City News Round Up: Friday, April 12, 2024
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. Read a recap of the April 8th City Council meeting. To view agendas, backup materials, and videos from past meetings, please visit www.portlandmaine.gov/agendas. 

Upcoming City Hall Closures
City buildings will be closed on Monday, April 15th, in observance of Patriots' Day. There is no change to trash and recycling collection. City Hall will also be closing early, at 3:30 PM, on Thursday, April 18th, due to funeral services for former Governor Joseph Brennan. 

93rd Patriots Day Race for the Kids
Heads up for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine road race this Saturday at 9:00 AM. Road closures: Cumberland Ave (both lanes: Chestnut to Preble) closed to vehicles: 8 AM -10:30 AM. Elm Street (both lanes: Congress to Marginal Way) closed to vehicles: 9:15-10:15 AM.

FY25 Municipal Budget Process Underway
City Manager West submitted her recommended $353 million FY25 Municipal Operating Budget to Portland City Council at the Monday, April 8th City Council meeting; read the full update here. The budget has now been referred to the Finance Committee for further review before coming back to the City Council for approval. ⁠City Council will have the first read and public hearing for the budget at the Monday, May 6 meeting. The second read, public hearing, and expected vote will take place at the Monday, May 20 meeting.⁠ Find detailed updates here and see all scheduled meetings here.⁠ 

Introducing Recruiter Chat!
We're excited to announce a new way for people to find the perfect job working on one of our City teams! Introducing Recruiter Chat, an opportunity to meet with our City recruiter to learn more about our application process, share your career interests, and explore our open positions. Schedule a chat here. This new initiative makes it easy for individuals who are interested in employment with the City to schedule an appointment, make a direct connection, and get all of your questions answered.

City of Portland Wins Gold - 2024 Best Wellness Employer
Wellness Workdays, a leading provider of measurable workplace wellness programs, announced earlier this week that the City of Portland is one of 13 organizations to achieve the 2024 Best Wellness Employer gold certification! The Best Wellness Employer program, developed by Wellness Workdays in collaboration with experts from Harvard Medical School, recognizes the significant achievements of employers dedicated to improving employee health and well-being.

Seeking Volunteer Applicants to Serve on City Boards & Committees
We're seeking volunteer applications for various board and committee positions which all play an important role in Portland’s government. Find the full role descriptions, along with application directions on our website here. Interested applicants can send a resume and cover letter to: Appointments Committee Chairman, c/o City Clerk, 389 Congress Street, Portland ME 04101 or via email to arand@portlandmaine.gov. Applicants will be contacted for interviews. The deadline to apply is Friday, May  10. 

Affordable Housing Development & Tax Increment Financing Application
Our 2024 Affordable Housing Development and Affordable Housing Tax Increment Financing Application is now available. Funds under this application can be used for the development of affordable housing in the city of Portland. Learn more and apply here.

Construction Begins on New Affordable Housing in Libbytown
The Szanton Company, a Portland-based housing developer, has broken ground on 63 affordable rental apartments on the site of the former West Elementary School Street, in Portland’s Libbytown Neighborhood. To be known as 45 Dougherty Court, the project is the first phase of a larger redevelopment of the site located off Douglass Street. Read the full story here.

4/14-20: National Public Safety Telecommunications Week
Next week Portland Police will be honoring our Portland Regional Communications Center 911 Telecommunicators and the vital service they provide the community 24/7/365. Telecommunicators come to work everyday and make a difference in our community. Whether it is helping a person in a medical crisis or being on the phone with someone in immediate danger, telecommunicators will be there to make sure that someone is sent to help. Read the full update here.

4/20: Earth Day Celebration - Save the Date! 🌎 🌳 🥳
We're hosting a free, family-friendly Earth Day Celebration in Payson Park on Saturday, April 20, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM! City departments are teaming up with local green organizations to host a festival of fun: music, food trucks, facepaint, e-bikes and electric lawn equipment to try out, balloon animals, outdoor activities, and more. Join us and help us celebrate our sustainable City!

4/20:  West End Neighborhood Spring Clean Up
Residents are also invited to join the West End Neighborhood Association for their Spring Clean-Up on April 20th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The event starts at the Reich Community Center. For more details, visit the WENA neighborhood webpage.

Crews Working Hard to Cleanup City Following Back to Back Spring Storms
Our Parks, Recreation and Facilities and Public Works crews, in coordination with private contractors, continue to clean up from tree damage resulting from the last two storms. The ice storm on March 24th caused damage not seen since the ice storm of 1998. We received over 400 tree damage reports and many of those were large trees or limbs that each took a day or more to remove. Crews have made progress on cleaning up brush and branches, but there is still at least a month of work to do before all debris is removed from the right of way. Please read the full update here.

Spring Curbside Yard Waste Collection ⁠🌷 April 22 - May 3
Annual spring curbside collection of yard waste starts Monday, April 22nd and continues through Friday, May 3rd. Leaves must be in large, paper biodegradable leaf bags. Yard waste curbside collection may not coincide with your weekly trash collection day. Once you place the leaf bags curbside, please leave them curbside so they are accessible for the crew regardless of the weather or your 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 leaf 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. ⁠Visit portlandmaine.gov/YardWaste to learn more.

New Senior Outreach Nursing Program
In December 2023 the Office of Elder Affairs added a Senior Outreach Nursing Program. Two part-time registered nurses are now available to help low-income Portland residents aged 60+ maintain health and independence at home. The program is free to low income Portland seniors who are not eligible for similar at-home support through any other agency or payor. Please call 207-541-6620 to learn more or to make a referral.

Reminder: 2024 P-STEP Application Open
The Portland Senior Tax Equity Program (P-STEP) provides tax relief to low-income seniors in Portland by providing property tax or rent rebates for eligible applicants. Anyone needing assistance to complete the application may contact the Portland Office of Elder Affairs at 207-541-6620. To qualify, applicants must be 62 years of age or older and must also have received a Maine Property Tax Fairness Credit in the tax year prior to P-STEP application. The deadline for submitting an application for this program is July 31, 2024. Find the application online here or call the Treasury Dept. at 207-874-8853 to request a copy.

Storm Recovery Loans Available
The U.S. Small Business Administration has loans available to assist with recovery from the back-to-back storms on January 10th and January 13th that brought significant flooding and damage. Homeowners, renters, and businesses located in Portland that were impacted by these storms can apply for low-interest SBA Disaster Loans here.

New Business Recovery Grants, Apply by May 15th
Pandemic relief funding is available to help small business owners in Portland who started their businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic (on or after January 1, 2020 and no later than May 11, 2023.). Businesses can request $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000. The application window opened Monday, April 1st and will close Wednesday, May 15th at 11:59 PM. Learn more and apply here.

Review the Second Wave of ReCode Edits
After reviewing hundreds of public comments on the first wave of changes to the land use code under ReCode, our Planning team has released the second wave of ReCode edits. This second wave represents the sum total of ReCode changes altogether, reflecting the city’s efforts to support housing creation and affordability, climate resilience, complete neighborhoods, transit-oriented development, and more. We will be looking for feedback on this work over the next several months, first online, then through a series of events, including Planning Board meetings in the spring and summer. Take a look at the changes and let us know what you think!

Federal Disaster Declaration for January Storms
President Biden approved Maine's request for a Major Disaster Declaration to help eight coastal counties recover from back-to-back severe storms (January 10th + January 13th), which brought significant flooding and damage. Residents who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency App. Information on Disaster Recovery Center locations will be made available on maine.gov/flood soon for those who may prefer to meet in person with a FEMA representative.

FEMA Disaster Assistance Teams
Over the coming weeks, FEMA teams will be going door to door in neighborhoods impacted by the January storms; be aware in case a FEMA rep comes to your house.

2023 Year in Review Homeless Services Report
Our Health and Human Services (HHS) Department has issued a 2023 Year in Review Homeless Services report detailing the work of its Public Health and Social Services divisions. In conjunction with local community partners, these two divisions have provided wide-ranging services and programs to people at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness in Portland. Read the full report. 

Revaluation Process Underway
Our Assessing Office is beginning the process for the next revaluation for assessment purposes in accordance with Maine property tax law and the City Council’s June 16, 2021 Resolution. The process is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025 and implemented in FY 2026. Read the full update.

Portland Parks, Recreation and Facilities Updates
Read all the latest updates on programs and more in their March 2024 newsletter. Registration for rack rentals on East End Beach opened April 1st. Registrations will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, learn the full details here. It may be snowing now, but all tennis nets and basketball hoops will be out by next week, and most are up this week. Riverside Golf Course will be opening on Friday, 4/19.

4/26-4/28: Casco Bay Garage Spring Cleaning
The annual garage Spring Cleaning has been scheduled for the weekend beginning Friday, April 26th. This will require all Casco Bay Parking Garage customers to vacate the garage from 7:00 PM Friday, April 26th through 5:00 PM Sunday, April 28th. For your convenience, your Casco Bay Parking Pass will allow you to park at the Custom House Garage during this period. You will be able to access the Custom House Garage 24 hours a day with your parking card. Please direct questions to: customerservice@mhrmanagement.com. 

Work With Us!
We have multiple job openings across a variety of departments, view the full list of openings here. Recent positions listed: Director of Planning & Urban Development; Director of Health & Human Services; Program Coordinator (HOPE): Health and Human Services; Principal Financial Office: Portland PD; Licensing + Registration Assistant: Rent Control; Parking Garage Cashier – On Call; 62+ Program Activity Driver. Come make a difference with us, our wellness benefits are award winning.

DPW Paving Updates and Ongoing Construction Projects
Please visit portlandmaine.gov/PublicWorks for information links to all the most recent DPW project updates. See all paving updates here.

4/15: NEUCO/Unitil Gas Line Upgrades, Forest Ave + Congress St
Please note upcoming work replacing gas mains and service lines in Portland starting 4/15 and expected to last two months. Residents and businesses have already been notified with flyers in these areas: Forest Avenue, from 845 Forest Ave to Belmont St. AND Congress Street, from Stevens Ave to Douglas St. Please direct questions to Bob Schnopp at (207) 653-2808 or rschnopp@neuco-inc.com.