City Council

MARK DION (MAYOR) SARAH MICHNIEWICZ (1) PIOUS ALI (A/L) WESLEY PELLETIER (2) APRIL FOURNIER (A/L) REGINA L. PHILLIPS (3) BENJAMIN GRANT (A/L) ANNA BULLETT (4) KATE SYKES (5) SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING - APRIL 13, 2026 The Portland City Council will hold a City Council Meeting in Council Chambers. The Honorable Mark Dion, Mayor, will preside. To submit written public comment on an agenda item, email publiccomment@portlandmaine.gov. Submissions must be received by 12:00 pm the day before the Council meeting to guarantee their inclusion in the agenda packet. All submissions must include the commenter's name and legal address. To help ensure your comment is submitted for the correct item, please include the order number (see below). The City Council will conduct this meeting from Council Chambers, located on the second floor of City Hall. https://portlandme.portal.civicclerk.com/event/8378/media PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: ROLL CALL: 5:00 P.M. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS: ANNOUNCEMENTS: RECOGNITIONS: PRESENTATIONS: SPECIAL MEETING: Special Meeting of the Corporator of the Portland Development Corporation Order 164-25/26 Approving the Portland Development Corporation Business Continuity Loan Program and Guidelines - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager At the Portland Development Corporation Board meeting held on March 19, 2026, the Board reviewed proposed guidelines for a new Business Continuity Loan Program, and voted 7-0 to forward the loan guidelines to the City Council for approval. This proposed new Loan Program is designed to support Portland businesses as they navigate the effects of economic uncertainties and challenges such as tariffs, the Custom House Wharf fire, frigid temperatures, and decreased tourism. The new loan program would be funded up to $250,000 through revolved Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) funds providing interest-free loans and a maximum loan amount of $10,000. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Special Meeting of the Corporator of the Portland Fish Pier Authority 1  Order 165-25/26 Appointing Mike Alfiero a Class B Director of the Board of the Portland Fish Pier Authority - Sponsored by Legislative & Nominating Committee, Mayor Mark Dion, Chair If passed, this order would appoint the following individuals to the Portland Fish Pier Authority: Name Board or Committee Expiration of Term Mike Alfiero Portland Fish Pier Authority 10/31/2028 Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING: City Council Meeting Minutes 03.16.2026 APPOINTMENTS: Order 166-25/16 Appointing Elizabeth Kampsen as Constable for the Portland Police Department - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager This order appoints Urban Ranger Elizabeth Kampsen as constable for the 2026 calendar year. Police Department constables issue citations for violations of various City ordinances, including, for example, harboring a dangerous dog and smoking in city parks. Urban Ranger is a position created to provide public safety and assistance through high- visibility patrols, emergency response, and connecting individuals with essential community resources. Urban Rangers preserve the vitality of public spaces by fostering community relationships, ensuring ordinance compliance through education, and supporting city events and operations. In order for these employees to have the authority to serve the legal process and to enforce the ordinances, they must be appointed as a constable by the City Council. The Police Department is hereby requesting that this employee be appointed as a constable. The authority provided by this order is limited. No constable is authorized to make arrests or carry a gun. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 167-25/26 Appointing Wardens and Ward Clerks for the 2026-2027 Election Year - Sponsored by Abbey Lombard, Interim City Clerk This order appoints Warden and Ward Clerks for the 2026-2027 Election Year, whose names are listed in the attachment. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 168-25/26 Appointing Election Clerks for 2026 to 2028 - Sponsored by Abbey Lombard, Interim City Clerk 2  This order appoints the Election Clerks for the term beginning on May 1, 2026, and expiring on April 30, 2028. Please see the order for the list of names. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 169-25/26 Appointing Members to Various Boards & Committees - Sponsored by Legislative & Nominating Committee, Mayor Mark Dion, Chair If passed, this order would appoint the following individuals to the various Boards & Committees: Name Board or Committee Expiration of Term Samuel Rains+ Board of Assessment 9/30/2027 Review James Gordon Platt+ Rent Board (District 2) 3/31/2028 Madeleine Segal+ Civil Service Commission 6/30/2028 Employment Subcommittee Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 170-25/26 Confirming the Appointment and Setting the Salary of Abbey Lombard as City Clerk - Sponsored by Mark Dion, Mayor This order appoints Abbey Lombard as City Clerk at an annual salary of $130,000, concluding an extensive nationwide recruitment process. Ms. Lombard brings over 15 years of public sector experience and has served as Interim City Clerk since January 2026. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Staff recommends that this item be passed as an emergency to allow Ms. Lombard to be sworn in and assume her duties as soon as possible. Seven affirmative votes are required for passage as an emergency after public comment. Order 171-25/26 Appointing Abbey Lombard as Registrar of Voters for the Duration of Appointment as City Clerk - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager This order would confirm Abbey Lombard as Registrar of Voters for the City of Portland for the duration of her appointment as City Clerk, as required by Maine State Law (21-A MRS §101). Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Staff recommends that this item be passed as an emergency to allow Ms. Lombard to be sworn in and assume her duties as soon as possible. Seven affirmative votes are required for passage as an emergency after public comment. CONSENT ITEMS: Order 172-25/26 Granting Municipal Officers’ Approval of Diguo 37 LLC, dba Empire Chinese Kitchen. Application for Class I FSE 575 Congress Street - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager 3  Application was filed on 3/17/26. This is a change of ownership of an existing establishment. Five affirmative votes are required for passage of items on the consent calendar after public comment. Order 173-25/26 Granting Municipal Officers’ Approval of Barkada LLC, dba Barkada. Application for Class IV FSE with Outdoor Dining on Private Property at 425 Fore Street - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager Application was filed on 3/16/26. Location was previously Gelato Fiasco. Five affirmative votes are required for passage of items on the consent calendar after public comment. BUDGET ITEMS: Order 174-25/26 Receiving and Referring City Manager's Fiscal Year 2027 Municipal Budget to the Finance Committee and Setting Date of Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 Municipal Budget and Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriation Resolve - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager Under this order, the City Council receives the City Manager's proposed budget and refers it to the Finance Committee for review. The Finance Committee will review the budget at its next meeting, scheduled for April 16, 2026. A Finance Committee public hearing on the budget is also scheduled for May 7, 2026. The first read of the FY27 Appropriation Resolve and Public Hearing is scheduled for the May 18, 2026 City Council meeting. Five affirmative votes are required for passage. Public comment will be limited to the referral action only. RESOLUTIONS: Resolve 9-25/26 Adopting the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Annual Action Plan including Appropriations for Community Development Block Grant Program, HOME Program, and Emergency Solutions Grant Program and Certifications Pertaining Thereto - Sponsored by Danielle West, City Manager The Housing and Economic Development Committee reviewed the Housing Program Budget at their meeting on March 31, 2026, and voted unanimously (4-0) to recommend City Council approval of the budget. The 2026-2027 Housing and Community Development Program Annual Action Plan reports to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) a total budget of $5,722,680 including $1,806,420 of CDBG Entitlement Funds; $30,000 in Downtown TIF District funds; $20,000 in Cotton Street proceeds; $796,646 in HUD HOME Program Grant allocation; $135,763 in HUD HOME Program Income and Recaptured Funds; $796,646 in HOME County Prior Year Funds; $1,125 in HUD Lead Safe Housing Program Income; and $1,989,361 from the Jill C. Duson Housing Trust Fund, and $158,872 of HUD Emergency Solutions Grant funds. 4  The CDBG Annual Allocation Committee, appointed by the City Council, reviewed each application and made funding recommendations that will be presented to the Council. The City Manager reviewed the Committee’s recommendations and submitted her funding recommendations to the Council. The City’s public participation process requires two public hearings to consider the City’s Housing and Community Development Program proposal. The hearings allow the public to comment on the City’s Consolidated Annual Action Plan. Public hearings are set for April 13, 2026, and April 27, 2026. People who wish to speak may do so one time; they may not speak at both public hearings. This item must be read on two separate days. This is its first reading and first public hearing. At the second public hearing on April 27, five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Order 158-25/26 Accepting and Appropriating a $500 Donation from Alireza Shahin Khojastehzad to the Shahnaz Mahager Hummingbird Grant Program - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager At the July 15, 2024, City Council meeting, the Council authorized the Shahnaz Mahager Hummingbird Grant Program and accepted and appropriated the initial capitalization and donation for the program in the amount of $18,105 from Alierza Shahin Khojastehzad and his sister Farnaz Khojastehzad in memory of their mother, Shahnaz Mahager. The program grants $1,000 annually to a Portland business whose owner's most recent annual adjusted gross income is below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) and are female, immigrant-owned businesses located in Portland with priority given to the cosmetology business. Mr. Khojastehzad would now like to donate an additional $500 for the program, which is administered by the Housing and Economic Development Department. City Council is being asked to accept and appropriate this additional $500 donation to the Program. This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on March 16. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 159-25/26 Approving Subaward Agreement Between MaineHealth and the City of Portland and Accepting and Appropriating $23,815.42 for Project DHARMA - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager This order approves a subaward agreement between the City of Portland Public Health Division and MaineHealth to participate in the research study titled "Enhancing Project DHARMA; evaluating a community-based drug checking navigator intervention to prevent overdoses." This agreement provides $23,815.42 in federal pass-through funding to support the City's participation in the study, which includes facilitating participant recruitment, data collection, and collaboration on drug-checking result reporting. 5  This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on March 16. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 160-25/26 - Approving Memorandum of Agreement and Accepting and Appropriating $300,000 from Trinity Episcopal Church RE: Trinity Park - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager This order approves a Memorandum of Agreement between the City of Portland and Trinity Episcopal Church related to proposed improvements to Trinity Park. Under the terms of the agreement, the Church will provide a project plan, a financial contribution of $300,000 for improvements within Trinity Park, and ongoing maintenance of certain areas of the park. The City will manage the public bidding process, the construction contract and fund improvements within the Forest Avenue right of way adjacent to Trinity Park. This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on March 16. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 161-25/26 Appropriating Bond Proceeds and Other Funds for the City's FY2027 Capital Improvement Program - Sponsored by the Finance Committee, April Fournier, Chair The Finance Committee voted on March 5, 2026 to recommend passage of this item, vote (2-0, Pelletier absent). This is a companion order to the bond authorization order below. The Finance Committee met several times during late 2025 and early 2026 to discuss the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). In last year’s CIP process, changes to better incorporate equity, sustainability and other City Council goals were made. These successful changes were continued in the current year based on guidance from the Committee. The Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Improvement Plan (FY27 CIP) has been in development since mid-2025. The list of FY27 CIP calls for over $46M of new projects but only $17.4M this total will have a net impact to debt service in the general fund operating budget. A broad variety of other funding sources including the enterprise funds (for sewer and stormwater projects) are being used to finance the remainder of the CIP. Two orders are required related to the CIP: one authorizing the FY27 CIP bonds; and a second appropriating the proceeds and other funding sources providing City staff with spending authority for the upcoming projects. A complete listing of the projects being authorized is included within the orders. This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on March 16. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 162-25/26 Authorizing General Obligation Bonds to Finance a Portion of the City's Fiscal Year FY27 Capital Improvement Program - Sponsored by the Finance Committee, April Fournier, Chair The Finance Committee voted on March 5, 2026 to recommend passage of this item, vote (2-0, Pelletier absent). This is a companion order to the bond appropriation order above. This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on March 16. Seven affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. 6  Order 163-25/26 Accepting and Appropriating Federal Aviation Administration grants, State of Maine Matching Grants, and Portland International Jetport Unrestricted Matching Funds - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues grants to fund eligible safety, capacity, and terminal improvements to airports through several nationwide grant programs authorized under federal law. This item accepts and appropriates $8.64 million in FAA federal grant funding to be awarded to the Jetport, $480,000 in state of Maine matching funds, and $480,000 in Jetport unrestricted fund matching contributions. The allocation from each grant program and funding source is listed below. FAA Airport Grant Funds $8,640,000 State of Maine Matching Funds $ 480,000 Jetport Unrestricted Fund Balance Matching Funds $ 480,000 Total $9,600,000 The Jetport will use this appropriation, totaling $9.6 million, to complete the following two projects: • Terminal Apron Reconstruction Phase 2 • Long-Term Hold Area, Deicing Pad Expansion & RON Apron Construction Phase 2 This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on March 16. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. ORDERS: Order 175-25/26 Accepting the 2025 Land Bank Commission Annual Report - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager On February 11, 2026, the Land Bank Commission held a public hearing regarding its Annual Report and registry of open spaces. After public comment, the Commission voted and passed the 2025 Annual Report, 9-0. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 176-25/26 Re-Establishing the Community Development Block Grant Priority Setting Task Force and Appointing Members - Sponsored by Danielle West, City Manager The City's current U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 5-Year Consolidated Plan, was approved by the City Council on April 11, 2022. The Plan established 4 main goals and objectives. These goals include: 1. Neighborhood Investment and Infrastructure, create strong, safe, accessible and vibrant neighborhoods; 7  2. Housing Availability, increase housing affordability and affordability; 3. Economic Opportunity, create economic opportunities to transition people out of poverty; 4. Address the Needs of the Growing Homeless Population, aim to prevent and reduce homelessness. It is time to re-assess the goals for the next 5-year HUD Consolidated Plan. The plan outlines how the City and the Cumberland County HOME Consortium will allocate federal funding. In addition to funded projects meeting national objectives and eligibility criteria, the plan requires projects to meet local level goals and priorities as well. Lastly, HUD requires public input in establishing the goals and priorities for the City of Portland. The Council-approved (Order 70-07/08) recommendations from the 2008 CDBG Task Force included the establishment of the Community Development Priority Setting Task Force every 3–5 years to meet the goal and priority-setting requirements set by HUD. Housing and Community Development staff request approval to re-establish the CDBG Priority Setting Task Force as well as the appointment of the following task force members: Barbara Ginley, Belviga Mpolo, Carly Lappas, Christina Bowman, Colleen Cooper, Gwendolyne Tuttle-Beaudoin, Jill Johanning, Kristen Dunphey, Kyla Wigant, Matt Starr, Miyabi “Abbie” Yamamoto, Stephanie Miller, Tae Chong and Teale Smith. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 177-25/26 Amending Order 18-24/25 to Adjust Project Name and Address and Reallocate Funding - Sponsored by the Housing & Economic Development Committee, Councilor Pious Ali, Chair The Housing & Economic Development Committee met March 31, 2026 and voted 4-0 to move the item to City Council. In 2024, Community Housing of Maine (CHOM) proposed two projects at parcels on Woodford St, the Woodbury and Woodfords Hall. At the time, the addresses were listed as 202 and 186 Woodford St, respectively. Since that time, it has been clarified that the addresses were incorrect, and the Woodbury should be listed at 186 Woodford St while Woodfords Hall should be listed at 202 Woodford St. Additionally, 186 Woodford St (The Woodbury) was originally awarded $450,000: $155,511 from the Jill C Duson Housing Trust Fund (HTF) and $294,489 in HOME funding. During the 2024 funding cycle, the city received funding requests totaling $3,376,000. The total funding available was $3,336,206 ($294,489 HOME + $3,041,717 HTF). In order to fully fund the project, the award was split between HOME and HTF funding. The HOME funds represented the final amount of City HOME funds that would not be subject to Build America, Buy America (BABA). Since the City award, CHOM has received other funding sources that would be subject to BABA. Therefore, HCD staff is proposing to fully fund the project with HOME funds by replacing the HTF award with 2026 HOME funds. The HTF funding would be incorporated into the 2026 Affordable Housing Development application. This order would amend the funding to reflect $450,000 in HOME funds and $0 in Housing Trust Funds, and update the project name and addresses to reflect the correct 8  project. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 178-25/26 Approving the Renewal of Portland's Participation in the Cumberland County HOME Consortium - Sponsored by the Housing & Economic Development Committee, Councilor Pious Ali, Chair The Housing & Economic Development Committee met March 31, 2026 and voted 4-0 to recommend renewal of Portland's participation in the Cumberland County HOME Consortium. The Cumberland County HOME Consortium will soon be entering the last year of its sixth three-year consortium contract period. The current Consortium agreement is due to expire on June 30, 2027 (Federal Fiscal Year 2026). The consortium has been a successful collaboration in support of affordable housing throughout Cumberland County. Each member of the Consortium must confirm their participation in the next three-year term and notify HUD by June 30, 2026. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment. Order 179-25/26 Appropriating 10.1 Million Dollars from Jetport Unrestricted Funds to Commence Design on the Phase 3 Parking Garage and Improve and Expand a Public Surface Parking Lot at the Portland International Jetport - Sponsored by the Sustainability & Transportation Committee, Regina Phillips, Chair The Sustainability & Transportation Committeee met March 11, 2026 and voted 3-0 to move the item to City Council. This item requests an appropriation totaling $10.1 million from Jetport unrestricted funds to commence design and construction on parking expansion projects at the Portland International Jetport. The appropriation will provide $1.5 million to commence design on the Phase 3 Parking Garage and $8.6 million to expand and improve the existing cell phone lot and gravel parking lot adjacent to Embassy Suites into a new Jetport self-park public parking lot of 537 spaces. The project will bring the existing gravel lot and partially cleared land acquired from Toye Airport Park LLC in 2021 up to current standards for lighting, stormwater treatment, pedestrian access, and landscaping. This item must be read on two separate days. This is its first reading. AMENDMENTS: Order 180-25/26 Amendment to Portland City Code Chapter 2 RE: Immigration Enforcement - Sponsored by Councilors Pious Ali & Regina Phillips This order amends Chapter 2 of the Portland City Code to clarify that City employees and officials are generally prohibited from assisting federal agencies in immigration enforcement operations, subject to exceptions when such assistance is required by law. This order also amends, but leaves in place, current provisions in Chapter 2 that prohibit 9  employees from making inquiries into a person's citizenship or immigration status, except when required by law or when such inquiry is required in order to direct them to services related to their immigration status. This item must be read on two separate days. This is its first reading. Order 181-25/26 Amendment to Portland City Code Chapter 14 RE: Definition of Main Entrance for Entertainment Businesses in B-3 and WCZ Zones - Sponsored by Portland Planning Board, Joseph Zamboni, Chair On March 24, 2026, the Planning Board voted unanimously (5–0, with Din recused, Silk absent) to find that the proposed text amendment to Article 6 (Uses), Section 6.8.14.C (Entertainment businesses in the B-3 and WCZ zones) clarifying the definition of “main entrance(s)” as shown in Attachment AA is consistent with the City of Portland’s Comprehensive Plan and, therefore, recommends adoption by the City Council. The purpose of the amendment is to clarify how “main entrance(s)” are defined for the purposes of regulation and enforcement. This item must be read on two separate days. This is its first reading. Order 182-25/26 Amendment to Portland City Code Chapter 14 RE: Large Theater and Performance Hall Dispersal Requirements - Sponsored by Portland Planning Board, Joseph Zamboni, Chair On March 24, 2026, the Planning Board voted unanimously (5–0, with Din recused and Silk absent) to find that the proposed text amendments to Article 3 (Definitions) and Article 6 (Uses), Section 6.4.42 (Theaters and Performance Halls (large) in the B-3 and WCZ zones), which modify the definition of theaters or performance halls and establish a minimum 750-foot separation requirement between large theaters or performance halls, as shown in Attachment A, are not consistent with the City of Portland’s Comprehensive Plan and, therefore, does not recommend their adoption by the City Council. The amendments were referred to the Planning Board by the Housing & Economic Development Committee on February 3, 2026, for review and recommendation. The proposed amendments are intended to mitigate impacts associated with a concentration of large theaters and performance halls. Specifically, they would modify the existing “Theater or Performance Hall” use by creating two categories: “Theater or Performance Hall (Small)” and “Theater or Performance Hall (Large).” The amendments would also establish supplemental use standards for large theater or performance halls in the B-3 and WCZ zones, prohibiting such venues from locating within 750 feet of the primary entrance(s) of another large theater or performance hall, as measured along public ways (i.e., following streets and sidewalks). This item must be read on two separate days. This is its first reading. Order 183-25/26 Terminating the Moratorium on Theater and Performance Hall Projects with a Capacity Exceeding 2,000 People in the City of Portland Established by Order 9-25/26 and Extended by Order 131-25/26 - Sponsored by Mark Dion, Mayor This Order terminates the Moratorium on theater and performance hall projects with a capacity exceeding 2,000 people, originally established on August 11, 2025 by Order 9- 10  25/26 and extended by Order 131-25/26. During the time that the Moratorium was in effect, the Housing and Eceonomic Development Committee and Planning Board reviewed and made recommendations to the City Council related to proposed amendments to the Land Use Code, thereby fulfilling the requirements established by the Moratorium. If approved, the termination of the Moratorium will be effective as of May 27, 2026. This item must be read on two separate days. This is its first reading. EXECUTIVE SESSION: ADJOURNMENT: 11