Letters of Interest Accepted Through 3/24 for Vacant Ward 5 Council Seat |
The Saco City Council is now accepting letters of interest from Ward 5 residents who wish to serve on the City Council for the remainder of Councilor Minthorn's term, expiring December 2022. Councilor Minthorn resigned at the February 22, 2021, City Council meeting, and the Council accepted his resignation at the March 1, 2021 meeting.
Interested candidates must submit a letter of interest to Michele Hughes, City Clerk, at MHughes@sacomaine.org or the City Clerk's Office at Saco City Hall, 300 Main Street, by 4:00 PM on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.
The submissions from interested candidates will be reviewed and discussed publicly during the City Council meeting on April 5.
Additionally, we encourage you to take a moment to sign up for e-notify so that you are alerted each time a City Council meeting agenda and packet are published: https://www.sacomaine.org/enotify.
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Mornings with the Mayor Kick Off March 6 |
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Saco Mayor William Doyle has announced a new monthly forum – "Mornings with the Mayor" – beginning Saturday, March 6, 2021.
The Mayor said he looks forward to providing an opportunity for an informal Q&A with community members.
"It is essential for me to hear directly from residents, business owners, and stakeholders in Saco on anything they want to talk to me about,” said Mayor Doyle.
Although Doyle said citizen engagement, while only virtually, has been higher during the pandemic than before, he still encourages more, safely.
The socially distanced “Mornings with the Mayor” will run from 9:00 to 11:00 AM on the following Saturdays:
- March 6, 2021
- April 10, 2021
- May 15, 2021
- June 12, 2021
- July 17, 2021
- August 14, 2021
- September 18, 2021
- October 9, 2021
- November 20, 2021
- December 11, 2021
All meetings are in City Hall Council Chambers until the lifting of pandemic restrictions or conditions allow for an alternative location. The sessions will adhere to all CDC safety guidelines, including social distancing and masking.
If you would like to schedule an individual meeting or a phone call with Mayor Doyle, please contact Executive Assistant Torie Gorman by calling 207.282.4191 or email: vgorman@sacomaine.org.
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Last month, we were fortunate to have City staff from several departments participate in Saco Middle School's virtual career fair day.
While we wait for these future City-leaders to be ready to apply, 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.
A variety of positions are available right now – if nothing is a great fit for you, consider passing the listings along to friends and family who might be looking for work.
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New School Construction Update |
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We've received many inquiries on social media recently about new school construction – we hope to take this opportunity to connect our community members with information about that process.
While the City and School Department may appear to be the same entity, there are differences in our governing bodies. The City Administrator makes decisions relating to city operations with policy and budgetary decisions dictated by the City Council. The School Superintendent handles the school's daily operations with policy decisions and fiscal recommendations from the School Board. The Mayor oversees the City Council and facilitates the School Board meeting.
In June of 2018, the Maine Department of Education released a list naming Young School as the 4th most urgent school construction project in Maine. Following that announcement, the School Board's Infrastructure Committee met in July 2018 to begin discussions and planning and update the School Board.
On February 7, 2021, the Maine Department of Education released a request for proposals seeking architectural and engineering services to conduct a feasibility and planning study. As well as analyze existing District schools to identify possible solutions for addressing Saco School Department needs for all schools included on the list. The submissions are due to the Saco Superintendent by 2:00 PM on March 8, 2021.
While the school department selects an architectural firm, the Mayor and School Board Chair will be forming a School Construction Committee comprised of elected officials, city and school staff, and community members. In addition to this committee, community members will have opportunities to participate in the process and share their feedback and concerns, which the Department of Education outlines. The timeline for the committee's formation or the public engagement process has not been identified at this time, but we will update you when we have more information.
If you have any questions about the school construction process, you are welcome to contact your school board or city council representatives. You can find their contact information at www.sacoschools.org or www.sacomaine.org/council. You can also join the Mayor at his open office hours, with the first session on Saturday, March 6, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM in the City Hall Auditorium.
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Seeds of Hope, Saco PD Offer Community Support |
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Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center (35 South Street, Biddeford) collaborates with area communities and neighbors to find meaningful solutions to poverty, isolation, and despair in a welcoming and compassionate environment.
The Saco Police Department began collaborating with Seeds of Hope last year. Holly Philbrick, one of our compassionate emergency communications dispatchers, has seen firsthand the need for support that this organization provides.
"I see people walking around at all hours of the day and night, bundled up, trying to stay warm, stopping by our department to use the bathroom and warm up for a bit," she said. "The nearest shelter to Saco is in Alfred or Portland."
Seeds of Hope offers a warming center during overnight hours, generally, 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, when the predicted temperatures are below freezing.
"Seeds of Hope is not a shelter, so there are no beds for sleeping, but those who need their service can go to warm up and get out of the cold," Philbrick said. "We have assisted many people in getting to Seeds of Hope so they can get out of the elements on the worst nights. They offer a warm place to sit, a simple meal, and a warm beverage."
Reverend Shirley Bowen, Seeds of Hope's Executive Director, said that partnerships with Biddeford and Saco are essential for their work.
"Through all of the programs and services offered at Seeds of Hope, our overarching goal is for individuals to achieve their highest level of independence and experience a sense of belonging," she said. "Everyone is welcome here."
If you or someone you know need help in the overnight hours and would like to go to Seeds of Hope, call the Saco Police Department non-emergency line at 207-284-4535.
To reach out to Seeds of Hope directly, call 207-571-9601.
The overnight warming center is just one part of their operation. Open Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Seeds of Hope provides:
- Continental breakfast and lunch
- Digital equity and employment center
- Free items (clothing, household goods, personal hygiene products, etc.)
- Health promotion & education
- Veteran advocacy
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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, or updates about the ongoing Comprehensive Planning process.
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Love Across Generations: Socially-Distanced Valentine's Day Coordinated by SPR, AFS, TA
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AGE FRIENDLY SACO & THORNTON ACADEMY |
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In February, Thornton Academy students teamed up with Age Friendly Saco to hand-write 436 custom-designed Valentine's cards, which by now have made their way to local seniors' mailboxes.
"I just think it's extremely heartwarming," said Age Friendly Director Jean Saunders. "It's a wonderful multigenerational program to reach out to our seniors in this time of social isolation."
On that cold Sunday afternoon, as snow started to fall outside, the students gathered in the cafeteria to write the cards, with representation from the Residential Life program, Lori Smith's Digital Design class, and the Ambassador Program.
Two students whose card designs were chosen sat together – Rachel Poulin and Tralee Pomerleau – filling in card after card with care.
"I just really wanted mine to be a cute thing that when you look at it, it just makes you smile, and makes you kind of forget everything that's going on," Tralee said. "Just for a little bit."
The pair are in Smith's Digital Design class and get to work on real-world projects, often in collaboration with the City. Out of 40 designs the class produced, 10 were chosen to be printed and distributed.
"I get choked up when I think about what a sweet message it is, coming from our high school students," Director Saunders said. "Who wouldn't think that when they get that card, that it wouldn't bring a smile to their face? They were amazingly well done."
Student Izzie Roughton (pictured above) said it wasn't a hard choice to spend her Sunday afternoon this way.
"I like doing things that make other people happy," she said.
Unsurprisingly, these students are active in other areas of our community, too. Age Friendly Saco hosted a food distribution program a few days later, and Saunders said many of those same students showed up at the middle school to help distribute hundreds of food boxes.
"It's a gift to our community to have this wonderful collaboration," she said.
We hope you had a warm and happy Valentine's Day. Learn more about Age Friendly Saco at their website: sacomaine.org/agefriendly
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The Deli & Company was this month's partnering restaurant, serving up tomato, rosemary, and fennel-braised pork over roasted red pepper penne pasta. The meal was sponsored by Strategic Media Inc, a radio and podcast advertising agency based out of Portland.
Perhaps most memorable, though, were the custom Valentine's Day cards from the Parks & Rec Schools Out program. Students from Saco and Dayton (PreK to 5th Grade) had fun crafting the cards and wrote special notes such as, "Stay safe."
Thank you to all volunteers who continue to show up month after month to help make this program run smoothly. Saco Parks & Rec staff and the Saco Police Department also delivered 71 of the 245 meals last week to people who could not make it to the Community Center.
Want to be notified of future meal programs? To sign up for the Saco Parks & Recreation SENIORity Programs mailing list, call 207.283.3139 or e-mail ameier@sacomaine.org. Anyone 50+ can join the mailing list, whether a resident or not.
SPR is always looking for donations and sponsorships for future meals. To get involved, contact Amelia at 207.283.3139 ext. 807, or e-mail ameier@sacomaine.org.
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Help Put Saco on the Internet Speed Map |
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The Maine Broadband Coalition has launched a statewide internet speed test mapping initiative with the goal of gathering data from across the state to make a map of internet quality.
Getting your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors to take the test will help create better maps and show state officials where service is (and is not.) This will help your Saco be ready for potential grant funding that could help improve high-speed access in our city.
Take the quick speed test to see your speed and contribute through the Maine Broadband Coalition’s website.
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Saco, Maine: 154 Years Young |
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Happy 154th birthday, Saco! Last month we marked the anniversary of our incorporation as the City of Saco on Feb. 18, 1867.
This land has provided much, and to many. For centuries, Wabanaki tribes met, hunted, fished, and lived along the same waterways we do today. Saco has prospered through challenging times – wars, industry disruption, a depression, a recession, and now two pandemics. We've adapted over time and our community members have consistently shown resilience, creativity, compassion, and wisdom.
We're proud to call Saco home.
Cheers to 154 years!
To read more City history, see our website.
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Mia Sorella's Studio is Open Now on Common St. |
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It's fitting that such a lovely store opened in our downtown on Valentine's Day! We'd like to introduce you to Mia Sorella’s Studio, Saco's newest local business, located at 26 Common Street.
The studio offers upcycled and refinished furniture, a premier line of home decor, luxurious all natural candles, soaps, bath bombs and bath salts by Dutchpearl. They also have everything you need to take your own DIY job from start to finish.
It's a family affair, according to owners Danielle and Rick Gerrish, of Dayton, pictured in the center of the ribbon cutting photo. Their two children, Tanner Walsh (center-left) and Hadley Gerrish (center-right) help out, too. Danielle said that after operating out of their home for six months, she and Rick knew they needed a storefront, and Saco was at the top of mind.
Their decision paid off when they opened their doors for the first time on Feb. 14. Danielle said they had a line out the door, something they were not expecting.
Mia Sorella's Studio is open 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays, and 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Sundays.
Give them a follow on social media! We appreciate the Saco community's commitment to shopping local.
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We're Almost to Spring, but Saco FD Says to Stay Vigilant of Winter Fire Hazards |
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Just last week, there were two fatalities in home fires in Maine.
- Plug only one heat-producing appliance (such as a coffee maker, space heater, or microwave) directly into a wall outlet at a time.
- Extension cords should only be used temporarily. Have an electrician install additional wall outlets where you need them.
- Never use an extension cord with a heat-producing appliance.
- Don’t overload extension cords or wall outlets.
- Check your electrical cords. If they are cracked or damaged, replace them. Don’t try to repair them.
- Use light bulbs that match the recommended wattage on the lamp or fixture.
- Electrical work should only be done by a qualified electrician.
For more home fire safety tips, including on heating, winter storms, generators, carbon monoxide, candles, and electrical, visit the NFPA at nfpa.org/winter or USFA at usfa.fema.gov/winter.
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City Administrator Open Office Hours for February
Saco City Administrator, Bryan Kaenrath, has scheduled open office hours on March 30th from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM in the City Hall auditorium.
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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Check out this video to get a look at the many steps BSOOB Transit has taken to keep riders and staff safe throughout the pandemic. It highlights everything from updated cleaning procedures to barrier installation to hand sanitizer stations to their easy-to-use electronic fair system.
We appreciate BSOOB Transit's commitment to safely getting us where we need to be.
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Additionally, BSOOB Has an Upcoming Public Hearing |
BSOOB will hold a public hearing to announce changes to the Yellow Line, which services UNE Campus, and the addition of a “Downtown Circulator” route, serving Biddeford and Saco downtowns.
March 10th, 6:00p-7:00p
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar.
- The Yellow Line service from the Saco Transportation Center to the University of New England (UNE) will undergo a schedule change with less time spent on the UNE campus and more connections to BSOOB existing services and Amtrak.
- The “Downtown Circulator” will be serviced by one of our new trolleys. Initial plans are for this service to be offered for free and the changes implemented on or near August 1, 2021.
Join them March 10th for a walkthrough of the changes and additions, including updated route maps and schedules.
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Administrative Listing Assistant
Sean McCarthy
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How long have you worked for the City, and what do you do in your job?
I’ve worked for the City for just over 2 years at this point. As far as my job is concerned, I’m the first point of contact for anyone with an assessing question. I help answer questions the public has about the assessing process. I manage all the deeds and transfers of ownership for the properties in the city. I will also go out on the occasional inspection of a property if the others are busy.
You recently took on a new project – GIS tax mapping. Tell me a little bit about that.
For a long time the city has hired out the tax mapping process. This worked great for a number of years, but as time has gone on it has become increasingly clear that the City needs to do it in-house. Because we recently got the web map up and running, the need for our data to be done faster and by someone with knowledge of the inner workings of the City has become apparent. So I’ve been training to update the data and maintain the maps personally. This will hopefully both increase the speed of updates to the maps and allow us to have another tool in our arsenal to better analyze data or communicate that data to the public.
I heard that you moonlight as a farmhand for your parents from time to time. Where is that, what’s the farm like, and what kinds of tasks do you help out with?
Growing up we were a horse boarding stable. So I grew up riding and caring for horses. Eventually my parents decided that dealing with customers was more work than just dealing with more animals and transitioned away from boarding horses and into raising other types of farm animals. At this point we’ve got around 3 dozen sheep, a few goats, 5 cows, 6 pigs, a bunch of chickens, and the occasional turkey or duck.
Since moving out, I don’t help with the day-to-day tasks anymore, but I still get called up to help with big events. When the sheep are getting ready to give birth, I come up to help separate them out, or when we get a delivery of hay bales I come up to help stack it in the hay loft. I’ll also occasionally go up just to see the animals because I would be lying if I didn’t say a part of me missed having so many!
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Keep Yourself Safe from Ransomware With A Thought-Out Plan for Backups |
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The Saco Department of Information Technology is continuing its educational campaign on ransomware, this time focusing on another critical preventative measure – backups.
As a refresh, ransomware is is a type of malicious software designed to deny access to a computer system, or certain files, until a ransom is paid. This typically spreads through phishing emails or through a victim unknowingly visiting an infected website.
It is critical to set up secure offline backups of data and regularly test your backups. Two common ways to back up important files is by using a cloud storage service or an external hard drive.
The more you automate your backup system, the more frequently you can back up your data. For this reason, opting for cloud storage on a server is the more manageable solution long-term. If you opt to use an external hard drive, make sure you do not keep it plugged into the device you are backing up, test it regularly, and keep it stored in a safe, dry location.
The bottom line is, backups are critical in ransomware recovery and response; if you are infected, a backup may be the best (and only) way to recover your critical data.
We'll see you for more next month.
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Homestead Exemption Applications Due to Assessing Office by April 1, 2021 |
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There are several programs designed to provide tax relief to residents.
The most well-known is the Homestead Exemption. You can qualify for the Homestead Exemption if you meet these requirements:
- The dwelling must be your primary residence and your name must be on the deed.
- You must have owned the dwelling for a year prior to April 1st of this coming tax year
With a successful application, your assessed value would be reduced, currently by $20,000.
You may not meet the qualifications for this coming tax year; however you should complete the form and return it to our office. We will keep it on file, when you become eligible we will apply the exemption.
Once you have received the Homestead Exemption you DO NOT need to reapply for that property.
Other Exemptions:
A Veteran Exemption is also available, in order to qualify you must have attained the age of 62 for this coming tax year and provide us with your DD214 (discharge papers). A veteran's widow may also qualify for an exemption, with the same requirements. A legally blind person may also qualify for an exemption; a letter from your physician is required.
Once you have received these exemptions, you DO NOT need to reapply.
You may also be eligible for property tax exemptions under Tree Growth, Farmland, and Open Space programs. You may download the appropriate forms using the button below. In order to receive these exemptions, you must re-apply annually.
Please note that the exemptions you may have received in another community will not be automatically forwarded to us.
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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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