If the foliage wasn't enough of a tell tale sign that Fall is here, our Town updates sure will be! Check out the number of upcoming events that mark a sign of the changing seasons. We also welcome a new staff member and prepare for winter with some seasonal job postings. And let's not forget about summer too soon; we need a round of applause for our Parks & Grounds Crew who kept our parks, fields, and facilities looking tip-top over the past several months. The work continues on. Read more for details, and one more thing—don't forget to vote!

Check our Town Calendar for a look at upcoming meetings. The next Town Council meeting is this Wednesday, October 19 and is preceded by a workshop with the Conservation Commission and Sustainability Committee.

Mike Harrison (Parks Maintenance Worker), Wayne Judkins (Parks Supervisor), Casey Cunningham (Parks & Grounds Manager), & Scott Turcotte (Parks Maintenance Worker)

Our small but mighty grounds crew is put to the test each summer as the scope of outdoor maintenance responsibilities ramps up. And this crew sure delivered— we have them to thank for our consistently mowed parks, freshly painted athletic fields, maintained facilities across all parks and the municipal campus and more. Here's a look by the numbers:

After the retirement of our longtime former Public Works Director, we are grateful to have new Director Doug Howard on board. Doug comes to the Town of Scarborough with a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise. He started in Public Works with the City of South Portland back in 1983. Over 20 years, he worked his way up through the crews, starting as a laborer, then a truck driver, equipment operator, foreman, and acting operations manager. 

Doug moved on to the City of Saco as the operations manager for their Public Works department. In the 10 years he was there, he also held the positions of fleet manager, collections systems manager, and asset manager. He then returned back to the City of South Portland and served as the Public Works Director for another 10 years.

Doug grew up in the area and has always had familiarity with Scarborough. He loves the great assets, from the beaches and shorelines, to commercial businesses and rural living. “Scarborough continues to grow and has a lot of innovative and exciting projects happening,” he says. “There will be new challenges and opportunities in this role here.”

The Public Works Director is responsible for long- and short-term planning to maintain many of the Town’s assets, including traffic lights, street lights, drainage, roads, and sidewalks. Having functional infrastructure is critical for a town to function and operate properly and safely.

Doug is looking forward to being a part of a team that helps Scarborough and continues to make it a great town to live and do business in. He welcomes the new challenges and is excited about the opportunities. When not at work, Doug loves being in the outdoors, spending time at his camp where he can hike and fish and just kick back. He loves all New England and Boston sports teams, especially the Boston Bruins. Doug lives in Gorham with his wife Pam, and the two of them just celebrated their 30th anniversary this past summer. They have three adult children and five grandchildren. Welcome to Scarborough, Doug! 

Know a friend or neighbor who should be getting these updates? Let them know! Simply go to www.scarboroughmaine.org/stay-connected to sign up. Thank you for helping to make our town more informed.

Save time & vote before Election Day! Early in-person absentee voting is now available at Town Hall on weekdays from 8:00am-4:00pm.

We'll have extended hours on Wednesday, October 19 and Wednesday, November 2, with voting available until 6:00pm. Town Hall will also be open one weekend day for additional voting accommodations: Vote early in-person on Saturday, October 22 from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

Early voting is available through Thursday, November 3. If you have an absentee ballot, drop it off at the Town Clerk's office or in the ballot box in front of the entrance.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2022 for the Municipal and Referendum Election, as well as the State of Maine General Election. Candidates Night was held on Thursday to meet the candidates who are running for local seats (Town Council, School Board, Sanitary District). Watch the recording. We've also added election details to our website so you can learn more about voter information and what will be on the municipal and referendum ballots. Check it out!

For further information on absentee voting and voter registration, please contact the Scarborough Town Clerk's Office at 730-4020.

Thursday, October 20

6:00pm, Public Safety Building Classroom

Join us for Council Corner LIVE, a two-way conversation and a chance for you to get to know your councilors and talk with them candidly about hot topic issues in town.

This month's topic is on traffic and transportation in town. This in an opportunity to share your thoughts on traffic observations, plus learn more about the work of our transportation committee, adaptive traffic signals, upcoming projects, and an upcoming transportation study, which was invested in this year.

Councilors rely on public input and engagement to make informed decisions that represent the best interest of its residents. This event will be in-person and recorded for later viewing. (Links will be made available here as the event date nears).

Tax bills are due October 17, 2022 and March 15, 2023 (interest rate 4.0%). Pay in-person at Town Hall, or for added convenience, pay online using credit/debit cards or E-check. Online payments have a third party convenience fee of 2.30% for debit/credit card payments and $1.00 fee for E-check payments. This is less than the processing fee in the Town Hall if you pay using a credit card.

The Scarborough Assessing office has already received and processed nearly 1,400 approved applications for the new Senior Stabilization program. The law, which went into effect on August 8, created a new State program that allows certain senior residents to stabilize, or freeze, the property taxes on their homestead. An applicant must be at least 65 years old, a permanent resident of the State, and must have owned a Maine homestead for at least ten years. Applications will be accepted by the Town of Scarborough Assessing Office through December 1, 2022.

Friday, October 21

6:00 to 8:00 pm

Community Services Hub

$5 per person or $10 with pumpkin

Get in the spooky spirit by joining us for Pumpkin Carving Night! This event is perfect for families and friends of all ages to enjoy. Show off your pumpkin carving skills and leave the clean up to us. If you aren't into pumpkin guts... No worries! You can still enjoy the snacks, crafts, and games. Carving supplies provided. Costumes encouraged! Children ages 2 & under who are not carving a pumpkin are free.

Community Services provides assistance with passport renewals and applications. This service is provided by appointment only and fills up quickly! Our new appointment schedule is:

• Tuesdays, 9:00am-1:00pm (Scarborough residents only)

• Wednesdays & Thursdays, 9:00am-1:00pm

• Limited Saturdays beginning October 2022 (Scarborough families only)

All previously scheduled appointments will remain as scheduled.

Please call 207-730-4150 to set up an appointment. Due to the increased demand for passport acceptance, appointments at our facility are scheduling out at least four weeks in advance—same-day or same-week appointments are not available.

Support our Before & After Care program as a child care counselor! This is a part-time opportunity with a flexible schedule and involves the direct supervision of children on site at one of our four school/Hub locations. Help organize and plan activities while working with a team of coworkers. The age groups of program participants are K-2nd, 3rd-5th, and 6th-8th grade.

Scarborough Memorial Cemetery and Dunstan Cemetery will become official locations for the 2022 National Wreaths Across America Day. They are part of the over 3,100 participating locations across the country to Remember, Honor, and Teach on Saturday, December 17. 

The goal for Scarborough Memorial Cemetery and Dunstan Cemetery is to raise enough funds to place 141 sponsored veterans' wreaths on the headstones of all the local heroes laid to rest there, to ensure that the individuals who served to protect the freedoms of our country never be forgotten and to bring the community together in patriotic commemoration.

Those interested in volunteering for Wreaths Across America or sponsoring a wreath for Scarborough cemeteries are encouraged to learn more. 

Scarborough Marsh Fall Clean Up

Saturday, October 22

9:0am-Noon

Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center

Register Here 

Fall is here and it’s time to clean up the marsh and beaches after a very busy summer. We also need help preparing the Nature Center for a long winter ahead. Join Maine Audubon, Friends of Scarborough Marsh, and the Scarborough community for a work day, and help make our corner of the earth a better place. Groups are welcome!

FOSM is partnering with Project G.R.A.C.E. to collect food. Bring some nonperishable food or a grocery store gift card to the clean up and help the human inhabitants of the marsh.

Registration is encouraged! It is not mandatory to register but it helps so I know how many people to expect. Register here or go to maineaudubon.org/events.

For more information:

smac@maineaudubon.org

(207) 781-2330 x213

The Scarborough Police Department is hosting a Prescription Drug Take Back Day. It will be held at the Public Safety Building on Saturday, October 29 from 10:00am - 2:00pm. Use this opportunity to safely dispose of any unwanted, unused, or expired prescription medications.

Saturday, November 5

8:00am-1:00pm

Westbrook Transfer Station, 594 County Road, Westbrook, ME 04092

Join Casella Waste for a family fun Touch-A-Truck event! There will be activities for the kids, food, and a charity raffle. Kona Ice - Shaved Ice Truck of York County will be re-appearing at the event, as well as Texas Grace Kitchen out of Kennebunk, who will be serving up some great BBQ.

The Council also approved up to 289 units in the Crossroads Planned Development District through 2025 which will allow the Downs to demonstrate a proof of concept, developing the first phase of the town center with mixed use style buildings with both residential and commercial spaces.  We limited the number of 3+ bedroom units to curtail further pressure on our schools, which are already beyond capacity. This amendment will also enable an affordable housing project for individuals with disabilities.  We also placed a temporary hold on new exemption applications until April 2023 to give us some breathing room while we re-evaluate our approach on growth management.  While these numbers may seem staggering at first, all together the average annual growth through 2025 will be less than it has been in the past 5 years.

Many expressed concerns with the approach the Council took by avoiding the council exemption process established in the GMO by simply amending the ordinance. While initially I was very concerned with this approach, after the amendment enhancements accepted by the Council on the 5th, the benefits these exemptions will bring to Scarborough in affordable housing and progress towards a town center, the difficult learnings we’ve experienced in the past year trying to work through an exemption process and lastly the commitment by the Council to assign Councilor McGee and myself to revisit the GMO, I was willing to support the amendment. 

While I do think we left opportunities on the table with the Downs and have less mechanisms to hold them accountable, I’m most concerned about the loss of trust residents have claimed. This was a tough decision with that in mind, but ultimately I saw this as an opportunity for the fresh start we need in the Town at this very moment. I’m confident we will find a better path forward on growth management as we re-evaluate the current GMO. A path that will create a more predictable pace of growth that residents can generally accept that maintains or enhances the quality of life and keeps our town affordable, while also establishing clearer and more straightforward rules for development in Scarborough that everyone can understand.  

We have work to do to figure this out and rebuild trust, and I am committed to do it. I ask for the skeptics to give us a chance and to also take advantage of this reset opportunity. I invite you to come work with us to find a better way to manage growth in Scarborough. 

You can start by joining me and others at the Councilor Corner Live on October 20th at 6:00pm at the Public Safety Building. Our topic will be on Traffic and Transportation. One of the biggest concerns we hear regarding growth is the impact on traffic. Come share with us your concerns and help us identify solutions to consider. The Town and developers are doing so much to mitigate traffic concerns as we grow, but what else can we do? What are we missing? Beyond expanding roads and slowing growth, how can we get less cars on our roads in Scarborough? What alternative methods of transportation should we be investing in going forward?

By Tom Corbett, Systems Librarian, Scarborough Public Library

What are the out-of-pocket costs for library services, resources, and programs you and your family benefit from? Try out the Library’s new Library Value Calculator to get an informed estimate. Start by simply plugging in a few numbers that represent your typical monthly usage. The results may surprise you!

While it is likely that borrowing a few books per year rather than purchasing them exceeds your annual tax investment, the calculator will show you ways to save even more. Your library card allows you to borrow valuable materials and resources in print, on disc, and online. It is even possible to borrow museum passes to the Portland Museum of Art, Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Coastal Maine Botanical Garden, Maine Wildlife Park.

Not all internet resources are free. Your library card helps you access some online resources behind paywalls: Ancestry.com for genealogical research; Udemy online courses; cloudLibrary for ebooks and eaudiobooks; Kanopy for streaming quality movies and documentaries; Flipster for reading magazines like The New Yorker cover to cover on your tablet; and Value Line to get another perspective on your investment portfolio.

Each of these Library resources offer real value, and potential cost savings. Try out the Library Value Calculator to learn just how much your library is worth to you.

Friends of Libraries Week

October 16-22

This coming week is Friends of Libraries Week. We thank the Friends of Scarborough Library (FOSL) for all they do to make our library and community so much better and urge everyone to join the Friends. Learn more, join the FOSL, or renew your membership. 

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Programs

Governor Janet Mills with Patrisha McClean, founder/president of Finding Our Voices and one of the panelists. The Governor is featured on one of the 43 photos in the photo exhibit, which will remain in the library until the end of October.

Hands are Not for Hitting

Monday, October 17

10:00am

For children ages 3-6

A very special Story Time based on a book by the same name. This gentle book teaches young children that violence is never okay and that they are capable of positive, loving actions. After the story, there will be a simple craft you can do with your child to reinforce the positive messages. Staff members from Through These Doors will join us!

Panel Discussion with Local Survivors

Tuesday, October 18 at 6:00pm

For teens and adults

Free to attend and open to the public. No registration necessary.

6:00pm - Public Reception & Exhibit Viewing

6:30pm - Panel Discussion

7:45pm - Refreshments and an opportunity to connect with panelists 

Book Discussion of The Road to After

Wednesday, October 19, at 3:30pm

Grades 5 and up



The story of a young girl who discovers life and the soothing power of nature after being freed from her abusive father. Local author Rebekah Lowell will join us for the discussion, which will be facilitated by two youth educators from Through These Doors. Stop by the library to check out a copy of the book or purchase a copy (while supplies last) to be signed at the event. Call 883-4723 option 3 to learn more! There are a few spots left.

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