City News Round Up: Friday, February 25, 2022

City News Round Up: Friday, February 25, 2022
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. The next City Council meeting is on Monday, February 28, at 5:00 PM. View the full Meeting Calendar.

Citywide Parking Ban TONIGHT
A Citywide Parking Ban has been declared for Friday, February 25 at 10:00 PM through 6:00 AM Saturday, February 26. Vehicles left on City streets after 10:00 PM can be towed at the owner’s expense. If you have plans in the downtown district this evening please remember the staggered snow removal and towing times for within the yellow zone. Full details and parking ban reminders here.

Carnaval ME Update for East End residents: the organizers have canceled the 11 AM - 4 PM session today, however the 5 PM to 10 PM session is still on. The parking garage at 100 Fore street will be available for free parking tonight during the parking ban.

Feb. 28: City Council Meeting - Agenda Preview

You can always read the full agenda for any upcoming City Council meetings via our website (portlandmaine.gov/agendas), or look for the highlights on social media. A few noteworthy items include:

Public Comment will be taken on Orders 147-149.

• Order 147-21/22 Extending Charter Review Commission Deadlines
• Order 148-21/22 Approving the Housing and Urban Development Citizen Participation Plan for the City of Portland
• Order 149-21/22 Setting the Public Hearings on 2022-2026 Housing and Urban Development Five-Year Consolidated Plan, Fiscal Year '23 Annual Action Plan & Appropriations for Community Grant Development Block Grant Program, HOME Program, Emergency Solutions Program
• Order 153-21/22 Amendment, Portland City Code Chapter 14 Re: Height Bonus in India Street Form-Based Code Zone (First Read, No Public Comment)

March 1-2: Public Forum, Recode Portland
Now in Phase II of Recode Portland, an effort to rewrite the land use code, the City will host a public forum to review the findings of the recent land use code evaluation. Learn more about the code and take the survey. The remote forum will take place Tuesday, 3/1 and Wednesday, 3/2; pre-register and see the schedule here.

Forum topics: 3/1: Housing, Climate Change, Transportation 3/2: Complete Neighborhoods, The Built Environment, Economic Development 

Last Call: Request for Proposals, Deering Oaks Food Concessions
A Request for Proposal (RFP) was recently issued to select an experienced and qualified food service vendor to lease and operate the café concession at the historic Castle-in-the-Park in Deering Oaks. Proposals must be received by Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 3:00 PM. Learn more. 

​​March 1: Info Session for Summer 2022 Youth Corps Program
The Portland Youth Corps program will open their Summer 2022 applications online beginning Monday, 3/7 through Sunday, 3/27, 2022. The program seeks to fill 26 volunteer positions, and is open to youth ages 14-17 who live in Portland. On Tuesday, March 1, at 6:00 PM, interested students and educators can learn more about the program via a Zoom Info Session and Q&A. Learn more.

East End Beach: Kayak and Dinghy Rack Rental Update
The pre-registration window for 2022 rack space rental will be from Monday, 2/28 through Friday, 3/11. After March 11, registration will be open for all and processed on a first come first served basis. Specific rack spaces cannot be guaranteed and will be assigned based on availability once registration and payment is received. Learn more.

​​Volunteers Needed: St. Patrick's Day Parade, March 13
After a two-year absence - save the date for the return of the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday, March 13! The parade will start at Noon on Commercial Street. Volunteers are needed as flag bearers, traffic control, and more. Email club2@irishofmaine.org to learn more.

Cumberland County HOME Consortium Launches Fair Housing Study
The survey, open to all Cumberland County residents, will help identify public and private sector factors that may create barriers to housing choice and access to economic opportunity throughout the county. The survey can be found at www.research.net/r/CumberlandCounty2021AI until March 15, 2022. Learn more.

Real Estate Taxes Due: Friday, March 18 

Visit our self service portal to view or pay your bill online. Any questions can be directed to treasury@portlandmaine.gov or call 207-874-8490.

Traffic Alert: Carnaval ME
Taking place 2/18-20 and 2/24-26 Carnaval ME will close down Cutter Street (Eastern Prom) to the general public during the event operating hours. Access to the commercial launch/barge will be permitted intermittently – entry controlled by hired staff. 

Tax Applications Available: Senior PStep & Maine Property Tax Deferral
Visit www.portlandmaine.gov/TaxRelief to learn more about both of these programs. The Senior PStep applications are now available online, and anyone that qualified in 2021 will automatically be mailed an application next week.

Maine Property Tax Deferral: For qualified and approved applicants, the State of Maine will pay the property taxes each year. The state will place a lien on the property and all deferred taxes (and accrued interest) are repaid to the state when the property is sold or the applicant passes away. Find the full qualification requirements here. Applications must be filed with the Assessor's Office between January 1 and April 1 each year. Please refer any questions to:Maine Property Services, Property Tax Division, 207-624-5600 or prop.tax@maine.gov.

Winter Recreation Updates
It’s Spring one day and Winter the next! Visit this interactive map for up-to-date conditions for sledding, skiing and skating throughout our parks. Be sure to bookmark the Parks and Recreation's Winter Recreation page where you can find details about where to go, what to do. Learn more about upcoming programs here.

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. 

Veranda Plan Update and Traffic Alert
The Maine DOT will be closing I-295 over Veranda St. in Portland the fourth weekend in April to accommodate the replacement of an aging interstate bridge. MaineDOT's Veranda Plan involves a full closure of the highway around Exit 9 from 7:00 PM on Friday, April 22 to 11:00 AM on Monday, April 25. Additionally, Route 1/Veranda St. (under the bridge) will be closed for a full week, starting at 2:00 PM on Monday, April 18 through 2:00 PM on Monday, April 25.

Current reminder to drivers: Veranda St/Route 1 in Portland was converted to two-way traffic in August 2021. Although this traffic pattern was put in place back in August, winter plowing and weather conditions have made the yellow paint lines on the road hard to see. There have been numerous instances of people driving in the wrong lane when making the left turn onto the I-295 on-ramp. MaineDOT is updating signage  to remind drivers to keep right, and coordinating a repaint and maintenance of the yellow lane lines. Learn more.