What's in store for the month ahead? Everything that goes hand-in-hand with summer: Beach days, farmers market Sundays, and even an event dedicated to the season itself— Summerfest! We hope you'll take advantage of Scarborough amenities (beaches, parks, trails) and programs in these few weeks before school starts up again. Meanwhile, the Town Council is learning more about potential ballot referendum items for the November election, reflecting on one year of the new Rate of Growth Ordinance, and will soon hear a recap on the Community Center committee work. Read on for further details.

Scarborough Public Library is not only a go-to for books and movies, but also a wide array of free programs. Scroll to the end of the newsletter for a few highlights, but know there are many, many more!

Tuesday: National Night Out with Scarborough Public Safety

Tuesday, August 6

5:30-7:30pm

Memorial Park, 5 Durant Drive

The Scarborough Police Department is holding a National Night Out celebration on Tuesday, August 6 at Memorial Park. Stop by to meet our Scarborough police officers and K9, have a treat from the ice cream truck and take part in some demos and activities. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. 

One Month Left! Enter Our Summer Photo Contest

Outdoors is the place to be this summer in Scarborough—its parks, nature preserves, and beaches provide the perfect setting for the season. We want to see these spaces through your lens. Snap photos while you're out enjoying scenery or time with family, and share with us for a chance to win!

Submit up to three photos with a title and caption (optional). They must be taken in Scarborough and outdoors to qualify! For each photo, select which category to enter it into:

Categories

• Beaches
• Pets
• Scenic/Natural Landscape
• Wildlife
• Parks & Paths
• Families & Fun

Photos are uploaded to Facebook on a rolling basis. The photo with the most 'Likes' in each category will win a gift card/prize from a local Scarborough business. Thanks to Oak Hill Ace Hardware, Highland Farms, Dunstan Tap & Table, Bite Into Maine, Nonesuch River Brewery, and The Dairy Corner for the great prizes!

A Few Recent Submissions...

"After the Storm" by Lisa Weatherbee

"Piping Plovers at Ferry Beach" by Emily Holland

"Thirsty Rocky Jr." by Linda Karwacki

Let's See What Our Staff Is Up To...

Officer Robyn Stankevitz was dispatched to a report of an animal that had been struck by a vehicle. Upon arrival, she learned that a mother opossum had been struck and killed, but there were two babies still alive. She made them comfortable and transferred them to the Saco River Wildlife Center where they will be rehabilitated.

The Police Department held a swearing-in ceremony last Thursday for four new members. The oath was administered by Town Clerk Tody Justice. Those sworn in were Marine Resource Officer and Harbormaster Daryen Granata (pictured above), Dispatcher Sara Stevenson, Reserve Officer Andrew Auger, and Patrol Officer Taylor Owen.

Sightings from our seasonal rangers! Here is a friendly dog they see often, and an all women's surf group at Higgins Beach. They've enjoyed interacting with all sorts of groups and people on Town beaches this summer.

Ballot Referendum Questions Discussed by Council

On Wednesday, July 17 the Town Council held a workshop and regular meeting where they discussed three items being considered for inclusion in the November ballot: a new fire engine, police cameras, and funds for the land bond.

Timeline

January 2024: The Parks and Conservation Land Board sent a letter to the Town Council recommending a referendum question on the November ballot to replenish the land bond. The Town Council made this one of their Conservation & Sustainability goals for 2024.

Spring 2024: The Police and Fire requests are included in the FY2025 budget, which was approved by the Town Council. Because they are both capital expenditures over $400,000, voter approval is required.

July 17: The Council hosted a Referendum Workshop and heard presentations on the three items. A first reading was held for each in the regular meeting that followed. View here.

August 21: Public hearing scheduled for the regular Town Council meeting.

September 4: Second reading and Town Council vote.

October 7: Early voting begins for the November election.

November 5: Election Day

The Police Department is requesting nearly $1M for a lease agreement for cruiser and body worn video and audio recording equipment. The equipment will be used by sworn officers to record certain interactions while on duty and would bring the Scarborough Police department up to industry standards. Scarborough is one of only a few departments in Southern Maine who do not possess either camera.

The Scarborough Fire Department is requesting $1M request for the purchase of a new pumper, commonly referred to as a fire engine. It would replace a 20-year old truck and is scheduled as part of the department's Apparatus Replacement Plan. As the current vehicle ages, it becomes more expensive to maintain and to purchase a new one.

The Parks and Conservation Land Bond of $6M would replenish the now nearly depleted funds that are used to support land purchases for conservation, public access, recreation, and wildlife protection. There has been significant voter approval for the four previous land bond questions dating back to 2000 when it was established and most recently in 2019.

August 7: Council Corner Live on the Land Bond

Wednesday, August 7

6:30-8:00pm

Scarborough Town Hall

In-person / Zoom (link will be on Town Calendar)

Join us for Council Corner LIVE, a two-way conversation and a chance for you to get to know your councilors and talk with them candidly about hot topic issues in town. This session will be on the land bond. Scarborough's land bond is used to acquire land for conservation and other eligible uses as they are requested on an ongoing basis. The Parks & Conservation Land Board recommends and advises the Town Council on land acquisitions identified through an evaluation process, and the funds are now nearly depleted. The Town Council held a first reading on July 17 for a proposed $6 million land bond to be on the ballot this November.

Town Councilor April Sither invites you to join Council Corner Live next week. Here she's at Fuller Farm, one of the Scarborough Land Trust properties purchased with the support of the land bond.

Run for a Seat to Serve Your Town/School

Nomination Papers Available August 7

Do you have an interest in serving on a Board or Council to support your community? Now's your chance— nomination papers will be available on Wednesday, August 7th for the following races:

• Town Council - 2 seats for a 3-Year term to expire 2027

• Town Council - 1 seat to fill a vacancy created by Jean-Marie Caterina, with a term to expire in 2026

• School Board - 1 seat to fill a vacancy created by Carolyn Gammon, with a term to expire in June of 2026

• Sanitary District Trustees - 2 seats for a 3-Year term to expire 2027

Nomination papers can be picked up and submitted in the Town Clerk's office on the main level of Town Hall and must be returned by September 4.

One Year of Rate of Growth Ordinance

In the July 17 Town Council meeting, Planning Director Autumn Speer presented on an annual report of the first year of the new Rate of Growth Ordinance (view recording). It was formerly the Growth Management Ordinance (GMO). In her presentation, she went through the areas in town that are designated for varying levels of growth.

Each area has a designated allotment for growth permits in a year. The one-year rolling allotment is an attempt to slow development in our lower density residential and rural areas. For example, Area 1 is "Rural & Limited Growth Areas" is limited to 25 new permits per year. In this first year, Area 1 permits were depleted before the June deadline, and it's expected that this will happen each year. The other two areas are on a three-year time frame and that flexibility has been working for larger projects. The ordinance also allocates specific number of permits for affordable and workforce housing.

The purpose of the Rate of Growth Ordinance is to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of Scarborough residents by placing reasonable limitations on residential development. Towns are not required to have one, but Scarborough has implemented the ordinance as a tool to manage the pace of development within our community as outlined in our Comprehensive Plan. Based on the metrics tracked in the annual report, the ordinance is working as anticipated. 

Friday, August 16: Summerfest, FREE Event!

Join us for Summerfest, our biggest event of the year, on Friday, August 16, from 5:00-10:00pm. Here are some of the fun offerings:

• Lots of vendors: Local businesses and service groups offering food, treats, apparel sales, info, raffles, games, and chances to win swag.

• Food trucks: Including Cargo Pizza, Steamy Weenies, Mr. Tuna, Mow's Munchies, The Treat Truck, and Char Wrig's Snow & Dough Adventures

• Kids activities: Bounce zone, balloon twisting, pony and train rides, 360° video booth

• Live music by Springsteen Road, sponsored by The Little Gym Scarborough

• Fireworks show to end the night

Public Engagement at Open Space Plan Workshop

Last Thursday, July 25th, around 40 Scarborough residents participated in an interactive workshop as part of the Town’s effort to develop a Conservation Open Space Plan. The workshop kicked off with a presentation by the Town’s hired consultants, Viewshed. The presentation provided an overview of the planning process, Plan goals, and resource categories that are important to consider when making land conservation decisions. 

Following the presentation, participants were asked to review maps for each of six resource categories: habitat, clean water, agriculture and forestry, recreation, environmental hazards, and sea level rise. They marked up the maps with corrections, questions, and suggestions of other information to include on the maps. 

During the workshop’s last activity, participants were given $200,000 to “invest” in the resource categories they felt were most important. Once all investments were made, the team from Viewshed input the information into GIS to create a heatmap of conservation priorities. A similar to the map of conservation priorities will appear in the final Open Space Plan once all community feedback has been collected.

If you were unable to attend the workshop but would like to provide feedback, please visit interactive project website to explore maps and share your ideas. 

Information will be collected from the public through the end of the summer. A draft plan will be available for review in late 2024, and the final plan will be presented to the Town Council in early 2025.

Planning Director Autumn Speer, center, with Scarborough residents at the interactive workshop

You can also learn more about the Open Space Plan at tonight's Concert in the Park or Summerfest.

If you have questions on the Open Space Plan or the planning process, please contact Jami Fitch, Sustainability Manager, at jfitch@scarboroughmaine.org. 

August 12: Vulnerability Assessment Public Meeting

Like other coastal communities, Scarborough is feeling the impacts of sea level rise, storm surge, and increased precipitation. The January 2024 storms were devastating to residents, properties, and infrastructure and point to the need to address the Town’s most at-risk areas and infrastructure. Scarborough is in the process of developing a Vulnerability Assessment to help the Town better understand which areas and infrastructure are most at risk and need to be prioritized for solutions. This is a crucial step for the Town to improve resiliency in the face of predicted environmental stressors, such as flood hazards and sea-level rise. 

The Town is working with GEI Consultants to support the project. The team is currently reviewing data to help inform the assessment. They will also spend time in the field to take measurements of critical infrastructure, like sewer pump stations. They're projecting sea level rise scenarios for a sense of timing from now through the year 2100.

Learn More: Public Meeting on August 12th

The Town of Scarborough is hosting a public meeting on Monday, August 12 from 6:00-8:00pm (Council Chambers/Zoom) to introduce the project and provide an overview of the process and how to provide input. Smaller, neighborhood meetings will be held in the Higgins Beach on September 5th and Pine Point neighborhood on September 24th (both are available to attend in-person and via Zoom).

Read Board & Committee Newsletter for Latest Updates

Last week we sent a board and committee-specific newsletter to you. This is a special edition of our regular newsletter that we like to send periodically for a deeper dive on topics we don't want you to miss. In it we shared some news of projects recently reviewed by the Planning Board (Higgins Beach Market, former Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, hotel in the Cabela's Plaza, etc.). There's also some news from the Coastal Waters committee and a recap of the work of the School Building Advisory Committee and Community Center Advisory Committee, both of which wrapped up this summer. Give the newsletter a quick read-through to learn more if you haven't already.

Speaking of the School Building Advisory Committee, Phase II will begin this fall. All four concepts from Phase I will move forward and will be vetted by professional design and engineering teams.

A Few Dates to Save...

August 21: Community Center Committee Presentation

The Ad Hoc Community Center committee will give their final presentation to the Town Council in an August 21st workshop (5:30pm). The committee has spent the past year reviewing the specifics of a potential future community center and held their final meeting on July 18. They worked with architectural consultant UTILE to narrow down the building program (spaces inside the building) and review operational costs and offsetting revenue potential. They also evaluated municipally owned properties for site fitting. They developed an option that is 90% self supporting with revenue, and will share the breakdown during their final presentation.

October 6: Second Annual Sustainable Scarborough Day

Celebrate being green in your community! The Town of Scarborough is hosting its second annual Sustainable Scarborough Day, bringing together everyone from the environmentally conscious to the eco-curious for a day of learning and fun. Meet with experts, local businesses, nonprofits, and enthusiasts on topics ranging from sustainable living, efficient homes, transportation, landscapes, recreation, waste management, land conservation, and climate action. All activities will be based at Wentworth School. This is a family friendly event with activities for all ages!

Last Concert in the Park is TONIGHT!

The final concert in the popular summer series kicks of tonight at 6:30pm in Scarborough Memorial Park. Come check out the Elton John tribute band, Yellow Brick Road!

Concerts are sponsored by the Scarborough Community Chamber of Commerce and Scarborough Community Services. Check out the Scarborough Community Chamber Facebook page for all up-to-date information regarding the concerts such as rain delays or venue changes.

Save the Date: Annual Senior (55+) BBQ on August 14

Wednesday, August 14

Begins at 11:00am, lunch served at 11:30am

Tent at High School Tennis Courts, Wentworth Drive, Scarborough

$8 per person, Ages 55+

Register Online (Select 8/14 date)

Register by August 5

What better way to wrap up the summer season than with a celebratory BBQ! Community Services hosts this annual event, where you can enjoy a good old fashioned barbecue, complete with hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken, salads, chips, watermelon, dessert, and drinks. We'll have live music provided by Andrew Favreau and raffle prize drawings. Event sponsored by Aetna Medicare Solutions.

August 22: Coastal Meetup & Community Science Event

Thursday, August 22

2:00-3:00pm

Eastern Trail, 140 State Rt 9, Scarborough

Register

Please also create an account on this site before the event.

The Town of Scarborough invites you to participate in the Coastal Flooding Community Science project. This project asks participants to make observations of coastal flooding and coastal flood impacts at select sites in the community. The data collected aids in understanding the unique vulnerabilities Scarborough experiences during astronomical high tides and assists in resilience planning and emergency management. Visit the Gulf of Maine Research Institute project page to learn more.

An initial introduction and orientation, followed by data collection will take place at the Eastern Trail on Thursday, August 22, 2024 starting at 2:00pm. The event is meant to align with an estimated high tide of over 10 feet!

All you need to participate in the Scarborough Coastal Meetup is a camera (a phone camera is great), some comfortable shoes, and weather-appropriate clothes.

"Eastern Trail Bridge" by Towle Tompkins from our 2023 photo contest

Diane Nadeau Appointed New Superintendent

Former Scarborough Assistant Superintendent Diane Nadeau has been named the district's new superintendent. She was appointed after a unanimous School Board vote in May and began in July. She replaces former Superintendent Geoff Bruno.

Diane has a 30-year career in education spanning from elementary school teacher, to literacy specialist, building leader, and most recently Assistant Superintendent. She has been with Scarborough Schools for the last 7 years. During this time, she has "forged strong relationships with staff, families, and the larger community," she says. "I look forward to bringing continued stability and collaboration as we work collectively to support the students of our community now and well into the future."

Diane has placed a high value on her own learning and professional development, having earned her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education, Master's in Literacy Education, Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Educational Leadership, and Ph.D. in Public Policy.

"I am excited to contribute my skill set, experience and passion and to recognize the skills of those around me as we work to increase outcomes for the students of this community and ensure that our educators have the supports in place to do so. Scarborough is so fortunate to have such highly skilled, expert staff across every segment of our organization, as well as strong family and community support for the work of our schools. With everyone working together in the best interest of our students, we will make a meaningful impact."

Town Council Corner: Investing in Public Safety & Conservation this November

By Jon Anderson, Town Council

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Scarborough Town Council.

This November three capital requests may be on the local ballot: Body worn and in-car cameras for the Police Department (~$1M), a fire truck replacement (~$1M), and a request to replenish our land bond fund ($6M). By Town Charter, it is the Council’s responsibility to put these items on the ballot for our community to decide if these are investments we would like to make. Public hearings for these items will take place on Wednesday, August 21st during our 7:00pm regularly scheduled Town Council meeting, with second reading on Wednesday, September 4th that will officially send these referendum items to the ballot for you to vote on this November.

We will also host a Council Corner Live on the Land Bond on August 7th at 6:30pm at Town Hall. If you cannot make a meeting, you can always email the Council with feedback at towncouncil@scarboroughmaine.org.

The Council held a workshop on July 17th to review these items. Below is a short summary of what I learned during our workshop:

Police Cameras: Cameras are common today and an essential tool in modern law enforcement. We are the only town in Cumberland County that does not have body worn cameras or cameras in our cruisers. Some of the key benefits that were highlighted include officer safety and training.

Cameras will allow officers to work with dispatch directly in real-time and increase the flow of information to ensure overall safety for them and the public, particularly in a dangerous situation. They will also help management review cases to determine where there are training opportunities for officers. The evidence provided by these cameras will be instrumental in courtroom procedures and is now a common expectation by the District Attorney’s Office that recordings are available to pursue successful prosecution.  

Fire Truck: The Fire Department has a long history of managing an Apparatus Replacement Plan. This request was eligible for ballot last year, but was deprioritized to purchase an ambulance. The apparatus eligible for replacement was purchased in 2004 and is becoming costly to maintain—in the past 5 years, nearly 25% of the original purchase price has been spent on maintenance. Following the replacement schedule is critical for operational effectiveness and safety. As apparatuses age, their out-of-service time increases. We need them to be available at a moment's notice to support our community. Additionally, building a new apparatus can take longer than 24 months and the purchase price will continue to increase the longer we wait. From a fiscal perspective, adhering to our existing Apparatus Replacement Plan provides financial stewardship and minimizes risk to service quality and performance.  

Land Bond: Councilor Shupe wrote a Council Corner article on the $6M Land Bond “A Path to Continued Land Conservation” that I encourage you to read. The Parks and Conservation Land Board (PCLB) is a Town advisory committee that evaluates land purchases to support conservation. The $2.5M Land Bond approved in 2019 is near depletion. The Town has set a goal to conserve 30% of our land by 2030 and is developing an Open Space Plan to target specific areas for conservation.

The Land Bond request is unique compared to the other two items proposed for the ballot this November. Both the fire truck and police cameras will be bonded immediately, but with the Land Bond we are asking voters if they will extend up to a $6M amount of credit to the Town that will be spent when new conservation opportunities are presented and evaluated by the PCLB and subsequently approved by the Council. Any use of the land bond funds must go through an additional public process with a first reading, public hearing, and second reading where residents can provide their input on the use of the land bond funds to support the purchase of properties. 

The biggest partner the Town has worked with in using the land bond is the Scarborough Land Trust (SLT). From 1996 to 2024, the Town has provided $5.1M through land bond funds to the SLT, while they’ve raised $5.8M in funds from other funding sources including private donations to acquire 1,209 acres in Scarborough for conservation. That equates to roughly $4,200 per acre contributed by the Town for conservation in partnership with the SLT. By partnering with the SLT, the Town avoids the cost to maintain the properties and any investment provided by the SLT that makes them enjoyable for our community. In Scarborough, we are lucky to be home to so many beautiful natural resources, including the Scarborough Marsh. As we continue to grow, it is important that we take action in parallel to conserve land to protect our environment and natural resources. The land bond is one of the tools available to us to do so.

Be on the lookout for more informational communications from the Town so you can make your decision at the polls.  

Scarborough Town Council

Nick McGee, Chair • April Sither, Vice Chair • Jonathan Anderson • Jean-Marie Caterina • Don Cushing • Don Hamill • Karin Shupe

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

Engaging Programs at Scarborough Public Library

The Importance of Salt Marshes

Tuesday, August 6, 6:30-8:00pm

Register

Come for a presentation on salt marshes presented by Beverly Johnson, a professor at Bates College and a founding member of the Maine Blue Carbon Network. Co-hosted with the Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough Land Trust, and Maine Audubon.

About the Speaker

Bev Johnson is a biogeochemist who uses a host of geochemical techniques to explore environmental change over a range of temporal and spatial scales. She specializes in the use of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes to characterize biogeochemical processes on modern, ancient, and geological time scales. Bev’s current primary research focuses on understanding carbon cycling in Maine Blue Carbon ecosystems as a means to mitigate climate change. She and colleagues have funding to measure methane emissions, carbon sequestration and carbon stocks in tidally restricted salt marshes, and to co-host a series of SMARTeams workshops to expand capacity for small scale salt marsh restoration. 

Reader's Theater: Caps for Sale

Tuesday, August 6, 10:00-11:00am

Register

Join us for this picture book-meets-theater mash up. We will hear the classic tale "Caps for Sale" by Esphyr Slobodkina then we will perform the story as a short play. We have parts for ALL ages toddlers through adults. Stage fright getting you down? Be part of the audience!  

Plovers for KIDS! With Maine Audubon

Wednesday, August 7, 1:00-2:00pm

Register

Want to know more about two of Maine's most magical shorebirds? Join a staff member from Maine Audubon's Coastal Birds Project to learn more about the Piping Plovers and Least Terns, two endangered species that call Maine's southern beaches home for the summer. These are general info sessions to give kids and adults alike the opportunity to learn more about the birds, why this type of conservation work is so important, and how beachgoers can help share the shore. There will be an opportunity at the end of the talk to ask questions and receive your very own 'plover lover' sticker!

An adult version of this program will be held on Tuesday, August 6 at 1:00pm. Register

Photo by Emily Holland

Death Cafe with Die Well Death Education

Tuesday, August 13, 6:30-8:00pm

Register

"We're all going to die, so why don't we talk about it? I'm not saying talk about it so incessantly that people generally avoid you, (although you can if you want - I usually do) but rather talk about what we would like our end-of-life experience, our death, and our disposition to look and be like. With clear and concise communication and preparation, you can - and will - create the strongest possibility that you will experience a 'good death.'" -Leona Oceania, from Die Well Death Education

At a Death Cafe, people - often strangers - gather to eat cake, drink tea, and discuss death. Our objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their finite lives.' It is a group-directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives, or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session. Individually wrapped, homemade skull cakelets will be provided. All are welcome - join us!