Election 2022 - November 8th |
Election Day is next week – Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.
All Saco voters will vote at the Thornton Academy Linnell Gymnasium (438 Main Street) on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. The polls will be open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The City is no longer conducting Election Day voting at the Parks & Recreation Building on Franklin Street.
REDISTRICTING WARD BOUNDARY LINES
The city recently approved new ward boundary lines for the community which went into effect on July 28, 2022. This process is done every 10 years based on the latest Census.
POLLING LOCATION CHANGE
On Election Day, all voting will take place at the Thornton Academy Linnell Gymnasium, 438 Main Street. This will be a permanent location move for all elections moving forward.
For detailed local voting information, including sample ballots, voter registration information, and more, visit the Saco City Clerk online at sacomaine.org/elections
We encourage you to do your civic duty and vote on Nov. 8th.
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Harvest Fest Falls Into Downtown |
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As we make our way into November, we’re reflecting on the recent sunny Saturday downtown at the 22nd Annual Saco Main Street Pumpkin Harvest Festival. This year, we’d like to highlight the City staff who play an essential role in making every downtown event a success.
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Hours before the lines formed for cotton candy, hot dogs, or freshly made jambalaya, Saco Police Department, Saco Parks & Recreation Department, and Saco Public Works staff arrived downtown to begin closing the streets. It was a smooth organization of police cruisers, barriers, work trucks, cones, and more, which these departments have perfected over the years with the prime goal of keeping event attendees safe. And following the four-hour event, these City employees were some of the last ones there, undoing the morning’s work and opening the road again.
All told, it’s eight hours from start to finish, not to mention the months of planning. But, we appreciate the incredible effort and good attitudes that go along with it that staff from these departments provide several times per year to support our vibrant community. Thank you.
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Before we go, we also have to mention the winner of this year’s pie-eating contest, Deputy Fire Chief David Pendleton. The competition was fierce, you came prepared, and you brought home the win for the Fire Department. Congratulations!
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Community Survey Results Published |
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The City of Saco Community Satisfaction Survey results were presented by the Center for Research and Public Policy (CRPP) at the Saco City Council meeting on October 24, 2022.
The survey focused on quality of life in Saco, awareness and satisfaction of City services and facilities, community needs, and communication. The 10–12-minute survey consisted of questions in several areas, including:
- Quality of Life
- Community Perceptions
- Satisfaction of City Services
- Community Development
- And an open-ended opportunity to express views.
The survey opened August 29, 2022, and closed September 19, 2022.
Thank you to the 931 survey participants – all Saco residents and/or business owners/managers – for taking part in this important project. We appreciate your time and input.
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Welcome Two New Businesses to Saco |
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WOWSPACE DESIGN and CHECKMARK Property Services are collaborative initiatives, working together through the partnership of owners Jen Roberts and Jim Leslie in their office space at 959 Portland Road.
The WOW in WOWSPACE stands for Wicked Original Walls, and that's what you'll get through their offerings of wallpaper murals and decals, oversized gallery wraps, and more. See examples at www.wowspacedesign.com
CHECKMARK Property services is a maintenance service company partnering with commercial clients on the southern Maine seacoast. Learn more about what makes them different at www.checkmarkpropertyservices.com.
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City Leaf Collection Day – Starting Nov. 14 |
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The City of Saco provides a curbside collection* of bagged leaves each fall. We will collect up to a maximum of 20 Paper bags per household.
Our process for collection consists of starting at one end of the City and servicing each public street once. Saco Public Works does not have a specific schedule of when we will be in each neighborhood, but they ask that all bagged leaves be out on Monday Nov. 14th by 7:00 AM to ensure your leaves are ready for pickup when our crews visit your street. Once each street has been serviced, our collection will end.
Leaves are always accepted for free at the Transfer Station for Saco residents. Paper bagged leaves can just be left in the compost pile; anything bagged in plastic will need to be opened and emptied, as we can not accept anything plastic in our pile.
* Please note the City does not enter into private developments.
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City Hall Closures for November |
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Saco City offices (including the Saco Transfer Station) will be closed Friday, November 11th, 2022, in observance of Veterans Day, and November 24th and 25th, in observance of Thanksgiving.
Trash & Recycling collection will continue as normal on Veterans Day, but there will be no collection on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 24th. Thursday pickup will happen on Friday, November 25th, and Friday pickup will happen on Saturday, November 26th.
You can still do business with us online, where we offer a variety of services:
- Vehicle re-registrations
- Property tax payments
- Sewer or water bill payments
- Parking ticket payments
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Community Outreach is Always Ongoing at the Saco Fire Department |
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SCHOOL VISIT
Lt. Finley’s biggest focus is teaching children that firefighters are friends, and that in an emergency our young residents should feel safe going toward their local first responders. At education sessions like these, Lt. Finley and other firefighters let the kids inspect them in their full firefighter gear, so they can see it up close in a calm environment.
This year’s focus was on developing and practicing a fire escape plan. Lt. Finley also helps young people brush up on their basic fire survival skills with each visit.
If you’d like to invite the Saco Fire Department to visit your organization, reach out to Lt. Finley at kfinley@sacomaine.org or call the Fire Department at (207) 282.3244.
OPEN HOUSE
Hundreds attended the Saco Fire Department Open House on Saturday, Oct. 8th. Thank you to all the parents who joined us for some donuts and coffee with their children, affording them opportunities to familiarize themselves with local first responders and their equipment. We think we saw at least a few future firefighters that morning! We'll see you next year.
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Video Reminder: Meet Your Local Elected Officials |
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Do you know your local elected officials?
This video gives you a brief introduction and contact information for the Mayor and City Councilors representing each of Saco’s seven wards.
Not sure what ward you live in? Check the City Clerk’s ward map.
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City Administrator's Open Office Hours 11/29 |
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Saco City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath has scheduled his monthly open office hours for November 29, 2022, from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM at City Hall, 300 Main Street.
All community members are invited to share their thoughts, views, concerns, or complaints with the City Administrator directly.
Please call (207) 282-4191 if you have any questions or if you'd like to schedule an appointment with Bryan outside of the open office hours.
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Age Friendly Saco Annual Wellness Fair 11/5 |
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Register today for Age Friendly Saco's Annual Senior Volunteer & Wellness Fair on Nov. 5th!
This year's event will be at Thornton Academy and is FREE for those who sign up. The fair will include informational seminars, refreshments, lunch, a vendor fair, and raffle prizes.
Reserve your space today by emailing agefriendlysaco@gmail.com or by calling 207-710-5029.
And please share to help us spread the word by sharing this with your friends, family, and neighbors.
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Camp Ellis Neighborhood Meeting Focuses on Architectural and Climate Study |
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The Historic Preservation Commission partnered with Kleinfelder over the summer to create the Camp Ellis Architectural Study and Climate Resiliency Report. If you live in Camp Ellis or are interested in learning more about the report, please come to the Camp Ellis Neighborhood meeting. The meeting, hosted by the Historic Preservation Commission, is set for November 17th, 2022, at 6:00 pm in the 2nd floor Auditorium at Saco City Hall.
During this meeting, the Assistant City Planner Shannon Chisholm will be giving a brief presentation on the climate resiliency options outlined by the report. The Historic Preservation Commission will also be hosting an open forum to gather information, regarding whether or not residents of Camp Ellis would like to establish a Historic District in their neighborhood.
The Camp Ellis Neighborhood meeting will be streamed live on the City of Saco Facebook Page for those who would like to participate remotely. If you are unable to attend the meeting, but would like to provide comments, please email the Assistant City Planner, Shannon Chisholm, at schisholm@sacomaine.org.
You can access the Camp Ellis Architectural Study and Climate Resiliency Report on the Historic Preservation Commission’s page on the City of Saco website.
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Public Traffic Workshop Nov. 7 |
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No one should die from traffic crashes, which is why the Greater Portland Council of Governments—a regional planning agency responsible for transportation investments in Greater Portland—is working to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries in the region. Join the agency for a public workshop Nov. 7 from 5:30-7:00 pm at Biddeford City Hall to tell planners where you feel unsafe. At the workshop there will be a map of Saco where you can circle streets, crosswalks, intersections, sidewalks, etc. that you think are dangerous. Your insights are important!
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Click each item for more information, if available.
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Receive E-mail Notifications for Council, Planning Board, and More Through E-Notify |
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Would you like to hear from us more than once a month?
Sign up for e-notify to receive custom e-mail notifications on important City happenings, such as the release of new City Council and Planning Board agendas, RFPs, and more.
If you encounter any issues with this system, please reach out to the Saco Communications Department at sacotv@sacomaine.org.
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The City of Saco has open positions.
We encourage you to take a look at the job opportunities currently available with the City of Saco on our Careers page. There is so much important work that goes in to keeping the City running, often behind the scenes.
We're currently hiring for these positions:
- Patrol Officer (Police Department)
- Reserve Crossing Guard (Police Department)
- Emergency Communications Specialist (Police Department)
- After the Bell Site Leader (Parks and Recreation)
- Laborer (Public Works)
- Truck Driver (Public Works)
If nothing is a great fit for you, consider passing the listings along to friends and family who might be looking for a satisfying and important career.
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We are always looking for ways to improve communication with our community members. As always, if there is anything we can do to better communicate information, please let us know by emailing ERoy@sacomaine.org. Be sure to check out our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages using the buttons below. You can also see news and updates on the City of Saco website at www.sacomaine.org.
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