Interim Director of the City’s Public Works Department Mike Murray at the “Encampment” Site This Morning.  He’s Been With the City of Portland for Almost 20 Years, Starting Out as Cemetery Director in 1999.

These Two Men Were Removing Their Tents and Belongings Early This Morning Before the Police Arrived at 9:00 am.  They Did not Know Where They Were Going.

Employees of the Dump Guy Raking an Area Looking for “needles” Before Piling the Trash into a Nearby Truck to be Hauled Away.

“We want to relieve this area of being a health hazard,” said Mike Murray, this morning as he arrived to supervise workers in the Public Works Department of which he is the Interim Director.  Murray, who has been with the city for almost 20 years, was in the “staging area”, from which the cleaning up of the Bayside Trail tent village behind Trader Joe’s was launched early this mornng.  “This has been a collaborative effort,” Mike said

The collaboration was between the Portland Polilce Department, the Public Works Department and Portland Recreation Department.  Additionally, a contractor, the Dump Guy was hired to haul the trash away.

The plan was to have the Police Department arrive first at 9:00 am and get the remaining homeless off the Trail.  Next the Public Works Department would move in with a variety of equipment including front end loaders and scoop up what belongings were left behind by the homeless.  “If we find personal belongings of value, we will deliver them to Amistad,” said Murray.

“I’m here to support these people,” said Michael, a Munjoy Hill resident and a social worker.  “The city is actually breaking its own policies.  There is a 9 page policy that states the city will not sweep encampments while shelters are full.  Every shelter in the state of Maine is full,” he said.  Another supporter of the homeless said that making the non-profit Amistad responsible for personal belongings for 7 days is the city’s way of trying to make the social service agencies responsible so the city doesn’t have to be responsible.

Bystanders at the Trail and others on the  Hill did not try to withhold their disgust with the city for allowing the homeless situation to become so critical  “It wasn’t as though this just happened last month.  The situation has been building and building for a long time.  City hall has been asleep as the switch,” said one bystander who did not want to be identified.

The city could have played an important role in making this a less hazadous “encampment” had it provided regular trash pick-ups, water fountains along the Balyside Trail as well as portable potties as it does on other city owned property.

Mike Murray who began with the city as a cemetery director has held a variety of positions with the city over the years, including Island Liason. When Chris Lamb left Public Works city several years ago for medical reaons, Murray replaced him.

For more background information on the removal of the homless from the Bayside Trail, please visit post herein dated May 12, 2023.