City Manager Jon Jennings at a City Meeting.

City Manager Jon Jennings has agreed to a one-year extension of his current contract – that brings it up until July 12, 2022.  It will come up for approval from the Portland City Council.

He began his position in July of 2015.  Previously Jennings had served as assistant manager in South Portland for a brief period of time.  He also was an original developer of the Thompson’s Point development,  but dropped out because the development was not going in the direction he wanted he once told mhn.com  So Jennings sold his share to a friend. Before that he was with the Maine Red Claws.  Sometime in the past he worked in the White House.

The job hopping city manager ran into a buzz saw when he and the then progressive Mayor Ethan Strimling, locked horns on issues before the Council and that the Mayor tried to bring before the Council.  A measure to benefit union workers died in the  Finance Committee because Committee Chair Justin Costa did not support it along with Jennings. (Costa is running for the at large seat vacated by Jill Duson, who is stepping down). These rifts were sometimes played out in Council meetings with Jennings once saying he had considered resigning from his post because of the Mayor.  He also asked the Mayor to stop his personal attacks on him at a Council meeting.  It wasn’t pretty.

In a press release just received this morning from the city’s spokeswoman although it was distributed late last week to print media,  Jennings said that the city has “made great strides toward streamlining our processes.”  He conceded there is more work to be done in the process process. However, confidential discussions with some who have tried recently to navigate the inspections department process have nothing good to say about it – it remains slow and inefficient.  Just as it has been for many years, despite efforts to streamline it.

City employees with whom mhn.com has spoken say Jennings has been a good employer.  However, one city employee recently said he has been “too cautious” about reopening city hall to the public because of the pandemic.

Please visit two previous posts herein dated July 23, 2019 and September 12, 2108 for more information on the subject.