com/tree.

District Meetings - November + December via Zoom (New Date Added)

The City of Portland’s annual District Meetings started this week and will be held remotely (all 6:30 PM via Zoom) during the months of November and December. These meetings are the public’s opportunity to meet their district councilor, the Mayor, and representatives from the various departments within the city. Upcoming meetings: District 4, Tuesday, November 30; District 1, Wednesday, December 1; and District 2, Wednesday, December 15. Find district info and Zoom access info here.

November 21: Riverside Golf Course Closes for the Season
The Riverside Golf Course will close for the golfing season on Sunday, November 21. Check out all the winter activities!

Ocean Gateway Garage - Closing Date Extended
Thanks to unprecedented good weather the closing date for daily parking at the Ocean Gateway Lot has been extended to Monday, November 29. Find more information on where to park in Portland here. 

Get Your Bags Out by November 27: Curbside Leaf Collection Extended!

Curbside leaf pickup has been extended another week; leaf bags must be curbside by Saturday, November 27. City crews will make a last run through all the routes early the following week to collect them. This is different than most weeks when you have to have them out in time for your normal trash collection day. This time they must be out by the 27th as crews will be doing several routes on the same days. Learn more.
 

Ocean Gateway Lot - Winter Lottery
Thirty (30) parking spaces will again be made available to island residents selected by lottery; this temporary program will run from December 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022. Only one entry per household is permitted. Fill out this form to enter. Information requests and questions can be directed to: islandparking@portlandmaine.gov.

PPD Holiday Toy Drive: Toys for Tots

The Portland Police Department is collecting new, unwrapped toys for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots this holiday season! The department will host a toy drop-off on Wednesday, December 8, 2:00 PM-6:00 PM at the Portland Police Department, 109 Middle Street. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to the outdoor patio during these hours if you would like to donate. Contact Community Policing Coordinator Janine Kaserman at 207-756-8135, with any questions.

Please help us >> help you >> NOT get towed! 

We need your help to remove leaves from neighborhood streets before we head into winter, and we are running out of time to sweep before it gets too cold at night. Street sweeping operations and regulations have been in effect since October 1, but our performance has been compromised due to lack of public compliance. Cars not in compliance with the City's Street Maintenance Signs will be subject to towing. Visit portlandmaine.gov/streetmaintenance to learn more.

Winter Storm Operations Information **Important Reminders** 

Winter is coming and the Department of Public Works (DPW) is ready for the winter storm season. During the winter months, our DPW Dispatch office is open 24-hours a day (call 207-874-8493), and crews are assigned to shifts to respond 24/7 to weather events. Portland DPW maintains more than 560 lane miles of road, while our Parks, Recreation & Facilities Dept. cares for more than 100 miles of sidewalks both during and following snow storms. Learn more about City Winter Operations here.

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

The public can stay updated to winter alerts and parking ban notifications via the City’s website OR sign up to receive email, text, and phone notices via the “Stay Connected” feature. Parking ban updates are also shared on our social channels. Follow the City of Portland on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to see those. Motorists can also call the parking ban hotline at 207-879-0300. Learn more about parking bans.
 

Work With Us

We currently have multiple job openings across a variety of departments. For more information, visit: www.portlandmaine.gov/jobs.

**Construction Project Updates & Traffic Alerts**
 

New Traffic Pattern -  Somerset and Kennebec Streets

A new traffic pattern began on Somerset and Kennebec Streets Thursday, November 18. Kennebec Street has been realigned between Hanover Street and Preble Street, now intersecting with Somerset Street. Somerset Street now also continues between Elm Street and Preble Street. The Bayside Trail was also extended from Elm Street to Brattle Street. Learn more.

Baxter Boulevard Traffic Impacts
Extended to 12/3: Baxter Boulevard Additional Traffic Impacts

The current Baxter Boulevard Closure from Dartmouth Street to Preble Street, as well as Dartmouth Street at Ricker Park, will remain closed for at least 2 additional weeks due tidal impacts, as well as weather disruptions to the progress of work. Learn more.   

Baxter Boulevard from Payson Park to Dartmouth Street is closed. Vannah Avenue is closed from Clifton Street to Baxter Boulevard. This closure is scheduled to last until December 2022. Back Cove Trail is open during the entire construction project. Full details.

Ocean Avenue Sewer Separation Project
The nearby sewer separation project on Ocean Avenue is nearing completion and should be wrapped up in November. Ocean Avenue is still down to one lane during the day (approximately 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM) while they do construction work using flaggers. However, the road is open to two-way traffic on nights and weekends. Full details.

Utility Work 

Unitil continues work at the following intersection: Woodford Street and Stevens Avenue, through Saturday, November 20,  7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. There will be limited impact to the public; please seek an alternative route.