Tom Bell

Housing Summit – Do Not Use

In this final Episode of the Greater Portland Kennebunkport created a nonprofit housing trust that housed six families in less than a year, with more affordable homes on the way. Larissa Crocket, Executive Director of the Kennebunkport Heritage Housing Trust, and...

Housing Summit – Episode 5 – Jun 3 2024

Avesta Housing President & CEO Rebecca Hatfield leads a panel discussion about successful strategies to build more housing, with Westbrook City Administrator Jerre Bryant, Portland Mayor Mark Dion, Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman, Bridgton Community Development...

Housing Summit – Episode 4 – May 27 2024

Jeff Levine talks about the history of U.S. housing policy, the use of zoning to enforce racial segregation, and the impact of suburban zoning in Greater Portland on limiting the supply of multi-family housing and increasing housing costs. Then, Greg Payne, Senior...

Housing Summit – Episode 3 – May 20 2024

Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce President Quincy Hentzel, United Way of Southern Maine President Liz Cotter Schlax, and CEO of the Natural Resources Council of Maine Rebeccah Sanders discuss the economic, environmental and social equity issues related to the...

Housing Summit – Episode 2 – May 13 2024

President of the Greater Portland Council of Government Jarrod Maxfield, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce President Quincy Hentzel, United Way of Southern Maine President Liz Cotter Schlax, and CEO of the Natural Resources Council of Maine Rebeccah Sanders...

Housing Summit – Episode 1 – May 6 2024

Opening remarks at the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) held on Mar 26 2024 at Ocean Gateway, Portland, Maine. The entire meeting was edited into a collection of six episodes to be aired separately.

Let’s Connect – town managers – Feb 8 2024

Yarmouth's Town Manager Nat Tupper and Cumberland Town Manager Bill Shane talk with host Kristina Egan about the joys and challenges of being a town manager in Maine. Both men are retiring this winter after long careers in public service.

Let’s Connect – dredge project – Feb 1 2024

Dan Healey, Chair of the Board of Harbor Commissioners for Portland Harbor, Tom Dobbins, the commission’s former chair, and Bill Needleman, the Waterfront Coordinator for the City of Portland, discuss a major project to dredge along the private and public piers in...

Let’s Connect – Piping Plovers – Dec 27 2023

Andrew Fersch and Laura Minich Zitske talk with host Tom Bell about Piping Plovers and efforts to protect their habitat in Maine. Andrew is the author of the children’s book, “The Piping Plover,” about the endangered seabirds that live at Higgins Beach in Scarborough....

Let’s Connect – E-bikes – Nov 22 2023

Cashel Stewart, Sustainable Transportation Coordinator at the City of South Portland, and Jim Tasse, Assistant Director of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, talk about E-bikes. How do they work? What are the regulations? Are they safe? How can E-bikes help us reduce...

Let’s Connect – Climate Show – Aug 16 2023

Dave Reidmiller, the Director of the Climate Center at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, talks about the impact of global warming on the Gulf of Maine. Reidmiller has worked for both the Obama and Trump administration on federal climate policy. Now, he works with...

Let’s Connect – Trail Network – Aug 4 2023

Allison Burson, National Greenway Director at East Coast Greenway, Rob Lavoie, Gorham Town Councilor, and former Maine state senator Dick Woodbury discuss the importance trails and what efforts are underway to expand the trail network.

Let’s Connect – Victoria Pelletier

A conversation with Portland Councilor Victoria Pelletier and Casco Selectwoman Mary Fernandez. Portland City Councilor Victoria Pelletier and Casco Selectwoman Mary Fernandez discuss the realities of serving as Black women in local office and how they are paving the...