Summer is getting closer by the day! But first, spring clean up and preparation. You may see Public Works around town with street sweepers cleaning sand off town roads. And the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center is hosting an Earth Day Clean-Up effort next Saturday to pick up litter. In Town Hall, departments are gearing up for summer with new program brochures, Town budget reviews, preparing for permits for beach passes, boat launches, and yard sales, and more. Read on for details on this busy time of the year and how you can get involved.

What are your summer plans? Scarborough is hiring for a number of seasonal (and full time) positions across several departments. Check out our Job Board for current opportunities and check back routinely for your best fit.

Town offices will be closed on Monday, April 18 in observance of Patriot's Day. Trash pickup will remain as scheduled.

This week we welcomed our new Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Duross to the department. Born and raised in Saco, he grew up in and around the Saco Fire Department as a 3rd generation Firefighter and has spent over 20 years actively involved in the Fire and Emergency Services. Nine of those years were spent working as a Deputy Chief for the Biddeford Fire Department, and he was awarded the 2020 City of Biddeford Employee of the Year for his leadership during the response throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duross has a strong background in fire suppression, EMS, HazMat and technical rescue and holds an associate’s degree in Paramedicine through Southern Maine Community College. He has earned a Level II Chief Officer Certification through the Maine Fire Chiefs’ Association.

Outside of work, Duross enjoys spending time with his wife Katie and 9- and 11-year old daughters. They live in Saco with their dog Mable, four cats, and six chickens. He also stays active as an ice hockey official from youth through collegiate Division I levels.

“I take great pride in the department and community I serve,” says Duross. “I look forward to building the relationships within the town and the community while working with the great members of the Scarborough Fire Department.”

Last week the Town published and municipal and school budget overview guide to outline the budget process from now until June, and to share some key highlights from the budget proposal. The town budget was outlined as a response to community needs made clear in the Fall 2021 survey. Here are some areas being addressed through budget requests:

• Townwide Transportation Network Study

• Traffic Signal Improvement Plan

• Road Construction & Paving Projects

• Sidewalk Rehabilitation/Accessibility Improvements

• Improved Bike/Pedestrian Use of Roads

• Route 1 Marsh Crossing Evaluation/Analysis

Use of the following to offset costs:

• ARPA Funding

• TIF District Revenues

• Grant Funding

Read the Municipal & School Budget Guide

The Finance Committee and full Town Council invite and encourage resident participation. Tune into meetings, look over the budget on our Budget Portal, and give feedback to the Council. The school budget will be voted on in a referendum election on June 14, 2022 (request your absentee ballots early).

We want to hear from you! Discuss the proposed FY2023 budget with representatives from the Town Council and Board of Education. We are pleased to announce we are resuming our Budget Roundtable discussions that were put on hold during the pandemic to provide an opportunity for increased community engagement. There will be four opportunities to attend these discussions, with both in-person and remote options:

Wednesday, April 20, 6:30-8:00pm - In-Person at Town Hall (Remote participation available)

Thursday, April 21, 12:30-2:00pm - In-Person at Town Hall (Remote participation available)

Saturday, April 23, 9:00-10:30am - In-Person only at Public Safety Building

Monday, April 25, 6:30-8:00pm - Virtual only

Links to participate in the hybrid/virtual Roundtables are also available on the Town Calendar. You can also give feedback to the Council anytime at towncouncil@scarboroughmaine.org.

This week, April 10-16 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. It is held on the second week of April each year and is dedicated to the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators—the often-unsung heroes of public safety, our dispatchers.

Every emergency that a police officer or firefighter responds to either starts with, or is handled by, one of our public safety dispatchers. There are a minimum of two dispatchers working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and more during peak times or significant events. They are truly on the front line, and are generally the first person a citizen deals with during a crisis. Thank you to our Public Safety Dispatchers for all that you do!

Spring has sprung and house cleaning has begun! If you are planning on having a Garage/Yard Sale, the Town of Scarborough requires that you have a permit. We allow up to six (6) garage/yard sale permits for such sale, whether conducted indoors or outdoors, to any person or for a sale on any given residence within a consecutive twelve-month period. The cost for a permit is $5.00 and is valid for up to three days.

Beach passes will available for purchase beginning on May 2. Season passes are valid at all three town-operated beaches (Ferry, Pine Point, Higgins). Beach passes and boat launch passes must be obtained in person, including the free senior resident passes, in the Town Clerk’s Office.

Please be sure to bring your vehicle registration as it is required for the purchase of a beach pass. If you are purchasing additional passes for all household vehicles, all vehicles’ registrations must be presented, as well. Cash or check payment is recommended; cards are accepted with an additional convenience fee.

Each summer, volunteers educate beachgoers about the birds and keep an eye on their nests. If you’re interested in helping the Town with our protection efforts, sign up to volunteer as a Beach Monitor! Spend a couple hours each week walking our beaches, talking with visitors, and monitoring plover nesting areas. We're looking for a regular, weekly commitment, but we also know summer in Maine is precious. You can still volunteer even if you know you will only be able to help periodically or if there are weeks when you are unavailable.

All Scarborough residents may bring grass clippings and leaves to the Casella Transfer station (594 County Road, Westbrook) free of charge. Other items and yard/wood waste may be disposed of at the Casella Transfer Station as well, for a nominal fee. Sand may be collected, and brought to the Public Works facility at 20 Washington Avenue.

Scarborough Public Works has scheduled three Household Hazardous Waste Days to safely dispose of your household hazardous waste materials. This is a free service to residents of Scarborough. The first one will be held on Saturday, May 14 from 8am-Noon at 20 Washington Avenue, Scarborough.

Check out all of the new senior programs being offered! The May-July Brochure is now available and includes programs at the Community Services Hub, located at 418 Payne Road, as well as some brand new trips, fitness programming, and more. Registration begins on April 26 for Scarborough residents and April 28 for non-residents. Printed copies of the brochure will be available at the Community Services Hub and the Scarborough Public Library.

Unitil Corporation will be replacing 3,000 feet of steel pipe along Gorham Road between the Nonesuch River near Ridgeway Road and Maple Avenue in Scarborough, Maine as part of a coordinated effort with the Scarborough Sanitary District and the Town of Scarborough. Please be aware that there may be traffic delays and detours in this area and you may be advised to seek alternate routes.

The Community Services Advisory Board advises the Town Council on matters pertaining to the planning, developing, financing, and implementation of Community Services recreational programs and facilities for the benefit of the residents of Scarborough. The Committee meets on the 3rd Thursday every other month at 6:00 p.m. There are currently two new positions available on the board—please consider volunteering! Serving on a committee is a wonderful way to learn more about our community, meet our neighbors, and contribute to our town’s success.

Register in advance (Zoom)

The Town of Scarborough is in the early stages of conducting a comprehensive parks and facilities master plan. This process will allow for meaningful park and recreation facility improvements that yield higher levels of performance and increased enjoyment for all user groups. The plan is being developed with consultant BerryDunn. It will be developed with an eye toward the Town’s existing goals, including improving walkability and connectivity, increasing mixed uses, strengthening connections between open spaces, promoting active and healthy living, and sustaining and building a high-quality system of parks, recreation, open space, facilities, and trails.

Learn more by participating in our Town of Scarborough Parks and Facilities Master Plan Open House, a virtual public forum to discuss the project. Please don’t miss this opportunity to share your thoughts on this very important issue for our community.

Passport Day (By appointment only)

9:00am to 2:00pm

Community Services Hub (418 Payne Road)

View the full Summer Brochure, just released! Also includes details on events, facilities, and more.

View the new digital brochure or pick up a paper copy at the Community Services Hub (418 Payne Road) or Library.

Do you have ideas for cable programming for our local Town channel? Let us know! Email pcoleman@scarboroughmaine.org.

The Scarborough Police Department is hosting a Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 30 from 10:00am-2:00pm. It will be held at the Public Safety Building. Use this opportunity to safely dispose of any unwanted, unused, or expired prescription medications.

Earth Day is nationally recognized this year on Friday, April 22. Commit to doing an eco-friendly act, like planting seeds, choosing to "reuse" before you recycle, or participating in a clean-up event like the one above. Tag your photos #PitchInScarborough!

The Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring a Candidates Night forum on April 27 at 7:00pm in Council Chambers at Town Hall (Remote view available, register via Zoom). This forum is moderated by SEDCO Board Member Kevin Freeman. It is an opportunity to hear from the three Town Council candidates about their vision for Scarborough. The candidates will also entertain questions from Kevin and the audience.

While we have many avenues to engage the residents, the Communications Committee felt the need to pilot a new way to engage residents with no agenda or formal structure, but simply pick a topic and invite the community to engage with their elected officials in a conversation. Hence, Councilor Corner Live was born!

Councilor Sither and I hosted the first Councilor Corner Live on March 31. We REALLY jumped into the deep end and decided to focus on growth. Growth is a complex topic with a variety of viewpoints. People often feel passionate on this topic, and that passion is ultimately driven by their personal values and what matters to them - the schools, the environment, traffic, access to resources, impact to taxes, new amenities like a town center, etc.

We had approximately 50 residents participate in-person and virtually. I was overjoyed to see such a high turnout. The overwhelming viewpoint expressed by attendees was concern around the pace of growth. This was not a surprise, given that in our recent community survey 73% of residents stated they have concerns regarding the pace of growth in the Town. There was also a lot of concern expressed regarding the growth exemption proposed by the Downs. This exemption request is still under consideration by the Town Council and negotiations are underway to see if agreeable terms can be reached that deliver sufficient public benefit to Scarborough to justify the growth.

There will be tradeoffs that need to be considered, and I will weigh the benefits and consequences along with public opinion to determine my decision. Right now, I do not have those benefits articulated in a manner that allows me to make that judgment, but I have heard you loud and clear from both the survey and Councilor Corner Live that there is a real concern around how the Town is managing growth. As terms come forward and the Council deliberates this exemption further, I’d love to hear from you.

Given the success of the Councilor Corner Live, we plan to continue these forums. The next one will be in June, as this month will be focused on joint Budget Roundtables with the School Board. Our budget also reflects the values of the Town and largely addresses the community needs indicated in the survey results.  I hope you will join us to hear more and give your thoughts whether this budget reflects your values. See the dates/details listed above. I hope to see you there!

What topics would you like to discuss at the next Councilor Corner Live? Text me at (703) 946-0385 and the Communications Committee will suggest a topic to the Council in May.

John Cloutier, Chair • Ken Johnson, Vice Chair • Jonathan Anderson • Jean-Marie Caterina • Don Hamill • April Sither

Town Council meets the first and third Wednesday of each month. Visit our online calendar for links to attend and view agendas.

Scarborough High School

Come out for our Community Dialogue and participate in charting a course for Scarborough Schools now and into the future. We will:

• Exchange ideas about a strategic vision for the future.

• We need your feedback! Staff, parent/family, and student surveys will be going out soon, stay tuned.

• Our Leadership Team will be facilitating conversations on focus areas generated from our surveys.

• We will also be presenting information on the new primary school building project.

Learn about and register for upcoming Library programs on their website.

This virtual Showcase is the final program and culmination of our Three-Community Read with Thomas Memorial Library and South Portland Public Library. Those not participating in the Community Read were invited to contribute also. See what events of Saturday, March 19 our neighbors captured on paper and on film. Is there ever an ordinary day?

"Getting TV & Phone Services Over the Internet": Learn how to use internet- based television and phone services to save money.

Join us outside the Library for a very special story time with guest reader Kelly Pietrzak, homeschooling parent and community volunteer.

The Gap Tracks Project: Wildlife on the Eastern Trail

Wednesday, April 27 at 7:15pm

Register via Zoom

Co-sponsored by Friends of Scarborough Marsh, this virtual lecture with Noah Perlut, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs, University of New England, Biddeford, ME and his students will provide an overview of the GapTracks Project, which assesses the wildlife community in the Gap of the Eastern Trail and Nonesuch River before, during and after trail construction.

By Maine Poet Laureate Julia Bouwsma

Saturday, April 30, 10:30am-Noon

Workshop: Register via Zoom

The Library is honored to close out National Poetry Month with two special poetry events with Julia Bouwsma, who was recently named Maine’s Poet Laureate. The Poetry Workshop will be for middle and high school students. Poetry Reading at 1:30pm (Register for reading).

Monday – 9am to 5pm • Tuesday – 9am to 7pm • Wednesday – 9am to 7pm • Thursday – 9am to 7pm • Friday – 9am to 5pm • Saturday – 9am to 5pm • Sunday – Closed

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