Happy peak summer! July brings along a number of events, updates, and ways to connect with fellow community members. Kick off the month with evening concerts in Memorial Park and Fourth of July celebrations, then gear up for some free fitness classes thanks to Scarborough Community Services. Meanwhile, Town Council just last night approved the Comprehensive Plan, a vision for the future of growth in Scarborough, and town committees have some new members. Read on for the latest, then unplug for the holiday weekend.

What a stretch of beach weather we've had! A few key reminders: Carry-in/Carry-out. No dogs from 9am-5pm. Be mindful of piping plovers—an endangered species! And make the most of these summer days. Click Here for full beach information.

As the 4th of July approaches, please be aware of the Town's Consumer Fireworks Ordinance and recent amendments made to acceptable use areas:

July is Park and Recreation Month! To celebrate, Scarborough Community Services is hosting FREE fitness sessions in Memorial Park all month long! Sessions include annual favorites like Yoga, Zumba, and POUND Fitness, with some additions like early morning sessions as well as new offerings like Country Heat, PiYo, and Jazzercise. Be sure to register for one or more of our events and let friends and family know—these are open to anyone interested!

Click Here to view the full PDF calendar

Senior programs are back! Take a peek at the activities and trips for July and August in our Senior Summer Brochure.

Registration begins on June 30 for residents and July 7 for non-residents. Registration can be completed by calling us at 207-730-4150 and paying by debit or credit card OR you can stop by the Hub at 418 Payne Road on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays from 10am-2pm to register and pay in person. We accept debit, credit, cash, or check in person.

Paper copies of the brochure are available at the Community Services Hub, 418 Payne Road in Scarborough (call us at 207-730-4150 and we can run a copy out to you). Copies will also be available at the Scarborough Public Library.

Our Community Services department is to thank for all of these fun summer programs. Their mission is to "enhance the quality of life for all residents by promoting a community centered environment through properly maintained public spaces and engaging recreation opportunities." See our job openings for opportunities to join their team.

At the end of June, the Assessing Department mailed valuation notices to properties that have an upcoming change to their assessment for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. Only properties experiencing an increase have received a notice. Changes are due to the following:

The notice included the property card so that any changes can be reviewed. You can use our How to Read Your Property Card guide to understand each section of your property card.

Please bring any errors to our attention as soon as possible, as the proposed assessment will be the basis for your property taxes starting with the Fall 2021 bill.

Tax exemption applications are still being accepted and the deadline has been extended to July 30. Click Here for more information on qualifying exemptions and how to apply.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has announced that a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags will go into effect on July 1. This will help protect Maine's environment and reduce waste. Remember to bring your reusable bags when shopping!

Did you know you can drop off your household food waste (compost) in town? Scarborough has a new partnership with We Compost It, a Southern Maine composting service. A significant change that comes with this is that our food waste drop-off location at Pine Tree Waste on Pleasant Hill Rd will no longer be available as of July 1. The drop off location at Scarborough Public Works (20 Washington Ave, behind the Holy Donut) will remain in use.

Click Here for details on what’s accepted as compost in these bins.

Tonight: Concert in the Park

Come down to Memorial Park tonight, Thursday, July 1 at 6:30pm to enjoy live music by the Don Campbell Band with friends and family, concessions from Rotary Club, and our popular raffle! The event is free to attend for all ages. Click Here for the Facebook event to let others know you're going!

July 4: New Fire Truck Debut!

The Fire Department has received a new fire truck, and it will be going into service in Pine Point on Sunday July 4 following the annual 4th of July neighborhood parade. Our antique muster truck and the new and old Engine 4s will be lining up for the parade, which begins at Hurd Park at 9:00am and and ends at the Fire Station. Chief Moulton is the Grand Marshal this year. At the conclusion of the parade there will be a pushing-in ceremony and dedication of the new truck followed by the traditional strawberry shortcake dessert. All are welcome!

July 9: Maine Backyard Campout

Join the campout on the weekend of July 9-10 with families all across the state of Maine! Register your family before July 7 to receive our digital Maine Backyard Campout Handbook, chock-full of great camping tips and ideas. Each family that registers will be entered to win prizes, including a firepit & s'more kits! Winners will be drawn Thursday, July 8. One entry per household.

This event is part of Parks & Rec Month! Click Here to view the full lineup of activities and events happening throughout July.

July 10: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day

Safely dispose of your household hazardous waste materials. This is a free service to residents of Scarborough, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Biddeford (proof of residency is required).

Click Here for the Facebook event to be reminded.

Scarborough Police Chief Robbie Moulton is in his final week of a lifelong career, now retiring after 44 total years of service and 22 years as Police Chief.

"Retirement—It seems that just yesterday I didn’t even recognize that word, but alas, the day has come. As I prepare to leave a career that I have had for over 44 years, I have been overwhelmed by the kind words and well wishes of so many people. I have heard the term bittersweet tossed around from time to time but had not really thought about what that meant. I now realize what it means is to look forward to a life without a schedule, a constant connection to a cellphone, or a razor, while at the same time, realizing how much I will miss the connections with people. Bittersweet."

Chief Robbie Moulton received an honorary Town Council proclamation commending him for his over four decades of service to the Town.

Sergeant Gene O’Neill has been a prominent member of the Scarborough Police Department since 1988, and we are thrilled to announce that he has assumed the role as the Town’s new Marine Resources Officer.

His long tenure began over three decades ago as a Patrol Officer, followed by five years as a Detective before becoming a Patrol Sergeant in 1994, a position he has kept since. He and the Town saw the MRO position as an opportunity to utilize his strengths—management and people skills—while working with the waterfront community.

The Marine Resources Officer oversees the harbors in Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth, actively used by shellfish harvesters. The primary responsibilities are conservation management and marine safety for boaters and surfers. Sergeant O’Neill emphasized how important monitoring is for the clamming industry in Scarborough. “Monitoring keeps it alive,” he says, and he plans to undergo water testing, surveys to study clam health, and more.

While the waterfront may call for different needs than inland policing, O’Neill sees the role as strikingly similar. “It still involves dealing with people and solving problems before they become bigger issues,” he says. “My job is to keep people safe and to enforce the law when necessary.”

Even when not working, O’Neill is still serving the community. He has been a Mason and a Shriner for years, walking in parades with fellow members and fundraising for organization efforts. He lives in Old Orchard Beach with his wife and daughter, who begins college in Boston in the fall. His short-haired dachshund Sullivan also keeps him busy.

Sergeant O’Neill has really enjoyed working for the Town of Scarborough and is looking forward to his new role beginning this summer. “The coast of Scarborough is gorgeous, and I want to keep everybody there happy. My door is always open.”

Builders, designers, and anyone contemplating a construction or renovation project: Please be aware of some significant changes to the building energy code. On July 1, 2021, Maine will move from the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) to the 2015 IECC.

Scarborough Code Enforcement office will use the following guideline for building permit administration:

• Permits issued or pending prior to 7/1/21 would be completed under the IECC 2009 code.

• Permits applications received prior to 7/1/21 would be completed under the IECC 2009 code.

• Projects under construction as of 7/1/21 would be completed under the IECC 2009 code.

• Applications received within 30 days of 7/1/21 will be allowed to be reviewed and permitted under either the 2009 IECC or the 2015 IECC as the applicant chooses. This is in recognition that significant design and planning may have been done using the 2009 IECC, and also material contracts and other commitments may have occurred without knowing that a new energy code would be in effect prior to submitting the permit application.

Beginning August 1, 2021, we anticipate that all building permit applications received for new projects will be reviewed, permitted, and completed under the 2015 IECC as builders, designers, and owners will have had enough time to make the necessary changes for compliance.

Questions? Contact the Scarborough Planning & Codes office at (207) 730-4040 or email blongstaff@scarboroughmaine.org.

During the Town Council meeting yesterday evening (June 30), councilors held a public hearing and second reading of the Comprehensive Plan. This preceded a full vote, in which councilors unanimously supported the Plan adoption.

The Comprehensive Plan aims to be an expression of Scarborough residents’ hopes and thoughts on important issues that impact the day-to-day experience of what it means to live and work in Scarborough. Revisions, public input, and discussion have been ongoing since 2017. The Plan was most recently brought to public attention again in Fall 2020 with three public forums and a Town Council Workshop, and then again with three June 2021 sessions.

In addition to envisioning the design of downtown uses, there will need to be significant improvements to roads, trails and infrastructure in the surrounding area to support the anticipated growth and make it easy to get to and enjoy the downtown area. The Crossroads Holdings team recently held a workshop with the Town Council based on a Maine Department of Transportation Traffic Movement Permit (TMP) that has been in development over the past two years in collaboration with the developer, Town, and MDOT. It includes a wide range of transportation improvements that address the traffic, pedestrian and transit impacts and needs of the development project, as well as a number of longstanding transportation deficiencies that have been identified by the Town through their traffic impact fee ordinances.

Crossroads Holdings is looking to the Town to provide financial partnership using traffic impact fee reserves that have been collected to help fund some of these projects, many of which have been identified by the town as critical investments that could not be done financially without a collaboration between the town, state, and the developers. The town's traffic impact reserve funds have been collected from payments by prior developments and do not include any municipal tax dollars.

Public input is welcome and encouraged. To share your thoughts on the work as it advances, please attend a committee meeting, scheduled for every other Tuesday at 6:30pm, or complete the online feedback form. Please also feel free to email myself or Councilor Cloutier (council representatives on the committee) to share your feedback.

Scarborough Town Council

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

The Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) hosted its annual Chamber membership meeting on June 24 to elect new board members and officers. Town Manager Tom Hall presented what has become known as the “State of Scarborough” report, which highlighted the state of the economy and showcased select major commercial projects and town initiatives.

The meeting also welcomed in a new SCCC president, Tonya Beckwith with University Credit Union. Other officers include Judy Knapp (Ahold Delhaize), Brooke Hockney (Piper Shores), and Annalee Rosenblatt. Dennis Meehan (Portland Seadogs), finished his two-year term as SCCC president with the June membership meeting. Dennis will serve with the other officers in the role of Past President.

The 2020-2021 school year came to a close on June 18, 2021—and what a year it was! When the school year began in August, COVID-19 was very prevalent in our state and our community. 6’ distancing required our schools shifted to a hybrid model, only allowing half of our students in a classroom at a time. Students either attended school in-person on Monday and Tuesday and were remote the balance of the week, or attended school on Thursday and Friday and were remote the other three days.

These scenarios presented several challenges and obstacles for our staff - all of which were met head-on, with zest and conviction. Our staff was the glue that kept our schools together and made learning possible throughout the school year for our students. Scarborough Public Schools Administration will be forever grateful! We thank them for the dedication and devotion they displayed throughout this most demanding school year! Pleasant Hill School students said it the best: “Together we can do anything!”

Looking ahead to the 2021-2022 school year, we are excited to announce that our current plan is to return to full, five days per week of in-person learning for all students! The number of vaccinated individuals in our State continues to climb and cases of the virus decrease, allowing most of the previous State mandates to either lessen or diminish altogether. The social distancing requirement and the mandatory mask mandate ended on June 30. This is great news for our schools and will let them open up fully at the start of the school year. We hope everyone has a safe, enjoyable and relaxing summer! Be sure to get out and experience all that Maine has to offer!

Monday – 9am to 5pm

Tuesday – 9am to 7pm

Wednesday – 9am to 7pm

Thursday – 9am to 7pm

Friday – 9am to 5pm

Saturday – 9am to 1pm

Sunday – Closed

Visit Youth Services to sign up for the Summer Reading Program in person and take home a Reading Log and Spy Activities. Or, register online and print the Reading Log and Spy Activities.

July 1 marks the beginning of the Maine Library Quest Summer 2021 Challenge. Who Stole Maine’s Honey Bees? Click Here for details on participating in the statewide scavenger hunt!

Read some great books, then enter for a chance to win a prize at our end-of­-summer drawing! Bingo cards can be picked up at the Reference Desk or downloaded here. Deadline to enter drawing is September 21.

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