2021.03.19--Falmouth Focus, Volume 3, Issue 6

Please note:  This newsletter will be sent to subscribers of both The Falmouth Focus newsletter and Town News & Announcements. Please excuse cross postings. To change your subscription settings, visit E-Alerts. 

Town Services, Offices, & Facilities

• Town of Falmouth Facility Closures, Cancellation, and Status of Services
• Online and Remote Services
• A Guide to Participating in Virtual Town Council Meetings
• Transfer Station and Waste Disposal
• Falmouth Parks, Playgrounds, Trails & Trailhead Parking
• Falmouth Schools Updates

• News & Issues​​​​​​  
  • Letter From Town Council Chair
  • Focus on Wastewater
  • Police Accreditation
  • Food Pantry Update
• Ongoing Initiatives
  • Living Lawns Survey
• Events
  • Future Summit #1 (Repeat Event), March 29
  • FY22 Budget Meetings
  • Facing Stigma:  The Recovery Community in Maine
  • Spring Lawn Care Workshops
  • Earth Month 2021
• Take Note
  • Nomination Papers
  • Improving Information Systems
  • Composting Food Waste
• Town Council, Board & Committee Meetings
  • Town Council
  • Planning Board
  • Board of Zoning Appeals
• Stay Informed

* Please note, currently the Table of Contents links feature is not supported by all email clients or browsers. 

Letter from Town Council Chair, Amy Kuhn

Dear Neighbors,

When I wrote this letter to you last March, lockdown was just getting under way and we had no idea what the coming months would bring. Now, a year later, more than 500 Falmouth residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and some have lost their lives. Others have lost loved ones, lost jobs, or closed small businesses. And, many of our parents and families have struggled, continuously trying to balance the safety of going back to school with the challenges of staying out. For most, it has been a very hard stretch.

Even during the worst of days, however, Falmouth has also shined. Decades of investment in open space paid dividends beyond our imaginations as residents in all parts of town sought refuge on our trails and beaches. Our Town government was among the first in the state to adapt to virtual meetings, allowing us to smoothly and reliably conduct the Town’s business throughout the year. And, our clerk’s office successfully handled record breaking voter turnout in both the summer primary and fall general elections.

Perhaps most inspiring, we showed up for each other. Residents, local businesses, community groups, and Town staff joined forces throughout the year to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the Falmouth Food Pantry, deliver hot meals to front line healthcare workers, clean up our parks and neighborhoods, and make wellness calls to our seniors.

This spring, we have every reason to be hopeful with another Maine summer on the horizon. Please, continue to wear your mask and follow CDC recommendations until this health crisis is behind us.

On behalf of the Town Council, thank you for your resilience and fortitude over the past year. It has been such a privilege to serve our community during this challenging time. We wish you and your families good health and wellbeing in the days ahead.

Warmly, Amy

Focus on Falmouth's Wastewater Systems

The Town of Falmouth is implementing a phased upgrade of the Town’s existing wastewater system to ensure that sewage is adequately conveyed and treated now and in the future. For background, see the previous articles in this series in The Falmouth Focus: “How Falmouth’s Sewer System Works,” (October 20, 2020) and “The Development of the West Falmouth Sewer Master Plan,” (October 16, 2020).

The Woodlands Sewer Line Upgrades:  Addressing Aging Infrastructure and Capacity for the Future

By Nathan Poore, Town Manager, with contributions from Bryanna Denis, PE, LSE, Wright-Pierce

The next critical phase in Falmouth’s wastewater infrastructure modernization is to implement one of the most important components of the West Falmouth Sewer Master Plan: upsize the Falmouth Road Pump Station and its associated force main. Currently, West Falmouth wastewater flows through public wastewater lines running under The Woodlands neighborhood, visiting two pump stations on Pinehurst Drive and at The Woodlands Clubhouse, before exiting at Woods Road. This existing infrastructure imposes capacity bottlenecks in the system, and the “daisy-chain” flow of wastewater from West Falmouth through multiple pump stations creates engineering complexity and failure points.

Based on the Master Plan recommendation, the Town determined that the Town’s existing wastewater easement under Woodlands Drive is the best route for the upgraded force main. This new force main, running in a separate pipe, would completely bypass the Pinehurst and Woodlands Clubhouse stations. It is the least expensive route and, because the Town already holds an easement to the property, would not require the taking of private property by eminent domain. Non-financial factors also favor the Woodlands Drive route, including minimizing blasting disruptions to Town residents, mitigating environmental impacts, and facilitating future ease of maintenance.

The Woodlands Homeowners Association (WHA) has voiced opposition to the plan to upgrade the Town’s infrastructure via the Woodlands route. Woodlands residents have expressed concern about risk to underground utilities, safety, and impact to the community. Trying to find an amicable resolution with the WHA, the Town has delayed the project for several years and instructed Wright-Pierce engineering firm to prepare multiple revised route evaluations to see if any alternative route could be feasible and cost-effective. Each of Wright-Pierce’s evaluations have ranked the Woodlands Drive route as the most cost effective and least risky.

This month, the WHA and the Town failed to reach an agreement at a mediation before an impartial mediator. The Town has made every effort to accommodate the concerns of the WHA. However, implementing the West Falmouth Sewer Master Plan recommendation will have far-reaching benefit for the entire community and remains necessary to ensure the integrity of an aging wastewater system and to increase capacity for future commercial and residential demand in West Falmouth. Further delays will increase costs of the project, as well as risk a failure in the existing infrastructure. Therefore, the Town intends to resume and complete the design of the project through the Woodlands this year while continuing to work with the WHA to minimize construction impacts to The Woodlands community. Construction would be expected to occur in 2022.

Falmouth Police Department Awarded Accreditation Status

The Maine Chiefs of Police Association(MCOP) has awarded accreditation status to the Falmouth Police Department. The Maine Law Enforcement Accreditation Program(MLEAP), the accrediting body for the MCOP, ensures the candidate agencies have addressed the most critical law enforcement issues in both policies as well as actual operations. The department recently completed an assessment process verifying the department has the required policies, procedures, training, and physical infrastructure to comply with standards. MLEAP is the compilation of what Maine law enforcement professionals believe are the best practices needed to address the most critical tasks of law enforcement in our state. Falmouth is one of only seven communities in the state to have this accreditation. The accreditation took a year of dedicated work in policy structure, training, and infrastructure adjustments to ensure best practices. The accreditation is valid for three years in which the department will require further review for compliance verification within these high standards. 

Falmouth Food Pantry Update

by Nancy Lightbody, Food Pantry Manager

Falmouth Food Pantry volunteers are still meeting the Pantry's mission of getting food to those in need by delivering pre-packed boxes of non-perishable food to homes that need food assistance. If you live in Falmouth and have a food emergency, please call the Falmouth Food Pantry emergency line 632-2687. Please leave your name and phone number. The Food Pantry is not accepting food donations at this time nor, given current operations, is it seeking additional volunteers. The best way to support the Falmouth Food Pantry is through monetary donations. Donations should be made payable to the Falmouth Food Pantry and mailed to: 271 Falmouth Road, Falmouth, ME 04105. Donations may also be made online via PayPal at: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1807575

In addition, you can support our local food pantries by purchasing a beautiful handmade stained glass heart sun catcher! All profits from these one-of-a-kind art pieces will benefit the Falmouth and Cumberland Food Pantries. To order, visit the Rivalries website at rivalriesmaine.com. Click on “Falmouth Online Ordering” (the white bar in the middle of the page). Choose a pick-up time for your order. Scroll down through the “Popular Items” and click on “Hearts with Helping Hands.” You can then order a heart(s) ($25 each) and add an additional monetary donation for the Food Pantry, if desired. (Please note: The hearts will be ready for pick-up at Rivalries Falmouth during regular business hours March 15th on). Thank you to Rivalries and the entire community for your ongoing support. 

Take the Living Lawns Survey!

Spring is around the corner and we’re all daydreaming about green grass and colorful blooms. It also means the launch of Falmouth’s Living Lawns campaign, which provides residents with helpful land care tips and tricks to help make your lawn and garden healthy and vibrant. As we develop the materials and outreach for 2021, we’d love to get your input on your lawn, garden, and yard care practices so that we can provide you with information that you’ll find valuable. Please take our quick 3-minute survey to let us know about your land care routine. We’d greatly appreciate it! Find the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VGPV9MS

Vision & Values Project: Future Summit Repeat Event, March 29

As part of the ongoing Vision & Values Project, the Future Summit #1 is being RE-RUN as a live virtual session on Monday, March 29. This session was originally held on March 1, 2021, but due to schedule overlap with a School Board meeting, we are repeating the first Future Summit to maximize the opportunity for people to participate. This will be a live re-run, and you will get to participate in polling and Q&A sessions. The Summit will include presentation of data from the Vision & Values Community Survey #1, by David Beurle from Future iQ, our project consultant. The Summit aims to highlight some of the data insights and begin to explore future community aspiration. You can learn more about the Future Summit at: https://lab2.future-iq.com/town-of-falmouth-vision-and-values-project/future-summits/future-summit-1/

FY22 Budget Meetings & Workshops

The Town of Falmouth will hold the following virtual meetings regarding the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget:

• March 31, 5:00pm—Joint Town and School Finance Committee Budget Presentation (Finance Committee)
• April 7, 7:00pm—Public Hearing – FY22 Budget (Town Council)--Opportunity for public comment             
• April 12, 7:00pm—Council Vote to Approve (Town Council)--Tentatively scheduled but may be held later)      

Additional info and a link to join by phone or Zoom will be provided in advance of each meeting on the meeting agenda. Finance Committee Agendas can be found here. Town Council Agendas can be found here. Agendas (including Zoom links) are also sent via E-Alert. Subscribe to the Finance Committee Alerts and/or Town Council Alerts at: www.falmouthme.org/subscribe

With the exception of the April 7 Public Hearing, public comment is not typically heard at these budget development meetings. Those who would like to offer input prior to the April 7 Public Hearing are encouraged to contact any Town Councilor or the Town Manager. Contact information can be found at https://www.falmouthme.org/town-council-town-manager. More information about the proposed budget and any updates can be found at: https://www.falmouthme.org/finance/pages/fy-21-22-budget

Please note: This update on the status of FY22 budget development does not include information regarding the proposed School Budget. For more information about the School Budget process, visit: http://www.falmouthschools.org/ and click "Budget" on the left side of the page.

Facing Stigma: The Recovery Community in Maine, March 21, 4:00pm

A virtual presentation and discussion on stigma facing the recovery community, sponsored by the Episcopal Church of Saint Mary and the Town of Falmouth, will be held Sunday, March 21, from 4-5:30 p.m. St. Mary's and the Town have joined forces to educate the community about the many faces of stigma, a follow-up to a series last year on the opioid crisis. Presenters include Oliver Bradeen, Executive Director, Milestone Recovery, Sarah Coupe, Founder and Director, Grace House for Women, and Margo Walsh, Founder, Owner, MaineWorks. The event is free and open to the public via Zoom here. For more information, contact The Episcopal Church of Saint Mary, Falmouth at the parish office, 781-3366, smary@smary.org or Jennifer Gregg, 781-2665, jenniferanngregg@gmail.com. 

Spring Lawn Care Virtual Workshops

Do you want a lush green lawn that is safe for kids, pets, and the environment while saving you time and money? Join Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District to learn how to create a more resilient, beautiful lawn, without relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Learn strategies for fertilizing correctly, controlling weeds and thatch, renovating poor lawns, transitioning to organic care, and more. Whether you maintain your lawn or hire a professional, round up your neighbors and join us! Program teachings are compatible with the City of Portland’s pesticide ordinance, the City of South Portland’s landcare management ordinance, and the Town of Falmouth’s Living Lawns program. 

Workshops will be held:

• Tuesday, March 23, 4-6pm 
• Tuesday, March 30, 6-8pm 
• Wednesday, April 14, 4-6pm
• Thursday, April 29, 6-8pm 

Register at https://www.cumberlandswcd.org/conservation-shop/tickets to receive the webinar link. The cost to attend each workshop is $15. For more info, visit: https://www.falmouthme.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif11826/f/uploads/spring_2021_lawncare_workshops.pdf

Earth Month 2021 Events

April 22 is Earth Day! Mark the occasion by joining us for a Clean-Up!

Community Clean-Up #1, Saturday, April 17

Location: River Point, On Route 100, just east of the West Falmouth Crossing Shopping Center. Park at the head of the railroad bridge or in the rear of the shopping center lot. After crossing the bridge, look for an informational kiosk to the right. We will have bags and info at the kiosk.

Time: 9am-12pm

Details: Town to supply trash bags. Please bring your own reusable work gloves and masks. Each participant will receive a free movie pass courtesy of Flagship Premium Cinemas in Falmouth!

Community Clean-Up #2, Saturday, April 24

Location: RT 1 – Waldo’s General Store to Bucknam Road. Meet at Flagship Premium Cinemas, 206 US Route 1. Park in the lot at the side of the building. 

Time: 9am-12pm

Details: Town to supply trash bags. Please bring your own reusable work gloves and masks. Each participant will receive a free movie pass courtesy of Flagship Premium Cinemas in Falmouth!

Neighborhood Clean-Ups

Organize your own neighborhood clean-up and the bags are on us! Email Ashley Krulik, akrulik@falmouthme.org if you’d like to organize a clean-up in your neighborhood and we’ll set aside some bags for you to pick up in April.  

Nomination Papers Available For Elected Positions

Nomination papers are now available from the Falmouth Town Clerk’s Office. Residents interested in running for Town Council, School Board, or Portland Water District Representative must submit nomination papers with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 100 signatures no later than 5:00pm, Monday, April 12. 

The Municipal election will be held on Tuesday, June 8, for the purpose of electing:

• Two (2) people to the Town Council for three (3) year terms
• Two (2) people to the School Board for three (3) year terms
• One (1) person as the Portland Water District Trustee Representing Cumberland and Falmouth for a five (5) year term.

For more information, contact the Clerk's Office at: 781-5253 or visit: https://www.falmouthme.org/town-clerk/news/nomination-papers

Improving Information Systems

The Town has completed its conversion to a new agenda and minutes management platform called Champion Data Systems. This new software will allow the Town to better archive all Board & Committee Meeting attachments related to agenda items in a single PDF document, provide consistency in the formatting of all agendas and minutes, link agenda items to the video recording of the meeting (when video is recorded) enabling viewers to go directly to the point in the video related to a specific agenda item, eliminate duplicative work in posting agendas, minutes, and meeting videos, and allow for better archiving and easier information retrieval. 

Subscribers to E-Alerts for committee and board agendas will still receive those emails. Users can also still find agendas and minutes for specific meetings by date from within the individual board and committee pages. In addition, all agendas, minutes, and video recordings are centralized in an Agenda and Minutes Center accessed via the home page of the Town website. We believe this system will greatly improve access to and archiving of official town records.   

Composting Food Waste in Falmouth

Composting food waste is an eco-friendly way of reducing household waste. Composting reduces your trash bag costs and means less waste entering the landfill. It also returns nutrients to the soil. There are a variety of ways to compost your food waste in Falmouth. Check out our new handy fact sheet for more information at: https://www.falmouthme.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif11826/f/uploads/composting_fact_sheet_fiinal.pdf

Town Council Virtual Meeting, Monday, March 22, 7:00pm

The Falmouth Town Council will conduct a virtual meeting using emergency legislation, Sec. G-1 MRSA §403-A, that allows cities and towns to conduct meetings online. The meeting will be held on Monday, March 22 at 7:00pm using Zoom. This application will allow attendees to connect via computer or phone. A meeting link and phone instructions will be provided in advance of the meeting via the Town website homepage and E-Alerts that will allow you to join the meeting via computer or phone, as well as, a phone number to dial in. An agenda can be found here. Check out our Guide to Participating in Virtual Public Meetings. If you have questions, please call (207) 699-5329. 

At the Most Recent Town Council Meeting…

The Town Council held a meeting on March 8 at 5:30pm via Zoom. See agenda here. 

• The Council met in executive session from 5:30pm to 7:00pm pursuant to the Laws of Maine to discuss negotiation parameters associated with the Teamsters Local 340 and Maine Association of Police contract renewal, pursuant to 1 M.R.S.A. § 405 (6) (D).
• There was an update on the Community Vision and Values Project.
• There was an update from the Recycling and Energy Advisory Committee (REAC).
• The Council approved an order to schedule a public hearing on the FY22 Municipal and School Department Budget for April 7, 2021. 
• There was a public hearing on amendments to the Code of Ordinances to add a new section to Ch. II-12, Section 12-4 regulating construction noise and to amend Ch. II-19, Section 19-72.5 to remove outdated references.
• There was a concept discussion of a proposed short-term rental ordinance. 
• There was a concept discussion regarding the Community Development Committee's proposed land use and zoning recommendations related to the Route 100 Vision Plan and the Route 100 corridor.
• There was an introduction of amendments to Section 19-19 of the Code of Ordinances and to the West Falmouth Crossing Master Development Plan in order to allow private schools as a conditional use at one of the development sites in the West Falmouth Crossing Master Planned Development District. A public hearing was scheduled for April 12.
• The Council approved ordinance amendments to CH. II-7 of the Code of Ordinances relative to subdivision review and compliance with recent changes to the state statutes.
• There was an introduction of proposed amendments to Shellfish Management Ordinance. A public hearing was scheduled for April 12. 
• The Council approved an order regarding a supplemental appropriation for $30,000 for the procurement of orthoimagery for the Town from the four Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District fund balances.

View past Town Council meetings here. 

Planning Board

The Planning Board's next meeting with be held on April 6. An agenda can be found here in advance of the meeting. Planning Board agendas for upcoming meetings may not always be complete at the time of this newsletter's publication. When possible, links will be provided to direct users to any additional information available on projects at the time of this publication, including building elevations and images when available. Information on planning board projects and activities, including agendas and minutes, can be found at: https://www.falmouthme.org/planning-board

Board of Zoning Appeals 

The Board of Zoning Appeals will consider the following items at its March 23 meeting. An agenda can be found here. 

• 20 Andrews Avenue – Jessica Harris – Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-77 to expand existing mudroom and rebuild larger garage.  Map/lot U01-096, Zoned RA, RCZO, WVOD.
• 1 Shoreline Drive – Burnham & Lobozzo Builders, LLC representing Usha Reddi – Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-84 for the tear down and rebuilding of a 2-car garage.  Map/lot U01-082, Zoned RA, RCZO, SZ-LR, WVOD.
• 22 Whitney Road – Daniel & Jennifer Vogt - Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-77 to add two dormers to the second floor of the home.  Map/lot U01-073, Zoned RA, RCZO, WVOD.
• 8 Chester Avenue – Rachel W. & Mike Cooney - Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-77 to replace the existing garage with a master bedroom suite and rooftop deck.  Map/lot U04-053, Zoned RA, RCZO, SZ-LR.
• 37 Johnson Road – Alvaro Ortega Sebastian - Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-77 for a kitchen addition.  Map/lot U19-033, Zoned RA, RCZO.
• 239 Middle Road – Erika J. Richio – Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-119 & 19-123 for a home day care.  Map/lot U23-026, Zoned RB, RCZO.
• 15 Reg Roc Road – Michael Maines representing Daniel Flack & Jesse Weisshaar - Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-77 for a screened porch addition.  Map/lot U01-131, Zoned RA, RCZO, SZ-LR, WVOD.

For more information please visit: https://www.falmouthme.org/board-of-zoning-appeals

Stay Informed with the Town of Falmouth Website and E-Alerts

There are many Town committees and boards that meet on a regular basis. The events calendar on the Town of Falmouth website homepage lists upcoming board, committee, and Town Council meetings. We send E-Alerts when Town Council, Planning Board, and Board of Zoning Appeals meeting agendas and minutes are posted to the website. Subscribe via E-Alerts to those that most interest you. Agendas and Minutes for these meetings are also posted online an can be accessed from the home page. Town Council, Planning Board, and School Board meetings are live-streamed on Falmouth Community TV Channel 1301 (Former Channel 2). Recordings of these meetings are also available for viewing online. Board of Zoning Appeals Meetings are not broadcast live but can be viewed online within 24 hours after the meeting. E-Alerts allows you to subscribe to specific e-mail lists about Town-related issues that interest you. The Falmouth Focus, this bi-weekly newsletter, is another way to stay in the loop. Subscribe via E-Alerts. Please let us know what kind of information you would like to see included in your town newsletter.