HHS and Public Safety Committee — Portland, ME
Date: 2026-05-12
Time: 17:30

Remote HHS and Public Safety MEMBERS
Meeting Agenda Councilor Anna Bullett, District 4, Chair
 Councilor April Fournier, At-Large
May 12, 2026 at 5:30 PM
 Councilor Sarah Michniewicz, District 1
Council Chambers, City Hall Councilor Wesley Pelletier, District 2



To submit written public comment on an agenda item, email HHSPS@portlandmaine.gov. Submissions must be
received by 12:00 pm the day before the Health & Human Services and Public Safety 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 name of the agenda item (see below).

The Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee will conduct this meeting remotely via Zoom
pursuant to the Remote Meeting Policy adopted by the Portland City Council. Allow your computer to install
the free Zoom app to get the best meeting experience. If you are not able to attend live either in person or via
Zoom, a recording will be available in the Agenda Center following the meeting.

You are invited to a Zoom webinar!
When: May 12, 2026 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Remote HHS and Public Safety Meeting

Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:
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Webinar ID: 864 8481 6837
Passcode: 881946
International numbers available: https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/u/kLwMWbcsa




1. Announcements


2. Review and Approval of Minutes from April 14, 2026


 a. Draft Minutes
3. Overdose Prevention Centers (Councilor Bullett)
 Committee members will discuss policy direction for overdose prevention centers .
4. Day Space (Councilor Bullett)
 The Committee will discuss policies related to day space services.
5. Cruise Ship Infectious Disease (Bridget Rauscher, Public Health Director)
 Staff will provide an update regarding communications and protocols associated with
 infectious diseases and cruise ships.
 a. Staff Memo
6. Public Safety Update (Chad Johnston, Fire Chief)
 A standing public safety update that alternates each month between the Police and Fire
 departments.
 a. Fire Update
7. Next Meeting: June 9, 2026

Remote HHS and Public Safety MEMBERS
Meeting Agenda Councilor Anna Bullett, District 4, Chair
 Councilor April Fournier, At-Large
May 12, 2026 at 5:30 PM
 Councilor Sarah Michniewicz, District 1
Council Chambers, City Hall Councilor Wesley Pelletier, District 2



To submit written public comment on an agenda item, email HHSPS@portlandmaine.gov. Submissions must be
received by 12:00 pm the day before the Health & Human Services and Public Safety 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 name of the agenda item (see below).

The Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee will conduct this meeting remotely via Zoom
pursuant to the Remote Meeting Policy adopted by the Portland City Council. Allow your computer to install
the free Zoom app to get the best meeting experience. If you are not able to attend live either in person or via
Zoom, a recording will be available in the Agenda Center following the meeting.

You are invited to a Zoom webinar!
When: May 12, 2026 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Remote HHS and Public Safety Meeting

Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:
https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/j/86484816837?pwd=MIn9d4oRwhvhUYqsJ3m0Lbo5Fdx4fY.1
Passcode:881946

Phone one-tap:
+13126266799,,86484816837#,,,,*881946# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,86484816837#,,,,*881946# US

Join via audio:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 931 3860 US
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 305 224 1968 US
+1 309 205 3325 US
+1 719 359 4580 US
+1 253 205 0468 US
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 360 209 5623 US
+1 386 347 5053 US
+1 507 473 4847 US
+1 564 217 2000 US
+1 669 444 9171 US
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 689 278 1000 US
Webinar ID: 864 8481 6837

 Page 1
Passcode: 881946
International numbers available: https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/u/kLwMWbcsa




1. Announcements


2. Review and Approval of Minutes from April 14, 2026


 a. Draft Minutes
3. Overdose Prevention Centers (Councilor Bullett)
 Committee members will discuss policy direction for overdose prevention centers .
4. Day Space (Councilor Bullett)
 The Committee will discuss policies related to day space services.
5. Cruise Ship Infectious Disease (Bridget Rauscher, Public Health Director)
 Staff will provide an update regarding communications and protocols associated with
 infectious diseases and cruise ships.
 a. Staff Memo
6. Public Safety Update (Chad Johnston, Fire Chief)
 A standing public safety update that alternates each month between the Police and Fire
 departments.
 a. Fire Update
7. Next Meeting: June 9, 2026




 Page 2
 Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee

 April 14, 5:30 PM Remote Meeting

Committee Attendance:
Anna Bullett, Chair (District 4), Sarah Michniewicz (District 1)
Councilor Attendance:
City Staff:
Adam Harr, Executive Assistant; Greg Jordan, Assistant City Manager; Mark Dubois, Police
Chief; Maggie McLoughlin, Director or HHS; Dena Libner, Assistant City Manager;
Management Coordinator; Nicole Albert, Associate Corporation Counsel.

1. Announcements
 • Councilors Fournier and Pelletier are unable to attend.
2. Review and Approval of Minutes from February 10, 2026
 • Councilor Bullett moved to approve the minutes; seconded by Councilor Michniewicz. The
 minutes were approved unanimously 2-0, with Councilors Fournier and Pelletier absent.

3. HHS 2025 Annual Report
 • Director McLoughlin presented the HHS 2025 Annual Report.
Committee questions and discussion
 • The Naloxone distribution and community reversals are across the county
 o May be able to disaggregate Portland only.
 • These data do not include emergency responder reversed overdoes; these data are reported by
 peer reversed reversals.
 • How many people are being housed out of encampments?
 o There are not large encampments so most people housed by HOPE were referred by the
 outreach team.
 • How has the Cotton street provider relationship been?
 o It has been very successful thanks to shared interest and partners like Portland
 Downtown.
 o There have been increased reports of security incidents.
 o The goal is still to secure day space.
 • Is there an update on contingency management?
 o Legal teams are working on grant agreement details.
4. Winter Warming Shelter Update
 • The grant period ends on April 30, 2026.
 • Average dropped to 20 people per night.
 • More than 3,600 overtime hours.
 • Modified threshold to include Blizzard and Ice Storm warnings.
Committee questions and discussion
 • Do we need to return unspent funds or roll it into next year?
 o Will need to confirm.




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5. FY27 Winter Warming Planning
 • Director McLoughlin presented the estimated cost implications of a threshold versus seasonal
 models.
 • Cost is determined by building design which informs staffing costs.
 • MaineHousing funding opportunity is not released until the fall, adding uncertainty to planning
 process.
 • Will return next month for guidance from the full Committee.
6.Public Safety Update
 • Local police are not involved in immigration enforcement.
 • Hotel incident:
 o 9 arrests
 o Over 50 calls for service
 o We have an obligation to maintain order and peace
 o Camera use was intended to surveille vehicles in parking garages; not people.
 o Extreme noise
 • Use of signal app
 o For generic communication
 o Officers were using personal phones and needed a secure solution.
  Now all phones are City-owned.
Committee questions and discussion
 • Why not use radios instead of texting?
 o Text chains are useful to fill callouts
 o Also useful for sharing location details to reference.
 o Used in training events.
 • Councilor Michniewicz said that communication does not equal collaboration and some degree of
 communicating is important when that enforcement is happening.
 o Cameras: outside of vandalism, when are they used,
  Specific criminal investigations and not general public.
  Deployed for less than 24 hours at a time, usually once a month.
 o Public concern of auto delete; how were records retained?
  If there are 30 people on the thread, only one person needs to document the
 thread to retain the record.
  The volume of calls would create pages of text if stayed in one thread.
  All informs ton is available in other sources such as body cam footage and
 warrants.
 o Social media monitoring concern
  Used to estimate size of the crowd based on social media activity of the
 protest/event.

Next meeting is May 12, 2026.

Councilor Michniewicz moved to adjourn, and was seconded by Councilor Bullett. The motion passed
unanimously 2-0 with Councilors Fournier and Pelletier absent; the meeting adjourned 6:26PM.




 Page 4
City of Portland | Health and Human Services
Maggie McLoughlin, Director

To: Health and Human Services & Public Safety Committee
Councilor Anna Bullett, Chair

From: Bridget Rauscher, Director of Public Health
Date: April 28, 2026
Re: Cruise Ship Infectious Disease




MEETING DATE: May 12, 2026

AGENDA ITEM
Agenda Item #5

PURPOSE
This memo provides the Health and Human Services and Public Safety Committee with an overview
of public health context, clarifies jurisdictional authority, and practices as they relate to infectious
disease outbreaks on cruise ships, for discussion and feedback.

COMMITTEE WORK PLAN/CITY COUNCIL GOAL ALIGNMENT
The Health and Human Services and Public Safety (HHSPS) Committee prioritized discussion of
infectious disease protocols related to cruise ships in its 2026 Committee workplan.

BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
Portland’s Ocean Gateway terminal is a regular port of call for cruise ships operating along the
northeastern United States and Canadian routes. Infectious disease outbreaks on cruise ships are
often associated with acute gastroenteritis (AGE, most commonly norovirus), as well as respiratory
infections (such as COVID-19 and influenza), and other vaccine preventable diseases (varicella, for
example). While this risk is present for the general public, the close quarters and shared
environments onboard vessels can increase exposure.

While outbreaks on cruise ships are closely monitored, they are not uncommon and are typically
managed through established federal and state public health protocols. Cruise ships carrying 13 or
more passengers with an international itinerary and port stops in the US are required to report
outbreaks of AGE to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Vessel
Sanitation Program (VSP) when illness levels meet or exceed established thresholds. For vessels
with international itineraries, the VSP is responsible for:

 ●​ Establishing reporting thresholds
 ●​ Monitoring outbreaks
 ●​ Providing public reporting and guidance

Ships with only domestic itineraries are still subject to mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases, a
subset of diseases with higher risk for the general population, to the Federal CDCs Division of Global


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Migration Health relevant Port Health Station. In the case of an interstate cruise ship with an
infectious disease outbreak coming to Portland, the US Port Health Station in Boston would be
notified and would work with the Maine CDC to coordinate if a response is required. Under Maine
law (Title 22, M.R.S. §§801–825), the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has primary
authority for the surveillance, investigation, and control of communicable diseases, including
outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) such as norovirus, through the following mechanisms:

 ●​ Infectious disease surveillance and reporting
 ●​ Public health investigation and response
 ●​ Issuance of guidance related to communicable diseases

Within the City of Portland, the Harbor Master has the authority to redirect ships, and the Director of
Health and Human Services has the broad authority to enforce laws, ordinances, and regulations
pertaining to conditions detrimental to life or health. The Director of Health and Human Services
utilizes the expertise of the Public Health Division to make such enforcement determinations.
However, within the context of Maine, the Maine CDC is the lead entity on infectious disease
surveillance and reporting and is staffed accordingly. The Portland Public Health Division focuses on
complementary work such as:

 ●​ Risk communication to the public
 ●​ Coordination with state and federal partners
 ●​ Community education and outreach



NOROVIRUS
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily through person-to-person contact,
contaminated surfaces, and contaminated food or water. Norovirus leads to symptoms such as
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping, with symptoms typically beginning 12–48 hours
after exposure and lasting one to three days for most people. Generally, norovirus resolves on its
own without medication and with self- care, including hydration. While illness is generally mild,
children, elderly individuals, and those with a weakened immune system are at higher risk for
dehydration and complications from norovirus. Individuals are most contagious while symptomatic
and can continue shedding the virus for several days after recovery. While individual cases of
norovirus are not a reportable disease, any suspected outbreaks, such as would be the case on a
cruise ship, are reportable.

RECOMMENDATIONS
In an effort to align with established public health best practices, and with input from the Vessel
Sanitation Program, Portland Public Health plans to implement the following:

 ●​ Robust and ongoing education:
 ○​ General Education: Semi-annual educational campaign highlighting the importance
 of broad prevention and control measures, including the importance of proper hand
 hygiene and regular surface cleaning.




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 ○​ Targeted Education: Increased outreach to the downtown business community prior
 to and throughout the tourist season.
 ●​ Outbreak Notification:
 ○​ In the event that a cruise ship with both an international itinerary and an infectious
 disease meeting reporting thresholds is scheduled to dock in Portland, the Public
 Health Division will provide this notification and relevant updates via the Division’s
 webpage and the City’s social media channels.

FISCAL IMPACT
N/A

CONCLUSION(S)
There is growing interest in increased communications and protocols as they relate to infectious
disease and cruise ships. Statutory authority and associated resources and regulations for managing
outbreaks lies predominately with the federal and state CDC, with the Portland Public Health
Division playing a supporting role. Further, due to its high transmissibility, short incubation period,
widespread environmental transmission, and high volume of cases, individual contact tracing by the
Public Health Division would not be possible (nor is it recommended) for norovirus. Risk is not
limited to cruise ships and absolute risk shifts with measures beyond outbreak status. Further, the
more common AGEs, including norovirus, are not considered to be at the heightened level of risk of a
public health emergency. The Division plans to deepen focus on infectious disease prevention
communications at the start of each tourist season, with notifications where relevant on the City’s
website and social media channels in the event of a docking ship with outbreak status.

PRIOR COMMITTEE REVIEW
N/A

PREPARED BY
Bridget Rauscher
Public Health Director
Health and Human Services Department




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Health and Human Service / Public
 Safety Committee
 Public Safety Update
 Portland Fire Department




 May 12th, 2026
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FD Calls for Service

 2026
 1st QTR 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr Pace 2026
 Fires 42 168
 Fire Hazardous Situations 168 672
 Fire Alarms 1142 4568
 Technical Rescues 45 180
 Medical Ilness 2495 9980
 Medical Injury 546 2184
 Medical Other 124 496
 2026 Total - 4562 0 0 0 18248
 2025 Total - 4853 5104 5292 4820 20069

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Responses by Company Type




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Responses by Company




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Ambulance Transports




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Department Calls for Service - 90 Years




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FTE




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DAILY SEATED POSITIONS




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Health and Human Service / Public
 Safety Committee
 Public Safety Update
 Portland Fire Department




 May 12, 2026
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