Portland Downtown seeks $750,000 for ambassador program; city committee asks for specifics on roles and private‑property work

Portland Downtown on June 18 outlined plans for a $750,000 ambassador program intended to increase downtown cleaning, safety and outreach, and answered Finance Committee questions about funding, scope and coordination with city services.

Carrie Tyson, executive director of Portland Downtown, told the committee the board approved a $750,000 allotment for ambassador efforts that will support roughly seven staff focused on clean‑and‑safe tasks. "About 7 different employees that will be out and about in the downtown doing everything from graffiti removal... picking up needles on private property... to dealing with human waste," Tyson said. She added the funds also cover capital equipment such as a street cleaner, power washers and a leased vehicle.

Funding and legal framework: staff and Portland Downtown explained the program would be paid for through a special assessment on property owners within the downtown development district, not through the city property‑tax mill rate. Brendan O’Connell, finance director, explained the assessment is separate from property taxes and is authorized under Maine Revised Statutes provisions for downtown development districts; the City Council must still approve the district’s annual development program and the assessment amount before the assessment is billed to district property owners.

Coordination questions: several councilors urged clarity on how the ambassador roles differ from existing city or nonprofit outreach services. Councilor Regina Phillips asked whether the ambassadors would perform social‑service outreach or primarily cleaning functions; Tyson said six of the seven positions would focus on cleaning and maintenance, and one position would include outreach duties and coordinate with social‑service providers. Assistant City Manager Greg Jordan said the ambassador staff would be expected to supplement, not replace, Public Works, which is constrained to public right‑of‑way maintenance and is already overmatched by downtown workload.

Council reaction varied: some members supported a pilot approach or phased funding to assess effectiveness. Councilor Ben Grant said he would support the program as an immediate step to address escalating downtown cleanliness and safety issues and asked about deployment timing; Tyson said hires and training were scheduled to begin around July 1 with street deployment by mid‑July if the program is approved.

What this means: the ambassador program would be launched and paid for by downtown district property owners through a special assessment, not the city’s general tax levy. Councilors requested clearer documentation on the ambassador budget breakdown, the distinction between private‑property and public‑space work, and measurable milestones for reporting back to the council. The downtown assessment and associated agreements are expected to appear on the City Council agenda on July 14, when public comment will be allowed.