City Council September 3 Meeting Summary

Recent homes built in Sanford by Habitat for Humanity York County.

Photo: Habitat for Humanity York County

By Zendelle Bouchard

Housing Grant

At its Sept. 3 regular meeting, the Sanford City Council voted to accept a $300,000 Housing Assistance Grant from the state of Maine’s Community Development Block Grant program. The funds will be used to assist Habitat for Humanity York County in building four new housing units in Springvale. The development at 3 Beaver Hill Rd. will include two new single-family modular homes and a duplex. The property was formerly home to a vacant, hazardous structure that was remediated through the work of Sanford’s Land Bank Commission. Habitat York County Director Amy Nucci told the Council the homes will be sold to applicants who make up to 60% of the area median income. She said utilizing modular construction allows the organization to keep expenses down while compressing the timeline for completion. The two single-family households have been selected and applications for two households to purchase the duplex will open in October.

Cemetery Upkeep

The Council heard from Mike Sabine of Waterboro, speaking on behalf of Sanford resident Dustin Cote, about conditions at Oakdale Cemetery. Cote, whose daughter is buried at Oakdale, approached Sabine in May to help with cleanup following a storm. Sabine used his dump truck to haul brush to the transfer station, but he said he was not allowed to dump there without a Sanford sticker. He said the staff at Oakdale is “overwhelmed” and falling behind on maintenance due to the labor shortage. He told the Council he reached out to city staff but did not receive a reply. “My biggest concern is the veteran graves,” he said, adding that grass in some areas is over a foot tall.

Councilor Nate Hitchcock said a new seasonal employee was recently hired to assist at the cemetery and is undergoing training. Deputy Mayor Maura Herlihy said the short staffing was exacerbated by the rainy weather that followed an extended dry period this year. “Everything grew really fast…no one could keep up,” she said, but added that things are in much better shape now. Mayor Becky Brink said Sabine could have been accommodated at the transfer station if his visit had been prearranged. Councilor Ayn Hanselmann asked if the Public Works Department could give a presentation on how members of the public can be preapproved for cleanups.

Trash Dumping / Needles

During public participation, resident Jeff Doiron spoke about trash dumps he encounters while hiking and biking on trails through private property around town. He said the city needs to be proactive in notifying landowners when this is happening. He added that the addiction crisis is not the city’s fault but asked if more could be done to help addicts. Brink asked if he could send photos when he encounters trash dumping areas, as she is arranging a meeting with the Governor regarding the issue of needle exchanges.

Councilor Pete Tranchemontagne said he wants the Council to discuss ending the needle exchange program in Sanford. He said the program was supposed to be for harm reduction but has been exactly the opposite. “This program is a failure,” he concluded, “I want this out of here.”

Voting Place Consolidation

City Manager Steve Buck announced that the consolidation of polling places from three to one has been approved by the Secretary of State. For Sanford’s 13,000 active registered voters, 65 voting booths are required, but the city will have 82 booths set up. The change has been announced online as well as on the inserts that accompanied tax bills, but the city is also preparing a postcard mailing which will go out to all registered voters. In addition to notifying voters of the consolidation, the postcard will include info on early and absentee voting.

The Council voted to sign the Municipal Warrant calling for the election to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5, in the new consolidated voting place at Sanford High School & Regional Technical Center, 100 Alumni Blvd. Polls will be open at 7 am and close at 8 pm. In addition, there will be extended office hours at City Hall to accommodate voters who wish to vote an absentee ballot, register to vote or update their name or address.

The Council also voted to authorize up to $1,000 to pay for free transportation for anyone needing a ride to the polls on election day. York County Community Action Corp. will provide vans and drivers who will pick voters up at their homes, wait while they vote and bring them back home. Anyone who wishes to take advantage of this free service should call YCCAC at (207) 459-2932 by Nov. 1. Buck said the cost savings of consolidation will more than cover the expense to the city.

Candidates Night

Herlihy announced that the annual Candidates Night will be split into two nights, with candidates for City and School Department offices on Tuesday, Oct. 8, and candidates for State Representative and State Senator on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The events will be televised and streamed. The moderators will come up with the questions with input from local media outlets and residents. Look for more info on this in a future issue.

Upcoming Special Meetings

City Manager Buck announced several upcoming meetings.

• A RAISE Grant public hearing hosted by MaineDOT will take place Sept. 11 from 6-8:30 pm in Council chambers. This is the final formal meeting at which the state will take comments and answer questions from the public about the project, which is slated to transform downtown Sanford in a couple of years. Zoom participation is available for anyone who can’t make it in person. The hearing will be broadcast and recorded for later viewing.
• The City Council’s annual Housing Forum is scheduled for Sept. 24 at 6 pm in Council chambers. The forum is open to the public but is not a public hearing. The past year’s work on housing will be reviewed and there will be dialog with partner agencies on current and future actions to increase housing options.
• The Fire Station public forum at Sanford Performing Arts Center on Oct. 2 at 6 pm will include a presentation on the two proposed new stations, their design and costs, before opening up the floor to questions from the public. The forum will be recorded and rebroadcast once complete.
• The second annual Homeless Advocacy Forum will be held at SPAC on Nov. 13 at 6 pm. This event, hosted by the City and partner agencies for local officials and state legislators, will include reports on past, current and future efforts to combat homelessness. It will be recorded and broadcast.

Public Safety

Following the Council’s adoption of a public safety policy at its Aug. 20 meeting, Public Works Director Matt Hill has submitted a grant application for a pilot program to increase technology using midblock sensors and additional software to improve the flow of traffic down Main Street. A separate project to improve crosswalks throughout the city, paid for by a grant from the Heads Up! Pedestrian Safety Initiative, will begin in December.

Cannabis License Renewals

New licenses for several medical cannabis and adult-use businesses located at 9 Renaissance Way were approved. Planning and Codes Director Jamie Cole said the property has been sold to a new owner necessitating the reissuing of all licenses in the building, and it would be a continuation of what is already occurring at the site with no additional activity. Elizabeth Baldacci of Blossom LLC, the new owner of the property, told the Council her company operates medical facilities in Biddeford and Saco as well. Mayor Brink read an email from Deb Butler opposing the licenses, due to the proximity of Waypoint clients who work at SecureRMS across the street.

Other Items

• A liquor license for the new Pho Time Asian Cuisine restaurant located in the former Pho Saigon at Main Street Marketplace was approved.
• Gregory Mulcahy was appointed as a new Code Enforcement Officer, Alternate Plumbing Inspector and Constable. He formerly worked as a Maine Forest Ranger, but decided on a career change so he could spend weekends and holidays with his family.
• Kim Stewart and Ian Kelly were appointed to the Board of Appeals.
• In her Mayor’s Report, Brink gave a short history of the Sanford Industrial Park and talked about several of the businesses located there. She said the Industrial Development Corp., which owns the park, recently bought thirty more acres of land which will be split into five parcels.
• Herlihy invited everyone to take a look at the recordings of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee meetings, which are available on WSSR-TV’s YouTube channel as well as on Town Hall Streams. There will be a public info session and presentation to the Council in the next two months.
• Assistant Fire Chief Rick Smith repeated his presentation on the Sanford Fire & EMS command vehicles, which he described as “rolling multi-tools,” that he gave to the Public Safety Subcommittee last month. See this story for more details.
• Councilor Hanselmann asked that the Property Subcommittee discuss the planting of a permanent Christmas tree for the city. She also would like an update at the Public Safety Subcommittee meeting on the disorderly property ordinance.

The full City Council meeting may be viewed here.