City News Round Up: Friday, November 15, 2024
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. Read a recap of the November 4 City Council meeting. To view agendas, backup materials, and videos from past meetings, please visit portlandmaine.gov/agendas. The next City Council meeting is Monday, November 18, at 5 PM; read the agenda preview at the end of this message. 

Upcoming City Hall Closure: Thursday + Friday, 11/28+29
Portland City Hall and city offices will be closed Thursday + Friday, November 28-29 for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Trash & Recycling Thanksgiving Schedule
There is NO trash & recycling collection on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, 11/28. The make up day is Saturday, 11/30. Collection on Friday, November 29 is normal. Please have trash + recycling curbside by 6:30 AM on your collection day. Find the Holiday Collection Schedule here. 

Reminder! Curbside Yard Waste Collection November 1-30
This year our Public Works crews will be collecting leaf bags November 1-30. Please note that the leaf bag collection MAY NOT COINCIDE with the day of your trash & recycling collection. There is no set day of the week that crews will service your location. Unpredictable leaf amounts at the curb, staffing issues, and weather conditions are all obstacles that make it difficult for us to predict the exact timeframe of your collection. Please follow the curbside guidelines found here to help our Public Works team work efficiently and smoothly.

11/19: Public Meeting, Forest Avenue Redesign Project
Please join City staff along with the project team for the Forest Avenue Redesign Project Open House (5:30-6:15 PM) and Public Meeting (6:30-8 PM) Tuesday, 11/19. The main goal of this project is to increase the safety and accessibility for all users of Forest Avenue, including pedestrians, motorists, bicyclists and transit users. Learn more here or contact Bruce Hyman at: bhyman@portlandmaine.gov.

Monument Square Tree Move and Tree Lighting - Coming Soon!
A 40-foot Blue Spruce tree in Portland was selected to be the 2024 Monument Square tree! The City’s Forestry team is coordinating with Keeley Crane to harvest and install the tree on Wednesday, November 20. The tree will be cut around 8:30 AM with the departure to Monument Square around 9:00 AM, and arrival time around 10:00 AM.

Join Portland Downtown on Friday, 11/29, for the Monument Square Tree Lighting Presented by Hood® Eggnog! This free, family-friendly event kicks off at 1:00 PM with a princess and superhero meet and greet, followed by an outdoor movie watch party, along with complimentary Hood® Eggnog tastings. Enjoy live dance and music performances leading up to the tree lighting ceremony at 3:30 PM, with the tree illuminating around 4:30 PM. Check back for schedule updates here.

Annual District Meetings Ongoing - District 5 Next on 11/20
Annual District Meetings are ongoing this month with the District 5 next on Wednesday, 11/20. These meetings are a perfect opportunity to provide feedback and discuss the issues that matter to you in our city. Mayor Dion, City Councilors, City Manager Danielle West, and City staff will be available to answer questions from the public and discuss neighborhood issues. ⁠Find all the details as well as  interpretation services on our website.⁠ New this year: Child care will also be provided at the in-person meetings; details will be shared at the above link when finalized. 

City to Honor Four Local Businesses for Contributions to Portland Economy
We're pleased to announce that this year marks the 26th anniversary of our Annual Business Awards given by the City of Portland and the Portland Development Corporation. Four Portland businesses will receive awards for their contributions to our economy and those will be presented on Thursday, 11/21 at Ocean Gateway (14 Ocean Gateway Pier) from 4:30 PM-6:30 PM. Read about the 2024 award recipients in the full update here.

Portland Harbor CAD Cell Project Scheduled to Begin in December
As a first tangible step in dredging the piers, wharfs, and marinas of Portland Harbor, the City of Portland has signed a contract with Cashman Dredging to construct Maine’s first Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) Cell. Cashman Dredging is scheduled to mobilize equipment into Portland Harbor during the month of December and construction of the CAD Cell will take place over January and into February. Read the full update. 

City Seeks Applicants to Serve on Boards & Committees
The City Clerk's office is seeking applications for various board and committee positions which all play an important role in Portland’s government. Residents can find the full board and committee descriptions, along with application directions on the City’s website here. The deadline to apply is Monday, December 2, 2024. Applicants will be contacted for interviews.

Applications Open for 2025 Natural Helpers Fellowship
The City’s Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) is now accepting applications for the 2025 Natural Helpers Fellowship. Read the full update to learn more, apply, or nominate a candidate. This initiative will amplify its goal to build a supportive network of local leaders from underrepresented communities, equipping them with essential tools, training, and connections to foster community resilience and inclusivity across Portland. Applications will be accepted until 12/2. 

City Reminds Landlords of Annual Rental Registration Process
Read this full reminder to landlords and property managers that our annual rental registration process is currently open; renewals are due by December 31, 2024. Long Term Rental Renewal Notices for 2025 were mailed out in November. If you did not receive a renewal letter for your rental property, please contact the Rental Registration office at rentcontrol@portlandmaine.gov. Licenses not renewed within 14 days of their expiration date will be assessed a $50 per unit late fee. Licenses not renewed within 45 days of their expiration date  will be assessed a $200 per unit late fee. Incomplete renewals are subject to late fees. Find the full information on our website. 

Portland City Council Approves ReCode
Last week the Portland City Council unanimously voted to approve the City’s ReCode effort. ReCode is Portland’s first comprehensive rewrite of the city’s entire land use code and zoning map in more than 50 years. The new code is more user-friendly, will advance the goals of the city’s comprehensive plan, Portland’s Plan 2030, and will better equip the City to address needs in areas such as housing, design, preservation, conservation, the working waterfront, climate change, and transportation. Read the full update.

Community Partners to Operate Warming Shelter in Portland this Winter
Portland will have a warming shelter in place this winter thanks to a partnership between First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church and Commonspace. City staff facilitated and assisted with the response, which resulted in the warming shelter, and the two community organizations have partnered to provide the low-barrier warming shelter for the 2024-2025 winter season. The shelter will be funded by Maine State Housing Authority, operated by Commonspace staff, and located at First Parish Church at 425 Congress Street. Read the full update.

New Lead Abatement Grant Awarded to the City of Portland
The City has been awarded $3,367,960 in HUD Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant funding, read the full update here. The award will allow the Lead Safe Housing Program to continue to address lead and other housing hazards in 110 housing units providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children. The program works collaboratively with Maine’s CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and Portland Public Health to reach targeted populations. 

Starting Soon - Free CEI Child Care Start-Up Training
Free training starts soon through the Child Care Business Lab, a program offered by Brunswick-based CEI that has helped 40 new child care businesses to start in the last few years. This training is open to all Mainers interested in opening either a child care in their home or in a facility outside their home. The Child Care Business Lab integrates small business start-up education with child care management & coaching. Everyone who joins will learn how to write policies, create a business plan, create a financial forecast, apply for loans and much more. 

Reminder: Through the Growing Child Care Grant, Portland childcare businesses can receive grants of up to $15,500 for start-up costs associated with the opening of a home-based childcare business. Existing childcare businesses that serve more than 50 children can receive grants of up to $5,000 to hire new staff, and existing childcare businesses of any size can receive up to $11,000 for existing childcare businesses to expand and grow their business, including home-based, out-of-school (before and after school), and centers. Learn more or apply here. 

Volunteers Needed to Shovel Snow for Elderly Neighbors
Age-Friendly Portland needs help maintaining and expanding the Snow Shoveling for Seniors Program. In order to keep up with demand, additional volunteers are needed in all areas of the city. Volunteers are asked to shovel steps, walks, and sidewalks for an elderly neighbor. We are also looking for individuals willing to coordinate the volunteer matches within their own neighborhood. Volunteer coordinators are needed in the Back Cove, West End, Munjoy Hill, Deering Center, Nason's Corner, and North Deering neighborhoods. To volunteer or learn more, contact Linda Weare at 207-541-6620 or email LSW@portlandmaine.gov. 

No Cost Monthly Legal Aid Clinic
Our Office of Economic Opportunity hosts a monthly virtual Legal Aid Clinic every second Thursday of the month. Appointments are available on Zoom from 12PM-5PM. Individuals may sign up for a one hour appointment to speak with a volunteer immigration lawyer at no cost. Sign up online or contact them here: oeo@portlandmaine.gov, 207-874-8799. The Legal Aid Clinic can help with any immigration questions except relating to asylum, please direct those to www.ilapmaine.org.

Portland Parks, Recreation and Facilities Updates 
Read all the latest updates in the October 2024 newsletter here. The 2024-2025 Fall/Winter/Spring Recreation Program Guide is now available to the public! The guide has information for all Recreation services the department provides through the Spring of 2025, and registration is now open. 

Friday Night Pickleball at Reiche
Join for a game of drop-in pickleball! 50+ exercise at Reiche Community Center on Fridays, 11/15+25, 6PM-8PM, $5/residents. Contact cviney@portlandmaine.gov, 207-874-8873 for more information.

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

Extended: Western Promenade Drainage Improvements Project
This construction work has been extended through 11/28. Read the full update here. Paving will be intermittent throughout the weeks of 11/11 + 11/18 on Danforth St, Vaughn St, and the Western Promenade. Read full details.

Canco Road Streetscape & MPI Paving (Read to Washington)
Work has started on Canco Road for this drainage piping installation, this phase is anticipated to be complete by December 2024. Learn more. 

Visit portlandmaine.gov/PublicWorks for links to all the most recent DPW project updates.

11/18 City Council Meeting Agenda Preview

The City Council will conduct this meeting from Council Chambers, 2nd floor of City Hall. The public may attend in person or watch here via livestream.

5:00 PM: Public comment period on non-agenda items

Recognitions
John Peverada - for his Leadership and Service to the City of Portland since 1994 and his Retirement as Parking Director

Outgoing City Councilors - (Pelletier, Trevorrow, and Rodriguez) and Their Service to the City of Portland

Consent Items
#83 Granting Municipal Officers’ Approval of Cuties LLC, dba Cuties. Application for Class XI Restaurant/Lounge with Outdoor Dining on Public Property at 46 Market Street

Communications
#4 Greater Portland Transit District 2025 Budget and Local Assessment

Unfinished Business
#78 Order Accepting/Appropriating $300,000 Grant from FEMA + Appropriating $100,000 from Portland Police Department Federal Equitable Sharing Account for an Emergency Response Vessel

#79 Appropriating $75,000 from Jetport Unrestricted Fund to the Jetport Noise Advisory Committee for the Development of a New Approach Procedure at the Portland International Jetport

#80 Order Appropriating $4,750,000 from Jetport Unrestricted Funds for Improvements to the Terminal Building, Outbound Baggage Handling System, and Parking Garage at the Portland International Jetport

#81 Amendment Portland City Code Chapter 2 RE: Climate Action Fund

#82 Amendment Portland City Code Chapter 2 RE: Ethics Commission

Orders
#84 Accepting/Appropriating Anonymous $6,000 Donation for Those in Need
#85 Accepting Pamela Road as a Town Way
#86 Accepting Black Sparrow Drive and Trailhead Way as Town Ways