Portland City Council – Kate Sykes for District Five

The District Five Insider is a newsletter about the big decisions making their way through the City Council, what they mean for District Five, and how you can get involved. Enter your email and click subscribe to receive this newsletter in your mailbox.

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

ONE BIG THING

The Back Cove Festival and the Public Good: Getting to Yes—Together

On Tuesday of last week, the Housing and Economic Development Committee (HEDC) met to review a proposed three-year agreement between the City of Portland and the organizers of the Back Cove Music Festival, a two-day music event held this summer in Payson Park.

The festival brought musical entertainment and summer outdoor fun to thousands of attendees and showcased the beauty of one of our most loved and highly utilized public spaces. Overall, it was a huge success. Cultural events like this can bring people together and support our local economy. But when a commercial group fences off public space and charges admission, we owe it to our residents to make sure the arrangement respects the neighborhood, compensates the city fairly, and strengthens our shared civic life.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the HEDC Committee voted unanimously to send the proposed agreement back to staff for further negotiation. I believe that decision reflects not opposition to the event itself, but a shared concern that the current agreement does not yet represent a just or accountable use of the commons.

Centering Community Voices

Not many people have heard of Elinor Ostrom, but maybe more of us should. She was the first (and still the only) woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics. Her life’s work focused on how ordinary people manage shared resources. Her research challenged the belief that common spaces inevitably fall into disrepair unless controlled by markets or bureaucracies. Instead, she showed that when people on the ground are given clear rules and real decision-making power, they can steward shared resources with extraordinary care.

“There is no reason to believe that bureaucrats and politicians, no matter how well meaning, are better at solving problems than the people on the spot, who have the strongest incentive to get the solution right.”
— Elinor Ostrom

That idea matters here. I strongly believe that the people who live near the park, the ones “on the spot,” have the clearest understanding of what worked and what didn’t.

Here are some of the things they have shared with the Council since the event:

“I shouldn’t have to wear noise-cancelling headphones all weekend in my house.” —Johansen Street Resident

“What we didn’t hear, we felt.”—Randall Street Resident

“Significant frustration was expressed by neighbors at being effectively shut out of their own neighborhood park.” —Friends of Payson Park

Others reported logistical problems:
– Fencing, vehicles, and stage equipment arriving a full week early, cutting off access to playgrounds, courts, bike lanes, and handicapped parking.
– Shuttles and rideshares routed through small residential streets, disrupting traffic and posing safety risks for pedestrians at night.
– Sound levels that made couches shake and homework impossible.
– Confusing or nonexistent communication from organizers or city staff.
– No community survey conducted after the event.
– No transparent financial reporting or sense of where the revenue went, or how Portland taxpayers would benefit.

Neighbors are not asking to shut down the festival. They are asking to be heard, respected, and included in the process.

These concerns should not be brushed aside. Too often in public-private partnerships, it is the private side that dictates the urgency. I know that concert organizers need time to plan, but our job is not to meet someone else’s deadline; our job is to protect the integrity of public space and public process.

In this case, we must resist the idea that taking time to get things right is somehow inefficient. The work of democracy is deliberate by design, and the time we take now will shape not only this year’s event, but the precedent we set for years to come.

Getting to Yes

The Back Cove Festival brought enjoyment to thousands of people this summer. The music, the gathering, the energy is the best of what it means to share space in a city that’s alive and welcoming. Portland should absolutely be a place where events like this can happen. Where local artists can take the stage, food vendors can flourish, and residents of all backgrounds can gather in celebration.

I believe we can reach an agreement that honors the values of all parties. The organizers of the Back Cove Festival should be commended for investing their time and vision in Portland. I hope we can work together to create a stronger agreement, one that:

Reflects the true value of using public land for private events
Creates opportunities for local participation from artists to vendors to neighbors
Provides clear communication and protections for nearby residents
Includes meaningful public feedback and transparency
Safeguards the future of the event if its ownership or character changes

I know the idea of “the commons” may feel a little old-fashioned or academic to some, but to me, it’s one of the most powerful ideas we have.

Our public spaces are valuable not just because they’re green or beautiful, but also because they are governed by us, together. They embody the democratic spirit and ask us to flex the muscles of civic engagement: participation; accountability, and shared decision-making—values that sit at the heart of this country’s founding promise.

That’s why I committed to doing this work, and why I want us to get this right.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Notice: Under Maine law, documents – including e-mails and text messages – in the possession of public officials or city employees about government business may be classified as public records. There are very few exceptions. As a result, please be advised that what is written in a text message or e-mail could be released to the public and/or the media if requested.

Thursday, September 25 2025

ONE BIG THING

Politics can be all-consuming.

For many people right now, the political arena has become the place where all of our feelings get expressed. The frustration, the anxiety, the sense that something is out of balance all gets poured into politics.

And with constant media and social media at our fingertips, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that politics is the only place where change happens. But the truth is, most things cannot be solved in that space.

Our city ordinances, state laws, and federal statutes can’t heal what is spiritual, emotional, or psychological in nature. They can’t restore meaning or calm or clarity. These are things we have to find for ourselves, through quiet reflection, creative pursuits, and in community with others.

So this week, I want to share something that has nothing to do with the City Council. This week’s Big Thing is about pepperoni.

It’s the end of the growing season, and if you have a garden, you probably have a few tomatoes on the vine that will never ripen. They’re small, firm, and easy to overlook or toss in the compost. Please don’t!

Last year, I fermented some green tomatoes as an experiment, put them in the fridge and then promptly forgot about them. Around about February, I sliced a few onto a pizza because I didn’t have much else on hand and realized, to my surprise, that they taste just like pepperoni. As a vegetarian who is still nostalgic for the salty-sour-spicy flavor of a classic pepperoni slice, this discovery was a revelation. Here’s how to make them:

Fermented Green Tomatoes for Pizza (Vegetarian “Pepperoni”)

Ingredients:

Whole Green tomatoes

Garlic cloves (2–3)

1 tsp black peppercorns

½ tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)

2 tbsp salt

1 quart water

Instructions:

Pack your tomatoes into a clean glass jar with garlic, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes.

Dissolve the salt in water to make your brine.

Pour the brine over the tomatoes until they’re fully submerged. Push them down and wedge them against the jar to keep them under the surface.

Cover loosely and let ferment at room temperature for 5–10 days. Taste every few days.

Once tangy and flavorful, move the jar to the fridge.

Top a pizza with a few slices of these, sprinkle some smoked paprika over the top, and you’ll have something rich, spicy, and satisfying—no meat required.

In fermentation, the flavors develop over time, and so does the bio-availability of the nutrients in the food. The process happens slowly, naturally, when the conditions are right. With the days getting shorter and the nights colder, this is a season for doing the same. Turning inward. Slowing down. Letting things settle and change in their own time.

We’re all carrying a lot. The world feels heavy, fast, and unpredictable. But underneath that, there’s still something steady. Something waiting to change and to take a new shape, if we give it time. Autumn is a season of both creation and ending. The leaves that fall are returning their energy to the soil; the trees are pulling nutrients back into their roots; the bulbs of spring flowers are quietly storing up strength for their big reveal. Fermentation reminds us that these forces are not separate. What is breaking down can also be what is being born.

We don’t have to fix everything right now. We don’t have to be constantly reacting.

We can just be here, alive and present in the world, paying attention to what’s growing, even if we can’t quite see it yet.

Let that be enough for today.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Tuesday, September 16 2025

Breaking: City of Portland Submits Plan to Use 166 Riverside as Winter Emergency Warming Shelter

Late last week, the City of Portland submitted a grant application to MaineHousing that will shape the City’s emergency response to homelessness this winter. The application proposes to use 166 Riverside Industrial Parkway as the site for this winter’s emergency warming shelter, with a capacity of up to 60 individuals. The shelter would be open overnight during extreme cold weather only, activated when the daily low temperature reaches 15 °F or below, or snow accumulation of more than 10 inches occurs. It would operate from 7:30 pm to 6:00 am, with city staff on-site, and transportation provided via shuttle bus from the peninsula.

This decision will have sweeping consequences for residents, local businesses, and the most vulnerable people in our community.

As the District 5 Councilor, I want to be clear that I do not condone this plan. It is deeply flawed. It’s a last-resort measure driven not by thoughtful strategy, but by sheer necessity. It reflects a breakdown of systems far beyond the City’s control, and it underscores how urgently we need action at the state and county levels.

An Operational Decision—Not a Council Vote

This plan was not voted on by the Portland City Council, nor was it discussed in any public committee meeting. The decision to apply for the grant and designate 166 Riverside as the warming shelter site was made by City staff, under the authority of the City Manager’s office.

Under Portland’s Council-Manager system, many day-to-day operational decisions, especially those related to grant applications, emergency shelter operations, and city facility use, are made administratively. Councilors are often informed after the fact, especially when timelines are tight. That was the case here: the grant application was submitted on Friday to meet a deadline, and Councilors were notified shortly afterward.

I am sharing this information now because I believe residents deserve to know what’s happening and why.

A Broken System Leads To A Broken Response

City staff have spent nearly a year trying to find a more suitable location for this winter’s emergency shelter. They explored every avenue: outreach to private property owners, appeals to local churches and faith organizations, and conversations with nonprofits and service providers. All declined to take on this responsibility.

That is not a moral or professional failure. The reality is that the people this shelter is intended to serve require care and supervision far beyond what any church basement or volunteer-led space can provide. Many are in active substance use, in severe mental health crises, or have been chronically unsheltered for years. No amount of goodwill can substitute for the medical and behavioral health infrastructure needed to intervene.

What this situation reveals is not a failure of compassion; it is a failure of capacity. And Portland cannot solve it alone.

Why This Site Is Problematic

Unlike last year’s downtown warming shelter at First Parish Church, this year’s proposed site is far off-peninsula, located in an industrial area without access to services, social networks, or foot traffic. The building at 166 Riverside, a retrofitted warehouse, is already operating as a shelter for asylum-seeking single men.

The City’s plan calls for partitioning the shelter to house two distinct groups:

Recently arrived immigrants, often fleeing trauma but generally in stable condition
And individuals with extremely high needs, including active drug use and severe behavioral health crises.

This is an extraordinarily difficult environment to manage, even with trained city staff on-site. City staff hope to serve both populations in separate spaces, but it raises concerns about the safety and stability of both populations, and about whether either group will get the support they need.

Who Will Actually Use This Shelter?

Based on last year’s experience, only about 10% of those who sought shelter on cold nights would be able to use 166 Riverside. These are individuals who may be newly displaced, temporarily un-housed for a night or two, but otherwise able to board a shuttle bus and comply with shelter rules.

The other 90% are the hardest to reach and the most vulnerable:

They are in active addiction and may not be willing or able to follow shelter rules.
They may be experiencing mental health episodes, paranoid or disoriented.
They often refuse to leave their belongings—shopping carts, bikes, bags of personal survival gear—on the peninsula.
They may not even perceive the shelter as a safe place.

Last year, even when shelter was available downtown, many left in the middle of the night—sometimes inadequately clothed in dangerously low temperatures—to go outside and use. They could not tolerate the indoor environment, even with peer support and counseling available.

Now imagine this happening miles from the city center, in a residential neighborhood.

The County and State Must Act

This is not a City of Portland failure. This is a failure of a statewide system that has refused to acknowledge the depth of this crisis for decades.

At the County Level:

Portland residents and businesses contribute millions each year to the Cumberland County budget.
For years, Portland has allowed our voting seats on the County Finance Committee to sit empty.
The Sheriff’s Department has not stepped up to offer the kind of medical or recovery-based intervention that other counties have implemented.
There is no sobering center, no detox facility, no jail-based treatment pipeline.

We need county-level infrastructure. And we need it now.

At the State Level:

Governor Janet Mills is sitting on a $1 billion rainy-day fund while Maine’s largest city, and its primary economic engine, is scrambling for short-term grant dollars just to keep people alive this winter.

Portland’s downtown—home to small businesses, vital services, and thousands of workers—has become the default safety net for the state’s most vulnerable residents. Our sidewalks and public spaces are not designed to function as an emergency shelter system, yet that’s what they have become.

Our city’s businesses are being pushed to the breaking point. They are showing compassion, hiring locally, and staying open, but it’s hard to operate when your storefront becomes someone’s last refuge from the cold. These businesses deserve support. So do the people who are sleeping outside their doors.

The Maine Legislature must take emergency action now to:

Develop a statewide emergency housing plan for winter 2025 that does not rely on municipal patchwork and last-minute scrambling.
Fund low-barrier treatment facilities for people with severe addiction,
Stand up stabilization shelters for those in acute mental health crisis,
Tap the Governor’s billion dollar rainy-day-fund to address this emergency.

I’ll say this plainly: I am beyond asking politely. This is a public health emergency that demands a FEMA-scale response, not municipal triage. If a fire or flood had displaced this many Mainers, we would not tolerate bureaucratic delays or jurisdictional finger-pointing. This is no different. The winter is coming. People will die. We need an emergency response to match the scale of the emergency.

It’s Time to Stand Together And Demand More

We’re doing everything we can at the city level, but we’ve reached the end of our toolbox, and our budget.

Portland cannot do this alone. We cannot be the shelter system, the detox system, the mental health system, and the refugee resettlement system for the entire state. And yet, we try, every single day, with fewer resources than we need, and more need than we can carry.

I know Riverton residents will be upset. They already voiced concerns when this facility was opened to asylum seekers. I expect the opposition will only intensify with this announcement. We need everyone—neighbors, businesses, advocates, and elected officials—to lift your voices where it can make a difference: the State House, the County Commission, and the Governor’s office.

This is your moment. If you’ve ever said, “Why aren’t we doing more?” — here’s your answer. And here’s your assignment:

Email the County Commissioners and Sheriff. Demand that they step up and take action now to protect public health this winter.
Call your State Representatives and Senators. Demand a comprehensive response to homelessness and behavioral health crises.
Contact Governor Mills. Ask why she’s hoarding a $1 billion surplus while people freeze to death in Portland.

Temporary Shelter Is Not a Solution, It’s a Band-aid

This plan is a stopgap. It will not solve anything. It will not reach most of the people who need help. It will not prevent winter deaths.

What we need are long-term investments in treatment, housing, and care. We need leadership from people with the power to act, not just from those of us trying to patch the system from below.

This is where we are. And unless we fight like hell to change the trajectory, it’s where we’ll be next winter too. And the one after that, and the one after that… I am asking Portland citizens to stand up and demand change, demand that our county, state and federal partners do their duty.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Friday May 30, 2025

ONE BIG THING: Understanding Your Property Revaluation Notice

Many of you have received your new property assessment from the City and are understandably concerned. I’ve heard from constituents whose property values have gone up significantly, and they’re worried that this means their taxes will skyrocket.

Let me explain what’s actually happening.

When the city revalues all properties, it resets the estimated market value of every parcel of land in Portland. This year’s revaluation increased property values across the city to reflect current market conditions, but the overall amount of money the City needs to raise through property taxes doesn’t change because of revaluation. Instead, the mill rate (the tax per $1,000 of value) is adjusted downward, and what changes is how that burden is divided among property owners.

Here’s an example:

Before revaluation: Your home was valued at $350,000 and the mill rate was $20 per $1,000.
→ Your tax bill was $7,000.
After revaluation: Your home is now valued at $500,000—but the new citywide mill rate drops to $14.
→ Your tax bill is still $7,000.

This means that even though your assessed value went up, your tax bill might stay the same—or even go down—depending on how your home’s increase compares to the citywide average.

If your property went up less than the citywide average, your taxes could go down. If it went up more than average, they could go up—but not necessarily by the same percentage. We won’t know final tax bills until the new mill rate is set in August, after the City Council passes the FY26 budget.

I want to be clear that I’m committed to tax fairness and balancing the city budget—but not on the backs of working families, seniors, and people living paycheck to paycheck.

That’s why I’m working to:

Expand Portland’s Senior Tax Equity Program (P-STEP) to more residents, regardless of age.
Launch a PILOT program asking large nonprofits to contribute their fair share.
Strengthen financial oversight of city spending to ensure transparency and accountability.

I’ll be advocating for these ideas in the Finance Committee. In the meantime, if you have questions about your revaluation notice, you can contact Tyler Technologies at 1-844-651-3398 or visit tylertech.com/portland.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Wednesday May 21, 2025

ONE BIG THING: Shaping UNE’s Growth in District 5

This week, the Council approved the University of New England Institutional Overlay Zone (IOZ), granting UNE long-term development rights over more than 70 acres in the Deering neighborhood. The zone creates a cohesive plan for UNE’s Portland campus and opens the door for projects like student housing for the medical school, transforming what has long been a commuter campus into a vibrant residential hub. It ensures that future development happens within a shared vision, not parcel by parcel.

Councilor Bullett and I also introduced an amendment—passed unanimously—to expand environmental protections along Capisic Brook, permanently safeguarding water quality and green space in one of Portland’s most climate-vulnerable watersheds.

At the same meeting, I introduced a resolution urging the Council’s Finance Committee to finalize a long-overdue PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) policy to address the growing footprint of Portland’s tax-exempt institutions.

Why It Matters

The UNE IOZ marks the third major zoning entitlement on tax-exempt land in recent years, following approvals for MaineHealth and the Roux Institute. These institutions now occupy vast sections of the city but are exempt from paying property taxes toward the infrastructure and services that sustain them. They benefit from zoning approvals, public infrastructure, emergency response, and long-term planning, but the cost is shifted onto working people, renters, and small businesses.

According to the City Assessor’s Office, approximately $3 billion in Portland property is currently tax-exempt, representing over 20% of the City’s potential tax base.

Meanwhile, property taxes are climbing. School budgets are growing. State reimbursements are uncertain. We are asking more from Portlanders while allowing some of the city’s largest landholders to grow without giving back.

A PILOT program offers another way, one that treats growth as a shared civic responsibility. It’s a model where prosperity is reinvested in the communities that make it possible, and it works in other cities.

Boston’s PILOT program generates over $30 million annually, using a fair formula based on property value and municipal service use, with credits for real community benefit. Portland has drafted a similar framework, but has yet to enact it.

It’s time to move forward with a model that matches our values and invests in our shared future.

Four Quick Hits

School Budget Passed: We protected vital school programming under fiscal pressure. A win for stability and equity.
Brighton Ave RFP Approved: The Council advanced affordable housing on city-owned land near the Barron Center. The debate, whether to prioritize family or elder housing, revealed how austerity forces us to choose between needs. I look forward to exploring new tools to build public equity in housing through the Social Housing task force so we can build housing for everyone.
Cannabis Loopholes Fixed: Retailers can now prepare non-alcoholic beverages onsite. A simple change that helps small businesses thrive on equal terms.
Minimum Wage Ballot Initiative Moves Forward: The Housing & Economic Development Committee approved a ballot measure that would finally include City workers, ending their exclusion from the 2020 wage hike and taking a stand for wage equity across sectors.

What Comes Next

The minimum wage initiative is a step toward fairness. But already, we’re seeing calls to carve out nonprofit employers, a move that would recreate the very inequity we’re trying to correct.

Let’s be clear: under that amendment, someone washing dishes in a non-profit senior home could be paid less than someone doing the same job in a restaurant—same work, same hours, less pay—just because of who signs the paycheck.

This is the logic of austerity: divide workers by sector, business size, or job title, and ask them to fight over what’s left.

But we know another way.

We can build a city where no one is carved out. Where wages are dignified, housing is abundant, and growth is shared. The work continues, and we’ll keep doing it together.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Wednesday May 7, 2025

ONE BIG THING: Council Agrees to Public Workshop on Rent Control Enforcement

At Monday’s City Council meeting, we heard directly from the Portland Tenants Union and community members about rent control enforcement. Their audit of March rental listings suggests staggering noncompliance: over 60% of advertised units appear to be in violation of the Rent Stabilization Ordinance. That includes units not registered, listed at unlawful rents, or inaccurately reported in the City’s own public data. In response, the Council will convene a public workshop in June to examine the findings. This will be a chance for the public, City departments, and our Rent Board to come together and workshop our enforcement infrastructure with transparency and accountability.

Why It Matters: Rent control is not optional—it’s the law. And it is an indispensable tool for keeping people housed at a time when federal and state cuts are slashing Portland’s capacity to respond to the housing crisis.

What Comes Next: The workshop on June 9^th will include presentations from Permitting & Inspections, Corporation Counsel, PTU, and the Rent Board. I am pushing to ensure this becomes not just a data presentation, but a collaborative reset that re-centers tenants as key stakeholders in policy enforcement.

Two More Quick Hits:

Hotel Moratorium Extended

The Council voted to extend the moratorium on new hotel development to allow time for revisions to the Hotel Inclusionary Zoning ordinance. The current linkage fee of $4,831 per room vastly underestimates the public cost. New data shows it may be as high as $13,700 per room. This pause gives us space to align hotel growth with Portland’s housing needs and labor market realities.

UNE Overlay Zone Vote Coming May 19: What’s at Stake

The proposed Institutional Overlay Zone (IOZ) for the University of New England is headed for a final Council vote this month. This zoning change would consolidate UNE’s control over approximately 72 acres in Deering Center, permitting by-right, tax-exempt development across the site. While UNE has outlined future growth plans, the current proposal raises serious concerns:

Erosion of the Tax Base: The rezoning could green-light future removal of multiple parcels from Portland’s property tax rolls. No fiscal impact assessment has been provided to offset this loss. The public would continue to fund municipal services—like police, fire, and infrastructure—without a clear return from UNE.
Lack of Public Benefit Agreement: Unlike similar proposals in Portland and other cities, there is no community benefits package attached to this rezoning. UNE cites clinical programs like “Give Kids A Smile” as community benefits, but these are primarily student training opportunities. Real benefits require community input and enforceable commitments.
Environmental Risk to Capisic Brook: The site borders Capisic Brook—an Urban Impaired Stream and one of Portland’s most sensitive ecological corridors. While UNE has indicated an intent to conserve some land, there are no binding protections or enforceable buffers to ensure long-term watershed health.

As currently written, this overlay zone would enable institutional expansion without clear protections for Portland’s fiscal sustainability or its natural environment. I’m working to ensure the Council addresses these gaps so our neighborhoods, tax base, and ecological assets are not left behind.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Saturday May 3, 2025

ONE BIG THING: Trolley Park Ribbon Cutting & Community Cleanup

On Tuesday, May 14th at 4 PM, we’ll cut the ribbon on Portland’s newest community gem: the Trolley Park Bike Skills Park. This new space reflects our shared commitment to outdoor recreation, youth empowerment, and neighborhood vibrancy. Please join us to celebrate!

And don’t miss today’s community trash pickup at 10 AM in Trolley Park. Meet in the parking lot by the sign at 822 Riverside Street. Supplies will be provided by the City and Coffee and donuts will be on hand to fuel the good work.

What Happened: The Trolley Park Skills Park has been years in the making, designed in collaboration with community partners and youth advocates. Simultaneously, this morning’s cleanup effort brings volunteers together to care for one of our most visible public spaces.

Why It Matters: Whether it’s a park opening or a trash pickup, these moments highlight the power of direct civic action. They also speak to our broader efforts to create spaces—both literal and metaphorical—where everyone belongs and feels safe.

What Comes Next: We are actively investing in more spaces like Trolley Park, and strengthening our Public Works partnerships for regular community-driven cleanup events.

VACANCY ORDINANCE: Monument Square and Beyond

The Housing and Economic Development Committee (HEDC) is currently reviewing a proposed commercial vacancy ordinance aimed at bringing more life to empty storefronts downtown. This ordinance specifically targets properties within the Pedestrian Activities District, including Monument Square, with a focus on bringing in more art installations, local partnerships, and economic revitalization.

What Happened: Concerns about safety and disinvestment in Monument Square have grown louder in recent months. The vacancy ordinance is a thoughtful policy response: rather than criminalizing poverty, it seeks to activate unused spaces and bring beauty and foot traffic back into our public squares.

Why It Matters: Trump’s attacks on Maine, weren’t just rhetorical—they were economic. His stance toward Canada, including reckless tariffs and insults aimed at one of our closest neighbors and trading partners, directly harm Maine industries, including our tourism economy here in Portland. Fewer visitors means poverty and homeless are more visible in our public spaces. This ordinance gives us a way to balance compassion and revitalization, helping businesses thrive, while standing firm on public safety and community standards.

What Comes Next: Pending HEDC endorsement, the ordinance will proceed to the Planning Board, and ultimately the City Council, for review and possible adoption.

Rural-Urban Division Is a Distraction: Let’s Build Solidarity in Our Strengths

There’s something I hear more often than I’d like to admit: “Augusta hates Portland.” I was recently told by a fellow elected official that when Portland testifies in support of a bill at the State House, it can actually hurt the bill’s chances. Legislators from other regions don’t want what Portland wants—not because the policy is wrong, but because we are asking for it.

Let that sink in.

Some would rather see Portland lose than Maine win. And I have to ask: how does that serve any of us?

What We Know:
Portland is not just a city—it’s a statewide engine. We generate significant sales and cannabis tax revenues that help fund programs in every corner of Maine. Our hospitals, universities, and shelters serve residents far beyond city limits. We provide public health programs, housing, and cultural experiences that benefit the whole state.

But Here’s the Truth:
We also rely on rural Maine. We depend on rural labor, natural resources, food systems, and outdoor spaces. When people come to Portland, they’re not just coming for the cobblestones and the lobster rolls—they’re coming for the authenticity of Maine, which includes its farms, forests, fisheries, and families spread across every region.

Why It Matters:
A house divided cannot stand. When we tear each other down, no one wins. We cannot afford to treat Portland’s policy work as toxic, simply because it originates here. Every time we pit rural and urban needs against one another, we miss the chance to build coalitions that could actually deliver results—from affordable housing, to healthcare, to clean energy.

What Comes Next:
Let’s change the conversation. Let’s speak with appreciation for what our rural partners bring to the table and with pride in what Portland offers the state. If we want a strong Maine, we need every region at the table—celebrated, not scapegoated. We need to get back to basics: shared values, shared vision, and shared victories.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Tuesday April 15, 2025

ONE BIG THING: Portland Adopts Vision Zero

Last night, the Council took a major step toward protecting all Portlanders by unanimously passing the Vision Zero resolution, a commitment to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2045. This is a victory for anyone who walks, bikes, rides the bus, or simply crosses the street in our city.

What Happened

The Council unanimously approved a resolution endorsing the Greater Portland Council of Governments’ Vision Zero Action Plan. The plan prioritizes safety over speed; people over cars; and acknowledges that traffic deaths are preventable, not inevitable. It commits us to redesigning dangerous corridors, using crash data to target investments, and coordinating across departments to ensure every Portlander—regardless of age, income, ability, or neighborhood—can get around safely.

Why It Matters

We’ve seen a high number of recent pedestrian deaths in Portland—a tragic toll that reflects a transportation system designed for speed and convenience, not for human life. And let’s face it: the risks don’t fall on everyone equally. The less money you have, the more likely you are to walk, bike, or ride the bus. And the less protected you are in those modes, the higher your risk of injury or death. That’s not a coincidence; it’s a policy failure.

This resolution matters for the working-class people of Portland—for kids walking to school, for elders crossing Stevens Avenue, for transit riders navigating Forest Avenue before sunrise.

I’ve heard from many Portlanders who are ready for this change, including Erik in Deering Center:

“Our family gets around Portland by walking, biking, car and bus, and strongly supports Vision Zero… For me personally this means that my kids and I should be able to find a safe walking and biking route to any destination in the City.”

What Comes Next

The Sustainability and Transportation Committee will now begin work on a local implementation plan, identifying high-risk intersections, prioritizing low-speed street redesigns, and ensuring that vulnerable users are protected. Community members can and should stay involved to ensure this work keeps moving.

The Budget Crisis and the Cost of Disinvestment

Last night, the City Manager submitted her FY26 budget proposal to the Council, which includes a 6.2% citywide tax increase, driven largely by the state’s refusal to fully reimburse us for General Assistance (GA) and shelter beds. These are services that Portland provides not only for our residents, but for people from across the region. We’ve built the Homeless Services Center (HSC)—a facility unmatched anywhere else in Maine—to meet a crisis head-on, with compassion and coordination. But now the state is walking away from its share of the cost.

Meanwhile, Cumberland County has not funded jail-based addiction treatment at the level we need it to, leaving our police and our community with no clear path from crisis to recovery. Officers arrest people in crisis only to see them back on the street days later, still suffering—not because anyone failed to do their job, but because the system stops short of care. That’s not on our police. That’s a failure of county investment.

The impacts of this disinvestment ripple far beyond GA. When we’re forced to fill the state’s gap, it comes out of our core services, like public safety, youth programs, parks and street repair. Already, we are falling behind regionally on police and fire department salaries, losing workers to neighboring towns, and watching morale decline. These are the broader costs of austerity that don’t make headlines.

A budget is not just a spreadsheet. It’s a statement about what kind of city we’re being asked to become—and who’s being asked to sacrifice. There will be opportunities to organize and push back. For now, let’s name the truth: Portland has stepped up again and again to do what’s right. But we cannot keep doing it alone.

HEDC Meets Tonight on Workers’ Rights and Housing Justice

The Housing and Economic Development Committee meets tonight to discuss a series of proposals that could reshape housing and labor protections in Portland:

Minimum Wage Referendum: A proposal to let voters decide whether to raise the minimum wage for Portland workers. With the cost of living soaring, a real living wage is a critical tool to prevent homelessness and economic displacement.
Hotel Inclusionary Zoning: A long-overdue policy revision to ensure hotel developments deliver affordable housing for their workforce—not just more corporate profits.
Vacancy Ordinance: A proposal to require owners of empty storefronts to register and maintain them, making it harder for speculators to sit on housing stock while people sleep outside.

PET OF THE WEEK: Meet Archie

We had a very special guest at last night’s meeting: Nine-week-old Archie, the Portland Police Department’s new comfort dog, stopped by City Hall and instantly became a crowd favorite.

Archie is part of a growing effort to bring trauma-informed practices into public safety. He’s here to support community members and first responders alike—and remind us all that a little softness can go a long way.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Tuesday March 18, 2025

One Big (HUGE!) Thing: City Council Approves Social Housing Task Force

Last night, the Portland City Council voted unanimously to establish a Mayoral Task Force to study and recommend a public-led social housing program, a decisive and historic step toward building Portland’s future.

For me, this moment is deeply meaningful. When I ran for City Council in 2023, social housing was the central plank of my campaign platform. I heard from residents across the district who called for bold solutions to the housing crisis, and who understood that relying solely on private development and non-profits wasn’t enough to meet the scale of our need. Now, after a year of steady groundwork, we are moving forward.

Why This Matters

The truth is, Portland has very little power to control how much affordable housing actually gets built. In the past four years, the City Council has approved 16 applications for affordable housing developments using public subsidies. Only three of those projects have made it to construction, and just two have opened their doors. The rest are still waiting in line, often for years, for MaineHousing to fund them.

City staff and councilors spend significant meeting and staff time, and public resources and tax dollars reviewing and underwriting these applications, only for many to fall through due to delays, waitlists, and spiraling construction costs. This is not a criticism of the developers themselves; many are doing their best under a broken system, but we must recognize that this system is failing us.

That is why we need public leadership in housing. Social housing gives us the power to build at scale, to address the “missing middle,” to ensure long-term affordability, and to steward public funds more efficiently by keeping the value of what we build in the hands of the people. Social Housing is just like owning a home versus renting one: when you own, every dollar you invest in maintenance, improvements, or paying down the mortgage builds equity that stays with you and your family. When you rent, that value flows to someone else.

Right now, we are effectively renting housing from Wall Street, pouring public money into a system that transfers value to banks and corporate investors. With social housing, the public owns the asset, and the value it generates, which can be reinvested into more housing and stronger communities.

What’s Next

The Social Housing Task Force will begin its work as soon as members are appointed. The application process will move quickly and will follow the same process used to appoint members to city boards and committees, beginning with the City Clerk’s Office and landing on the agenda of the Legislative and Nominating Committee.

We are looking for residents from all walks of life who want to help shape Portland’s housing future. Members of the public will be chosen to represent backgrounds in housing development, architecture, public finance, labor, climate policy, legal services, and community advocacy. Per Councilor April Fournier’s amendment, which passed unanimously last night, the task force will also include at least two members from underserved populations with lived experience navigating Portland’s housing market. Seats will also include: two City Councilors; a representative from the Planning Board; a member of the Economic Development Committee; city staff with expertise in housing, finance, and planning.

This is an exciting opportunity for residents to engage in transformational work to help envision and design the kind of housing system that can support a thriving economy, a strong labor market, and a more equitable Portland for generations to come.

Portland First: The City Maine Needs to Lead

As Maine’s largest city, Portland has a responsibility to build the bulk of the housing our state desperately needs. We have the infrastructure, public services, transit, and walkability to support smart, sustainable growth. If we don’t build here, growth will spill into surrounding towns, leading to sprawl, traffic congestion, and environmental degradation—outcomes that make life harder for everyone.

The data is stark: Since 1970, Portland’s population has grown just 5%, while Cumberland County has grown 61%. If Portland had kept pace, we would be over 100,000 people today. Instead, growth has leapfrogged us, pushing working families and young people out of the city and straining our region’s resources.

Social housing gives us the tools to reverse this trend. By building the housing Portland needs—right here, where the infrastructure already exists—we can help protect Maine’s natural resources from sprawl and overdevelopment. Portland has always been the heart of Maine’s economy; by growing responsibly and equitably, we can support the entire state while preserving the landscapes and communities that make Maine special.

Let’s Build It Together

This is a moment for optimism and action. Portland’s spirit is captured in one word: Resurgam, “I shall rise again,” which is cast into the metalwork of the gates at City Hall, a lasting symbol of our city’s resilience after the Great Fire of 1866.

We are a city that knows how to rebuild, not just from fire, but from every challenge we’ve faced. We know the value of hard work, collective effort, and laying a strong foundation for future generations. Social housing is our opportunity to carry that legacy forward, to build not just homes, but a stronger, fairer city where everyone can thrive.

The task force application process will begin soon, and I’ll be keeping residents updated on its progress through this newsletter. If you’re interested in applying or want to learn more, reach out anytime. This is your chance to help shape Portland’s housing future, one that complements our zoning reforms, supports a strong labor market, and brings us into a new era of prosperity, livability, and resilience.

If you’re interested in applying, or if you have questions, reach out to me anytime. I’m happy to talk about the process and what the task force will entail.

You can also read more about social housing in my article for Pine and Roses.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Monday February 24, 2025

Recent Pedestrian Fatality in District 5

I am deeply saddened to learn of another tragic pedestrian fatality in District 5. My heart goes out to the victim’s family and loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time. I also extend my compassion to the driver involved, who must now carry the emotional weight of this tragedy.

This latest incident is a heartbreaking reminder of the urgent need to improve safety on Portland’s streets. For too long, traffic crashes have been viewed as unavoidable accidents—tragic but inevitable. But we know that’s not true. Traffic fatalities are preventable, and there is so much we can do to create safer streets for everyone. This is the core principle of Vision Zero: the belief that no loss of life on our roads is acceptable and that through better street design, safer speeds, and equitable enforcement, we can eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries.

As your District 5 Councilor, I am committed to advancing this mission. The Sustainability and Transportation Committee is working to develop a Vision Zero Action Plan that will identify high-risk areas, implement targeted safety improvements, and hold us accountable for measurable progress. We will align our local efforts with the Greater Portland Council of Governments’ regional Vision Zero initiative, ensuring that safety improvements are coordinated and effective.

The time for action is now. We must accelerate improvements to dangerous corridors like Forest Avenue and Riverside Street, strengthen collaboration with the Maine Department of Transportation, and empower our community with the tools and knowledge to make safer choices. Portland has the resources, partnerships, and determination to prevent these tragedies. We owe it to every resident to create a city where everyone—whether walking, biking, or driving—can move safely and confidently.