With Election Day just one month away and the last day of school not far behind, we're anticipating what's ahead and getting everyone ready for summer! We've hired for seasonal positions, and the Clerk's and Revenue offices are busy with registrations and beach pass purchases. Read on for updates spanning across town, from beaches to parks, Town Hall departments, and the Library.

The first Hazardous Household Waste collection day of the season is this Saturday, May 17th from 8:00am-Noon. Drop off your household items at our Public Works facility. More details below.

Town offices will be closed for Memorial Day on Monday, May 26, 2025. Trash pickup will remain on schedule for the week.

Gearing Up for Beach Season

Dog Rules Go into Effect Today, May 15

Beginning on May 15 through Labor Day, dogs are restricted from beaches from 9:00am-5:00pm. They are allowed off-leash from dawn to 9:00 a.m. They are allowed on leash from 5:00 p.m. to dusk. Please respect these rules for the courtesy of fellow beachgoers.

Please also note, there are some restricted areas on our town beaches where dogs aren't allowed (Higgins and Ferry/Western) or need to be leashed (Pine Point), which went into effect on April 1. Please pay attention to the signs that mark restricted areas. View the maps of restricted areas on all town beaches on our website (bottom of Beaches page).

Parking Passes Available at Town Hall

Beach passes, used for parking in Town-operated lots during the summer season, are now available for purchase in our Clerk's office (sales begin in May each year). All beach passes must be obtained in person. Please bring your vehicle registration, as it is required for the purchase of a beach pass. Cash or check payment is recommended; cards are accepted with an additional convenience fee.

Beach passes cover parking at the following Town beaches:

• Higgins

• Ferry

• Pine Point (Hurd Park)

Passes do not apply to Scarborough Beach State Park.

The season for beach parking passes runs from the start of Memorial Day weekend (May) to the end of Labor Day weekend (September).

The Clerk's office was busy on May 1, the first day of beach pass sales for the season! They sold 207 out of the 350 non-resident beach passes available, and 1,060 resident beach passes.

New Traffic Flow at Pine Point Beach this Summer

The Hurd Park parking lot at Pine Point Beach is getting some upgrades! The improvements are intended to improve efficiency and safety for beach goers and residents of the neighborhood. Changes include having a separate designated entrance and exit, repositioning the ticket booth, adding a trolley stop location off the street, and better accessibility. Please be aware of these changes to traffic flow:

Parking Lot Entrance: There is now a dedicated entrance and exit to the Pine Point lot. Cars will enter the lot off of Avenue 5. This entrance will be divided into two lanes: Season pass/cash payment (Right), and Debit/credit card payment (Left)

Parking Lot Exit: All users will now leave through a dedicated exit onto King Street. Please pull up slowly and the gate will automatically open for you once you are close enough. Use caution while pulling onto King Street. 

New Trolley Stop and Pedestrian Walk: There is now a dedicated trolley stop at the top of the parking lot on the corner of King Street and Avenue 5. There is also a pedestrian walkway down Avenue 5 that follows the split rail fence line. Beachgoers who use this will enter through the sandy pedestrian path to the left of the parking lot.

Town Council Adopts FY2026 Budget at 3.75% Increase

Key Investments for Community Added

In their May 7 meeting, the Scarborough Town Council passed the fiscal year 2026 municipal and school budget. The new budget – valued at just over $90 million – will result in an estimated 3.75% tax rate increase. Over half is allocated to the School budget, which will go to referendum for voter approval in June. Public safety is another major budget driver. The final tax rate will be confirmed in August when the annual tax commitment is made by the Assessor.

The budget focuses mainly on essential services through a continued investment in staffing, infrastructure, facilities, and equipment needed to keep town operations running. After several meetings to review department and capital budgets during the month of April, the Town Council’s Finance committee made several recommended adjustments to the Town Council, all of which were approved. Acknowledging a need for additional public safety staffing, they added 8 new full-time firefighter positions, 4 new patrol officers, and 1 public safety dispatcher. All positions are deferred for cost-saving measures. Read about the impact these staffing investments will have.

The finance committee also recommended funding for a METRO pilot project for $65,000. Funding was added to meet a need that the community has expressed as an area for improvement; in the 2023 community survey only 20% of residents were satisfied with public transportation in Scarborough. Additionally, the Council approved to add new pickleball courts ($100,000) and to add lights at Peterson Field ($75,000), both in response to community feedback during the budget review process.

While the tax rate increase has been projected to be 3.75% or a new mil rate of $11.34 per $1,000 in property value, up from $10.93, the actual increase will likely be lower based on an analysis provided by the Town’s Assessor over the last 5 years. Reviewing that analysis, the actual mil rate fell somewhere between $.01 to $.12 less than the projected rate at the time of tax commitment in August. 

The Town of Scarborough remains committed to serving the community with high quality service and maintaining focus on the priorities of residents. “The budget sets a clear path forward to ensure the level of services our community expects remains unwavering,” said Tom Hall, Scarborough Town Manager. “Residents have told us they value public safety, well maintained infrastructure, and our schools. These areas are well represented in the budget and the Council and staff continue to drive these priorities forward.”

Budget Highlight: Sidewalk Improvements

One area of funding in the capital budget is to invest in a new sidewalk machine. The Town of Scarborough has heard community feedback that not only do we need more sidewalks, we need to maintain the quality of the sidewalks we currently have. We have two machines for sweeping and snow removal, and a third one would help the department maintain more of the sidewalks in Scarborough.

Public Works is also in its 4th year of a 10-year plan of a Sidewalk Rehabilitation Plan to address improvements. Deputy Public Works Director Brett Frank and Operations Supervisor Adam Stoddard tell more about sidewalk maintenance in this video and do a demo of how the machine operates.

Upcoming Election on June 10th

The June 10 election will include the School Budget Validation and to fill three seats for the Board of Education and a remaining term on the Town Council (one seat). Save the date for voting in person that Tuesday at the High School from 7:00am-8:00pm, or request an absentee ballot. The Town Clerk's office is accepting absentee ballot requests in person, via phone at 730-4020, or through this online form.

In-Person Absentee Voting

In-person absentee voting is now available at Town Hall during open hours, Monday-Thursday, 7:00am-5:00pm. It will be available through the Thursday before election day (June 5), and is an easy and convenient way to vote.

Meet the Candidates

Candidates Night was held on Tuesday, May 13, as an opportunity for voters to hear from the candidates on the upcoming ballot. The forum was sponsored by the Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce and moderated by SEDCO Board Member Kevin Freeman. View the recording.

We also asked our candidates to answer three questions to learn more about them:

1) Tell us about yourself and your background.

2) Why are you running for the Town Council/Board of Education?

3) What do you hope to accomplish?

Read their responses on our website.

Town Council

1 Seat, Term to Expire 2026

Larry Cain, Scott Gondzar, Crescencia Maurer

Board of Education

3 Seats, 3-Year Term

Charlotte Jacobs, John J.P. Kelleher, III (Incumbent), Jillian Trapini-Huff (Incumbent)

Clerk Appreciation: Municipal Clerks Week

Annually recognized the first week in May

The first week in May was Municipal Clerks Week! Have you been into our Clerk's office to renew your dog license, register to vote, or apply for a business permit? Then you may have met Kristen Barth (Town Clerk), Katie Duross (Deputy Town Clerk), and Nicole Dibiase (Assistant Clerk).

The Office of the Municipal Clerk, a time honored and vital part of local government, exists throughout the world, and is the oldest among public servants. Their office serves as the professional link between the citizens, the local governing bodies and agencies of government at other levels. Municipal Clerks have pledged to be ever mindful of their neutrality and impartiality, rendering equal service to all and serving as the information center on functions of local government and community.

May 4 through May 10, 2025 was the 56th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week, and we extend appreciation to the staff in the Scarborough Town Clerk's Office and to all Municipal Clerks for the vital services they perform and their exemplary dedication to the communities they represent.

From left to right: Katie Duross, Kristen Barth (Town Clerk), Nicole Dibiase

Further Stream Protection Efforts Underway

Last week the Town Council held a first reading on staff-proposed revisions to the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance. Several streams in Scarborough have added protections through the Stream Protection Overlay District in the ordinance, which establishes a 75-foot setback from mean high water and regulates activities that can occur. However, these additional protections currently do not extend to all of our Urban Impaired Streams in town, including a portion of Red Brook and all of Phillips Brook. The Town seeks to add these as protected waterways under this ordinance amendment.

This effort was prompted by requirements of Scarborough's Federal stormwater permit that Phillips Brook have Stream Protection Overlay protections. Phillips Brook has been designated as an Urban Impaired Stream by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). DEP classifies streams based on their intended uses, such as drinking, recreation, and fishing, and are added to the impaired waters list when water quality data falls below established thresholds for these uses. Specifying that the Stream Protection Overlay District apply to any DEP-designated impaired stream will ensure that the Town is focusing our efforts on our most vulnerable resources.

The Planning Board held a public hearing and reviewed this request on April 22 and unanimously recommended moving forward as presented. The Town Council will have their second reading and public hearing on Wednesday, May 21.

School Building Advisory Committee Update

Thank you to everyone who attended our April 30th community forum and filled out our final community survey on the two remaining school building options! The School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC) will be evaluating your community input along with other key metrics over the next several weeks before the SBAC votes on the final recommended option in late June.

Below are some questions we heard from community members about the project. Frequently asked questions will continue to be populated on the project website as the project progresses. Visit the school project website to learn more.

Community Questions About the Three K-2 Neighborhood Schools Option

It appears the footprints of Blue Point and Pleasant Hill nearly doubles, but the population only increases minimally—why is this?

This is because the building additions are replacing the existing portables with permanent building additions. The additions account for the removal of those temporary classrooms and provide additional spaces to support missing program spaces.

Why not make Eight Corners even larger and reduce the size of the additions at Blue Point and Pleasant Hill?

This would decrease the number of classrooms per grade at Blue Point and Pleasant Hill, which would reduce efficiency and increase staffing costs by requiring an entire management structure and support spaces for very few classrooms. It would also increase the disparity between the sizes of the three primary schools.

Community Questions About the Consolidated K-2 School Option

The estimated staffing costs for the K-2 Consolidated School are $2.6M less per year than for the Three K-2 Neighborhood Schools… Does this mean you would lay off staff in a consolidated model?

The staffing costs were calculated based on the fully occupied schools when the enrollment increase is fully realized (in 2028-29), therefore additional staff would be needed at that time to support the increased population. A consolidated school is more efficient for staffing so instead of hiring additional staff, we would be able to shift staff to other positions where efficiencies are realized. Additionally, there is natural staff attrition that happens over time, and we would not need to hire to replace those staff.

Will there be longer bus rides to a consolidated school?

The School Building Advisory Committee is still evaluating sites, so we cannot determine bus ride times until we know the final site, but the sites being evaluated are all within approximately 2.5-3.5 miles of Eight Corners. One town-owned site (Memorial Park) is also currently being evaluated.

Funding & Lifespan

Is there any state or federal funding available for this project?

The Maine Department of Education opens their applications for state funding approximately once every 7 years. The last state funding round was in 2017. We submitted applications at that time, and our ranking out of the 74 schools that submitted was: 34th (Eight Corners), 36th (Pleasant Hill), and 49th (Blue Point). The DOE approved projects list only included the top 9 ranked schools. Several of these projects are still in the early design stages. A new application opened last year and Scarborough submitted applications for the three K-2 schools and the Middle School. Over 90 schools applied for funding during this recent cycle. We expect to hear the outcome of that application process by the fall, but given the rankings we received in the last round, DOE funding is unlikely.

What is the lifespan of renovations? Will we still be paying off the construction when it needs to be replaced?

The building lifespan for new construction is typically about 60 years. Major renovations tend to be needed after the 40-year mark. Individual systems within the building have lifespans ranging from approximately 20-40 years.

Finance Department Earns Award for 20th Year

Our Finance department was awarded for its excellence in financial reporting!

Our Finance department is proudly displaying their Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. The Town of Scarborough was awarded this for the annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. This is Scarborough's 20th consecutive year of receiving the prestigious award.

The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

From left to right: Lisa Saulle, Emma Clark, Donna Rosacha, Rose Wills, Liz Hernandez, and Norman Kildow (Finance Director).

A Peek Into the Revenue Office

The entrance to Town Hall is abuzz with activity this month as summer approaches! In the first two days of May that Town Hall was open, the Revenue Office did about 442 transactions in their office alone. Many residents came in for the new license plates, and the office is fielding even more phone call inquiries about reserving these new plates and transferring over from the chickadee plates.

This is not out of the ordinary though. "It has become our new normal to be busier and busier all the time," said Lisa Saulle, Revenue Office Manager. This time of the year is also especially busy with all of the summer fun things added to the mix. "We are doing motorcycles, mopeds, more trailers, boats, ATVs, fishing licenses, beach passes and boat launch passes on top of the everyday re-registrations and new cars that people are quickly buying up due to the scare of tariffs affecting the availability and price of new cars." If you plan to come into Town Hall for registrations, etc., keep in mind that it is typically busier on Mondays and at the start of the month.

Town Council Acts on Community Response to Rt 1 Housing Project

Last week the Town Council unanimously voted against a proposed Contract Zone for the South Portland Housing Development Corporation for the development of multi-family housing at 578 US Route One (Marshview Housing project). The nearly 8-acre site was formerly the site of the Southern Maine Indoor Flea Market and is a mix of developed and undeveloped land.

The proposed project was for a 4-story building with 60 low income affordable one-bedroom apartment units for residents ages 55+ and 36 units of workforce housing. The 36 workforce units were proposed as three 3-story townhouse buildings, offering a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom units. Shared amenities include nature walking paths, a playground for families, and outdoor community spaces. The 55+ portion of the project sought to be funded using federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in partnership with Maine Housing.

The Planning Board moved this forward to the Council following a preliminary site plan review positively noting its affordable and workforce housing components; types of housing that the 2023 community survey indicated that over half (54%) of the community was dissatisfied/very dissatisfied with availability of affordable housing. However, public sentiment for the proposed Marshview Housing project indicated strong opposition. Most frequently cited concerns were the potential for increased traffic, accesibility to the parcel, road safety, location, potential environmental impact, visual appearance of the building, and the cost to taxpayers from an expected credit enhancement agreement. 

In response to the public input and the concerns flagged by the Planning Board, the Town Council ultimately denied the request for the contract zone necessary to move the project, as proposed, forward. Read more in Councilor Anderson's article below.

Scarborough Community Services: Program Highlights

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our 4th Annual Family Formal! This year's Red Carpet theme brought out all the glam, smiles, and unforgettable dance moves💃🕺

An Active Adults program earlier this month brought us on a field trip to Sunflower Farm Creamery in Cumberland for a morning of goat snuggles!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month💚 Mental health has become a prominent part of public consciousness, and now is the time to turn that awareness into powerful, positive action for lasting change.

This month, Community Services is offering various free programs and resources with the hope of sparking meaningful conversations and creating safe and supportive spaces. We are also challenging YOU to join us in celebrating May by dedicating 30 minutes outside every day! Whether it’s taking a mental health screening, going for a walk, writing in a journal, or reaching out to a friend, no step is too small. Mental health action looks different for everyone.

Learn how you can #TurnAwarenessIntoAction for your mental health with Mental Health America's Action Guide at mhanational.org/may.

Don't miss out on fun programs for all ages!

Check out our programs brochure for upcoming programs, trips, special events and more.

This Saturday: Household Hazardous Waste Day

Scarborough Public Works offers collaborative, multi-town opportunities to safely dispose of your household hazardous waste materials. This is a free service to residents of Scarborough, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Biddeford for all three events (proof of residency is required).

The dates for the 2025 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days are:

• Saturday, May 17 (8am-Noon), Scarborough (20 Washington Ave)
• Saturday, July 19 (8am-Noon), Saco (15 Philips Spring Road)
• Saturday, September 13 (8am-Noon), Biddeford (371 Hill Street)

Disposal is free for residents of Scarborough, Saco, and Biddeford at all three events. Please see the flyer for a list of accepted materials and paints.

Summer Concerts in the Park

The Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce and Community Services are thrilled to announce the Concerts in the Park lineup for Summer 2025!

June 26 – Motor Booty Affair

July 3 – 195th Army Band

July 10 – Don Campbell

July 17 – Plush

July 24 – Stolen MoJo

July 31 – Yellow Brick Road

Join us Thursday nights at 6:30pm at the Scarborough Memorial Park (5 Durant Drive). New this year, parking will only be available at the High School (no parking along Durant Drive and Sawyer Road). Also new this year, food trucks!

Check the Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for all up-to-date information regarding the concerts such as rain delays or venue changes.

Council Corner: What's Next For the Flea Market Site?

By Jon Anderson, Scarborough Town Council

Last week the Council unanimously voted against approving the 96-unit senior affordable and workforce housing project contract zone amendment that was proposed by South Portland Housing Authority. For me, it is a great project, but simply in the wrong location. I was concerned about the safety issues that could arise with that many units at that specific site. The infrastructure there just isn’t suitable for a project of that size. I can also understand how many felt the scale of the project was out of sync with the rest of the neighborhood. I appreciated all the outreach and engagement with the Council.

We received a lot of emails and concerns about this project and I just wanted to share some information with residents that I hope you will consider related to this project. 

Affordable Housing: There were some people who thought that this project was for section 8 housing. It was not. It was for 60 units for 55+ income restricted housing for seniors who make less than 80% of the mean area income. It also included 36 units for deed restricted workforce housing for people within 80-120% of the mean area income.  

Impact to Schools: Some expressed concerns over the impact this project would have on our schools. The impact would come from the 15 two bedroom and 6 three bedroom houses. If the proportion of students was the same as apartments at The Oaks off Gorham, that would be roughly 12 students added to our school system, that’s roughly one per grade.  When this project was at the Planning Board, there was also a 10 single family home new development in Pleasant Hill that would likely put more pressure on our schools, but nobody spoke out against that project.  A growth factor is built into enrollment projections and this project was within scope. Additionally, current classroom sizes are well within the Board of Education class size policy and well below the State’s maximum classroom sizes. The primary issue with the schools today is not classroom sizes, but that we have 60+ year old facilities that were not designed with modern education and safety requirements in mind, that currently have temporary structures at the end of their useful life that are in need of replacement.  The middle school was also built too small on day one, resulting in all of 6th grade being in a separate temporary structure.  Recent and future growth is not the primary driver for why we need new school buildings.

Growth: This project was going to operate within our Rate of Growth Ordinance and they were not seeking any exemptions. Our Rate of Growth Ordinance allows for minimum growth based on state law; but does have a provision to allow for additional permits for deed restricted affordable and workforce housing projects. There is a delay in the implementation of this ordinance and what people see. Many of the projects we hear about today that are a concern were granted growth permits years ago. It is a long process and takes time to see the full effect of the policy, but my hope is in a couple more years people will start to see the benefits of the current ordinance.  In our biennial community survey it is clear that growth management is a priority of our residents. The top 3 issues are growth, property taxes AND affordable housing with 50% of residents saying income restricted affordable housing is growing too slow or much too slow.  These 3 issues are at odds with one another 1) High Density growth in our designated growth areas helps us keep property taxes lower based on new tax value generated to the town and the lower cost to serve 2) Affordable housing likely will require some level of tax rebate (e.g. CEA) in order to get the needed federal financing to build a project and 3) Towns with more restrictive zoning have higher mil rate increases year over year compared to Scarborough. It’s a balance.

Tax Rebates: Many expressed concerns about tax rebates.  The Council this year developed a new Credit Enhancement Agreement (CEAs) policy that created new provisions for how we review and evaluate affordable housing CEAs. I understand people have a hard time giving tax breaks to for profit developers, but most affordable housing projects are built by non-profits who are mission oriented and not simply looking to make money.  The financing for projects like this is difficult, sparse and competitive. If we want diverse options in our community, we need to look at this as an investment in our community and not a cost. There is also additional taxable value being generated and the goal is to use these sparingly so the net impact to taxpayers is virtually unrecognizable.  

Impact to the Environment:  Many residents expressed concerns about the impact this project would have to the Marsh and to wetland impacts. This project was going to exceed all environmental regulations on stormwater management.  The current site has no stormwater mitigation. While I know it’s not intuitive, the plans for this project would have likely protected the Marsh more than it stands today.  

Traffic: While the 30 peak hour trips were a concern to folks, by right there are other uses that could be placed in that property that both the Council and Planning Board would not be able to intervene since they requested a contract zone.  If a certain type of retail went into the site it could draw the same or more trips and be worse for safety. Without triggering a traffic movement permit there would be minimal improvements required by the State to the developer.  

Process: There was some perspective that this was moving too fast.  Like any landowner, you have a right to make an application for whatever it is you would like to do to your property and we need to listen and make a decision. We held a workshop earlier in the year and gave the advice that traffic safety was a concern and would need to be addressed for the project to proceed. Unfortunately they were unable to get access elsewhere, so at least I voted to not move it forward due to this fatal design flaw.

So what’s next for the Flea Market site? I would like to see the landowner come back with a smaller senior affordable housing project. The trip counts would be much less that may make it more viable. I don’t think there will be a better project that wouldn’t have more issues, and I don’t want it to be a dilapidated building that brings no taxable value to the Town. I believe and value that we need to create more diverse and affordable housing options in Scarborough as part of our growth management strategy. With an aging population, I think it’s important we create opportunities for our seniors to age in place in Scarborough. That means more diverse affordable housing for those who need or wish to downsize. Ensuring we have diversity is good for all of our pocket books and I believe the government has a duty to appropriately intervene to look out for the general welfare of everyone. I’m looking forward to our workshop on June 4th to discuss this and hope all of you will join us in the discussion and provide your thoughts on diverse, affordable and workforce housing options so we can create better policies that maximize the general welfare for all.

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.

Scarborough Town Council

April Sither (Chair) • Jonathan Anderson (Vice Chair) • Scott Doherty • Bill Donovan • Cory Fellows • Karin Shupe

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

Programs at Scarborough Public Library

Historic Scarborough's Civil War Hero, Wm. Augustus MacNulty

Thursday, May 22, 1:00pm-2:00pm

Register

Dr. Stephen A. Goldman will tell the inspiring story of Wm. Augustus MacNulty, a one-armed soldier from Scarborough who epitomized that commitment.

Author Talk: Agnes Bushell

Thursday, May 29, 6:00pm-7:00pm

Register

"It is the end of the sixteenth century, and Europe is in the midst of war. Only England under Elizabeth Tudor is at peace – but it is a peace bought at a terrible price." Join author Agnes Bushell as she talks about her latest, Verity and Perpetua. Books will be available for purchase.

Poetry Tribute to Taylor Swift

Tuesday, June 3, 6:00pm-7:30pm

Register

Local poets Betsy Sholl, Gibson Fay-LeBlanc, Kate Kearns, and Meghan Sterling will be reading from Invisible Strings and original work related to the music of Taylor Swift. Please register as space is limited! 

Summer Saturdays Start May 24

The Library will be open from 9am-1pm on Saturdays until after Labor Day.