Have you heard?

The city of South Portland launched the South Portland Electric Tool Library in June. The tool library provides South Portland residents with access to all-electric lawn care tools to use at home free of charge. All you need is an active South Portland Library card to check out equipment.

The electric tool library helps residents transition their land-care equipment away from fossil fuels, and helps us meet our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. It features all-electric EGO lawn equipment, including lawn mowers, leaf blowers, string trimmers, hedge trimmers, and edgers. It is located at the transfer station next to the Swap Shop at 929 Highland Ave.

For more information about the South Portland Electric Tool Library, visit /www.southportland.org/departments/public-works/transfer-facility/electric-tool-library/.

Now offering a waitlist

The South Portland Electric Tool Library has been an extremely popular resource. We have had over 150 checkouts in the first two months. The equipment has been in such high demand that the sustainability office received numerous requests for a waitlist system. You asked and we listened.

The South Portland Electric Tool Library has begun offering an informal waitlist. To get on the waitlist, call the South Portland Electric Tool Library at 207-317-2200. Courtesy photo

We are pleased to announce that we are now offering an informal waitlist. If you would like to get your name on the waitlist, please call our brand new South Portland Electric Tool Library phone at 207-317-2200. Once a piece of equipment is available, we will give you a call. If you answer and are able to come pick it up, we will hold it for you until you get there. If you don’t answer or aren’t able to pick up the equipment, we will move onto the next person on the list and you will be called the next time that same piece of equipment is available.

You can check equipment availability by calling the electric tool library phone or by visiting the library’s online catalog. Search keyword “electric tool library.” Visit https://southportlandlibrary.com/ to view this collection.

We are hiring

Our two fantastic summer interns, Kate and Olivia, are returning to school for the fall. They have done a wonderful job assisting residents with checking out equipment, keeping the Swap Shop neat and organized, and helping South Portland residents reduce their waste. Given their departure, we are looking for one or two people to fill the role of South Portland Electric Tool Library/Swap Shop manager from late August through early November. Our ideal candidates are helpful, organized, and passionate about waste reduction.

This is a part-time, temporary position. Potential candidates must be available on Saturdays and/or Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

If you’re interested in applying, please look for the full job description on the city’s Job Opportunities site at southportland.org/contact-us/job-opportunities/.

For more information, contact Susan Parmelee at sparmelee@southportland.org or 207-347-4147.

New fall hours

Beginning next week the electric tool library and Swap Shop will be open Wednesdays and Saturdays only due to short staffing. Until we are able to fill the position of tool library/Swap Shop manager, there could be occasional Wednesdays or Saturdays that the tool library and Swap Shop cannot open.

For updated service hours please check the South Portland Sustainability Office Instagram page, @soposustainability, or the South Portland Electric Tool Library website at www.southportland.org/departments/public-works/transfer-facility/electric-tool-library/.

Our Sustainable City is a recurring column in the Sentry intended to provide residents with news and information about sustainability initiatives in South Portland. Follow the Sustainability Office on Instagram @soposustainability.

Susan Parmelee is sustainability program manager for South Portland. She can be reached at  207-347-4147.