Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been covering Portland City Hall for the Press Herald since 2012. His beat touches on a wide range of topics, including immigration, homelessness, education, tourism, real estate development and the economy in Maine’s largest city. He has been a Portland-based journalist since 2005. A life-long Mainer who loves the outdoors, Randy is also a bassist who brews his own beer at his North Yarmouth home, where he lives with his wife and two children.
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PublishedNovember 12, 2020
Employers warned that Portland’s stance on hazard pay could expose them to lawsuits
Labor lawyers and the Chamber of Commerce say the city’s position that time-and-a-half pay during emergencies won’t take effect until 2022 might trigger challenges.
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PublishedNovember 11, 2020
Portland approves USM’s $100 million plan for dorm, student center
The Planning Board voted unanimously in favor of the project on Tuesday night.
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PublishedNovember 10, 2020
City says it won’t enforce emergency wage for Portland workers until 2022
Officials’ interpretation of the minimum wage ordinance approved by 62% of voters last week runs contrary to organizers’ intent, their attorney says.
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PublishedNovember 10, 2020
Portland activists request recount on short-term rental referendum
Question E on Portland’s municipal ballot, which would prohibit non-owner-occupied short-term rentals, lost by only 222 votes, only proposal defeated by voters on Nov. 3.
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PublishedNovember 9, 2020
Affordable housing developers plan to move forward, despite Portland’s Green New Deal
Teams including Avesta Housing and the Szanton Co. both are looking to develop 90 or more housing units in Libbytown.
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PublishedNovember 6, 2020
City questioning whether new minimum wage takes effect in December as expected
The confusion about whether it takes effect next month or in January 2022 stems from the wording of the ordinance.
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PublishedNovember 4, 2020
Progressive wave sweeps through Portland election
Portland is a Democratic stronghold, but progressives have had trouble advancing their policies through the City Council. This time they took it straight to the voters and won.
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PublishedNovember 4, 2020
Portland corrects election results
While a counting error does not appear to have overturned any results, the revised totals reveal that proposed restrictions on short-term rentals failed by a razor thin margin of 235 votes – less than 1 percent – rather than the more than 2,000-vote, or 4 percent, margin that was originally reported.
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PublishedNovember 3, 2020
Portland voters pass $15 minimum wage, rent control and more
The only citizen referendum rejected by the voters was one that would have further restricted short-term rentals in the city.
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PublishedNovember 2, 2020
Long-delayed Bayside housing project set to become condos
A Massachusetts developer has taken over the project and is looking to break ground on a 52-unit condominium project at 75 Chestnut St. in Portland by the end of the year.
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