PORTLAND, Maine - A key committee of Portland city councilors will meet tonight to weigh in on the issue of fire safety.
In particular, the Public Safety, Health & Human Services Committee will be looking at proposals for a new housing safety office - something recommended by a special task force set up in the wake of last November's deadly Noyes Street fire, which killed six people.
Committee chairman, councilor Ed Suslovic, says he has some reservations about setting up the new office. "I was concerned about setting up different silos within city government, and having different inspection functions separated in different departments."
While he still has those concerns, Suslovic says he'll support the proposal in the spirit of moving forward.
However, he says the new department should be subject to the scrutiny of Portland's new, soon-to-be-appointed city manager.