City News Round Up:  Friday, July 26, 2024
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. Read a recap of the July 15 City Council meeting. To view agendas, backup materials, and videos from past meetings, please visit www.portlandmaine.gov/agendas. The next City Council meeting is Monday, August 19, which is a special double meeting at 4 PM and 5:30 PM. 

NOAA Announces $69 Million for Maine Climate Resilience
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced today that the Department of Commerce and NOAA have recommended $69 million for a project in Maine to make the state’s coast more resilient to climate change and other coastal hazards. The awards are being made under the Biden Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, a competitive, $575 million program funded through the nearly $6 billion total investment under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Read the full update.

7/30: ReCode Workshop + Last Call for Public Comment on Second Wave
Join the next ReCode workshop Tuesday, July 30 at 4:30 PM, the public may attend in person (City Hall, Room 209) or participate remotely. Find full details on our website here. Starting in August, Planning staff will be preparing to incorporate public feedback into a final draft of the Land Use Code. Please share your feedback and submit any final comments by Friday, August 2! If you missed the June ReCode Studio event you can read a public feedback summary here.

Vote! Help Us Name Maine's First Electric Trash Truck
At the end of June we unveiled the addition of an electric trash truck to our fleet – the first electric trash truck in the state of #Maine! In celebration of this milestone we asked for your help naming the truck, and you delivered. Now it's time to VOTE! Visit our website here to vote for your favorite by Thursday, August 8 at 5PM. We've narrowed it down to these eight submissions: Elektra, Lightning McClean, Mack E-Gone, Watts, Eeevee, Optimus Grime, Sparky, E.T. 

Jetport Announces New Non-Stop Service to Orlando
This week the Portland International Jetport announced JetBlue Airways will begin winter seasonal flights to Orlando, Florida starting October 28, 2024. The new service will operate three days per week (M, W, Sa). Tickets for the new service will be available for purchase starting Sunday.

DIY Electrify! Rebates Still Available
The Sustainability Office is still offering rebates up to $250 to eligible Portland homeowners and renters for a list of eligible items - including Energy-Star certified air conditioners, cellular window shades, smart thermostats, and other energy efficiency items. Save money & save energy, click here to learn more about DIY Electrify.

Property Owners to Receive Revaluation Data Mailer Starting July 29
All residential property owners will begin receiving data mailers requesting verification of property information starting July 29. Information about the revaluation process is available on a new website. View a sample data mailer. Property owners are encouraged to visit the site and contact the Assessor’s Office with questions.
 

Community Solar Virtual Webinar July 31
Curious about community solar? Join the Portland Sustainability Office and experts from EnergySage and Revision Energy on Wednesday, 7/31 from 12:00 PM-1:00 PM for an online webinar to learn more about your different options for community solar and how it works. Learn more about Go Solar.

Tax Relief for Low-Income Seniors - Apply by Wednesday, 7/31
The 2024 P-STEP application deadline is coming up on July 31. The Portland Senior Tax Equity Program (P-STEP) provides tax relief to low-income seniors. To qualify, applicants must be 62 years of age or older with a homestead in Portland. ⁠Find the application + learn more on our website or visit City Hall in person. Our Office of Elder Affairs is also available for application assistance, please contact them at 207-541-6620.⁠

August Blood Drive at Merrill Auditorium
Another blood drive with the American Red Cross is coming up Monday, August 12, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, at Merrill Auditorium (20 Myrtle Street). All donors who come in and donate that day will receive a $20.00 Gift Card to Amazon! Please direct questions to Blood Program Leader, Clare Norton, clare@portlandmaine.gov, 207-808-5435. Sign up here. 

Annual Fill-A-Backpack Challenge
The Portland Police Department and the Portland Regional Communications Center are holding their annual Fill-A-Backpack Challenge now through 8/15! Over the past eight years, 2,577 backpacks have been donated to students in our schools from donations within the City of Portland, and from citizens from around Maine. Backpacks should be filled with the following supplies: pencils, pencil sharpener, crayons, colored pencils, ruler, spiral bound notebooks, scissors (blunt edged), erasers, glue. Bags can be dropped off in the lobby of the police station (109 Middle St.) or pickup can be arranged if needed. Please direct questions to: cherylb@portlandmaine.gov.

Portland Parks, Recreation and Facilities Updates
Read all the latest updates in their July 2024 newsletter. We’re actively recruiting people to work for our Before & After the Bell program as well as in Aquatics. These are great, flexible positions! Learn more by visiting our jobs portal and help us spread the word.
Visit the Parks & Rec website to learn more about new registration changes.
Find City Splash Pad hours + locations here. 

9/3: Free Class for Entrepreneurs hosted by New Ventures Maine
New Ventures Maine will offer Venturing Forth: Business Planning for Entrepreneurs, a free, online 60-hour course in business planning, starting September 3. For new entrepreneurs or existing business owners, Venturing Forth helps businesspeople create a written business plan from start to finish. Contact NVME staff, Alicia LaFosse, to learn more: alicia.lafosse@maine.edu or (207) 621-7457

Sundays on the Boulevard: May 5-September 29
Reminder:  Baxter Boulevard is closed to vehicular traffic Sundays only, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, and OPEN for walkers, bikers, pedestrian traffic + play through Sunday, September 29, 2024! Street details: Baxter Boulevard is 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.

We’re Hiring!
Come make a difference with us, our wellness benefits are award winning! We are hiring across several departments in the city, with a variety of open positions: healthcare roles (RNs/CNAs), trades workers, before + after school recreation counselors, 911 dispatchers, community health workers, and more. Connect with our city recruiter to learn more, or apply today. 

DPW Paving Updates and Ongoing Construction Projects

New Dates: Baxter Boulevard Construction at Hannaford Plaza Road
Two weeks of construction started Monday, July 29 to install a new catch basin and pipe at Baxter Boulevard and Hannaford Plaza Road. Read full details.

Ongoing: Western Promenade Drainage Improvements Project
Residents were notified by mail of this construction anticipated to begin during the week of June 17 and scheduled to be substantially completed by 10/31/24. Read full details. Starting on Wednesday, 7/31, the Western Promenade Roadway from Bowdoin to Vaughan Streets will be closed to local traffic only.

Visit portlandmaine.gov/PublicWorks for links to all the most recent DPW project updates, or find all paving updates here.