November 14, 2022 (Monday - Council Meeting at 5pm, Workshop at 4pm)

Dear Portlanders, 

We voted - and what an election it was!

• 71% of registered City of Portland voters cast a ballot. THANK YOU!
• 33,993 votes: 14,017 voters voted absentee, and 19,976 voted in-person. 

Portland's local Charter Commission and Citizen Initiative results were definitive...

• Six of the Eight Charter Commission proposals passed (yes / no):
  • Q1 Preamble and Land Acknowledgement 63% / 37%
  • Q3 Clean Elections 65% / 35%
  • Q4 Proportional Rank Choice Voting 64% / 36%
  • Q6 Peaks Island Council 66% / 34%
  • Q7 Police Oversight 61% / 39%
  • Q8 Ethics Commission & Code of Ethics 70% / 30%
• Two of the Eight Charter Commission proposals failed (yes / no):
  • Q2 Governance 35% / 65%
  • Q5 School Board Budget Autonomy 42% / 58%
• One of the Five Citizen Initiatives passed (yes / no):
  • QC Tenant Protections 61% / 39%
• Four of the Five Citizen Initiatives failed (yes / no):
  • QA Short Term Rentals 44% / 56%
  • QB Short Term Rentals 45% / 55%
  • QD Minimum Wage 39% / 61%
  • QE Cruise Ships 27% / 73%

Just like any ordinance amendment, city staff has 30 days to implement the provisions of Question C. 

And - Portland's Corporation Counsel is working with the Charter Commission's counsel regarding implementation timing of Amendments to the City Charter - which we believe will take effect the first day of the new fiscal year, July 1, 2023. (More on that later this week...)

Some Updates - Please stay engaged!

• City Manager Hiring Process:
  • Last Thursday, the City Council's Search Committee picked up the work to move forward the work to hire a permanent City Manager.
  • Our next meeting is this Wednesday at 8:00am on Zoom. (see below for log in info)
• Proposed Concert at Payson Park:
  • There's a Council Workshop today at 4:00pm re: a proposed multi-day concert in Payson Park. The festival license will be considered next Monday (11/21) - and today's Workshop is a chance for the Council to learn more. (This is not a public comment opportunity, but please join us in person at City Hall, or on Zoom to listen in...)
• Food Trucks:
  • City of Portland staff will present their recommendation for the 2023 food truck program on the Eastern Prom during a joint meeting of the Council’s Housing & Economic Development Committee and the Sustainability & Transportation Committee. The meeting, which will take place tomorrow - Tuesday, November 15 at 5:00 PM - will also include a review of the 2022 pilot program and recent food truck survey results. Public comment will be taken. 
• Back to Proposed Concert:
  • I'll host a Mayor Zoom meeting about the proposed concert (mentioned above). This will be from 7:00-8:00pm. I'll have the concert applicants, city staff and others with me to offer information and hear your concerns/answer your questions. Please join us - this is an opportunity for community engagement. 

All meeting info and Zoom log-in info is here: www.portlandmaine.gov/agendas 
Mayor Zoom info and Zoom log-in info is here: www.portlandmaine.gov/mayor

More soon,