On the agenda: Portland City Council Meeting - October 19, 2026 — Data Center (Oct 19)

MARK DION (MAYOR)
PIOUS ALI (A/L)
APRIL FOURNIER (A/L)
BENJAMIN GRANT (A/L)

SARAH MICHNIEWICZ (1)
WESLEY PELLETIER (2)
REGINA L. PHILLIPS (3)
ANNA BULLETT (4)
KATE SYKES (5)

CITY COUNCIL MEETING - OCTOBER 19, 2026
The Portland City Council will hold a City Council Meeting in Council Chambers. The Honorable Mark
Dion, Mayor, will preside.
To submit written public comment on an agenda item, email [email protected]. Submissions
must be received by 12:00 pm the day before the Council meeting to guarantee their inclusion in the agenda
packet. All submissions must include the commenter's name and legal address. To help ensure your comment is
submitted for the correct item, please include the order number (see below).
The City Council will conduct this meeting from Council Chambers, located on the second floor of City Hall.
https://portlandme.portal.civicclerk.com/event/9577/files
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
ROLL CALL:
5:00 P.M. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
RECOGNITIONS:
Recognizing Kevin Kraft, Director of Planning & Urban Development, and Melissa
Hue, Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, on being named Mainebiz 40
Under 40 Honorees
PRESENTATIONS:
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING:
City Council Meeting Minutes 10.05.2026
PROCLAMATIONS:
Proclamation 13-26/27 Recognizing October 25 to October 31, 2026 as National
Lead Poisoining Prevention Week - Sponsored by Mark Dion, Mayor
APPOINTMENTS:
Order 59-26/27 Appointing Directors of the Portland Widows' Wood Society for the
2026-2027 Term - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager
The Portland Widows’ Wood Society provides heating and utility bill assistance to
Portland residents in need who are referred to the Society by various charitable
organizations and the City of Portland. This order appoints the following persons as
Directors of the Portland Widows’ Wood Society for the 2026-2027 term:
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• John Knox
• Nancy English
• Cyrus Hagge
• Thomas Pierce
• Cheryl Hallett
• Desiree Lester
• Sheba Brown
• Alex Pringle
Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment.
CONSENT ITEMS:
Order 60-26/27 Granting Municipal Officers’ Approval of Toasted Brothers
Portland LLC, dba The Friendly Toast. Application for Class I FSE with Outdoor
Dining on Private Property at 211 Fore Street - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City
Manager
Application was filed on 9/16/26. This is a change of ownership of an existing
establishment.
Five affirmative votes are required for passage of items on the consent calendar after
public comment.
Order 61-26/27 Granting Municipal Officers’ Approval of Tailwind PWM LLC,
dba Casco Bay Bar. Application for Class I FSE at 1001 Westbrook Street Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager
Application was filed on 9/25/26. Location was previously Linda Bean Maine Lobster.
Five affirmative votes are required for passage of items on the consent calendar after
public comment.
Order 62-26/27 Granting Municipal Officers’ Approval of Tailwind PWM LLC,
dba The Pub at PWM. Application for Class I FSE at 1001 Westbrook Street Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager
Application was filed on 9/25/26. Location was previously Shipyard Brewing.
Five affirmative votes are required for passage of items on the consent calendar after
public comment.
RESOLUTIONS:
Resolve 4-26/27 Requesting Ordinance Amendments Regulating Data Centers in the
City of Portland - Sponsored by Housing & Economic Development Committee,
Councilor Pious Ali, Chair
At its meeting on October 6, 2026, the Housing and Economic Development Committee
reviewed and voted to the send this Resolution for Council consideration. The Resolution
requests that the Director of Planning and Urban Development initiate the process for
amendments to the City’s Land Use Code and develop amendments for consideration by
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the Planning Board and City Council that address the development of Data Centers
within the City of Portland.
Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment.
Resolve 5-26/27 Authorizing The Mayor to Submit Testimony to the Public Utilities
Commission To Protect The Public's Right to Provide Comment On Central Maine
Power's Request for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the
Construction of Transmission Upgrades in Portland and the Greater Portland Area
- Sponsored by Mark Dion, Mayor
Central Maine Power has submitted to the Public Utilities Commission a request for a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the construction of certain
transmission upgrades in Portland and the Greater Portland area. City Councilors and
local residents have raised concerns regarding the public's receipt of notice and
opportunity to be heard by CMP and the PUC in connection with the project and the
project's environmental and other impacts on public and private property. This resolution
would authorize the Mayor to submit testimony on behalf of the City to the PUC as
needed to protect the rights of the City's residents to provide comment on the project.
Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
Resolve 3-26/27 Amending Council Rules - Sponsored by Rules Committee,
Councilor Pious Ali, Chair
The Rules Committee met on August 26, 2026, and voted to forward this item to the City
Council for consideration. The proposed amendments to the City Council's Rules of
Procedure would update Rule 13 to allow the Peaks Island Council to sponsor agenda
items directly, and also modify Rule 29 to enable the City Council to formally refer items
to the Peaks Island Council with specific instructions, timelines, and guidelines.
Councilor Grant has offered an amendment that removes the Peaks Island Council's
authority to sponsor agenda items and deletes the specific procedures required when
referring items to it, as set forth in the Grant Amendment 1 attached hereto.
This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on September 21
and its second reading on October 5, at which point it was postponed to October 19. Five
affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment.
Order 55-26/27 Approving an Amendment to the Boyd Housing and Cumberland
Housing Affordable Housing Development and Tax Increment Financing District
and Adopting the Amended Municipal Development Program for the District Sponsored by Housing & Economic Development Committee, Councilor Pious Ali,
Chair
The Housing and Economic Development Committee voted 4-0 to move this request
forward to City Council. On August 11, 2025, the City Council approved the Boyd and
Cumberland Housing Affordable Housing Tax Increment Financing (AHTIF) district.
Located in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood, this development project aims to bring
91 units of mixed-income housing to the area, including 81 units designated as affordable
housing. The proposed plans feature a single 7-story building complemented by shared
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outdoor green space for residents. Portland Housing Development Corporation is
requesting an amendment to the existing AHTIF district for the project.
To maximize available equity for a development of this scale, the project was originally
structured as a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) “Twin.” To support the
original twin model, the City of Portland created one AHTIF district, called Cumberland
and Boyd Housing, with two sets of legal documents, each named for a portion of the
twin project (Cumberland Housing, Boyd Housing). Because the project was converted to
a 4% LIHTC plus State LIHTC model, it is now considered one project, and the
separation is moot. The attached documents reflect this change.
This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on October 5.
Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment.
Order 56-26/27 Approving an Amended Credit Enhancement Agreement for the
Boyd and Cumberland Housing Affordable Housing and Tax Increment Financing
District - Sponsored by Housing & Economic Development Committee, Councilor
Pious Ali, Chair
On September 15, 2026 the Housing and Economic Development Committee voted (4-0)
to recommend this item to the City Council.
This is a companion order to the order above.
This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on October 5.
Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment.
Order 57-26/27 Appropriating $375,000 from the Jill C. Duson Housing Trust Fund
to Preservation of Affordable Housing RE: Lambert Woods North 622 Auburn
Street - Sponsored by Housing & Economic Development Committee, Councilor
Pious Ali, Chair
At their meeting on September 15, 2026, the Housing and Economic Development
Committee voted 4-0 to move this request to City Council for consideration. Preservation
of Affordable Housing (POAH) has submitted a request for a loan in the amount of
$1,328,316 from the Jill C. Duson Housing Trust Fund. Preservation of Affordable
Housing (POAH) is requesting $1,328,316 in funding for Lambert Woods North, a
proposed development located on city-owned land at 622 Auburn Street (future address:
2274 Washington Avenue) and comprising 72 apartments across 6 residential buildings.
The project requested $360,000 from the City of Portland’s Jill C. Duson Housing Trust
Fund in October 2025 to address a gap caused by the loss of 45L Energy Tax Credits,
which were eliminated by the federal government, and design changes which led to
increased engineering, architecture, and legal costs. That request was rewarded.
The project had additional design changes, requested by MaineHousing, that led to
significant increases in costs. For a more thorough explanation of the cost increases,
please see the attached memo from Preservation of Affordable Housing dated June 16,
2026.
Due, in part, to the additional design changes, the project closed in 2025 with a funding
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gap, which was filled by three bridge loans from POAH for a total of $1,559,927. After
an internal evaluation of the budget included in the aforementioned memo, which
included a review and consultation with the City’s underwriter, staff recommends partial
support of the funding request made by Lambert Woods North LLC. Staff recommends
partial funding in the amount of $375,000 to address increases in construction hard costs,
architect, design, survey, engineering & legal costs, as well as soft cost contingency.
This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on October 5.
Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment.
Order 58-26/27 Approving Modification 3 to Pedestrian Crossing Improvements on
Forest Avenue Project Between the Maine Department of Transportation and
Portland - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager
This project is a Locally Administered Project (LAP) where the City administers the
projectand receives 80% funding from the state. Signing the amended partnership
agreement enables the City to proceed with the design phase of the project and will
continue to obligate MaineDOT to pay for 80% of the estimated project cost, or
$160,000.00. The City will commit 20% of this estimated cost, $40,000, in matching
funds. The original agreement between the City and MaineDOT allocated a 20% match
of $16,000 in 2024, although with expanded scope and labor rates this fee has similarly
increased.
Modifications 1 and 2 added project scope and increased the total project amount to
$134,532.34. Additional funding is needed to cover MaineDOT administrative costs and
to account for the actual design costs that have been incurred. The additional funding for
this has been allocated through the Capital Improvement Project process. This additional
funding will result in full design completion for this project.
This item must be read on two separate days. It received its first reading on October 5.
Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment.
ORDERS:
Order 63-26/27 Adopting the Civilian Police Review Board Training Procedures Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City Manager
Section 2-85(a)(8) permits the Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB) to make rules
governing their administrative procedures, subject to City Council approval. The CPRB
approved the proposed Training Procedures at its meeting on September 23, 2026, which
require members to complete all trainings outlined in Section 2-85(e) of the City Code as
well as additional trainings, such as a police ride-along, and encourages ongoing training
for Board members.
Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment.
Order 64-26/27 Accepting and Appropriating a Federal Emergency Management
Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grant - Sponsored by Danielle P. West, City
Manager
This order authorizes the acceptance of $73,920 in Federal funding from the Fiscal Year
2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. This funding will be used to purchase
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NFPA 1801 compliant thermal imaging cameras for the Fire Department.
This item must be read on two separate days. In order to meet the grant deadline for
acceptance, staff is requesting that the second reading be waived, which requires seven
affirmative votes. Staff also requests that this item be passed as an emergency. Seven
votes are required for passage as an emergency following public comment.
Order 65-26/27 Accepting and Appropriating a Department of Health and Human
Services Drug Free Communities Grant - Sponsored by Danielle P West, City
Manager
If approved, this item would accept a $625,000 ($125,000/yr for 5 years) Drug Free
Communities grant from the U.S. CDC. Funds are meant to support the Portland
Prevention Coalition in preventing youth substance use by strengthening local
partnerships and addressing the community conditions that contribute to substance use.
The goal is to build sustainable, community-driven strategies that reduce youth use of
substances such as alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs.
This item must be read on two separate days. Due to time constraints for accepting the
funds, staff is requesting that the second reading be waived, which requires seven
affirmative votes. Staff also requests that this item be passed as an emergency. Seven
votes are required for passage as an emergency following public comment.
Order 66-26/27 Traffic Schedule Amendment RE: Lancaster Street - Sponsored by
Sustainability & Transportation Committee, Councilor Regina Phillips, Chair
The S&T Committee met on September 16, 2026 and unanimously voted to recommend
changes to the traffic schedule on Lancaster St. There is an existing commercial loading
zone that is currently underutilized. The designation of parking spaces would convert to 1
hour time zone spaces and be included in the Portland High School approved parking
spaces.
This item must be read on two separate days. This is its first reading.
Order 67-26/27 Approving the Administrative Fee Increase for Parking in the First
Light Commons Parking Lots - Sponsored by Sustainability & Transportation
Committee, Councilor Regina Phillips, Chair
The S&T Committee met on September 16, 2026 and unanimously voted to recommend
a new parking rate structure in the parking lots adjacent to First Light Commons. The
proposed rate would align with the rate of the city operated parking garages and provide
10 free time zone spaces that will be included in residential zone 11.
This item must be read on two separate days. This is its first reading.
Order 68-26/27 Approving the Appropriation of $350,000 from the Opioid
Settlement Fund for Operation of Emergency Winter Warming Shelter - Sponsored
by Danielle P. West, City Manager
If passed, this Order would allocate $350,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund to operate
a 2026-2027 Winter Warming Shelter in Portland. This funding would be intended to
supplement emergency winter warming shelter funding provided by the Maine State
Housing Authority.
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Details regarding warming shelter operations, including location, will be finalized and
published before the Council's consideration of this item on November 2, 2026.
This item must be read on two separate days. This is its first reading.
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
Pursuant 1 M.R.S. section 405(6)(A) & (E), the City Council is expected to enter
executive session to (1) discuss compensation for the Corporation Counsel, and (2)
consult with its attorneys concerning the Council's legal rights and duties in
connection with the Central Maine Power transmission upgrade project currently
pending before the Public Utilities Commission.

ADJOURNMENT:

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