SPC-TV experienced technical difficulties with the live stream of the first part of this meeting. Watch the complete video recording at: https://vimeo.com/995867827

Meeting Highlights:

• Future of the Mahoney Property: At separate meetings earlier this year, the City Council heard proposals from the City’s Facilities Committee and from the South Portland Housing Authority (SPHA) as to potential reuses of the Mahoney property. The SPHA proposal called for the building to be reused as affordable housing, with the theater and gym preserved for community use, and a new City Hall build in the adjacent field. The City proposal called for the departments in City Hall, the Assessing Building, main Library, and the Hamlin Building to  be consolidated into the Mahoney building, which would also retain the theater and gym for community use. A new Police Station would be built in the adjacent field but preserving some of that open space, and the Central Fire Station would be renovated on site. An independent consultant enlisted by the City Council to review these two proposal presented his findings at last night’s Council meeting and recommended that Mahoney be repurposed into a consolidated City Hall, as recommended by the City Facilities Committee. This option would free up other City properties to potentially be developed as housing. A majority of the Council agreed with this recommendation. As such, the City Council will formally vote on the reuse of Mahoney as a consolidated municipal campus ats its meeting on September 3, 2024.
  
  
• Tax Bill Due Dates: Council approved changing tax bill due dates to twice per year instead of quarterly, and set the current year’s tax bill due dates as November 15, 2024 and May 15, 2025. (Please note: Bills are not yet ready. They will be available online and sent to taxpayers by the end of August.)
  
  
• Assessing Presentation: Council requested to postpone the Tax Assessor’s presentation to next week’s meeting (August 13, 2024). The Tax Assessor will explain this year’s increases in assessed property valuations that were required to bring values closer to market value, as required by the State Constitution. The rising market prices of single-family homes in the City and across the State are driving the need for South Portland and many Maine communities to adjust values. Please read the FAQ at www.southportland.gov/taxbillfaq and join for the presentation on August 13.
  
  
• School Bonds:City Council passed the second and final reading to place three school bond questions on the November ballot. The ballot questions will ask voters to decide if the City should appropriate up to $16,300,000 and authorize bonds to finance appropriations for:
  1. Security updates within the City's Elementary Schools
  2. Maintenance at Kaler, Skillin, Small, High School building
  3. Athletic Field Improvements, include the installation of synthetic turf at the High School
• Renaming Municipal Services Facility the Russ Lunt Municipal Services Facility: Council approved the renaming of MSF to the Russ Lunt Municipal Services Facility, in memory of longtime South Portland resident, employee, and the City’s "Eighth Councilor." A public ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held in September (date TBD).
  
  
• Chapter 15 Amendments (Towing): Council passed the second reading of three ordinance amendments that aim to keep South Portland competitive with other communities regarding towing services. The updated ordinance will be in effect 20 days from passage.
  
  
• Chapter 27 Amendments (G-7 Zone): Council passed the second reading to expand the Conditional Residential Use District G-7 at 51 Landry Cr. as requested by the South Portland Housing Authority to include their recently acquired properties on Daniel P. Tuell St. and Westbrook St. The updated ordinance will be in effect 20 days from passage.