City News Round Up:  Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. Read a recap of the June 17 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, July 15.

Reminder: Holiday Closure, July Fourth
City Hall and City offices will be closed tomorrow Thursday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. Trash & Recycling will be collected as normal. Please have items curbside by 6:30 AM.

Fourth of July Fireworks Information
We are hosting a Fourth of July fireworks display once again Thursday, July 4, in its usual spot on the Eastern Promenade, with the fireworks set to go off around 9:15 PM. A rain date is scheduled for Friday, July 5. If the rain date is needed, the City will make that announcement by 7:00 PM on the 4th. Food trucks will be available on the Eastern Prom Roadway, and this year the Casco Bay Wind Symphony will perform starting at 7:00 PM until the beginning of the fireworks show. Find the full street closure information here.

Consumer Fireworks Prohibited in Portland
The Portland Fire Department is reminding residents and visitors that purchasing or using consumer fireworks is prohibited in the city of Portland in accordance with City ordinance. Per City Code Sec. 17-32, the purchase and use of personal fireworks are banned in the City of Portland. Fines of at least $200 apply for individuals intending to use fireworks within the city. 

7/5: First Friday Art Walk
Learn more and download the map here. 

7/8: Baxter Boulevard Construction Begins at Hannaford Plaza Road
Two weeks of construction will begin on Monday, July 8 to install a new catch basin and pipe at Baxter Boulevard and Hannaford Plaza Road. Work will require a traffic control plan which will restrict access entering or exiting Hannaford Plaza Road during this time; the contractor will work to minizine the disruption and cross as quickly as possible. Read full details.

Portland Parks, Recreation and Facilities Updates
Read all the latest updates in their June 2024 newsletter. Registration for the '24-'25 Before & After the Bell program will open Monday, 7/8, at 8:00 AM. Space is limited. Visit their website to learn more about new registration changes. Stay cool on hot summer days! Find City Splash Pad hours + locations here. 

Upcoming MaineDOT Construction - Casco Bay Bridge Project
MaineDOT will be doing night work on the Casco Bay Bridge starting with traffic control improvements on Monday, July 8. The additional milling/paving dates are currently subject to change: milling is tentatively scheduled for August 4, and paving the first week of September. The contractor must maintain two lanes of traffic going north from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM and two lanes of traffic going south from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Learn more.

City Helps Fund MaineHealth’s New Mobile Health Unit
The City is proud to support MaineHealth’s new mobile health unit with an allocation of federal ARPA funds. The CONNECT service will help fill the void between the work of the City’s Mobile Medical Outreach team and the Portland Police Behavioral Health team, by providing an opportunity to access psychological care in non-crisis settings by choice.

City Announces Revaluation Timeline
Information about the revaluation process is now available on the City Assessor’s website. In July 2024, all residential property owners will receive data mailers requesting verification of property information. Read the full memo from the June 17 Council meeting to see a sample data mailer. Property owners are encouraged to visit the site and contact the Assessor’s Office with questions. Learn more.

Rate Increases Started July 1
Visit our Parking webpage to view upcoming rate increases on parking garages and lots as well as parking tickets. The cost of the City of Portland purple trash bags will be the following rates: $1.90 per 15-gallon bag or $3.80 per 30-gallon bag. The cost per roll is $19.00; it comes with ten x 15 gallon bags or 5 x 30 gallon bags. The City Council approved the increases in these fees as part of its approval of the Fiscal Year 2025 municipal budget, which starts July 1, 2024.

Sundays on the Boulevard: May 5-September 29
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 + afterschool counselors, 911 dispatchers, community health workers, and more. Connect with our city recruiter to learn more, or apply today. Recent positions listed: Aquatics Supervisor, Customer Service Representative, Treasury; RN Staff Development Coordinator, Barron Center; Budget Analyst, Finance. 

DPW Paving Updates and Ongoing Construction Projects

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. Final project roadway paving will be completed in the late spring/early summer of 2025. Project work will typically run Monday-Friday between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Learn more.

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