Public comments: coalition urges rethink of Jetport parking; residents back Black Travel Maine; calls for tax valuation transparency and clarification on Baron 

Several residents used the public-comment period at the June 2 Portland City Council meeting to raise a range of community concerns, from airport parking and inclusive tourism to tax-assessment transparency and housing procurement.

Joey Brunell urged the council to “re‑examine how the Jet Port is developing” and to consider alternatives to the current plan for a new surface parking lot. Brunell, speaking as an individual and representing a nascent coalition that includes the Urbanist Coalition of Portland, Portland Climate Action Team, Bicycle Coalition of Maine, Portland Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Stroudwater Village Association and Libbytown Neighborhood Association, said the group “are not opposed to jet port development” but object to “paving over some wetland to build another surface parking lot.” He suggested options including a smaller parking structure, use of off-site mall parking with shuttle service, better parking-management technology and expanded public transit coordination.

Several speakers urged council support for Black Travel Maine. Reverend Kenneth I. Lewis Jr. said including Black Travel Maine in the city’s tourism and development strategy would “uplift Black history, amplify Black‑owned businesses and invite a national audience to see Portland as a destination where culture, comfort and inclusion are not exceptions.” Two other residents, Rachel Morales and Ellen McKenzie, spoke in support of Black Travel Maine, saying early events show potential to broaden tourism to communities historically underrepresented in visits to Maine.

On municipal finance transparency, Steven Scharf told the council he had requested a FY25 versus FY26 valuation breakdown from the city assessor and was told the figures were preliminary and therefore withheld. Scharf said he estimated a citywide revaluation increase of about 30–33 percent and urged the council “to insist that that information be released and be available to the public.”

George Roe raised concerns about the Baron Center housing RFP process, saying a proposal’s appearance and disappearance from the public agenda created confusion and limited public participation. Roe also criticized a staff-level practice he described as deferring building‑permit fee payments for developers without interest, citing the 89 Elm Street project and urging the HECD committee to review origins and use of such deferrals.

Maurice Harder (Moe) suggested the council ask a different question about daytime activity among people experiencing homelessness — “what would we like homeless people to do with their time during the day?” — and offered to help design low-barrier work, volunteer or training opportunities. He offered his experience facilitating workshops and requested the council consider programs that connect people to volunteer and job-search supports.

The public-comment period closed after these and other comments; councilors did not take immediate action during the public-comment window but raised items for future committee consideration during the meeting.