2022.03.11--Falmouth Focus, Volume 4, Issue 8

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. 

General Information

• Town of Falmouth Hours of Operations and Status of Services
• Online and Remote Services
• A Guide to Participating in Virtual Town Council Meetings

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

• News & Issues​​​​​​  
  • Pine Grove Preserve: Forestry Management Plan
  • Revised Mask Policy for Town Buildings 
• Ongoing Initiatives
  • Vision & Values Update 
  • FY23 Budget Development  
• Events
  • Coffee With Councilors
  • Mariners Night
  • Strategic Watershed Plan Public Forum
  • Spring Lawn Care Workshops
  • Urban Run Off
• Take Note
  • Nomination Papers
  • Posted Roads
  • Community Wellness Committee Seeks Members
  • Family Volunteer Opportunity
• Falmouth Public Schools
  • Highlight 
  • Focus
  • Upcoming
• Town Council, Board & Committee Meetings
  • Town Council
  • Planning Board
  • Board of Zoning Appeals
• Stay Informed

Focus on Pine Grove Preserve 

To address safety concerns and improve the health of Pine Grove Preserve, located off Route 88, the Town will implement a forestry management plan in 2022 that includes a substantial harvest of dead and dying pine trees on this property. This series of articles focuses on the history of the preserve, challenges presented by this property, the management plan developed to address these issues, and what work residents can expect to see in the coming months. Find the first installment, "History of Pine Grove Preserve," here. The second installment, "Today's Challenges," can be found here. The third installment, "Managing the Preserve," can be found here.

Timeline for Work

In late September 2021, Pine Grove Preserve was closed to the public for approximately one week for invasive species removal. Additional signage throughout the preserve, especially at entry points advises visitors of the dangers posed by dead and dying trees. In the spring, the property lines will be marked, and the Town Forester will designate trees for removal. Chaplin Logging, Inc. has been contracted for the removal work. The Town Forester is now working with staff to create a plan for a “landing” area. This area, probably to include the small parking area off Foreside Road, will be the staging area for the heavy equipment needed for this project. The actual harvesting of trees is completely weather dependent. The harvest will not begin until late spring or early summer. Dry conditions, with no snow cover, allow the contractors to get the site much cleaner when clearing the blowdown. Additionally, harvesting in spring or early summer will reveal the results of the invasives mitigation treatment. This will allow staff to identify additional areas of treatment, if needed, prior to the harvest. The harvest is expected to take approximately three weeks, again depending on weather. Pine Grove Preserve will be closed during the harvest. Updates regarding the closure will be communicated through the Town website, E-alerts, social media, and this newsletter. 

The final installment of this "Focus on Pine Grove Preserve" series will provide information on what the public can expect during the implementation of the forestry management plan at Pine Grove. Can’t wait for the next article? Read the whole series here.

Revised Mask Policy for Town Buildings

Throughout the pandemic, the Town of Falmouth has closely monitored COVID-19 case rates in Cumberland County and followed the guidance of the Federal and Maine Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC has designated Cumberland County’s community level as “low” based on reduced case rates, hospital admissions, and occupied inpatient beds. Therefore, Falmouth has updated its mask policy for the public in all Town buildings. Mask use is optional for all visitors and staff at Town buildings regardless of vaccination status effective immediately. Visitors should not enter Town buildings if exhibiting symptoms of illness.

Falmouth will continue to review CDC data regarding transmission levels in Cumberland County and current CDC guidelines to determine if changes are appropriate. Changes and updates to this policy will be communicated to residents via E-Alerts, social media, and the Town website.

   Vision & Values Update

At the Town Council meeting on Monday, March 28, David Beurle of Future iQ will give a presentation on the results of Community Survey #2 and the final Vision and Values report. Survey results and Future iQ's final report will be posted to the project portal in advance of the meeting.  

FY23 Budget Development Meetings

The Town of Falmouth will hold the following virtual meetings regarding the FY23 Budget. An article regarding the budget was included in a prior issue of The Falmouth Focus. Read it here. 

• March 30--Joint Town and School Finance Committee Budget Presentation (Finance Committee)
• April 6--Public Hearing – FY23 Budget (Town Council)--Opportunity for public comment          
• April 25--Council Vote to Approve (Town Council)      

Additional info and a link to join by Zoom or phone 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

Except for the Public Hearing, public comment is not typically heard at these budget development meetings. Those who would like to offer input prior to the 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. 

Please note: This update on the status of the FY23 budget development does not include information regarding the proposed School Budget. For more information about the School Budget process, visit: https://www.falmouthschools.org/about/budget

Coffee with Councilors

Building on the productive dialogues established during the Town’s Vision & Values process, the Town Council would like to invite all residents to join two Councilors at a time for an informal Zoom gathering. These meetings will be scheduled for one hour each with no set agenda. It is a chance for informal dialogue on whatever is on residents' minds. We will vary the days and times to try to be accessible to all. Note, this is a pilot project; we will assess continuation after a few months. Visit the events calendar on the home page for Zoom links to each meeting or watch this space. We hope to see you there!

The next Coffee with Councilors will be held...

Friday, March 18, 8-9am
Attendees: Councilors Cahan and Trickett

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81081966514
Or One tap mobile : 
    US: +16465588656,,81081966514#  or +13017158592,,81081966514# 
Or Telephone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 646 558 8656  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 669 900 9128  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799 
Webinar ID: 810 8196 6514
    International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kebMibPR7Q

Additional Dates

Note: Links to each coffee will be posted on the events calendar on our home page at www.falmouthme.org and listed here in each issue.

Thursday, April 14, 12-1pm
Attendees: Councilors Johnson, de Lima

Wednesday, May 11, 6-7pm
Attendees: Councilors LaFond, Kuhn

Falmouth Night at the Mariners, March 19

Strategic Watershed Plan Public Forum (Virtual), March 23, 7pm

Watershed health is becoming an increasingly important indicator for a community’s health. In January 2019, Falmouth was awarded a Maine Coastal Community Grant to assess the needs of and prioritize actions for all Town watersheds. Given the importance of this initiative on a regional scale (it is the first project to evaluate watersheds on a town-wide scale), Falmouth applied for a grant in partnership with GPCOG, and hired Attaining: Sustainable Solutions to develop the technical portion of this project and assemble all available Falmouth watershed data.

The draft plan was completed by Attaining in September 2021, was reviewed, and summarized by Town staff and staff from Maine DEP, and then presented to Town Council on February 14, 2022. This public forum is an opportunity for Falmouth residents to learn more about the plan, town-wide watershed health, and the recommendations to protect, improve, and restore watershed health in the years to come.

Webinar Link: https://www.falmouthme.org/home/events/129841

Spring Healthy Lawn Care Made Easy Workshops

Learn how to grow a healthy lawn that’s safe for families, pets, and the environment while saving money, time, and effort with workshops from the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District. 
All classes are $15 and held from 6-8 PM. Register online at: cumberlandswcd.org/workshops

• Wednesday, March 30--In person or webinar | Windham Public Library
• Thursday, April 14--In person or webinar | Yarmouth Water District
• Tuesday, April 26--Webinar

Questions? Call Cumberland County SWCD at (207) 892-4700.

Urban Run Off 5K

Our community's health, economy, and way of life depends on clean water. Unfortunately, polluted runoff threatens Maine's lakes, rivers, streams, and bays. You can be the hero we need to protect our water. The Urban Runoff 5K, hosted by Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District, supports clean water education in the Greater Portland and Saco areas. The 2022 event will allow participants to explore a course anytime during the month of April on their own or join the timed event on April 23, 2022. Registration and more info at: https://www.cumberlandswcd.org/urban-runoff

Nomination Papers Available

The Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, June 14, for the purpose of electing:

• Three (3) people to the Town Council for three (3) year terms.
• Two (2) people to the School Board for three (3) year terms.

Nomination papers are available from the Town Clerk’s Office at Falmouth Town Hall. Residents interested in running for either Town Council or the School Board must submit nomination papers with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 100 signatures no later than 5:00pm on Friday, April 15.

Community Wellness Committee Seeks Members

In this issue of The Falmouth Focus, we are highlighting two vacancies on the Community Wellness Committee. The Wellness Committee is responsible for determining best strategies and practices to inform and promote wellness for Falmouth residents including providing education about available wellness resources and creating a wellness resource guide and annual wellness event. The Committee is also responsible for administering the Town’s social services funding program. The Committee encourages Falmouth High School students to apply. For an application, click here.

Additional Town board and committee vacancies are listed below. If you are interested in getting involved, please consider the following openings:

Board of Sewer Appeals (2)

Conservation Commission (1)

Parks and Community Programs Advisory Committee (1)

Planning Board (1-Alternate)

Recycling & Energy Advisory Committee (2)

Shellfish Conservation Commission (1)

Follow the links above for more information on each committee's role and function. For a board and committee application, click here.

Call for Family Volunteers

Falmouth Community Programs is seeking families to volunteer this winter to help their senior neighbors with snow removal. Several seniors are seeking assistance and we are looking for families who want to give back to their community with a safe activity they can do together. For more information about the program contact Kim Doyon, Senior Services Coordinator at 699-5330 or kdoyon@falmouthme.org

Highlight: One Act Play - March 12

Come see the thrilling play ROPE (turned into the classic Alfred Hitchcock film) by Patrick Hamilton this Saturday, March 12 ($10 cash at the door) by the Theatre Company at    Falmouth High School.

Focus: Superintendent Announcement!

On behalf of the School Board, it is my great pleasure to share that Gretchen McNulty has accepted our offer to serve as the Superintendent of the Falmouth Schools after serving in this role in an interim capacity during this school year. The Board accepted the recommendation from a search committee, which included representatives from among our teachers, administrators, community members, and students, that evaluated applications submitted by qualified candidates from around the country, and formally approved her appointment with a unanimous 7-0 vote during a special meeting on March 7.

Gretchen McNulty took on the role of Interim Superintendent of Schools in Falmouth in July 2021, having served as Director of Learning for the district since 2016. Gretchen started her education career teaching at Fryeburg Academy, where she also lived with and supported American students as well as international students from around the world. In the 20 years since, Gretchen has worked in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, as well as in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She has taught high school history, contemporary issues, philosophy and ethics, and English; and has served as department head and K-12 curriculum coordinator. Over the years, her passion for global education and intercultural understanding inspired her to lead expeditionary travel with student groups throughout Asia, Europe, and the U.S.; and to develop a High School World Affairs Council, a series of Model UN Teams, and TedX events. With degrees in History, Interdisciplinary Great Books Studies, Teaching and Learning, and Educational Leadership, she continues to pursue new learning on a range of topics. Gretchen also serves as a representative from Maine on the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission for Public Schools (NEASC). She lives in Falmouth with her husband and daughter.

As our interim superintendent for the past nine months, not only has Gretchen ably led our “every child in school every day” pandemic protocol, but she has also guided, developed, and supported a number of initiatives that collectively contribute to the growth of the district in alignment with our mission and strategic plan. She has demonstrated impactful and inspired leadership that has exceeded our every expectation.

We know that Gretchen will continue to work tirelessly in partnership with our talented faculty and staff to help our students navigate creative pathways to courageous, compassionate, and fulfilling lives. We firmly believe that under her strategic leadership and vision, the Falmouth Schools will continue to be an outstanding place to teach and learn.

Whitney Bruce

Chair, Falmouth School Board

Upcoming: Meetings & Events

School Board Meeting

School Board Meeting - Monday, March 21st @ 7:00 in the FES cafeteria
The agenda is posted 5 days prior to the meeting on the falmouthschools.org website.

For more information on Falmouth Public Schools, visit: www.falmouthschools.org

Town Council Meeting, Monday, March 14, 7:00pm

The Town Council will meet on Monday, March 14 at 7:00pm. The Falmouth Town Council will hold an in person meeting at Town Hall in the Town Council Chambers as authorized by Section 28, Policy Eight of the Town Council Rules and 1 MRSA §403-B. Members of the public may participate in the meeting by either attending the meeting in person or via Zoom. The agenda and Zoom link can be found here. The Zoom application will allow attendees to connect and participate remotely via computer or phone. The public may also watch (no participation option) the meeting on Channel 2 or on the Town website streaming channel. Check out our Guide to Participating in Virtual Public Meetings. If you have questions, please call (207) 699-5335. 

At the Most Recent Town Council Meeting…

The Town Council held a meeting on February 28. An agenda and video can be found here. 

• The Council approved the minutes of the January 7 Work Plan Review Meeting, January 10 Council Meeting, January 21 Continuation of the Work Plan Review Meeting, January 24 Council Meeting and January 31 Special Town Council Meeting.
• The Council approved the following appointments:
  • Ad-Hoc Climate Action Planning Committee (CAPC)- Council Liaison: Peter LaFond
  • Community Wellness Committee: Lisa Joy
• There was an update on the Community Vision and Values Project.
• The Council approved the renewal of Subway’s permanent food service establishment license.
• There was a presentation from the Police Department on acquiring body-worn cameras and cruiser cameras for its officers.
• The Council went into Executive Session pursuant to the Laws of Maine to discuss real estate rights, pursuant to 1 M.R.S.A. § 405 (6) (C).

Planning Board

The following items were considered at the Planning Board meeting on March 1. An agenda and video can be found here. 

• 188 US Route 1 – Burr Signs representing People’s United Bank - Request for Sign Permit Approval to replace 2 signs.  Map/lot U51-005.  REMOVED
• 342 US Route One – David Matero Architecture – Request for Shoreland Zone Review Approval to construct a permanent bridge at Rose Stone.  Map/lot U53-002. APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS

• 251 US Route One – Bailey Sign Inc. on behalf of Lanman Rayne Nelson Reade – Request for Sign Permit Approval for one new wall sign.  Map/lot U12-002. APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS

• Clearwater Drive – Empire Development LLC – Request for Pre-Application Sketch Plan Review for a Conceptual Mixed Residential and Commercial Use Development of the TV3 Parcel in Tidewater Village.  Map/Lot U52-006. DISCUSSED

• 456 Blackstrap Rd – White Acres LLC – Request for Subdivision Approval for a 3-Lot Minor Subdivision.  Map/lot R08-009-001. TABLED UNTIL APRIL 

• 11 Foreside Road – Portland Country Club – Request for Site Plan Amendment Approval for wetland fill and parking area modifications.  Map/lot R02-004. APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS

Please note: Planning Board agendas for upcoming meetings may not always be complete at the time of this newsletter's publication. Within the agendas, when possible, links will be provided to direct users to any additional information available on projects at the time of publication, including building elevations, plans, 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. For additional information or questions, contact Dawn Emerson at 207-781-5326 or demerson@falmouthme.org

Board of Zoning Appeals 

The Board of Zoning Appeals will consider the following item at its meeting on March 22. An agenda can be found here.

• 25 Brown Street – Scott & Alise Koocher – Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-84 for the removal of an existing modern style house and foundation and rebuild of a New England traditional style home. Map/lot U02-001-A.

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 and 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.