City News Round Up: Friday, April 15, 2022

Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. The next City Council meeting is Monday, April 25, at 5:00 PM. Read a recap of the April 11 City Council meeting; view the full Meeting Calendar here.

4/18: Upcoming City Hall and City Buildings Closure
City of Portland offices will be closed on Monday, April 18 in observance of Patriots’ Day.

Real Estate Taxes - Now Past Due
Property taxes were due March 18, 2022. Visit our self service portal to view or pay your bill online. Please direct questions to treasury@portlandmaine.gov or call 207-874-8490.

Major Traffic Alert: Veranda Street Bridge Replacement & 295 Closure
I-295 north and south between Portland and Falmouth will be closed for the Veranda Street Bridge replacement taking place Friday, April 22 at 7:00 PM until Monday, April 25 at 11:00 AM. In advance, Veranda Street will be closed from 2:00 PM on Monday, April 18 to 2:00 PM on Monday, April 25. Please make a travel plan to avoid delays and traffic congestion. Visit Verandaplan.org for more information, including the purpose of the project and alternate routes during the closure. Learn about detours here.

Jetport Runway Closure Starts Monday, April 18
The Portland International Jetport sent out a community reminder this week: their primary runway will be closed for 56 days, starting at 8:00 AM Monday, April 18. From April 18-June 13 all air traffic in and out of the Jetport will be operating on the airport's secondary north-south runway. This will lead to a significant change in air traffic over Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, and Westbrook. Learn more.

Brighton Ave. Road Work Resumes Monday, 4/18
Construction work will resume on Brighton Avenue between Rand Road and Capisic Street next week as part of the Brighton Avenue Sewer Separation Project. This final project work is anticipated to last approximately two months. Motorists should expect delays when driving through the work zone and are encouraged to seek alternate routes around the project area. Full details.

Congress Square Redesign Initial Construction Starts 4/18
Gordon Construction will begin the initial work of the major overhaul of Congress Square, at the intersection of Congress and High Street. This  work will consist of moving materials on-site and deployment of construction signs, as well as removal of small traffic islands in the intersection.  Phase A of the project will soon follow, including construction along the southeast corner of the intersection, temporarily impacting access to Free Street. Learn more. 

Night Work: Stevens Ave and Congress Street
Moulison Heavy Electrical will be doing signal and curb work at the intersection of Stevens Avenue and Congress Street, Monday and Tuesday nights, April 18 and 19, 7:30PM to 5:30AM. The changes here are part of a larger signal modernization project that will result in coordinated traffic signals along Congress Street from Stevens Avenue to Fore River Parkway. This work will result in some lane closures, but all movements will be allowed through the intersection. Learn more.

Congress Street Gas Main Work: April 18 to May 27
Unitil will be working on Congress St from High St to State St starting April 18 to approximately May 27. Parking will be disrupted in short sections and follow the crew excavations. 

Night Work: Elm Street, April 20-21
Overnight milling work will take place on Elm Street, 7:00PM - 6:00AM, Wednesday and Thursday, 4/20-21, likely causing delays. One lane will be open for this work, though for safety there may be sporadic closures. The City is working with METRO to ensure the buses do not get impacted; a main reason this work is overnight. 

Street Sweeping Continues - We Need Your Help!
Off-peninsula residents: The street sweepers are headed your way. Please use off-street parking as much as possible if it's available to you during this time; view the interactive map to see an estimated timeframe of when the sweepers will be in your area. This work will continue through late Spring, with sweepers on rotation after this first big push. Learn more.

On-peninsula and Nathan Clifford area residents: Street sweeping operations and regulations are in effect each year from October 1 - May 31. While street sweeping occurs throughout the year, these restrictions ensure that our crews can complete curb-to-curb sweeping as mandated by Maine DEP. The next few weeks are critical to their work and we must get compliance with the overnight and daytime street maintenance signs on your street. Ticketing and towing will occur for any non-compliance. Learn more. 

Spring Yard Waste Collection: April 25-May 6
It’s that time of year again! The Annual spring curbside collection of leaf bags/yard waste will begin Monday, April 25 through Friday, May 6. The leaves must be in large, paper biodegradable leaf bags. Place the biodegradable leaf bags curbside on your normal trash day during the above dates and City crews will take care of the rest! Learn more.

New Questionnaire: Better Bikeways Initiative
Our Better Bikeways Initiative has created a second questionnaire to gather your input! Please share your preferences and priorities by April 22, for specific bikeway treatments and potential pilot projects that may be able to be implemented as soon as this year. Take the questionnaire.

May 10: Info Session ME Office of Tourism Destination Management Plan
Don't miss this opportunity to weigh in! As part of a state-wide Tourism Master Plan, the Maine Office of Tourism is traveling throughout the state hosting listening sessions and will be at Hannaford Hall on the USM Portland Campus on Tuesday, May 10. Learn more here, and register.

ReCode Portland Summary and Next Steps
After three months of great feedback, summarized here, the ReCode Portland team is using the public input received to draft changes to the land use code in the form of text and map amendments. They will make draft code amendments broadly available for public review, and then initiate another round of public engagement to collect additional feedback. Please continue sharing your thoughts! Contact them via email: recodeportland@portlandmaine.gov, and stay  tuned for updates at recodeportland.me throughout the coming months. 

Age-Friendly Portland Survey
The Age-Friendly Portland Steering Committee is conducting an anonymous survey of Portland residents aged 60 years and older. The survey takes 15-30 minutes to complete and responses will guide the work of Age-Friendly Portland into the future. Topics include transportation, community support and services, housing, outdoor space and buildings, civic participation, social inclusion and more. Take the survey here, or to request a paper version call 207-541-6620 or email agefriendlycommunity@portlandmaine.gov.

Charter Commision Timeline
The Charter Commission will present their preliminary report for the City Council on May 9, 2022, with a final report to be submitted to Council on July 11, 2022. Learn more about the Charter Commission.

Work With Us!
We currently have multiple job openings across a variety of departments. For more information, visit: www.portlandmaine.gov/jobs. See how we are working together to serve the community with other local agencies -in this recent video. 

Parks and Recreation Updates
Riverside Golf Course will open Monday, April 18, at that time players can book online or by calling the pro shop. Summer Camp registration opened this week!
View the full Recreation program guide here, and read all the Parks updates via their April newsletter.

2022 Urban Runoff 5K Race
Be a stormwater hero and support clean water education in our community by participating in the Urban Runoff 5k! Join in person on April 23 in South Portland, or complete a 5k anywhere during the month of April. For more information and to register, visit www.urban runoff 5k.com.