As the start of 2022 falls farther into the rear view, our Town departments are full steam ahead with serving residents. Public Works has had some plow runs, Assessing is facilitating the return of a property tax deferral State program, and Community Services has a full lineup of fun and creative programs for all ages. Meanwhile, there are some big issues being discussed at the Council level—namely, growth, affordability, and traffic—and results from the community survey shed to light the importance of these issues to residents. Read on for details and links to learn more.

Looking for a new career or know someone who is? We are hiring full time Plow Truck Driver/Maintenance Workers (Click Here to view the job post). Click Here to view all job openings.

Town Hall Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am - 4pm; 1st & 3rd Wednesday of each month, 8am-6pm

Town Hall will be closed on Monday, January 17 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. (No changes to trash pickup)

Richard C. Kindelan, who has served as Deputy Fire Chief for the Town of Scarborough since 2018, has been named to succeed Fire Chief B. Michael Thurlow as Scarborough’s new Fire Chief/EMA Director. Chief Thurlow retired last week after over 20 years as Chief and nearly 46 years of total service to the department.

Kindelan has a 28-year career in fire and emergency services. He began his career in 1988 as a volunteer firefighter in Connecticut and after high school he enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1991 as a Fire Protection Specialist. He has since served in departments of various sizes throughout Maine, including Naval Air Station Brunswick, Gardiner, Yarmouth, and Old Orchard Beach, and progressed through the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain and Deputy Fire Chief. Kindelan has more than ten years of experience in supervisory roles and is a member of the Scarborough Fire Department’s senior management team.

Kindelan has had several notable accomplishments since joining the Scarborough Fire Department in 2018. He has successfully obtained grants for the department, including one from the Bureau of Labor for health and safety initiatives, as well as a Keep Maine Healthy grant for a machine to efficiently test individuals for proper respiratory fit. Kindelan played a critical role in supporting the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. He assisted all Town staff with navigating information, handled the logistics of PPE ordering, contact tracing, disseminating timely information, and working with FEMA’s Public Assistance program to be reimbursed for pandemic-related expenditures incurred. In May 2021, Kindelan was appointed by the Town Manager to the role of Local Health Officer.

Scarborough Community Services maintains two skate ponds. They are open to the public during the winter season at no cost.

20 Municipal Drive (behind the maintenance garage between the turf field and Wentworth School)

Weekdays, 2:00pm to 9:00pm

Weekends, 8:00am to 9:00pm

Before You Go: Check the Scarborough Community Services Facebook page for daily status updates.

January 21: S'mores Social at the Skating Ponds

Join Community Services on select Friday evenings this winter for skating to music, free s’mores and hot cocoa, and warming by firepits. The first one is scheduled for January 21 from 4:30-7:00pm. We hope you'll join us!

Registration is now open for February-April Ages 55+ programs! View the digital brochure or pick up a paper copy at the Community Services Hub (418 Payne Road) or Scarborough Public Library. Programs range from casual drop-in times with games, knitting, coffee, and snacks, to weekly catered lunches and active game days in our gym. We also have special events, like a Valentine’s Day Tea and Crafts with Friends, to trips to local venues like Portland Stage, Kittery Trading Post, and Stonewall Kitchen.

Exercise offerings are being held at the gym in the Hub on a weekly basis, including Jazzercise, Zumba and SoulFusion. There will be more adult programs in the spring, including a Sip and Script Night and a Murder Mystery Date Night. Details to all adult programs that are currently available can be found in the online Winter Brochure. The brochure will continue to be updated with new programs, so check back!

Community Services has started a Teen Advisory Board for middle school students to share what programs or events they want to see offered. These meetings are then followed by a special activity or event, such as our upcoming Valentine’s Craft Night on February 11 and a Teen Movie Night on March 18. All teen nights include a pizza dinner and drinks. For more information or to preregister, email comserv@scarboroughmaine.org.

We have introduced more programs than ever before! Upcoming programs into winter and spring for grade-school students include indoor soccer two Mad Science sessions, a theater program, and Lego build programs with Brick by Brick Maine. We also have new pre-school programs, including upcoming youth movement classes, a mini hoops basketball program, and daytime craft sessions.

Now Hiring: Summer Camp Counselors

This seasonal position with Scarborough Community Services is a great job for high school students or college students home for the summer. It can be full- or part-time; ages 16+. Gain work experience in child care and education. Click Here to learn more.

The Maine Legislature has reinstated the Maine Property Tax Deferral Program to help seniors and fully disabled individuals stay in their homes and age in place. The state will pay the property taxes each year for the qualified and approved applicants, and will place a lien on the property. All deferred taxes (including accrued interest) are repaid to the state when the property is sold or the applicant passes away. The qualifications are:

• An owner of the property must be 65 years of age or have a permanent disability that prevents employment.

• An applicant or applicants must be the deeded property owner and must be receiving a Homestead Exemption.

• Applicants must have an income of less than $40,000 and liquid assets of less than $50,000 (less than $75,000 for joint application).

• The property must have NO municipal liens for unpaid property taxes filed against it at the time of application.

• Applications must be filed with the Assessor's Office between January 1 and April 1 each year.

Applications are forwarded to Maine Revenue Services, who review the application and make the determination for acceptance and approval. This process requires submitting an application through our Assessing office before April 1. Applications and further instructions can be found on the Town of Scarborough's Assessing page under Tax Relief.

Online real estate and personal property tax payments will be unavailable on Friday, February 11, 2022 starting at 12:00 a.m. through Sunday February 13, 2022 at 12:00 a.m. for a system upgrade. Walk-in customers may still conduct business at the Town Hall on Friday, February 11, 2022 during normal business hours. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Register or renew your dog license in person at the Clerk's office or online through the State website. Dog license renewals are $6 per year for spayed/neutered dogs and $11 if not (convenience fee if completed online). Renewals must be completed by January 31, 2022, and there is an additional $25 fee after January 31.

Details of the survey and findings can be found on the Town Website here. Additional community members participated online outside of the statistically valid mailed sample. The results will be added online when available.

Our annual Council goal setting workshop is scheduled for January 19, and these results will likely come into play as we shape our goals and priorities for the coming year. Many of the findings reinforce the areas of focus that the Town and the Town Council have prioritized in the past year.

Traffic and infrastructure maintenance was identified as a key area of priority by the community and is also a vision statement needing to be addressed in our recently published 2021 Comprehensive Plan. There is much to do to address traffic concerns over the coming years. Many projects are either underway or in our capital improvement plan for future financing. In areas surrounding Scarborough Downs, $13+MM of projects funded by the developer (required by the State) are planned through 2026 to address the planned growth and improve traffic congestion and public safety along Gorham Road, Route 1, Payne Road and Haigis Parkway. At our last Town Council meeting on January 5, we also unanimously approved the Maine Turnpike Authority Memorandum of Agreement to show support for them to continue their process to establish a Gorham Connector to 95 that will significantly ease the burden of traffic in North Scarborough, assuming the project proceeds. I encourage you to view our Transportation Committee webpage for more information.

Affordability of Town services, affordable housing and the pace of growth will continue to be top of mind in 2022. Managed and deliberate growth in Scarborough is outlined in our Comprehensive Plan to be focused in our targeted high growth areas of Oak Hill, Dunstan and Scarborough Downs. This is a key part of the strategy to bring more affordable housing to Scarborough while optimizing town resources to minimize the financial burden to the community.

There will be a lot more to come on all three topics, especially as we evaluate the Growth Management Ordinance exemption requested at Scarborough Downs, which will not only bring more affordable housing options to Scarborough, but other benefits such as a downtown and community center for gathering. However, those benefits will need to be balanced against the real concern expressed in the survey on the pace of growth in the Town. This is why we’ve hired an expert consultant with Levine Planning Strategies to support us as we evaluate the Downs proposal so we can get the best outcome for the community with all these areas in mind - traffic, affordability, affordable housing and concerns of growth. A workshop discussing the Down’s exemption can be viewed from December 15th, and one from January 12th to advance conversations on this exemption request.

Your participation in this survey is much appreciated to help guide us, and your continued participation as we continue to work through these areas is very welcome and highly encouraged.

Want to share your thoughts on an issue? Councilors can be contacted via email at towncouncil@scarboroughmaine.org.

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

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

The Library is partnering with the Camden Conference to bring a series of free virtual programs to our community. The theme is Europe: Challenged at Home and Abroad. Register to receive the Zoom link:

Tuesday, January 25, 6:30pm – Memory Wars of Central and Eastern Europe with James C. Richter, professor of Political Science at Bates College

Thursday, February 10, 6:30pm – Paris at 6: Environmental Divides and Climate Unions in Europe with Susana Hancock, International champion for social and environmental change

Commit to being more sustainable in 2022! The next virtual program in the Library’s new #SustainableScarborough Series is Minimalism for Well-Being: Simplifying All Facets of Your Life. It is free to attend and open to the public; Register to receive the Zoom link.

Monday – 9am to 5pm • Tuesday – 9am to 7pm • Wednesday – 9am to 7pm • Thursday – 9am to 7pm • Friday – 9am to 5pm • Saturday – 9am to 5pm • Sunday – Closed

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