Community Survey Open Until 9/19 |
Make your voice heard today by participating in this survey focusing on quality of life in Saco, awareness and satisfaction of City services and facilities, prioritization of City goals, community needs, and communication. The 10–12-minute survey consists 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 remains available for input until September 19, 2022.
Or, if you prefer to fill out a paper copy, visit one of our four pick-up and drop-off sites:
- Saco City Hall (300 Main Street, Administration, Second Floor)
- Age Friendly Saco (75 Franklin Street, Saco Community Center, Room 204)
- Saco Scoop (209 Main Street)
- Dyer Library (371 Main Street)
How else can you help? Spread the word. This survey will better reflect our community with each new participant. Share the survey link with your friends and family who live in Saco or run a business in Saco.
ABOUT THE SURVEY:
The survey is conducted by The Center for Research & Public Policy, Inc. (CRPP) headquartered in Vermont. CRPP is a national research and public policy think tank working within six distinct disciplines: Market, Social, and Public Policy Research as well as Public Opinion, Political and Direct Democracy Research. www.crpp.com
Your individual responses are strictly confidential. Once your completed survey arrives, the Center for Research and Public Policy immediately removes any identifying information from the completed survey and any contact information is then deleted from their systems. ONLY composite aggregate data will be presented to the City of Saco. The 1974 U.S. Privacy Act prohibits survey firms from associating surveys with respondent information after promising confidentiality.
If you have questions or concerns about the community satisfaction survey, reach out to Saco’s Communications Department at sacotv@sacomaine.org.
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November Election Information |
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Election Day is right around the corner. 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 - 8:00 PM. The City is no longer conducting Election Day voting at the Parks & Recreation Building on Franklin Street.
Vote In-Person & Pick Up Ballots - Absentee ballots will be available in the City Hall Auditorium on the 2nd floor, around October 11, 2022, for the November 8, 2022, State General & Potential Referendum Election and Municipal General & Potential Referendum Election.
Absentee ballots may be requested up to 3 months before an election. Click here to learn more about absentee voting or to request a ballot.
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Call for Submissions:
Wheat Paste Mural Project
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The Saco Arts Commission is pleased to announce their newest initiative, which will feature a series of seasonal murals throughout the community, located on businesses and/or municipal buildings in Saco focusing on the downtown area.
These murals are known as “wheat paste murals”, and are installed as temporary displays using a centuries-old process of adhering paper-replicas of artwork to brick building surfaces using a paste made from wheat flour.
The typical life-span for a wheat paste mural is six months; with this in mind, the Arts Commission’s goal is to have displays updated a few times throughout the year in early fall and spring.
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VIDEO RECAP: Saco PD's National Night Out |
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Thank you again to everyone who made this year's National Night Out in Saco a wonderful success!
This event was made possible due to all our sponsors, volunteers, elected officials, and City staf (the Saco Fire Department, Saco Public Works, Saco Parks & Recreation Department, Water Resource Recovery, Communications, Planning, and Administration).
Sponsors for the event include Amtrak Downeaster, Aquaboggan Waterpark, Bangor Savings Bank, Funtown Splashtown USA , Michael T. Goulet Traumatic Brain Injury & Epilepsy Foundation, Coast To Coast Barbershop, the Maine Needham Company, National Distributors, Poland Spring, Saco and Biddeford Savings, Saco Valley Credit Union, Sugar Mamas, The Home Depot, Town & Country Federal Credit Union, Hannaford, Vessel Services, and Walmart.
We cannot wait to see you all again next year!
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Summer Beach Season Wraps Up |
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We hope you had another great summer at our several lovely local beaches.
As the seasons begin to think about changing, we've rounded up some coastline updates for you to keep in mind.
- Lifeguard Coverage
- Lifeguards are no longer patrolling Saco's beaches. Please be safe around the ocean, as always.
- Bathrooms
- Saco's beach bathrooms (Located at Bayview Beach and the Camp Ellis Pier) will close October 11th for the season.
- Beach Mat
- The beach accessibility mat at Bayview Beach will be removed around October 11th for the season.
- Dogs
- Dogs must remain leashed on Saco beaches through September 30th. From October 1st through March 31st dogs may be off leash if they are under voice control and sight control. Dogs must be on leash while entering or exiting vehicles at the beach.
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Join Saco's New Park Steward Program |
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Saco Parks and Recreation is excited to launch a new volunteer initiative, “Stewards of Saco Parks," to help support parks in our community. The goal of this group is to cultivate outdoor social environments for visitors, to support ecological habitats, and to enhance the aesthetic appearance of city parks.
This collaboration between community members and local government will promote civic engagement in the community while creating a connection to our open spaces. Sign up at the link below for volunteer opportunities throughout the season in Saco!
Summer and Fall 2022 Schedule
Join us throughout this spring and summer to plant, prune, and play in Saco’s beautiful green spaces. Once a month, we will visit a new park to work collectively on a project for 90 minutes, then break to enjoy what the grounds have to offer. As we alternate between locations, projects will vary according to what is needed for the park location. Tasks could include planting a new flower bed, raking leaves, weeding, litter clean up, graffiti removal, trail maintenance, and similar related tasks.
Save the Dates for 2022 season!
July 16th: Jubilee Park prepping the island park for our upcoming summer concert seriesAugust 20th: Back-To-School garden prep at Pepperell Park/Fairfield School- September 17th: Downtown beautification at the Saco Transportation Center.
- October 15th: Bulb Planting! Location(s) to be determined.
Volunteer Info
Recommended age for volunteers is 10 and over. Please wear sturdy shoes and work clothes. Consider bringing a water bottle as well as anything else you need to be comfortable working outside, and any hand tools for gardening you have available.
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Saco City Council Confirms Appointment of New Directors |
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Earlier this summer, the Saco City Council confirmed the City Administrator’s appointment of a new Finance Director and a new City Assessor:
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Gerry Matherne comes to Saco from across the river, where she worked for nearly 10 years in Biddeford, most recently as Deputy Finance Director. She’s lived in Maine since 2008, and was raised in Massachusetts.
As Finance Director, Gerry now oversees the customer service-based side of our City’s Finance Department.
“It’s very important, what our team does,” she said. “We’re often the face of City Hall, and we want people to know they can walk into the lobby, ask us questions, and we’ll help them find the answers.”
Gerry has two children, ages 10 and 12, and describes herself as their “personal chauffer.” When she’s not working or driving her kids around, she can be found making “any kind of Italian food.” Her past coworkers would describe her as dedicated, motivated, and someone who likes to get the job done.
Congratulations to you on your new position, Gerry, and welcome to Saco!
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Kate Kern has served as the city’s Deputy Tax Assessor for the past seven years. Kate joined the City of Saco in 2001 as a member of the Assessing Department before acting as the Executive Assistant to the City Administrator a few years later. Seven years ago, Kate rejoined the Assessing Department as their deputy, working with several Assessors during our collaboration with Biddeford.
On July 1, 2022, the City of Saco reorganized the Assessing Department to hire a full-time Assessor for Saco, and Kate was successful in that hiring process. Kate’s colleagues describe her as knowledgeable, supportive, and dependable, having been a steady constant in that department for almost a decade - and we are excited to see what she accomplishes in this new role.
As Assessor, Kate has several goals for the department, including a focus on professional development and preparing for a revaluation during the next two years.
Family is important to Kate; she has three adult children and two grandchildren. She describes herself as an eternal optimist who loves gardening, sunshine, and the outdoors (every season). Congratulations, Kate!
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Water Resource Recovery Facility Upgrade Update |
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WRRD’s highlights include:
- Completed a full facility plan which explains why the upgrade is being sought, how we got to where we are now, and where we’re going in the future.
- In August, received preliminary drawings of the upgraded facility.
- Applied for grants, and thus far, millions have been obligated to the project:
- $3.93 million through federal congressionally directed spending.
- $1 million in principal loan forgiveness for green project reserve.
- Submitted our first application to Maine Bond Bank for initial $5 million to fund the next project steps.
- Identified Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) approach, which will lock in a guaranteed maximum price going into construction.
The WRRD team will continue to refresh its webpage as updates are available: www.sacomaine.org/resiliency. If you have questions, you can submit them through the Q&A section on that webpage, or call the WRRD at 207-282-3564.
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Traffic Advisory – Route 1 Culvert Repair Underway Now |
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The City of Saco has scheduled a cross culvert repair on Route 1 (Portland Road) beginning 600 feet south of the intersection of Route 1 and Spring Hill Road starting Tuesday, September 6, 2022.
Due to the nature of work the project is scheduled to last between 4 to 8 weeks.
Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction for the entire duration of the project.
Please expect traffic congestion and seek an alternate route if possible. We appreciate your patience while we complete these critical infrastructure improvements.
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Saco FD Participates in River Rescue |
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We're proud of the Saco Fire Department's participation in last month's emergency response on the Saco River in Buxton, which highlighted the importance of the strong mutual aid systems we have in place here in Southern Maine.
"If any part of the team weren’t there it would have made this effort all that more difficult," wrote Buxton Fire Chief Nathan Schools in a Facebook post. "Today you all made a difference, I’m humbled just to be a small part of the success!"
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What You Might Lose Driving Drunk |
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The Saco Police Department made 153 Operating Under the Influence (OUI) arrests in 2022 to date – an increase of 150% vs. OUI arrests in 2021 (61) for the same time period. This distressing trend could have disastrous results.
Unforeseen consequences are often not considered when operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. We urge you to reflect on what you could lose by deciding to drive drunk; it could be more than your license – it could be everything.
There are other ways to get home: Please use those resources. For example, trust your friends and family or rideshare to help you safely reach your destination.
We care about our community members, and we know you do too. So please do your part to keep tragedy away from our community by not driving under the influence.
This video was produced by the City of Saco Communications Department in partnership with the Saco Police Department and the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety.
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Welcoming Five New Firefighters to Saco |
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Earlier this summer, the Saco Fire Department had the pleasure of welcoming five new firefighters to serve the community. The badge pinning ceremony, where new staff were joined by friends and family, filled the Central Fire Station with laughter and joy.
Congratulations to Firefighter/Advanced EMT Bryce Neumann, Firefighter/Paramedic Erin Swaney, Firefighter/Paramedic William Duncan, Firefighter/EMT William Worthley, and Firefighter/EMT Kerrie Barry.
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Kleinfelder Completes First Phase of Camp Ellis Architectural Survey and Resiliency Project |
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Kleinfelder completed the first phase of the Camp Ellis Architectural Survey and Resiliency Project in July, after surveying 134 properties in the Camp Ellis neighborhood.
The City of Saco and Kleinfelder entered into a contract for the Camp Ellis project on June 24, 2022, and the survey work began the next week. Erin Ware, Kleinfelder’s lead Architectural Historian, completed the fieldwork. Ms. Ware used the information gathered through her fieldwork to create a survey package for the Maine Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC). The survey package included determinations of eligibility for individual properties and the identification of potential historic districts within Camp Ellis.
MHPC will review the survey package to determine if they agree with Kleinfelder’s findings. After this phase of the project is completed, Kleinfelder will use MHPC’s review to identify historic buildings to prioritize for the climate resiliency phase of the project, and to tailor their recommendations if a historic district is identified.
While waiting for MHPC’s response, Kleinfelder’s climate resiliency team will review and compare the latest coastal flood modeling projections. They will then use these projections to determine the appropriate Base and Design Flood Elevations (DFEs) within the study area for multiple time horizons and storm events. This will help Camp Ellis plan for future flooding events either caused by sea level rise or hurricanes.
This project would not have been possible without Isabelle Oechslie, former Planning & Development Associate, who applied and received a grant of $13,500 from the National Parks Service and Maine Historic Preservation Commission for this work. The Saco Historic Preservation Commission also contributed to the success of this project by providing the match to fully fund the project. In total, the Camp Ellis Project will cost $22,475 to complete.
The Camp Ellis Architectural Survey and Resiliency Project is expected to conclude soon with results to be released in Fall of 2022.
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City Administrator's Open Office Hours 9/27 |
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Saco City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath has scheduled his monthly open office hours for September 27, 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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Plan Your Fall Adventure in Saco |
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The Saco Conservation Commission has teamed up with local students to help showcase the city's natural beauty and accessibility. Looking for the best spot in Saco? Get started with our curated map of 16 trails, beaches and parks. This interactive StoryMap includes GPS-enabled trail maps, essential details about each site and photography to entice you to start exploring. Enjoy!
Click here or on the image below to visit the interactive StoryMap.
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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.
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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:
- Economic Development Director
- Patrol Officer
- After the Bell Site Leader
- Reserve Crossing Guard
- Emergency Communications Specialist
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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