[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6073896,"mediaKeyId","2989609-7667b77a3fa2dfd80fbe7d92ba98cba1","parentId",2989609,"title","Votes at a glance: Key council actions, April 2025","audioSeconds",5169,"startMs",1081000,"endMs",6250000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989609-7667b77a3fa2dfd80fbe7d92ba98cba1&start=1081&end=6250","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989609-7667b77a3fa2dfd80fbe7d92ba98cba1/thumbnail_1081000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6073896/Portland/Cumberland-County/Maine/Votes-at-a-glance-Key-council-actions-April-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073896-e064d1c80223a3c71ce877d60ffb6b54/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438730&Signature=NyoTG~moivariKGWx7-hs7SkTznzSqi69HQja~vDGbz2ThQceK4psPattFvib1CS2pUYuODJmh4q62iKcHUKggf8Vf~Yjx0Ukz3aI1hqOCQFP5mjeCo89D~iiqV5HBLvXHOlPyzv5wQhlWQ03nOar85NYNZEtZpgyrikEZKfMzccvWiAUC6LV-NDPnUXIyLvoWMKde5awg0Mdv6uH33M9fU-o8tno5D~D~81WTBVDUvVyxetCJM~XxbfWGKj8fZTniboKecemxsnUidL7dI7QFoOPQygflvLo98B2Q8jYVh8QX9VPX8SmRhdZXOKrxxzy5K0fLn-Mt2QPd5LHt2KfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Portland Maine ","date","2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","article","The Portland City Council took votes on multiple orders and resolutions during the meeting. The following is a concise summary of actions and recorded outcomes.

- Appointment of constables for the parking division (Order 1542425): Motion moved by Councilor Ali, seconded by Councilor Sykes; passed unanimously.

- Municipal officer approvals (liquor/entertainment) for Lucky Cheetah (11 Moulton St.), Lone Pine Brewing (219 Anderson St.), 0 Bar and Grill (155 Riverside St.), and Lynchionette (15147 Cumberland Ave) (Orders 155–158): Motion moved by Councilor Sykes, seconded by Councilor McNevich; passed unanimously.

- Collective bargaining agreement between the City and the Communications Employees Association (Order 1532425): Council approved the contract and an amendment correcting contract dates to 07/01/2024–06/30/2027; amendment passed unanimously; main motion then passed by roll call.

- MDOT agreements for paving and ADA work: Order 1512425 (Woodford Street / Deering Avenue) and Order 1522425 (Congress Street / West Commercial / Fore River Parkway) were presented by Director Michael Murray; both orders were approved on roll call.

- Acceptance and appropriation of grants and donations: a $50,000 grant from the State of Maine's Housing Opportunity Program for a housing policy evaluation study (Order 100Fifty-twentyFour-twenty5) was accepted; the council approved the order. Other first-read grant acceptances were listed for later action (program details in meeting backup).

- Emergency appropriation: The council accepted and appropriated a $200,000 State of Maine EMS grant to support Portland Fire Department EMS operations and waived the second reading and passed the item as an emergency; roll call recorded unanimous approval.

- Additional orders passed by the council included various administrative and program actions (parking division appointments, CIP orders, MDOT agreements and other grant acceptances) as recorded in the meeting agenda; where the transcript includes roll-call tallies, they have been noted above.

Where vote tallies were provided in the transcript, they are included. For more details and to see the complete vote records, council minutes and roll-call records in the official packet should be consulted.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Portland ME Special City Council Workshop 04/14/25","oneSentenceSummary","The City Council passed a slate of routine and substantive items including appointments, liquor and business licenses, several MDOT agreements, grant acceptances, a collective bargaining contract and emergency EMS funding. Roll-call tallies are provided where recorded in the meeting transcript.","taxTitle","Portland, Cumberland County, Maine","taxId",2582,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6073901,"Council approves $41.07M FY26 Capital Improvement Program and adds $165,000 for Back Cove stairs repair",702,3945000,4647000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989609-7667b77a3fa2dfd80fbe7d92ba98cba1&start=3945&end=4647","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989609-7667b77a3fa2dfd80fbe7d92ba98cba1/thumbnail_3945000.jpg","/articles/6073901/Portland/Cumberland-County/Maine/Council-approves-4107M-FY26-Capital-Improvement-Program-and-adds-165000-for-Back-Cove-stairs-repair","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073901-3c9b370031086048b55982330b6c58ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438730&Signature=lRcMn~feXFjs1SDHl6CYmBHdx0KDz4Z3OVUeyKVQJIup~emikSUBgbUCW356inMC3teRVYoQKNKd4spZ~mWE1l-ZdJSPDA7~9NJNLkCiV1qa4A~unQ0NqdAaLEzVqLUiJAwHYWupYcz-qctQue-ypx~qtw-f2zqcVpxr~J6askHYr0EJL1Ly5-YWsH0Z0gGke7rZmQQ3eOE14fdG~6kTPu0PwPedCl8eL5IL0a277SzTSBJpoqC1AZBtRI4EeL6aeslXYSCxo3W2QhMqiOkHHFZoxm68jgyAU~Udd8indTO~boUGvZvDuUmJk7muJUCOlVj8ZiwJaN5JN18xKD~Fyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Portland City Council approved the city's fiscal year 2026 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) appropriation — an order appropriating up to $41,070,000 in bond proceeds and other funds — and separately authorized general obligation bonds not to exceed $30,370,000 to finance part of the program. During debate, Councilor Bullock successfully moved an amendment to add $165,000 to the bond authorization to repair and consolidate Back Cove granite stairs, a public-safety focused parks project.

The Finance Committee developed the CIP from the manager's proposal and added a decisional framework that emphasizes equitable investments and climate/sustainability criteria, an ex officio councilor explained. The CIP includes multiple school projects (security upgrades, roofing and HVAC), seawall and waterfront resilience work, street paving and sidewalk improvements, bike and pedestrian safety projects, ADA ramp upgrades and playground and trail repairs including work at Deering Oaks Pond.

Speaking to the plan, an ex officio finance committee representative said the CIP addresses needs in all city districts and thanked staff for incorporating new evaluation criteria that reflect council priorities.

Public commenters raised process concerns. Steven Sharp and George Roe urged more public involvement in capital planning and questioned transparency about bond issuance timing and the distribution of funds to schools versus other infrastructure. Roe specifically said some previously-authorized bond proceeds had not yet been issued and asked for clearer disclosure of timing and fund balances tied to impact fees.

Councilor Bullock moved an amendment to increase the CIP bond by $165,000 to repair two Back Cove granite staircases (reducing the total staircase count to two with new railings for safety). The amendment was seconded by Councilor Phillips and passed on roll call. The main appropriation and the bond orders, as amended, then passed by roll call votes.

Finance staff explained that bond issuance is often timed to match project cash-flow needs and is commonly issued in the late winter or spring following CIP approval so that projects can be scheduled and bid in alignment with construction seasons.

The council also approved a companion order authorizing specific bond issuance and then passed related amendments. Councilors discussed trade-offs between capital projects and social-service needs during budget deliberations and underscored the need for year-round public engagement on capital planning.

Votes on the CIP and amendments were taken by roll call; the amendment for Back Cove stairs and both bond/appropriation orders were approved.","The City Council approved the FY26 Capital Improvement Program appropriations and bond authorization and unanimously passed a council amendment to add $165,000 to fund repairs to Back Cove granite stairs; the CIP includes school, streets, parks and waterfront projects and drew public comment on planning transparency.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6073906,"Portland council adopts GPCOG Vision Zero Action Plan, sets goal to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2045",1396,2521000,3917000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989609-7667b77a3fa2dfd80fbe7d92ba98cba1&start=2521&end=3917","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989609-7667b77a3fa2dfd80fbe7d92ba98cba1/thumbnail_2521000.jpg","/articles/6073906/Portland/Cumberland-County/Maine/Portland-council-adopts-GPCOG-Vision-Zero-Action-Plan-sets-goal-to-eliminate-traffic-fatalities-by-2045","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073906-0ae8de506f6d9a264edcffe02551b0d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438730&Signature=Z82pESyG9nQfX7OFa7Ma-en1mYiGKn8DCukSJgFXwUSx7WpPi1d2qcZeGuSG9PClko6CPMBya-HNiWqOI6jQE4GhuPLRzZqRfjrLsgy3hMoN9BeUsOTETFXMwX-ZeGFNWDoLtF7cKsVnlhSZtR3aPy8FOlzDHgTZISuUvhQ~e8CNFPtJdi-3hbOMzCANAqdUv6FNehlHoaB4wDjvoW~S~PMiDG1KHMPyrapZ47I5LWH~3bXRjoD1efLbPFyofvz7UBe6Zz957CHfziQNuw4e3vWUfpKK1EfvqbtZhPnOO7ud50z32hf1bkpRXS-0BOpyeT43rAGU3ODvkSH~rns4KA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Portland City Council unanimously approved a resolution adopting the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) Vision Zero Action Plan and committed the city to a goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2045.

Councilor Regina Phillips, chair of the Sustainability and Transportation Committee, introduced the resolution and said staff produced an actionable roadmap with specific tasks and timelines. “It talks about five goals and what we want to do,” Phillips said, praising Assistant City Manager Greg Jordan’s work in shaping the quick-action items.

Members of the public and neighborhood advocates gave testimony in support of the resolution. Winston Lumpkins, a former chair of the Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, urged the council to consider a 2035 target to help the region meet its goals. Jamie Parker of Portland Trails and Andrew Zarrow, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, said the plan’s quick-action items and internal task forces are necessary to move beyond piecemeal responses.

Assistant City Manager Greg Jordan and staff recommended the council keep the timeline proposed by GPCOG, which sets 2045 as the goal year. When Councilor Pelletier asked whether 2035 was feasible, staff said they lacked the cost and impact analysis to accelerate the timeline immediately and recommended referring such questions to the committee for more information.

Several councilors called for continued public engagement and for Vision Zero principles to be integrated across capital projects and departmental decisions. Councilor Sykes called the resolution “one of the most important things we’ve done” and urged public participation going forward.

The council voted unanimously to adopt Resolve 82425, which endorses the GPCOG Vision Zero Action Plan, supports producing a transportation master plan and quick-action items, and directs staff to work with regional partners on implementation.","The City Council unanimously adopted the Greater Portland Council of Governments’ Vision Zero Action Plan and committed the city to eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2045. Advocates urged an accelerated target of 2035; staff recommended aligning with GPCOG’s 2045 timeline.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6073911,"City Manager submits $365.6 million FY26 budget; council refers plan to Finance Committee",619,1317000,1936000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2989609-7667b77a3fa2dfd80fbe7d92ba98cba1&start=1317&end=1936","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2989609-7667b77a3fa2dfd80fbe7d92ba98cba1/thumbnail_1317000.jpg","/articles/6073911/Portland/Cumberland-County/Maine/City-Manager-submits-3656-million-FY26-budget-council-refers-plan-to-Finance-Committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073911-6e45cfb2587e01356d0573c08e6c0c6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438730&Signature=Ol41syNwoFkBzX1GkZcqnc5smTQJIpby7BwYu~5G0S-l9ywi2Wm23hsZEGvlgF-1oaAEEifY2jfSBfpEXOD-fQzUztBPI~ZnpQOGtQlooExSgEEIrJcD-WrRd7BMgQYxdFzpz1kb~DbJShE-WJQruBVtxnp94JpyNgHgO8O6lP29ctXRRs4gLWjm3b7nDqbxKNFPxi3yxCTmUlXQ93eSkcyGRyMRigzAG3NTcFAn9tkZKvz8wz6y7fKNIK11PJsAI7a2tl3RZYo-SsRYjdLXH8EjvTJC6PM1v1De6XmRB5I19czWCbNkENaazFI67F-7meM1wkQ2iQ6AHw6zcByywA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Manager Daniel West submitted the City Manager's recommended fiscal year 2026 municipal budget — a $365,600,000 proposal — and the Portland City Council voted unanimously to refer the package to the Finance Committee for review.

The budget, delivered to the council as required by the city charter, was presented by Daniel West, City Manager. West told councilors the budget cycle was “extremely complex and very challenging,” citing rising health insurance costs as high as 20%, contractually required wage increases, and recent federal and state funding uncertainties that together produced a large budget gap.

West said the city began the process with an estimated $19 million shortfall that grew to about $29.5 million after the loss of a $3 million FEMA grant. Through departmental reductions, proposed fee and revenue increases and delaying hiring for some positions, staff reduced the remaining gap to about $8.8 million, which the recommended budget addresses in part using one-time funds and fund balance.

“We are still waiting for those uncertainties to play out, most relevantly in Augusta,” West said, referring to proposed state changes that could affect nearly $5.9 million in funding the city currently expects. He described general assistance as a state-mandated program with significant local cost and said Portland absorbs many clients from across Maine and beyond. West reported that from Feb. 24 to Feb. 25 the city recorded 975 intakes at homeless services, 484 of which were from other Maine towns and 203 from out of state.

To reduce reliance on fund balance, West proposed a set of policy options for the Finance Committee: reprogramming approximately $1.5 million in opioid settlement funds and consolidating family shelter services at an existing site (166 Riverside Street) after refit, which he said could save about $1.3 million. Taken together, those options could reduce the fund-balance draw by about $2 million.

Councilors reacted to the presentation by emphasizing the state-level uncertainty. Several councilors — including Councilor Sykes and Councilor Grant — stressed that labor costs and health insurance are the primary drivers of rising expenses and urged the council to consider structural changes if state funds are reduced. Councilor Sykes and others described ongoing work with the state delegation to seek a middle ground on proposed cuts or caps.

The council voted unanimously to refer the budget and appropriation resolve to the Finance Committee, which will begin consideration at its next meeting and continue with a schedule announced by staff.

The referral does not represent final approval; the Finance Committee will review line items, proposed policy options and potential reprogramming of restricted funding before a subsequent council vote.","City Manager Daniel West submitted a $365.6 million recommended municipal budget and the City Council voted unanimously to refer the proposal to the Finance Committee for detailed review amid state funding uncertainty and proposals to use one-time funds and program changes to close a multimillion-dollar gap.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Key council actions, April 2025

Council approves $41.07M FY26 Capital Improvement Program and adds $165,000 for Back Cove stairs repair

Portland council adopts GPCOG Vision Zero Action Plan, sets goal to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2045

City Manager submits $365.6 million FY26 budget; council refers plan to Finance Committee