Portland City Council (Watch & Discuss)

Join us at Portland City Hall at 5:00PM where we will watch the City Council meeting in the Overflow Room (Room 209). We will stay until 7PM (or earlier if the meeting ends) and, if there's critical mass, we'll regroup at Novare Res (4 Canal Plaze #1) to hangout and discuss. Arrive whenever you can to the meeting. You don’t have to be there for the start or stay the whole time.

• Where will we be?: Meet us in the "overflow" room on Level 2 just down the hall from Council chambers. This room is set up with a TV broadcasting the meeting from chambers and has a comfortable setup with conference tables and chairs. After business hours, you will need to enter City Hall through the side entrance on Myrtle St. There are friendly security staff by the Myrtle St door that can tell you where to go.

• What are we doing there?: Getting a sense of local governance and how our city ticks. Feel free to bring a snack or non-alcoholic drink with you to the overflow room. Talking, eating, and drinking are perfectly fine in this room. It's a casual atmosphere. No participation in public comment necessary, but if you want, there is public comment on non-agenda items right at the start of the meeting, and public comment on other agenda items throughout the meeting.
• What to expect: A meeting agenda will be posted by the city at least a couple days in advance and we'll let you know when that's available. The council covers all sort so city governance including business licenses, departmental budgets, housing and urban development, historic preservation, parks & rec, etc. The council follows parliamentary procedure. You can look at past agenda/minutes or watch previous meetings here: https://www.portlandmaine.gov/602/Agendas-Minutes
• Why go to a city council meeting?: Because government decisions at the city level have a HUGE impact on our lives, and it's actually super interesting to see how the city operates and why things are the way they are. Being informed about what is happening in the city is cool, even if you don't want to be directly involved.
• Why is this a meetup?: Because city government is another aspect of community, and community building is the point of having meetups. We do not have a political motive or goal for organizing this event, and all respectful viewpoints are welcome.
• Who is my district's city councilor? You can find your city district on this map and then see which councilor is elected to your district here. There are 5 districts in Portland represented by different councilors, plus 3 "at large" councilors who represent everyone.
• Transportation/Parking: City Hall is centrally located on the peninsula and is a few blocks away from the GP Metro Pulse if the bus is an option for you. For drivers, there is 1 or 2 hour street parking around the area, and parking is free after 6pm.

I'll post updates in the comments so keep an eye out for those notifications. Stay home if you're feeling ill or exposed to someone sick.