City News Round Up: Friday, September 23, 2022
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. To view agendas, backup materials, and videos from past meetings, please visit www.portlandmaine.gov/agendas. Read a recap of the City Council’s September 19 meeting.

Sustainability Events: Electrify Everything and Drive Electric Maine 2022
Check out these great upcoming events from our Sustainability team:
9/28, IRA + Electrify Everything! Learn more and register here.

10/1, 12PM-4PM, Drive Electric Maine: Learn more about the event here.

10/1 Reminder: Street Sweeping Regulations Back In Effect
It's time for Fall cleaning! Please remember, cars not in compliance with City of Portland street maintenance signs are subject to ticketing and towing. Regulations are in effect annually from October 1 - May 31, learn more at portlandmaine.gov/streetmaintenance.

Fall Leaf Curbside Collection 🍁 October 24-November 18
This year, curbside leaf bag collection will begin Monday, October 24 and end Friday, November 18. Leaves must be in large, paper biodegradable leaf bags that can be purchased at most hardware stores. Place the bags curbside on your normal trash day, during the above dates, and City crews will take care of the rest! Learn more on our website.

Tax Bills Due in November
Tax bills are expected to be sent out in October with a due date in November. Stay tuned for updates on our website here to see when the bills have been mailed out. Once available, bills can be viewed and paid on our Citizen Self Service website here.

Help Us Find a “Show-Stopping” Tree for Monument Square
Portland Downtown and the City of Portland are seeking the next “perfect tree” to grace Monument Square this holiday season. Residents and property owners who wish to donate a tree can find all the details and submit a tree for consideration via portlandmaine.com/tree. 

New Rippleffect Outdoor Center
A new land-based center for outdoor adventure and education will be created thanks to a partnership between the City, Rippleffect, and Portland Public Schools. Read more about the new center here.

Public Comment: New HUD Consolidated Annual Performance Report
The City’s 2021-2022 HUD Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) is now available for review and comment online. This report is submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development annually and includes performance and evaluation measures concerning the Community Development Block Grant, HOME, and Emergency Solutions Grant programs. Learn more here.

Share Your Ideas: Transit Together PopUp Events
Please share your feedback on proposed scenarios for improving bus service in the Greater Portland region! Including changes to bus routes operated by Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Transit, Greater Portland Metro, South Portland Bus Service, as well as to the Southern Maine Connector and the Lakes Region Explorer routes. Learn more and see the event dates here.

Community Impact: Health and Human Services
Our Health and Human Services (HHS) department recently shared FY'22 infographics demonstrating the work of their division and programs, along with its impact. Learn more about the impact our HHS division has on the Portland community here. 

November 2022 Election Information
Visit our website to read the citizen initiative referendum questions and the list of the proposed Charter Commission's Amendments to the Portland City Charter to be voted upon by the voters at the November 8, 2022 Municipal Election. Full Citizen's Initiatives and Charter Amendments language will be mailed to absentee participants.

Visit portlandmaine.gov/absentee to request absentee ballots for the November 8 election; residents may also call the City Clerk's office to request a ballot: Mon-Fri, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM: 207-874-8677. Please visit portlandmaine.gov/elections for additional information regarding the upcoming election. 

Updates from Parks and Recreation
The Fall-Winter-Spring Recreation brochure is now available, read it online here. 

• Our 62+ Program is back in action and better than ever!
• Riverton and Reiche Pools reopened Tuesday, September 6.
• Read all the updates via the September newsletter.

Work With Us
Apply now to work in our After the Bell Program! This is a fun, part-time job working with kids, and the starting pay is $17.09/hr (availability needed to work between 2:00-5:30 PM or 3:15-5:30 PM. For more information, reach out to recreation@portlandmaine.gov. We also currently have multiple job openings across a variety of departments, such as in our Parking Division, Treasury Office, City Clerk’s Office, and Health & Human Services department. 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. You can find current and ongoing paving projects and sidewalk projects listed on our website.

2021/2022 CIP Paving
Vesper, Kellogg, Monument, and Ponce streets are all tentatively scheduled to be paved the week of 9/26/22. Exact dates have not been scheduled due to weather, but will likely be 9/28-30. There will be no parking on these streets for the duration of this work; traffic delays likely. Andrews Square final paving is also tentatively scheduled. Read the full update.

Updated: Stevens Avenue Roadwork
Crosswalk striping is scheduled to start next week, 9/26/22; this work is weather dependent. Installation of paint on the crosswalks along Stevens Avenue may cause lane shifts and traffic delays. Sidewalk work will continue for another 2-3 weeks. Final project completion anticipated for mid-October. 

Updated: Elm Street Painting Almost Complete 
Crosswalk striping is scheduled for 9/28/22. There will be lane shifts and possible delays due to this work. 

Forest Ave Paving Rescheduled
This project has been delayed due to utility work that is on-going in the road due to a development. The Paving Contractor could not move back their start date and complete it in time this year therefore it has been rescheduled to start in Spring 2023.

StreetScan Partnership Assessing Road Conditions
DPW has partnered with StreetScan, a Massachusetts-based company that has assessed streets in over 100 communities in North America. You might see the StreetScan vehicle in action around Portland! Learn more here.