May 4, 2016

Budget Takes Center Stage
FY 2017 Budget: 
Public Hearing Takes Place Tonight at 7:00PM

May 4, 2016 - As the Town Council prepares for the May 4th Public Hearing on the proposed FY 2017 Budget, two themes emerge. 

First, the Town has ONE budget, developed collaboratively between the Town Council and Board of Education. Councilor Shawn Babine, Chair of the Finance Committee, and Jodi Shea, Chair of the School Board's Finance Committee, emphasized the working relationship between the School and the Town at the April 27th Budget Forum. 

The second theme centers on communication. Information, provided in a useful format, is imperative. Residents need access to relevant data, presented in a variety of formats.  

"We are committed to providing our residents & businesses with relevant and understandable information about the FY2017 Budget," said Tom Hall, Scarborough Town Manager,  "Our new Budget Portal on the website provides comprehensive access to the budget documents. The Budget Forum, held on April 27th,  provided a way for residents to ask questions. As not all residents have access to a computer or may have trouble navigating the website, the Scarborough Public Library has graciously offered their services to assist you.  If you are not able to find what you are looking for or have a question,  please do not hesitate to contact me at Town Hall."

Budget Schedule:
May 4:   Public Hearing (7pm)
May 11: Council/School Budget Workshop
May 18: Council 2nd Reading & Vote
June 14: Budget Validation VOTE


 May 7th: Library Day at Scarborough Grounds
Support a local business and benefit the Scarborough Library in the process. If you've purchased a bag of the Library Blend coffeeyou've sampled the great brew designed for the Library by Scarborough Grounds.  The caf� is extending its partnership with the Library by donating a portion of the day's sales on May 7 to support library services. On the go? Use the Drive-thru! Got some time? Dine in and relax!
                     

Help "Close the Gap" on the Eastern Trail
This image portrays a potential crossing for the  Nonesuch River on the Eastern Trail
The Town of Scarborough, the Eastern Trail Alliance and other partners are working to complete the final 1.6-mile gap in the Eastern Trail that currently exists between Scarborough and South Portland. Federal State and Local funds are planned to help pay for the project, but additional private contributions are needed to "close the gap" on funding. We need your help! Learn more about the project.  

Police Department Creates Safe Zone
The Scarborough Police Department is pleased to announce a new safe zone area at the public safety building.  We recognize that there are times that people need to meet with other people for a variety of reasons, and would sometimes feel more at ease if there were a safe place to do that.
 
The parking lot near the front entrance to the police station (Westwood Avenue) is now able to be monitored by camera from the communications center, which is staffed 24 hours a day. In the event that residents need to meet with someone in a safe environment, we would invite them to do so in our parking lot. This could be to complete an on-line sale, exchange custody of children, execute a document, or a variety of other reasons.
 
Since a number of screens are being monitored in the communications center, please come in to the lobby and advise one of the on-duty dispatchers that you are there to meet with someone in our safe zone. The dispatcher will then ensure that the camera is functioning properly and that you are parked in a monitored area.
 
We hope that this service will be helpful to you!

Beach Monitors Needed
Plover season is upon us.  If you would like to be a Volunteer Beach Monitor please follow the link below!  Being a volunteer  monitor is a great way to get yourself and your family out on the beach.  It also gives you the chance to see a unique and endangered animal.  Thank you for your help and participation in the program.

Beach Monitor Sign-up

Public Safety Awards Presented
On April 29th, the town's public safety departments gathered for their annual joint awards ceremony to recognize outstanding work during the 2015 calendar year.  The event is always open to the public and once again was well attended.

New Calendar is LIVE!
Every week, an amazing number of events are taking place in Scarborough.  Trying to keep track of all the opportunities can be a challenge.

ScarboroughCalendar.org is our answer to the question "What's happening in Scarborough?"  

Superintendent Selection Announced
The Scarborough Board of Education announced the selection of Julie Kukenberger as its next superintendent, pending successful completion of a contract. 

Mrs. Kukenberger was chosen through a rigorous search process from a highly qualified field of applicants.  She currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent for the Haverhill, MA school district.
Public Safety Team Helps Habitat 

Members of the Police and Fire Departments spent a Saturday volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity project, located just off Broadturn Road. The Scarborough subdivision will be Habitat's largest project in Maine. 

Interested in Volunteering? 
Want to learn more?
Contact Laura Duplissis at 207-772-2151 or  Click here to email.

Have You Registered?
Just a reminder to make sure you've registered your dog for 2016.  Did you know that Bella is the most common registered name for a dog in Scarborough?

Want to take a guess at how many dogs are registered in Scarborough?

Email your guess here. There's a Mug with the Scarborough logo on it for the closest guess. If a tie, the first reader to submit gets the cup. (We only have one!)


About the Scarborough Town Newsletter
Welcome to the official newsletter of the Town of Scarborough, Maine.  Brought to you by a team of Town staff, our mission is to keep you informed about town events and activities.  

We hope to foster a sense of community by connecting you to what's happening in town. Finally, this newsletter is also part of an ongoing communication strategy initiated by the Town Council. 

We will be introducing additional features in next few months including a regular column from our Planning and Codes staff. The column will answer the most commonly asked questions from home owners and businesses.

Please note that the newsletter articles are intended to be brief and will often point you back to a link on the Town's Website or Facebook page.  The website is the heart of the communication network within town and is the central repository for information on Town government.

Thanks for reading!  If you have ideas for stories, please email us.  

Your newsletter team:

Tody Justice, Town ClerkLaura Bean, Library
Bill Reichl, Community ServicesMark Mitchell, Codes & Planning
Heidi McNinch, Human ResourcesBrian Longstaff, Codes & Planning
Jaclyn Mandrake, Human ResourcesChief Michael Thurlow, Fire Department
Jaime Higgins, Police DepartmentRuth Porter, Finance
Karen Martin, SEDCOSean Bushway, IT
Magdalena Slawiec, SEDCOTom Hall, Town Manager


2016 Scarborough Town Council
William Donovan, Chair
Shawn Babine, Vice Chair
Chris Caiazzo
Jean-Marie Caterina
Peter Hayes
Will Rowan
Katherine St. Clair