Let's Connect

WMPG
  • 5.0 (4)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Let's Connect is a weekly podcast focused on how cities and towns in Greater Portland are overcoming challenges in their communities. Hosted by Kristina Egan, Executive Director of the Greater Portland Council of Governments, the show focuses on a range of issues, including housing, transportation, climate change, and economic development.

  1. Better Together: State + Regional Partnerships That Work

    1D AGO

    Better Together: State + Regional Partnerships That Work

    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

    30 min
  2. Metro’s big plans for South Portland and Scarborough

    1D AGO

    Metro’s big plans for South Portland and Scarborough

    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.

    29 min
  3. How Portland saved its working waterfront 

    3D AGO

    How Portland saved its working waterfront 

    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.

    29 min
  4. Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong

    FEB 4

    Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong

    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!

    28 min
  5. Infrastructure: The Hidden Barrier to Housing in Greater Portland

    FEB 2

    Infrastructure: The Hidden Barrier to Housing in Greater Portland

    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.

    31 min
  6. A conversation with House Speaker Ryan Fecteau

    JAN 28

    A conversation with House Speaker Ryan Fecteau

    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.

    30 min
  7. Unpacking how communities prepare for winter storms

    12/28/2025

    Unpacking how communities prepare for winter storms

    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.

    29 min
  8. Creating a home with an ADU

    12/16/2025

    Creating a home with an ADU

    Host Tom Bell explores how Accessory Dwelling Units are helping Maine homeowners navigate the state’s housing affordability crisis. He talks with two local residents—Mark Baker of Portland and Keri Ouellette of South Portland—who have each built an ADU for different reasons. Mark Baker and his wife, Lynn, recently retired and wanted to move from Fresno, California, to Portland, Maine, to be closer to their daughter, her husband, and their two young grandchildren. But with housing costs in Portland significantly higher than in Fresno, they chose a creative solution: tearing down their daughter’s detached two-car garage in North Deering and building an ADU in its place.  In South Portland, Keri Ouellette and her husband were looking to create a little more breathing room in their 1,250-square-foot home. Because of their lot’s unusual shape, they found that building a detached ADU was more practical and less expensive than a conventional addition. Their 550-square-foot ADU includes a full kitchen, a living room with a dedicated home office area, and one bedroom, and thanks to modular construction, the unit was move-in ready just six months after the project began. Visit our Guide to ADU's website

    27 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Let's Connect is a weekly podcast focused on how cities and towns in Greater Portland are overcoming challenges in their communities. Hosted by Kristina Egan, Executive Director of the Greater Portland Council of Governments, the show focuses on a range of issues, including housing, transportation, climate change, and economic development.

Information

  • Creator
    WMPG
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    145
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright WMPG
  • Show Website
    Let's Connect