South Portland City Hall Kelley Bouchard photo/Press Herald
The South Portland City Council met on March 7 and, among other items, set the year’s goals.
The city’s goals for the year are as follows, in no particular order: focusing on the environment, fiscal responsibility, increasing housing, improving social services and social justice, finishing the existing initiatives, advocate for the city’s priorities, improve communication with residents, prioritize and strengthen workshops, support city staff, and support committees.
The city has also received $675,000 from the Maine Department of Transportation in grant funding for pedestrian improvements along Broadway. The city also accepted what will be several hundred thousand dollars in funding from a class action opioid lawsuit settlement. These use of these funds are restricted.
The Community Development Advisory Committee also recommended the city’s use of the 2023 Community Development Block Grant funding. The council accepted the recommendation, which will include the funding going to The Opportunity Alliance, The HUB, Redbank Community Center Improvements, Middle School Ski Club, Preble Street Food Hub, Westbrook Street Shared Use Path, Through These Doors: Domestic Violence Support Services, and the South Portland Recreation Department.
The city will also be following recommendations from the Clean Air Advisory Committee’s Report, including adding two new air monitoring stations to Pearl Street and Front Street, keeping the air monitor at Cash Corner but removing others due to their collection of three years’ of data, and conducting studies and collecting data including on the emissions and health effects of tank farms.
The city will also study and monitor transportation emissions. A standard complaint form will be created for receiving and tracking odor complaints, and the city will collect information from tank facilities on their activities during the time of complaint that may be related. The city will enact a state law or local odor ordinance if data cannot be voluntarily collected from the facilities.
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