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Community Newsletter

Issue #317

This City of South Portland Community E-Newsletter includes information about City sponsored events, projects and special announcements from South Portland's non-profit community.    Sign up if you would like to receive the newsletter directly to your inbox. Having difficulty viewing the newsletter?  The newsletter and archives are posted on the City's website here.   Please report broken links to news@southportland.org.

Trash & Recycling Bus Schedules Parks & Recreation Programs Pay Taxes and Bills Online Online Services
Public Meeting Agendas & Information
All City Board & Committee Agendas and Packet material, including City Council Meeting material, may now be found on BoardDocs. All packet material and agendas will be posted by 4:30pm on Friday the week prior to the scheduled meeting.  Bookmark this link!
NOTE:  There will be NO City Council Meeting/Workshop next week (August 9).  The next City Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 16 at 6:30pm.
Do you need to report a pothole, traffic hazard, broken streetlight, file a general complaint, or other issue on city property? 
Click here to file a complaint or issue using the Citizen Request Portal
Property Tax Stabilization Program 
Property Tax Stabilization for Senior Citizens, also known as the Property Tax Stabilization Program, is a new State program that allows certain senior-citizen residents to stabilize, or freeze, the property taxes on their homestead. As long as you qualify and file a timely application each year, the tax billed to you for your homestead will be frozen at the amount you were billed in the prior tax year. Eligible residents who move may transfer the fixed tax amount to a new homestead, even if that new homestead is in a different Maine municipality. The filing deadline is December 1 of each year and must be applied for annually. Read More
The City Council is seeking people to serve on a number of city committees, INCLUDING:
  • Comprehensive Plan Committee (resident must live in District 5)
  • Landcare Management Advisory Committee
  • Transit Advisory Committee (resident must live in District 5)
  • Board of Assessment Review (resident must live in District 2) 
There is a committee for everyone's interest and skillset!  If you are interested in applying, please click here for more information: https://onboard.southportland.org/
Apply Now
Nomination papers for offices of City Councilor (At-Large, 2 seats) and Board of Education (District 1, District 2, and District 4 for the unexpired term) and all district Warden and Ward Clerk seats are now available at the City Clerk’s office, and must be filed by Friday, September 9. Election Day is November 8, 2022.  Read More
South Portland resident Shara Drew will begin as the City's first Communications Officer on August 31. In this position, her duties will include handling most incoming media inquiries and outgoing press releases, ensuring better notification to the public on important topics, updating the City’s website and overseeing the primary social media accounts, helping to implement the City’s marketing and branding strategies, responding to Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) requests, producing and distributing the City’s electronic newsletter, and more.

While Drew will handle most of the City’s communications efforts, Firefighter Robb Couture will continue to serve as that department’s Public Information Officer, though the two will collaborate on media releases.
“South Portland is a very special community full of engaged, hardworking people who care about each other and their city,” said Drew. “I look forward to getting to work on their behalf as Communications Officer.”

Since 2019, Drew has served as the Managing Director of the Celebration Barn Theater in South Paris, Maine, where she co-led and managed communications for Maine’s center for theater training and creation serving over 350 artists from 18 countries and 2,000+ local community members annually. From 2017-18, she served as the Program Director for New Dream, where she directed the “Kids and Commercialization” program for the premier U.S. nonprofit agency tackling the issue of commercial consumption by youth. Prior to that, Drew previously worked for the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood in Boston, MA between 2009-2016, first serving as the Program Coordinator and then, for the final period, as the Associate Director. In that capacity, she managed communications and operations for this high-profile national nonprofit child advocacy group.

Drew holds a master’s degree in Communications from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the same institution from which she earned a B.A. in Communications.

“It was important for us to find the right person for this newly created position,” said City Manager Scott Morelli. “This person will need to build their office from the ground up while simultaneously hitting the ground running to help us improve our outreach to the public, as well as our internal and external communications to the media. Shara is more than qualified to take on these important duties and our community is fortunate to have someone of her caliber dedicated to improving the flow of information to and from City government.”

Drew was selected from a competitive field of 37 applicants.  Please join us in welcoming Shara!
Are you having issues with rats? The City's Code Enforcement Office is actively working with property owners to discourage nuisance rodent populations in the City.  Please review this helpful brochure to see how you can effectively prevent and control rodent infestations.
The South Portland Land Trust has a number of exciting events still left this summer: Trail Walks with a Naturalist  (8/17) and  and Fairy House Building with the Library (8/17). Register now at southportlandlandtrust.org/upcoming-events!

SPLT is looking for Board members! No matter your experience or skill set—if you’re interested in building a more sustainable and connected city, we’d love to hear from you. Learn more at southportlandlandtrust.org/join-our-board

If you're looking to volunteer with the Land Trust or would like to donate or become a member, visit southportlandlandtrust.org/donate or email Dana at dana@sopolandtrust.org. We currently have openings on our Board and various committees.
Conservation Corner
Submitted by Barbara Dee, Chair of the Conservation Commission
A Note From The Editor:
 
For the past seven years, it has been my pleasure to publish the City's community newsletter, continuing a tradition that was handed to me by former City Clerk Susan Mooney after her retirement in late 2015.  I am elated to now "pass the baton" to Shara Drew, Communications Officer, who I know will be able to bring this publication (and all of the City's communications) to the next level.

Please keep sending all newsletter submissions to news@southportland.org -- and please help me welcome Shara!


Sincerely,
Emily Scully, City Clerk
The City of South Portland Community Newsletter is published by the City of South Portland.  It is a compilation of the best available information at the time of publication.  Events may be subject to change without notice in the time between publication of this e-newsletter and the actual event.  To send information to be considered for inclusion into this newsletter, send to news@southportland.org.
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