City News Round Up: Friday, June 3, 2022
Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings. The next City Council meeting is Monday, June 6, at 5:00 PM. Approval of the FY23 municipal budget is on this agenda. Read the recap of the May 16 City Council meeting; view the full Meeting Calendar here.

Tonight! First Friday Art Walk
Free to participants from 5-8PM, First Friday Art Walk celebrates the creative culture that makes us one of the best small cities in the country. Download the map here.

City Council: Agenda Preview for June 6, 2022 Meeting
Find the preview of the June 6 City Council meeting agenda at the bottom of this news update or use the link above to read the full agenda.

Mayor & Council to Select New City Clerk
Mayor Kate Snyder and the City Council are set to act on an item during the Monday, June 6 Council meeting to confirm the appointment of a new City Clerk. Read the press release.

City Announces Food Truck Pilot Program Solution
Interim City Manager Danielle West announced that all 14 food trucks that applied to operate in the City’s pilot program will be able to locate in the Cutter Street lot on the Eastern Promenade. The pilot program will run from June 15 to November 15. The City is not charging food trucks a license fee to operate in this public space during the pilot season. Read the full update here.

June 1-July 31: Maine Walks with Haiti
Konbit Sante has hosted the Maine Walks with Haiti 5K walk/run in Portland for more than a decade. The virtual fundraising event supports the people of Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, one of Portland’s sister cities, and will take place June 1 - July 31. The fundraiser helps to build a sustainable health system in northern Haiti, and its success is essential to funding their work throughout the year. This year the event will be virtual. Learn more and sign up here. 

June 4: Walk the Working Waterfront
Walk the Working Waterfront (WTWW) returns to Commercial Street this Saturday, offering tours, behind the scenes access, and one-of-a-kind educational experiences. The event encourages both locals and visitors to experience the piers and wharves of Commercial Street in unique ways. Free-to-attend, this self-guided walking tour takes place from 11:00AM to 3:00PM, from Becky’s Diner all the way to Casco Bay Lines. Download the map here or learn more via their website.

June 10:  Coffee & Climate, EV Charging
Join our Sustainability staff Friday, June 10 at 9:00AM for their monthly Coffee & Climate chat, with a focus this month on electric vehicle charging. Molly Siegel of Efficiency Maine will present: how charging works, where to charge in Maine, and the future of charging. Join the chat and learn about what our cities are doing to build out charging networks and make EV charging more accessible. Sign up for the Zoom chat here.

June 11: Old Port Half Marathon & 5K returns to Portland 
Please note various streets will be closed in the Old Port area for runners starting at 2:00 AM on June 11. Emergency no parking zones will also go into effect and Casco Bay Ferry passengers will be impacted. The westbound lane of Commercial St will be closed, from Union St to Valley St, 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM. The eastbound lane of Commercial St will remain open to traffic.

Runners on Commercial St will pass and block the entrance to the Casco Bay Lines terminal from 7:45 AM until about 9:00 AM. Portland Police will pause traffic to allow the safe passage of runners. They will allow vehicles to get in and out of the terminal only when there’s a safe gap in between runners. This will cause delays for any vehicles and pedestrians; we don’t want anyone to miss their ferry, so please plan accordingly. Read the full road closure details on their website.

June 14: Special Municipal Election and School Budget Referendum
Election Day is Tuesday, June 14, all polling places will be open on that day from 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM. Find your polling place here. The seats listed below will be voted on, as well as the School Budget Referendum, view a sample ballot here. 

School Board At Large Candidates: Stephanie G. Albert, Benjamin K. Grant, Stacey L. Hang, Sarah M. Lentz, Kimberly A. Mancini, Amber J. Schertz, Richard L. Ward.
School Board District 5 Candidates: Sarah M. Brydon, Elizabeth A. Capone-Newton, Barbara E. Goglin, Joshua W. Haefele, Lou A. Viola.

Absentee Voting Information (June 9 last day to absentee vote)
In-person absentee voting is now going on in the State of Maine Room at City Hall, Monday-Friday 9:00AM to 4:30PM; voters may access City Hall via Congress Street or Myrtle Street. The last day to in-person absentee vote will be June 9, 2022 (after this date voters will need to fill out a special circumstance form in order to get an absentee ballot). The City Clerk’s office will be open late, until 7:00PM, on Thursday June 9 only for absentee voting and voter registration. All polling locations will be opened on election day. Ranked Choice Voting tabulation will take place Wednesday June 15, 2022 at 10:00 AM in the State of Maine Room —open to the public, media, and candidates that wish to witness the ranking.  

June 22: Charter Commission Final Public Hearing
The Portland Charter Commission will hold the last public hearing via Zoom, 6-7PM, on Wednesday, June 22. Open to all Portland residents, your direct feedback is wanted on their proposed changes. The Commission also has a new website you can visit to see all materials related to their work. 

Final Phase I-295/Exit 7 Lane Closures Started Last Week
The final phase of closures of 295/Exit 7 (Franklin Street) for the City’s Back Cove Sewer Separation Project started Thursday, May 19, 2022. All Exit 7 ramps, northbound and southbound, will experience single lane closures during the daytime over the next five weeks and complete closure for overnight paving operations tentatively scheduled for the week of June 20. Motorists should make plans to seek alternate routes during this time. Find the alternate routes and full details here.

Parks and Recreation Updates
This week our Parks crew released locally funded S.tsugae Beetle Colonies in Mayor Baxter Woods in partnership with the Maine Forest Service, as part of an ongoing effort to reduce the impact of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, a serious invasive insect threat to our native Eastern Hemlock trees. 

Registration for the Before & After the Bell 2022/2023 school year starts Monday, July 11 at 8:00 AM, visit www.portlandrec.com to register. Please note: We expect spots will fill quickly. Saturday Adult Lap Swim and Open Swim at Reiche are canceled effective May 7 through June 11, due to a staffing shortage. Please call 207-808-5400 or email recreation@portlandmaine.gov with any questions. Read all the Parks updates via their May newsletter.

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. 

Hiring Now: Health and Human Services Department
Apply today for these open positions: Social Services: Human Services Counselors-Prevention & Diversion; Senior Human Services Counselor, Oxford Street Shelter; Shelter Attendants, Full, Part time and Per Diem positions available at both the Family Shelter and Oxford Street Shelter; Shelter Security Guards, On call and Full time; Program Coordinator - Resettlement Program; Human Services Counselor-Family Shelter; Human Services Specialist - Family Shelter. Public Health: Program Coordinator, Maine Cities Readiness Initiative; Public Health Nurse, Portland Community Free Clinic. Barron Center: Direct Nursing Staff, CNAs, LPNs, RNs, Principal RN; Unit Assistants, Food Service Workers, Full and Part time; Cook I. Administrative: Financial Manager. 

June 6 City Council Meeting: Agenda Preview
5:00 PM: Public comment period on non-agenda items
 

PROCLAMATIONS and APPOINTMENTS - Public comment taken on appointments

Proclamation 19 - Recognizing June 2022 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month
Proclamation 20 - Recognizing June 3, 2022 as Gun Violence Awareness Day
Proclamation 21 - Recognizing Katherine L. Jones

Order 262 -  Appointing Constables, Parking Division, Police Department, Parks, Recreation & Facilities
Order 263 -  Appointing Councilor Mark Dion to Greater Portland Council of Governments Executive Committee
Order 264 - Confirming the Appointment of Melissa Cowie as Interim City Clerk
Order 287 - Confirming the Appointment of Ashley Rand as City Clerk

CONSENT ITEMS and 9 LICENSES, Public comment taken

Order 265 Approving Residential Parking Permit Extension Re: Islander Parking
Order 266 Declaring July 4, 2022 the July 4th Festival

BUDGET ITEMS

Orders 245-257 - Public Comment taken; read full details on the budget orders in the Agenda Center. The referendum election on the School budget will be held Tuesday, June 14.

COMMUNICATIONS, No public comment or formal Council action

Com 24-21/22 - Launch of Downtown Public Restroom Pilot

RESOLUTIONS, Public comment taken

Resolve 13 - Establishing a City Policy to Conduct City Affairs in a Manner that Uses Gender-Inclusive and Gender-Neutral Language in Drafting of New Legislation or Revised Legislation, Policies, and other City Communications and Writings

Resolve 14 - Calling on the State to Establish a Homelessness Management Task Force

UNFINISHED BUSINESS, Public comment taken (unless otherwise noted)

Order 88 - Amendment Portland City Code Chapter 15 Re: Emergency  Shelter License Requirements (Public comment already taken on this item)
Order 259 - Zoning Map Amendment for Riverton Park Campus from R-5  Residential to R-5a Residential and B-2 Community Business
Order 260 - Amendment Portland City Code Chapter 14 Re: Permitted + Conditional Uses in Residential Zones + Allowing Places of Assembly as a Conditional Use in R-5a zone
Order 261 - Amendment Portland City Code Chapter 35 Re: Panic  Alarms and Retail License Revisions
Resolve 12 - Approving City Council Code of Ethics

ORDERS, Public comment taken unless a first read item

Order 276 - Approving amendment extend Signatory Airline Operating Agreement + Lease Portland International Jetport by 3 years
Order 277 - Approving Purchase & Sale Agreement between Janet & Steve Berry & City for June Street Parcel Acquisition Phase 1 FIRST READ
Order 278 - Approving Purchase & Sale Agreement between Coastal Oaks, LLC & City for 0.69-acre Parcel Acquisition Phase 2 FIRST READ
Order 279 - Placing City-Owned Land at Redlon Woods into Portland Land Bank
Order 280 - Adopting Development Program for Portland Downtown FY '22-'23 FIRST READ
Order 281 - Establishing Maintenance + Implementation Assessments, Portland Downtown FY 2022-2023 FIRST READ
Order 282 - Approving Agreement between City of Portland and Portland Downtown FY 2022-2023 FIRST READ

AMENDMENTS, All FIRST READ, no public comment taken

Order 283 - Amendment Portland Zoning Map, Repeal Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District
Order 284 - Amendment Portland City Code Chapter 14 Re: Repeal of Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District
Order 285 - Amendment Portland City Code Chapter 9 (Elections) Article I (In General) Section 9-1
Order 286 - Traffic Schedule Amendment Re: Brighton Avenue and Deering Avenue Bikeway Projects