City of Portland Alerts

City News Round Up: Friday, October 23, 2026

City News Round Up: Friday, October 23, 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 October 19 City Council meeting. The City Council is hosting a special emergency virtual meeting on Monday, October 26. The next regular City Council meeting is Monday, November 2 at 5:00 PM. 

NEED TO KNOW

  • Paving Update: High Street (Congress to Park Ave) paving is complete, and striping is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25. The road will be closed later Sunday evening, estimated: 12 AM to 5 AM, and will reopen by 7 AM on Monday, Oct. 26.
  • Traffic Advisory: Starting Monday, Oct. 26, Commercial Street traffic patterns will be 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.
  • New Vision Zero Yard Signs: This week we launched a NEW community-wide road safety campaign in support of our Vision Zero commitment 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. Please email info@portlandmaine.gov with your address to request yard signs!
  • Go Vote! In-person absentee voting ends next Thursday, Oct. 29! Find us in the State of Maine Room, 2nd Floor of City Hall, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The Clerk's Office will remain open until 7:00 PM on Thursday, Oct. 29 only.

Please return your ballot to the dropbox quickly: Due to the high volume of absentee ballots, the City Clerk is asking that residents return their completed and signed absentee ballots to the Clerk's Office via a dropbox (not the mail) as quickly as possible. Residents can return completed ballots 24 hours a day, seven days a week at our secure external drop box locations at City Hall (by the Myrtle St. entrance) or the Public Works Building (212 Canco Rd). Absentee ballots must be returned to City Hall by 8:00 PM on Election Day, and not to your normal polling place. 

LATEST NEWS AND CITY EVENTS

  • Share your ideas: Help us reimagine play at Eastern Promenade's "Will's Playground"! We're hosting a Community Workshop on Monday, Oct. 26, 5 to 6:30 PM at the Merrill Auditorium's Rehearsal Hall. Children are welcome and encouraged to participate. Share your ideas through our Ideas Survey and help inform the design of the new playground!
  • Update: The City's Sustainability & Transportation Committee voted on the final draft street design concept plan for the Reimagining Franklin Street project at its meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 21, advancing it to the full City Council for approval. 
  • The City, the Trelawny Tenants Union, and landlord Geoffrey Rice reached a comprehensive settlement agreement on October 19, 2026, resolving all outstanding disputes and pending litigation regarding compliance with the City’s Rent Control ordinance; the City Council approved the settlement agreement at its October 19, 2026 meeting.
  • Join Age-Friendly Portland for their FREE annual summit on Wednesday, October 28 (9 AM to12 PM) at the Barron Center Campus (1145 Brighton Ave). This year's theme is Community Engagement and Staying Active in Retirement! 
  • Join us at upcoming Annual District Meetings! District 1 kicks off the meetings on Thursday, October 29, hosted by Councilor Sarah Michniewicz; the rest of the meetings will take place throughout November and December. Find your district, see the schedule, 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 will be available at each meeting for kids ages 5-12, provided by City Recreation staff.  
  • On Tuesday, November 3, our Public Health team is hosting a FREE training on how to use naloxone (Narcan) at the Freeport Community Services (53 Depot Street, Freeport) from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Learn life-saving skills, ask our expert staff your questions, and leave with your own Narcan! No registration required; contact PSanborn@PortlandMaine.Gov with questions.

CITY SERVICES

  • Yard Waste Collection: Our Public Works crews will be collecting leaf bags November 1-27. 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. 
  • Parking Reminder: Attention residents who live or park on the peninsula and near USM! Overnight street maintenance parking restrictions went back into effect October 1 (daytime also, in some areas). Please remember to check posted signs to avoid tickets & towing! Regulations are in effect annually from October 1 - May 31. This applies to all citizens who live or park on the peninsula (and the Nathan Clifford area). 
  • The first half of property tax payments were due on October 16, 2026, and the second half is due on March 12, 2027. Residents can also drop off payments in our Tax Payment Box in the City Hall lobby, right next to the Greeter's Desk.

PARKS, RECREATION AND FACILITIES UPDATES

COMMUNITY & STAFF NEWS

  • Portland in Motion: If you missed "A More Walkable Portland", a special presentation by Jeff Speck, which was held on Wednesday at the Portland Museum of Art, don’t worry! We recorded it and it’s now available on our YouTube Channel. The event featured a panel discussion on Portland in Motion, the City’s first comprehensive transportation plan in more than 30 years, and a conversation about a more walkable future for Portland. Learn more at portlandmaine.gov/InMotion. 
  • We’re celebrating our August Employee of the Month, JP Polito! As a Parking Control Officer in our Parking Division, JP brings incredible dedication, strong leadership, and outstanding customer service to our team every day. JP’s commitment to excellent customer service is commended and reflected by an incredible record of zero customer complaints. Even when faced with difficult situations, she handles it with grace and never lets them deter her from giving maximum effort every day. 
  • National Drug Take Back Day takes place this Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Drop-off will take place in the Back Cove parking lot across from Hannaford. This event provides a safe, convenient, and anonymous way to dispose of unused or expired medications. 
  • The Portland Lantern Walk returns Sunday, Oct. 25 at 5 PM in Deering Oaks Park. 
  • Attend an Open House hosted by CMP to learn more about the CMP Greater Portland Transmission Upgrades Project on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 6-8 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.
  • Bookmark our Park Events Calendar for a list of local events.
  • Affordable Homeownership at Dougherty Commons & Lambert Co-op: One 3 Bedroom Condo and one 1 Bedroom Condo ready for move-in at Dougherty Commons, and 1 & 2 BRs available at Lambert Co-op, move-in April 2027. Visit their website or call Richard at 207-560-4883.
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