The patio furniture is out, seeds planted in the garden, and winter clothes can be put away without feeling jinxed. This weather means the Spring to-do's are here, and so is the planning that comes with it. The Town of Scarborough, too, is in planning mode. Thorough budget reviews are shaping the FY2022 budget for an upcoming Town Council review. Seasonal hiring is underway for parks maintenance and summer camp. Town Council, committees, and staff have been envisioning a long term plan for Scarborough's development and the growth being presently experienced. With detailed planning and active public dialogue, we can ensure that the boxes get checked on our own Spring cleaning to-do list.

Have you caught the spring cleaning bug yet? Let's hope it's not the Emerald Ash Borer... Learn more about this destructive pest in an article below, researched & written for you by Leona in our Public Works department.

The Portland Water District began a water main replacement project this week on Black Point Road at the stream crossing near Old Neck Road. The project should take 3-4 weeks to complete. Please be aware of any signage and changes to flow of traffic when using this route. Any questions about this project can be directed to the Portland Water District at (207) 774-5961x3975 / asellick@pwd.org.

Scarborough Public Works has scheduled collaborative, multi-town opportunities to safely dispose of your household hazardous waste materials. This is a free service to residents of Scarborough, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Biddeford for all three events (proof of residency is required). The first one will be on Saturday, May 8 from 8am-Noon at 20 Washington Avenue in Scarborough.

Students Empowered to End Dependency (S.E.E.D.) is a team of students working to amplify community messaging about use of chemical substances. The Scarborough Police Department has been supporting their efforts with state grant funding, and now are excited to announce the organization's first project.

Five school systems (Bath, Gorham, Scarborough, Windham, and Yarmouth) participated in a new documentary series, "Voices of Hope...The Rugged Road to Recovery." It premieres on WGME-TV (Channel 13), Portland tonight, Saturday, May 1st at 7pm. Be sure to tune in!

Beach passes will available for purchase beginning on May 3. Season passes are valid at all three town-operated beaches (Ferry, Pine Point, Higgins). Beach passes must be obtained in person, including the free senior resident passes, in the Town Clerk’s Office.

Please be sure to bring your vehicle registration as it is required for the purchase of a beach pass. If you are purchasing additional passes for all household vehicles, all vehicles’ registrations must be presented, as well. Cash or check payment is recommended; cards are accepted with an additional convenience fee.

Our Community Services department is now hiring for summer positions. This is a great way to spend time outdoors and build your resume. Fill out an application online.

The budget is a representation of our town’s priorities for residents. It enables us to look ahead to the coming year and determine what’s most important to our community and areas that need to improve most. Be sure to review the proposed budget on our Budget Portal:

Click Here to review the full budget document.

In developing the municipal budget each year, the Town Council relies on departments to put forth their priority initiatives (capital projects, staffing, etc.) for the year ahead. This helps determine the collective strategic budget goals for the town. Proposals are included in the full budget document (beginning on page 124). Then, department heads present their proposals to the Finance Committee to review in detail.

The first round of department budget reviews took place on April 21. Here are the highlights:

Click Here to view April 21 Finance Committee Department Budget Reviews.

The next round of department budget reviews took place on April 28. Here are the highlights:

📅 The next Finance Committee meeting is happening Wednesday, May 12 at 4:00 PM for a final budget review.

Click Here to view April 28 Finance Committee Department Budget Reviews.

The Town of Scarborough Community Services department moved their offices from Town Hall to the House of Lights building on 418 Payne Road in October 2020. This move centralized program offerings and school support programs to a single location, now referred to as the Hub. As part of the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, Community Services is proposing to re-lease this space for the year ahead. Learn more from Community Services Director Todd Souza on the opportunities that could result from the continued use of this space.

Click Here to view the Hub tour video led by Community Services Director Todd Souza.

Click Here to read more on the Hub proposed use and programming schedule on page 143.

Your voice is relied upon in an upcoming election to vote on the school budget. Voting will take place on Tuesday, June 15 at the Scarborough High School. CDC Guidelines will still be in place, including wearing masks inside, social distancing, 50-person limit at a time, and sanitizing stations. We encourage you to vote by absentee ballot. Request your ballot online, or through assistance with the Town Clerk's office. Once requested, absentee ballots will be provided to voters beginning in early May.

Do Now: Request an absentee ballot if you will not be voting in-person.

On April 26, the U.S. Census Bureau delivered the April 1, 2020 population counts for each State, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, to President Biden. Based on the first reports from the 2020 decennial census, Maine gained 33,998 new residents from 2010 to 2020, resulting in a 2020 population of 1,362,359. Between 2010 and 2020, Maine population increased by 2.6%. Eight other states had a population rate change lower than Maine. The US Population increased by 7.4% during this same period.

The official purpose of the population counts is for use in the process known as apportionment. Apportionment refers to the process that determines how many seats in the US House of Representatives each state will have for the next 10 years. The purpose of apportionment is to evenly distribute the 435 Congressional seats across the country based on each decennial census. The total population of the US is divided by the number of seats in Congress (435) to determine the average number of residents per congressional seat. The seats are then “apportioned” to each state according to their population count.

The Scarborough Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) develops, supports and promotes sustainable economic development practices leading to a healthy, diverse and resilient local economy for the Scarborough community.

Over the past twenty years, Scarborough—like much of southern and coastal Maine—has experienced rapid growth and upward trends on population and housing. This is only anticipated to continue as individuals and families are drawn to Scarborough as a desirable community to live and work. While there are an array of resources that make our town sought after, like quality schools and services, preserved natural landscapes, and pristine beaches, it is also these resources that are most threatened by the pace of growth presently being experienced.

Residents clearly prioritize the protection of Scarborough’s rural character, a theme that comes through very strongly in the soon-to-be-adopted update to the Comprehensive Plan. As a result, the Town Council has unanimously agreed that the timing is opportune for a thorough review and update of the Growth Management Ordinance (GMO), which is a mechanism intended to control the pace of residential development. The GMO was originally adopted in 2001 to acknowledge the rapid single-family housing development prevalent at the turn of the century and has been consistently amended over the years to change with the times. Now, the increase in development of multi-family housing, along with the slower but sustained growth in single-family home construction, is creating pressure on the current system and a need for significant modifications to the GMO.

Growth in Scarborough, and the subsequent GMO replacement, has been a priority project and discussion of the Town Council since Fall 2020 and is lately culminating into more clear action within Council meetings. We encourage you to review the work of Council, staff, and committees over the past few months. Our new webpage specifically on the GMO provides the materials and meeting links to learn more.

Town Council welcomes feedback throughout the process: Participate in meetings and email your councilors at towncouncil@scarboroughmaine.org.

One of the priorities for our community is to conserve as much of our rural character and natural resources as possible. Many of the priorities outlined in the Comprehensive Plan can be achieved with Scarborough’s zoning ordinance, which has been carefully revised over the past decade. The ordinance specifically identifies the type of development, and density, allowed in each zone.

State law requires that we assess the necessity for our growth management ordinance and outlines a methodology for calculating the minimum number of dwelling units that can be restricted by using our 10-year average. The recent surge in multi-family development, coupled with extremely slow development following the recession of 2008, will increase our 10-year average in the coming years very rapidly.

The existing Growth Management Ordinance does not comply with either our Comprehensive Plan or State law. There are several areas for improvement to better meet community priorities and limit growth to within activity centers. The Town Council has prioritized updating our GMO to reflect the current and future needs of Scarborough. The process has been and continues to be well-informed, deliberate and measured. I look forward to and welcome your continued participation.

Scarborough Town Council

Paul Johnson, Chair • Don Hamill, Vice Chair • Jonathan Anderson • Jean-Marie Caterina • John Cloutier • Betsy Gleysteen • Ken Johnson

Town Council meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7 PM. Visit our online calendar for links to attend and view agendas.

For more detailed information on the EAB, and Maine’s steps for prevention and infestation control please visit the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry’s EAB webpage.

The Scarborough Land Trust (SLT) is hosting a volunteer info session and walk at Warren Woods on Payne Rd. Multiple loop trails take visitors through wetland and woodland, tucked away along the Nonesuch. Stewardship Director Sami Wolf will be leading a loop walk and some light duty trail and property management. If you want to roll up your sleeves, please bring work gloves and loppers if you have them. Click Here to register.

SLT is also hosting two Birding Walks in May, led by Executive Director Andrew Mackie. Learn more on their website.

Leading business author Chris Zook will share stories to show how any leader—not only a founder—can instill and leverage a founder's mentality throughout their organization and find lasting, profitable growth. Register.

$5 per bag. Cash only!

Join the Friends of Scarborough Library for a pop-up grab bag used book sale outside the Library. Books will be sorted and bagged by genre. The Friends of Scarborough Library's annual June used book sale has been postponed and will be rescheduled. Book donations are not being accepted at this time.

In collaboration with Friends of Scarborough Marsh, the Library welcomes Zachary Whitener, Research Associate at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). Register.

Monday 10am-5pm • Tuesday 10am-5pm • Wednesday 10am-6pm • Thursday 10am-5pm • Friday 10am-5pm • Saturday 10am-2pm • Sunday Closed

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