Sustainability and Transportation Committee — Portland, ME
Date: 2025-07-09
Time: 17:00

Sustainability& Transportation MEMBERS
Committee Agenda Councilor Regina Phillips, Chair
 Councilor Pious Ali, At-Large
July 9, 2025 at 5:00 PM
 Councilor Anna Bullett, District 4



The Sustainability and Transportation
Committee will conduct this meeting
remotely via Zoom. 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.

For public comment via Zoom, you will need
to use the "raise your hand" feature. To raise
your hand via the telephone, please hit *9.
You will be unmuted by the host when it is
time for public comment.

https://portlandmaine-
gov.zoom.us/j/89952567500?pwd=zLf7HunT
yswwcokWAwAlXBHcv0WNXl.1




1. Review and approve minutes from June 16, 2025


 a. Minutes from June 16, 2025
2. Program Updates


 a. Sustainability Updates
 b. Portland International Jetport Infrastructure Improvement Project Updates
 Presenter: Paul Bradbury
 No public comment will be taken
3. Presentation and Discussion
 Public comment may be taken
 a. Overview of CMP's Portland Area Grid Project
 Presenters: Jay Chace and Chris Morin from Central Maine Power
 No public comment will be taken
 b. Issue review: Naming policy for public facilities
 Presenter: Masi Ngidi-Brown
 No public comment will be taken
 c. Amendments to Chapter 30 -- Vehicles for Hire (Taxi fare increase)
 Presenter: Troy Moon
 Public comment will be taken.
4. Other Business

Sustainability& Transportation MEMBERS
Committee Agenda Councilor Regina Phillips, Chair
 Councilor Pious Ali, At-Large
July 9, 2025 at 5:00 PM
 Councilor Anna Bullett, District 4



The Sustainability and Transportation
Committee will conduct this meeting
remotely via Zoom. 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.

For public comment via Zoom, you will need
to use the "raise your hand" feature. To raise
your hand via the telephone, please hit *9.
You will be unmuted by the host when it is
time for public comment.

https://portlandmaine-
gov.zoom.us/j/89952567500?pwd=zLf7HunT
yswwcokWAwAlXBHcv0WNXl.1




1. Review and approve minutes from June 16, 2025


 a. Minutes from June 16, 2025
2. Program Updates


 a. Sustainability Updates
 b. Portland International Jetport Infrastructure Improvement Project Updates
 Presenter: Paul Bradbury
 No public comment will be taken
3. Presentation and Discussion
 Public comment may be taken
 a. Overview of CMP's Portland Area Grid Project
 Presenters: Jay Chace and Chris Morin from Central Maine Power
 No public comment will be taken
 b. Issue review: Naming policy for public facilities
 Presenter: Masi Ngidi-Brown
 No public comment will be taken

 Page 1
 c. Amendments to Chapter 30 -- Vehicles for Hire (Taxi fare increase)
 Presenter: Troy Moon
 Public comment will be taken.
4. Other Business




 Page 2
 CITY OF PORTLAND, MAINE
 Committee on Sustainability and Transportation
 Councilor Regina Phillips (D3), Chair
 Councilor Pious Ali (At-Large)
 Councilor Anna Bullett (D4)


Draft Minutes June 16, 2025
Members Present: Councilor Phillips, Councilor Bullett, Councilor Ali,
Other Councilors Present: Mayor Dion, Councilor Pelletier, Councilor Michniewicz, Councilor
Grant, Councilor Sykes
Staff Present: Troy Moon, Katie Tims, Karly Meyer, Kevin Kraft, Nell Donaldson, Greg Jordan,
Tony Wirkus, Michael Goldman, Jeremiah Bartlett, Mike Murray, Bruce Hyman, Keith Gray

Meeting was called to order.

May 14, 2025 Meeting Minutes
The May 14, 2025 meeting minutes were approved unanimously.

Transportation Updates
Jeremiah Bartlett notes that the City is working on a number of efforts speaking to Vision Zero
and is also partnering with GPCOG on a major demonstration project on Washington Ave.

City Staff will be holding a 2-day design workshop on Wednesday, June 25th and Thursday,
June 26th, to be held at the Rines Auditorium, in the Main Portland Library, 5 Monument
Square. These public engagement events will offer opportunities for design feedback and
visioning related to Franklin Street.

We have been working with MEDOT on analysis related to Brighton Avenue (particularly
Rosemont Corner section) and contemplating intersection options available to us. This dovetails
with the next round of the Bus Rapid Transit project; this work should begin soon.

On the Redesign of Forest Avenue, just south of Exit 6 through to Park Avenue, after recent
discussion with Maine DOT, this work is going to be managed jointly with the State St and High
St work, so that the design and the outcomes, and ideally the construction of all of those can be
coordinated in a meaningful and strategic way.

The final design bid documents for the Union Branch Path were completed in April and are
currently being reviewed by the City’s Purchasing Department with the project aiming to go out
to bid in June for construction to begin in Summer 2025.

Kevin Kraft shares that staff are finalizing the RFP and scope of work on the Comprehensive
Transportation Plan and should that that out in a few weeks.




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Sustainability Updates
City staff have been meeting with CMP to review their Area Grid Project involving upgrades to
transmission and infrastructure in the region. City staff hope there are areas to collaborate,
especially during major construction projects such as the Franklin Street Redesign. CMP is
planning to submit their final plan to the PUC in July and has offered to brief the committee on
their updates.

Now that it’s summer, we are also working on engagement efforts around sustainable landcare,
and on June 11, we hosted our first Landcare Lunch Break webinar of the season discussing
invasive species in Maine and how to effectively remove them. We have two more webinars this
summer, all published online in our library of webinars.


Complete Streets Policy Update
Presented by Nell Donaldson, Director of Special Projects
In March 2025, the S&T Committee reviewed the existing Complete Streets policy, originally
written in 2012, and determined that the Planning Department should undertake the process of
updating that policy again. Over the last 3 months, Planning staff started with an assessment of
the existing policy, looking at national best practice, and made some initial edits to the policy
with peers at DPW. The draft policy was then shared in feedback and review sessions with an
interdepartmental working group, including Public Health and Fire, a stakeholder group,
consisting of representatives from Bicycle Coalition of Maine, the Portland Bicycle Pedestrian
Advisory Committee, Portland Trails, and others, and then finally with the public. With plenty of
substantive feedback, Planning staff made additional revisions and produced a final red line
document that simplified and reorganized the policy.

Public Comment on Complete Streets Policy Update
Winston Lumpkins is happy to see the final draft of the Complete Streets policy and thinks it is a
significant improvement from the 2012 version. Lumpkins also notes that the policy does
exempt temporary detour routes, which can be dangerous for vulnerable users.

Councilor Comments on Complete Streets Policy Update
Mayor Dion notes that some of the written testimony influenced his thinking in regards to
defining a ‘street’. Perhaps in the future we will determine the fundamental definition of what we
consider a street to be and what our responsibility is once it is constructed. Nell Donaldson
responds in saying that we [Planning staff] spent some time on this during Recode, working with
Corporation Council on our definitions of right-of-way, street, and other things within the land
use code, so there is some frame of reference for these terms. We use in this policy,
interchangeably, the concepts of street and right-of-way and so there is some room for
confusion about that and we can think about that a little bit more.

Councilor Bullett shares interest in a process where the S&T Committee is notified about
exemptions to the Complete Streets Policy. Councilor Bullett also shares a technical comment
about hyperlinking sections in the redlined document. Councilor Bullett’s last note is about




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naming what it means to have a specific category of pedestrian (e.g. child) for certain mobility
requirements in the policy.

Councilor Phillips asks who is responsible for educating the public about pedestrian safety
related to traffic and street operations. Nell Donaldson acknowledges that the way that streets
have been designed for a long time doesn't lead to great safety outcomes when people are
making the best decisions, but what this policy is trying to do is control the things we can
control, the design of streets. We're never going to be able to control lots of individuals'
behavior, but we can try to channel people into good decisions and control the physical space
as well as we can.​

Motion to approve revisions to Complete Streets Policy
Note that this motion to approve includes small edits requested by Councilor Bullett.
The motion was moved by Councilor Bullett and seconded by Councilor Ali.
The motion was accepted unanimously and will move forward to full City Council.


Vision Zero Quick Action Plan
Presented by Greg Jordan
After the Council passed a resolution back in April adopting the GPCOG Vision Zero Plan, the
City launched an internal task force on the Vision Zero plan and created a series of strategies to
make progress on this. The ‘Quick Action Plan’, or strategies that we believe we can reasonably
implement in the near term with existing capacity. These strategies are outlined in the agenda
packet.

Public Comment on Vision Zero Quick Action Plan
Winston Lumpkins shares appreciation that the City is springing into action on this plan, and
suggests that similar towns (Falmouth) use speed feedback signs to help slow drives down, but
they force cyclists out of the shoulder and intro the travel lane and advocates that when putting
those out to ensure they are not exacerbating the existing problem.

Noah Grenier also shares appreciation for this quick action and progress being made for
bicycle-pedetrian safety.

Councilor Comments on Vision Zero Quick Action Plan
Councilor Pelletier and Councilor Ali share appreciation for this action.

Councilor Bullett raises the idea of making the walk signal time based on senior citizen’s
average walk signal time given that nature of our aging population.

Motion to approve Vision Zero Quick Action Plan
The motion was moved by Councilor Bullett and seconded by Councilor Ali.
The motion was accepted unanimously and will move forward to full City Council.




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Proposed Moratorium on Theater and Performance Halls
Presented by Kevin Kraft, Director of Planning and Urban Development
In April 2025, there was a proposed moratorium to consider establishing a retroactive 180-day
prohibition on theaters and performance hall projects with a capacity of more than 2,000 people.
This was ultimately prompted due to the application from Live Nation for a new 3,300-seat
music venue in downtown on a privately owned site that is currently under review by the
Planning Board. The City Council referred that proposed moratorium to the S&T Committee to
evaluate the underlying conditions and determine whether there was justification to support a
moratorium, and if that exists.

Maine law requires that any moratorium adopted by a municipality must be necessary and it
must be needed to either prevent a shortage or overburdening of public facilities, or because the
existing policies and regulations are found to be inadequate to prevent serious public harm.

In terms of Portland’s public policies, data, and regulations, it is staff's recommendation that the
conditions do not warrant the justification to support a moratorium focused on theaters and
performance halls related to transportation-related impacts.

Public Comment on Proposed Moratorium on Theater and Performance Halls
A majority of the public comment weighed on the traffic the project would result in, lack of
parking available, cost of parking, implications for the local music and arts scene, and surge
prices on transportation.

Public comment in favor noted the benefits that incomers would bring to the restaurant and hotel
economy (particularly in the winter), the developers’ history of experience in the area, jobs this
project will bring to the area (construction and operations), and the use of an unused surface
level parking site.

Councilor Comments on Proposed Moratorium on Theater and Performance Halls
Before Councilor Comment, Director Kraft summarizes that the key points to touch on is the
major focus on parking pressure and unsafe road conditions. And the purpose of the
presentation and the memo was to reflect that there are adequate regulations in place,
standards in place to fully vet those aspects through a reviewed project. That's what our staff
does on a daily basis with applications before the planning board. He goes on to note that the
project is outside of that 100-foot radius, which is measured from main entrance to main
entrance.

Councilor Pelletier notes that the traffic this project will cause, especially when a redesign of
Franklin Street is imminent, is problematic and does not want to not lose sight of what a
moratorium is, as it is a pause so that we can discuss solutions.

Councilor Bullett points out that it was a missed opportunity to build community goodwill with
this particular project. She goes on to share concerns for pedestrian safety, the loss of ADA
accessibility on Myrtle Street. Merrill Auditorium and the Parks, Rec, Facilities Department have




 Page 6
been involved in conversations and coordination about how to handle operating two shows at
the same time and organizing ADA accessibility. Many of these concerns are to be covered in
the site plan review process (parking agreements, event management plan) and the traffic
movement process and will be finalized if this application continues forward.

Councillor Ali also shares concern for the impact on traffic and parking in the Bayside
Neighborhood Association.

Councilor Michniewicz also shares concern for the on-street parking nearby, but raises the
question about how impact fees can be used to improve the area and the neighborhood. In
terms of site plan review, projects are responsible for upgrading all of their directly abutting
sidewalks, ensuring that they're meeting our minimum space requirements and also bringing all
sidewalks up to ADA accessibility. They also have to upgrade the directly adjacent intersection
improvements, so a project like this is going to be looking at improvements to the intersections
at Cumberland and Pearl, Cumberland and Myrtle, as well as potential improvements of
Cumberland and Congress Street. In terms of impact fees (note: assessed to all projects), those
go for signal enhancements across the city, they can also go towards a set of ten identified,
larger transportation projects identified by the City Council back in 2018 (e.g. Franklin Street).
Site plan review process and the traffic movement process are going to require mitigation
improvements within the neighborhood. The impact fee transportation money goes into the city's
general impact fee bucket, and then it's allocated by the City Council each year at the CIP.​

Mayor Dion notes that the evidence is pretty clear that there is an available pool of parking
spots to meet the demand of this new venue. He reminds the council that our job has long been
to design a city that would reduce the demand for individual cars, and invest in public
transportation. We also have to adhere to rules. The applicant has followed process and it
should be expected that they can satisfy their expectation if they've answered all the conditions
that are placed before them during the planning process. But here we come with a moratorium. I
think the moratorium predicated on parking alone fails.​

Councilor Sykes shares concern that we have shut down a tremendous swell of public opinion
on this item and feels that it should be sent back to the full council so that they can hear from
the public on this.

Questions from several Councilors were answered related to construction material lay-down
areas, operational questions for the music hall related to employee parking, estimated number
of employees, cost of parking in the garage, and bus schedule adjustments.

Councilor Phillips walks through her understanding of the committee’s decision tonight and
shares agreement that this could go back to the Council to have more of a conversation, but
ultimately feels that it is only appropriate to vote based on whether or not this project prompts a
moratorium or not.

Motion to approve Proposed Moratorium on Theater and Performance Halls




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The motion was moved by Councilor Bullett and seconded by Councilor Ali.
The motion was accepted unanimously and will move forward to full City Council.


Motion to Adjourn
The motion was moved by Councilor Ali and seconded by Councilor Bullett.
The motion was approved 2-1.

Meeting Adjourned




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City of Portland | Sustainability Office
Troy Moon, Director



To: Sustainability and Transportation Committee
 Regina Phillips, Chair




MEETING DATE
July 9, 2025

AGENDA ITEM
Agenda Item #2A– Sustainability Updates

PURPOSE
To update the committee regarding recent activities of the Sustainability Office to
advance Council goals and objectives related to One Climate Future

COMMITTEE WORK PLAN/CITY COUNCIL GOAL ALIGNMENT

These projects implement elements of the One Climate Future Plan or other Council
goals.

BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS

Project: Sustainable Neighborhoods

On July 11 the Sustainability Office will launch Neighborhood Mini-grants. These grants,
which are part of our Sustainable Neighborhoods program, will provide up to $500 to
fund actions at the street or block level that achieve goals noted in our climate action
plan, encourage social interaction between neighbors, and build social connections that
can make a neighborhood more resilient during emergencies or times of stress.
Proposed projects or actions must involve at least three separate households in close
proximity to each other and must focus on their immediate neighborhood. Our website
will provide some ideas for possible projects but we want to encourage applicants to
think about what would be meaningful to their neighborhood and most helpful to
connect neighbors with each other.




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Project: Community Resilience

On July 8 we convened a meeting of the interdepartmental Resilience Working Group for
a three hour discussion and walking tour of Bayside. This group includes staff
representatives from across the City organization including Planning, DPW
(Engineering, Transportation, Water Resources), Parks, Rec and Facilities (Facilities,
Parks), Emergency Management, Public Health, and Economic Development. The
meeting helped establish a common level of understanding about the climate
vulnerabilities facing Bayside, learn about current and future development
opportunities, and to discuss what actions the City should take to prepare for the
anticipated impacts of climate change. Areas of focus included proposed housing
development, impacts on social service providers, mitigating urban heat island impacts,
managing stormwater, and transportation.



Project: Landcare

We completed our summer webinar series this month by hosting another two Landcare
Lunch Break programs. On June 25 Andrew Tufts of Maine Audubon discussed native
plant selection and July 8 the program focused on learning about the consequences of
fertilizer runoff with Luke Frankel of Natural Resources Council of Maine. We now have
built a fantastic library of informative webinars on sustainable landcare, covering
everything from soil testing, healthy lawn maintenance, bird-friendly and native
yardscaping, and how to prep your lawn for winter.

Project: Community Education and Engagement

On July 7, we attended the first Pop Up Picnic of the season. Wayside Food Programs is
hosting a total of four picnics at City community gardens. Each picnic has fantastic food,
local live music, and great organizations (including the City Sustainability Office) to
interact with. Join us for the next three (July 21, August 4, and August 18). Participants
can get a free Mow Tall Until Fall lawn sign or a free kitchen countertop composting bin.




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City of Portland | Portland International Jetport
Paul Bradbury, Airport Director




To: Sustainability & Transportation Committee
Councilor Regina Phillips, Chair




MEETING DATE
July 9, 2025

AGENDA ITEM
Agenda Item #2B - Portland International Jetport Infrastructure Improvement Project Updates

PURPOSE
Provide the Sustainable & Transportation Committee with an update on the current status of
projects under planning and in construction at the Portland International Jetport.

COMMITTEE WORK PLAN/CITY COUNCIL GOAL ALIGNMENT
The Jetport has several large projects underway and it was recognized that quarterly briefings to
the Sustainability and Transportation Committee are helpful for the City Council and public to
stay informed on the progress of projects.

BACKGROUND
The following Jetport projects are in the final stages of design or under construction.

Air Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) 1,500 gallon truck Replacement:
The Jetport placed in continuous service a new 2024 ARFF truck on April 21, 2025. The new truck
replaces a 25 year old truck, and is one of two ARFF trucks the Jetport has in service to meet its
FAA requirements for air rescue response. A Federal Aviation Administration Airport
Improvement Program (AIP) grant covered 90% of the $928,000 cost for the truck.




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The acquisition of this new ARFF vehicle provided an additional benefit by allowing the Jetport to
transition from PFAS containing Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) to the new Fluorine Free
Foam (F3) firefighting product. The Jetport received 2025 project of the year recognition from the
trade journal Airport Business for its early proactive transition to F3.

Gates 11, 12, & 14 Terminal Improvements, Loading Bridges, and Fixed Bridge Extensions:
This $21.6 million project provides: fixed walkways and three new passenger boarding bridges at
the west end of the terminal building, new restrooms, an adult changing restroom, and a
regulatory required service animal relief area. The project received a temporary certificate of
occupancy in June to allow use of the new fixed walkways and passenger boarding bridges. These
new bridges eliminated the need for at grade ramp boarding and provide ADA compliant fully
enclosed and conditioned boarding bridge connections to aircraft at gates 11, 12, and 14. This is a
significant improvement for travelers. The project will be completed later this month in advance
of the Jetport’s busiest travel month of August. The Jetport expects to serve nearly 320,000
inbound and outbound travelers in just the month of August this year. This year, through May,
the Jetport has served a record 792,000 travelers, which is up 13.6% over the same period in 2024.




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Relocation of the Jetport Administration Offices, Operation Center, and new Airport Emergency
Operations Center (AEOC):
This project relocates the Jetport administrative offices and the Jetport operations center to
existing shell space over baggage claim. The relocation of the administrative offices and
operations center, which are adjacent to the gate concourse, allows for the future expansion of
passenger amenities within the gate concourse. These amenities include: expanded concessions,
additional restrooms, and a passenger lounge. This project also includes the development of an
Airport Emergency Operations Center (AEOC). The AEOC space is being designed with data and
communications to support operations in the event of an airport emergency and was designed to
support the City of Portland’s use of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) plan for
all emergencies response. The final design for this project will be complete later this month and
the construction bid is scheduled to be issued in August.




Surface Parking and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project:
This project provides for the reconstruction and improvement of the former privately held
ParkNJet parking lot site and the construction of new surface parking on Jetport land west of the
Embassy Suites hotel. The use of this site for parking and the acquisition of the ParkNJet parcel
has been noted in the two prior Jetport master plans in 2005 and in 2018. The project will provide
a new self park surface public parking lot of 667 spaces. Since this project includes the




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reconstruction of the existing ParkNJet and cell phone lots, the net increase will be 265 parking
spaces. The construction cost estimate for the project is $9.5 million.

The project also includes the installation of a 1.9 MW / 5MWhr Battery Energy Storage System
(BESS) for load shedding and terminal building electrical system back-up. This portion of the
project was reviewed and referred by the S&T Committee to the City Council for funding in
February.




The permitting for the Surface Parking and Battery Storage System project is scheduled for
completion this month. The planning board permit includes the issuance of a conservation
easement over a wetlands area north of Jetport Boulevard. The design team has finished the
mapping of wetlands in this area that is needed to complete this conservation easement. Once
the easement is complete this project will come back to the S&T Committee (anticipated in
September) for approval to seek a construction funding appropriation from the City Council.

Yellowbird Road Sidewalk
The Yellowbird Road sidewalk will be completed this month, and will allow pedestrian and bike
access around the north end of the Jetport. This is a long awaited project that will provide
connection to a future public trail with water access to the Fore River.




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CONCLUSION(S)
This agenda item is an informational update that does not require Committee action.

PREPARED BY

Paul Bradbury
Airport Director

ATTACHMENTS
N/A
​




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 Page 15
City of Portland | Executive Department
Danielle P. West, City Manager

To: Sustainability and Transportation Committee
Councilor Regina Phillips, Chair

From: Masi Ngidi-Brown, Interim JDEI Director
Date: June 11, 2025
Re: Name and Renaming Policy Concept Proposal



MEETING DATE
July 9, 2025

AGENDA ITEM
Item #5 - Name and Renaming Policy Concept Proposal

PURPOSE
To formalize the City of Portland's naming/renaming of City assets process and develop a policy.

COMMITTEE WORK PLAN/CITY COUNCIL GOAL ALIGNMENT
The City Council’s 2025 goals identify expanding diversity, equity and inclusion practices (Goal 1),
and community engagement (Goal 4). A formalized process for naming/renaming City streets,
parks, facilities, and other public places would advance these goals by building in appropriate
review criteria and including and expanding community engagement elements to the review
process.

BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
The City Code only briefly addresses the Council’s involvement in the naming of City property in
Chapter 25 of the Code, and the City lacks a formalized process for conducting this review.

In recent months, four (4) requests to name City facilities have been received by staff including a
city block, a baseball field, Portland Harbor Common Park, and Kiwanis Pool. In light of these
multiple requests, staff recommend the development of a more formal and rigorous process that
broadens inclusion, widens community engagement, improves transparency, and effectively aids
the City Council in making these decisions. The resulting ordinance, spurred by current and
recent projects, will reflect a general approach for the future and the projects it brings.

At the July 9 Committee meeting, staff will solicit feedback from this Committee in order to draft
a proposed ordinance, which would be considered by the Committee in September.

Staff expects that the ordinance will do as follows:
 1)​ Establish a clear and consistent framework for the naming and renaming of public spaces,
 streets, buildings, and other landmarks and assets within the City of Portland, Maine.
 a)​ Have the framework apply to all proposals for naming and/or renaming within the
 jurisdiction of the City of Portland, Maine. It covers public spaces, streets, parks,


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 buildings, and other city owned property (assets). One exception will be
 gifts/donations to the City.
 2)​ Recognize that the act of naming and renaming is significant and meaningful. A name
 can invoke emotions, create images, and help look back on history. When chosen, a name
 can reflect the history and culture of those connected with a particular location or the
 marks within it. The naming and renaming process should take into consideration the
 past, present, and future history of the land, its use, and peoples’ relationship to that land
 and how it is used. It should be thoughtful and have the intention of remaining
 permanent. Creating meaningful spaces can bring a community together, and the name is
 the identifier.
 3)​ Recognize that Portland's assets are a part of the City, and its people’s heritage. With this
 in mind, staff recommend that the Critical Heritage Studies1 framework is used to inform
 how the City of Portland approaches the process of naming/renaming.

 1.​ Categories for Naming/Renaming
 a.​ Guided by the Critical Heritage Studies framework, the proposed ordinance
 reserves the naming/renaming of City assets, prioritizing a tradition and practice
 to best serve the interests of the City and assure a worthy and enduring legacy for
 the City's assets and heritage. To this end, staff suggests the City limits
 naming/renaming requests of City assets to those that reflect the following three
 broad categories:
 i.​  Historic Events, Places, and Persons. The history of a major event or place
 or historic persons can play an important role in the naming or renaming
 of parks and recreational facilities. The public often expresses a strong
 desire to preserve and honor the history of the City, its founders, pioneers,
 and other historical figures.
 1.​ Place:
 a.​ Place names can contribute to a sense of belonging and
 identity, and can act as "symbolic monuments" influencing
 public memory and promoting specific historical
 narratives.
 b.​ Naming reflects how people perceive and relate to their
 environment and can embody historical, geographical,
 cultural, cognitive, and attitudinal aspects of past lives.
 ii.​  Cultural Heritage:
 1.​ The public often expresses a strong desire to preserve and/or honor
 the history of the City, looking beyond its founders and pioneers,
 and seek to include communities that current history has excluded
 in the naming conversation.

1
  This framework presents an approach to naming that acknowledges the social, cultural, and political
context of City assets that are to be named. Such an approach, particularly when acknowledging historical
inequities, is even more important. Naming informs how people understand heritage. Through naming, a
city like Portland, through its leaders, can construct, define, or redefine heritage in the name/renaming of its
assets.




 2

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 2.​ Excluded communities - and histories and heritage - have included
 Native Americans, African Americans, to name two, along with
 many others.
 3.​ This process seeks to give City assets names of historic, social and
 cultural significance that reflects the make-up of the City’s
 residents and population.
 iii.​ Major Gifts:
 1.​ The City has benefited from and will continue to welcome the
 generosity of others, including residents, businesses, and
 foundations. Their gifts are often vital to the advancement of
 projects that benefit the entire City. To encourage the continuation
 of private donations, this ordinance would allow for the City to
 recognize the significant contributions of those donors in the
 naming of city assets.

2.​ Naming Process
 a.​ When a new park or facility is planned for/under development, the staff
 committee may initiate the naming process, following the guidelines and
 priorities outlined in the proposed ordinance.
 b.​ Staff committee may solicit petitions proposing a specific name for the new
 park/facility, following the process/requirements to be detailed in the ordinance
 and/or administrative rules.
 c.​ The staff committee shall engage community stakeholders, including relevant
 commissions, neighborhood organizations, district councilors, and others as part
 of its process.
 d.​ The committee will present its review, insights, and recommendation to the
 Sustainability & Transportation Committee for a public hearing and consideration.
 e.​ The Sustainability & Transportation Committee will make its recommendation to
 the City Council.
 f.​ The City Council will consider the Committee’s recommendation (requires two
 reads for enactment).

3.​ Renaming Process
 a.​ Any resident of the City of Portland, or any individual representing a business or
 organization located in the City of Portland, may submit a renaming petition, the
 process and requirements of which will be detailed in the ordinance and/or
 administrative rules.
 b.​ A committee of City staff will accept and provide an initial review of
 naming/renaming proposals.
 c.​ Additional outreach to stakeholders, including neighborhood associations, the
 district councilor, Parks Commission, Land Bank Commission, and others will be
 led by the staff committee.
 d.​ The committee will present its review, insights, and recommendation to the
 Sustainability & Transportation Committee for a public hearing and consideration.



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 e.​ The Sustainability & Transportation Committee will make its recommendation to
 the City Council.
 f.​ The City Council will consider the Committee’s recommendation (requires two
 reads for enactment).

 4.​ Naming/Renaming Exclusions and Exceptions:
 a.​ Naming associations with tobacco, alcohol, religious organizations, political
 candidates or adjudicated felons are prohibited.
 b.​ Naming a City asset after an individual or family, currently alive or deceased, is not
 permitted due to potential for future controversy as societal values and
 perspectives evolve over time. One recommended exception includes international
 or nationally recognized historical figures, recognizing that this should be rare
 and only upon a substantial demonstration of the figure's connection to, or unique
 importance in, the Portland community or the State of Maine.
 c.​ The dedication of small park/public amenities - such as fixed park benches and
 tables - is currently determined through an administrative process intended to
 encourage private donations, and will not contradict the priorities as established
 in this ordinance.
 d.​ On some occasions, a gift will be made to the City that is of such magnitude and
 generosity that naming, in honor of or at the request of the benefactor, may be
 considered. Any request to rename existing property on this basis that is
 associated with a major gift to expand or refurbish a City asset should be
 discouraged, unless the term of the current named asset has expired. As part of the
 draft ordinance, staff will provide additional recommendations on how naming
 rights should be considered as it relates to major gifts.

FISCAL IMPACT
At this time there is no anticipated fiscal impact associated with this concept.

CONCLUSION(S)
N/A

PRIOR COMMITTEE REVIEW
This meeting follows a prior review of this topic brought to the committee on October 9, 2024.

PREPARED BY

Masi Ngidi-Brown, Interim Director​ Ethan Hipple, Director
JDEI Parks, Recreation & Facilities​
 ​
Dena Libner
Assistant City Manager


ATTACHMENTS
N/A


 4

 Page 19
City of Portland | Sustainability Office
Troy Moon, Director



To: Sustainability and Transportation Committee
 Regina Phillips, Chair




MEETING DATE
July 9, 2025

AGENDA ITEM
Agenda Item #3C

PURPOSE
To discuss increasing the fare licensed taxi operators may charge passengers.

COMMITTEE WORK PLAN/CITY COUNCIL GOAL ALIGNMENT
N/A

BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS

The regulation of taxi rates in the City of Portland is governed by Chapter 30 Vehicles for
Hire of the Portland City Code, specifically, Article II Taxicabs, §§ 30-16--30-38.5. Sec.
30-21 deals with the issues of taxi rates most directly and is excerpted below. The rates
established in ordinance were last updated over a decade ago.

 Sec. 30-21. Taxicab fares for service.
 The maximum fares for taxicabs shall be as follows:

 (a) Within the metered zone. Except as otherwise provided herein,
 the maximum fare for taxicab service solely which begins or ends in the
 city and is within the metered zone shall be one dollar and ninety cents
 ($1.90) for the first one-tenth of a mile (the “drop” rate) or a fraction
 thereof and thirty cents ($0.30) for each one-tenth of a mile or fraction
 thereof, thereafter. The fare shall be computed and displayed by the
 taximeter. No fare charged shall be in excess of the amount displayed by
 the taximeter. There shall be one (1) fare, divided equally, in the case of two
 (2) or more passengers who engage the taxicab for a trip between the same



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 two (2) points. In all other cases, each passenger shall pay a separate fare,
 based upon the total taximeter rate to their individual destinations.

 (b) Outside the metered zone. If a trip begins or ends within the city
 and the other point of destination is outside the metered zone, the
 passenger and driver shall agree upon the fare before the trip commences;
 otherwise the passenger shall be under no obligation to pay any fare.

 (c) Minimum jetport fare. The minimum fare for pickup at the
 Portland International Jetport is five dollars ($5.00) even if the taximeter
 fare is less. The taximeter shall be used for all such pickups.

 (d) Waiting time. A charge for waiting time may be made only for
 time waited at the express direction of the passenger after the trip has
 begun and for time waited before the trip has begun, commencing five (5)
 minutes after the time at which the passenger 30-9 City of Portland Code
 of Ordinances Sec. 30-21 Vehicles for Hire Chapter 30 Rev. 9-16-10 has
 requested the taxicab to call, or five (5) minutes after the taxicab actually
 calls, whichever is later. The charge for such waiting time shall be forty
 cents ($0.40) per minute.

 (e) Sight-seeing. Taxicabs may be employed for purposes of
 sight-seeing only according to a published route and rate which shall be
 provided to the passenger prior to commencement of the trip. (f) Bags and
 parcels. No charge shall be made for the transportation of the bags or
 parcels of a passenger. (Code 1968, § 902.8; Ord. No. 231-80, 12-22-80; Ord.
 No. 576-81, §§ 1, 2, 4-6-81; Ord. No. 471-84, 3-7-84; Ord. No. 332-88, 4-20-88;
 Ord. No. 63-89, 7-17-89; Ord. No. 303-92, 4-6-92; Ord. No. 249-97, 4-23-97;
 Ord. No. 56-04/05, 98-04; Ord. No. 57-04/05, 10-4-04; Ord. NO. 286-07/08,
 6-16-08; Ord. No. 18808/09, 4-6-09)



The Committee requested that staff research the established fares in other New England
cities in order to provide context for their deliberation about a potential fare increase in
Portland. We identified Boston, Manchester, and Burlington as comparable
communities. See their fares summarized in the table below.




 2

 Page 21
 City Drop Charge Each Mile Idling and Additional Other
 Thereafter Waiting Customers

 Boston, MA First $0.40 each $28.00/hour Tolls are
 1/7-mile: 1/7 mile additional
 $2.60


 Manchester, First $0.50 each $0.25/minut $0.25 Flat rates
 NH ⅙-mile: $4 ⅙ mile e established
 for fare
 originating
 at the
 airport to
 area towns

 Burlington, $4.00 $3.50/mile, $1.00 Minimum
 VT calculated fare $11;
 each 1/10 airport
 mile surcharge
 $4.00 from
 airport
 queue;
 nighttime
 extra $4.00
 (10PM-5AM)

 Portland, $1.90 $0.30 for $0.40/minut Minimum
 ME each e charge of $5
 additional or fare,
 1/10-mile whichever is
 greater.


The fares currently authorized by Chapter 30 are generally less than those allowed by the
comparable cities. Operational costs for vehicles, fuel, maintenance, and administration
have increased significantly since fares were last adjusted in Portland more than 10 years
ago. Taxi operators provide a vital transportation service for residents and to visitors of
the City and would benefit from a fare structure that more closely aligns with the current
economic environment.

In order to align with our current pricing structure, staff recommends that the
Committee discussion potential increases in the following areas:

 ●​ Drop Charge/Initial Fee from $1.90 to ​ _$___



 3

 Page 22
 ●​ Each additional 1/10 from $0.30 to ​ _$__
 ●​ Wait time from $0.40/minute to ​ ​ _$__
 ●​ Minimum charge from $5 to ​ ​ _$__

We look forward to the discussion and to answering any questions you may have.

FISCAL IMPACT

There is no fiscal impact on City operations.

CONCLUSION(S)



PRIOR COMMITTEE REVIEW
May, 2025

PREPARED BY
Troy Moon, Sustainability Director


ATTACHMENTS
N/A




 4

 Page 23

CITY OF PORTLAND, MAINE
 Committee on Sustainability and Transportation
 Councilor Regina Phillips (D3), Chair
 Councilor Pious Ali (At-Large)
 Councilor Anna Bullett (D4)


Approved Minutes July 9, 2025
Members Present: Councilor Phillips, Councilor Bullett, Councilor Ali
Staff Present: Troy Moon, Karly Meyer, Greg Jordan, Dena Libner, Masi Ngidi-Brown, Paul
Bradbury

Meeting was called to order.

June 16, 2025 Meeting Minutes
The June 16, 2025 meeting minutes were approved unanimously.

Sustainability Updates
Presented by Troy Moon and Karly Meyer, Sustainability Office
On July 8, the Sustainability Office convened a meeting of the interdepartmental Resilience
Working Group for a discussion and walking tour of Bayside, looking at the climate-related
impacts on existing infrastructure, proposed housing development, the work of social service
providers, stormwater management, transportation projects, and more.

We completed our summer Landcare Lunchbreak webinar series and now have
built a fantastic library of informative webinars on sustainable landcare, covering
everything from soil testing, healthy lawn maintenance, bird-friendly and native
yardscaping, and how

The Sustainability Office launched a Neighborhood Mini-Grants Program, which provides up to
$500 to fund actions at the street or block level that achieve goals noted in our climate action
plan, encourage social interaction between neighbors, and build social connections that
can make a neighborhood more resilient during emergencies or times of stress.
Proposed projects or actions must involve at least three separate households in close
proximity to each other and must focus on their immediate neighborhood.

Portland International Jetport Infrastructure Improvement Project Updates
Presented by Paul Bradbury, Jetport Director
The Jetport has several large projects underway or recently completed, including:
 ❖​ Replacement of the Air Rescue and Fire Fighting 1,500 gallon truck Replacement that
 allows the Jetport to transition from PFAS containing Aqueous Film Forming Foam to the
 new Fluorine Free Foam (F3) firefighting product.
 ❖​ Gates 11, 12, & 14 Terminal Improvements, Loading Bridges, and Fixed Bridge
 Extensions.
 ❖​ Relocation of the Jetport Administration Offices, Operation Center, and new Airport
 Emergency Operations Center, designed to support operations in the event of an airport
 emergency and to support the City of Portland’s use of the National Incident
 Management System plan for all emergencies response.
 ❖​ Surface Parking and Battery Energy Storage System Project: Reconstruction and
 improvement of the former privately held ParkNJet parking lot site and the construction
 of new surface parking on Jetport land west of the Embassy Suites hotel. The project
 also includes the installation of a 1.9 MW / 5MWhr Battery Energy Storage System for
 load shedding and terminal building electrical system back-up.
 ❖​ Completion of the Yellowbird Road Sidewalk which will allow pedestrian and bike access
 around the north end of the Jetport.

Councilor Comments on Portland International Jetport Infrastructure Improvement
Project Updates
Councilor Bullett asks if the Yellowbird Road Sidewalk is connected to other Portland Trails. Yes,
Portland Trails is engaged and this new trail provides connection to a future public trail with
water access to the Fore River.

Councilor Phillips raises two questions that have been asked by the public: why are we looking
at adding parking at the Jetport and what is the difference between the 1997 Master Plan or the
2005 Master Plan? In 2019 and in the early months of 2020, we achieved all time record
passenger volumes at the Jetport. We went to the City Council in January 2020, and received
an appropriation for design funding for surface parking based on those growth counts. We do
Master Plans roughly every 10 years. These Master Plans are generally accepted by the City
Council but not necessarily adopted as a planning document by the City Council, the purpose of
an airport master plan because the FAA needs the safety planning for a ten year period, much
of it is based on the newest safety guidance for a commercial transportation center.

Councilor Ali wonders if Paul could share (at a future Council meeting) information on the
working relationship between the car rentals, is there any incentive and what is the benefit to
Portland? What percentage of revenue comes from car rentals? Car rentals are very important
to PWM. The gross revenue annually is around 75 million and around 7.5 million goes to the
Jetport. But there are ancillary fees from vehicle registration of around a million that goes to the
City general fund.

Councilor Phillips asks what other considerations were made around building the parking in that
location? Many factors and sites/alternate opportunities were considered, but ultimately
additional parking needs to be added and should be at a multi-modal facility. Council Phillips
reminds the public that this was a communication item and there will be a future meeting that
takes public comment on this item.
Overview of CMP's Portland Area Grid Project
Presented by Jay Chace and Chris Morin, Central Maine Power
City staff have been meeting with Central Maine Power to review their Area Grid Project
involving upgrades to transmission and infrastructure in the region. Significant load growth is
expected in Greater Portland over the next 10+ years due to continued development and
beneficial electrification. Central Maine Power is finalizing a Maine Public Utilities Commission
Filing for Greater Portland with a phased implementation approach that enables collaboration
with key stakeholders including the City of Portland and City of South Portland. City staff hope
there are areas to collaborate, especially during major construction projects such as the Franklin
Street Redesign.

Councilor Comments on CMP's Portland Area Grid Project
Councilor Ali asks what the schedule for construction is for these projects? Phase 1, if
approved, would be a 5-year construction project.

Councilor Bullett asks clarifying questions about communication with all City departments and
other stakeholders to coordinate these projects.

Naming Policy for Public Facilities
Presented by Masi Ngidi-Brown, Interim JDEI Director
In light of these multiple requests to name/rename City facilities, staff recommend the
development of a more formal and rigorous process that broadens inclusion, widens community
engagement, improves transparency, and effectively aids the City Council in making decisions
to name/rename City streets, parks, facilities, and other public places. The resulting ordinance
will reflect a general approach for the future and the projects it brings. We are looking for
feedback from this Committee in order to draft a proposed ordinance, which would be
considered by the Committee in September 2025

Councilor Comments on Naming Policy for Public Facilities
Councilor Ali and Councilor Phillors both touch on the trickiness of navigating the naming of City
assets after individuals or families, due to the potential of future controversy.

Amendments to Chapter 30 -- Vehicles for Hire (Taxi fare increase)
Presented by Troy Moon, Sustainability Director
The regulation of taxi rates in the City of Portland is governed by Chapter 30 Vehicles for
Hire of the Portland City Code, specifically, Article II Taxicabs, §§ 30-16--30-38.5. Sec.
30-21. The Committee requested that staff research the established fares in other New England
cities (Boston, Manchester, and Burlington) in order to provide context for their deliberation
about a potential fare increase.

Staff recommends that the Committee discussion potential increases in the following areas:
 ❖​ Drop Charge/Initial Fee from $1.90 to $4.00
 ❖​ Each additional mile $0.30 to $0.35/mile, calculated at each 1/10 mile
 ❖​ Wait time from $0.40/minute to $0.50/minute
 ❖​ Minimum charge (from the Jetport) $5 to $10

Councilor Comments on Amendments to Chapter 30 -- Vehicles for Hire
Councilor Bullett notes that this is a significant increase in charges and this should be well
communicated to the taxi driver community.

Councilor Phillips clarifies the additional mile increase.

Motion to approve Amendments to Chapter 30 -- Vehicles for Hire (Taxi fare increase)
The motion was moved by Councilor Ali and seconded by Councilor Bullett.
The motion was accepted unanimously and will move forward to full City Council.

Motion to Adjourn
The motion was moved by Councilor Ali and seconded by Councilor Bullett.
The motion was approved 3-0.

Meeting Adjourned