City News Round Up: Friday, May 10, 2024
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. Read a recap of the April 22 City Council meeting. To view agendas, backup materials, and videos from past meetings, please visit www.portlandmaine.gov/agendas. The City Council meets next on Monday, May 20. 

May 2024 Portland Bike Month
The Portland City Council proclaimed May 2024 PORTLAND BIKE MONTH at its May 6 City Council meeting. The proclamation recites the many tangible benefits bicycling brings to Portland and those who bicycle. To read the PORTLAND BIKE MONTH proclamation and access other resources and information about bicycling in Portland, go to  www.portlandmaine.gov/699/Bicycle-Pedestrian-Planning. May events include Bike to Work Week, May 13-17, culminating in a Bike to Work Day celebration at Congress Square on May 17th, from 8 AM-10 AM, and bike rides every Friday in May hosted by Portland Bike Party.

Spring Crosswalk Painting Started May 6
Street painting work continues during the day, starting on the peninsula first. Please be patient and cautious of our workers in the street and stay off the wet paint.

5/11: Coffee & Climate In Person! The Electric Lawn Care Revolution
The next Coffee & Climate event will be in person at Mill Creek Park in South Portland on Saturday, May 11, from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM. Join us to hear from Dave Perron of Greencare Landscape Management and test electric lawn mowers and string trimmers from the South Portland Electric Tool Library. No registration is required. 

5/18: 2nd Annual Tree Hugging Event at Deering Oaks Park
Join our Parks Division in Deering Oaks Park on Saturday, May 18, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, for their 2nd annual Tree Hugging Event! Hug a tree and celebrate our Forest City with a forest bathing session, meet our City Arborist Mark Reilland, enjoy storytime and more. 

5/21:  Council’s Housing & Economic Development Committee to Hold Workshop on Housing Development Process

The City Council’s Housing and Economic Development Committee is holding a workshop to learn more about the housing development process on Tuesday, May 21 at 5:30 pm. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. The agenda includes:

• Developer Forum - Process and Challenges Developing Affordable Housing
• Overview of the City Tax Increment Financing Program - City Staff (15 Minutes)
• Overview of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program - Mark Wiesendanger, Director of Development, Maine Housing(15 Minutes)
• Non-Profit Developers - Patrick Hess, Avesta Housing and Brian Kilgallen, Community Housing of Maine (15 Minutes)
• For-Profit Developers - Amy Cullen, The Szanton Company and Jonathan Culley, Redfern Properties (15 Minutes)
• Public Housing - Jay Waterman, Portland Housing Development Corp. (15 Minutes)
• HEDC Members - Questions and Discussion (45 Minutes)

5/21: Tree Talks hosted by West End Neighborhood Association

Join your Portland neighbors in the West End for ReForest the City, a native tree-planting project + educational campaign to spread awareness about caring for urban trees. See the upcoming May 21st event here. 

SCORE Maine Free Webinar: Starting Your Own Business
Have you considered starting your own business? SCORE Maine is hosting a free one-hour webinar on Wednesday, May 22 at 12:00 PM that will cover what you need to know before launching your own business. Learn more and register here.

5/27: Deering Center Memorial Day Procession & Commemoration
There will not be a Memorial Day Parade this year. The Mayor will be the keynote speaker at the Deering Center Memorial Day Procession & Commemoration on Monday, May 27 at 2:00 PM, on Stevens Avenue in front of Longfellow School. Learn more.

Updated Timeline: FY25 Municipal Budget Process
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 20 meeting. The second read, public hearing, and expected vote will take place at the Monday, June 3 meeting.⁠ Find detailed updates here and see all scheduled meetings here.⁠ 

Growing Child Care Grant Program Expanded
City Growing Child Care Grant opportunities have expanded to include a $5,000 grant for existing child care centers in Portland, who serve over 50 children, to aid in the hiring of a new employee. The expansion aims to ease the burden that being understaffed creates and to help keep as many available childcare slots open as possible. Learn more here.

Jetport Taxiway A Reconstruction Project Ongoing Through July 31
The Jetport’s Taxiway A Reconstruction Project work continues through July 31. The project requires 100 night closures (10:30 PM - 5:45 AM) of the primary runway, followed by a two week closure in September. The Jetport sent flyers to 37,524 residences to the north and south of the airport since these residences will experience additional noise due to the use of the cross wind north/south runway (18/36) when the primary runway is closed. Learn more. 

𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕧𝕒𝕣𝕕 through September 29
Now through Sunday, September 29, 2024, Baxter Boulevard will be closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays only, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, and OPEN for walkers, bikers, pedestrian traffic + play! Street details: Baxter Boulevard closed to traffic from Vannah Ave. to Catafalque Dr. (Payson Park east entrance). Payson Park, west entrance road - from the tip of the Grass Triangle (by the softball field) to Baxter Boulevard.

Riverton Pool Update

Funding for the pool repair project was approved by the City Council in March 2024 and the project is expected to be complete in June 2025. Unfortunately, that means that pool must remain closed until that time. City staff continue to provide core aquatic services out of the Reiche Pool (166 Brackett Street) and have a full schedule of open swims, lap swimming, and aquatics programming scheduled for Kiwanis Pool (165 Douglass Street) this summer. Please visit the Aquatics webpage for programs and updates. 

Save the Date: Battle of the Bridge Fundraiser on June 22nd
The Battle of the Bridge brings together the courageous members of the Portland Fire Department and the South Portland Fire Department for an epic clash for the ages for a good cause. All proceeds from this event will go towards supporting the Portland Firefighters Children's Burn Foundation. Learn more and get tickets here.

Wheelchair Ramp Funding Available
Alpha One Disability + Aging Solutions has grant funding available through its Critical Access Ramp Program; the program is available across Maine with a current emphasis on those located in Portland. This program was developed to provide those who meet program guidelines with a high-quality wheelchair ramp. Contact Alpha One to learn more + apply: info@alphaonenow.org, 800-640-7200.

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.

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. 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.

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, 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.

Portland Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Updates
Riverside Golf Course is now open! Read all the latest program updates and more in their April 2024 newsletter.

Work With Us!
We have multiple job openings across a variety of departments, view the full list of openings here.

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.

Warren Avenue, Hicks to Hemingway Streets
Gorham Sand & Gravel resumes construction this week on Warren Avenue from Hicks to Hemingway Streets; we anticipate the project will be completed towards the end of June. Read the full details. 

Update: Sagamore Village Green Infrastructure Project
Starting the week of 4/28 the contractor will return to complete final landscape restorations and improvements over the next 2 months. Read the full update.