Welcome
Bicycle Lanes on Portland Streets
Election Information
Traffic Calming
official Portland Democratic Web Page
www.portlanddems.org
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The Portland Democratic City Committee (PDCC) is the local organization of the Maine Democratic Party. Any enrolled Democrat may join by attending two consecutive meetings, or by attending the bi-annual local Democratic Party caucus. Meetings are held monthly, except during the summer. We welcome your participation. We hold forums on issues, and work to elect Democratic Candidates.
Here is a list of the
Portland City Councilors.
James
F. Cloutier
Mayor
13 Fleetwood Street
Portland, Me 04102
775-2911
Peter E.
O'Donnell
District 1
121 Sheridan Street
Portland, Me 04101
774-0148
Karen Geraghty
District 2
15 Briggs Street
Portland, Me 04102
761-8376
Nathan H. Smith
District 3
212 Capisic Street
Portland, Me 04102
773-6933
Cheryl A. Leeman
District 4
37 Savoy Street
Portland, Me 04103
773-4161
James I. Cohen
District 5
62 Deepwood Drive
Portland, Me 04103
797-9638
John W. Griffin
46 Congress Street
Portland, Me 04101
773-2373
Jill C. Duson
A/L
101 Pennell Avenue
Portland, Me 04103
878-0769
Nicholas Mavodones, Jr.
A/L
127 Wolcott Street
Portland, Me 04102
774-5136
Portland School Committee
2002/2005
Voting Locations
| District | Senate | Legislative | Polling Place | Address |
| 1-1 | 8 | 120 | Adams School | 48 Moody Street |
| 1-2 | 8 | 115&119 | Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall | 20 Myrtle Street |
| 1-3 | 8 | 114 | Peaks Island Community Ctr | 129 Island Ave |
| 1-4 | 8 | 114 | Diamond Edge Restaurant (Nov)/ Fire Station (June) | Diamond Ave, Great Diamond Cove |
| 1-5 | 8 | 114 | Cliff Island Community Hall | Island Avenue |
| 2-1 | 8 | 118&120 | Reiche Elementary School | 166 Brackett Avenue |
| 2-2 | 8 | 118 | Harbor Terrace | 284 Danforth St |
| 2-3 | 8 | 115&119 | Exposition Building | 239 Park Ave |
| 3-1 | 8 & 9 | 116 | Barron Center | 1145 Brighton Ave |
| 3-2 | 8 & 9 | 118&115 | Woodford Congregational Church | 202 Woodford St |
| 3-3 | 8 & 9 | 117 | St. Patrick's Church | 1342 Congress St. |
| 4-1 | 9 | 115&116 | St. Pius Church | 492 Ocean Ave |
| 4-2 | 9 | 113&114 | First Baptist Church of Portland | 360 Canco Rd |
| 4-3 | 9 | 114&115 | Presumpscot School | 69 Presumpscot St |
| 5-1 | 8 & 9 | 117 | Central Square Baptist Church | 466 Stevens Ave |
| 5-2 | 9 | 116 | Riverton Community Center | 1600 Forest Ave |
| 5-3 | 9 | 113 | Unitarian Universalist Church | 524 Allen Ave |
Note:
All the Portland Islands are in City Council District 1,
State Legislative District 114 and State Senate District 8.
Peaks, Cushing and House Islands are in Precinct 1-3.
Cliff Island is in Precinct 1-4.
Congratulations!
The following Democrats were elected to office
This November from Portland
Do you or your kids ride a bicycle in Portland?
* Safe streets are critical for kids to get to schools, bus-stops and
recreational activities. The connection between vehicle speed and
accidents is pretty straight forward.
* Livability -- many of us choose to live in the city because we can get
around-- at least part of the time- without our car.
* Balance between the needs of various groups -- Walkers, transit
riders,
kids, elderly and bicyclists and cars. Clearly balance is too skewed
towards the car.
* Retaining middle class in city. If the urban environment isn't
people
friendly, those who can will move. Tax base will go down and sprawl
will
get worse.
* Slowing down a motorist from 35 to 25 miles per hour increases travel
time by 41 seconds for every mile traveled. Portland is about 4 miles
across. A cross town trip at 25 MPH (instead of 35) would delay someone
at
most 3 minutes. Is this too much to ask for the livability of our city?
Attached please find a piece that I gave to the council at an earlier
hearing.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!
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Why Traffic Calming on Arterials is important
Traffic Calming is critical to the city, for the livability of
neighborhoods and the safety of pedestrian, bicyclists and transit
users.
Livable neighborhoods retain the middle class
If the middle class moves to the suburbs, Portland’s tax base will
erode,
and traffic will get worse!
The Portland Transportation Plan addresses traffic on arterials and
calls
for a balance between those going through a neighborhood, and those who
live there.
Cars: Is it speed, or through-put that’s important?
Consider the following.
Most of Portland’s neighborhoods are within 3 miles of downtown.
In urban areas, trip distances are short and time savings are minimal
for
speeding cars.
For example: Assuming no delays here’s how much time you would save by
going 35 MPH vs. 25 MPH.
Trip Length 25 MPH 35 MPH Time Savings
1 Mile 2 mins 24 secs 1 min 43 Secs 41 Secs
2 Miles 4 mins 48 secs 3 min 26 secs 1 min 22 secs
3 Miles 7 mins 12 secs 5 min 9 secs 2 min 3 secs
For reference sake, Northgate is approximately 3 miles from downtown
Portland.
Resident Safety
According to a recent article in the New York Environmental Law Journal:
Pedestrian fatalities go up with speed
Noise pollution worsens 10 fold between 31 and 56 MPH.
Air pollution is minimized at around 25 MPH (this from the Steven’s
Avenue
Final Monitoring Report).
Transit users, pedestrians and bicyclists
Transit users and pedestrians:
Often these are kids and elderly
They must cross the street
They should be able to safely cross the street
Bicyclists
Slower traffic increases safety and perception of safety.
Traffic Calming Measures on Arterials.
No to speed bumps! Goal to have steady flow of traffic going down the
street at a reasonable speed (25 to 30 MPH)
Consider:
Narrow travel lanes
Bike lanes
Pedestrian Actuated signals
Textured Crosswalks
Speed limits of 25 MPH
Incentives for speed enforcement
AMENDED AND RESTATED BY-LAWS
OF THE PORTLAND
DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE
This organization shall be known as the Portland Democratic City
Committee (hereinafter called “City Committee”).
The object and purpose of this organization shall be to promote the ideas
and principles of the Democratic Party in the City of Portland, County of
Cumberland and State of Maine, through rational discourse and through the
election of duly nominated candidates and by so doing, aid our government to
function effectively as a true democracy in the government of all people.
Section 1. Methods
of Qualifying for Membership. Any
resident of the City of Portland who is a member of the Democratic Party,
registered as such with the City of Portland Board of Election, may become a
member of the City Committee by either of the following methods:
(a)
Attending Biennial Municipal Caucus
Any Portland resident who attends the Portland Democratic Biennial
Municipal Caucus, and who is or there becomes a Democrat, shall upon request
become a member of the City Committee.
(b)
Attending Two Regular Meetings of City Committee
Any Portland resident who is a member of the Democratic Party and who
does not attend the Biennial Municipal Caucus may become a member of the City
Committee by:
(i)
Attending a regularly scheduled meeting of the City Committee;
(ii)
There expressing a desire to become a member of the City
Committee;
(iii)
Being nominated by a member of the City Committee and having such
nomination approved by the City Committee; and
(iv)
Attending the next regular meeting of the City Committee.
Full benefits of membership shall be conferred upon attendance at the
second regular meeting of the City Committee.
All
memberships in the City Committee shall expire at each Biennial Municipal
Caucus.
Section 2. Membership
at Time of Adoption of By-Laws. All
members of the City Committee as of the date of adoption of these By-Laws shall
be deemed members of the City Committee.
Section 3. Removal
of Members. A member of the City Committee may be removed for cause,
which cause shall include but not be limited to missing four (4) consecutive
meetings of the City Committee.
Section 1. Biennial Meeting.
The Biennial Meeting shall be the Biennial municipal caucus.
(a)
It shall be called in accordance with the rules prescribed by the
Democratic Party of Maine.
(b)
The Chairperson shall appoint a registered Democrat from each precinct
and/or district for the purpose of supervising a caucus election for delegates
and alternates to the State Convention of the Democratic Party of Maine.
Section 2. Regular Meetings.
Regular meetings shall be held once a month except when the Executive
Committee finds reason not to conduct a meeting. However, regular meetings shall no held no less than 8 times
a year.
Section 3. Special Meetings.
Upon receipt of a written request signed by a majority of the Executive
Committee or any five members of the City Committee, the Chairperson shall
within thirty (30) days call a special meeting to discuss any business mentioned
in the written request. Whenever a
special meeting is held upon request, the notification and agenda requirements
contained in Section 5 below shall be mandatory.
Section 4. Quorum;
Action by Majority Vote. A
quorum shall be fifteen (15) members of the City Committee.
When less than 15 members of the City Committee are present at any
meeting, no effective action may be taken except to adjourn.
Except where otherwise provided in these By-Laws, actions of the City
Committee shall be taken by a majority vote of those members present.
Section 5. Meeting
Agenda and Notice Requirements. The
Chairperson is responsible for establishing the agenda of meetings.
Items may be placed on the agenda in either of three ways: (1) by the
Chairperson, (2) by written request to the Chairperson of at least three members
of the City Committee, received at least fourteen (14) days prior to the next
scheduled meeting, or (3) by motion at a City Committee meeting upon the
approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the members present.
The following shall be the order of business at a regular meeting: (a)
call to order, (b) reading of minutes of last meeting, (c) reports of officers
and committees, (d) unfinished business, and (e) new business.
Whenever possible, each City Committee member shall be given seven (7)
days notice and a written agenda prior to the holding of a City Committee
meeting. Said notice shall also advise the members of any prospective
vote on a removal or a by-laws amendment petition.
Section 6. Meeting
Rules. The Chairperson shall be
responsible for the orderly conduct of the meetings.
The rules contained in the current edition of ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER
(newly revised) shall govern the City Committee in all cases to which applicable
and in which they are not inconsistent with these By-Laws and any other special
rules of order the City Committee may adopt.
Section 7. Prohibition
of Proxy Voting. At no time
shall proxy voting be permitted.
Section 1. Officers of City
Committee. The officers of the City Committee shall consist of a
Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary.
Only members of the City Committee are eligible to be officers.
Except for the temporary assumption of an office due to vacancy, no
person shall hold more than one (1) office simultaneously.
Section 2. Chairperson.
The Chairperson is the Chief Executive Officer of the City Committee,
with responsibility for all executive functions of the City Committee.
The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the City Committee and
Executive Committee. The
Chairperson shall, in addition to the Treasurer, be authorized to sign all check
drafts and all orders for payment of money.
The Chairperson shall be an ex officio member of all standing
subcommittees of the City Committee. It
shall be his/her duty to appoint the chairpersons of all standing subcommittees
of the City Committee.
Section 3. Vice-Chairperson.
In the event of absence of the chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson shall
preside at all meetings of the City Committee and the Executive Committee.
The Vice-Chairperson shall assist the Chairperson as he/she may request.
Section 4. Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall keep a full and accurate account and record of all
receipts and disbursements, and shall deposit all monies in the name of the City
Committee in a recognized bank or trust company. He/she shall disburse all the funds of the City Committee as
may be authorized in accordance with Article IX below. The Treasurer shall keep proper documentation of all
financial transactions, and shall render to the Chairperson, or the City
Committee, a report of transactions as Treasurer, and the financial condition of
the City Committee at such times as requested by the Chairperson or the City
Committee. The Treasurer is
authorized to sign all checks drafts and all orders for payment of money.
The Treasurer shall promptly make all such returns as may be required by
the laws of Maine in connection with his/her receipts and disbursements.
The Treasurer shall be a member of the Finance Subcommittee.
The Treasurer shall give a Biennial Financial Report at the City
Committee’s Biennial Meeting. The
Treasurer’s books shall be subject to an audit every two years, or in the
event of a change in Treasurers, by a committee appointed by the Chairperson.
Section 5. Secretary.
The Secretary shall be the recording and corresponding officer of the
City Committee. The Secretary shall
be present at all meetings, shall keep complete and accurate records of all
meetings, and shall seasonably file a duplicate copy of such record with the
Chairperson. The Secretary shall
hold the record of all meetings open for inspection by all members at any
reasonable time. He/she shall be
responsible for notifying in writing all members of all meetings. It shall be his/her duty to maintain and keep current the
membership list of the City Committee. The
Secretary shall take attendance and shall furnish to the Chairperson at each
meeting a list of those members who have been absent for four (4) consecutive
meetings.
Section 1. Election and Term
of Office. Officers of the City
Committee shall be nominated and elected for two-year terms at a meeting to be
held within 2 weeks after the November General Election subsequent to the
Biennial Meeting in accordance with procedures prescribed by these By-Laws and
any applicable rules of the Democratic Party of Maine.
Section 2. Voting Procedures.
The voting procedure shall be as follows: (1) nominations shall be taken
from the floor; (b) the members present shall elect the officers by a majority
vote; and (c) should no one candidate obtain a majority on the first ballot, the
two candidates with the highest vote totals shall have their names placed before
the City Committee for a second ballot. Prior
to voting, all candidates shall be afforded an opportunity to speak.
Section 3. Filling of Vacancy.
(a) In the event of a
vacancy in any of the offices, a special election shall be held at the next
regular meeting of the City Committee. The
same procedures specified in Section 2 of this Article VI shall govern.
(b) In the event of a
vacancy in the position of Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson shall be acting
Chairperson until the election is held. (c)
In the event of a vacancy in any other office, the Chairperson shall
appoint a member to be an acting officer until the election is held.
Section 4. Removal.
(a) A petition to remove any
officer must be submitted at a regular meeting by a majority of the members
attending said meeting. The
petition shall state the reason why the officer should be removed.
(b) The removal election
shall be held at the next meeting of the City Committee.
(c) All members shall
receive seven (7) days notice of the meeting.
(d) An officer shall be
removed from office by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of those members present at
the meeting held for the purpose of removal.
(e) A vacancy resulting from
a removal election shall be filled in the same manner prescribed above.
Section 1. Purpose.
The purpose of the Executive Committee shall be to steer and guide the
City Committee. It shall be
authorized to approve the expenditure of funds as set forth in Article IX.
Section 2. Membership.
The Executive Committee shall be composed of the Chairperson, Vice
Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, Editor of Newsletter and Chairpersons of the
standing subcommittees.
Section 3. Chairperson
and Secretary. The Chairperson
and Secretary of the City Committee shall be the Chairperson and Secretary of
the Executive Committee.
Section 4. Selection
of Subcommittee Chairpersons. The
Chairperson shall select the chairpersons of the standing subcommittees.
Section 5. Selection
of Subcommittee Members. The
Executive Committee shall select members of the standing subcommittees.
Section 6. Meetings
of Executive Committee. The
Executive Committee shall meet on call of the Chairperson at his/her discretion,
or upon written request of a majority of members of the Executive Committee.
Article
VIII – Standing Subcommittees
Section 1. Standing
Subcommittees. The standing subcommittees shall be as follows:
(a)
Finance Subcommittee – The Finance Subcommittee is responsible
for the general supervision of all City Committee expenditures and to help
organize fundraising events.
(b)
Programs and Issues Subcommittee – The Programs and Issues
Subcommittee is responsible for planning programs for City Committee meetings
and establishing procedures to inform the citizens of Maine the position of the
City Committee on the issues of the day. This
Subcommittee shall report in writing to the City Committee at least once every
two months.
(c)
By-Laws and Organization Subcommittee – The By-Laws and
Organization Subcommittee is responsible for periodically reviewing the By-Laws
and organizational structure of the City Committee and make such recommendations
as are appropriate. This
Subcommittee shall report in writing to the City Committee at least annually.
Individual fund expenditures shall be authorized as follows:
(a)
Expenditures less than or equal to $100.00 may be authorized by the
Chairperson.
(b)
Expenditures greater than $100.00 but less than or equal to $500.00 may
be authorized by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
(c)
Expenditures greater than $500.00 may only be authorized by two-thirds
(2/3) of those members present at a regular City Committee meeting.
Article
X – Cumberland County Democratic Committee
The following paragraph is the amended section that must be passed by the membership
The By-Laws and Organization Subcommittee may submit at any regularly
scheduled meeting a petition to amend the By-Laws, with specific language of any
proposed amendment. The petition
shall be voted on at the next regular meeting and shall be affirmed only upon a
vote of two-thirds (2/3) of those members present.
EAL.00000.2003.CityCommBylaws
Before I get to what's going on, let me ask those who can to attend, to come to City Hall and speak in favor of the very limited powers of a Citizen Review Board overseeing police investigations of police conduct in the City of Portland. There will be the opportunity for public comment on Monday, at City Hall at 7:30 p.m. This is an issue of importance, especially for those disenfranchised by their race, immigration status, and their youthful age. Tom Kane, the sponsor of the measure, has asked me to ask you for your support. I'll be there and I hope you can make it too. Unfortunately, Tom will not be with the City Council much longer and the balance of power hangs precariously between progressive forces and developers. We have assessed the situation and believe that Jim Cloutier, Jill Duson and (in District 3) Nathan Smith are our best hope for pushing progressive values on the City Council. There are three things that would be of great help in getting them elected: 1. Help us with the literature drop on Saturday (all weekend to get it done). Last weekend's start went really well, we got a third of the City covered and ran out of literature. More will be ready this Saturday. We're organized out of my house at 112 Ludlow Street (behind Deering HS off Stevens Avenue) at 9:00 a.m. One map takes about 2-3 hours. It's good exercise (both of the body and the spirit). We need 50 people, so we definitely need you. 2. Put up a yard sign in your yard, to signify to your neighbors your public support for our candidates. If you need signs, please call Walter Spencer at 773-8552. 3. Home banking. We used to call it phone banking, but we're not doing that this election. Instead, we would like you to call your own friends and family in your address book and email your own list of friends. I hate talking to strangers and reading off a script and would much rather talk to you or another friend. So why not? It is very important that we vote in this election. Perhaps you could make the point that others who are running for City Council: *** Want to do away with the "marine only" zoning on the waterfront, so condo development and tourist traps and hotels can abound; *** Think that education is way to high a priority in Portland; *** Think that neighborhoods have way to much input into the policies set by the City Council *** Think that immigrants and people of color are the source of our economic and housing crisis. Jill Duson, Jim Cloutier, Kim Matthews and Nathan Smith are good, decent, thoughtful people who will serve us well. Please, please help them get elected. On a final note, here is some information that was forwarded to me on Bond Issue No. 6 that I thought I would pass along: PROPOSED UMF EDUCATION CENTER NEEDS YOUR VOTE On November 6, in Referendum Question #6, voters will be asked to consider a $36.7 million bond package for a number of University of Maine System projects. UMF's share is $4.8 million for an Education Center which will cost $7 million. UMF will raise an additional $2.2 million to complete the Center. This building is UMF's highest priority in serving the teaching needs of Maine's future. The New Education Center will offer space, technology, and consolidated resources to students, practicing teachers and faculty to address such issues as mainstreaming, Maine Learning Results, collaborative leaning, and technology in the classroom. The Center, at UMF where one out of seven Maine educators have earned their bachelor's degree, and where eighty percent of the graduates stay in Maine to follow their careers and raise their families, will serve both undergraduate students and teachers in the schools of Western Maine. The proposed Center will attract students to the fields of health and education and bring new approaches to education to Maine's classrooms. Our children and grandchildren deserve the best educations and best teachers we can provide. On Election Day, November 6, please vote YES ON #6. Thanks, everyone. Toby