Portland City Council Weekly Roundup for June 19–23, 2017

The Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, golf cart safety on the islands, Camelot Farm re-zoning, the Mayor’s tax relief program, and the battle of the pesticide ordinances.

> Monday, June 19 @ 5:30pm — City Council Meeting

City Hall, Council Chambers (second floor, to the left)

Key agenda items:

• Vote to support the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, signaling the City of Portland’s desire to join dozens of other cities across the nation in a commitment to take bold action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their cities in support of the objectives outlined in the Paris Agreement. Public comment WILL be taken on this item.
• Vote to support a National Carbon Fee and Dividend Policy, which you can learn more about here. This topic was brought to the Council’s attention by Maine members of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Public comment WILL be taken on this item.
• Vote on updates to the City’s Golf Cart ordinance. The updated ordinance will require golf cart drivers to have a driver’s license and will require the carts to have headlights, rear reflectors and other safety equipment. They prohibit a passenger from riding on another person’s lap on a moving golf cart. The golf cart speed limit is increased to 20 miles per hour from 10, but a speed limit of 15 mph must be observed near schools during recess or at the beginning and end of the school day as students arrive. Public comment WILL be taken on this item.
• Vote on a zoning change to the “Camelot Farm” parcel in Stroudwater — some of the property would be changed from R-1 (low density residential) to R-3 (middle-density residential) with a portion of the parcel bordering the Stroudwater River being rezoned as ROC (city park). This parcel has been purchased by a developer who wishes to build 96 homes on the site, but would require this zone change. It has been highly controversial in the Stroudwater neighborhood, both because of this parcel’s environmental importance and the impact of 96 new homes in the neighborhood. Public comment WILL be taken, but this item will probably be postponed to a Council meeting in July.
• Vote to refer the issue of mainland parking for Island residents — specifically to develop a comprehensive plan for such parking — to the Sustainability & Transportation Committee. Public comment WILL be taken on this item.
• Vote to refer the issue of smaller homeless shelters to the Health & Human Services Committee. (The idea of smaller homeless shelters distributed throughout the City — instead of a single “mega shelter” — was floated by healthcare professionals in a recent meeting, and this item is intended to keep this option in mind as the City discusses replacing the Oxford Street Shelter.) Public comment WILL be taken on this item.
• Vote to refer the Mayor’s proposed senior tax relief program to the Finance Committee. (I should note that I, too, proposed a tax relief program a few weeks ago.) Public comment WILL be taken on this item.

Read the agenda and associated materials here.

> Wednesday, June 21 @ 5:30pm — Sustainability & Transportation Committee

City Hall, Council Chambers (second floor, to the left)

Key agenda items:

• Presentation of two competing pesticide ordinances: one drafted by the Pesticide and Fertilizer Task Force (which could reduce but does not fully limit the use of non-organic pesticides) and another, more restrictive ordinance based on South Portland’s (which does fully limit the use of non-organic pesticides). Public comment WILL be taken on this item.

Read the agenda and associated materials here.

> Thursday, June 22 @ 5:30pm — Finance Committee

City Hall, Room 209 (second floor, to the left)

** No Agenda is yet available for this meeting. I will update this post if/when an agenda appears. **