Change is in the air as summer comes to a close, back to school prep is underway, and fall programs will start up again. Plan ahead for the season by putting some upcoming dates on the calendar— Community Services program registration opening day (August 21), Sustainable Scarborough Day (October 1), and Election Day (November 7) to name a few. And take advantage of these last couple weeks in August by coming to Summerfest and snapping some photos for our photo contest! Read on for details on these seasonal reminders and more.

Stay Connected to Town happenings...The next Town Council meeting is this Wednesday, August 16 (View the agenda). Watch previously recorded meetings on our Public Meetings YouTube channel.

Friday, August 18

5:00-10:00pm

High School Sports Complex

Facebook Event (Check the Community Services Facebook page for any day-of weather-related changes)

Come celebrate the end of a great summer with your friends, family, and neighbors at Scarborough’s 27th Annual Summerfest event! The Town of Scarborough and Community Services hosts this annual event at the High School Sports Complex at no cost. Free parking is available at Scarborough High School, Wentworth School, Scarborough Middle School, Scarborough Public Library, and Scarborough Municipal Building.

Activities

Meet with local nonprofit organizations, jump around in the Bounce Zone (FREE thanks to a generous donation from Town & Country Federal Credit Union), enjoy food available for purchase from a variety of local food trucks, sing along with a musical performance by 12/OC (from 7:00-9:00pm), and end the night with a 9:15pm fireworks show!

Food

Food trucks and vendors include Cargo Pizza, Smokin' Phil's Belly Bustin' BBQ, Steemie Weenies, Cheese the Day, Mr. Tuna, Char Wrig's Sno and Dough Adventure Co., Mow's Munchies, and Poppies Kettle Corn. Local businesses and groups will also be offering goodies like blueberry and apple crisps, ice cream, cotton candy, cakes and cake pops, and much more.

Summerfest kicks off with an 18+ cornhole tournament at 4:00pm! Gift card prizes will be presented to the top three teams of the night. Register your team and learn more here.

Thank you to all who have submitted an incredible array of outdoor summer photos into our photo contest! The views captured are best enjoyed when shared with others, and we hope you've taken a minute to check out the entries.

Submit by August 27

There's still time to enter! Snap photos while you're out enjoying scenery or time with family, and share with us by August 27 for a chance to win a gift card from a variety of Scarborough businesses. Complete our Entry Form to submit your favorite photos. Upload up to three photos with a title and caption (optional). Remember, they must be taken in Scarborough and outdoors to qualify!

"Early Start" by Amy Taylor (Scenic/Natural Landscape category)

"Happy for Higgins" by Erin Bouchard

(Pets category)

"Enjoy the Little Things..." by Michelle Blake (Wildlife category)

Check out all submissions in the Facebook photo album! Entries will be added to this album on a rolling/weekly basis. The voting period will run from August 28-September 14. The photo with the most 'Likes' in each category will win a gift card to a local business here in Scarborough, announced in the September 15 newsletter. Thanks to The Dairy Corner, Dunstan Tap & Table, Oak Hill Ace Hardware, Nonesuch River Brewing Company, Highland Farm, and Scarborough Grounds for the prizes!

The next municipal election will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. Nomination papers are available in the Town Clerk’s Office for the following seats:

Town Council 

Three 3-year term seats 

Sanitary District 

Three 3-year term seats 

Portland Water District 

One 5-year term seat

Not less than 25 and not more than 100 signatures of qualified registered voters can sign nomination papers for the Town Council and the Sanitary District. Not less than 35 and not more than 50 signatures of qualified registered voters can sign nomination papers for the Portland Water District. All nomination papers must be returned to the Town Clerk’s Office by close of business on Wednesday, September 6, 2023. If you have any questions, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at (207) 730-4020.

Request Your Absentee Ballot

Request an absentee ballot by completing an Application for an Absentee Ballot. Please print and complete the form, then mail it to the Scarborough Town Clerk's Office at P.O. Box 360, Scarborough, ME 04070-0360 or fill out the e‑form request. Absentee ballots will be mailed when they are available.

For further information on Absentee Voting and Voter Registration, please contact the Scarborough Town Clerk's Office at 730-4020.

Tax Commitment

The 2023-2024 Tax Commitment is approaching in the next week, representing the 4/1/2023 assessment date. Bills will be mailed out by the first week of September and are due by October 16th. 

2024 Property Revaluation

As part of our continued effort for advanced communication, the Assessor’s Office would like to ensure that all taxpayers are aware of the planned 2024 Town-wide Revaluation. The updated values will not be implemented until the fiscal year 2024-2025 tax commitment. An information sheet designed to strengthen your understanding of the Town’s 2024 Revaluation Project will be included with your tax bill. 

Certified Ratio and How it Affects Property Tax Bills

Each year, the State tracks property sales by type of property and municipality. The sale amounts are compared to the assessed value, and an “equalization ratio” is determined for each town. This is an effort to estimate the market value of the properties within each town. The process measures assessed value relative to actual selling price. Per Maine State Statute, property exemptions must be reduced to the percentage provided by the State of Maine.

Scarborough’s current certified ratio is at 94%. This ratio is used to calculate the Homestead, Veteran’s and other exemptions. For example, the $25,000 Homestead Exemption was reduced to $23,500 for the fiscal year 2023-2024 (25,000 x .94 = 23,500); and the Veteran’s exemption was reduced to $5,600 from $6,000. Without a revaluation, these exemptions would continue to drop, as would applicable State reimbursements and funding. A market update will ensure that all eligible residents receive property tax exemptions at full value.

The Town Council will hold a public hearing and second reading of proposed changes to the Marijuana Establishment Licensing Ordinance on Wednesday, August 16.

The changes being recommended were born out of concerns regarding marijuana odor emanating from marijuana cultivation establishments, specifically, long standing issues from the Pine Point Overlay District. 

As a result of these concerns, staff convened a working group in February 2023 to better understand the underlying issues and complexities of odor and the industry. The group, composed of residents, industry professionals, and staff, discussed possible recommendations to better address odor mitigation and enforcement.

The proposed changes were workshopped through the Town Council Ordinance committee during their May and June meetings. The substantive changes being proposed include more rigorous odor mitigation standards, including better defined recordkeeping requirements and increasing the amount of air exchanges required in rooms with a higher likelihood of odor.

The revised ordinance also includes a better defined and more progressive enforcement process when odor complaints are made. The process stipulates that a threshold for complaints including frequency and the number of parties making the report within a defined period would be met prior to verification by Town staff. This process, modeled after similar processes from other municipalities, is intended to be indicative of the pervasiveness of the odor. In addition to potential fines and penalties, after a third verified complaint, the process requires professional evaluations to be conducted and subsequent recommendations to be implemented. Following a fourth verified complaint, the applicable licenses would be subject to a revocation hearing with the Town Council.  

Additional changes include updating the terminology to reflect cannabis in place of marijuana, recognizing that state statutes have replaced the term accordingly, and a change to the licensing period from a rolling 12-months to a defined period of September 1 - August 31, a practice largely reflected in other municipal license ordinances.

Please be aware of speed limit reductions in some areas of town. The Maine DOT notified the Town that the entire length of Route 9, or Pine Point Road, will be posted with a 35 mph speed limit (formerly 45 mph near the marsh and Maine Audubon). Dresser Rd is also now a 35 mph zone for the entire road. Members of our Public Works crew have changed out the signs, and the new speed limit is in effect immediately.

Look out for our Fall Brochure being released this Friday! This fall we're offering a wide selection of community programs for kids, teens, and seniors. Registration opens on August 21 for residents and August 28 for non-residents.

Register for programs online by creating an account through our Community Services portal. Registration can also be done by phone (207-730-4150) or in person. 

Parks Maintenance Worker

$43,368 - $49,067 annually based on experience

Seeking two Parks Maintenance Workers, full-time 40-hour per week positions which involve semi-skilled manual labor performing various tasks and operating equipment used in the maintenance of recreational fields and town parks, and in the general repair of buildings and equipment. 

Active Adults Program Coordinator

$46,675 - $54,200 annually based on experience

This is a full-time position that focuses on planning, organizing, implementing, and supervising programming for Scarborough’s active adults. Scarborough has a strong history of quality “55+” programming. We are looking for someone to join our team that is passionate about upholding these programming standards, while excited about the opportunity to expand programming for all adults in Scarborough.

Before & After Care Counselors

$17-19 Per Hour

Seeking dedicated and responsible individuals to work in the before and after care program. Work involves the direct supervision of children on site, as well as organizing and planning activities, cleaning, and working with a team of coworkers.

Child Care Program Site Supervisor

$18-20 Per Hour

Seeking a dedicated and responsible individual to work in the before and after care program in a lead role.

See all jobs and application deadlines on our Job Board.

Friday, September 8

8:00am-6:00pm

Public Safety Building, 275 US Route 1

Sign Up

The Scarborough Fire Department is hosting a blood drive in honor of Madison, the niece of one of our firefighters. After being diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in March 2021, Madison went through a 2-year treatment plan where she received numerous rounds of chemotherapy. She also needed many blood and platelet transfusions. Madison had her last chemotherapy treatment on March 15, 2023. She continues to remain cancer free and will finish up with two more antibiotic infusions in June! She will continue to have her labs monitored for years to come. She is currently thriving and finally getting to enjoy just being a toddler! Please consider donating blood in her honor as there are many others who depend on it.

Sunday, October 1, 2023

10:00am-2:00pm

Celebrate being green in your community! The Town of Scarborough is hosting its first ever Sustainable Scarborough Day, bringing together everyone from the environmentally conscious to the eco-curious for a day of learning and fun.

• Meet with experts, local businesses, nonprofits, and enthusiasts on topics ranging from sustainable living, efficient homes, transportation, landscapes, recreation, waste management, land conservation, and climate action.
• Attend one or more of the ongoing workshops scheduled throughout the event
• Test drive an electric vehicle or e-bike
• Learn more about saving money with new state and federal efficiency rebates and tax credits.

Walk the municipal campus for activities at the Scarborough Public Library, Wentworth School, and the farmers market at Town Hall. This is a family friendly event with activities for all ages!

Want to learn more about all the important details of the K-8 Strategic School Solution and New Unified Primary School? Join Scarborough School District and School Building Committee for a series of events that dig into all the big issues. Come to one, come to all. Attend in-person or online (visit the Scarborough Public Schools Calendar to access the meeting via Zoom).

The Wednesday evening council meeting will begin at 5:30pm. The agenda includes:



• Public hearing and second reading on the proposed changes to Chapter 1018- the Town of Scarborough Marijuana Establishment Licensing Ordinance. (Read more above)

• Public hearing and action on requests for new Food Handlers Licenses

• Public hearing and action on the new request for Junkyard Permit

• Second reading to repeal and replace the 90-day Moratorium that the Town Council approved on May 3, 2023 and enact a new Moratorium that would apply to the Pine Point Industrial Overlay District. 

• Second reading on the request to approve the expenditure, in an amount not to exceed, $130,000, from the Land Acquisition Reserve Fund for the purpose of purchasing property located at Gorham Road, as recommended by the Parks and Conservation Land Board.

• First reading and schedule public hearing and action on the new request for a Marijuana Establishment License.

• First reading and schedule a public hearing and second reading on the order authorizing issuance of up to $160,000,000.00 in bonds of the town to fund the cost of building a new primary school and to place the following question on the November 7, 2023, Municipal Ballot.

• Act to adopt the FY2024 School Budget Resolution as required by State Statute. 

Some of these agenda items contain attachments. View the full agenda.

Scarborough Town Council

Jonathan Anderson, Chair • Jean-Marie Caterina • John Cloutier • Don Hamill • Nick McGee • Karin Shupe • April Sither

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

Brook Trout: Biology, History, and Conservation

August 17, 5:30-7:30pm

$5, In-Person and Zoom

Register

Join in person or via Zoom for a presentation from Emily Bastian, National Chair of the Native Fish Coalition (NFC), focused on Maine’s signature native salmonid and a favorite fish of anglers across the northeast. This presentation will cover brook trout biology, history, lore, angling, conservation, and more. Registration required.

Morning Yoga at Broadturn Farm

August 27, 10:00-11:00am

$10

Register

Join instructor Heather Guglielmo for a peaceful morning of yoga among the flowers at Broadturn Farm. Heather started her yoga practice about eight years ago, and just graduated with her RYT 200 Yoga Teacher Training with the Fluid Yoga School through Samudra in Biddeford, ME. Her infectious laughter, kind heart, love for Thriller Flash Mob, 80’s music, her two dogs and Ireland will keep you coming back for more. Attendees should bring their own yoga mat or towel, water, weather-appropriate clothing, and insect repellent. We will plan to be outside unless weather moves us into the barn – no more cancellations! All ages and levels of experience are welcome.

More details and registration links for all of these events can be found at www.scarboroughlandtrust.org.

Scarborough Public Library: August Programs

Summer Learning Program

Summer Finale:

Wednesday August 30, 4-6pm

There is plenty of time to work on your Summer Learning! We are still giving away punch cards for teens and adults, and there are Bingo Sheets for kids and ambitious adults available up until the last possible moment. Our Summer Finale will be on Wednesday, August 30 from 4-6pm. There will be music, bubbles, outdoor games and ice cream! We will be drawing prizes from our summer raffles and all kids who participated in our program will get to choose a book to keep.

Minecraft at the Library!

Saturday, August 26, 1:00-3:00pm

Register

Let's play Minecraft! This is open to experienced players and those who are new to it. Learn more about the Library's Minecraft server. Interested in volunteering to help others with Minecraft? Email Tom at tcorbett@scarboroughlibrary.org.

New Farm Share Pick Up Location

The Library is partnering with Wolf Pine Farm in Alfred as a pick up location for their fall/winter farm share. If interested, sign up here. Wolf Pine Farm takes SNAP benefits and has scholarships and payment plans available. Click here for payment option details.

The Library will be posting programming around the ingredients from the farm share, but purchase of the Wolf Pine Farm share is not required to participate.

Record a Video for Retiring Library Director

The Library is putting together a video “Thank You” for Nancy Crowell, our director who is retiring after 45 years. We’d love to have as many Scarborough voices as possible. Here is the link to upload your own short video, or contact Elsa Rowe at ERowe@scarboroughlibrary.org or 207-396-6279 to set up a time to be recorded. The more the merrier, so please consider being a part of this project!

Monday – 9am to 5pm • Tuesday – 9am to 7pm • Wednesday – 9am to 7pm • Thursday – 9am to 7pm • Friday – 9am to 5pm • Saturday – 9am to 1pm • Sunday – Closed