City News Round Up: Friday, November 22, 2024
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. Read a recap of the November 18 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, December 2, at 6 PM. This is the inaugural meeting and the three new councilors will be sworn-in. 

Thanksgiving Holiday - November 28 & 29

• Portland City Hall and City offices will be closed Thursday + Friday, November 28-29 for the Thanksgiving holiday. 
• 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.
• There will not be a Friday News Round Up next week due to the holiday closure. We’ll be back on Friday, December 6! 

Annual District Meetings Finish Up Next Week
Annual District Meetings will come to a close next week with District 2 and 1 on Tuesday and Wednesday, 11/26+27. Find all the details as well as  interpretation services on our website⁠. Mayor Dion, City Councilors, City Manager Danielle West, and City staff will be available to answer questions from the public and discuss neighborhood issues. ⁠New this year: Child care will also be provided at the in-person meetings; details will be shared at the above link when finalized. 

Curbside Yard Waste Collection Ends Saturday 11/30
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.

Monument Square Tree Lighting - Friday, 11/29
This week the Blue Spruce selected to be the 2024 Monument Square tree was moved into place! 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 for schedule updates here. Don’t forget you can watch via tree cam as well! 

12/2 Deadline: Apply to Serve on City 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.

12/4 Neighborhood Meeting: Hersey Street Sewer Separation Project
Join the Portland Department of Public Works for a neighborhood meeting to review the design of the Hersey Street Sewer Separation Project. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 12/4, 6:00–7:00 PM at the Public Works office at 250 Canco Road. Learn more on our website and please join us to learn more about what the project intends to achieve.

Forest Ave Redesign Meeting Update + Survey
Thank you to the 80+ people that attended the Public Meeting this week! We very much appreciate the many great conversations that occurred and the live feedback that we received. The project team has compiled the notes from the discussion during the public meeting and the results of the interactive displays during the open house. View the presentation slides and read the meeting summary here. There is still time to let us know what you think about the several design options presented! Please take our survey to let us know what is most important to you when you think about a future Forest Avenue. The survey will be active through Friday, 12/3. 

Reminder: PortTix Only Authorized Seller For Merrill Auditorium Events
Just a quick reminder that PortTix is the only authorized seller of tickets for all performances that take place at Merrill Auditorium! If you are not buying your tickets thru PortTix, we cannot guarantee their validity. Visit PortTix online at PortTix.com, stop in their storefront now located at 400 Congress St. Suite A in Portland, or call them at 207-842-0800.

12/7: Raised Bed-Building Volunteer Workshop
Volunteers needed! Cultivating Community is hosting a raised bed-building workshop at Boyd Street Community Garden on Saturday, 12/7. Help us transform this in-ground garden into a beautiful raised bed garden before winter comes. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting, this workshop is designed to be informative and enjoyable for everyone. Learn more + register here.

12/10: Annual Toys for Tots Gift Drive
The annual Toys For Tots gift drive will take place on Tuesday, 12/10, 3:00-5:00 PM at the Portland Police Department on 109 Middle Street. Stop by and meet our Community Policing Officers, Coordinators and some officers, who help get your donated gifts delivered to kids this holiday season. Please do not wrap gifts! If that date/time doesn’t work for you to drop off a gift, please email our community coordinators to set up a date/time: bdonovan@portlandmaine.gov or jrogers@portlandmaine.gov.

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.

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. 

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 November 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+22, 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.