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Lewiston council denies license for Park Street shelter proposal
A man rides past the former Sun Journal on Wednesday afternoon on Park Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
LEWISTON — The City Council denied a license for the proposed homeless shelter at 104 Park St. on Tuesday, citing a lack of funding and concerns over its location near the downtown business district.
The decision came after the project missed a deadline to receive a $3.7 million grant from MaineHousing, however officials behind the shelter effort said they planned to seek other means of funding if the license was approved.
In a 5-2 vote, councilors said a lack of funding cast doubt on the shelter operators’ ability to meet the requirements of the license they were seeking, while also stating dozens of other concerns tied to previous shelter operations. Councilors Scott Harriman and Stephanie Gelinas were opposed. ...
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https://www.sunjournal.com/2023/06/21/harriman-seeking-reelection-to-lewiston-city-council/
Harriman seeking reelection to Lewiston City Council
LEWISTON — Scott Harriman has announced that he is seeking a second term representing Ward 3 on the Lewiston City Council.
Scott Harriman
According to a written statement, Harrison “has consistently been a strong voice on the council who listens to and advocates for the community.
“His priorities for his next term include incentivizing the creation of more housing, addressing homelessness in a positive way, and making sure that our schools and city departments have the resources they need to serve all the city’s residents,” according to the statement.
Harriman said he will also continue working to maintain people’s trust in government and to ensure that Lewiston “is a welcoming city for all.” ...
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https://www.sunjournal.com/2023/06/21/harriman-seeking-reelection-to-lewiston-city-council/
I am appalled, though not surprised, to learn from Press Herald reporting (June 18) that the $18.4 million Central Maine Power and Versant Power have spent opposing the public power initiative has come solely from their parent companies with zilch from individual Mainers. The paltry, by comparison, $655,740 Pine Tree Power has spent has come mostly from individual donors ($431,035), with some from businesses ($156,360) and a smaller amount listed as coming from other sources ($68,345).
This corporate funding, coming to support CMP’s and Versant’s efforts to continue giving Mainers poor service and increasingly higher rates, is from foreign sources whose only goal is to maximize their profits instead of investing them in Maine’s economy.
I fully support a “yes” vote in November to create a new power company for providing electricity transmission and distribution facilities from a local entity with an elected board instead of lining the pockets of foreign investors with no local representation.
Gilbert Harris
former co-chair, Maine Green Independent Party; Limerick selectperson
Limerick
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN PORTLAND PRESS HERALD:
Portland City Council expected to postpone action on municipal budget until July
The Portland City Council is expected to again delay action on the municipal budget Monday following a request from staff members who are waiting for the Legislature to determine General Assistance reimbursement levels.
The council had been expected to vote on more than a dozen budget items Monday. The city already had postponed the vote this month for the same reason. ...
Some city councilors also have submitted proposed amendments to the budget to be considered, including a proposal from Councilor Anna Trevorrow for an additional $175,000 for the city’s newly formed clean elections fund. ...
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Portland city councilors get a look at resources to develop affordable housing
Portland city councilors got a look Wednesday night at resources the city can use to help develop affordable housing.
During an hour-and-a-half workshop, the council discussed the HOME program and Community Development Block Grant funding, two federal programs that can be used to help finance affordable housing and related infrastructure, and the city’s Jill C. Duson Housing Trust Fund, a local resource to help offset the costs of creating affordable housing.
They also talked about the process for developing city-owned property into affordable housing and Portland’s goals.
The workshop was called at the request of Councilor Anna Trevorrow, who also serves on the city’s Land Bank Commission. She said the commission is often questioned about whether various properties have been considered for affordable housing.
“We often hear, ‘Have we pursued this property for affordable housing?’ We all know we’re in a huge housing crisis,” said Trevorrow, who said she wanted to provide a baseline for the council and public about the role the city can play in affordable housing development. ...
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