City News Round Up: Friday, November 6, 2026 

UPCOMING MEETINGS

• Please check our agenda center for the full schedule of upcoming Council, Committees, Boards, and Commission meetings, and to view agendas, backup materials, and videos from past meetings.
• Read a recap of the November 2 City Council meeting. The next regular City Council meeting is Monday, November 16 at 5:00 PM. There will be a Council workshop on Monday, November 9 about the Amtrak Downeaster Station Relocation.

NEED TO KNOW

• Election Results: View official results for the November 3, 2026 General State and Municipal Election for the City of Portland.
• Veterans Day Parade & Upcoming Closure: Portland City Hall and City offices will be closed on Wednesday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. Trash, recycling, and leaf collection will continue as normal.
  The Veterans Day Parade will assemble at Longfellow Square at 10 AM, proceed down Congress Street starting at 10:30 AM, and end at City Hall at about 11 AM, with a ceremony/speeches to follow until approximately 12 PM. There will be road closures and traffic delays related to the parade; please seek alternate routes.
   
• Update! Payson Park Traffic Calming Project The Catafalque Drive pilot road closure in Payson Park will be removed on Monday, Nov. 16. Vehicle travel patterns will return to previous conditions with car travel permitted on Catafalque Drive. Six new speed humps were also installed in Payson Park on Nov. 3.
• Traffic Advisory: As of Oct. 26 Commercial Street traffic patterns were intermittently reduced to alternating one-way traffic from 9 AM to 3:30 PM (between Maple and Center Streets) to finish the Commercial Street and Portland Fish Pier Storm Drain Outfall Project until completion this winter.

LATEST NEWS AND CITY EVENTS

• Winter Warming Shelter: At its meeting on November 2, City Council voted to move forward with establishing a City-operated winter warming shelter at 166 Riverside Industrial Parkway for the 2026–2027 winter season. Read the full update on this process and decision.
• Pumpkin Cycle 2026: Rain or Shine! Don’t trash your pumpkins; compost them with our Sustainability team at their annual Pumpkin Cycle event Saturday, November 7, 10 AM to 1 PM at Payson Park Little League Parking Lot. Bring the whole family to smash your old, slumpin’ pumpkins before tossing them into the truck to be composted by Garbage to Garden! 
• Portland’s Plan 2040: The official kickoff of Portland’s Plan 2040, a new comprehensive plan for Portland, was announced this week by our Planning and Urban Development team! Explore the current conditions and trends, share your thoughts, and sign up for updates on their website. Plan development will take place through a multi-phase process designed to encourage meaningful community engagement, foster collaboration across City departments, and support in-depth topic-based analysis of the issues shaping Portland’s future. 
• Join us at upcoming Annual District Meetings! District 2 is next up on Thursday, November 12, hosted by Councilor Wesley Pelletier. Followed by District 4 on Thursday, November 19, and District 5 on Wednesday, December 2. Find your district and learn more; all meetings are in-person and begin at 6 PM. These meetings are a great chance to talk directly with your City Councilor, the City Manager, and City staff about what matters most in your area! Free childcare is available at each meeting for kids ages 5-12, provided by City Recreation staff.  
• Learn more about e-bikes with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine at the next Coffee & Climate chat, November 13, 9 to 10 AM! This virtual chat will cover the vital role that e-bikes can play as a means of sustainable and equitable transportation, as well as e-bike regulations and rules of the road in Maine.
• Coffee, Cider & Composting: A new composting drop-off location opened at Heseltine Park at the end of October! Join our Sustainability team to celebrate the new location on Saturday, November 14, 9:30 to 11:30 AM. There will be FREE composting buckets (while they last!) along with free donuts, hot apple cider, and coffee.
• New Vision Zero Yard Signs: We’ve launched a NEW community-wide road safety campaign in support of our Vision Zero commitment and designed to encourage drivers to slow down and not drive distracted. Portland residents and local business owners can now request campaign yard signs to display on their properties to help foster safer driving habits across all neighborhoods. Email info@portlandmaine.gov with your address to request yard signs!

CITY SERVICES

• Reminder for Landlords and Property Managers: Our annual rental registration process is currently open, and renewals are due by December 31, 2026. Long-term rental renewal notices for 2027 have been mailed. If you did not receive a renewal letter for your rental property, please contact the Rental Registration office at rentcontrol@portlandmaine.gov.
  Renewing is faster and easier using our Citizen Self Service Portal (CSS)! Please log in as soon as possible to ensure that your Long-Term Rental Licenses are displayed on your account. Licenses not renewed within 14 days of their expiration date will be assessed a $50 per unit late fee. Licenses not renewed within 45 days of their expiration date will be assessed a $200 per unit late fee. Incomplete renewals are subject to late fees.
• Yard Waste Collection: Our Public Works crews will be collecting leaf bags through November 27. Please follow the curbside guidelines to help our Public Works team work efficiently and smoothly.
• Snow Shoveling Volunteers: Age Friendly Portland is looking for volunteers willing to shovel snow for an elderly neighbor this winter! Shovelers are needed in every neighborhood, and Volunteer Coordinators are needed in Rosemont and Deering Center. If you can help, or if you need assistance, please contact Linda Weare at 207-541-6620 for more information or email AgeFriendlyCommunity@PortlandMaine.Gov. 

PUBLIC WORKS UPDATES

• Upcoming Neighborhood Meetings - Join us to learn more about Spring 2027 construction projects. Learn more about the Mayer/David Road Sewer Separation Project on Monday, November 9 at 6 PM. Learn more about the Palmer Ave Detention Basin Retrofit Project on Tuesday, November 17 at 5 PM. 

PARKS, RECREATION AND FACILITIES UPDATES

• Deering Oaks Park: A paving project will begin Monday, November 9 in Deering Oaks Park on Tennis Court Road; the road will close to vehicle traffic on weekdays for approximately two weeks. Please follow detour signs and seek alternative routes. The Farmer's Market will still take place on Wednesday; however, parking and access will not be permitted along Tennis Court Rd. Courts, fields, and the playground will be OPEN; please follow the pedestrian route signage. Thank you for your patience as we improve the road surface on Tennis Court Rd!
• The new Longfellow Playground will open on Thursday, November 12!
• The Riverton Trolley Park parking lot is now open! Please be mindful of the grass growing and the snow fencing that is located around the lawn areas.
• Read the latest updates in the October 2026 newsletter or subscribe. 
• Union Branch Pathway is now open to the public!
• Update: Dougherty Field Construction 
• There are only FOUR walks left for our Park Ranger Hike Club this season! The next hike will be Saturday, November 7 at Thompson's Point.
• Looking for the Reiche pool schedule? Find it on Portland MyRec. 

COMMUNITY & STAFF NEWS

• Tonight is First Friday Art Walk! Download the map. 
• Attend an Open House hosted by CMP to learn more about the CMP Greater Portland Transmission Upgrades Project on Tuesday, November 10, 6 to 8 PM, at Presumpscot Elementary School (69 Presumpscot Street). The project is a multi-year effort to modernize the electric grid from Yarmouth through Greater Portland.
• Looking for a home? Attend an open house to learn about our homeownership, co-op, and rental options in City- sponsored projects: Dougherty Phase 3 Condos, Lambert Woods Co-op, and Lambert Woods North Apartments in Portland. Sign up here to hold your spot for Saturday, November 14, or November 21, 12 to 5 PM.