 Okay. Hi there. Peter, are we good up there? Okay. Great. Thank you so much. Good evening everybody. It was five o'clock, but we say good evening. This is the Portland city council. We're here for a regularly scheduled council meeting. I want to welcome everybody who's with us in chambers. Welcome to those who are with us on zoom. We've got 40 attendees at this point in time. I'll call this meeting to order and invite you to join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the blood of the United States of America. One nation, under God, indivisible justice for and will the clerk please call the roll. Councillor Fornir. Here. Councillor Rodriguez. Here. Councillor Dion. Here. Councillor Ali. Yay. Councillor Zahro. Here. Councillor Travarro. Here. Councillor Pelletier is absent. And Councillor Phillips. Here. And Mayor Snyder. I'm here also. Thank you. And as noted, we do have a couple of councillors who are traveling this evening, but they are with us by zoom. So Councillor Rodriguez and Councillor Ali. We see you listed and we'll see you on the screen if you raise your hand and participate. You'll be showing here in chambers just so folks know that they can see you that way. We'll head right into the public comment period. So tonight right now we'll be taking public comment on items that are not on tonight's agenda. So if you have something to offer to the council this evening, please step forward and council chambers to the mic. You'll be given three minutes on zoom please raise your hand. And we will now commence the public comment period on items not on tonight's agenda. Okay, I don't see any hands on zoom I don't see anybody stepping forward in chambers and so I'm going to close public comment period. This evening and I'm going to look to my colleagues on the council to see if there are any announcements this evening. Okay, so quiet start to our meeting we don't always have that so we'll head right into recognitions. And I have the honor of offering us to recognitions this evening so I'm going to look to the clerk just to read the first recognition before us this evening. Recognizing the excellence of Portland's first responders. We have chief control with us in the audience thank you for being here I think you've got some colleagues with you tonight as well but here is. Here's our opportunity to do some honoring this evening on December 28 2021 at approximately 321pm. First responders were dispatched to assist a resident who had suffered an emergency medical event. In Portland regional communication center call taker Brian smart, calmly received the emergent request for help while providing support for the family on scene and dispatcher Patrick Hastings quickly activated the appropriate first responders captain advanced EMT mark Stuart and fighter firefighter advanced EMTs. Lauren Haltz and Robert white responded in engine 11 while firefighter paramedic Molly Hillman and firefighter advanced EMT Jonathan Cronin responded in med Q for Portland fire department first responders worked together efficiently as a team to perform initial assessments and interventions on scene, carried the patient from the building to the awaiting stretcher and placed them in the back of med Q for paramedic level care was continued during rapid transit to main medical center where emergency room radiology and surgical staff performed life saving interventions for the patient. The patient was discharged from main medical center on January 1 2022. I think that was probably 2023 to return home to be with his family and friends. We are grateful. Sorry, I'm going to this experience was unique and terrifying for the patient and the patient's family. And we know that this is a daily occurrence for the women and men of the city of Portland fire department, who respond to these kinds of events every day. Later in our agenda on order 144 we are going to act, we're going to be honored to act on the generosity of the individual whose life our first responders helped to save. As we as we honor our firefighters and emergency staff this evening we want to recognize the generosity that we have before us this evening on our agenda. But we want to send a special recognition and thanks for the work that you all do every single day in response to people who need your help. Thank you very very much. Chief Petro, do you want to step forward. I think you said it very correctly. These types of things happen every day and every night in our city. Amazing work that the men and women of my department do, along with Alex Mumford who's here with the dispatchers and all the calls start there. And this was just one example of how everything worked perfectly in the system worked. The outcome was really good. Again, just so proud of all of them I appreciate the time and the acknowledgement tonight in the recognition. Thank you. Thank you again for being here. And thank you Alex for being here as well. Okay, we are pleased to have two recognitions this evening so will the clerk please read the second recognition, recognizing the 15th anniversary of main restaurant week. Okay. Again, it's my honor to be able to read this into the record this evening. Main restaurant week is celebrating 15 years. Jillian and Jim Britt started main restaurant week in 2008 while working with Portland restaurant community legends like Rob Evans at hugos, David Turin at David's Larry Mathews at back Bay Grill, Jay Vellani at local 188 and many other incredible chefs and owners. Businesses have always been tough on restaurants, they're hard on all businesses but Winters unpredictability presents particular challenges to restaurants. Main restaurant week was born of this winter challenge and was created to provide a boost to owners bottom lines, and also to boost server and bartender income and drive winter business for industry, industry suppliers and beyond. And this year's main restaurant week has stirred up an estimated $30 million of impact on Portland's and Maine's statewide economy. The concept of restaurant week is common. They exist around the country main restaurant week was inspired by New York City's restaurant week, but main restaurant week is unique from others. In how the three course and tiered menu prices and total flexibility for restaurants of all sizes and configuration configurations allows the chefs and owners to express their uniqueness. Each March the 12 days of rest main restaurant week are a welcome celebration for dozens of participating restaurants and thousands of customers. Also main restaurant week benefits our neighbors through direct financial support for Preble Street. Main restaurant week is still very much good and relevant. The participating chefs, servers bartenders and other other restaurant staff feel the customer love each March one through 12. The business boost to participating restaurants during winter is something everyone can celebrate. As our restaurant community morphs and expands and entertains local food lovers during all seasons and attracts curious food travelers who want to taste what's happening up here in Portland Maine. Our restaurant week has many great years to come. But today we celebrate 15 years of boosting local business during winter. So we send our thanks to Jillian and Jim Britt who I don't think are here with us tonight but maybe you're with us on zoom. And, and we send you our special appreciation. Thank you very much. That is it for recognitions again thanks to everybody who showed up for that. Okay, we're going to move into the approval of the previous meetings minutes. Do I have a motion to approve our February 6 draft meeting minutes. Move passage. I can I can counselor Ali from afar counselor Zaro right here in chambers. Is there any council comment or questions on that motion. Go ahead and vote. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay, I am just going to know, oh, here we go. Yep. I was just going to say my zoom is frozen. So it's very possible. We're going to get delayed, not through my computer, but just in general. Sorry, everybody. That's technology. Those minutes pass unanimously. We are good. Did I vote. Yes. Okie doke. Next we head into appointments. Will the clerk please read order 136 order 136 2223 appointing members to various boards and committees sponsored by the legislative and nominated committee. Mayor Kate Snyder chair. I have a comment here. I have the honor this year of chairing the legislative and three of my colleagues on that committee, councilor for near counselor Ali, council Phillips. And so in when we put on our nominating hat, we meet with people individually one on one and offer interviews for people who are willing to step forward and volunteer on the various boards and commissions that help our city run. And my thanks to my colleagues and to the city clerk who helps with staffing that work that nominating work. And I also want to send a very big thank you to people in the community who put forward an application who are willing to raise their hand to volunteer for this service so what's before you on the agenda this evening is the culmination of our most recent meeting. We have a whole lot of interviews and nominations were making for your consideration to these open seats. May I, I'm going to offer you a motion to pass order 136 and I look for a second. Oh, I just skipped over public comment. Sorry. I'm going to get into the group just in a second here. Is there any public comment on order 136. Okay. So if you're in chambers and you'd like to step forward to the mic please go ahead and do so I do have one hand up on zoom I'm not sure if it's relevant to order 136 because I've seen it. I saw it shoot up a little bit earlier but oh, and now it's down. I don't see additional hands up on zoom for 136 or in chamber so I'm going to close public comment on 136 and I will offer emotion. All right, these members to various boards and commissions can I have a second. Councilor for near with comment. Thank you counselor Ali. Okay, seeing no hands oh counselors. I promise I won't have a lag. I just do have a clarifying question I think it would be for a corporation council. I did receive inquiry from a constituent who was interested in learning more about a former municipal or school staff that would be appointed to one of these boards if there's a conflict. Me too Peter I'm, I'm not. Yeah, I'm not connecting either. Could we be having disruption. Okay. Thank you. And it may not. We're trying to work through those right now so just give us a minute. I think it is something that's beyond just our internet here I think it's something to do with zoom itself. So we'll try to see if we can figure this out and get moving. Okay. Thank you for that. So I think we're back to being connected. And I beg your patience with the fact that I seem to be managing multiple screens here and the in person meeting so thanks for your patience I don't see hands up on zoom I don't want to blow through public comment. I didn't see any hands up before we were we were back in action I don't see any now. We're in the midst of questions about order 136 counselors are are you all set on that front. Okay, so we'll go ahead and pick up where we left off sorry for the pause everybody we are having some difficulties with zoom. Oh, we're frozen again. Okay. Okay, any other council discussion on order 136. Okay. I don't see any from my colleagues who are with us on zoom. So we'll go ahead and vote to approve order 136 please. Council for near. Yes, Councilor Rodriguez. Yes. Councilor Dion. Yes, Councilor Ali. Yay. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Order 136 passes unanimously. I'm recalling the early days of zoom when I would say, let's all show up with a lot of patience and a good sense of humor. Let's do that again. Please read order 137 or 137 2223 appointing Troy moon to the pest management advisory committee sponsored by Daniel West interim city manager. Thank you and we'll look to the city manager for comment on this item. Thank you mayor I believe Troy is here in the, in the audience, but he is our sustainability director he's the perfect appointment for this position and therefore we are recommending his appointment this evening. Thank you for that he is with us on the attendee side I don't know if there will be any questions for him but if there are we can certainly bring him over. In the meantime, is there any public comment on order 137. I don't see any in person or on zoom I'll close public comment and come back to the council for a motion please move passage. Councilor Zara with a second from counselor for near. Are there any questions or comments from the council. I see none we can go ahead and vote on order 137. Councilor for near. Yes, Councilor Rodriguez. Yes. Councilor Dion. Yes, Councilor Ali. Yay. Councilor Zaro. Yes, Mr. Trevorrow. Yes, Councilor Phillips. Yes, Mayor. Yes, Order 137 passes unanimously I see Troy moon here with us over on the attendee side. Thanks for being here Troy do you have anything you want to offer. Nope. Thank you for appointment. Okay, great. Thank you for, for your willingness and for being here this evening. Will the clerk please read order we're heading into licenses will the clerk please read order 138. Order 138 2223 granting municipal officers approval of the application for volcano. It's for indoor entertainment at 155 Riverside Street sponsored by Daniel West interim city manager. Thank you is there any public comment on order 138. Seeing none I'll close public comment and come back to the council for a motion. So love. Second, counselor Ali with an absolute tie. I'm giving it to counselor for near. Thank you. Council discussion on order 138. Seeing none we'll go ahead and vote. Councilor Yes, Councilor Rodríguez. Yes, answer Diane. Yes, Councilor Ali. Yay. Answer Zaro. Yes, Councilor Chavarro. Yes, Councilor Phillips. Yes, Mayor Snyder. Yes, 138 passes unanimously and if the owners of volcano are here with us in person or on zoom. I want to take a minute to thank you very much for doing business in the city of Portland. Please read order 139. Order 139 2223 granting municipal officers approval of bread and friends applications for class three and four food service establishment with outdoor dining located on public property at 4054 Street sponsored by Daniel West interim city manager. Thank you is there public comment on order 139. Seeing none I'll close public comment and come back to the council for a motion please. So moved. Councilor Ali with a second from counselors are any questions or comments from the council. Seeing none we'll go ahead and vote. Councilor Rodríguez. Yes, Councilor Dion. Yes, Councilor Ali. Yes, Councilor Zaro. Yes, Councilor Chavarro. Yes, Councilor Phillips. Yes, Mayor Snyder. Yes, order 139 passes unanimously, and if the owners of bread and friends are here with us this evening. We would like to thank you for your attendance and certainly thank you for doing business in the city of Portland. So please read order 140 140 2223 granting municipal officers approval of Portland Seedogs application is for Civic Auditorium with combined entertainment located at 271 Park Ave. sponsored by Daniel West interim city manager. Thank you and we'll take public comment on order 140. I was just curious. In a way this is almost like a co application with the city of Portland because you guys are the landlords, the public nominally owns Hadlock field actually I think we own a lot of it because we spent a lot of money maintaining it but I wanted to understand whether there's a percentage of the sales that goes to the city. I have no idea what the contract with the Seedogs is it was done, you know, probably it's been updated but it was originally from like 94 something like that so I have no idea what any of us have seen it in the last, you know, this millennium. But anyway, I'm just curious what percentage of sales. The city might be entitled to on a gross or net basis whatever, because obviously the city has an interest in that license doing pretty much whatever it wants to do. I would say that there's you know, you know, loud raucous behavior out on the ball field that we're looking the other way on but I think it's important for us to understand when the city has a direct interest and an applicant that, you know, we're aware of it. And of course, you know that during the Payson Park music festival, Brua just a few months ago, everyone was all worried about, you know, private business making money on public property. And we always seem to sort of look the other way when America's pastime is involved. The average price of a major league franchise right now is north of $2 billion so major league baseball which obviously a minor league team is part of that ecosystem is an enormously profitable business that rakes in billions and billions of dollars. And I think it's important for our community to understand where we fit into that as basically giving them the platform to make their money and I think it's important for us to make sure that we're getting at least some benefit if not at least breaking even in that relationship, that we're spending money replacing floodlights and sidewalks and all the other things that we often either share the cost for or outright pay for, and then just gets folded into the lease with the sea dog so I hope that's on your list of questions tonight. If, if it isn't, please indulge me thank you. Thank you for your comment. I'm going to pause here for a second I don't have any internet. But I can't take public comment unless I can see it. Thank you for your comment Mr. Oh, sorry about that. Is there any other public comment on order 140. Okay, I don't see any on zoom or in chamber so I'm going to close public comment and come back to the council for a motion please. Second, the counselors are second from counselor for near now we have an opportunity to discuss this application that's before us this evening are there any questions from the council. Well, knowing that the contract is probably pretty fresh in our corporation councils mind I wonder if you would be willing to talk a little bit about how the contract speaks to things like concessions and other opportunities that the sea dogs has. If you're able to do so. I mean that the, the lease is a public document I don't know off the top of my head I'm looking at, I'm looking at Ethan over here, who's shaking his head he doesn't also not know I don't believe that we have a, we don't. Yeah, we do not have a percentage of sales we do not receive a percentage of sales from concessions. That was my understanding. Thank you. Any questions from the council, council discussion. Okay, seeing none we'll go ahead and vote. Councilor Brown here. Yes, Councilor Rodriguez. Yes. Councilor Dion. Yes, Councilor Ali. Yes. Councilor Zahro. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Order 140 passes unanimously. It is not usually like this. I don't have any internet right now. So if you will just bear with me, I could, we could do the meeting without me having internet, but for public comment, I can use my, I can use my phone, I think, let's try it one more time. Okay. So we'll give this another go. And if I freeze up again I will rely on others to help me know whether or not we've got some hands raised on the attendee side. Okay, we are now heading out of before I do so I want to say thank you to the sea dogs for doing business in the city of Portland. Will the clerk please read communication 24 communication 24 22 23 regarding the sustainable neighborhood pilot program sponsored by Troy moon sustainability director. Wonderful and we see Troy moon is here with us so Troy you've got the floor to present this item before the council tonight, except for your muted. Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Mayor. We are really excited to announce this new program the sustainable neighborhood program. It's an idea that came out of the one climate future climate action plan. And our goal is to help residents become part of helping, you know, Portland become resilient low carbon community. And then cause for, you know, promoting actions in neighborhoods that promote social resilience we know that neighborhoods where neighbors work together and know each other and interact together are more successful in terms of resilience in the face of climate change or or emergencies. And so our program is is is designed to encourage more participation and encourage neighbors. We have a broad cross section of neighborhoods to get to know each other better and work together so we're doing so we're going to organize this program we're inviting to neighborhoods this year to become the pilot neighborhoods and we hopefully will expand this to the city as years go on. But we will provide support to groups and communities who want to do things like host home weatherization workshops with their neighbors will organize neighborhood street cleanups, recruit volunteers to help each other take care of their yard work and in snow shoveling, maybe host a canning and pickling workshop or teach you help each other have organic lines. But the idea is really that the neighborhoods that participate, self select the programs that are meaningful to them. And then my team in the sustainability office will help gather resources for people help help the community groups organize themselves do some outreach to each other. Maybe get some help from other departments who might have resources like public work works picking up some trash after a cleanup or maybe the community members want to do a nutrition workshop and we can coordinate with public health. But our team will help you help them organize help the neighborhoods organize that that work. So we're going to select the application period opens on March 3. We'll have a month of working with neighborhoods to help them get applications together. We have a workshop on Thursday this this week to talk more about the program to interested citizens. And as, you know, as the program unfolds over the course of the year, the neighborhoods that are working together will earn points. And after they accumulate enough points will designate them as, you know, as designate sustainable neighborhoods and hopefully develop community pride and recognition from from the city and from the council and the mayor perhaps. But this program has been really successful in Colorado we got this idea from my colleague in Lakewood Colorado and if had great success and several cities and in Colorado are now doing a program. Very similar to this and we're learning a lot from them, but we're really excited to bring this here I think we've gotten a lot of feedback and interest from neighborhood organizations so far and residents. We're interested don't necessarily have to belong to an organized neighborhood organization. We invite them to reach out to our office. If we went to the sustainability web page. There's a link there to learn more about it, and we're really excited to to get this program rolling. Thank you very much director moon we appreciate that presentation and the communication that's in our packet and the fact that you're here. So communication it requires no public comment or council action but if there are any counselors who have any questions for director moon now would be the time. But this is a program that he'll be administering and so you can reach out to him anytime. Okay, thank you very much. Will the clerk please read communication 25. 2223 update regarding a stylish in Portland sponsored by Daniel West interim city manager. Thank you. As everyone knows, and you saw in the backup material the city has been working to find accommodations and housing for numerous unhoused individuals within the city that includes a significant number of asylum seekers. And right now I'm just providing you all with an update of those current numbers since January 1 2023 just this year. We've had 550 plus individuals who've arrived and needed care and shelter. That's over 80 individuals each week, and the staff has been doing an enormous amount of work and a great job making sure that all of those people have been safely housed or received all the services food shelter and etc that they need. We're doing that currently at a variety of locations throughout the city, specifically at our Oxford Street shelter which has a capacity of 154 people, as well as our family shelter, a warming space, and a Portland public schools shelter. And then we are still in right now operating out of one hotel that we're slowly taking offline so you know roughly about 1000 plus people that were currently housing within the city on a nightly basis and taking care of. That is a significant increase from what we've had in many years in the past and it's taxing us significantly in terms of making sure that we can continue to do that. I am very worried that we're nearing capacity that warming shelter space is is not ideal. It requires that we have in order to house everyone that we use chairs and a lot of situations to have people with their families sitting as they try to sleep at night. So that we can house as many people as possible and that that situation is becoming untenable, and we are obviously seeking broad and systemic solutions to this very significant issue. Through the legislative and nominating committee and with our delegation up and pursuing many legislative changes to the general assistance program, as well as seeking a coordinated response from the state which we've continually advocated for, which would be specifically to have a, you know, an office that would be coordinating all of this with all of our regional municipalities as well as ensuring that we know exactly the numbers of people that we're serving, making sure all the services are being provided. I would note that's these numbers are just the numbers that the city of Portland is receiving our neighboring communities are also receiving individuals so it's a significant influx of people to manage and make sure that we're we're caring for everyone and no one's falling through the cracks. So we'll continue to advocate for that. This legislative session we have numerous bills that are in through our legislative delegation that would address a lot of those issues. We'll see some changes there. Additionally at the federal level we're seeking with our federal delegation a change to the work authorization period that would also help. We continue to advocate for that strong need and hope that that will actually come to fruition. And then lastly we've really been working on trying to address this transitional housing need that the first sort of step in this process when people arrive is making sure that you have shelter for them. And that's with that transitional or emergency housing piece. And that's sort of the missing link here. Obviously there's, there's several things that need to happen beyond that permanent housing as well. But that initial transitional housing we're really trying to work on and address the need for that. We've been working with the state they've put a significant amount of money into main state housing to administer. There's a lot of ability there if there are community partners that are able to step up and find open space and able to, you know, help in this regard to help us with this capacity. Because my biggest fear, if anybody read the newspaper yesterday is we have a significant staffing shortage in the city of Portland. And so not only do we not have enough space but we're running out of staff to be able to continue to meet this need and so we really do need help. And we do need help from all of the governmental partners I mentioned the feds and the state, but also from our community partners to help address, you know, significant needs quite honestly like this past weekend with the cold that we experienced. And we were lucky enough to have a church step up and fill that need and address that because we had over 50 individuals who accessed those services when it was brutally cold and we need that help we continually need that help. And I think, and I worry that we're going to need more help so we're just an update to let you know where we are to let you know that I continue to try to seek and find solutions to this working with the state and many other people. And staff continues to do the best job it can with what it has in terms of resources, but I fear that the, you know, unfortunately that potentially the cliff may be coming where we aren't going to be able to meet the need. We're trying to make sure that that doesn't happen. But that's my, my biggest fear so we'll continue to keep you updated. And if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer those. Thank you, manager. As this is a communication it's not an opportunity for public comment or council action but if there are any questions or comments from the council, happy to take those at this time. Councillor Fornir. Thank you not not a lot of questions because I know we've been chasing this for a while but really just more gratitude for our city staff and for our community partners who have stepped up we can't do this on our own obviously we've been trying. And so just in recognition we have so many community partners out there who are working together through mutual aid through peer services to just try and find and fill these shelter needs. And so just really I can't underscore writing letters to our congressional delegation continuing to stay in touch with our state delegation, continuing to request support from the governor. We need help. We can't continue to do this. And it comes together as we see these cold weekends, we start to see the flurry of emails and social media messages that are tagging us and saying help help help. We don't know where people are going to sleep and we don't either. And I think that's really really hard and heartbreaking for all of us because we, you know, we are the leaders in this city and we feel I think very strongly about providing support and making sure that everyone has safe and sustainable housing. And when we can't do that that hurts, I think for all of us and so I just want everyone to know we desperately care and we are really trying to find support and help. There are no great solutions without statewide coordination and partnership so really the best way that you can help us is by using your voice to make sure that this is heard in Augusta and in DC. Thank you. Thank you counselor, and I have a hand up on zoom from counselor Ali who's with us. I think he may have turned off my camera because my internet is kind of like a slow. I want to add to what my colleague counselor funny just said, I, I think in yesterday or today's newspaper I saw that the city of South Portland have also approved the building of different sizes of shelters across the city of South Poland. I want to show my gratitude for them to do that because that goes directly into what my colleague counselor funny is saying that we cannot do it alone. And I hope that some of our other neighbors in the greater Portland area will also look into doing that, so that some of the pressure that is on the city of city of Portland will ease by getting people from across the region. Some sort of like help finding housing in different places and locations, not just in Portland. So thank you. Thank you counselor counselor Diane. Thank you madam mayor. I want to thank the mayor and all the city staff who work on this issue, day in and day out. And it really bothers me as an individual counselor when I receive emails from the public. You know how they feel free to criticize and downgrade our efforts like we don't give a damn. We do admire the mayor and the city manager because they have the position that requires them to be professionally polite but I'd like to say something directly. I've had it with that attitude, among certain citizens, it's disrespectful to the compassion and the integrity of our staff, and their ability to try to meet this challenge. I also fear we're entering a phase of fatigue. I don't know what it's like to work on HHS and every day you got to get up, and there's no hope that it's going to be done. It gets worse. Imagine 80 people a day imagine if that arrived at a school or your home that just the bus pulls up with 80, and it comes every single day and somehow we're supposed to just incorporate that humanity into our community without any problem. It's almost invisible to too many of our residents. Right. So I'm going to call it I'm calling the governor to do something. I think your efforts at the legislative level are great. The legislation is a path of incremental steps. It's great to address a condition. We are a point of criticality. The manager is talking about a cliff. You know what that cliff is going to look like people out on the street. That cliff is going to look like people being housed and conditions that you and I would reject. And criticality is going to look like, you know, so I appreciate the efforts of the legislative. I appreciate the federal government. Although I don't ever wait for Washington to save me from anything. All right, Augusta is going to move to make policy, but we need resources now we don't need money like we need space. We need staff. If other communities can help if agencies can help we need human beings, just like our staff to be on the ground to help manage this issue. Right. And we can't wait for the manager to take the heat from the public you haven't done anything it's cold where the warming centers, you don't think she gets up every day thinking about that. It does. You don't think. I see you Mr roll. Okay. And I'll, I'll exercise some decor and not react to your negativity, but I do put it on the record. Okay, people are trying to get the job done. I asked the governor to appoint somebody to act as triage for Cumberland in your counties to deal with this to coordinate beds to reach out in an affirmative way to organizations that might have space. We can't wait and hope that they show up. All right, we're beyond that now, or we're going to see consequences that none of us are going to like. I would like to say today that this council will defend the administration and their ability to respond to that it's not their fault they've done everything they can do. We need to do more. We need the public to step up. Sometimes you got to join the fight you can't just read about in the newspaper thank you madam mayor. Thank you counselor Diane. And so, I know the manager does wake up every day thinking about this whether the forecast is going to be four degrees or 40 degrees the fact is we're getting people to the city of Portland in numbers that are incompatible with our facility capacity and our budget. So, like every organization, we do our best to articulate our policy goals through our budget. And as we enter the FY 24 budget building process we're going to be talking a lot about the new homeless services center, and how we intend as a municipality to respond to our state's general assistance law. Portland is not at all unique. We have an obligation to respond to the state's general assistance law like every other town and city in the state of Maine. We have opted to run municipal shelters both for families and individuals. Not every community does that we do. We budget for it. As the manager said, we've got 154 beds at Oxford Street Street we've got a similar number of beds for our family shelter. Those are the facilities that we pay for we staff for. When we go beyond that, which we always do we elasticize our budget and our intentions with hotels with warming centers with gymnasiums. And what I beg people to realize is that none of us know everything. And our context our context is constantly changing. So when we budgeted in FY 23 for what we thought was a was our municipalities response to the general obligation, general assistance obligation, we didn't know what was coming our way. We were not able to anticipate to anticipate the number of asylum seekers that would be coming to the state of Maine. The city of Portland has been incredibly elastic within the confines of the budget, and that's the reality so when we when we look into FY 24 and we make our biggest policy decisions through that budget document, we will be articulating to our community, what we can do and what we look to our community to help fund. When our manager talks about the need for different kinds of housing I think it's really important to say again, we need emergency shelter right now. Permanent housing is important transitional housing is important, but what we were faced with on Friday, Friday night and Saturday night was the need for emergency shelter. And I fear that people think that because the city owns buildings we have limit like limitless capacity. I get email saying you own tons of buildings open them. You have to staff them. We have to have staff that's trained to work with populations that need help. And volunteers can be useful but it's not a flip of the switch. So we have to be really realistic and thoughtful about what the needs are right now we are as counselor Diane said, at a critical junction. Our job is to make very very plain that we are at a cliff. And we don't have everything we need to respond to the needs of the community and thank goodness we do have community partners that step forward. All of those community partners are looking to us to expand the capacity, and it's only at the 11th hour that we're able to pull it together and I thank my lucky stars I, I woke up on Saturday morning thinking is everybody okay. Right, and, and we had been in contact all through the days and all you know all through the, the, the, the process. As my colleagues say, nobody up here doesn't wake up thinking about these things and go to bed thinking about these things and we care passionately. And our job is to use our voice to inform our community to inform one another to inform our delegation that goes to Augusta to inform the region to inform the governor. Right, and we are doing that, and we have been doing that in this ever changing landscape, since March of 2020. So I would say we are at the cliff, because every single time the temperature dips, we are wondering how we're going to make sure that people are not freezing overnight. And at this point it's not even about beds. It's about chairs in a warm facility that has adequate staff to be there with people. So I beg people's engagement. I beg your voice in Augusta. I want you to pay attention to our budget process. I want you to work with us to understand what it means to provide emergency shelter in response to the general assistance law, and work with us to understand what is it that Portland's doing to meet that need. I think we do a very good job in an ever changing landscape. Other comments. Okay. Thank you so much for that communication. We had now into unfinished business will the clerk please read order 135 order 135 2223 approving the purchase and sale agreement with the trust for public land for North Deering Park sponsored by Daniel West interim city manager. I look to the city manager for context here. Certainly I see the director of parks and facilities Ethan Hipple he will provide some background information on this item. Great. Thank you. I'm also inviting up here Phil do be who's our project partner with the trust for public land he's going to have some words after I'm done introducing this. Good evening everybody, Ethan Hipple, director of parks, reckoning facilities department. We're bringing this item to you this is the fourth time it's been to the council so we've had a lot of discussion of this but this is around our North Deering Park project to create a new park in the city of Portland so as a generational opportunity 24 acres of property that includes a lot of open space but also developed baseball privately owned athletic field that'll be really useful to the city of Portland. I just want to talk briefly about this before I introduce Phil. This project accomplishes, you know, a lot of council and department priorities for us that I think are important to point out as we've you know gotten some public comment on this. This project supportive and and folks asking questions or. Yeah. This neighborhood. I guess one of the first priorities that this addresses is equitable equitable access to parks and open space. We think this is a really important piece of this project and something we've been working with the trust for public land on a lot 25% of the direct neighborhood is considered low income. This is within walking distance of Lyseth elementary school and Lyman more middle school Lyseth 32% of the kids at Lyseth are qualify for free or reduced lunch and 55% of the kids at Lyman more qualify for free or to reduce lunch. Those kids are going to be able to walk to this park, and this is going to be outdoor education access to nature, maybe something they don't have within walking distance of them right now so for us that's huge. And we've got some great support from the school district and letters from the principles about their plans to use this new green space. We've got a lot of existing low and moderate income housing within a mile of this property already on Auburn Street, and there's also project Lambert Woods with which is also under a mile from this project that's workforce housing that's going to be underway. Shortly this spring. And so for that reason, you know it's this is providing that green space to people of all income levels in Portland. There are some who maybe try to paint the acquisition or development of open space and green space is as the enemy of affordable housing. And I'm the parks and recreation director that is definitely my mission is to help provide those opportunities and access to all Portlanders, but I don't work in a vacuum. I work with other city departments that are concerned with provide, you know, developing housing within our planning department within housing and economic development it's a huge city priority and I'm part of that fabric and other work we do. And we work together with them to identify opportunities for that. And, and we've got a lot of a track record of making a lot of properties available for that development. This space in particular is prime for open space development it's gotten an existing athletic field on it, which means we don't have to cut down a tree to create an athletic field which we desperately need and our kids and adults who play sports really need to. In 2011, the city did an athletic facilities task force members of the city council sat on that community members. And through that they discovered that we don't have adequate athletic facility space so this is our soccer fields softball baseball you name it. The recommendation was to add more. We haven't added more. So here's an opportunity to add more. We currently borrow field space, we rent field space, because we don't have enough field space for our kids to use. So I have two locations in the past few years where we've lost access to that borrowed space, because those property owners are developing their own properties for housing for seniors or housing for students etc. They're no longer available to us so that it makes it all the more important from a department perspective to acquire this. And yeah so tonight is a huge opportunity web we brought this before for acceptance of grants federal grants that are going towards this project land bank funds that will go towards this project as well as a state grant that we got so this item before you is the actual trust and sale agreement. It's with the trust for public land and so I'll introduce Phil do be who we've been working hand in hand on this throughout, and he can talk more about trust for public lands role in this and any questions you might have. Thanks. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Phil to be in Portland resident and I am also a project lead at the trust for public land. I would like to say a big hearty thank you for the opportunity to talk about parks and access to outdoor space for all in the soon to be near it. In the soon to be newest park in the city of Portland do not during park. The trust for public land in the city of Portland have a long and strong friendship that spans decades. TPL's first ever project in Maine was right here in Portland, the Eastern prom in 1993. I was one year old. TPL and TPL have gone on to add canker woods, the base I trail, and now the north during park to the Portland Park system. We're going to show you a two minute video in a couple seconds that speaks to TPL's mission or 50th birthday, which is this year, our values and work. This video embodies the decades old friendship between the city of Portland and the trust for public land. And our shared belief in the transformative power of communities access to outdoor space. North during park will be the largest addition to the Portland Park system in a generation. In this project. And this project epitomizes the relationship or the friendship that exists between TPL and the city of Portland and our shared values that I think will watch the video. And I didn't know we had a video but thank you very much for that. Yeah, and I'll just say we're both available for questions if you have them. Great. Director Hipple, Mr do be thank you both for being here with us and we will look to you for questions if there are any. But first what we're going to do is see if there's any public comment on order 135. So if you'd like to offer comment here in chambers come come up to the mic. We'll zoom with us. Happy to take your comment. We'll start in chambers. And then we'll toggle back and forth like we usually do so why don't you, if you're here to speak come on forward give us your name and neighborhood you live in or the organization that you represent and we'll give you three minutes on the clock. Good evening, Mayor Snyder and other counselors, John Kashmar, I'm here on behalf of the land bank as a commissioner. And I'm also a joint appointee to the parks commission of the honor of serving on both which I enjoy I wanted to speak in favor of Northeering Park, the land bank. As you know you prior previously blessed our $80,000 which we put towards this project from our CIP allocation. We're very excited about it. It's an extraordinary opportunity of 24 acres in the city, the place where park is needed. And some of that will go into the land bank the more wild parts of it it's a unique project having established ball fields. Seven acres of incredible forested land and really special opportunity so thank you for the opportunity to speak. Thank you for your comment. Okay we'll hop over to zoom and we have Steven bond. Steven you have to unmute yourself. I think we are going to pause on Steven, and we'll come back to the council and then head over to zoom again. Go ahead and address your free to address the council. Mr row. I have a hand over street. I had asked the council by email to give a special ad hoc committee of the council, an opportunity to have a full public meeting for the whole city to hear from both sides about the actual equity accounting that's going on with the city. And I did that, partly because the council itself in December with resolve number five said that that's what they're going to do from now on when there are big things in front of you is to dive deep on how actual things before are being things like claims about diversity inclusion and equitable treatment of everybody in the city. And the thing that is most bothersome about this project from the beginning is that it hinges on the federal government our friends in Washington who apparently on this matter we can count on because they're giving us something in the range of $400,000. The entire slug of money depends on a low income disadvantaged park program run by the federal government that is supposed to give priority to communities of disadvantaged folks residents with 20% more poverty levels. This neighborhood if you look at the actual census tract. This is facts people, the census tract, the United States census, you can look it up on a website right now says that this neighborhood has 5.5% as of the most recent accounting low income people. And you know why the federal government doesn't kick this application to the can to the curb, because it says that it has to give priority to those applications, but if a city like Portland doesn't even bother to submit an application to benefit neighborhoods with 20% or more low income and disadvantaged members, then they don't have to give priority, there's only one application, they can just wave it on through which is pretty much what they did here. That's how we got $400,000 from Washington, we, we gained it, we game the system. And this council I've asked literally for years to look closely on the claims here. And the fact is, there is a 10 plus acre parcel right near the North during gardens apartments, and it's sat there since 1996 under city ownership. Did the trust Republic land ever bring that to the land bank. Did the land bank ever bring that to you. Did the city parks department ever bring it to anybody. I don't know. It never came up in the last three years. It's never come up in the seven years I've lived in Portland. That place would be equitable. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Oh, and I'll go back to zoom Steven bond. Are you with us. Yeah, can you hear me. Oh, we can hear you now yep go ahead. Okay, I appreciate it. I was just wondering, you know, you guys are saying that excuse me can you start with your name and also the yeah my name Steven. Steven. Steven bond. And then if you can give me the important neighborhood or the organization that you represent. No, no organization, or the neighborhood you live in. I live in Portland. I was just wondering you guys are saying that, you know, there's something like 80 people a day migrants coming in. There's only about 30 births a day in the entire state of Maine so Mr. Mr. Bond was just wondering. Right now we're talking about order 135 on the council agenda. Yeah you guys pass this topic up. I assume you guys don't want to talk about it for personal reasons. We don't take public comment on a communication. Thank you though. And if you want to comment on order 135 that I would just say look into where these migrants are coming from and who's funding it. Thank you. Okay now we'll move to Nan coming on zoom. Hi, can you hear me. Yes we can. Hi. I'm Nan coming I'm the executive director of the Portland parks conservancy. And I'm speaking tonight to enthusiastically endorsed the city's acquisition of these 24 acres in the heart of North Steering. As many of you know, the Portland parks conservancy is a private nonprofit we were founded in 2018. And our mission is to support the public parks and recreational programs of Portland. The Board of Trustees identifies the projects we support based on our organizational values, and our most important value is park equity. And that's what led us to select North Steering Park as one of our priority projects in 2023. As you already heard from Ethan and Phil, North Steering is home to many low income residents who depend on local green space for recreation. And North Steering is also one of the last remaining gaps in the city's quest to provide park access within a 10 minute walk of every home in Portland. That's why the Portland parks conservancy is partnering with the trust for public land to help raise the funds for the land's acquisition and preservation. Given the rapid growth of Portland within the last several years, it is amazing to me that this land has remained undeveloped, and it's an opportunity that will not come again. I'm really excited about this project and excited about our partnership with the city to create this important new public park to the people of Portland. Thank you so much. Thank you for your comment. Is there anybody else in chambers who would like to speak. Okay, seeing none we'll go back to zoom Katie West. Hi, can you hear me. We can. Katie West and I am the outdoor and experiential learning coordinator for the Portland public schools and a former teacher at Lyseth, which is a school that is in proximity to this proposed park and I want to speak simply and passionately in support of this proposal. And I speak also with an awareness of earlier conversations of that space is limited and demand in demand and I just urge you for the sake of the children, the animals and the species that help us keep a critical balance in our fragile city ecosystem to be in support of this park Because we know a few things. One, that study shows strongly that childhood experiences and nature have a significant impact on what we call PEB or pro environmental behaviors and so up to, you know, adults. You know, 80% of adults who can set who are survey that consider themselves conservationists attribute it to their childhood experiences, which in which they had a proximity to nature. And we know that 86% of families of color in Maine are in nature deprived areas and 26% of white families are in nature deprived areas. And we know that just access to green space can have such a powerful effect on our mental health, and it can have over life expectancy by 12%. And Northeering Park will allow students to engage in walking field trips from Lysa, where I used to teach and Lyman more so that they can learn more about the organisms and habitat over time, and deepen their understanding of how to value and protect green spaces, and also be future citizens of this community, because we are really going to need children who become adults who understand environmental literacy and the interconnectedness of life. And just additionally, recognizing the species that are there we are in an incredible insect apocalypse. People are calling it upwards of 50% of insects have disappeared. So we really need to have the intelligence to preserve any green spaces we have within the city, as well as just for those of you that know that big night is coming up and that's when salamanders that live 20 to 30 years travel miles to get to vernal pools such as Baxter Woods as such as one that's also in this Northeering Park. And I just want to encourage you each to think of your childhood, and a special place that you might have gone outdoors and if you had private land, wonderful 30 second warning. If you were like me who totally depended on public space for the natural world connection and ironically mine growing up included a baseball field. It wasn't much to look at but it completely guided my life, my profession and a connection to the earth that I hope to inspire with the students and this park would help make that possible for educators in the area. Thank you. Thank you for your comment. Anybody in chambers want to step forward. Okay, I'll go back to zoom Josh Hawking. Josh you'll have to unmute yourself. We can. My name is Josh I work at the Portland Public Library, District four, and I just want to say that I support this action. I also want to say there is no climate change diversity is code for anti white they're only two genders. I hate the anti Christ I'm never thank you thank you very much America well regulated comment. Thank you. Okay. Okay, I see no other hands up. I don't see anybody stepping forward in council chamber so I'm going to close public comment on order 135 and look to the council for a motion please. Move. Counselor Ali I'm going to give you the second counselor die on. Thank you I tried. Thank you so much. I really tried council discussion on order 135 counselor for near. Thank you. I just wanted to share this is my neighborhood actually is just a little bit farther my kids went to Lysith Lyman more now currently go to Casco Bay so this is definitely where we've been since 2006. I can, we've heard a say over and over again we really want housing my understanding of this particular project is the conditions where that it be public land and you know I am fully in support of the parks but I want to go back to the point around the data because working in the population that I work with with indigenous people, both historically black indigenous and disadvantaged people have been under counted and miscounted in the census and so anecdotally from living in this area since 2006. So having my children go to these schools I can tell you they are incredibly diverse. There are many many families that are immigrant asylum seeking resettled that are living in these neighborhoods that need access to the space. I'm very proud that we're doing this again I know we need housing and we will go over that over and over and over again. But this specific project, I believe was not intended to ever be made available for housing it was, it is a park or it is private space. I'm glad that we are able to add a park for these families that live in that area including my family, but I will continue to underscore for the land bank and for our parks and for our planning department. As these come up in this next year I really hope we are looking from start to finish how we can make these available for housing. So as we're saying, we're kind of closing the gap on the final area of the city that needs this open space. And so my hope is now. Okay, if any other land comes up we're really looking at that for housing. Thank you. Thank you counselor counselor Diane did you hand up. I did I'm going to vote in the affirmative on this. It's good idea. It's in my district. It's walking distance from my home maybe I get to take my four grandkids there. It's a urban environment. So they, they find green space and trees, something really awesome from their point of view, when all they see are buildings and freeways. So, I think it makes good sense for the neighborhood, I concur with the observations made by counselor for near. I live in what had historically been a Caucasian neighborhood, the face of my neighborhood has changed dramatically. And it's all kids going to Lysa now. And their families don't look at anything like mine. So I don't know whether or not they were incorporated into the census who knows. I think my own observation as limited as that is as evidence suggests to me that those kids will have an access to resource that's important. And I'll close with this comment I just, it was mentioned in the staff report but I just want to say it publicly. Thanks. And thanks to my constituents and my fellow counselors I'm sure would join in this to counselor coin. My predecessor in district five interrupted. He can't be here this evening but john put a lot of work into the task force on athletic fields and sometimes you plan a tree and he actually gets to sit in the shade of that tree. He started this in 2011 so so sometimes good ideas, take a while to mature and find the right variables all coming together so he's out of town I love know this was happening when he was thrilled. 2011 is ancient history right now for some of us, but for him. It's an opportunity to see the future realize so. Thank you mayor. Thank you counselor Diane. Thank you guys. Thank you mayor. I have a few comments but I wanted to start with a couple of quick questions, if possible. Not sure who's most equipped or appropriate to answer but I did want to ask a couple of the question or had a. One of the questions that Mr row centers. I guess I am intrigued to find a little bit information about the 10 acre parcel the city owned. It, I believe, from what I saw on the map that Mr row centers it is directly adjacent to the to the park project. Is the city ever is that number one is that parcel ever been assessed for development number two is their plans. If it's not planned to be developed to work into this park project. And I'll stop there I'll have follow-ups after that. Thank you counselor I'm going to ask Director Hippol if you wouldn't mind responding to that question please. I think. Councilor Rodriguez is referring to 1743 Washington and we are very familiar with this property I've walked it. But by myself with my staff. I, one of my duties is to sit on the tax acquired property committee, which is a collection of city staff that makes recommendations to the city manager who brings things to the council about what to do with tax acquired properties and some of these. The tax acquired property committee also looks at properties that aren't tax acquired just like what to do with certain city properties. So I've walked this for that purpose. And that property that counselor Rodriguez is referring to is pretty wet or it's very wet it's a lot of wetlands. So if we were to take this and build a athletic facility there for instance we'd have to fill a lot of wetlands cut down a lot of trees. And we walked it we didn't see a lot of park opportunities there for this type of recreation, the parcel we're proposing for a park includes a field that's already built, we don't need to cut down trees or fill wetlands. And it also provides all those open spaces trails and vernal pools and all that the natural pieces as well. I can say that the committee has, you know, there's there's a lot of work that staff does and we do look for opportunities where parcels could be marketed for housing so we've been working with housing and economic development director on that Washington have property for opportunities for housing. So these are the kind of things that happen and that that filter their way up and sometimes they take a while, but that are in progress. And that's helpful on that same note, appreciate that in the parcel that we are talking about that there aren't wetlands that need to be filled. Is there however any drainage work that needs to happen. I guess like what Mr role was referring to that they take place over the license and Lamar more fields. Yeah, there's nothing we're aware of. You know we're doing due diligence with the trust for public land right now and getting environmental surveys and reports, the athletic field that's at the North Deering Park location. It's used as an athletic field so it's privately owned, but they let little league play there on occasion and some high school play here and there. So it's a usable field, could it use improvements, it probably could, and we're planning on that. Over time, and there's a, you know campaign to also raise funds for development of this park and improvements. I mean, I'm saying, you know, improving what's already there so the walking trails the parking lot, the athletic facility, and just to clarify we're not planning on filling any wetlands at this new facility. If we were to the property on wash the 1743 Washington Avenue would require filling wetlands to build the equivalent kind of facilities. Great. Great. Thank you. That's also really helpful. I guess my next just, I guess a couple of comments. Number one, I am going to be supporting this and I'm actually very excited about this project. I did want to speak a little bit about the. The totality of what we're doing because this project and this particular, you know, assessing how this advances equitable access to green spaces throughout the city. You know, this isn't the only thing that's happening in the city. So it's, if we right now and I had the great pleasure late last week, right before I went out on my trip. I had to do a tour, several community gardens with some parks department staff because of several infrastructure improvements that are going to be taking place and almost at every site. Some of this included Valley Street Garden, Payson Park. We went over to North Street. We went over to a Boyd Street, which is not right next to Kennedy Park. Almost at every site, there was some sort of adjacent project that was happening, like literally, you know, a stone's throw away that the park staff were talking, oh yeah, there's going to be either a new playground out here in Valley Street, or there's going to be, you know, there's so much going on, particularly this year and there's funding that's coming from all sorts of sources. So yes, if we look at this in a vacuum, it starts to look like, you know, wow, what has traditionally been an affluent part of town and we're adding this. So number one, it's not what it has traditionally been. I know I moved in there about 10 years ago to Northeering and I've seen it change. And I, by the way, I'm different than what used to be there too so I hope to change it. And again, just being aware of what's happening throughout the city, you know, there's a lot to be excited about there's a lot to be proud of how we're advancing the equitable access to green spaces and keeping green spaces available under such a pressure of development. And again, there's a lot for us to appreciate of what's going on through the parks department I just wanted to put that out there. And then the last thing that I wanted to say, I'm just in case I don't have a chance to speak later today just want to give the mayor kudos for the swift zoom navigating when we had that really unfortunate and inappropriate speaker try to sneak some really unfortunate comments here so thank you mayor for being so quick with the computer, regardless of the technology difficulties earlier. That's all I have. Thank you. Thank you, Councilor Rodriguez. Tonight's been an adventure in a variety of ways. Further Council conversation. Oh, thank you. Thank you, Peter. Councilor Ali you've got a hand up. Thank you, Mayor. I to do plan to support this item. I have a question. I think I had a eaten him. Mr people did mention something like task acquired committee. How people appointed to that committee. Hi, Councilor Ali. This is the city manager there is. It's a staff their staff at the staff committee it's not a council committee so it's one that advises the city manager on the various properties. There's a whole host of things that they look at and a variety of rules that they apply. Michael, I believe it sits on that as well maybe can provide some more details. But there is a lot of specific items that are put there and there are specific departments that are involved across the board that look at the various properties that we have that become tax acquired but Michael can fill in some gaps. Yeah, I can just add that it. The committee deals with tax acquired properties but also other city owned properties that were acquired in ways other than through the taxing for closure process. The rules that govern the committee are have been approved by by the council. I think the last one was was a few years ago I think but there are certain certain properties that depending on the size and nature of the property that the city council through the through the approval of those rules as authorized the city manager to review for for sale or other disposition. And I think that that about sums it up I mean the rules themselves are fairly detailed but but it is as as the city manager explained staff committee. Yeah, so all members of this committee as tough. Correct. That's correct. Okay, thank you. That is all I want to know. And thank you. Thank you, Councilor Ali. Good to see you. Other comments from the council discussion. I appreciate everybody's input tonight I, I just want to take an opportunity to thank all this, all the, all the parties that have come together. So of course I'm going to start with our own parks department. I think we have the best, and thank you. We, I know that open space in Portland is such an important asset, and we have an incredible parks and recreation staff that keeps spaces usable and friendly and safe and and fun. So thank you to our own parks department. We have the land bank commission and the parks conservancy and the parks commission and the trust for public land coming together. So this demonstration of partnership and collaboration I think is one to note and celebrate and thank. So thank you all for being here thank you for the work that you do to bring bring these things forward, and I will be happy to support it this evening. Without further discussion we can go ahead and vote on order 135. Yes. Councilor Rodriguez. Yes. Councilor Dion. Yes. Councilor Ali. Yes. Councilor Zahro. Yes. Councilor Borrow. Yes. Councilor Phillips. Yes. Mayor Snider. Yes. Order 135 passes unanimously again. Thank you to everybody who came to, to support this, this process this evening and provide additional information. We'll move on to our orders now will the clerk please read order 141 order 141 2223 approving the memorandum of understanding from Rachel aid the city of Westbrook sponsored by Daniel West interim city manager. Do you want to say that you go ahead. As I said chief is here and I know he's been waiting patiently for us so I don't know if you have anything you want to specifically add on this item. Not really this is really a formality. We do mutual aid with all communities around us, and we can do that under main state statute. This really was we were approached by the Westbrook chief because they're they're going for a an accreditation so it's just a formality. Thank you chief. I also want to tee up so that folks in the community who may want to offer public comment on this know that there is a prepared amendment in the backup materials. So at the appropriate time, I'll offer the amendment to 141. That's in the backup. It's language that was offered by staff as this action was prepared. So I want to draw attention to that before we move to public comment which we will do now so I will look to folks in chambers or on zoom who would like to offer a comment on order 141. I have a hand up on zoom, not identified by a name but a phone number 215 520 go ahead and go ahead and let us know your name and the neighborhood you live in or the organization that you represent please. Can you hear me. Yes we can. Okay, good. Um, I just wanted to ask you guys if you know the, what key we farms is doing for your community. I'm sorry I can't hear you. Um, okay. Okay. Other public comment on order 141. I'm going to come back to the council members on zoom. I see none. I'm going to close public comment on order 141. And I'm going to come back to the council for a motion please. So moved. Second, counselor Ali with second from counselor for near. And if you will indulge me I'll dive right into the amendment that's been prepared and offered for you in the backup so it is some strike and replace language as well as additional language that was added to the memorandum of understanding between the city of Westbrook and the city of Portland so I'll offer this. Make a motion to amend order 141 to include the amendment contained in our packet and I look for a second. Second, counselors are with the second. Is there any, are there any questions on the amendment. Okay I think it's pretty straightforward it was just a last minute language. It's just a question. So, uh, seeing no questions from the council will go ahead and vote on the amendment counselor for near. Yes, counselor Rodriguez. Yes. So down. Yes, counselor Ali. Yay. That's Rosaro. Yes, that's your borrow. Yes, that's your Phillips. Yes, Mayor Snyder. Yes. Okay, now we're back to order 141 as amended. Is there any council conversation about order 141. I will say that I paused here and asked a couple of questions as the agenda was being planned because I know we do mutual aid but I hadn't seen an MOU before. So I was grateful for the backup and the explanation about the credentialing that Westbrook is because it sounds like it's also a benefit to do this and to make clear the roles that we that we play in the partnership that we have with one another so I appreciate this being before us tonight. Happy to approve it. And I think we can go ahead and vote cancer for near. Yes, counselor Rodriguez. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Order 141 as amended passes unanimously. Thank you chief for sticking with us. Well the clerk please read order 142 order 142 2223 accepting the 2022 annual land bank report sponsored by Daniel West interim city manager. I'm not sure where Ethan is but I was thinking that you're here for the presentation so feel free to come up and if you have a brief introduction to the item that'd be great. Yes, good evening. Again, John Kashmar from the land bank commission. I do have a brief PowerPoint but I'm going to spare you that because of the technical issues I don't want to burden the great it staff here anymore. And I don't think it's necessary and glad to take questions after I wanted to give a brief summary of our work in 2022 as we're obligated to do but more importantly would rather let you know in person what what we're up to and give you some some of that. And again glad to take questions etc just really quickly as a reminder I'd like to keep in mind the responsibilities of the land bank because I think it's important to keep on mission I'm going to quickly read that the land bank commission is responsible for identifying and protecting open space resources within the city of Portland. The commission seeks to preserve a balance between development and conservation of open space important for wildlife ecological environmental scenic and outdoor recreation values. If I were to show you a presentation we'd have a map we have an increasing map of land bank properties and open space around the city. As you heard earlier we continue to strive to get better about equity and access for everyone for our land bank properties just like we do for parks. We also continue to do housing because we know that's important we live here too and we understand that on the land bank commission, we do have some properties that we have passed on because we think they would be better for economic development, or housing we have one. We're currently working on we're considering some lot so it is an important topic for us and when when this opportunity arises and we feel it's right. We have done that and continue to look for those sorts of opportunities again for equity and housing for sure. Just quickly you heard about the northeering park that's been front and center for us I won't speak more to that. We recently added, as you may recall, in an acre but a mighty acre to the river Tintrally which has values to the Przomska River from a water quality perspective also has scenic and historic values to that park and that neighborhood. We continue to work on red lawn woods in the Rosemont area. This is a, I always forget six to eight acre, but again an important property that's been used by residents and continues to be used and complicated but we continue to work on that as a priority. We've also been focused on trail maintenance. We funded a six person field team for two weeks of trail maintenance at River Tintrally Park again three person field team and materials for a week at Przomska River preserve we've done this in conjunction with the parks department, who I agree with earlier and this has really been outstanding working with and an incredible partner with with the lamb bank and really we wouldn't be doing it without them for sure. Our properties are typically un facilitated in that we don't really have anything on them they're typically a fairly modest trail that allows you to get on to the property allows you to see the natural and ecological value, the spiritual value whatever that may represent for you have undeveloped areas. And that's what we continue to strive for we do have some hybrids in cases north there is another good example, but again those undeveloped spaces whether they be part of a bigger project or on their own, really the focus of our work. I also wanted to mention Portland trails Portland trails continues to be a significant partner on our land bank properties in terms of maintaining trails signage, navigating around the city by trail connecting trails. I know they also are a major partner with the city for parks, as well as our land bank properties, but kudos to them and we continue to have a really strong relationship. Lastly, I wanted to mention, what's on tap for 2023 I've given you 2022 annual report but 2023. We continue to work on acquisition in the coolge and Davenport lots these are in northeering as well. These are one of the areas where there may be some potential development opportunity that we may pass on and a combination of land bank and other properties for other uses. Mark, you know, completing red lawn as I mentioned, we're also working on a potential hand carry access point on Hobart Street, which gives access to the four river. We don't have a lot of river front access. This would be across from the airport and a great opportunity to do that. Updating our high priority parcel list we obviously have criteria and keep that updated as to what's important or not and continue to work on that trail improvements as I mentioned way finding maintenance. All those sorts of things that are happening behind the scenes, the green space gathering with the parks commission. We are a partner on that and participate and promote it, and we'll do that again. And then finally, we continue to field proposals to the land bank commission from community members, we're getting increasing input and comments from community members which is great in terms of possible parcels why we're doing one thing over another in that in that regular engagement so I just wanted to note that as well again thank you for the consistent support from the city council for our work. It's always helpful to be constructive and supportive while at the same time asking hard questions and we and we welcome those. And with that, I will stop. Well, thank you very much for being here and john as you mentioned you're not only a mention of a member of the land bank commission but also of the parks commission as well so thank you for your service. And stick around in case there are questions for you. But as we head into this action will first go to public comment so if you're here in council chambers and you'd like to offer public comment on the 2022 annual land bank report. We welcome that. So go ahead and step to the mic and then we'll transfer over to zoom where we've got a couple of hands up. Hello, West Bayside. I'm an honorary member of the land bank. It's kind of probably an inside joke that I am like a Zellig character in their little photos, because I'm literally the only person and you have to actually have money and time to even follow what they do. And because virtually, I would say 99% of this city of 68,000 plus people have no idea this thing even exists. And the only people who do are people who directly benefit from the nimby ism that it's basically been conducting for the last 20 years. I just want to remind the council that you for years have made council goals around housing and homelessness. And the last three years in particular you've emphasized it. You have almost hysterical fashion how important those council goals are for your work year. And yet year after year for the past three years, literally all you've done is Hoover up dozens and dozens of acres of mostly developable land. And again, the wetlands excuse is an excuse. If you look around. Whenever someone wants to fill in some wetlands. It happens. It only doesn't happen when someone's like oh we really need we can't have housing there. Just, for example, there used to be a wetland literally right on this down this hill. It's gone now it's like, you know, underground sewer stuff culverts whatever it just dribbles into the harbor but you have to disturb you have to disturb wetlands and you have to disturb things sometimes. And the reason you do that is so you don't have to spend say $50 million and wind them protecting Lake, a sabaga lake from septic service, which is exactly what Portland Water District is doing right now and my water rates are probably going up because of that why, because we pushed literally thousands of people to wind them in other suburbs beyond Portland in the last 20 years through things like the land bank. And that's basically what you do when there's a famine and people who can afford food are running around grabbing what's little of that food is left and then sitting back and saying well hey look people got to eat. You know, and that's the excuse you keep making year after year after year, and you empower a group of affluent homeowners. Second warning to Hoover up land, and you don't empower really anybody else in this town unless they're an affordable housing developer making millions of dollars from it to do anything similar for housing. And you wonder why you're creating all this artificial scarcity and you wonder why you have people sleeping on your sidewalks night after night after night, you cause this problem. And now you're cheerleading it, and you don't even really understand that connection, or you do. And shameless that you don't make that connection clear. Thank you. Any other comments on the 2022 annual land bank report we've got a couple hands up on zoom and we're, there's a phone number here listed first. Jessica, if you can hear me it's a 215 number. And comment specific to the land banks annual report please. Hi there, can you give us your name, first and last name and the neighborhood you live in. Yeah, this is john Smith from Bayside. So I was just calling into. I was going to ask you guys with your stance on Israel. Okay. Next we'll go to john Ashley. Why is the section not part of the public comment. Okay, thank you we're taking public comment right now on the 2022 annual land bank report we do take public comment on items that are not on tonight's agenda at the beginning of the meeting that happened at five o'clock. Seeing no further public comment coming forward on order 142 I'll close public comment and come back to the council please for a motion to approve receipt of the annual report. So moved. Second, counselor Ali with a second from counselor for near. And I'm looking to the council to see if there's any discussion on the land bank report as submitted. Okay. Seeing none again john thank you so much for being here with us thank you for the summary report is in the backup materials links to maps and other resources within that report. So have a read if you're, if you're interested. It's a wealth of information. Thank you again. And thank you for the work that you do. We'll go ahead and vote on acceptance of that report counselor for near. Yes, Councilor Rodriguez. Yes. Yes, Councilor Ali. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Acceptance is unanimous. Thank you. Will the clerk please read order 143 order 1343 2223 approving the Winchester Woods boundary line agreement, not survived Michael Coleman associate corporate council. Looking at you. Thank you, Mayor. This just just to clarify any potential confusion doesn't have anything to do with the Winchester Woods issues that have been discussed the funding issues over the last couple months this is the same, it's the same property. But the purpose of this order is to approve a boundary line agreement to clarify some old title concerns that that are required by the by the planning board for approval of the subdivision. And so the, the agreement establishes, I think essentially the boundary line that has been observed by, by the city and the neighbor for, for years. But this will be recorded in the registry of deeds to clarify exactly where the, where the boundary line is. I know that Mike Murray public works directors on the call if there are other questions about it but I wanted to answer any questions about the agreement itself. And if there are questions about sort of the use of the property I think that Mike can jump in. Okay, thank you so much for that overview it's a fairly straightforward action with great backup in the Council's agenda. At this point we will take public comment on order 143. I'm looking forward and chambers I do have a hand up from zoom Larry Kuckman to address the boundary line agreement order 143. Hello. Hello do you hear me. We hear you yep if you could give us your first and last name the neighborhood you live in or in the organization you represent and you've got three minutes on the clock. Hello, I am Larry Kuckman from the East Bay and I'd like to know why are y'all having a secret meeting. Thank you. It closes down. No, it's not a secret meeting. Okay. Any other public comment. Concerned American on zoom. Again, we are addressing order 143 the Winchester Woods boundary line agreement. Hi, can you hear me. Yes, we can. Thank you. I would just like to remind you that you're you can please give us your name first and last name as well as the neighborhood you live in session that under statute one title one section 405 of the main. Thank you. Okay, I will close public comment on order 143 and come back to the Council for emotion. Nope. Yep. 143 Council for emotion please. Second, Councilor Zahra with a second from counselor for near any council discussion. Okay, we can go ahead and book. For near. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Essentially will the clerk please read for the 144 Order 144 22 23 accepting and appropriating a $10,000O and on this donation, to the national MS appreciate appreciation week funds sponsored by Daniel West in terms of the manager. This is the last item the chief is here for this evening, did you want to give a little background on this. Sure, thank you. I said earlier, some folks wanted to show their appreciation and this is how they did it is by a donation to the fire department. And specifically, I was able to have coffee with them and told told them where this money was actually going to go towards. It's four years. There's a week in May that's called national EMS appreciation week that we for four straight days we cook all of our providers lunch we do raffles we we just we try we tried to do as much as we can for them with the with the limited budget constraints that we have. So this is perfect timing for this, because the every bit of this money will go towards that week. And we aim to make that week the biggest and best that we've done for our for our providers. And there might be an opportunity for the donors to meet all of the providers so not only did we show appreciation for the fine men and women that you mentioned earlier. And this will be able to touch all of our firefighters. I think it's wonderful. So, appreciate your support. Thank you very much chief. And we'll have an opportunity to comment on this but first we'll see if there's any public comment on order 144. I will there is not I will close public comment and come back to the council for a motion please. Sorry, thank you counselor Ali I think shot up after I closed public comment but go ahead Tina. We're taking public comment on order 144. Can you hear me. Yes, we can. All right, our rights Trump your feelings it's okay. Okay, thank you. I public climate is closed on order 144 and I asked the council for a motion please. That counselors are with a second from counselor Ali, and I look to the council for any discussion. There may be on order 144 chief thanks again for your comments and for the context the additional context there it's a wonderful gift and I, I am very eager to support it and show appreciation to the donor for, not only for the donation but for their recognition of the great work that the men and women of the fire department do here in the city of Portland. We can go ahead and vote on order 144. Councillor for near. Yes, Councillor Rodriguez. Yes, Councillor Dion. Yes, Councillor Ali. Yes. Councilor Zahro. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, that order passes unanimously. And at this point in time I'm going to look for a motion to adjourn the regular meeting of the city council in order that we go into an executive session, pursuant to one MRSA section 4056 e to address the city's legal rights and duties concerning the First Amendment. Is there a motion to adjourn the regular meeting and go into executive session. So moved. Second. I think that the second from Councilor Rodriguez. Is there any public comment on this motion. I see no, nobody stepping forward in chambers. I do see a few hands up on zoom. So again, this is specific to the council's motion to adjourn and go into executive session. First we go to Maynard. Hey, can you hear me. Yes, we can. I just want to say. Just a reminder, just a reminder for those folks who are interested in offering public comment we asked for your first and last name, your address the neighborhood you live in or the organization that you represent so that's consistent with our council rules. I'm happy to take your comment but please start out with your name identification and we're talking specifically about our motion to adjourn concerned American who fell off somebody named Samuel Hyde. Hey, can you hear me. Yes we can. Hi, I just wanted to say, well first my name is Chuck Snead I own Sneeds feed and seed on Ocean Street, and I'd like to start by addressing city manager Daniel West by just saying how much of a pleasure it was seeing him at Blackstones on Pine Street. Okay, we're talking about our motion to adjourn into executive session. Next, somebody has failed to put their name but we can go to our next caller. Please give us your name first and last. I understood correctly that this is about the can we please have your name first and last name. Yes, my name is Jason Pollack. And what neighborhood do you live in. I may I declined to answer on the basis of remaining anonymous. Well our council rules call for if not your address your neighborhood or the organization that you represent. I live south of Portland stat close enough. Okay, are we do I understand correctly that this is about the First Amendment issue or is it are we moving into that. We're most we have a motion to adjourn the regular meeting and go into executive session. Okay, so it is this where I would comment on the it's okay to be white issue. This is where you would comment on the motion to adjourn and go into executive session. Okay, then I have not understood correctly I'll raise my hand later. Thank you. Next is Chad Chesterfield. We can move past that we can't if you're are you with us Chad. Yeah, can you hear me. Yes we can. Okay sorry about yeah yeah this is Chad Chesterfield there I'm just from Saints Paris they're done down under. Before we can you repeat that. Yes I'm from the Saints parish. I just wanted to touch on something we were talking about the the sea dogs a little bit earlier. I'm not talking about that right now we're talking about our motion to adjourn the regular meeting and go into it. I'm aware that we're talking about that however I disagree. I'd like to dispute the motion to adjourn the meeting because I have something I would like to discuss about the sea dogs. I'm sorry. We that was, we were taking public comment when we were taking up that issue and we're not doing it at that at this time. Okay, next is Connor. Can y'all hear me. Yes, please give us your first and last name and the neighborhood that you're from. Yeah, my name is Connor Clark from the East Bay. Yeah I think it's a horrible idea to go into executive meeting. If it's not going to be public where we can all hear it. You know it's a first amendment issue. That seems you know pretty relevant that everyone should be able to hear it. So yeah that's that's my only comment there. Thank you for your comment. I have a public comment on that motion to adjourn the regular meeting and go into executive session. Is there any council comment. Okay, we have the motion before us from counselor Dion seconded by counselor Rodriguez and we'll go ahead and vote to leave council chambers in order to go into room 209 for once we've adjourned into the executive session. Councilor Forner. Yes, Councilor Rodriguez. Yes, that's what I on. Yes, Councilor Ali. Yay. Yes. Yes. Yes, and this meeting is adjourned. Thank you everybody.