As if it's not bad enough to be termed "non-essential," businesses in Portland--from book stores to art shops to music purveyors and more--have been faced with local restrictions that have prohibited them from pursuing any form of revenue stream during the COVID-19 pandemic. I've been hearing from A LOT of folks on this one over the last few days, and here's the gist of what I've been writing in response.

At this point I'm sure many of you are aware that unprecedented numbers of people seeking asylum in the United States are arriving in Portland, Maine. I know there are disagreements about the role Portland should play in issues that ultimately require state and federal assistance and that people have different perspectives with regard to how the City should handle its Community Support Fund. We will be discussing those issues at our City Council meeting on Monday, June 17th, and public comment will be taken at that time. 

Right now, however, we - as a city, a region, and a state - need to find a way to deal with the crisis at hand. 

To that end the City of Portland is working with community partners, the American Red Cross, and the State Center for Disease Control & Prevention to operate a temporary emergency shelter at the Portland Expo. That facility opened on Wednesday, June 12th at 5pm. 

Numerous people and groups have reached out to learn how they can help. If you are interested in volunteering or making donations to assist in this effort, here are some things you can do.
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• To volunteer to help at the Expo, please visit this page on the United Way website. And please be patient. As shelter security is of the utmost importance, volunteers need to be screened before they can be admitted to work with families and children residing at the shelter. Please do not show up at the Expo without receiving a volunteer assignment. You will be turned away. 
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• The most pressing need at this time is still for financial resources. To donate directly to the City to cover shelter/housing needs and basic necessities, visit this site where you'll find an online donation form and information about where to send or drop off checks. You can also donate by texting the word EXPO to 91999 and following the prompts. All funds received through any of these channels will go directly toward supporting asylum seekers in our community.
  
  
• If you are a social service agency or business that is looking to be involved in the city's coordination of resources, email Mo Puia.
  
  
• Physical donations are not being accepted at the Expo at this time. Please be patient. We will continue to need help beyond this week, and we need those of you who wish to donate items to be on standby for now. As soon as it becomes clear which items we need assistance obtaining, the city will make a list available and instruct people where to bring those items. 

Thanks to all who have already reached out to learn how they can help!

One of the things I've always loved about Portland is how willing people are to get engaged with issues that are important to them. We are a tremendous community, folks. I'm very proud to call this City home. 

Additions/changes in red.

The Health and Human Services & Public Safety Committee (HHS & PS) has been working to fine-tune the proposed Earned Paid Sick Leave ordinance since April of 2018. Now, after many months of feedback, consideration, and work, we have an updated draft ready for another public hearing. That hearing took place on January 8, 2019 at at 5:30pm in Council Chambers at City Hall, 389 Congress Street.

After the public hearing, the committee made a few more changes to the ordinance, which have been added to the original article below. 

You can download  the current draft of the ordinance here.

To help you wade through the changes, I've provided a section by section guide below. I've also written a quick rundown of what the ordinance does—and what it doesn't do—in a separate blog post. 

On January 8, 2019 the Health and Human Services & Public Safety Committee (HHS & PS) held another public hearing on the proposed Earned Paid Sick Leave ordinance. Here's a quick rundown of the ordinance's main points, including changes that were made at the January 8th meeting after the hearing.

Psst! If you want to get into the weeds, check out my Section by Section Guide to the January 2019 Draft. And please, after you've looked through the information, come tell us what you think on January 8th.

When an item is considered by the City Council, there is always an opportunity for the public to weigh in. In fact, there are often several opportunities.

Items usually work their way through one or more other bodies, such as the Planning Board, the Historic Preservation Board, a Council Committee, or another board, committee, or task force, before coming to the Council, and public comment is accepted throughout the process. 

The City Council itself takes public comment on items in a few  different ways.

  Here's a primer on when you can expect opportunities for public comment  before the Council or a council committee, how a public hearing or public comment period works, and how to contact councilors directly if you don't wish to testify in a public setting. 

On April 24, 2018, the Portland City Council's Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee will hold a public hearing on the proposed mandatory paid sick leave ordinance. For more about where the committee is in the process of reviewing that ordinance, see my April 19th Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Update. To find out how the public comment period will work, read on!