Let's Connect

Host Kristina Egan is joined by Aaron Chadbourne of Demetria Real Estate for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of the region’s housing market. Together, they explore the factors driving up the cost of housing and the policy changes that could make housing affordable for more families.

Produced by Greater Portland Council of Governments
Edited by C.Carter
First broadcast on WMPG.

Host Kristina Egan speaks with Nathan Davis, Executive Director of Gateway Community Services Maine, and Cary Tyson, Executive Director of Portland Downtown, about how federal immigration enforcement activity is affecting businesses, workers, and families across the Greater Portland region. Drawing on results from a recent survey of more than 240 local businesses, the conversation explores how fear and uncertainty can ripple through the local economy—affecting staffing, customer activity, and downtown commerce—while also shaping daily life for immigrant and refugee communities. Davis and Tyson discuss what organizations and employers are seeing on the ground, address common misconceptions, and share practical steps families, workplaces, and community members can take to stay informed, prepared, and supportive while staying within the law. 


Produced by Greater Portland Council of Governments
Edited by C.Carter
First broadcast on WMPG.

Host Tom Bell digs into the $25 million Portland Harbor dredging project now underway—why it matters for the working waterfront, what’s being done about contaminated sediments, and how the project is being managed and funded. Joining the conversation are Heather Moretti, the City of Portland’s new Waterfront Coordinator, and Mike Doan, Staff Scientist at Friends of Casco Bay, who explain the safeguards in place to protect water quality during round-the-clock winter dredging. The episode also explores what success looks like for harbor users and the broader community as Portland invests in infrastructure that supports the region’s economy.

Host Kristina Egan sits down with Samantha Horn, Director of the Maine Office of Community Affairs —a new state office created to help communities access coordinated planning support, technical assistance, and resources. Together, they unpack what how the agency can help local leaders and volunteers tackle real-world challenges, from capacity constraints in small towns to building strong partnerships with regional councils. The conversation connects the dots between comprehensive planning and on-the-ground infrastructure, explores approaches to reducing conflict around housing while protecting what makes Maine special, and looks at how transportation planning fits into local decision-making. Tune in for practical insights and a big-picture perspective.

Recorded at WMPG
Produced by Tom Bell for Greater Council of Governments in collaboration with WMPG

Host Andrew Clark sits down with Mike Tremblay, Director of Transit Development at Greater Portland Metro, for a wide-ranging update on what’s new—and what’s next—for public transportation in the region. They dig into the impact of the South Portland–Metro merger one year in. The conversation then turns to Metro’s plans to expand service in Scarborough, including plans for both fixed-route and microtransit service (building on the successful Falmouth pilot.) They discuss long-term plans to introduce a high-frequency rapid bus route connecting Gorham, Westbrook and Portland. Plus: what’s coming next in fare payment technology.

Host Kristina Egan sits down with Bill Needelman, the former Waterfront Coordinator for the City of Portland, Maine, for a big-picture conversation about how Portland’s working waterfront has evolved over the past 25 years — and what it’s taken to protect one of the region’s most vital economic and cultural assets. From innovative zoning policies and mixed-use piers to global trade connections, fishing industry changes, and major infrastructure investments,. Bill shares behind-the-scenes insights into the challenges, controversies, and successes that shaped the waterfront we see today. Tune in for a thoughtful look at why working waterfronts matter — and what the future may hold.

Host Tom Bell talks with Portland Water District General Manager Scott Firmin and filmmakers Alexander Wolf Lewis and Kaitlyn Schwalje. Alex and Kaitlyn are the creators of the feature-length documentary Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong—an informative, funny, and surprisingly heart-warming look inside Portland’s wastewater treatment plant.The film follows a ragtag crew of engineers, mechanics, and scientists as they navigate the often-invisible work of keeping our water clean, while grappling with the gap between the pristine world we expect and the messy, complicated and nose -wrinkling reality required to make it happen. It’s a conversation about infrastructure, teamwork, and the people behind the systems we rarely think about—until something goes terribly wrong!

Across Greater Portland, the push to build more housing often runs into a less visible but critical challenge: infrastructure. In this episodehost Kristina Egan is joined by Emily Cole-Prescott, Assistant City Administrator for the City of Saco, and Jennie Franceschi, Director of Planning & Code Enforcement for the City of Westbrook, for a practical, on-the-ground conversation about what it really takes to turn housing policy into housing that gets built. From sewer and water capacity to stormwater, transportation, and aging systems designed for a different era, they explore how infrastructure shapes where—and whether—new housing is possible, including affordable housing. The discussion also digs into statewide mandates, regional coordination, and what policymakers often underestimate about the true costs and timelines of growth.

Host Kristina Egan sits down with House Speaker Ryan Fecteau to explore legislative priorities in an election year, including efforts to lower the property tax burden and address the loss of federal funding for programs that help Mainers pay for food, childcare, and health care. They discuss the realities of bipartisan governing — all with a focus on what these decisions mean for everyday Mainers.

Host Kristina Egan is joined by Brett Frank, Deputy Director of Public Works in Scarborough; Mike Murray, Director of Public Works for the City of Portland; and Caity Hager, Portland’s Emergency Management Coordinator to unpack how plowing decisions are made, why parking bans matter, how roads are treated, what causes delays, and how communities plan for emergencies before a storm even hits.