[8:52] Good evening everyone and welcome to the SO City Council meeting for Monday, July

[8:56] 20th at 6:30 p.m. Before we call the official meeting to order, we do have

[9:01] two workshop items uh that we will be addressing. First, the first item is an

[9:05] assessing overview. And with us, we have Assessor Shawn McCarthy.

[9:16] And with him, Deputy Assessor Kate Karns.

[9:42] It did. Thank goodness >> it works.

[9:45] » All right. >> Hello everyone.

[9:47] » Good evening. [clears throat] >> So, uh, my deputy assessor Kate Kern is

[9:51] going to start us off here and then I'll take over in a little bit. So, Kate,

[9:54] » sure. I just want to say good evening, city council, mayor, administrator

[9:59] Pelleter. We're just here to give you an update on what's been happening in the

[10:04] assessing department and the values citywide. Um,

[10:09] so what were the results of the vision, measure, and list that we completed

[10:13] about six months ago? Um, how do we update the values? Why did we update the

[10:19] values? And what does that mean for the future? Those are the big topics. And

[10:25] for the measure and list, we basic

[10:31] up here. Um, for the measure and list, um, the purpose of that was to

[10:38] go property to property and make sure that we had good data for each parcel.

[10:42] Um, when people were home, they were able to talk to them. Um, when they were

[10:47] allowed in, they were able to go in and verify data that way. They took new

[10:51] photos of every property. when they weren't able to get in but felt like

[10:56] they needed to, they would send follow-up letters and go back. Um, so

[11:00] having done this 18month project gave us a good foundation to go ahead and um

[11:07] have solid a solid data foundation to start analyzing the sales and the market

[11:13] in SACO. Um, and that's what we've been doing.

[11:19] » So a statistical update. Um there's a few pieces of information uh that I want

[11:24] to go over before we get into the the actual process. Right? So a few terms.

[11:29] Sales ratio. What is a sales ratio? It's a basically a measure of how close our

[11:32] assessments are to market rate. Right? Usually expressed as a percentage. If

[11:37] you have a $100,000 property that sells for 80,000 or that we have assessed at

[11:41] $80,000, we would be at 80% of market value. Just simple math terms. Um so

[11:46] it's a measure of accuracy. How accurate are we on our assessments? Um it uh we

[11:52] use the average ratio across the city to uh determine the amount the state

[11:57] reimbures us for exemptions. If we fall too low, the state gives us less money

[12:01] and we have to factor homestead exemptions, veterans exemptions, a bunch

[12:05] of things across the city. So the state the the law is 70% to 110% is the range

[12:13] you can be in and still be within compliance of the rules the state sets

[12:17] for us as assessors. If you drop below 91% that's when the factoring of

[12:21] exemptions starts happening. There's also the quality rating. This is a

[12:26] measure of how far from the average ratio any given sale is. So if the

[12:31] average ratio is 100% and you have a sale that comes in at 110% the quality

[12:37] rating for that sale is 10, right? And so you average that out across the whole

[12:41] sample. That's your quality rating. It's a measure of how precise we are. Right?

[12:45] Our average could be good, but we could have a huge cluster of sales at 150 and

[12:48] a huge cluster at 50%. I wouldn't say we're doing a good job in that scenario,

[12:53] right? So that's what quality rating is measuring. Um it's used to determine how

[12:57] equitable assessments are. In the case where there's a big group at 150 and a

[13:00] group at 50, we're not equitable, right? So that's what this is measuring. And

[13:05] the state requires a quality rating of less than 20. That's the line for this.

[13:10] So a statistical update, how do we do it? Um, first we collect and analyze

[13:17] sales. The assessment department gets every single sale that happens in the

[13:20] city of SACO, assuming you record your sale at the registry of deeds. Um, and

[13:26] now the a lot of these sales are no good. They're not what we call qualified

[13:30] sales. If you pass down a piece of of land to your child, that's not a qualifi

[13:34] qualified sale. If you give 500 square f feet to your butter so they can put a

[13:38] shed on their property, that's not a qualified sale. We want arms length

[13:42] transactions between two unrelated parties. It's exposed to the market.

[13:46] Both parties are trying to get the best deal for themselves, right? That's what

[13:49] we're looking for. Those are qualified sales. We had 399 of them in the area,

[13:56] the uh time period we used to calculate this most recent valuation update. That

[14:00] time period was July 1st of 24 to June 31st of 2025. Right? That's the time

[14:07] frame the state uses to judge us when they audit us every year. So, it's this

[14:10] the time frame we use. Um, you can push it out to 18 months if you want, but we

[14:14] didn't need to do that. 399 is more than enough. Um, so you look at that, you get

[14:19] all of the sales data in, you prune out the bad ones. Now, we need to determine

[14:23] what adjustments need to be made at all. Right? If we're at 100%, great. Job's

[14:28] done. We don't need to do anything. Um, that was not the case when we started

[14:32] looking at the data. So, we look at if we have a single family home sale, we're

[14:37] going to look at that from a bunch of different angles. We're going to look at

[14:40] what type of home is it. Is it a colonial? Is it a Cape Cod? Is it a

[14:43] ranch? We're going to look at the square footage. We're going to look when was it

[14:46] built? We're going to look the neighborhood in the city that it it

[14:49] exists within. Right? And when you have 399 sales, you get a good sampling for a

[14:55] majority of the city. Not everywhere, but for a lot of it. And in some

[14:58] neighborhoods, you'll have a lot of good data, some less so. Right? So we start

[15:02] looking at it from all those different angles to try to find out where our weak

[15:04] points are. So we have like a test database. It's all of our data from the

[15:10] live database that I can go in and just start making changes and do crazy stuff

[15:14] and it won't affect people's actual valuations that they pay their taxes on.

[15:18] Right? So essentially we got those sales, we saw where we were at. I start

[15:22] making changes. We change something, look and see what it does to the data.

[15:27] analyze the results and then repeat until we get to a place we're happy

[15:31] with. Right? You may have noticed at no part in this did I pull comps for a

[15:36] property. At no part in this did I go in and drill down and start really

[15:41] analyzing the minute details of what makes this property unique. That is not

[15:46] what this is. That's not what the assessment department does. We do what's

[15:49] called mass appraisal. And this is how mass appraisal is performed. It is

[15:54] statistical analysis. when you're at the level the size of the city of Sako,

[15:57] you've got 400 sales in a year. We're not quibbling over a single sale

[16:03] necessarily. Now, there are cases where we might we can get into that a little

[16:06] bit later. Now, this the graph I'm sure you've seen on the screen is a measure

[16:11] of all the ratios after I made the update of every single sale in our

[16:16] sample. And you'll notice the red line is the average. And it might be hard to

[16:20] see cuz it's a little small, but you'll notice at the left side of the graph,

[16:24] which is the oldest sales, it's about 95ish, maybe a little higher. And then

[16:30] as you go to the right and time goes on and we go to 2025, it slowly trends down

[16:36] and it ends probably somewhere in the 85%ish range. That is the market

[16:41] changing over the course of the sample. Um, I'm sure many people have a lot of

[16:46] opinions about what the market in the city of Sako is doing. I can promise you

[16:50] it is appreciating in general. Does that mean there are places where that may not

[16:54] may be less true? Absolutely. But in general, on average, we're appreciating

[17:00] about 5 to 8% a year right now. I'm not going to try to pretend to understand

[17:06] what might happen 6 months from now, but that's where we're at today.

[17:10] So once we make those changes, I've analyzed the results. I feel comfortable

[17:14] with what we've got. We push those d changes to the live database. We update

[17:18] everyone's real values that they will pay taxes on. And that's what was on the

[17:23] letter that everyone got, right? That was the the updated data that we pushed

[17:27] to the live database. So we made the changes. We went from

[17:34] about 77% when I started analyzing the data back

[17:39] in February to about 91%. And the question a lot of people have

[17:45] asked me and I'm sure some of you have heard as well is well Sean why'd you

[17:50] bother to do anything at all? Right? You could have just left it. You weren't

[17:53] below the 70%. You could have just stayed there. And there's a few reasons.

[17:58] First one, factoring to a lower ratio cost the city money directly, meaning it

[18:02] raises taxes by get us getting less money from the state. If we were to

[18:08] factor today, if we stayed at 77%, I calculated this using the tax rate

[18:12] calculation sheet based on our current budget, we would lose about $277,000

[18:17] in state reimbursement for exemptions. So, everyone's homestead's going down.

[18:21] And we'd lose about $145,000 in revenue from personal property. Now, personal

[18:26] property isn't a huge percentage of the budget, but $145,000 is not pocket

[18:31] change, right? Because we have to factor personal property to be where whatever

[18:35] real estate is at. So, if we're at 77%, they're coming down to 77% as well. So,

[18:40] that's a direct loss in revenue. There's also a shift that occurs as your ratio

[18:46] gets lower. There's sort of a floor that you can be at and have a home at all,

[18:53] right? And as we get lower and lower, as our percentages get lower, that we get

[18:58] approach that floor and all the difference between a higherend property

[19:01] and a lower-end property shrinks. And now that's fine in theory, but it has

[19:07] very real tax bill implications. So I've I've got a little chart here. Uh I won't

[19:12] bore you with the details, but you'll notice at the lower-end property, if we

[19:16] go from 70% to 100% and we have, let's say, a budget increase, so the mill rate

[19:21] doesn't absorb all of that. we go to $850, similar to the situation we find

[19:24] ourselves in here today. Their tax bill is about $450, but the $700,000 property

[19:31] goes from 70 to 100% and their tax bill goes increases by $1,000. Right? The the

[19:37] less valuable property is shouldering less of the property tax burden because

[19:43] there is a greater actual difference in the values between the 300,000 and the

[19:47] 700,000 in this example. Right? It's a very simple explanation but I hope you

[19:55] understand that you see the theory. Um, so we've talked a lot of theoreticals.

[20:01] What did we actually do? So we adjusted building values first. We based it on

[20:07] industry standards. Marshall and Swift is what we use. That's cost price per

[20:11] square foot for things. How much does it cost to get a shed? How much does it

[20:14] cost to put a Whirlpool tub in your bathroom? Right? That's where so we

[20:18] update the the the cost values based on Marshall and Swift and then land values

[20:24] increase to conform with sale prices. So what do I mean by this? So if I know

[20:29] that our cost data is good and I have two 1500 square foot ranches built to

[20:34] the same quality, maybe even built by the same builder, but one is in one part

[20:39] of the city and one is in another part of the city and one sold for $200,000

[20:43] more. I don't think that the the uh difference there is in the building.

[20:49] It's in the land. One of those places is more desirable to live for one reason or

[20:53] another. And when we have sufficient sales in certain neighborhoods, when I

[20:57] initially started doing this process, I changed the sale the cost data first

[21:02] because that's the most straightforward. And then I started look analyzing the

[21:05] data again and I noticed that some neighborhoods were maybe at 85% and some

[21:11] maybe were at 65%. These neighborhood values haven't been changed in more than

[21:16] a decade at this point ultimately and the city has changed. I'm sure anyone

[21:21] who's been here over that last decade could tell you that the city looks very

[21:24] different today than it did back in 2016. And so we updated those values so

[21:30] that the ratio of those sales comes closer to that 91%. We're aiming for

[21:34] par. It's not an exact science, but if we can get everyone pretty darn close to

[21:38] 91%, I feel like we've done a good job.

[21:42] So, and this it's worth noting the 91% as I mentioned is the minimum increase

[21:48] to get 100% value of all of the exemptions and everything else. So, the

[21:54] reason being the state lets you claim to be within 10% of whatever your true

[21:58] ratio is. So, if we're at 91, 10% of 91 is nine. We can claim 100, right? But

[22:05] that does mean that if the market continues to appreciate, we quickly fall

[22:09] below that minimum threshold. So there's a balancing act to be had here. Do we go

[22:14] all the way to 100%, risk the market collapsing, risk things changing, and

[22:18] then we have to make further unforeseen adjustments in the future or

[22:22] do we do the minimum possible adjustment to give make it the least abrasive for

[22:28] taxpayers but risk having to do updates again in

[22:32] the future? I don't think any assessor would tell you that there's a right

[22:35] answer to that question, but we chose to go to 91%. Um, it's worth noting we went

[22:40] from 77 with a 14 quality rating to 91 with a five quality rating. So, we have

[22:46] improved the quality of the data overall.

[22:50] So, I threw a lot at you. What has happened so far? I'm sure you've all

[22:54] heard quite a bit about the fact that values have changed, right? We sent out

[22:58] letters to every taxpayer with their new valuations on them, right? uh they

[23:02] didn't land all at once such as the whims of the USPS, but we sent them out

[23:06] and we made available an online booking tool so that anyone could go on the

[23:11] city's website and click on a thing and schedule some time with us. Um we've

[23:15] taken 38 of those meetings and scheduled 124 more of them. Uh I have

[23:19] unfortunately had to pull down the booking page purely because all of the

[23:23] time slots in it were full and now people can still call. we'll talk with

[23:28] you on the phone or we'll schedule a time to squeeze you in somewhere, right?

[23:31] We'll make it work. We want want to meet with as many people as possible. But the

[23:34] automated system had had fulfilled its purpose and I think honestly I'm pretty

[23:38] I didn't think we'd get that many to be entirely honest with you. So, I'm pretty

[23:41] pleased with that. Um, as of right now, since the the the letters hit, we've

[23:46] taken 235 phone calls and an unknown number of walk-ins. I wish I'd tracked

[23:50] it, but I have not. It was quite a few, I'm sure you can imagine.

[23:55] So, what next? talked about it a little bit. We're going to keep looking at

[23:58] sales, right? We keep getting them. I analyze them. I look at them on a

[24:02] monthly basis. Our property appraiser comes in and shows me ones that are

[24:05] especially out of line with our assessed value. U but come January, February of

[24:11] this coming year, I'm going to be looking at this again, right? Where are

[24:14] we? Because the state will be looking at it too. And uh we need to at least have

[24:19] an idea of where we are. If necessary, the market continues to change. will

[24:25] continue to make adjustments. That means, I want to be clear, both up and

[24:29] down. If the market collapses underneath us, I don't think we're foreseeing a

[24:33] 2008 situation. But if it goes down, if we lose 5% over the next year, I'll

[24:38] happily drop values 5%. Right? I want our data to be accurate first and

[24:42] foremost. And if that means going down, then we'll happily go down.

[24:46] This point, I know I threw a lot at you. Any questions?

[24:51] » Thanks, Sean. Any questions? Councelor Huitt and Councelor Edwards, when can

[24:57] people expect to see their tax bills in the mail?

[24:59] » Sure. Um, the plan is to commit early August. The tax bill will hit early

[25:03] September and then it is due uh October 14th.

[25:13] » Yep. Go ahead, Council Huitt. Will there still be a discount for the historic

[25:17] district? >> There is no discount for the historical

[25:20] district that I'm aware of. Okay.

[25:25] » Yeah. I will say they generally sell for less than equivalent properties

[25:31] elsewhere because of the burden placed on them by being in the historical

[25:35] district. But there's there's not a line item in our um assessment database for

[25:40] historical district. At least not right now.

[25:45] » Anything else? >> Councelor Edwards.

[25:48] » Thank you, Mayor. Um hi. So, the several calls that I received,

[25:54] they were um of course not happy with knowing that their houses were more, but

[26:00] um the part of the concern was the time period and I was wondering if for their

[26:09] sakes and and mine frankly um would do you see in the future having an

[26:15] assessment maybe in five years versus another decade?

[26:20] Um I would I think my preference would be that these be smaller and more

[26:25] regular. Um the last big update was in 2023. Um we went up like 35% across the

[26:33] city purely because we were trying to keep some something close to pace with

[26:36] the COVID market. We've obviously slowed since then. U but we're still

[26:40] appreciating it. I mean 5 to 8% a year is is quite a good clip. That's not

[26:45] usual. Um, so yeah, at least until the market starts changing, if we start

[26:50] seeing a tailing off, uh, we can maybe slow down updates then, but it would be

[26:55] my personal preference that we make small updates every year so it's not

[26:59] 20%. Here you go. Right. Right. >> Thank you,

[27:02] » Council Warren. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, when you talk

[27:06] about a five or 10% assessment per year, are you talking about pulsing that

[27:11] number of properties? What What are we talking about with that number? So um

[27:14] when we're when I'm talking about five to 10% I'm talking about appreciation of

[27:18] the market the values are increasing by that amount.

[27:22] » Okay. And do we just automatically bake that in as an incremental increase to

[27:27] the assessment without going back out and actually physically reassessing

[27:30] which is what we've done this cycle? >> Right. So this cycle we went we sent out

[27:34] the vision data collectors to ensure our data was accurate. Um I I don't think

[27:38] it's perfect by any means but it's certainly better than it was before. We

[27:41] continue to look at any property that pulls a building permit. Any property if

[27:44] a property sells and we notice that, oh, that was well above our assessed value.

[27:48] Oh, look, they have a finished basement we didn't have. We'll update properties

[27:51] that way as well. But we don't go like set a goal to go out and say see 10% of

[27:56] the city every year. It's not specifically anyway. We do often just by

[28:00] nature of doing our jobs, following building permits, all of that stuff. But

[28:04] yeah, councelor Gail.

[28:08] » Thank you, Mayor. Um, I guess thank you so much for you and your staff for being

[28:14] so open and uh willing to meet with folks and talk talk with them. That's

[28:18] super helpful and um I've heard from some folks that that was a a good

[28:23] conversation. So, thank you. >> Um I guess just could you go back and

[28:30] explain to me the the quality rating? Could you go over that one more time?

[28:33] I'm not >> Absolutely. Let's go back in time real

[28:37] fast. I caught I caught that piece of it.

[28:39] » Sure. So, we determine our average sales ratio. Let's say it's 91% for the sake

[28:43] of argument. And then we get a a sale in that sample sells for 100% of our

[28:50] assessed value. It would have a quality rating of nine because it is 9% away

[28:55] from the average, right? And so the goal is that a majority or most of your sales

[29:00] are close to the average. Right? So, if if we have um a property and it sells

[29:07] for 200% of its assessed value, that's a quality rating of quick math in my head,

[29:14] 108. Obviously, something is wrong there, right? That I would look at that

[29:18] and say clearly our data is incorrect. Like, I know where our our overall

[29:24] valuation is at. if something is at 200% clearly that the data going into the

[29:28] system is wrong rather than like a fundamental problem with the way we

[29:32] value a property. Um so on average so you uh you determine the quality rating

[29:37] for every single individual sale. In our case it was 400 and then you average

[29:42] that up and the average of your quality rating is your quality rating for your

[29:46] assessments as a whole. So in our case after the updates it was 5.6 was what we

[29:51] were at after we made all of the adjustments. was 14 in change. I don't

[29:56] remember the decimal at before the adjustments. So, we we brought everyone

[30:00] a little bit closer together. >> And is there um

[30:06] I guess do you know or do you have a sense from from other communities and

[30:10] other assessors kind of where that ranks in southern Maine? I mean, that seems

[30:15] like a pretty accurate >> Yeah, to be honest, I don't know. Um, I

[30:20] know generally assessors don't like to be above 10. That's kind of a line like,

[30:24] okay, you need to start making some adjustments because something's clearly

[30:27] wrong. Um, 20, like I mentioned, is the statutory line. That's where main

[30:30] revenue comes in and says, okay, you you need to do something different because

[30:33] clearly whatever you're doing is is wrong.

[30:36] » Um, but generally they like to stay under 10. So, I feel like if we're under

[30:39] 10, if we could get below five, I'd love to see it. But, you know, small

[30:43] victories. >> Gotcha. Yeah. And I guess just to to

[30:46] echo what councelor Edwards was mentioning just in terms of the length

[30:49] in between um just in some conversations it feels like the shorter uh or the more

[30:56] frequent but smaller increases would be appreciated. Yeah.

[31:01] » This was a big one. So >> thank you.

[31:05] » Thank you. Anyone else? Council Johnston one point to your to your question.

[31:11] Since prior to 2021, we were appreciating like this and then

[31:17] COVID hit and it went like this. And so we haven't seen these kind of increases

[31:23] in the history of the city until 21. And that's when the market started taking

[31:28] off. And that's when every year consistently more and more and more. So

[31:33] it's we've really kept up the best we possibly could with the data. I mean,

[31:38] you you can't change assessments on a dime. you need all of the data to look

[31:42] at. So the 2023 increase 24 25 here we are again. Um and like I said you just

[31:52] prior to 21 it was pretty steady and then it just went like this. So I think

[31:56] it's impossible to really tell right now.

[32:01] » Council question. >> Yes. Go ahead then. Councelor Johnston.

[32:05] » Okay. Um I guess just a a hypothetical. So in terms of adding additional housing

[32:10] stock >> Mhm.

[32:11] » Um with the increase in in sales prices um theoretically then it's that's

[32:22] that's going to only increase the the values, right? Unless there was some

[32:26] sort of market correction and and the the new housing stock was going below

[32:34] um below the market.

[32:37] » Yeah. >> Today does that make

[32:39] » Yeah. I understand what your question is I think and let me know if I answer it

[32:43] and it's totally off in left field but like we generally don't try to draw

[32:46] conclusions from for example Omari Court um that's a relatively new subdivision

[32:52] that got put in that all the sales sold at once. So we have good data on Amari

[32:56] court. I tried my I tried to keep Amari court in Amari court, right? It does

[33:02] tell us something, right? Because they're valued the same way any other

[33:06] property in the city is valued in theory, right? We put in we draw the

[33:10] sketch, we put all the same attributes in. So if Amari Court is selling for

[33:14] well above our assessed value, that does speak to a problem. But if I make some

[33:21] updates and Amari Court is still substantially lower than everything

[33:24] else, that speaks to us needing to make adjustments on Amari Court itself

[33:28] specifically rather than on the city generally. Yeah,

[33:33] » Council Johnston, >> thank you. Um, thank you for the

[33:36] presentation. My question though is um for the administrator

[33:41] I I think most of the questions are all good have been answered but I think the

[33:46] outstanding question for most residents remains the mill rate and could you give

[33:51] us an idea of when that would be set and with valuations increasing is it likely

[33:56] that we will see a reduction in mill rate

[33:58] » it is and I've spoken to both Sean and Kate um like they said we're going to uh

[34:02] commit the 1 of August I don't want to put a number out there now, but I will

[34:07] say yes, it will drop based on what was presented during the budget. I want them

[34:11] to be able to finish their work with the meetings with each indiv individual

[34:14] resident because I know part of that is reviewing the data with the residents as

[34:19] they're coming in to make sure that their numbers are all accurate. Um, but

[34:23] my plan would be hopefully by I'm going to be optimistic and say the August 3rd

[34:28] meeting, I might be able to report that out in my administrator's report.

[34:33] » Thank you. >> A slight addendum. Our our plan

[34:35] currently is to commit August 3rd. Okay. So, it might not be done in time for

[34:40] that, but hopefully I'll do my best to go fast.

[34:44] » Thank you. Anyone else?

[34:49] » Okay, not seeing anyone. Thank you very much.

[34:59] Okay, next up we have Director Moore with a workshop on the Smith Do Stockman

[35:04] connector update.

[35:15] Good evening. So, I brought uh one of my co-workers with me, uh Adam Bliss, the

[35:21] city engineer. So, he's going to get into some of the technical aspects, but

[35:26] I'm just going to start off by giving an update of where we're at uh to date.

[35:33] So, kind of going to go through the background, where where the project

[35:36] started, where we're at. Um we'll we'll look at the design, uh talk about some

[35:42] options that we have, and then obviously answer any questions that you you may

[35:46] have. So, first off, the background. So, it's been a long-standing goal of the

[35:51] city to uh have a back connection to those parcels on the east side of Route

[35:55] One, similar to what we have across the street on the west side over by

[35:59] Hannerford and behind McDonald's and down to Hutchkins. So, in 2021 when the

[36:05] redevelopment of the old Pizza Hut was done in the Chipotle, Jersey Mike. So

[36:10] that's kind of where, you know, the city got involved, the planning got involved,

[36:14] and we actually have title to a 50- foot strip of land that is on the back side

[36:20] of that parcel. And then fast forward to May of 22, council appropriated uh

[36:26] $75,000 for public works to begin survey and design of what that connector road

[36:32] could look like. And then um we did present this at the at the May 15, 2025

[36:39] uh traffic safety committee meeting. So it has had some some public um outreach

[36:45] at this point. So this is from the 2019 Route One

[36:51] corridor study. And this is where um page like south is where like that

[36:59] connector road that we're going to be talking about opposite you know page

[37:03] north that's over by the Hannerford that's the back connection behind the uh

[37:08] McDonald's down to the Hutchinson Street.

[37:14] So to date we have 90% uh plans. Those plans will allow us to be able to go

[37:20] forward for for permitting if if construction is uh pushed forward. And

[37:25] then once the permitting is done, we would uh be able to update those

[37:30] drawings for final drawings that could be released for construction.

[37:34] Some of the remaining items that we have, as I said, permitting, uh

[37:39] easements, there's still a few uh easements or land acquisitions that we'd

[37:42] be looking for. And then the uh the obvious one is funding.

[37:49] So, we have three options and I'm going to pass it off to uh to Adam to kind of

[37:54] talk about these. But the three options that we have is a no build. You know,

[37:58] obviously there's zero dollars involved in that. We could construct drainage

[38:03] only. That gives us an estimate of about 600,000. And then if we construct the

[38:08] entire roadway, which would be drainage, and the uh the connector road, that'd be

[38:13] roughly $1.1 million. So, I'm going to pass it off to Adam and he can kind of

[38:19] talk through some of the some of the details.

[38:27] Good evening everybody. My name is Adam Bliss. I happily serve as your city

[38:31] engineer. Um, so the reason we're here tonight is to

[38:36] receive direction on this project. Um, this project we believe was

[38:41] conceptualized back in 2004 in a main street study and then in 2019 it was

[38:47] really studied as part of the route one saco scarboro uh corridor

[38:54] and um one of the many concepts within that plan was this Smith Stockman

[39:01] connector. So, for orientation, um we uh Smith Lane fronts the Chipotle and

[39:09] Jersey Mike's uh restaurants. Um on the other side, right side of the

[39:15] page is >> Excuse me, Adam. I'm just going to make

[39:17] sure you speak right into the microphone.

[39:18] » Apologize for that. >> Thank you.

[39:20] » Is that better? >> Yes.

[39:21] » For the recording aspects, too. >> Thank you. Um, real quickly, Smith Lane

[39:26] abuts the uh Chipotle Jersey Mike's restaurant and

[39:31] on the right side of the page is uh Dairy Queen, which is Stockman. So, in

[39:36] between is this Smith Stockman Connector Road. What I've done is taken um an

[39:43] aerial photo, I've overlaid the design of the project and I've colored it to

[39:48] illustrate the components of the project to grasp the scope of work. So this plan

[39:53] is a an illustrative form of the scope of work. In purple is the connector

[40:00] road. That is the primary reason we are here. The other um component to it, a

[40:07] pretty significant factor is shaded in blue are drainage opportunities. I'll

[40:13] say the larger blue uh shape is a storm water pond and the smaller two are more

[40:20] ancillary storm water options. It's basically taking overland drainage and

[40:25] putting it into subsurface drainage pipe. The orange uh shape on the right

[40:31] side is a minor sidewalk extension going down Smith uh Smith Lane.

[40:38] So again, um roadway, drainage, sidewalks.

[40:45] Um Travis presented three options. There's the no build, then there's the

[40:50] full build, which is all of those components, and then in between is just

[40:54] the drainage part. Um, both the drainage and the roadway have

[40:59] pros and cons to them, which should be communicated. Um,

[41:03] there's the obvious traffic. That's the reason this idea was conceptualized was

[41:08] for access management on Route One. And making the intersections, the signalized

[41:16] intersections at Route One more efficient has pros and cons because

[41:21] we're diverting traffic down potentially private or uh more quieter roads,

[41:28] certainly quieter than than Route One. And then um so that can be a pro and con

[41:35] depending on you know your how you how you view it. And then the drainage

[41:38] component has a has a has a pro. It's an opportunity to capture some drainage

[41:44] that comes from mostly private properties a little bit from US Route 1.

[41:50] Um capture that treat it detain it and then slowly release it. But with that

[41:57] with the construction of that pond, we have to take trees out and that that

[42:04] could that would would mean um less buffering, less separation for in terms

[42:10] of noise, light um and visual separation from those businesses that front route

[42:17] one. So again, pros and cons to both of those components. And I'll take a pause.

[42:24] I think I've, you know, pretty much illustrated the scope of work. I can

[42:29] certainly go into detail, but I'll take a pause and let um counselors or mayor

[42:34] ask any questions you may or may have. >> Thank you. Any questions from

[42:39] counselors? Councelor Anin, then councelor Hwitt.

[42:42] » Thank you, mayor. Uh, just for my edification, where did this project come

[42:45] from?

[42:49] » You want to It was when I was on council, but I'll let Travis [laughter]

[42:54] » Yeah. So, like Adam said, this was studied in or this was recommended in

[42:58] previous studies. And then in 200

[43:03] um 2022 was when council appropriated the money to begin the survey and the

[43:09] design of the roadway. So, it's been in the works or recommended for for several

[43:15] years and then we had the funding to be able to to move forward with the design.

[43:20] So it was cons council initiated >> and if I remember correctly when

[43:24] bitterford saco dental was built it was supposed to have been included at that

[43:30] time correct and it did not get completed so it carried over.

[43:33] » Yep. >> How much land has to be purchased?

[43:48] » It's not loading. Maybe um here we go. Um less than an acre, maybe half an acre

[43:56] roughly. >> So

[43:58] » a little bit more than half an acre. >> Quarter of a million dollars.

[44:01] Half a million. >> Well, I honestly um councelor on and I

[44:04] could not put a dollar value to it. Um I I really couldn't.

[44:10] But um uh qualitatively I would say there are there are three land owners,

[44:18] five easements. Three of them of those easements belong to the ledges. Um

[44:24] that's the housing development. Um and of the three we already have one of

[44:29] those easements. The other two easements are from Starbucks, a very small sliver,

[44:34] and then um uh 3,300 square feet from IHOP. So

[44:42] » just that um traffic safety did review this in 2025. So that continued after

[44:47] that as well. >> And just uh just a note that all but

[44:52] IHOP has been engaged in this process and there's been positive communication

[44:57] with those related to the to the easements needed.

[45:01] » So those have been done few years ago now but the conversations have been had.

[45:07] Council Huitt, have the abuing land holders, they've all been notified then

[45:12] from the conversation. Okay.

[45:17] Council Gail. >> Uh could you remind me was there going

[45:21] to be sidewalks included in the connector road or is it

[45:26] was it just curb and drainage?

[45:35] » One second, please. >> Yeah. Little uh little latency here.

[45:41] » I believe there were sidewalks proposed. >> Okay. And then um

[45:48] I guess with with this connector road then it gives us the option for access

[45:53] management on the frontage on route one too. Correct. if we were to to look at

[45:59] that in the future um to make things safer at that

[46:04] intersection on that road.

[46:07] » And yes, Councelor Gail, sidewalks were included in the project.

[46:12] » Great.

[46:16] » Anyone else at this time? >> All right, continue.

[46:21] Um

[46:31] so some some of the finer points of this scope of work that I presented the again

[46:35] the primary component is this connector road shaded in purple. Um great question

[46:41] on the sidewalks. Yes, it's an opportunity there. Sidewalk

[46:44] connectivity, neighborhood connections. um gets pedestrians off the road. Right?

[46:51] So, we're treating this as if it's a more of a complete street rather than a

[46:56] thoroughfare. Um in the blue, which I've mentioned

[47:00] already, the the primary the larger blue shape, is a storm water pond. That's for

[47:07] quality and quantity. um capturing that runoff before it gets to uh downstream

[47:14] receiving water bodies um and treating it. The the other drainage components

[47:21] are relatively small. One is modifying an existing storm water pond um that

[47:27] would be behind Starbucks. And then I mentioned on Stockman

[47:33] um while we have the opportunity converting some overland flow and

[47:38] putting it into underground piping which is more efficient and um easier to

[47:43] maintain. Um I did mention the purple section

[47:47] which is extending the sidewalk along Smith Lane. that would connect what is

[47:52] on Smith Lane to this connector road and further down to um Settler's Way which

[47:58] is just to the uh east of this connector road and immediately abuing

[48:06] um

[48:10] and I've mentioned it already buffering

[48:14] that's that's you know that's uh there there will be a loss of trees and that

[48:19] should not be taken lightly. You take trees down and then that enters in light

[48:24] and noise and visual. Um there will be a buffer. We did plan for landscaping. We

[48:30] did um in the design we did land uh plan for fenced screening but still you are

[48:36] taking down mature trees. So um and I think lastly um Travis mentioned

[48:43] permitting. We would have to go through the Army Corps of Engineers permitting

[48:46] and the D uh permitting. Um pretty straightforward process. It takes time.

[48:53] Um there are new rules with certain certainly with the Army Corps of

[48:57] Engineers. Um something that should be known by the counselors is when we get a

[49:02] permit from the Army Army Corps of Engineers, it's good for one year. The

[49:06] new rules say it's you have an you have a year to complete that work and if it's

[49:12] not completed, then you either ask for an extension or you um reapply later

[49:17] down the road. So that should factor in to your thoughts and the direction you

[49:23] give to uh Travis and and myself tonight or some other moment um at some other

[49:30] meeting if that's if that's how you want to handle it too.

[49:36] » Thank you. Any final comments or questions?

[49:43] I don't know what you're necessarily looking for this evening, but um just

[49:48] for council, I'd say that I've advocated for this project for at at least four

[49:54] years, more like seven. Um my initial involvement with it was in 2017 when we

[50:00] did the update to the 2011 comp plan. Uh Don Gerard, he's a former planning board

[50:06] member, uh was on that committee with me and had brought up the 2025 plan. that

[50:12] point, you know, you had a plan that was 12 years old and it made logical sense

[50:16] that we had traffic issues and pedestrian issues at at that time, you

[50:22] know, in 2005. So, you know, to me, I understand there's some ramifications

[50:28] for the neighborhoods, but this is the only real solution we have and it's only

[50:34] going to get worse. We've seen it from traffic safety. I can tell you that we

[50:38] consistently have, you know, complaints, but issues with speeding, pedestrian

[50:44] issues along uh the Route One corridor. It's it's our most traveled corridor.

[50:49] It's only going to get more as we grow. This seems to me like a reasonable

[50:54] solution. I I will add one U caveat here though, and it did come up at the

[51:00] traffic safety meeting, which is, you know, the surrounding neighborhood.

[51:04] I off the top of my head don't remember all the street names, but to the right,

[51:08] you know, there are some concerns about cut through traffic there. And I think

[51:13] all of those neighborhoods uh don't have any sidewalks. So, I think that's

[51:18] something we should also consider as we potentially move this forward. How do we

[51:24] address some of the issues that those neighborhoods already have, but or

[51:28] equally have more problems as we re reroute traffic? Um but otherwise I just

[51:33] say I think we should move this forward.

[51:38] » Council Arnon >> again thank you mayor I weigh in and

[51:41] just agree with your comment. I think one of the things we want to recognize

[51:44] is that recently we just did the calming testing on route one for exactly that

[51:48] reason right we put in the speed bumps. We put in the pylons to see what we

[51:52] could do to throttle traffic. So I think this is a good project. I'm just since

[51:55] new to council wanted to make sure I was understanding where $1.1 million was

[52:00] going to go.

[52:03] Gil >> and just one other quick question. So

[52:07] the the IHOP is that uh are they unresponsive or are they um

[52:14] not in favor or causing issues with the easement

[52:19] because I think we I thought I heard that we were basically everybody was all

[52:24] the businesses were okay except for IHOP.

[52:28] » Maybe I misinterpreted that. I believe it was we just hadn't heard anything

[52:32] from Starbucks. >> Oh, from Starbucks.

[52:34] » But we had heard had some positive uh reception from uh

[52:39] » from everyone else, but it was just it's it's from a lack of

[52:43] communication back, not necessarily that they are going to cause an issue with

[52:47] with granting the easement. >> Yeah. Starbucks, we're just having

[52:50] trouble getting to the right person. >> Sure. Yeah.

[52:52] » But there's been no negative response from them. We just haven't got a

[52:56] response. >> Gotcha. Yeah. Yeah. I would just I would

[52:59] just add that I think um the vast majority of these commercial properties

[53:04] will be benefiting from having this back access. I mean you look at say Dunkin

[53:09] Donuts on any given morning and the lines out into Main Street, this would

[53:13] give you know an alternative way to access uh which I think would benefit

[53:18] their business.

[53:21] » Anyone else?

[53:26] » Okay. Uh, city administrator Pilot, this will come back to council as a new

[53:30] business item or will we just bring it back?

[53:32] » That's correct. We're gonna I mean, we the purpose tonight was to workshop

[53:35] this. I think we may have some folks here tonight that'll speak under public

[53:39] comment uh just so you can hear more feedback, but this just gives staff the

[53:43] opportunity to answer any questions this evening and we will come back.

[53:47] » Thank you. All right. Thank you both. >> Thank you.

[53:58] Okay, that completes the workshop items and I would like to call the official

[54:02] meeting to order at 7:15. Would like to make note of all members present this

[54:06] evening with the exception of councelor Doyle. And with us tonight we do have

[54:10] city administrator Pelleteer. Would you please join me for the pledge of

[54:13] » allegiance

[54:17] to the flags

[54:23] nationisible?

[54:29] » Thank you everyone. Okay, moving on to item number four. There is nothing under

[54:33] general this evening. Item five is committee correspondence to council. Are

[54:38] there any committee members wishing to share? Councelor Edwards.

[54:45] » Thank you, Mayor. As we are in summer, many people are in

[54:50] and out on vacations, but I wanted to remind you of the events coming up that

[54:55] are sponsored in part by SACO Main Street. Um, so, uh, this Saturday, Music

[55:03] on Maine, July 25th. This one is supposed to be uh team focused, but

[55:10] certainly a great time for a free event next to the old Vic and Wits. Um and uh

[55:19] you'll have fun. Also, August 1st coming up, there's Pride in the Park. It's a

[55:24] totally free event. You can go to the sakomainstre.org or

[55:29] uh to register if you want to be in the color run or if you want to volunteer.

[55:36] And speaking about volunteers, they're always looking for volunteers. And I

[55:40] understand you may not be available this summer, but when it's time to go back to

[55:48] school and you may find yourself with some time, feel free to peruse the

[55:53] sakcomainstre.org or web page to take a look at volunteer opportunities. Thank

[55:59] you. >> Great. Thank you very much. Anyone else?

[56:04] » Okay, moving on to item number six, that is public comment this evening and I

[56:09] will start with the signup sheet. As I call your name, please step forward to

[56:13] the podium. You will have three minutes to address the council and we ask that

[56:17] you state your name, address for the record. All righty. First up, we have

[56:21] Sarah Guiles Gardner.

[56:33] Okay.

[56:37] » Good evening. >> Evening.

[56:40] » I might be falling apart, but I'm here. Um,

[56:45] my name, Madame May, Good evening, Madame Mayor and City Council. My name

[56:49] is Sarah Jos Gardner and I live at 17 Pinehaven Street.

[56:54] Got that out of the way. I'm speaking tonight on behalf of the Blue Haven

[57:00] resident uh committee and many Sco families who own their homes but not the

[57:06] land beneath them. I want to begin by thanking Councelor Bill Doyle. He showed

[57:11] up for our community long before he was elected. He read every email, answered

[57:17] every question, and made sure our concerns were heard. Um,

[57:22] his dedication meant a great deal to us, and we wish him the very best in his new

[57:27] role as town manager new roster. We misses present on this council. Um,

[57:33] councilors, thank you also for your work on the rent stabilization

[57:39] ordinance. So far, article one uh says its purpose is to protect vulnerable

[57:44] residents from housing insecurity, and we appreciate that. We are here because

[57:49] we want to continue working with you to make sure that the final ordinance truly

[57:54] reflects this goal. Our residents have participated in every step of the

[57:59] process because these decisions directly affect

[58:03] our homes and our stability here in SACO. We are not here to criticize. We

[58:09] are here to collaborate. And uh we believe a few key changes will make this

[58:14] ordinance strong and fair. Uh we respectfully ask that you consider um I

[58:21] will list some five things to go over. The first one uh reduce the 15% vacancy

[58:28] increase and clearly defined lawful vacancy. High vacancy increases lower

[58:33] resident equity and harm affordability. affordable housing. Number two, remove

[58:39] debt service and acquisition interest so residents are not paying the park

[58:43] owner's mortgage. Number three, extend the rent increase hearing notices from

[58:48] 14 days to 45 with certified mail. Number four, reserve the right oh,

[58:55] excuse me, reserve at least two rent stabilization board seats for mobile

[59:00] home park residents. And number five, cap the rent increases at CPI or 5%

[59:07] whichever is lower and remove the plus 1% language. Councilors, we are asking

[59:12] for stability, transparency, and a fair process. We want an ordinance that

[59:18] protects both residents and the business side, one that prevents future crisises

[59:22] and strengthens for years to come. Thank you for your time and your dedication,

[59:27] your willingness to work with us. Thank you.

[59:30] » Thank you, Sarah.

[59:36] Okay, next on the list we have Barb Thomas.

[59:44] Good evening counselors and mayor. I'm Barb Thomas. I live at Missouri Circle

[59:50] in Taco. I started this co-op, the Blue Haven

[59:55] Resident Cooperative, with one purpose in mind, to protect our community, keep

[59:59] it habitable, and ensure that residents are not pushed out of their homes by

[1:00:03] rental increases. Over the past 9 to 10 months, we have gone through mediation,

[1:00:08] face the possibility of a sale, built a cooperative, and found ourselves working

[1:00:12] toward an ordinance that can f finally provide stability. This process has

[1:00:17] taught us that communities need backup plans and sometimes backup plans for the

[1:00:22] backup plans. Yesterday, with the help of CDI and their team, we were able to

[1:00:28] bring residents together and share clear information about what has happened and

[1:00:32] what comes next with our cooperative and our community. That conversation helped

[1:00:37] the community begin to process everything we've been through and remind

[1:00:41] us this work matters. Building a strong, informed, connected community is not

[1:00:46] optional. It's essential. We also need you as a city council to

[1:00:51] listen to and read the information residents are sharing with you. What we

[1:00:56] provide is not noise. It is critical data that directly shapes the next in

[1:01:01] this process. Whether pro cooperative ultimately purchase the park or the

[1:01:06] ordinance becomes the protections that residents need. Residents input must be

[1:01:12] a part of your decision-making and not an afterthought. We do not want to lose

[1:01:17] any more members of our community. We have already lost one member of our

[1:01:20] committee during this process and we cannot afford to see that continue. The

[1:01:25] stress, uncertainty, and instability have real consequences for real people.

[1:01:31] Without your support and without rent stabilization ordinance, this is not

[1:01:35] one-sided. We risk that is not one-sided. we risk further harm to the

[1:01:40] very residents this policy is meant to protect. We need to make sure this

[1:01:44] ordinance moves forward sooner than rather than later. I also want to

[1:01:48] personally thank Joe Gunn and councelor Bill Doyle for listening to residents

[1:01:52] and helping them navigate this process. Their willingness to hear residents

[1:01:56] concerns and engage directly has made a meaningful difference and we appreciate

[1:02:00] their continued support. And now it is time for the rest of the city cel

[1:02:05] council to step forward to listen to residents to meet with this community

[1:02:10] and to understand firsthand why this ordinance is so very important. You

[1:02:15] cannot fully grasp the urgency of this situation without hearing directly from

[1:02:19] the people living through it. We are asking you to show up to engage and to

[1:02:24] take this next step with us. We have done everything we can to

[1:02:28] organize, educate and prepare. Now, we need your partnership, your attention,

[1:02:33] and your action. The ordinance is a crucial step in protecting residents and

[1:02:37] ensuring that this neighborhood remains stable and rooted in the people who call

[1:02:41] it home. Thank you. Thank you.

[1:02:47] Okay, next up is Kathy Dobbins.

[1:02:53] Thank you, Mayor. Uh Kathy Dobbins, 28 Miss Circle. I'm actually running on

[1:02:57] three hours of sleep. I just got back at 3:00 from camping, so bear with me. Um,

[1:03:01] we've been here, our community has been consistently asking for one essential

[1:03:05] safeguard, a rent stabilization ordinance that proves strong,

[1:03:08] enforcable, and future pro protections for residents. As the Blue Haven

[1:03:13] Cooperative moves forward, we are looking for backup plan after backup

[1:03:16] plan so that we can protect all residents. While we recognize the work

[1:03:21] has gone into the current draft, the carveouts remain unbalanced and leave

[1:03:25] the residents vulnerable to ownership and park changes. Again, I sent you an

[1:03:30] email with all of our changes and highlighted exactly what we would like

[1:03:33] to see in there. Um, across Maine, mobile home parks are being purchased by

[1:03:37] out ofstate corporations that are out of touch with Maine values. These

[1:03:41] communities strictly are investment assets to those owners. When these comm

[1:03:46] companies take over, rent increase sharply. um negligent property

[1:03:51] maintenance is not being done and residents bear the burden. Communities

[1:03:57] and residents have have a voice in this process. Uh we know exactly what happens

[1:04:03] when distant ownerships replace local accountability over the nine 10 months

[1:04:07] that we've been dealing with this. That is why the carveout matters. Language

[1:04:11] matters. Words matter. As written, they do not guarantee stability if the park

[1:04:16] is sold to another out ofstate buyer. They do not ensure protections carried

[1:04:20] forward. They do not protect future owners from imposing aggressive rent

[1:04:24] increases and undermining the intent of this ordinance. This is not balance

[1:04:28] policy. This is is is a resident protection option. And it's not

[1:04:33] acceptable for the community that has already endured instability over these

[1:04:36] 10 months. We need an ordinance that protects all residents and all

[1:04:41] populations and demographics. Regardless who owns the park, whether we

[1:04:46] buy it, another buyer comes in, we need protection.

[1:04:50] Today, next year, a decade from now, we don't want to be continually here asking

[1:04:55] for your help. Granted, we like you all, but I'm tired. I'm exhausted. We have

[1:05:00] put in the miles over the last year with these corrections. We'll be right back

[1:05:06] here, like I said, fighting these same battles. Residents are not asking for

[1:05:10] special treatment. We're basically asking for security and the ability to

[1:05:13] remain in our homes without fear of out of state investment companies coming in

[1:05:18] to destabilize our over lives overnight. Your authority and the responsibility to

[1:05:24] correct the ordinance. We're asking to you to strengthen the language and

[1:05:28] letting us have a voice in that process. Thank you.

[1:05:31] » Thank you.

[1:05:36] Okay. Next up is Brian Lar Roach.

[1:05:43] Good evening, Madame Mayor, council members. My name is Brian Larash. I live

[1:05:47] at 19 Reserve Circle over in sunny, beautiful Blue Haven.

[1:05:51] Uh, before I get into this, I we actually have a letter that we're going

[1:05:54] to read to Council Doyle. So, it's a personal letter. Um, so I'm going to

[1:05:58] read through it and make the changes on the fly. So, if it gets a little hooky,

[1:06:01] I apologize. So, let's give it a shot. We just want this noted on behalf for

[1:06:05] his record. Uh, dear councelor Doyle, it is with great sadness and tremendous

[1:06:10] honor that I am here tonight to speak on behalf of the residents of Blue Haven

[1:06:13] Mobile Home Park to express our deepest and most sincere gratitude for

[1:06:18] everything that council Doyle has done for us and our community. When our

[1:06:22] neighbor faced the devastating resignation of our dear friend,

[1:06:25] councelor Joe Gun, a heavy wave of uncertainty hit our park. Joe had a

[1:06:31] fierce was a fierce ally and his sudden departure left many of us completely

[1:06:35] stranded. and if we had entirely lost our voice on the city council. It was a

[1:06:39] frightening time for our community and the fear of being forgotten or left

[1:06:43] without presentation was a very very serious reality. Yet in that exact

[1:06:48] moment of vulnerability, Council Doyle stepped in to give us a hand. Through

[1:06:52] his time serving our city, he consistently demonstrated an unwavering

[1:06:56] support for Blue Haven. When we felt most silenced, he did not simply watch

[1:07:00] from the sidelines. He stepped up. He listened to our concerns and he

[1:07:04] advocated fiercely for our community, our well-being, and our security.

[1:07:09] His dedication gave us our voice back when we needed it most. And we are

[1:07:14] profoundly grateful for the stability and the peace of mind his efforts have

[1:07:18] helped us secure for our families. And we know that he will always be there

[1:07:22] anytime we need him in the future. What sets his service apart is his immense

[1:07:26] professionalism. He brought that into every interaction.

[1:07:31] He has always approached our community with respect, transparency, and a

[1:07:35] relentless work ethic. No matter how complex the issue, Council Doyle

[1:07:39] navigated them with integrity and competence that earned the deepest

[1:07:42] respect from everyone in our community. He proved to us that true leadership is

[1:07:47] defined by accountability and action. Beyond his official duties, we also want

[1:07:52] to acknowledge a genuine friendship that he extended to us.

[1:07:56] He never treated Blue Haven as a line item on a council agenda or just a block

[1:08:00] of votes. Instead, he took the time to know us as people, neighbors, and

[1:08:04] friends. His warmth and his approachability, his nature, and his

[1:08:09] empathy left a lasting impression in our hearts.

[1:08:13] We thank you, Councelor Doyle, for your exceptional service, your steadfast

[1:08:17] defense of our park, and your enduring friendship. He is a true champion for

[1:08:22] the residents of Blue Haven and we are incredibly proud proud to have him in

[1:08:26] our corner. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors. With warmest

[1:08:31] regards the residents of Blue Haven mobile home park. Uh thank you. I

[1:08:35] appreciate this opportunity to speak before you. And if I can use these last

[1:08:38] few seconds as our uh our colleagues have have uh noted that we would love a

[1:08:43] seat at the table during these ordinance stabilization meetings. Uh if possible,

[1:08:49] we can talk somebody into being on that committee and I would nominate myself to

[1:08:53] volunteer my services and my time for as long as it takes to get this thing

[1:08:57] realized and and approved. Thank you so much for your time. Good night.

[1:09:01] » Thank you.

[1:09:05] » Okay, next up we have Lisa D. Roer.

[1:09:13] Lisa D. Roa, 18 Pine Haven. I'm here to advocate

[1:09:19] for the importance of this rent increase.

[1:09:24] The ordinance will provide stabilization for our community and it will also

[1:09:30] prevent trauma from unjustified rent increases.

[1:09:35] I feel it is the responsibility of our town councils to provide this protection

[1:09:41] for our rights. We have been asking for this to take

[1:09:46] place for some time now. This will not go away or get better.

[1:09:53] It's only going to get worse. And our lot rent has doubled since.

[1:10:00] Thank you. Thank you.

[1:10:07] Okay. Next up, we have Zack Ashley.

[1:10:14] Uh, good evening. Um, today I'm just standing sorry name and address for the

[1:10:19] record. >> Okay. Uh, Zachary Ashley. Um, 24th

[1:10:22] Theion Avenue. >> Thank you.

[1:10:23] » And I just want to thank you for being responsive to our emails concerning the

[1:10:27] valuations. Um, we've been I've been communication with my neighbors and all

[1:10:33] of us are with the new valuation hikes. If there's not a change in mill rate, um

[1:10:39] all of us on our street, Theion Avenue, are expecting a thousand dollar tax

[1:10:45] increase. Um

[1:10:48] for many of us, we can weather it, but for many of my neighbors, this is going

[1:10:52] to push them over the edge financially. Um and we're a workingass street. I

[1:11:00] don't know if you've ever traveled down Theion Avenue. Um,

[1:11:05] it's improving, but it's not it's definitely not Beach A or the

[1:11:11] neighborhoods heading down towards Camp Dallas. It's very much a working-class

[1:11:15] neighborhood. We and it's a tight community, but

[1:11:21] um throughout this evaluation process, we did receive each of my neighbors and

[1:11:27] I did receive letters from the assessor's office, but we did not

[1:11:31] receive a personal walkthrough and I was not reached out in regards to

[1:11:38] one. So,

[1:11:44] I would like the console just to consider that

[1:11:49] um in regards to this whole process um because I've done some work in my house,

[1:11:56] but I'm not sure if I've done $93,000 worth of work. So,

[1:12:03] that's all I have. >> Thank you.

[1:12:10] Okay, that completes the signup list. If there are any other members of the

[1:12:14] public wishing to speak, please step forward, state your name and address for

[1:12:17] the record, and you will have three minutes to address the council.

[1:12:24] » Good evening. Uh Sandra G 52 Camil. Um this won't take three minutes. I'm just

[1:12:29] I wasn't really planning on speaking tonight, but I just did want to briefly

[1:12:32] talk about the connector road Smith and Stockton. Um, I was on the planning

[1:12:36] board in 2004 when this first came up. Um, I was on the planning board in 2011

[1:12:41] and on the comp plan committee at the time when it came up again. It's come up

[1:12:45] consistently, I think in 2015. It's been discussed um for a long time. I believe

[1:12:51] that the Kentucky Fried Chicken, which was improved probably around 2005, 2006

[1:12:56] or something, was required to provide an easement, I believe, behind there for

[1:13:01] that connector road. Um, it was a great idea then. It's a great idea. Now, I

[1:13:06] hope the council moves forward with it. And I just want to say um there are no

[1:13:11] sidewalks on Stockman where it's going to connect into. However, there's so

[1:13:15] many cars right now that turn right at uh the Dairy Queen and then cut off in

[1:13:20] one of those roads to the left in order to cut out the lights when they're going

[1:13:23] heading down toward the beach. Um so that's already sort of an issue. I walk

[1:13:27] up that way and bike up that way a lot and there's already quite a bit of

[1:13:30] traffic there. This will probably add some to it, but it's already an issue.

[1:13:35] That's all I have to say. Thank you. >> Thank you.

[1:13:44] » Good evening, Madame Mayor, members of the council, my former colleagues, and

[1:13:49] my friends. I am Joe Gun, currently at 22 Boonbrook Road, W 2.

[1:13:58] Uh 10 months ago, uh faced with the unfortunate circumstances that led to my

[1:14:03] uh resignation from the council, um I called up uh former mayor Bill

[1:14:09] Doyle after I saw the other two uh candidates, well intentions as they

[1:14:14] were, who offered themselves in the special election. and other

[1:14:18] circumstances with the issues facing the citywide. Not to mention in my former

[1:14:23] ward with these wonderful people behind me at Blue Haven who taught themselves

[1:14:28] the art of politics, persuasion, and public advocacy in a matter of 10 months

[1:14:34] and doing the hard work that comes with that. I said to Bill, I said, I know

[1:14:41] that you are getting ready for your next uh professional chapter trying to be a

[1:14:46] town or city manager somewhere and the responsibilities and the time that will

[1:14:49] come with that. But your ward uh needs you right now. And I asked him in

[1:14:55] December when there was no other candidates willing to poke their heads

[1:14:58] up, please come out of political retirement and uh do the hard work for

[1:15:03] as long as you can take. And after some persuasion, he agreed to stand for

[1:15:06] election and the people of my w former ward returned him to office. And I am

[1:15:13] extremely thankful for his brief return. And I certainly hope that uh the

[1:15:18] counselors who did not have the privilege of serving with him during his

[1:15:22] previous stance as mayor as counselor were able to glean from him uh the

[1:15:26] knowledge and experience that he brought to the table during his tenure um in

[1:15:32] previous office. and are especially on the issues of affordability and housing

[1:15:37] that he uh improved the debate and improved your perspectives that you all

[1:15:42] had to deal with not only with the folks in my former ward though but citywide as

[1:15:48] this becomes a statewide issue. And I certainly want to also pay tribute

[1:15:53] to um the recent dedication of the uh of the of the jetty expansion down in Camp

[1:16:00] Ellis. And they say victory has a thousand mothers and fathers. And many

[1:16:05] years ago, it was Mayor Doyle who was pivotal in marshalling the votes

[1:16:11] that got us that that um that jetty. So while there are many mothers and fathers

[1:16:17] of that, he definitely deserves to be at the front of that list as finally

[1:16:20] getting that long odyssey done. And I simply want to simp uh thank him for his

[1:16:26] years of service. And while he is the Sako's loss, it is New Gloucester's

[1:16:32] gain. He is helping that select board help a thriving and growing city uh grow

[1:16:38] by leaps and bounds. And I know he's having the time of his life up there. So

[1:16:42] I wish him all the best as my friend for over three decades. And I simply want to

[1:16:48] encourage any and everyone behind me in Ward 3 uh to step up as I did as a

[1:16:54] regular citizen. The city needs you. The city needs your input and hopefully we

[1:17:00] can have a new qualified member of the council very soon. And I also look

[1:17:05] forward to your debate on charter amendments because I think any of them

[1:17:09] will be fruitful and necessary um as it relates to future uh vacancies on the

[1:17:16] council. Thank you for your time, madame mayor, members of the council, city

[1:17:19] administrator. >> Thank you.

[1:17:24] Anyone else wishing to speak? Yep.

[1:17:29] You can choose who comes up first. >> I've been up here. Oops. Excuse me. I've

[1:17:35] been up here on this uh what I need to say. Richard Goslin, Southern Missouri

[1:17:41] Circle at Blue [clears throat] Raven Mo Home Park.

[1:17:47] I want council to know they would really appreciate the more returns we've had.

[1:17:55] That help to some extent. But come December 31st, 2027,

[1:18:04] our rent's going to be $660 a month versus my 515

[1:18:09] that it had been. So with that said, the majority of the

[1:18:15] residents in the park are on limited social security

[1:18:21] and a lot of them I I don't know what they're going to do. It's tough and

[1:18:27] don't believe that there's any financial help that the city or organization would

[1:18:33] pay for half their taxes. So, with that said, and I've said this

[1:18:38] before, we've got midterm elections coming up

[1:18:45] and [clears throat] there are some communities,

[1:18:50] but our next door neighbors will larger beach

[1:18:54] voted in a 5% maximum raise per month or per year, I'm sorry, at the mobile

[1:19:04] home park. and one of them is steel loan.

[1:19:09] So hopefully the council does have the power to put that on the agenda for the

[1:19:16] general public to at least have a choice to vote for that.

[1:19:22] » Thank you very much. >> Thank you.

[1:19:31] » Hi, my name is Pamela Sears. I'm at eight settlers away. Just wanted to

[1:19:36] thank you all for being here and um just wanted to talk about the um Stockman

[1:19:44] Smith connector. Um I live right behind Starbucks and my concern is about the

[1:19:52] wetland area and the runoff that's coming from the commercial properties

[1:19:58] and Route One. Um, it's been there's been some significant

[1:20:05] runoff and poor drainage within that wetland and it's caused a lot of settle

[1:20:10] settlement or erosion in that area and it's actually affected my driveway. Um,

[1:20:17] and it's also affecting the whole length of my property. Um, so I'm just asking

[1:20:22] that the council consider um if they're not interested in a connector to also

[1:20:29] consider the drainage option that's in there as well. And I sent some photos I

[1:20:33] think as well. Thank you. Thank you.

[1:20:41] Anyone else wishing to speak?

[1:20:46] Okay, not seeing anyone seeking recognition. Moving on to item seven,

[1:20:50] that is the approval of the minutes for July 6, 2026. Is there a motion?

[1:20:57] » So moved. Councelor Huitt.

[1:21:01] » Motion made by councelor Hwitt. Any discussion or comment on the minutes?

[1:21:05] » You want a second? >> Yes, please.

[1:21:08] » I'll second it. >> Second by councelor Edwards.

[1:21:14] All right. Now, any discussion or question on the minutes?

[1:21:18] Hey, roll call vote. Councelor Edwards, yes. Councelor Parks, yes.

[1:21:22] » Councelor Anin, yes. Councelor Gail, yes. Councelor Hwitt, yes. Councelor

[1:21:25] Johnston, >> yes.

[1:21:26] » Motion passes 6. >> Item eight, consent items. There are two

[1:21:32] and that is item A is the annual report filing extension and item B is to

[1:21:37] confirm the mayor's appointment to the shoreline commission of Yana Josephin.

[1:21:41] Is there a motion? So move.

[1:21:45] » Motion made by councelor Johnston. Is there a second?

[1:21:49] » Second. >> Second by councelor Anen.

[1:21:53] » Any item that you wish to have moved?

[1:21:58] » Okay, not seeing anyone. Roll call vote. Councelor Edwards,

[1:22:01] » yes. >> Councelor Parks,

[1:22:02] » yes. >> Councelor Anin, yes.

[1:22:04] » Councelor Gail, yes. >> Councelor Huitt,

[1:22:06] » yes. >> Councelor Johnston,

[1:22:07] » yes. >> Motion passes 6.

[1:22:10] » Okay, moving on to item nine that is action items. And item A tonight is the

[1:22:15] one reading for the accept acceptance of councelor Doyle's resignation and that

[1:22:19] is councelor Parks. >> Thank you madame mayor. Councelor Doyle

[1:22:23] has submitted an email of resignation and if accepted by council the position

[1:22:28] will be vacated immediately. Be it ordered that the city council accepts

[1:22:32] the resignation of councelor William Doyle effective immediately.

[1:22:38] » Motion has been made by councelor Parks. Is there a second?

[1:22:40] » Second. Second by councelor Edwards. Any discussion on the item?

[1:22:48] Councelor Hwitt. >> Just want to thank um councelor Doyle

[1:22:51] for his continued support of the city and the efforts he made um with all the

[1:22:56] counselors. >> Thank you, councelor Gail. Yeah, I just

[1:23:00] second that and and um um Councelor Doyle um uh really helped me and and

[1:23:09] encouraged me to run for school board many years ago and that got me um really

[1:23:14] involved in the city. So, I thank him for his commitment to the city and and

[1:23:18] all his hard work and wish him well and his u his next endeavor here.

[1:23:24] » Thank you. Anyone else? Council Johnston.

[1:23:28] » Thank you. Um likewise I have served with Bill or Councelor Doyle through all

[1:23:34] of his service to the community. Um I thought it was you know noble of him

[1:23:41] to step up and fill the role when councelor Gun was you know inadvertently

[1:23:45] or uh forced out. So I just would like to thank him personally for serving ward

[1:23:52] three. Thank you. >> Thank you.

[1:23:56] Okay. Roll call vote. Councelor Edwards, >> yes.

[1:24:00] » Councelor Parks, >> yes.

[1:24:01] » Councelor Arnan, >> yes.

[1:24:02] » Councelor Gail, >> yes.

[1:24:03] » Councelor Hwitt, >> yes.

[1:24:05] » Councelor Johnston, >> yes.

[1:24:06] » Motion passes 6. >> Okay, moving on to item B. That is one

[1:24:11] reading of the fee schedule clarification, and that is Councelor

[1:24:14] Parks. >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. It has been

[1:24:17] brought to staff's attention that the fee schedule adopted on budget night did

[1:24:22] not reflect the correct and current fee for outside police assignments officer

[1:24:28] with cruiser. The correct fee is $90 per hour, but the fee schedule adopted in

[1:24:34] May inadvertently reflected $80 per hour. Because that is a request to

[1:24:40] clarify the correct fee amount. Staff respectfully asks that this be completed

[1:24:46] through the one reading process. Be it ordered that the Sco City Council

[1:24:52] approves the fee schedule clarification to correctly reflect the $90 per hour

[1:24:58] for outside police assignments officer with cruiser. I move to approve the

[1:25:05] » Thank you. A motion has been made by councelor Parks. Is there a second? Yes.

[1:25:08] Second. >> Second by councelor Edwards.

[1:25:11] Comment or discussion on this item. >> Okay. Roll call vote. Councelor Edwards.

[1:25:17] » Yes. >> Councelor Parks.

[1:25:18] » Yes. >> Councelor Anin.

[1:25:20] » Yes. >> Councelor Gail.

[1:25:21] » Yes. >> Councelor Huitt.

[1:25:22] » Yes. >> Councelor Johnston.

[1:25:23] » Yes. >> Motion passes 6.

[1:25:27] » Okay. Item C is a public hearing for the proposed ordinance amendment to chapter

[1:25:31] 60, ambulance service to provide for an annual educational funding allocation

[1:25:36] and an annual ambulance division equipment reserve fund. And that is

[1:25:40] councelor Parks. Fire Chief Hamill has requested the

[1:25:45] creation of annual reserves for educational funding allocation and

[1:25:49] ambulance division equipment, both to be funded from the ambulance fund. To

[1:25:55] specify that the existing ambulance fund can be used for these purposes, staff

[1:26:00] has compiled the attached ordinance amendment for city council's

[1:26:04] consideration. I move to open the public hearing on the

[1:26:08] proposed ordinance amendment to chapter 60 ambulance service.

[1:26:13] » Thank you. Motion has been made to open the public hearing. Is there a second?

[1:26:18] » Second. >> Second by councelor Gail.

[1:26:24] » Roll call vote. Councelor Edwards. >> Yes.

[1:26:27] » Councelor Parks. >> Yep.

[1:26:28] » Councelor Anin. Yes. >> Councelor Gail. Yes.

[1:26:30] » Councelor Hwitt. Yes. >> Councelor Johnston.

[1:26:32] » Yes. >> Motion to open the public hearing at

[1:26:34] 7:47. passes 6. If there are any members of the public

[1:26:39] wishing to speak, please step forward, state your name and address for the

[1:26:41] record, and you will have three minutes.

[1:26:50] Okay, not seeing any members wishing to speak. Councelor Parks,

[1:26:54] » I move to close the public hearing and further move to schedule the second and

[1:26:59] final reading on August 3rd, 2026. >> Thank you. A motion to close the public

[1:27:04] hearing and move the item to August 3rd. Has been made by councelor Parks. Is

[1:27:08] there a second? >> Second.

[1:27:09] » Second by councelor Edwards. Any discussion from counselors?

[1:27:15] » Okay. Roll call vote. Councelor Edwards. >> Yes.

[1:27:18] » Councelor Parks. >> Yes.

[1:27:20] » Councelor Anen, >> yes.

[1:27:21] » Councelor Gail, >> yes.

[1:27:22] » Councelor Huitt, >> yes.

[1:27:23] » Council Johnston, >> yes.

[1:27:24] » Motion passes 6 to close the public hearing at 7:48.

[1:27:33] Okay, moving on to item D. That is a public hearing for the renewal

[1:27:36] application for special entertainment permit for the Golden Rooster. And that

[1:27:40] is Councelor Johnston. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Chris Rizakos

[1:27:44] doing business as Golden Rooster Restaurant, 236 Main Street, has applied

[1:27:48] for a renewal of the establishment's special entertainment permit. The permit

[1:27:52] would be concurrent with the establishment's liquor license. The

[1:27:55] applicant has paid all applicable permit fees and the clerk has properly

[1:27:58] advertised the public hearing in accordance with SACO city code chapter

[1:28:01] 93 entertainment 93-2. The clerk has also checked with code enforcement, the

[1:28:06] finance department, fire department, and police department. And there were no

[1:28:10] concerns. I move to open the public hearing.

[1:28:13] » Thank you. A motion has been made to open the public hearing by councelor

[1:28:15] Johnston. Is there a second? >> Second.

[1:28:17] » Second by councelor Gail. >> Roll call vote. Councelor Edwards.

[1:28:21] » Yes. >> Councelor Parks.

[1:28:23] » Yes. >> Councelor Anen, yes. Yes. Councelor

[1:28:24] Gail. Yes. Councelor Hwitt. Yes. >> Councelor Johnston.

[1:28:27] » Yes. >> Motion to open the public hearing passes

[1:28:29] 6 at 7:49. >> If there are any members of the public

[1:28:33] wishing to speak, please step forward, state your name and address for the

[1:28:36] record, and you will have three minutes.

[1:28:43] Okay. Not seeing anyone seeking recognition. Councelor Johnston,

[1:28:46] » I move to close the public hearing. It be ordered that the city council grant

[1:28:50] the renewal application submitted by Chris Rizakos doing business as Golden

[1:28:54] Rooster Restaurant for a special entertainment permit to be concurrent

[1:28:56] with the establishment's current liquor license. I move to approve the order.

[1:29:01] » Motion has been made by councelor Johnston. Is there a second?

[1:29:03] » Second. >> Second by councelor Edwards.

[1:29:08] » Any discussion or comment on the item from councilors?

[1:29:13] » Okay, not seeing anyone. Roll call vote. Councelor Edwards.

[1:29:16] » Yes. >> Councelor Parks.

[1:29:17] » Yes. Councelor Anin, >> yes.

[1:29:19] » Councelor Gail, yes. >> Councelor Hwitt, yes.

[1:29:20] » Councelor Johnston, >> yes.

[1:29:22] » Motion to close the public hearing and approve the order passes at 75060.

[1:29:32] » Okay, moving on to item E that is the first reading for the Dire Library

[1:29:36] funding request and that is councelor Hwitt.

[1:29:40] During the fiscal year of 2026 budget process, the city council

[1:29:45] allocated funding for the Dyer Library for capital improvement projects. As

[1:29:51] part of that discussion, the Dire Library was asked to present project

[1:29:55] information to the city council and formally request authorization to use

[1:29:59] these funds. After this first reading, the final step of the process is to is a

[1:30:05] final reading. Be it ordered that the SACO city council

[1:30:10] approve the first reading of the Dire Library funding request in the amount of

[1:30:14] $75,000 and further moves to schedule the final

[1:30:19] reading on August 3rd, 2026. I move to approve the order. Thank you. A motion

[1:30:24] has been made by councelor Hwitt. Is there a second?

[1:30:28] » Second. >> Second by councelor Edwards.

[1:30:33] Any discussion or comment on these items?

[1:30:36] Councelor Hwitt. Hello. Um, I'm aware of this project and

[1:30:42] have seen it. Um, as someone who's been at atteing

[1:30:47] kids being brought in classroom after classroom into the children's room, it's

[1:30:51] a tight space sometimes. You've got families with young children. You have

[1:30:55] some um other people. They're trying to use the same space. And as times are

[1:31:01] getting economically tough for families, the library is somewhere that people can

[1:31:05] go and enjoy their resources at no charge. So, I know right now hearing the

[1:31:12] tax valuations, I'm cringing at any asks in the budget as a counselor. Um, but I

[1:31:18] also want everybody to consider the benefits that the the library gives us.

[1:31:23] Thank you. Anyone else? Okay. Okay. And I do believe we have Director Smith with

[1:31:28] us and she had a small presentation she was going to give.

[1:31:34] Good evening. Hello everyone.

[1:31:40] See if my computer works this time.

[1:32:09] Unfortunately, my computer is not agreeing with the um software for the

[1:32:13] click shore. So, I do apologize that you won't see it on the screens, but I

[1:32:15] believe you all received my presentation as part of the packet for this meeting.

[1:32:19] Um so, anyway, uh good evening, Mayor McFale, and members of city council. Um

[1:32:23] I'm here tonight to present Dire Libraryies youth services renovation and

[1:32:26] expansion plan. Right now, the youth services department operates an

[1:32:30] extrained 1,250 square foot space. Increased family attendance has pushed

[1:32:35] our children's room beyond its functional limits. Strollers block block

[1:32:39] pathways, tween film Tik Toks next to babies chewing on board books, and noise

[1:32:43] conflicts compromise both programmatic quality and public access. Our solution

[1:32:48] is a targeted expansion providing maximum impact with minimal

[1:32:51] interruption. Designed in partnership with the architecture firm Woodh Hall,

[1:32:55] we are adding an additional 650 square feet from an underutilized adjacent

[1:32:59] meeting room. While the final furnishings are under development, um

[1:33:03] the model in your plan demonstrates how our we're using age targeted zones to

[1:33:08] best serve our community. There will be an early childhood area with space for

[1:33:12] dedicated readaloud, creative play, and stroller parking. Beginning elementary

[1:33:16] readers will have a cozy area for developing their literacy skills and

[1:33:19] tween will find targeted space for homework help and maker space.

[1:33:23] Importantly, we'll also proide comfortable space for parents and

[1:33:26] caregivers to connect and socialize while supporting early literacy.

[1:33:31] After all a lot of work on this project, the budget came in much higher than

[1:33:34] anticipated at $113,000. We are funding it through the anchor

[1:33:38] funding that was set aside in the fiscal year 26 budget. Um, and we're not

[1:33:42] changing the ask from the city. That's $75,000 is all that we're looking for.

[1:33:46] We're looking to um we've scoped this project to fit as well as possible

[1:33:50] within the funds that we had um allowed. The remaining construction balance will

[1:33:55] be taken from a restricted endowment that was left very spec narrowly for by

[1:33:59] the Daring family who left the house to the library um for just this future, you

[1:34:04] know, where an unusual change had to be made to to make the house into a

[1:34:08] functional space. The other um costs for furnishing the space will be done by

[1:34:13] targeted fundraising. Um our anticipated schedule, assuming everything is

[1:34:17] approved and our f funding comes through, um is to begin all of the early

[1:34:23] steps now with the hope of starting construction in early 2027 with an

[1:34:28] anticipated completion of late spring 2027.

[1:34:31] Thank you so much for your continued partnership and I welcome any questions.

[1:34:35] » Thank you. Any questions on the project? Council Ronin. Thank you, Madam Mayor.

[1:34:39] Um, the first question is to me a little obvious. We're only three months past

[1:34:44] the budget cycle. Uh, is there a reason we didn't include this in the 2027

[1:34:49] budget? This seems to be a fairly extensive renovation, not one that you

[1:34:53] came up with last month. So, I'm really curious why it wasn't baked in at that

[1:34:57] point in time. Um, and also, it sound like you answered my previous questions.

[1:35:00] This this budget is a new number, not one that's recycled from last year. So

[1:35:06] in the um for the fiscal year 26 budget process I was invited to submit some

[1:35:11] capital projects this was one of them at that point in time which you know

[1:35:15] January 2025 I 2026 I put in the amount of of $75,000

[1:35:20] kind of as a placeholder um and then it got designated as sort of a special

[1:35:26] restricted fund for use for this purpose. Um we have spent the dire

[1:35:30] library association has spent the past year trying to pull together the details

[1:35:34] for this project to make sure that it's conceivable. Um needless to say there

[1:35:38] were more zeros to this project when we first started talking to the architect

[1:35:41] and we've had to scope down really carefully to ensure that it's something

[1:35:44] that we can manage with the the allocation given by city council and

[1:35:49] within funds that we have at our disposal. Um it was not rolled forward

[1:35:53] in the fiscal year 27 budget because there was a little bit of uncertainty on

[1:35:56] where it actually sat I think in the in the the big budget um municipal budget.

[1:36:01] Um but I defer to the city administrator for that.

[1:36:05] » Yeah. Yeah. So um Director Smith is correct. The library has done everything

[1:36:09] that it was asked to do. council in 2020 for FY26 took that made a motion um to

[1:36:17] put the funds that were set aside in capital into this special revenue fund

[1:36:22] for this very purpose of her coming back to council for a presentation and as

[1:36:27] they have projects allow the funds to flow to them. So um it's not in the 27

[1:36:34] budget. It was in the 26 budget, >> but allocated in 26 into a fund pool

[1:36:39] that allowed them to pull it forward when they needed it

[1:36:42] » after coming to council and presenting. >> Okay.

[1:36:45] » Correct. Thank you. >> You're welcome.

[1:36:47] » My computer screen is working now. So, if you want to see just briefly the sort

[1:36:50] of scope of work, we're talking about um changing the

[1:36:55] taking down the green sections um to make two rooms kind of merge into one.

[1:37:01] » Any other questions or comments? Councelor Gil.

[1:37:05] » Um, as a frequent user, uh, I definitely am in support of the project and see

[1:37:12] definitely see the the benefits and and value there. Um, I guess there's a

[1:37:18] couple questions on on that on the budget piece. you mentioned that um you

[1:37:23] had scoped it down but and then uh let's see on exhibit two I'm not sure what

[1:37:28] slide number it is uh there was a a table with the costs

[1:37:33] » and you had mentioned that there was a note uh active collaboration with SACO's

[1:37:38] municipal facilities team is projected to drive total construction costs below

[1:37:42] the original 113,000 estimate I guess I'm I just want to

[1:37:48] confirm with the with the schedule that you have in place and those costs. Um,

[1:37:54] what is the risk for cost overruns? And if there is a cost overrun, what is

[1:38:00] that? What's the implication to to the city's budget on that piece?

[1:38:05] » So, there's no um cost. I'm not going to be asking for more money for this

[1:38:09] project. My understanding is that 75,000 was designed designated for this purpose

[1:38:13] and that's the only amount of money that I'm asking for at this point in time.

[1:38:17] Um, I hope that we are able to use our partnership with the city and and

[1:38:22] facilities department to reduce some of the sort of little things that get that

[1:38:28] come along during part of a construction project. Um, and to reduce some of the

[1:38:31] costs that can end up being complicated. Um, but at the end of the day, when if

[1:38:36] and when we run into overages on this project, um, that is something that we

[1:38:40] will work on our end to cover. >> Okay. And so, so just to confirm, so it

[1:38:44] sounds like you've been working with our facilities

[1:38:48] department and and scoping this out and and coming up with the cost estimates.

[1:38:52] » Yes, they've been they've been um you know, we've definitely talked with them

[1:38:55] throughout the process to ensure that we're not overreaching or doing anything

[1:38:59] that their support um would not work with.

[1:39:02] » Sure. >> Thank you, Council Ronin.

[1:39:06] » Uh thank you again, Madame Mayor. And and following on to your question, Will,

[1:39:09] if we are going to be using inkind services from the city, can we make sure

[1:39:12] that we are accounting for those when we get done with the final budget act when

[1:39:16] the final budget is totaled so we understand what the participation of the

[1:39:19] incind services were relative to the total cost?

[1:39:23] » I am happy to track that, you know, to the or hopefully I can get tracked on

[1:39:26] the city side since I don't know what the rates are for everything, but I

[1:39:29] would love to have that number as well. >> Great. Thank you.

[1:39:33] » Okay. Anyone else? Okay, thank you very much.

[1:39:40] Okay, not seeing any other questions or comments. Roll call vote.

[1:39:44] » Councelor Edwards, >> yes.

[1:39:45] » Councelor Parks, >> yes.

[1:39:47] » Councelor Anin, >> yes.

[1:39:48] » Councelor Gail, >> yes.

[1:39:49] » Councelor Hwitt, >> yes.

[1:39:50] » Councelor Johnston, >> yes.

[1:39:51] » Motion passes 6.

[1:39:56] » Okay, that takes care of the action items for tonight. Moving on to item 10

[1:40:00] under new business. Item A is a call for letters of interest for the W three

[1:40:04] council vacancy. City administrator. >> Um so there is going to be a call. Um

[1:40:13] did you want councelor Parks to read the item commentary?

[1:40:18] » Um we can or we can just do an update where it is not actually being presented

[1:40:23] and it's under new business. >> Very well. Um, so tomorrow, um, the city

[1:40:27] clerk will advertise publicly the, uh, call for interested parties in Ward 3.

[1:40:32] Uh, our charter requires a 21-day notice. Uh, so August 12th will be the

[1:40:37] deadline for people interested in running for that seat or being

[1:40:41] appointed, excuse me, for that seat. In concurrence with that, because uh

[1:40:45] councelor Doyle resigned outside of the 75day window, that position will also be

[1:40:50] advertised for a special election that will be held at the regular election

[1:40:54] date of November 3. Um so people interested in being appointed need to

[1:41:00] have their letters in by August the 12th and a public hearing uh with those

[1:41:05] interested to address council for the appointment will happen on the August

[1:41:09] 17th uh council meeting night. Thank you.

[1:41:16] Any questions or comments regarding the appointment schedule?

[1:41:24] Okay, moving on to item B that is the proposed charter amendments.

[1:41:29] The administrator, >> we've received a few um proposed charter

[1:41:32] amendments. Two from councelor Doyle, two for two from councelor uh Johnson.

[1:41:38] Those have been included in your packet. Um, we'll continue to work with council

[1:41:43] on making refinements to those charter amendments. Uh, happy to answer any

[1:41:47] questions this evening if, uh, council has any.

[1:41:52] » Thank you. On your review of the charter amendments. Any questions or comments?

[1:41:56] Councelor Gail. >> Just a technical question on on

[1:41:58] councelor Doyle's. Um, so that will be continued that will be carried through.

[1:42:05] I keep because the seat is vacant that that doesn't affect

[1:42:09] » this will come back. >> These requests will come back to council

[1:42:11] to vote on. So it's up to the council the remaining council members if you

[1:42:15] wish to move those forward or make changes to them.

[1:42:18] » Okay. Thanks. >> Anyone else?

[1:42:24] » And city administrator, what is the deadline for amendments to be submitted?

[1:42:29] Have we we passed that? >> We passed that. Okay.

[1:42:31] » So, these are the these are the amendments that we'll be working with uh

[1:42:34] with the council on. I believe we'll be coming back on August 3 for first

[1:42:39] reading. Um and then ultimately once uh council approves proposed charter

[1:42:44] amendments, they get voted on by the citizens at the November 3rd election.

[1:42:58] and councelor Parks when this comes back for council vote you are the councilly

[1:43:03] uh resource. Thank you.

[1:43:07] » Okay. Item C is the dire library draft memorandum of understanding theou city

[1:43:13] administrator. >> Yep. Um so this is follows through with

[1:43:17] some of the comments made earlier during uh director Smith's presentation. Uh

[1:43:21] during budget, we determined that it would be a good idea for both parties to

[1:43:25] codify the relationship that the city has with Dyer Library for the inind

[1:43:30] services that we um had been providing and um with the addition of the

[1:43:36] facilities um support. So uh administration has been working with

[1:43:42] director Smith to propose a draftou. Um this is under new business. So, we ask

[1:43:49] council to review. Uh, if there are any suggested changes or questions, we're

[1:43:53] happy to take those into consideration. Um, we are working with our legal

[1:43:58] counsel to finalize this and it will come back um at a future time for

[1:44:02] action. >> Thank you. Any questions or comments

[1:44:07] regarding theou >> and coun Oh, council Johnston.

[1:44:12] » Thank you. Uh, well, first happy to see that we're working on anou. Um, I guess

[1:44:18] my only comment for for council or everyone is given and and I've mentioned

[1:44:24] this the administrator and the mayor previously, but given that this

[1:44:28] relationship seems to be evolving specifically more in the area of funding

[1:44:33] and now uh services, city providing services. Um, I'm just wonder if we

[1:44:41] already have a council liaison. I I don't think it's unreasonable to give

[1:44:45] that council liaison voting powers similar to the way BOB is where that's

[1:44:50] also what quasi municipal entity and our liaison to that board have voting

[1:44:58] rights. U so it's something I mentioned previously to the mayor. I'm just

[1:45:02] throwing it out there because I think given the amount of funding and now

[1:45:07] services that we're providing it may be warranted.

[1:45:12] Thank you. Anyone else? And councelor Huitt, you are listed as

[1:45:17] the resource and you're okay with that? Certainly. Thank you.

[1:45:23] » Okay, that completes the new business items. Moving on to item 11 is the

[1:45:27] administrative update. City administrator,

[1:45:29] » I do apologize. It is four pages long. I am going to try to abbreviate it. I just

[1:45:34] want the community to know that uh the full report is online. Um, and we're

[1:45:39] happy to provide a written report if anybody wants to stop by city hall.

[1:45:44] [clears throat] Rescheduled community history project walking tour. Join city

[1:45:48] historian Peter Sconress on Friday, July 31st at 2 p.m. for the 2-hour guided

[1:45:53] experience exploring eight of the newly installed historic signs throughout

[1:45:57] downtown. Space is limited and registration is required. Sign up today

[1:46:01] at sakcomain.org/chpalking tour. RFP for Route 1 north sewer shed

[1:46:08] capacity and infrastructure assessment. City of SACO seeks proposals from

[1:46:12] qualified engineering consulting firms to conduct a comprehensive sanitary

[1:46:16] sewer capacity assessment of the Route 1 corridor north of the Milbrook Business

[1:46:20] Park. Proposals will be accepted until 12 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15th,

[1:46:25] 2026. Remote work through libraries project.

[1:46:29] Dyer Library has successfully completed its remote work through libraries

[1:46:33] project. Highlighted by an accessible six to eight person glass meeting room

[1:46:38] on the main floor and paired with commercialgrade Wi-Fi and wireless

[1:46:41] printing. This modern hub offers SACO's remote workforce and community groups

[1:46:46] highly functional zero barrier space to connect and work. Nomination papers were

[1:46:50] made available today, July 20th, at the city clerk's office for SACO residents

[1:46:55] who wish to seek office in the November 3rd, 2026 election. These elected

[1:47:00] officials seats up this year are mayor, city counselor for ws 2, 3, and 7,

[1:47:06] school board for wards 2, 4, and six. All seats are for a three-year term with

[1:47:11] the exception of the ward three counselor seat, which will be for a

[1:47:14] one-year term to fill out the remainder of the term due to vacancy.

[1:47:22] 200 registered voters in the city need to sign nomination papers for mayor. 35

[1:47:27] registered voters in each respective ward for the city councelor and school

[1:47:30] board members. Nomination papers must be returned to the city clerk's office 300

[1:47:35] Main Street no later than 12:00 p.m. on Friday, August 28th, 2026.

[1:47:41] Housing action plan feedback period is now open. SACO's draft housing action

[1:47:46] plan is available for review and we're opening a two-week public comment period

[1:47:50] before submitting the plan to city council for adoption. To review the

[1:47:54] plan, visit our website.org/housing.

[1:47:58] Submit your feedback through the website form by July 29th.

[1:48:02] Safety improvements on Beach Street and Ferry Road on the Beach Street and Old

[1:48:07] Orchard Road intersection. Sako Public Works will be realigning the Beach

[1:48:10] Street crosswalk at the intersection of Beach Street and Old Orchard Road

[1:48:14] beginning Monday, July 20th. Work is expected to be completed by July 23.

[1:48:19] While construction is underway, flaggers will manage alternating one-way traffic

[1:48:23] through the intersection. Ferry Road and Bay View Road intersection. New stop

[1:48:28] signs will be installed today, Monday, July 20th. No traffic impacts are

[1:48:32] expected during the sign installation, though crews will be working in the area

[1:48:37] to complete the project. We ask residents and visitors to be mindful of

[1:48:40] this new traffic pattern and remind drivers that they must stop for

[1:48:44] pedestrians in any marked crosswalk throughout SACO. Saco Fire Department

[1:48:49] launches community connected connect program. Community Connect gives you the

[1:48:53] opportunity to create a household profile that can be accessed by SACO

[1:48:56] Fire Department personnel only during an emergency response. By sharing details

[1:49:01] ahead of time, responders can arrive better prepared to meet your family's

[1:49:05] specific needs. Participation is completely voluntary and you decide what

[1:49:09] information you'd like to share. We encourage all sucker residents to take a

[1:49:13] few moments to create a free community connect profile. For more information or

[1:49:17] to register, visit communityconnect.io io info/me.saco

[1:49:24] Jubilee Island music series underway. Saco parks and recck department hosts

[1:49:28] local musicians for Sunday concerts at Jubilee Park, a small peaceful landing

[1:49:32] on the Sako River. Bring a blanket or chair, cross the covered bridge on Water

[1:49:36] Street, and join us. Concerts take place from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. every Sunday

[1:49:41] from July 19 to August 9. The upcoming lineup includes August 2nd, Maine

[1:49:46] Cats Band and August 9, Jeff Pellerin. Shows are weather dependent. Check

[1:49:51] suckomain.org/cal

[1:49:54] front slashcal for any cancellation or rain dates. Harborfest Grand M Marshall

[1:50:01] announced, "We're pleased to share that Jeda Martell has been named Grand

[1:50:04] Marshall for this summer's Camp Ellis Harbor Fest. Jedha will be honored

[1:50:08] during a special ceremony at the festival in recognition of her decades

[1:50:11] of commitment to the Camp Ellis community. Born in Baford in 1945, Jedha

[1:50:16] moved to Lower Beach Road at age 2 and has been deeply connected to Camp Ellis

[1:50:20] ever since. Jeda's dedication to the community has helped keep Harborfest

[1:50:24] alive throughout the decades. After attending a blessing of the fleet

[1:50:28] ceremony in Portland, she envisioned a similar local celebration to honor Camp

[1:50:32] Ellis's fishing heritage. Now 81, Jedha has attended every harbor fest since the

[1:50:38] events revival in 2023 by the city of Saco volunteers and Save Our Shores Soo

[1:50:43] Bay. We'll meet you at the pier on August 8th for fireworks and August 9

[1:50:47] for the festival from 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. We look forward to seeing you for

[1:50:51] the celebration of our working waterfronts.

[1:50:56] Parks and Recreational Professional Day was July 17th and we're proud to

[1:51:00] celebrate the dedicated staff of SOS Parks and Recreation Department. Thank

[1:51:04] you to the entire parks and recck team for the outstanding work you do, the

[1:51:07] opportunities you create for our community. Upcoming council meetings are

[1:51:11] August 3, August 17, and September 14. The reports.

[1:51:16] Thank you. Any questions or comments for the city administrator?

[1:51:22] Okay, not seeing any. Moving on to item 12, council discussion and comment. Any

[1:51:26] councilors wishing to share? Council Edwards.

[1:51:33] I've been thinking about whether I should make this comment or not, but I

[1:51:37] personally I feel I I want to. Um I think many SACO residents as well as

[1:51:43] Bford residents were shocked and and discouraged and saddened by the tragic

[1:51:51] killing of Joanne Sebastian Guerrero. I know that our city SACO is um

[1:52:01] is it trying to protect our citizens. Our police

[1:52:07] are not

[1:52:11] actively searching for members of this community. Um, I would ask that despite

[1:52:19] or despite one's particular politics, we can all agree that any

[1:52:28] death, whether it's by accident or by fiat, it's a loss of life from our

[1:52:35] community. I live in the hope that one day we will be closer to what we say at

[1:52:43] the end of the pledge that we say every week, every time we're in here, that we

[1:52:48] become closer to being indivisible with justice and liberty for all.

[1:52:56] » Thank you. Any other questions or comments?

[1:53:01] Okay, moving on to item 13 that is executive session.

[1:53:06] Is there a motion? Councelor Parks. Thank you, Madame Mayor. Be ordered that

[1:53:11] the city council enter into executive session pursuant to MRSA title 1,

[1:53:17] chapter 13, subchapter 1, subsection 4056E,

[1:53:23] consultation between the municipality and its attorney concerning the

[1:53:28] council's legal rights and duties relating to data centers and an

[1:53:33] application by Tower Co. LLC. >> Thank you. Motion has been made by

[1:53:38] councelor Parks. Is there a second? Second.

[1:53:40] » Second by councelor Gail. Roll call vote. Councelor Edwards.

[1:53:44] » Yes. >> Councelor Parks.

[1:53:45] » Yes. >> Councelor Anin.

[1:53:47] » Yes. >> Councelor Gail.

[1:53:48] » Yes. >> Councelor Huitt.

[1:53:49] » Yes. >> Councelor Johnston.

[1:53:50] » Yes. >> Motion to enter into executive session

[1:53:53] passes 6 at 8:15 and we will be in the city administrator's office.

[2:44:42] All right, everyone. Welcome back. Is there a motion to exit executive

[2:44:45] session? >> So moved.

[2:44:49] » Councelor Onen. Thank you. Second.

[2:44:53] » Second by councelor Edwards. >> Roll call vote. Councelor Edwards.

[2:44:57] » Yes. >> Councelor Parks.

[2:44:59] » Yes. >> Councelor Anin. Yes. Councelor Gail.

[2:45:01] Yes. >> Councelor Hwitt. Yes.

[2:45:02] » Councelor Johnston. >> Yes.

[2:45:04] » Motion to exit executive session passes 6 at 9:06.

[2:45:08] » Is there a report? >> No report, Madame Mayor.

[2:45:11] » Thank you. All right. Moving on to item 15. That is adjournment. Is there a

[2:45:16] motion to adjurnn? >> So moved.

[2:45:20] » Motion made by councelor Edwards. Is there a second?

[2:45:22] » Second. >> Second by councelor Huwitt. Roll call

[2:45:24] vote. Councelor Edwards. >> Yes.

[2:45:26] » Councelor Parks. >> Yes.

[2:45:28] » Councelor Anen, >> yes.

[2:45:29] » Councelor Gail, yes. >> Councelor Hwitt, yes.

[2:45:31] » Councelor Johnston, >> yes.

[2:45:32] » Motion to adjourn passes at 9:06. And thank you everyone and have a great

[2:45:36] night.

Saco City Council Meeting - July 20, 2026

Transcript