Join Us at the FY22 Budget Public Hearing Tonight - May 3 at 6:30 PM |
The FY2022 Municipal Budget process kicked off on March 22, 2021 with the City Administrator, Bryan Kaenrath, presenting his proposed municipal budget for the coming year. The municipal budget details all of the expenses and revenues that the City of Saco needs to provide its citizens' quality services for a full fiscal year (July 1st - June 30th). Each year, the city and schools determine the budgets that are needed to continue service delivery, or in some cases, expanded services.
The School Board approves a school budget to move forward to the City Council for consideration. To follow along with the Schools' budget process, visit www.sacoschools.org.
On the city side, the Council heard from each municipal department during presentations last month. Now, a public hearing will take place tonight, May 3rd. The public hearing is an excellent opportunity to provide feedback or support for various initiatives and programs. You can find the information about how to participate at www.sacomaine.org/watchmeetings.
If you have any questions about the budget, please email budget@sacomaine.org. We are happy to answer your questions.
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Comprehensive Plan Update |
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Please join us for a pair of online topic meetings in May:
- Housing and development on May 13;
- Sustainability and resiliency on May 20.
For more information or to view previous meetings focused on downtown and transportation, visit our website by clicking here.
Saco – A community for a lifetime.
The vision and principles for the comprehensive plan will guide our planning efforts. They were created based on input from public survey responses and Long-Range Planning Committee members. Learn more here.
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Phil Hatch Appointed to Ward 5 Seat |
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City Councilor Philip Hatch was sworn into office on April 15th, after being appointed by the City Council on April 12th to fill the vacant Ward 5 seat.
Hatch said he aims to approach the role using his critical thinking and leadership skills while maintaining a high level of personal integrity and honesty in his letter of interest.
"I feel I can offer our local governing body a voice of respectful reason, while proposing fair and well thought out solutions to the many challenges facing the city," he wrote.
Hatch has been a resident of Saco for 38 years. Over that time, he has demonstrated community dedication from his involvement in the Rotary Club of Saco Bay - #26791, Age Friendly Saco, three years on the Saco Planning Board, and additional community volunteerism.
Please join us in welcoming our newest City Councilor! To contact your City Councilor, learn about the Council's responsibilities, or find out what ward you live in, visit www.sacomaine.org/council.
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SPR Brings Brightness to Beach Trash Cans with K-5th Grader Murals |
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Plus, get your summer '21 beach updates below. |
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Saco's coastal trash cans are repainted each year, typically at the Saco Public Works Bike Rodeo. Because the event couldn't happen this year, Saco Parks & Recreation Department stepped up yet again and created an engaging opportunity for kids at the Full Day Out program.
They painted 28 trash cans, which you'll find dotting our coastline this summer near beach entrances. Children from Kindergarten to 5th Grade participated and made unique, wraparound murals on each can.
While we're thinking about the beach, here is a roundup of important summer info:
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Dogs must be leashed and under the control of their owners on beaches in Saco where piping plovers or least terns are present or have traditionally nested from April 1 to Sept. 30. Thank you for doing your part to help these threatened shorebirds survive. If you'd like to do more, read about our volunteer plover monitor program here.
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Parking passes are available online at www.sacomaine.org/parking. The new online system saves you a trip to City Hall, relieves pressure on our Finance staff, and simplifies the process. Parking passes allow parking at the Camp Ellis lot, the two parking lots at Bayview, and the Saco Transportation Center.
For Saco residents, the parking pass is $25.00 for the first car and $5 for a second car. We also offer a free pass for veterans of any age and a free pass for residents over 62 years of age. You will need to present your car registration as proof of residency for each pass, and each pass is assigned to a specific vehicle and is not transferable to other vehicles.
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Saco Parks & Recreation Department has installed the accessibility mat at Bayview Beach’s main entrance. The bathrooms at Bayview Beach and Camp Ellis will open on May 1. Toward the middle of May, the new bathrooms at the Foss Road Recreation Complex will open.
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Saco Parks & Recreation seasonal lifeguards will patrol Saco beaches from June 19 to Sept. 6. Apply today to join our lifeguard team with pay ranging between $15-$18/hr (depending on experience and role). You must be age 16+ and lifeguard certified or have the ability to be certified by June 15, 2021. SPR is willing to reimburse successful candidates for certification costs. Find application information online at www.sacomaine.org/careers.
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2021 Hazardous Waste Disposal Days |
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Residents of Saco, Biddeford, Scarborough, and Old Orchard Beach will have an opportunity to dispose of household hazardous waste this summer at the locations and dates listed below. Proof of residency (such as a driver's license or tax bill) is required!
- Saturday, May 8, 2021 – Scarborough, 20 Washington Ave.
- Saturday, July 10, 2021 – Saco, 15 Phillips Spring Road (across from 57 Spring Hill Road)
- Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 – Biddeford, 371 Hill Street
For more information, visit our website here or using the button below.
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Earth Day Volunteerism Speeds up Saco's Spring Cleaning |
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We had a fantastic Earth Day in Saco!
65 volunteers signed up to participate in Saco Parks & Recreation Department's annual Earth Day Celebration, led by SPR staff. They spread out all over town, from Bayview Beach to Cascade Falls, for spring cleaning.
Notably, the team installed the accessibility mat at Bayview Beach, painted a fresh canvas at the graffiti wall behind Pepperell Square, set up a new StoryWalk at Cascade Falls in collaboration with Dyer Library/Saco Museum, and collected all the garbage and debris they could find. Here at City Hall, the Communications Department planted a white-flowering crabapple tree adjacent to the Annex building.
Thanks again to all participants who showed up despite the brisk spring weather. We’re fortunate to have such abundant natural resources and community members that want to protect and enjoy them.
There are ongoing volunteer opportunities with the Saco Parks & Recreation Department, such as joining the piping plover monitor team at our local beaches. Volunteers must be able to walk the beach at least once per week to monitor the birds, watch for disturbances, and report any issues to the department. Interested? Learn more here.
SPR is also looking for community members of all ages who might be interested in supporting the multi-generational garden at the Saco Community Center this summer. For more information, contact Amelia Meier at ameier@sacomaine.org.
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Guest Column: Saco Main Street |
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A monthly letter from SMS Executive Director Rob Biggs. |
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Introducing Molly Donlan!
We have a new face on Main Street! Molly Donlan joined Saco Main Street last week as Program Director, and we are very excited about her joining our team! Molly comes to Saco Main Street after an extensive search and an interview process which included six candidates. As a part of the process each candidate was asked to submit a video about why we should have them join Saco Main Street. Molly’s submission was a music video with her own lyrics to the tune of YMCA by The Village People! It also involved her being filmed dancing through our Main Street which is a great reflection of her creativity and humor! Prior to joining us, Molly was the Assistant General Manager at Holiday Retirement in Portland and Regional Connector of Resident Experience at over 35 other Holiday facilities on the East Coast. She recently had moved to Biddeford with her fiancée Justin and their rescue dog Woody. When asked, Molly said that during the early stages of the Covid 19 pandemic she saw a significant need to support local businesses and the community and wanted to have more impact than she did at Holiday Retirement. When she saw the opportunity at Saco Main Street she realized that the position was a dream job where she could have that impact and really stretch the creative side of her personality. Molly will be responsible for energizing and organizing this year’s events. She has come up with some awesome ideas that we know you will enjoy in her short time here. Next time you see Molly on Main Street or running around one of our may events, stop her and give her a great big Saco welcome!
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2021 Here We Come!
Warmer weather and flowers blooming are sure nice after last year. We are turning a corner with 2021 and are planning for some great events and activities for you to enjoy! This year we will have many new small events, as well as, many of your favorites for you to choose from. Our first major event will be Bark in the Park, a Canine Celebration on June 5th from 10am to 2pm at the Saco Dog Park.
This year’s event is in memory of Champ, a Main State Police K-9. Champ was an amazing dog who proudly served the citizens of Maine for over 10 years as a K-9 with the Maine State Police. With his partner Trooper Jeremy Forbes, Champ was directly responsible for many arrests and found many lost citizens with his highly trained nose. Champ was a resident of Saco and recently passed over the Rainbow Bridge. We want to honor his memory.
We will be bringing back “Music in the Park”ing Lot at the Dyer Library. (We hear Elvis may be making an appearance) and adding another smaller intimate four-night music series “Picnic in the Park”, Sunday nights from 5pm – 6:30 pm on Jubilee Island off of Water Street. We hope you are looking forward to the 50th Sidewalk Art Festival, the Classic Car Show, Pumpkin Harvest Festival and the beautiful Holiday Light Parade! Some of these events may take on a different look as we will be following the guidance of the Maine CDC and the Governor’s recommendations but they are sure to please! Saco Main Street has worked hard with our community and our downtown businesses to keep people safe and businesses flourishing but we are definitely looking forward to happy faces and laughter on Main Street! See you soon!
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Youth Mural Visualizes Railroad History at Saco Train Station |
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Apex Youth Connection's Trek 2 Connect program installed two mural panels at the Saco Transportation Center last month. The 8th graders visualized a story from Larry Tye's "Rising from the Rails," a book that focuses on the impact and legacy of the Pullman Porters.
The Pullman Porters were established after the Civil War. Until the 1960s, they were staffed entirely by Black men. In the 1930s, they formed the first Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, under the leadership of A. Philip Randolph.
While the Pullman Porters' history is far-ranging, the students focused on a story from more than a century ago in Freeport, Maine.
In 1918, in a vacant Freeport lot, some boys were playing baseball when a fly ball went soaring toward a moving Pullman sleeper car on a passing locomotive. A porter caught the ball, and the train continued on, taking with it the only baseball the boys had.
After writing to the railroad, the train passed through town again, and the porter threw back a new baseball. This one, though, was signed by Babe Ruth and other Red Sox from the 1918 team.
On each trip after, the porter would toss the boys another ball; although they formed this connection, they never learned the porter's name.
In 2018, Amtrak honored the Pullman Porters as they marked the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. We are proud to bring a bit of Maine Pullman Porter history to the Amtrak Downeaster station here in Saco.
The students were assisted by Apex Youth Connection Trek 2 Connect program coordinator Rebecca Cote and local artist Ann Thompson.
Please stop by the Transportation Center soon and see the murals for yourself, and join us in congratulating these students on their achievement.
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Guest Column: Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee |
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May is national bike month!
This month is designated as a celebration of all things bicycle to encourage more people to get out and experience life on two wheels and as we make the final transition from winter to spring there couldn’t be a better time of the year for it. With that warming air so full of outdoor promise … why not get out there and give it a try? Beyond just being an incredibly cool and efficient piece of machinery, the bicycle is also extremely useful in getting us around in a more environmentally friendly way, and working out our bodies and minds.
If you are just getting into it and are looking for guidance, our two local bike shops (Gorham Bike and Ski and Maine Bike Works) are incredibly useful resources. Both shops have friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff that are always willing to talk through all the options to get you out there in the way that suits you best. Once you’re out there, enjoy that open air.
If you already own and ride bikes, why not up your game a bit for bike month? One simple way to get out a bit more and increase the visibility of cyclists around town is to commit to running at least one short errand (say, something within 2-3 miles) per week by bike instead of car.
In the future we hope to bring you at least a few celebratory bicycle-centric events around town in honor of bike month but this year we have only one event on the calendar. It is a somber but important one – The international Ride of Silence on May 19th at 7pm. This is an event intended to honor all lives lost in a bicycle/motorist crash. This will be taking place downtown and the number of riders will be capped. If you are interested in being a part of it please look for more info on the City's Facebook page and the BPAC section of the city’s website in the near future.
Did You Know? Fun Facts About Bikes
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Bicycles are amazingly compact. On average, a single car will take up to the same amount of space as 15 bicycles.
- Cycling, on average, is three times quicker than walking at an average pace. It’s that nice middle ground between travelling on foot and driving a car.
- There have been plenty of initiatives over the years to try and encourage people to leave their cars at home in favor of cycling, instead. It’s thought that cycling actually saves over 238 million gallons’ worth of fuel each and every year.
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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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Honoring 360 Years of Service to the City |
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The City Administration and Human Resources Departments partnered this year to recognize our employees who reached milestones in 2020. City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath visited each department to present the employees with certificates and gifts in recognition of their dedication to the City of Saco.
We are incredibly fortunate to have such long-standing staff who truly know, love, and look after the City of Saco.
Watch the video to see who was recognized, and join us in saying thank you by chiming in through the comments.
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City Administrator's Open Office Hours & Mornings with the Mayor |
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City Administrator Open Office Hours
Saco City Administrator, Bryan Kaenrath, has scheduled open office hours on May 25, 2021 from 3:00 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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Mornings with the Mayor
The monthly Mornings with the Mayor event will continue in May, with the next session set for May 15, 2021, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM in the City Hall Council Chambers.
We hope to see you there for the socially-distanced event designed to increase direct engagement with Mayor William Doyle, especially for those who might prefer the in-person to the virtual.
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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Executive Assistant
Torie Gorman
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Question: Many people wrongly assume that administrative assistants just answer phones, respond to e-mails, and schedule meetings. As an Executive Admin, what other responsibilities do you have that might not be so obvious?
Answer: I am in charge of Council agendas and packets. Bryan and I have a weekly meeting with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor where we discuss upcoming Council agendas. I share upcoming agendas with staff and collect the information that needs to be included in the packets. Thursdays are “packet days”, so if I don’t get back to you right away, or I seem a little distracted, that’s why! I manage the process of booking the City’s meeting rooms – if you need to book a room, I’m happy to help! I’m a member of the City’s Safety Committee and represent the City on the Saco Main Street board of directors (where I worked before I started my job with the City).
Administrative Professionals Day was last month. While we’re always thankful for the work you do, we want to say thank you this week, especially. What do you respect/admire the most about administrative professionals across all City departments?
Admins help keep departments running! We always know everything that is going on. We can predict what our department will need and are excellent problem solvers. If you need something done, information, or an answer to a question, ask the Admin! Admins are always willing to help. If I have a question about another department, I know that I can contact that department’s Admin to get the answer!
The pandemic has presented so many new challenges. In what ways has it changed your job and how have you overcome hurdles this year in your work and/or personal life?
In my personal life, the pandemic has reminded me to be patient: patient when learning “new” math with my 2nd and 4th graders, patient in learning how to throw a football to my son (I’ve gotten pretty good!) when he wanted to practice and there were no organized sports going on, and patient when endlessly hearing about the newest Roblox games the kids had discovered (they can talk about this game for hours!).
This past year has also reenforced the importance of being kind to others. Just a few kind words on the phone can make someone’s day! I receive a lot of phone calls in my office. Some of them are meant for Administration, but many of them are people looking for help or advice. Many people call looking for resources, contact information for outside organizations, or have questions that they need answered, but don’t know where to go. These are my favorite kind of calls and I have found great joy in helping people with thing such as a simple Google search, sharing a Covid vaccine phone number, or helping people with directions to get to a new doctors office (I’m not great with directions, but I got them there!). People are always very grateful for the help and kindness that they are given, and it only takes a moment out of your day!
Many of us here at the City have been lucky enough to meet your husband and two children. It has been a challenging year to be a parent – so what do you and your family plan to do for fun this summer?
Our friends own a campground in Brownfield, so we go there as much as we can to tent camp and canoe the Saco River (there are also lots of s’mores involved). We love to go to the beach too. You can find us at Bayview multiple times a week!
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The City of Saco has a variety of open positions across several departments.
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.
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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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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