Inside City Hall

6/18/2013 

Chris O’Neil, City Hall Liaison

The Chamber is involved in many aspects of public policy at City Hall. This newsletter keeps you abreast of what we see coming, and helps you understand what you might have missed in the papers. It also gives you connections for getting involved, or for merely sharing your opinion. Please circulate among your staff.

Via this newsletter I encourage you to also keep me informed.

Below are some City Hall goings-on that you and your staff should find informative and helpful.

Two Upcoming Dates for Styrofoam & Plastic Bag Ban

The City is a step closer to a ban on polystyrene (Styrofoam) containers. The proposed ban will be presented to a City Council committee for possible vote on June 19. While we acknowledge that polystyrene can be a solid waste problem, we have cautioned against making Portland an outlier as a place to do business. We have suggested that the state or federal governments might be the appropriate jurisdictions for such a policy discussion.

We have asserted that Portland’s archaic trash and recycling collection system is largely responsible for lots of street litter; curbside trash bags are easily torn by animals, and Portland’s open-top recycling bins allow the wind to do its thing.  The working group that produced the proposed polystyrene ban will meet June 25 to consider banning plastic shopping bags.  Read more, submit comment, and get involved here. 

 Guide to Doing Business in Portland

Read this one on your lunch hour.  You might want to save it for reference.

Congress Square Plaza Update

Thank you for raising your voice to contact City Councilors.  The City Council’s development committee voted 3-1 to start Congress Square Plaza negotiations with the Westin (former Eastland).  Councilors said that the public testimony really mattered. 

Click here to read our most recent testimony on the matter.   

We will keep you apprised in the next few weeks as the Council gets a look at the terms of the deal. Please stay ready to add the business community's voice (yours) of support for a reasonable outcome in repurposing the plaza. Our numbers count.  

See Councilor contact information here.

City Calendar

Wondering when that Planning Board or City Council meeting is? What’s on an agenda? Check out the City’s calendar.

Panhandling Conversation Continues

As we frequently point out, Portland is a compassionate community.  The explosion of panhandling all over town has gotten everyone’s attention, including the Chamber’s.  We have increasingly heard from other organizations, individual businesses, and neighborhood organizations. People want to be compassionate, but they want something done, particularly before summer tourism season.  We think these conversations are leading somewhere good. If you missed this story, it gives a peek at “Have a Heart – Give Smart.”  While it is still in its formative stages, it will need business places to host donation collection receptacles.  Please contact me if your business can do it.  

Ever Consider Hosting an Exchange Student?

Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) in Portland is looking for host families.  Contact Virginia Doss to get details.

Planning Department Offers Office Hours

This new service allows developers to discuss project plans with key staff.  Read more here.

Have a Crime Tip?  Portland PD Makes it Easy

To provide information anonymously, community members may contact police by text, internet, or phone.

Mobile phone users can text the keyword “GOTCHA” plus their message to 274637 (CRIMES).

Submit tips by clicking Submit an Anonymous Crime Tip.

Anonymous phone tips can be left on the PPD’s Crime Tip line: (207) 874-8584.

Chamber Economic Scorecard

When it comes to important economic indicators, how do you get through all the opinions to know with certainty just where Portland ranks?  Check it out here:

The Chamber Scorecard.  Our third annual publication about the Portland economy informs elected officials in City Hall, Augusta, and Washington. The Scorecard allows us to measure what matters, not once, but trended over time.  So we can act as appropriate.

Some highlights from the Scorecard include:

• Portland and the region look good compared to the rest of Maine and New England, over the short term and long term. An educated work force and lower unemployment rates are among the competitive advantages.
• Portland compares well with New England and national benchmark cities, leading in half of the indicators, and staying close in most others.
• There is still much work to be done. Compared to national averages, and over short timeframes, Portland is lagging in pivotal areas including key industries, a higher tax burden, and housing affordability. Factors including an uneven economic recovery and the fact that Portland exists in a high-cost region contribute to this. The growth of red indicators over the last two years creates urgency to assess what is wrong, and fix it.

Cranes in the Air

Currently in Portland there are major projects in planning/construction worth at least a quarter billion dollars.  See specifics here.

Are You Bullish on Portland?

Do you like living and working in Portland?  Like to talk up your town?  Consider yourself a connector?  Take a minute and check out this link.

If You Liked That One…

…Look at this site.  The Chamber is a major sponsor of this initiative.  If your business is recruiting people from away, you should know about this.

Grants Available For Portland Job Creators

That’s right.  There’s no free lunch, but if you need a little gap funding to help your business create jobs, click this link on the city’s website.

Subscribe to City Planning & Urban Development Newsletter

New Director of Planning & Urban Development Jeff Levine has launched a newsletter to which you can subscribe.  Check it out here.

Watch City Council Meetings on CTV or Streaming Online

You can watch City Council meetings live on CTN Channel 5 or streaming online.  Click here to see how.

City Information Tool

Portland Cityline is an easy way for residents, businesses and visitors of Portland to receive periodic updates on city government activities. By simply signing up online, you can receive the latest information. Find out about traffic alerts, changes to trash and recycling pick-up schedules, public meetings, recreation activities and much more.

Know your City Councilors?

In which Council District are you located? Click here to see the map. Want to get in touch with Councilors to thank them, invite them to your business, or provide input? Find out here how to get in touch with them.

City Calendar

Wondering when that Planning Board or City Council meeting is? What’s on an agenda? Check out the City’s calendar.

Ask The City

The City has an online service called eContact. It allows citizens quick and easy access to information and specific information requests. Check it out Here.

Chris O’Neil is the principal of O’Neil Policy Consulting, Inc.  He has represented the Portland Community Chamber at City Hall since 2006.
Contact Chris.