This week calls for chocolates and flowers! As we look ahead, the Town Council is gearing up for a busy spring with a focus on the Town budget (more on that to come in late March) and following along with the school building committee process. Read the Chair's Report below for more details from Council Chair Nick McGee. We also share departmental news and reflect on some good happening in our community, including a philanthropic Fuel Rally weekend and a recognition of our School Resource Officers. Read on for more.

Town offices will be closed on Monday, February 19 for Presidents' Day. February 19-23 is school vacation week.

School Building Committee Receives 72 Applications

The Scarborough School Board and Scarborough Town Council were accepting applications for the new School Building Advisory Committee from late January through February 9. The committee charge is to research the current space issues in the district and propose a new solution. Anyone who is a Scarborough resident, completed an application, and commits to attend meetings was accepted to join the committee. The Town and School received over 70 submissions and held their first meeting on Monday to determine leadership roles.

Four elected officials will also participate in the committee. They are:

• Nick McGee - Chair, Town Council
• April Sither - Vice Chair, Town Council
• Leanne Kazilionis - School Board
• Jillian Trapini-Huff - School Board

Additionally, the following members will serve as non-voting staff resources:

• Superintendent of Schools or designees
• Town Manager or designees
• Facilities Manager
• School Business Manager
• Town Finance Director

Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth recently learned that they were awarded a $1.59M grant from the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program to restore the Spurwink Marsh. The grant, if accepted by both communities, will result in removing 1,400 feet of Sawyer Street where it crosses the marsh and restoring over 62 acres of salt marsh. The Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth Town Councils held a workshop on Wednesday, February 7 (watch here), to learn about the grant and discuss the path forward.

Sawyer Street is a town road that crosses Spurwink Marsh and is shared with Cape Elizabeth. The road frequently floods during astronomical high tides and storm events.

Sawyer Street on January 10, 2024, Matt Craig

Based on NOAA’s 2024 tide chart, the road is likely to experience wash over during high tides more than 60 days this year. The road was also closed due to significant flooding during both January 2024 storms and during the December 23, 2022 storm. The January storms highlighted critical road infrastructure needs in both Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth. Several of Scarborough’s highly traveled roads were closed due to flooding, including Route One, Payne Road, Pine Point Road, and Black Point Road.

Given the many needs Scarborough has and the limited funding available, the Scarborough Town Council indicated support for removing a portion of Sawyer Street. Residents of the area who attended the February 7 workshop voiced their support for removing Sawyer Street and restoring Spurwink Marsh. 

If the Towns of Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth decide to move forward with this project, initial work will focus on restoring upper reaches of the marsh. Road removal would not occur until late 2026. Public meetings will also be held in both communities in 2024 so residents can learn more about the project and provide feedback. More information about this project will be posted on the Town’s website, in the e-newsletter, on social media, and in The Leader. Please reach out to Jami Fitch, Sustainability Manager, with questions at jfitch@scarboroughmaine.org. 

The Assessing department is conducting a town-wide revaluation this spring. A revaluation is the process of updating real property values to reflect their current market value (i.e., to maintain reasonable estimates of what each property could sell for on the open market).

Why is the Town performing a revaluation, and why now?

There are two important factors behind the decision to perform more regular revaluations and why it is necessary to do so this year in particular:

Fairness: Property owners should pay no more or no less than their fair share of the property tax burden. Currently, some taxpayers may be paying more than their fair share of taxes, while others may be paying less. A revaluation redistributes the existing tax base so all property owners pay their share based on the market values of their property. A revaluation is revenue-neutral. By itself, a revaluation does not increase or decrease total tax revenue collected by the Town. The amount of taxes raised only changes if the Town, School, and County budgets change. Your assessed value may go up, but the tax rate will go down.

Compliance: Scarborough is currently out of compliance with assessment requirements. When this happens, the State reduces many reimbursements and exemptions, which in turn affects taxpayers. Maine State Law requires that assessments be maintained between 70-110% of market value. Scarborough’s are currently below 70%. A revaluation will bring assessed values back in alignment with market value, keeping us in compliance and eligible for higher reimbursements and exemptions.

What’s Next?

Preliminary new valuations will be mailed to property owners in May-June. You will then be able to review your updated property card to ensure it is accurate and free of errors. If corrections are needed, please contact us. If you believe the new assessed value does not represent fair market value of your property, you will be able to schedule an informal hearing to review details and ask questions. If after the informal appeal you still disagree with the findings, you may file a formal appeal. More details to follow in the coming months.

Early in-person voting by absentee ballot is now available at Town Hall. Stop by anytime Monday through Thursday, 7:00am-5:00pm. Early voting is for the March 5 Presidential Primary Election for the State of Maine. More election details are available on our website.

From left to right: Officers Eric Greenleaf, Mike Beeler, and Tim Dalton

Today is School Resource Officer Appreciation Day! These members of our Police Department take great strides in making our schools safe and our students supported, and we are very fortunate to have three high-caliber officers in key positions. Let's take a moment to recognize them:

Eric Greenleaf

Community Resource Officer Eric Greenleaf started his career with the Scarborough Police Department as a Reserve Officer in June of 1984. A year later, in July 1985 he was hired as a full-time officer. CRO Greenleaf has held many different positions over the years ranging from Tactical Team member, Youth Aid Officer, D.A.R.E Officer, Detective, Acting Sergeant, Honor Guard Member, Crisis Negotiator and more. 

In 2007, Officer Greenleaf was voted Officer of the Year by members of the department. He was assigned to the Community Resource Division in 2013 and has served in this capacity for the last ten years. You may have seen CRO Greenleaf at the Wentworth School where he spends time helping with pickup and the drop off of the students who attend there. Thank you CRO Greenleaf for your unwavering commitment to community policing!

Mike Beeler

Mike Beeler joined the Scarborough Police Department in March 1999 as a reserve officer, only to be hired full time a few months later in July 1999. Throughout his career, he's been known as a reliable officer who was always able to remain calm in an emergency situation. He has received several commendations, unit citations and recognitions over the years. One in particular was in 2008 when he was awarded a commendation award for saving the life of a suicidal subject who had brandished a knife to officers, when himself and another officer were able to subdue the individual without causing any further harm. 

Officer Beeler spent many years on the department’s regional SWAT team as a sniper and also served (and still does) as one of the department’s motorcycle officers. In May of 2022, Officer Beeler was selected as the newest High School Resource Officer. Thank you SRO Beeler for protecting our students every day!

Tim Dalton

Tim Dalton is a Scarborough native and joined the department in 2009. He is a 2006 graduate of Roger Williams University with a degree in Criminal Justice. He was hired by Freeport PD in 2007 before being hired by our department two years later. Officer Dalton has a reputation for being highly professional in any situation and for having the ability to quickly deescalate stressful interactions in an effective manner. He served for six years working as a Maine Drug Enforcement Agent where he further developed his ability to interview people. He has also been a member of the SWAT Team since 2011.  

Officer Dalton was selected as the new Middle School Resource Officer in April 2023. He has coached for the Biddeford Youth Hockey Association since 2016 and has served as a board member since 2021. His selection to the SRO position further builds upon his long-time commitment to being a mentor to our youth. 

Newest firefighters with the chiefs, left to right: Deputy Chief John Brennan, Fire Chief Rich Kindelan, Erin Squibb, Josselyn Borque, Peter Doane, Chance Champagne, Deputy Chief Kevin Duross, and Deputy Chief Ian Tenney.

Last Friday, the Scarborough Fire Department held a graduation ceremony for our four newest career firefighters. They joined the ranks in late January and participated in a three-week Scarborough Fire Department Probationary Firefighters School. Over the past three weeks, they navigated a rigorous training schedule to ensure that they possessed the knowledge, skills and abilities to empower them to provide the highest level of service for our community. “We are thrilled to welcome our newest members into our ranks and we are excited to watch them grow within our Department,” said Scarborough Fire Chief Richard Kindelan. 

Last weekend Project G.R.A.C.E. and friends held their 12th Annual Fuel Rally at Scarborough Public Library. It was another great success, bringing neighbors together to raise funds for fuel assistance. Pledges are still coming in, but organizers are confident they exceeded the goal of $25,000 thanks to generous donations from the community. Look for more pictures and an updated rally tally soon at www.fuelrally.org.

The event included chili & chowder from Bread & Butter Catering Co., live music, kids crafts, a bake sale, and raffle.

Scarborough Public Safety, left to right: Acting Lieutenant Adam Foster,  FF/Paramedic Max Newton, Fire Chief Rich Kindelan, Police Chief Mark Holmquist, and Community Resource Officer Eric Greenleaf.

Thank you to the Lions Club for participating! Other partners included the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, Community Services, Scarborough Historical Society, Rotary, Kiwanis, and Scarborough Public Safety.

"Community organizations are stronger when they team up, so we're especially excited the rally is at the library this year." —Kate Kearns, President of Friends of the Library

Photos by Ember Earl Photography

Household Hazardous Waste Days for 2024

Scarborough Public Works is announcing their 2024 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days! These drop off events are a way to safely dispose of hazardous materials like paint, batteries, and cleaners. They are free for residents of Scarborough, Saco, Biddeford, and Old Orchard Beach. Save the dates:

Saturday, May 11, 8:00-Noon

20 Washington Ave, Scarborough 

Saturday, July 27, 8:00am-Noon

15 Phillips Spring Road, Saco

Saturday, September 14, 8:00am-Noon

371 Hill Street, Biddeford



We'll share reminders as the event dates near!

Last year, the Town of Scarborough secured a $15,000 Cumberland County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to assess the unhoused population in Scarborough. Funding was allocated to conduct a grassroots field assessment, including in-depth conversations with those unhoused, and to develop policy and strategy from the data collected. 

In July 2023, the Town of Scarborough contracted with Portland-based Milestone Recovery to help in the field assessment process of unhoused individuals within the community. Milestone’s HOME Team is an outreach program working collaboratively with police, Emergency Medical Services and local businesses. The team helps to navigate the mental, physical, and behavioral health challenges those experiencing homelessness may encounter providing basic necessities, medical care, referrals and transportation to emergency shelter programs, and/or assistance programs.

Scarborough’s Social Services division and Milestone’s HOME Team collected 13 assessments, with one of the first highlighted observations being that the unhoused population in Scarborough has significantly decreased since 2022. Scarborough’s Social Services division has also witnessed a substantial decrease in individuals utilizing the lots of big box stores to park the vehicles they are employing as shelter, as well as a decrease in the number individuals setting up and utilizing encampments. This decrease has been occurring over time. In 2022, contact was made with over 60 individuals identifying as being without shelter. In August 2023, 15-17 unhoused individuals were identified in the Scarborough community. In January 2024 only 6-8 individuals were identified. One of the greatest questions being asked is what causes these variations. In the next few months, the work of the CBDG will continue as members of a local taskforce begin to assess the data and work with a consultant to develop future action steps.  



The Social Services division collaborates on a daily basis to ensure community members, including those unhoused, are assisted in navigating the complex and rocky waters of mental health systems, housing authorities, and other community support resources. Much like a jigsaw puzzle, individuals present with several pieces and just need that little help in fitting them together. 

Community Services has published their spring programs brochure and it is filled to the brim with fun activities for all ages! Find programs like "Ancestry Embroidery" and "Salad Container Garden Workshop" for adults, laser tag for teens, and indoor soccer or spring theater for kids. See the full brochure for all the details on the latest activities and special events. Registration for residents is now open, and non-residents can register on Tuesday, February 20.

Program Highlight: Spring Tea Workshop

Adults of all ages

Wednesday, March 27

5:30-7:30pm

$30; Supplies included, bring your own mug

Register

Join Wild Few Herb Farm as they lead us through a Spring tea workshop! They’ll bring a variety of herbs along with information about each of their medicinal benefits and give an overview on the basics of tea blending. Each person will have the opportunity to blend their own bag to take home. Bring your own mug and sample your creation after you make it!

It was a relatively mild start to winter, so we've only recently been able to open our skate ponds for the season.

Hours of Operation (Check status first!):

Mon - Fri: 2:00pm - 9:00pm

Sat - Sun: 8:00am - 9:00pm

Location: 20 Municipal Drive, Scarborough

We'll post the status of these ponds (open/closed) on our Community Services Facebook page, so check their first. The post will indicate if the ice rink is open for normal hours, closed due to poor ice or weather conditions, or closed for maintenance with the hope of opening later in the day. The status will be updated by 12:00pm on weekdays and by 4:00pm on Fridays for the weekend.

The skate pond status will be a pinned post at the top of the Community Services Facebook page.

Saturday, March 2, 9:00am-3:00pm

Community Services Hub

418 Payne Road, Scarborough

Join us for our Spring Passport Day! Passport applications will be accepted on a first come first serve basis, and we recommend that applicants come prepared with the it already completed. Can't make it? Passports applications are also accepted in the Community Services office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (by appointment only). We understand that many people cannot make these specific times work, especially when trying to juggle work and family life, so each fall and spring we offer a special Saturday Passport Day event in Scarborough.

For more information on what is required to apply for a passport, please call the Scarborough Community Services Office at 207-730-4150, or you may visit the only official website for passports at Travel.State.Gov.

In honor of this upcoming special event, Community Services answered some frequently asked questions and misconceptions about passports and Maine Real IDs.

Kayak Storage Rack Lottery for 2024

Tired of lugging your kayak to and from the beach? The Town of Scarborough has 16 spaces at the Pine Point Co-Op, 16 spaces at Ferry Beach, and 16 at Clay Pits boat launch that are leased to Scarborough residents/taxpayers on a seasonal basis each year. The lottery registration for 2024 closes on 2/25. To register your name in the lottery for 2024, please check out all of the details on our website or call 207-730-4150.

Find a Class with Scarborough Adult Education

Scarborough Adult Education, formerly Adult Learning Center, is a part of Scarborough Public Schools. Their mission is to offer life-long learning opportunities to citizens of the community by providing a range of adult enrichment, academic, MLL, and vocational programming courses and programs.

Many of the courses and workshops are held late afternoons and evenings in the High School classrooms. They have a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training program starting in April. Call the Scarborough Adult Education office at 730-5040 for more information.

View the Winter/Spring 2024 rochure

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Scarborough Town Council.

With 2023 in the rearview, we turn our attention to what is in store for Scarborough in 2024. One of the biggest topics in town is what to do about our schools. On February 12th we took our first major step toward developing a community-led solution to address upcoming spikes in projected enrollments and other physical limitations of our existing school structures. Most encouraging was the sheer number of people stepping up to help find a solution. Nearly 80 residents signed up and have been seated as our new Building Advisory Committee.

The enthusiasm, breadth of experience and willingness to commit to such an involved and complicated process is nothing short of amazing to witness. This will be a lengthy and involved process; it is in fact square one. However, if we trust in the process and in each other to be honest brokers throughout, we will provide our students, educators, and our community with a viable solution for decades to come.

With the results of the town-wide community survey in hand, the council recently met to discuss our goals for the upcoming year. According to the survey, residents continue to be most concerned with the rate of growth, taxes, and traffic congestion in town.

We are continuing to monitor the impacts of our new Rate of Growth ordinance which took effect in July 2023. Our new ordinance allows for most of the residential development to continue in the designated growth areas in alignment with the comprehensive plan while attempting to limit growth in areas outside of the Route 1 corridor. As part of our goals, this Council intends to prevent any expansion or loosening of existing zoning requirements in town that would lead to more growth than currently allowed. So far, building permit requests are lower than our historical averages – perhaps an encouraging sign some of our growth management efforts are taking hold.  

Adding to these challenges on the local front is the continued efforts by our state government to limit local authority to impose restrictions on growth and create zoning exemptions for housing. This situation should be monitored closely – I for one continue to be leery of Augusta telling us locally how to best manage our land and growth patterns.

Keeping taxes in check will be more difficult this year than most. There are several contributing factors in addition to the standard inflationary impacts on budgets that will require scrutiny on spending this year. We have a town-wide revaluation taking place, and residents are poised to see increases in their tax bills even if local spending stays flat. Typically, with no increase in spending, a revaluation would not require increases in your tax bills, however, residential property values in Scarborough rose so significantly over the last 5 years it will naturally cause a shift in the overall burden to our residents more so than the commercial sector. Scarborough is essentially out of compliance with state evaluation regulations, so delaying or forgoing a revaluation effort is not an option. Failure to stay in compliance leads to loss of revenue to the municipality while also reducing the homestead exemptions residents are allowed to claim off their property valuations. Our finance committee is working hard to better understand the overall impacts as we enter the budgeting season. Our commitment to you is that we will seek the most reasonable and fiscally responsible budget for our community.

Dealing with traffic congestion within town does prove to be a more difficult challenge to solve. Creating alternate modes of transportation is possible, but it would certainly call for significant investments in road, pedestrian, and public transportation infrastructure over decades before any real improvement would potentially be noticeable. This is not to say it can’t be done or won’t be pursued to some extent – but those expecting impactful relief in the near term will surely be disappointed in the overall traffic outlook for a growing community such as ours. News of the Gorham Connector advancing will be welcomed by so many accustomed to the Route 114 rush hour grind. However, we know this will come at a cost to a few private properties along the planned route. We will need to closely monitor developments on this front as the process continues to ensure the impacts to residents are minimized to the greatest extent possible.

Another key finding from the survey that I think is important to touch upon is the reduction in trust in your local elected officials. Communication will be paramount in attempting to repair this perception. With that in mind, this Council is committed to increasing efforts to provide easily accessible and more transparent information surrounding our decision making. In development is a “tracker sheet” highlighting the big topics going on in town, when hearings are scheduled for that topic and quick summaries of what is being considered. This will be found on the town website’s home page for quick and easy use by our residents.

Turning for a moment to a more locally impactful decision point, for the better part of three years, the Council has been dealing with challenges relating to the cannabis industry in town. Odor issues continue to create untenable living situations for many of our residents. The Council strengthened odor mitigation requirements and developed a new odor enforcement protocol last year hoping this would provide the relief the residents were asking for. Unfortunately, the problems persist. Therefore, as part of our 2024 goals, this Council has committed to eliminating all cultivation activities that abut residential areas. Our residents deserve relief, and they deserve to enjoy their private property. 

Part of our duty as a Council is to deal with the daily issues – but we can’t overlook the long-term future for Scarborough. With that in mind, we will be advancing a land bond question in November asking voters to approve replenishing funds for conservation efforts. The land bond is a necessary tool for us to protect and preserve our natural resources. Scarborough is rich with natural habitats that deserve to be protected for generations to come.  

Finally, I want to leave you with three last thoughts: 1) As the Chair of this current Council, I will commit to being candid with all of you. There are always moments where we can celebrate our achievements and successes, but there will also be moments where very difficult decisions need to be made. What we require is an open, respectful, and honest dialogue of the issues facing our community. 2) Your voice is valued and it is absolutely necessary – please remain engaged and; 3) We are listening, and we are acting.

A full list of 2024 Council Goals is available on the Town website.

Scarborough Town Council

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

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

Scarborough Public Library: Upcoming Programs

School Vacation Week!

February 20-22, Times vary

Learn More

The Youth Services Staff will be glad to see your family during your school vacation. We will be practicing Hygge (pronounced Hoo-GA) from Danish culture. Hygge is defined as a quality of coziness and comfort that inspires a feeling of contentment or well-being. As we continue to battle snow, ice and cold, we could all use a little more "cozy" in our lives! Join us all week and explore our Hygge inspired reading nooks-cozy in and read to your heart's content

Cozy Crochet (Grades 5-12)

Tuesday February 20, 1:00pm

Are you crochet curious? Beginners welcome! All materials provided to make headbands.

Spa Day, Kids Edition

Wednesday February 21, Drop in from 2-3pm

Make your own lip glass, get a manicure, try out some hair chalk. Relax, sip lemon water or a comforting mug of hot cocoa and leave feeling rejuvenated and ready for vacation fun!

Pajama Day

Thursday February 22, All day

Hygge is all about cozy and does it get any cozier than PJs? Curl up with a favorite book in one of our reading nooks. Bring your stuffie, too!

Board Game Night for All Ages

Friday, February 16, 5:00-8:00pm

Bring the whole family, a couple of friends, or come on your own for this intergenerational party! Either way, plan to play games with anyone. This is a great way to have some fun, and maybe make a new friend. This is a drop-in program, so come and go whenever you like! No registration required.

Anyuka Film Q&A

With Artist Maya Erdelyi

Friday, March 1, 6:00-7:00pm

Register

Anyuka is the story of a marvelous and tragic life as told through three generations. Interweaving super 8 family films, archival material and experimental animation, a granddaughter takes a deep dive into the remarkable life of her indomitable grandmother—a writer, WWII refugee and Holocaust survivor. Anyuka (Hungarian for mother) explores: intergenerational trauma, the Jewish diaspora, immigration, motherhood, and religious identity—to tell the story of a tragic and marvelous life across three continents.

Crime Writers Panel: How We Make the Sausage

Tuesday, March 5, 11:00am-12:00pm

Register

Three crime fiction writers, who publish very different types of mysteries, discuss how they create their characters, as well as revealing the inside information on how they build the complicated worlds where their stories take place. Lively discussion is planned—with lots of opinions!—and extended Q&A along with it. Featured writers are: Joseph Souza, Brenda Buchanan, and Richard Cass.

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