Editor’s note: The following excerpts first appeared in reporter Linda Hersey’s blog, “The South Portlander,” a feature of www.keepmecurrent.com.

City Councilor Jim Soule was tapped at a caucus last week by fellow councilors to assume the post of mayor, which has a one-year term.

“I am humbled and honored by the unanimous support of the council,” Soule said in an interview after the caucus.

“I have not formulated a mission statement yet, but I know my goals will include supporting improved hiring and retention for police and making City Hall more user friendly to residents. We work for the tax payers.”

Soule, who owns A-Best Window on Broadway, said he hopes to have the council visit and talk with neighborhood groups to improve communication.

Councilor Maxine Beecher, a former mayor herself, said that Soule was the obvious choice.

She noted that Councilor Linda Boudreau has huge commitments as chairwoman of Ecomaine and leading a variety of other organizations. Councilor Kay Loring did not express interest. Councilor Jim Hughes is self-employed and finds the time commitment a challenge to running his business. Councilor Claude Morgan is stepping down from the post. And Beecher just served in 2006.

“There are a lot of commitments and responsibilities for the mayor,” Beecher said. “It is a much heavier load than just your work as city councilor.”

The mayor’s post is largely ceremonial, which means he or she attends a lot of ribbon-cuttings and often speaks for the council. The mayor also works with the city manager to set the agenda for regular council meetings.

The council caucused for mayor Nov. 14 and was expected to take a formal vote at its next meeting.

“Jim has great ideas on how to make government better connected with the citizens and residents of South Portland,” said City Manager Jim Gailey.

(To read five comments posted to this blog entry, go to “The South Portlander,” a feature of www.keepmecurrent.com.)

SoPo police face staffing ‘crisis’

(Posted Nov. 15)

South Portland police need more patrol officers and better pay to ensure the safety of residents.

That is the conclusion of a 33-page report that examines hiring and retention practices at the South Portland Police Department. The report states that the city “faces a crisis” in recruiting, hiring and keeping officers.

A special committee of city and business leaders held a public forum Nov. 14 to discuss the recommendations of their report, which are being forwarded to the City Council.

The more serious nature of crimes, combined with a shortage of manpower on the streets, has resulted in a high turnover rate among patrol officers. The report states that 45 percent of SoPo officers have left since 1990.

The low wage for starting officers is roughly $32,000, with senior officers at the top of the scale earning $50,000. Candidates for an officer’s job must pass a written Civil Service test, physical agility test and hold a high school diploma or GED.

The council is expected to take up the report’s recommendations, which include hiring three more officers by 2010, more flexibility in scheduling officers, and enhancing wages and benefits.

Current staffing only allows for four officers to patrol the streets at a time, which creates serious problems when two or more squad cars have to respond to a robbery, bad car accident or other emergency.

(To read highlights of the report, go to The South Portlander. For the full story, see Page 1.)

A global view from SoPo City Hall

(Posted Nov. 14)

Maine Congressman Tom Allen visited City Hall last week to promote The Safe Climate Act, his bill for reducing global warming, and to honor SoPo for joining the Cool Cities campaign to curb air pollution.

Allen’s green bill before Congress would impose strict standards on auto emissions and mandate renewable energy production.

Mayor Claude Morgan, who signed the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, also was honored by the Maine chapter of the Sierra Club. The city is the 12th Maine community to adopt the agreement.

The Sierra Club organized the national Cool Cities campaign to encourage municipalities to reduce carbon emissions. The club started the campaign in 2005, when the Kyoto Protocol for curbing greenhouse gases was adopted by 141 countries, but not the U.S.

Morgan offered his own global perspective for ending global warming.

“We are beyond discussion of the Kyoto Protocol, that’s almost an antique,” Morgan said.

He advocates bipartisanship and public-private partnerships, which he said worked in South Portland.

“Private industry, large industry have embraced strict standards that are defacto Kyoto standards,” he said. “So I think this conversation has moved ahead.”

For $1,000: lunch and photo opp with Jeb Bush

(Posted Nov. 13)

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush – brother of President George Bush – will speak in South Portland Thursday for a meeting of the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a conservative think tank.

Jeb Bush will appear at the Marriott Hotel at Sable Oaks from noon-2 p.m. Tickets for the “2007 Freedom and Opportunity Luncheon” start at $100.

Individuals paying $1,000 are invited to an Executive Coffee Session. It includes a private coffee reception with Bush and a photo opportunity.

The Maine Heritage Policy Center’s mission statement is “to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited constitutional government, individual freedom and traditional American values…”

(To read three comments posted to this entry, go to “The South Portlander.”)

Annual tree lighting in Mill Creek Park set

(Posted Nov. 13)

It feels like late summer today in South Portland, but snow is in the forecast for Friday and the city has set the date for the annual holiday tree lighting in Mill Creek Park.

On Dec. 7, from 4:30-7:30 p.m., the multi-colored lights will be turned on in the park off Ocean Street, which also is the site for a popular Christmas Tree and wreath sale.

More than two dozen trees in Mill Creek Park are being festooned with lights, which will twinkle each night through the holiday season.

Festivities at the tree-lighting ceremony traditionally include horse-drawn carriage rides and caroling featuring SoPo middle and high school students.

City Manager Jim Gailey, keeping energy efficiency in mind, has switched the city’s holiday lights to LED, which also should save money on the city’s electric bill.

This is the second year the city has used the more energy-efficient lighting.