November 1, 2019
Election Day Tuesday, November 5
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Election Day is on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. Voting will take place at the Scarborough High School, located at 11 Municipal Drive from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on election day for all Scarborough voters, regardless of ward or precinct. 

 
Town Sample Ballot
 
Welcome Marlea Grace
Robbie Moulton, Police Chief
On Monday, November 4th, the Scarborough Police Department will welcome its newest member. Her name is Marlea, pronounced Marley, and she is a cute little bundle of fur that will be the department's first ever community comfort dog. She will live at the station with the men and women that are on-duty. Marlea is coming on board to provide comfort to our dispatchers and first responders as well as to the members of our community who are at the station as a result of traumatic experiences in their lives. Over time we have come to recognize how vitally important it is to have outlets available to let people purge the day to day traumas that they experience, witness, and hear.

In thinking about ways that we might assist our citizens and employees when they are dealing with difficult situations, it struck me that in many situations dogs are used to comfort people. I remembered my mom being in a nursing home and how she would light up when someone would bring in a dog. I thought about reading that dogs have assisted many veterans who struggle with the horrors of war.

Click here for the complete article

Star Gazing on the Scarborough Marsh
Join the Eastern Trail Alliance and the Southern Maine Astronomy Club on  Saturday, November 2nd at 7:00 pm for a special event on the Eastern Trail! 

Representatives from the Southern Maine Astronomy Club will demonstrate how to use sky maps under red lights and then lead a short walk to the Scarborough Marsh bridge where we will learn about the constellations. There will be a few telescopes set up near the parking lot for some close up viewing!

Please bring a red light flashlight for viewing the night sky. If you don't have a "red" light, bring a regular flashlight and we will provide red cellophane and tape to cover it.

In order to enjoy the peace and tranquility of nighttime on the trail, please leave your devices and pets at home. In the event that we need to use the "cloud date" or cancel the event due to inclement weather, we will update our Facebook page. Parking is available at the ET parking lot on Pine Point Road.

Cloud Date - Sunday, November 3rd at 6:30 pm. For more information please call 207-284-9260.

Gorham Road Project Phase 2 
 Phase 2 of Scarborough's drainage and pedestrian improvement project on Gorham Road is scheduled to begin on Monday, November 4 th . The initial work in this phase will improve roadside drainage on the section of road between Maple Avenue and the Nonesuch River. The work is expected to last two weeks.

During the project, one lane of the road will be closed between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Gorham Road will be open to alternating one-way traffic. Delays are likely, so drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes. 

Questions about the scheduled work can be directed to Scarborough Public Works by email or at (207) 730-4400 .  

Marijuana Ordinance Information Sessions
Please join us to review the draft ordinances, linked below, related to commercial marijuana activity in Scarborough. These informal sessions are an opportunity to ask questions about the proposed language and to share your thoughts about the drafts.  The informational sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at  1:00 pm and on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 6:00 pm. Both sessions are at the Town Hall. For more information please call Larissa Crockett, Assistant Town Manager, (207) 730-4149.

Marijuana Zoning Elements

Allow Me to Introduce Myself...
Lauren Dembski, Social Services Navigator
I am beyond excited to have come aboard as the Social Services Navigator with Scarborough Police Department!
My family and I moved to the Scarborough area in 2015 and immediately were in awe with the beauty of the beaches and the central location this town provides. I am fortunate to be raising 3 children with my husband, one of them being a fourth grader locally here at Wentworth Elementary. Our family has a passion for football and much of our Fall Sundays have been spent cheering on our son's flag football team! Other family adventures include spending time at Ferry Beach, biking the local trails, kayaking the marsh and of course joining in on Taco Tuesday at El Rayo's!

I am energized to begin this new adventure as it perfectly merges together both of my backgrounds.   I received my Bachelor's in Administration of Criminal Justice from UMA in 2006.   After working as both a case manager and then at the local sexual assault center for several years, I decided to pursue my master's degree and graduated from the University of New England in 2016.

Over the course of the last couple of years, I have worked as a clinical coordinator with the Opportunity Alliance in two of their residential facilities, helping to navigate and coordinate the system of care for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse diagnoses. Prior to this, I was working in several capacities at Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services in Oxford County helping to provide prevention and support services for survivors with a passion for making the lives and communities of individuals safer.

This Social Services Navigator position will provide both Scarborough Police Department and citizens added intervention in crisis situations, on-going education, networking and the building of partnerships to better enhance the Scarborough community as a whole.  I am eager to come aboard with a compassionate, non-judgmental approach. Additionally, I am hopeful this position will allow for the increased stabilization of care versus a band aid being placed on situations and individuals until the "next time," due to officers needing to respond to other imminent circumstances.  I get to blend together both my passion of criminal justice and social work while directly working with the community at the grassroots level, how amazing is that? 

FEMA Flood Map Update
Brian Longstaff, Zoning Administrator
Last October, the Town submitted an appeal to the preliminary flood maps produced by FEMA for Cumberland and York Counties. 

On Friday September 6, 2019, the Town received the appeal response letter from FEMA denying the Town's appeal of the Preliminary FIRM (flood insurance rate maps) and Preliminary FIS (Flood Insurance Study) dated April 14, 2017 and March 28, 2018. FEMA likewise denied the appeals of every community in York and Cumberland counties. 

The Town or Scarborough is now working on an alternative method of achieving a better map product through a process called "Letter of Map Revision" or LOMR . A LOMR is a document that officially revises a portion of the effective NFIP map according to requirements and procedures outlined in the National Flood Insurance Program. 

The Town, with assistance from our attorney and our consultant, has thoroughly examined the options and the LOMR process appears to be the most likely avenue for successful map amendment, but there may be a short period of time that affected property owners who currently do not have flood insurance, may be required to carry flood insurance if they have a federally secured loan (such as a bank mortgage) on their property. We'll have more information on this in the coming weeks as the process moves forward. 

A Community Center?  We Hear You.
John Cloutier and Paul Johnson, Town Council
We were pleasantly surprised that so many residents responded to the Adhoc Community Center Survey. There was an aggressive goal of receiving 1,000 responses, but almost 1,800 surveys were turned in. This data will provide a solid foundation for the work that lies ahead.

Final results will be released by the committee soon, but we can report on a few highlights:
  • 77% percent of respondents said that they supported the construction of a Community Center which, at a minimum, would include fully accessible flexible community space for meetings, parties, etc.; space for seniors, teens and childcare, and a multi-purpose gymnasium.
  • The MOST important amenities to include in the Community Center were identified as:
    • Swimming Facility
    • Multi-purpose gymnasium
    • Indoor walking track
    • Fitness space with equipment
    • Childcare room (before and after care)
Most respondents favored a funding model that would subsidize resident user fees with property taxes:
  • 35% supported Low Fees with up to a .30 increase in the tax rate.
  • 36% supported Moderate Fees with a small impact on the tax rate
  • 13% supported High Fees with no impact on Property Taxes
  • 16% did not support a Community Center
Click here for the complete article

Congratulations Scarborough Businesses!
The Scarborough Economic Development Corporation's (SEDCO's) Board of Directors announced the recipients of this year's Outstanding Scarborough Business awards. The awards were presented at SEDCO's 34th Annual Meeting, which took place at the Black Point Inn on October 1, 2019.

The 2019 Outstanding Scarborough Businesses include:

Dunstan Tap & Table: Project of the Year 2019
Glidden Roofing Corporation:  Outstanding Legacy Business 2019
Abbott: Outstanding Business of 2019
Bei Capelli:  Outstanding Business of 2019
Hannaford: Leader in Sustainability 2019
Frith Farm:  Leader in Sustainability 2019



Meet Your New Town Employees
Kailey Dubuque, Human Resources
On Monday, October 7th, John Zack joined the Public Works Department as their newest Maintenance Worker I.

John brings a variety of practical experience to his new position with Public Works. In previous years, John worked for Mercer/Newark Paper Tube Company as a Machinist, the State of Maine/DOT as a Bridge Maintenance Worker and Plow Truck Driver, the City of Augusta as a Public Works Equipment Operator, and most recently with the Federal Post Office in Augusta as a Rural Mail Carrier. In his new role, John will aid the Public Works team in maintaining the Town of Scarborough through seasonal projects, operating trucks, and other machinery. 

About the Scarborough Town Newsletter
Welcome to the official newsletter of the Town of Scarborough, Maine.  Brought to you by a team of Town staff, our mission is to keep you informed about town events and activities.  

Please note that the newsletter articles are intended to be brief and will often point you back to a link on the Town's Website or Facebook page. The website is the heart of the communication network within town and is the central repository for information on Town government.

Thanks for reading!  If you have ideas for stories, please email us.  

Your newsletter team:

Tody Justice, Town Clerk Catherine Morrison, Public Library
Stephen Kramer, Community Services Donald Begin, IT
Heidi McNinch, Human Resources Brian Longstaff, Codes & Planning
Kelly Johnston, Scarborough Public Schools
Michael Thurlow, Fire Department
Kim Sperlich, Police Department Ruth Porter, Finance
Leona Oceania, Public Works Larissa Crockett, Administration
Magdalena Slawiec, SEDCO


2019 Scarborough Town Council
Peter Hayes, Chair
Katy Foley, Vice Chair
Jean-Marie Caterina
John Cloutier
William Donovan
Don Hamill
Paul Johnson