Microsoft Word - Final Annual Report 2019.docx

2018-19

ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19

Annual Report January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018

Including the Financial Reports for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018

TABLE of CONTENTS Annual Report Dedication …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Spirit of America Award ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Demographics ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5 Tax Information …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6 Hours of Operation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7 • Town Office • Transfer Station • Library • Water Department • Meeting Schedules General Information …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 • Governance • Budget Adoption • Fiscal Year • Tax Payments • Vehicle Registrations • Dogs • Permits Elected Town Officials (As of December 31,2018) ……………………………………………………………………… 9 Appointed Committees ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9 Elected State Officials ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11

• Governor Janet Mills • Senator Susan Collins • Senator Angus King • Senator Ned Claxton • Representative Kathleen Dillingham • Congressman Jared Golden • Animal Control • Fire Department • Code Enforcement & Planning • General Assistance • Library • Police Department

Report of the Town Manager …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16 Municipal Department Reports …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17

• Public Works • Solid Waste

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• Town Clerk • Santa for the Kids • Recreation Committee

Payments to Municipal Officials / Employees ……………………………………………………………………………… 32 Municipal Revenues Received …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 35 Municipal Audit ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 36 Regional School Unit #16 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 37 • Elm Street Elementary School • Whittier Middle School • Poland Regional High School • Adult Education Unpaid Property Taxes ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 42 • Personal Property • Property Liens • Property Taxes – 2019 (First Half Year Delinquent)

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Annual Report Dedication

Randall “Randy” Plummer Every Town in the State of Maine must produce an Annual Town Report which is available at no cost to the public and archived permanently in the Town and at the State level. Each year the Town of Mechanic Falls dedicates the Annual Town Report to a deserving individual based on their upstanding character, selfless service and impact on the community. Some years, the Council has difficulty in choosing a recipient as we have numerous hardworking, caring individuals in the Town. This year the selection came with ease. Much like the report itself, Randy Plummer has made a permanent impact on the community.

Born in Mechanic Falls on Oct. 29, 1953, he was one of ten children to James and Dorothy Plummer. Randy graduated from Edward Little High School and later earned a degree in culinary arts from Central Maine Vocational Technical Institute. He worked in several area restaurants before becoming co-owner of The Big “S.” From there, he moved on to work in the Food Service Program for RSU16. He retired in 2015 as head cook for Poland Regional High School and Elm Street School, where one individual remembers looking forward to going there on Thursday mornings for his signature “Egg McRandy”. He also served as bar manager of the American Legion Post 150 in Mechanic Falls until 2015, when he became ill. Randy volunteered on Town Committees and was a member of the SAL (Sons of the American Legion) at American Legion Post 150 in Mechanic Falls for more than 20 years. In addition to being a member, he was SAL Commander numerous times and served in other official capacities as well. Randy was dedicated to the Legion, doing anything that needed to be done. Known for his big heart, infectious smile, and can-do attitude, he was a devoted family man who loved nothing more than spending time with his family and friends. Randy Plummer passed away on September 5, 2018. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and we hope this dedication is a welcomed reminder of his positive impact on this community.

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Spirit of America Award 2019

Gary Purington

Each year the Town Council selects an individual or group in the town who represents excellence in community service and volunteerism. The Spirit of America Award was established in Maine in 1990 to honor volunteerism and community service by individuals living in Maine communities.

As a lifelong resident, Gary Purington has committed his time and energy to making a difference in the lives of others and the community of Mechanic Falls. He has been a member of the Planning Board, Board of Appeals, Homecoming Committee, the Charter Commission, the Spirit of Christmas Committee, and Mechanic Falls Fire and Rescue Department. Gary has held leadership positions in American Legion Post 150 and he continues to be an active member of the organization. Gary served the community of Mechanic Falls for 38 years as custodian and maintenance director at Elm Street School and then RSU 16. Gary’s present and past actions exemplify community involvement, dedication, hard work, and a caring spirit. His commitment to making a positive contribution has gone far beyond the expectations of his job or his membership responsibilities on a committee. During his many years at Elm Street School, Gary often worked around the clock to address facility needs and to accommodate the community. As a person with a network of friends and a believer in teamwork, Gary was always able to pull together the resources necessary to solve a building issue or to support a child or family in need. Gary’s ties to school and community are strong. He was a student at Water Street School and Elm Street School and then spent years caring for these buildings and supporting the education of children within their walls. Upon Gary’s retirement this spring, he stated “I hope I have made an impact with kids and done a good job for the community.” The Spirit of America Award should be a message to Gary that he has exceeded his goal. This tribute is an expression of appreciation and honors his sustained effort to give back to his community.

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Demographics

MECHANIC FALLS ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY STATE OF MAINE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

INCORPORATED MARCH 22, 1983 POPULATION BY CENSUS 1980 2,589 1990 2,919 2000 3,138 2010 3,031 FORM OF GOVERNMENT Charter / Council / Town Manager ALTITUDE

Approximately 300 feet above sea level (downtown area) to about 600 feet above sea level (Pigeon Hill area) AREA Approximately 11.6 square miles Approximately 21.77 miles of publicly maintained roads PUBLIC SCHOOLS Regional School Unit #16 – Mechanic Falls, Minot & Poland Elm Street School, PreK thru 6

Bruce M. Whittier Middle School, 7 thru 8 Poland Regional High School, 9 thru 12

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Tax Information

STATE VALUATION

TAX COMMITMENT

2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19

$118,850,000 $125,500,000 $141,350,000 $155,700,000 $163,750,000 $166,150,000 $166,550,000 $158,550,000 $153,600,000 $146,900,000 $144,350,000 $150,500,000 $152,300,000 $155,150,000 $161,400,000 $83,965,286 $131,557,680 $135,568,928 $137,864,855 $139,705,496 $141,712,679 $144,717,137 $147,314,147 $147,178,523 $140,461,609 $142,411,547 $142,776,795 $146,055,324 $144,137,494 $148,329,448

2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19

$2,451,786 $2,486,440 $2,562,732 $2,605,930 $2,556,611 $2,465,800 $2,539,785 $2,571,996 $2,815,379 $2,911,010 $3,062,745 $3,134,026 $3,144,796 $3,144,073 $3,225,607

MUNICIPAL VALUATION

TAX RATE / $1,000

2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19

$29.20 $18.90 $18.90 $18.90 $18.30 $17.40 $17.55 $17.55 $18.65 $20.40 $21.20 $21.40 $21.31 $22.00 $21.80

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Hours of Operation

Town Office Monday and Tuesday ............................................................................................... 8 AM – 5 PM Wednesday……………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 AM – 4 PM Thursday………………………………….………………………………………….………………………8:30 AM – 5:30 PM Friday............................................................................................................ 7:30 AM – 11:30 AM Transfer Station Wednesday ……………................................................................................................ Noon – 4 PM Thursday (SUMMER ONLY - MAY-SEPT)…………………………………………………………………Noon – 6 PM Saturday ................................................................................................................... 8 AM – 4 PM Sunday ...................................................................................................................... 8 AM – 1 PM Library Monday & Wednesday ....................................................................................... 9 AM – 5:30 PM Tuesday & Thursday ................................................................................................. 3 PM – 7 PM Saturday ................................................................................................................... 9 AM – 2 PM Water Department Monday – Friday ................................................................................................. 7:30 AM – 4 PM Meeting Schedules Board of Appeals ......................................................................................................... As Needed Budget Committee .........................................................................As Needed in March and April Charter Commission ..................................................................................................... As Needed Community Day Committee ................................January – May, 7 PM, Third Thursday, Monthly Development Commission ..........................................................7 PM, Second Monday, Monthly Fire & Rescue ..............................................................................7 PM, Second Monday, Monthly Historical Society ......................................................................7 PM, Third Wednesday, Monthly Library Trustees .........................................................................7 PM, First Wednesday, Monthly Planning Board ...............................................................................6 PM, Third Monday, Monthly Recreation Committee ..............................................................6 PM, Second Thursday, Monthly Revenue Enhancement Committee.......................................7 PM, Second Wednesday, Monthly Safety Committee ................................................................................................ 9 AM, Quarterly Sanitary District Trustees ............................................................ 7 PM, Fourth Monday, Monthly Town Council ...................................................................................7 PM, First Monday, Monthly

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General Information Governance : By charter adopted in 1992, amended in 2010; five elected Councilors and an appointed Town Manager Budget Adoption : Referendum Voting; second Tuesday in June Fiscal Year : July 1 st through June 30 th Tax Payments : Property tax payments are due twice per fiscal year. The first half payment is due by the close of business day on October 15 th , the second half is due by the close of business day on May 15 th . Interest is imposed, for late payments, beginning the following day. Property owners should notify the Town Office of changes to your property and structures therein by April 1 st each year. Various Tax Exemptions are available to citizens. Please contact the Tax Office for further information. Vehicle Registrations : What to bring to the Town Office … Re-registration • Bring the old registration, current (unexpired) proof of insurance, and the exact current mileage of the vehicle. New Registration • Dealer Sale – Bring Bill of Sale showing sales tax was paid, blue Title Application form, window sticker, current (unexpired) proof of insurance, and exact mileage of the vehicle. • Private Sale – Bring Bill of Sale, Title (1995 and newer), Release of Lien (if applicable), current (unexpired) proof of insurance, and exact mileage of the vehicle. • Transfer of Plates – Bring all applicable documents/information above PLUS registration from old vehicle. Dogs : All dogs MUST (by State Law) be licensed within the municipality of which their owner resides annually by December 31 st . Cost to license is $11 for unaltered and $6 if spayed/neutered. After January 31 st , a $25 late fee, per dog, is assessed. Service dogs, although they do not require the annual fee, must still be licensed by December 31 st and will still be assessed the late fee as applicable. Permits : The Town of Mechanic Falls requires numerous permits for specific activities; please contact the office at (207) 345-2871 for more information. Not obtaining for the proper permit prior to engaging in an activity is subject to fines and/or prosecution.

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Elected Municipal Officials

Town Council

Regional School Unit #16 Directors

Cathy Fifield, Chair

2020 2019 2020 2021 2021

Lou Goulet

2020 2021 2019 2021 2019

Stephen Bolduc, Vice Chair

Scott Lessard Mary Martin Travis Ritchie

Kieth Bennett Wayne Hackett

Nicholas Konstantoulakis

Vacant

Sanitary District Trustees Michael Baird, Chair

2019 2020 2021 2021 2019

Scott Penney Wayne Hackett

John Emery

Gary Purington

Appointed Boards/Committees

Budget Committee

Board of Appeals

Thomas Walton Nancy Richard Martha Wiseman

2020 2019 2019

Louis Annance, Chair

2021 2020 2019 2021 2019 2019 2020

Peter Ford Lou Goulet

Brian Ahlquist

Travis Ritchie Thomas Walton

Vacant

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Community Day Committee

Development Commission

Jen Kyllonen

Mike Baird

2017 2019 2018 2017 2019

Ashley Cleaves

Brenda Coleman

Miranda Hinkley

Stuart Davis

Lou Goulet

Tim Dean

Nancy Petersons Eriks Petersons Devin Herbert Jess Smith Historical Society

Vacant

Library Trustees

James Craig

2019 2018 2017 2019 2017 2019 2017 2020 2019 2020 2021 2021 2019 2021

Melinda Straight, Chair

2019

Eriks Petersons

Georgia Randall, Vice Chair 2019

Nancy Petersons

Jan Durant, Secretary Janice Earle, Treasurer

2019 2019

Vacant Vacant Vacant Vacant

Paula Bolduc

Vacant Vacant

Assoc

Assoc

Planning Board Paula Stotts, Chair

Recreation Committee Justin Starbird, Chair

2019 2020 2020 2021 2021 2021 2019

Lou Goulet

Jay Bryant

Walter Goss Lou Annance Paula Bolduc Forrest Martin

Robyn Coleman

Craig Smith

Jill Starbird, Secretary

Wayne Usher

Jeremy Klar

Jessica Cummings

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Elected State Officials

STATE OF MAINE O F FIC E OF THE G OVERNOR 1 STATE HOUSE STATION AUGUSTA, MAINE 04333-0001

Dear Friends: It was the highest honor of my life to take the oath of office to become Maine’s 75th governor. Over the next four years, I will do everything in my power to make Maine the safe, beautiful, prosperous state we all want for our children and grandchildren. That is why on my first day in office I directed the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to implement Medicaid expansion as quickly and efficiently as possible. My Administration will ensure that it is paid for sustainably; that the cost of health insurance is controlled; and that the cost of prescription drugs is reined in. In addition to creating a Director of Opiate Response to marshal the collective power and resources of state government to stem the tide of the opioid epidemic, we will make Narcan widely available, increase access to medication assisted treatment and recovery coaches, and expand drug courts. We also need a healthy environment. My Administration will embrace clean energy; change our modes of transportation; weatherize homes and businesses; and reach a goal of 50 percent of our energy coming from Maine renewable resources. By reducing the impacts of climate change, we will create good-paying jobs, preserve our environment, and protect our state’s farming, fishing, and forestry industries. We will also develop a world-class workforce starting with Pre-K for every 4-year-old in Maine and more post-high school options that result in a valued credential. Attracting talented young people to move here and make Maine their home will be top priorities of my Administration. Maine communities, especially rural communities, are confronting a severe workforce shortage and an aging and declining population. It is time for bold, dynamic ideas that will change Maine for the better. That is why I, along with people ranging from small business owners, innovators and entrepreneurs, to economists and every day, hard-working Mainers, developed an economic plan designed to make it easier for small businesses to grow, for people to come and stay, and for Maine to thrive. I welcome your ideas. We are all in this together. We all want Maine to have a beautiful environment, happy people, and prosperous communities Thank you,

Janet T. Mills Governor PHONE: (207) 287-3531 (Voice) 888-577-6690 (TTY) FAX: (207) 287-1034 www.maine.gov

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Dear Friends, It is an honor to represent Maine in the United States Senate. I am grateful for the trust the people of our state have placed in me and welcome this opportunity to share some key accomplishments from this past year. As Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, I worked to help ensure the well-being of our seniors. The Senior$afe Act I authored became law last year and is empowering banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions to better protect seniors from financial fraud. Following extensive committee investigations of prescription drug pricing, additional legislation I crafted became law, ending the egregious practice of pharmacy “gag clauses” that prevented pharmacists from informing patients on how to pay the lowest possible price. This year, I was also successful in securing an extra $425 million for Alzheimer’s research—the largest funding increase ever— bringing the total to $2.34 billion. Additionally, the bipartisan BOLD Act I authored will create public health infrastructure to combat Alzheimer’s by promoting education, early diagnosis, and improved care management. More than 40 million Americans—including 178,000 Mainers—are caregivers for parents, spouses, children, and other loved ones with disabilities or illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s. The RAISE Family Caregivers Act I authored was signed into law last year, giving caregivers more resources and training to better balance the full-time job of caregiving. Another law I wrote will help grandparents who are raising grandchildren, largely due to the opioid addiction crisis. In addition to helping seniors, a major accomplishment over the past year is the increased federal investment in biomedical research that is leading to progress in the fight against numerous devastating diseases. Congress has boosted funding for the National Institutes of Health by $7 billion in just the last three years, bringing total funding to more than $39 billion. One of my highest priorities as Chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee is to improve our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and ensure that Maine’s needs are addressed. Since the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Grants program, formerly known as TIGER, was established in 2009, I have secured $160 million for vital transportation projects throughout Maine. Congress also delivered a Farm Bill last year, which includes many important provisions that will help the agriculture industry in Maine and across the country. Specifically, I secured provisions that will strengthen support for young farmers, improve local farm-to-market efforts, and increase funding for organic research. Congress took decisive action to address the opioid addiction epidemic. In addition to appropriating $8.5 billion in federal funding last year, Congress enacted the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act , a comprehensive package that embraces the multipronged approach I have long advocated for this epidemic: prevention, treatment, recovery, and enforcement to stop drug trafficking. Maine plays a key role in ensuring a strong national defense. In 2018, Congress provided funding for five ships to be built at Bath Iron Works, which will help to keep our nation safe and provide our skilled shipbuilders a steady job. I also secured more than $162 million for infrastructure projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to support their important work to overhaul Navy submarines. A Maine value that always guides me is our unsurpassed work ethic. In December 2018, I cast my 6,834th consecutive vote, continuing my record of never missing a roll-call vote since my Senate service began in 1997. I appreciate the opportunity to serve Maine in the United States Senate. If ever I can be of assistance to you, please contact one of my state offices or visit my website at www.collins.senate.gov. May 2019 be a good year for you, your family, your community, and our state. Sincerely,

Susan M. Collins United States Senator

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Report of the Town Manager

“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.” -Thoreau

There is a lot on the horizon for this community; many plans have been laid, or are in various levels of progress with some visible and some less obvious. Many notable projects include re- development of our walking downtown, reassessment of the town facilities on Lewiston Rd, expansion of the recreation programs to include senior activities and the promotion of Mechanic Falls as an age-friendly community. These activities go hand in hand with supporting the numerous private development projects currently underway around town. The most labor intensive of the lot has been the assessment and realigning of our general government activities in order to achieve improved compliance as well as transparency. The budget presented and passed by the Council and the Budget Committee is the first step in that direction. First, it realigns expense formats to allow for more clarity and transparency to the cost of the services we provide. Secondly, it begins to address certain service and compliance shortcomings following growing changes to state mandated requirements of procedures and reporting coupled with years of flat budgeting in the face of inflation. I believe that our municipal budget should represent our values as a community. What we choose to provide for services should be rooted in the demand of our residents. As our town grows and more commercial development is welcomed into the community, we will continue to adjust our service levels on a supply & demand model to ensure we do not attempt to dictate what municipal services should be but instead respond to the demands presented to us. Over the past 10 months I have spent a fair amount of time working with the Council to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive long-range plan. We have stepped back from the Town Office relocation as new information and costs came to light, and we have incorporated more community input into the planning and goal-setting procedure by including more residents and volunteers into the process. Through our work with various committees, including the Public Safety Advisory Committee and the Age-Friendly Task Force, we are opening up not just the dialog, but our decision-making process as a whole to new ideas and new opportunities for input. Moving forward, department by department, we are completing a detailed reassessment of all the town assets, from general maintenance and utility to repair and replacement lifespan. This approach is essential to ensure that we properly maintain our assets as well as achieve a certain stability & expectancy in budgeting. Once we first get a solid understanding of our resources, clarifying the demand of our current services, we will be better suited and prepared to take on the tasks of tomorrow. I look forward to creating new opportunities and avenues for even more community input as we continue this process. All the Best,

Zachary W. Maher

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Municipals Department Reports Animal Control

State Law requires the licensing of all dogs, as you can imagine, this also creates the requirement for someone to enforce these laws. The Town has again appointed Robert Larrabee as our Animal Control Officer. Robert has been serving the Town of Mechanic Falls for over 25 years. He generally visits the Town on a daily basis to check in, answer domestic animal complaints, and enforce dog licensing requirements. Here is what the Animal Control Officer and Town Clerk have been up to…

Dogs Licensed: 438 Total # of complaints: 285 • 34 Cat Complaints • 3 Animal Bites • 10 Animal Trespass • 18 Dog pick-ups

RABIES IS FATAL – VACCINATE YOUR ANIMALS!

Dog Licensing

Licensed Timely Late License Warranted

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Fire Department Hello all from the Fire department! We hope all of you are doing great after the long snowy winter. Spring is finally here again and we’ve had a good share of rain which helps keep the fire danger down. It’s time to vote on the town’s budget again and I hope you all come out to support the town. The budget this year, as you probably noticed, looks a little different. We have combined a few departments and building expenses into one budget line. The Fire Dept, Rescue Dept, Emergency Management and building expenses have been combined in hopes to showwhat each department actually costs to run. This might seem like a major increase to the F.D. line, but if you separate them it is about the same. The only increases are payroll (due to the minimum wage increase again required by law), some minor line items (due to normal price increases), and a few new items being requested. We are asking for cold water rescue suits due to more activity on the river in the winter, a combo rescue tool (mini Jaws of Life) to start extrication on automobile accidents until we get mutual aid to assist (which would have been helpful twice in the past year) and a weekly 8-hour position for the department to complete mandated requirements and maintenance. This is a non-benefited position and will be shared between different members to get the work done that is needed. This year the town had a real big test and we all got through it, I’m speaking of the Mill fire of course. I know there was loss of property that can’t all be replaced and does hurt, but there was no loss of life or major injuries which is a win in my book. The aid the fire dept received from other towns, our community, and the Council was out of this world. We are very grateful for all the assistance, too many to name them all, but the American Legion Post 150, other Town Departments, and many individuals stepped up as well as letters from the kids at Elm Street School. I really want to thank you all for being there for us, it really helps knowing you support us so we can be there to help you.

~ Chief Fred C. Sturtevant III Mechanic Falls Fire & Rescue

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Water Department We started off the year investigating a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to extend our main on Poland Corner Road to the Northern Springs Trailer park. This would include about two thousand feet of pipe, two fire hydrants and an underground storage tank. We finally received word that we did in fact receive that grant. We spent the rest of the year engineering the project and gathering data. Since the building of the high school we have had permission to serve parts of the town of Poland. A few years ago there was a main laid down past the Poland Town office to the area of the RSU #16 offices. This expanded our service area and gained us some good customers. We now serve a few municipal building and schools that require sprinklers. The new Hannaford’s building is now on line. They too have a sprinkler service along with a domestic service. We also picked up four new house services. Our system is growing!! Every three years the State Drinking Water Program reviews us. It’s called a Sanitary Survey. I’m pleased to report that we only had two minor discrepancies to correct. One was a book keeping issue, and the other was a plumbing correction at the pumping station. The State had to replace the big culvert on South Main Street near Riverside Drive this year. Our transmission main just upstream from their pipe. We did our best to locate our pipe and the State managed to avoid any conflicts with us. This could have been a very disruptive problem for our system. Oh, yes, the mill fire. Around 2007 we replaced our old steel standpipe with two underground reservoirs. This doubled our storage capacity to around a half a million gallons. The fire departments hooked onto our system using the fire hydrants in the area. It was quickly apparent that we couldn’t keep up with the demand they were putting on our system. The fire department is cognizant of our system. They had already started drafting from the river taking the pressure off of our system. At the rate they were drawing water from our system we were about two hours from draining our reservoirs. This would have been devastating for our system and greatly hampered the fire fighting efforts. Their actions at this fire were very commendable. Every year I write about the cooperation between the Water Department, Highway Department, and the Sanitary District. We are small crews and when we need help it’s nice to know that we can depend on each other for support. This was a dry season. Because of this we sold extra water. Back yard pools are on the rise.

Respectfully, Stephen French, Superintendent.

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Code Enforcement

It is a pleasure working for the Town of Mechanic Falls. I have found that the staff and the community volunteers have a special kind of commitment to the town. I also would like to compliment the Fire Department, Highway Department, Police Department, Water and Sanitary Departments, and Transfer Station for their hard work that makes Mechanic Falls a special kind of place. Residents and business owners should feel at peace knowing they are here to serve you. As Code Officer here in the Town of Mechanic Falls, I am here to help any and all, current and future, residents and businesses with any questions or concerns. I am pleased to say that the Town of Mechanic Falls is growing at a moderate rate with several new homes and businesses. I would also like to remind all homeowners and businesses to install four (4) inch reflective address numbers, located within Fifty (50) feet and visible from the roadway, for the safety of you and your children, in case of any emergency. Please contact my office with any questions or concerns. I can be reached directly at (207) 345- 2221.

Respectfully,

Fred S. Collins Jr Code Enforcement

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General Assistance

In loving memory of Shannon Moxcey GA Administrator 2014-2019

The Town of Mechanic Falls, among several other towns, received an email from the GA Administrator advising that she would temporarily be unable to act in her capacity due to an illness in January of 2019. In less than three short months, we received the devastating news of Shannon’s passing. Shannon joined the Mechanic Falls team in 2014 and was an excellent asset to the town saving thousands of dollars annually by applying General Assistance policies and regulations to applications as well as assisting in making contact between applicants and alternate assisting agencies. Shannon will be greatly missed. Before her passing, Shannon processed 11 applications and was able to assist 7 applicants in the 2018 calendar year totaling $2633.70 in assistance to our residents this year. The harsh winters are especially hard for residents. With rising heating costs and holidays all occurring simultaneously, folks find it harder to make ends meet. We would like to thank The Salvation Army, Local Churches and Food Banks, as well as Community Concepts for supplementing our program and providing assistance to Town of Mechanic Falls residents.

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Library Annual Report of the Mechanic Falls Public Library 2018

The Mechanic Falls Public Library Association continues to remain dedicated to improving all options to the residents of Mechanic Falls. We are currently looking for a few new members to help with different activities. If you have an interest in seeing how we work, our meetings are on the first Thursday of the month at 7 pm. The Children's Story Hour meets weekly, on Monday morning, from 9:30 to 10:30. It is a great time for children to learn listening skills and a time for the parents to meet and talk while the little ones are occupied. All are welcome. We usually read 2 books and then have a seasonally appropriate craft. The Summer Reading program this past year was Libraries Rock. The theme related to all types of music. Monday was the project day. We were able to make musical instruments, rain sticks and kazoos. Our final project involved painting rocks as a souvenir of the summer. I had 34 children signup and 26 completed the program. Callen Wentworth (age 3) had 101 books read to her and Charlotte Tolliver completed 88 books. This year's theme is A Universe of Stories. The program will run from July 8th to July 29th. Call or visit the library for more information. Gifford's ice cream donated a free kid’s size cone for each child that signed up, and the Sea Dogs donated a free child's ticket to a home game. The Library book discussion group meets the second Thursday of the month from 5:30 to 7 pm. The books chosen vary and are distributed the month before the book group meets. Call or visit the library to find out what we are currently reading. The Mechanic Falls Public Library had 3,431 patron visits this past year. We had 2,603 adult fiction and non-fiction books circulate, 355 interlibrary loans made and 54 e-books from the cloud library downloaded. Our adult and children's programs had a total of 196 people attending for the year. Five hundred forty-seven DVD's circulated and 2,750 children's books went out. The library has three public computers and one lap top for public use. They were used a total of 559 times. Nine hundred thirty reference questions were asked and answered. By using the information above and applying it to the "library use calculator" from the Maine State Library, our library services to the town of Mechanic Falls had an estimated value of $118,877. We have new books coming in monthly and we also have the free interlibrary loan system available for our residents. Stop by, get a card and see what we are all about.

Thank you for letting me serve as the Mechanic Falls Library Director.

Nancy L. Petersons

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Police Department The Mechanic Falls Police Department saw a significant rise in Calls for Service this past year. There were a few areas that saw a decrease, however categorically speaking, most saw greater numbers than last year and a significantly higher number than years prior to that. A great number of the changes previously noted in the larger populated areas have now made their way to our community. Many of our calls have involved subjects behaving in drug induced frenzies that create a great deal of danger to that person as well as the responding officer and any bystanders. Rational behavior on the part of these subjects is virtually nonexistent. Our Crimes against people saw a 77% increase this year along with our Crimes Against Property which saw a 42% increase. The number of Arrest and traffic accident incidents were also up over 2017’s figures. We were dealing with the increase in call volume while trying to hire two officers to replace an officer who resigned and the Lieutenant who retired. Finding quality candidates is very difficult. Many departments across the state are hiring and a significant number of them have very competitive benefit packages. Some departments are offering hiring bonuses in excess of $10,000 in an effort to attract quality help. We were able to hire two excellent officers, one of which graduated the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in December. The other new officer will attend in 2019. I often get people asking what time we go home. There is an officer on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We may not always have someone in the office, but there is always an officer on duty. If you need to reach an officer and cannot find someone in our office, please call the Androscoggin Sheriff’s Department. They handle our dispatching services for us and have direct radio contact with the duty officer. We encourage citizens to be involved. By that, I mean if you see something going on that doesn’t seem, right pay attention to what is happening and call us. Take notice of vehicles plate numbers and identifying information. We don’t ask that you intervene. You never know who you are dealing with or what they are capable of doing. Intervening is our job. Just be observant and call to report suspicious activity. The Police Department now has a Facebook page that we try to post items of interest on, as well as other activities that are happening. In the coming year, we will be trying to become fully staffed and fully trained so that we can re-introduce some of our community programs, such as the Eye on the elderly and some school programs. We are looking forward to getting back out into the community and participating in some programs that allow us to associate with community members on a non- enforcement level. We will continue to lead the drug take back events that have been happening twice a year in April and October. We also have a box in the elevator lobby that you can drop your unused, unwanted or expired medications into at any time when the building is open.

Jeffrey Goss, Chief of Police

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Public Works

The Public Works Dept. consists of four men, myself included. Each one is assigned a defined route of roadways to maintain in the winter. If one of us falls behind the others will come lend a hand. We all generally plow the transfer station together once we have ensured

all the roads are safe to travel on. It takes about two and a half to three hours to get around a route so we cannot be everywhere at once. When it is storming out, you should plan your travel before it gets bad if you are able, I realize a lot of people have no choice but to travel due to work, but please know that we are getting around as quickly and safely as possible in order to make the roads passable. This past winter we had around 100 inches of snow, a moderate season but not a blockbuster, and we were on the roads 51 times dealing with weather conditions. Spring was fairly late coming to us, but as soon as we could we started that awful spring clean-up. I always tell the guys to remember that when they are putting the sand down in certain places, we will eventually have to pick it up so go easy, but that goes by the wayside real fast when we deal with ice and slippery conditions. In the past, we had hired a sweeping contractor who always did a good job, but the price had gotten quite expensive over the years. We saw a sweeper in Oxford for sale by bid, placed a bid and were able to purchase it for very good price. We had to tinker on it some, but we feel it will be ready to go next spring and should save a lot of money and allow for the crew take the time needed rather than to rush so much to get it done in a week. I, as well as the Town, am lucky to have a crew that will dive right into projects like this. Because of them, we save a lot of money by working on our vehicles to the fullest extent possible. A lot of culverts were changed over the summer months, along with a bunch of ditching, a job that seems like we never get ahead of. We have been renting a machine for 30 days per year over the last few years but finally purchased a small excavator of our own. It is just right for the work we do and should save us a lot of money in the long run. The excavator stayed very busy until the end of fall and increased the amount of work we can get done in the summer and fall months. We will also use it for Water Dept. and Sanitary projects. I get a lot of positive vibes about our work, sometimes run into someone that has a problem with us or that is not happy and I always try to cure the problem in a timely matter. There are few that we will never satisfy but you will always have a few grumps. We’ve learned to take it with a grain of salt. The guys and I are because we love the job not because we are getting rich. We are committed to keeping the town roads safe, the downtown clean and well maintained, and the ballfields, municipal grounds, parks and cemeteries mowed. Our goal is for the approximately 15,000 vehicles driving through each day and all the families playing ball down behind the Municipal Building to express what a nice-looking little town this is. If anyone has any issues please feel free to call the town garage, leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Scott Penney, Director

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Solid Waste

This was a good year at the Transfer Station. We did a lot of encouraging people to recycle, and we could see the results of their efforts. In January, China closed their door on the import of eight types of postconsumer plastic scrap. So far, this has not created any disruption in the #1 and #2 plastics that we send out for processing. The landfill was recently surveyed as requested by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). They will be reviewing the report and will make a determination on how much more construction demolition debris can be placed in it. We stopped sending our scrap lumber out this year, instead, we put it in the landfill. This may have to be reinstated if the DEP requires the closure of our landfill. Separating our scrap metal materials continues to yield good results. Our total for the year was $9786.33. This year, I will be retiring from my position as Transfer Station Manager. It has been a great place to work. I would like to thank all those who use our facility for their efforts in recycling.

Les Johnson Transfer Station Manager

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Recycling Trend (per ton)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

2015

2016

2017

2018

Cardboard Mixed Paper

Newspaper/Magazine

#1 & #2 Plastic

Tin/Aluminum

Clear Glass

Non-Recyclable Waste (per ton)

460.66

457.67

100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

454.25

368.89

0 50

11.22

10.95

9.24

8.56

2015

2016

2017

2018

Bulky Waste

MSW

Non-Recyclable Waste generates a cost to the Town and in turn to the taxpayers. The removal of non- recyclable waste cost taxpayers $37,146.70 for 2018. This was up from the previous year’s total of $31,072.89.

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Town Clerk The 2018 calendar year was another busy year for us in the Town Clerk’s Office. The trend continues to show increased business as the budget lines for motor vehicle registrations, hunting and fishing licensing and ATV/Snowmobile/Boat registrations all showed growth. Dog licensing continues to be a challenging task as over 135 dogs were placed on warrant for our Animal Control Officer to enforce licensing. Please remember State Law requires you to license your dog every year before December 31 st . The fee is $11.00 for male/female or $6.00 for spayed/neutered. There is a late fee of $25.00 assessed for all dogs not licensed before February 1 st in addition to the regular license fee. I completed all classes required and passed the exam on September 11, 2018, becoming a Certified Maine Municipal Clerk. I am continuing to take classes and working toward becoming a Certified Tax Collector. These certifications are beneficial to the Town as we receive discounted insurance rates as a result. The election process was smooth this year. Voting took place in the Council Chambers again, however will be moved back to the Municipal Gymnasium in the upcoming year. The Municipal Budget required additional voting sessions, but finally passed with a slight decrease to MIL rate. As the Town grows in relation to businesses, we hope for continued decrease in taxes while still affording staff the budget necessary to handle such changes. Please be sure to check out Mechanic Falls website to keep up to date on the Council meeting minutes or new and upcoming events in town. http://www.mechanicfalls/govoffice.com/ . You can also find links to reregister your vehicle and pay your real estate taxes. Please contact me at any time with questions or concerns at 207-345-2871.

~ Miranda Hinkley Town Clerk

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Vital Statistics for 2018 from the Town Clerk’s Office :

Our Condolences to the Families and Friends of our 2018 departed…

Robert R. Andreas Sr. 80 Robert C. Goddard Connor J. King Gloria K. Gowell Kenneth M. Walsh Leland R. Bisbee Preston C. Plummer Arlene E. Harris Stephanie A. Sirois Thomas J. Cunningham 70 Marian L. Ray 73 24 96 67 71 88 74 83 39

01/04/2018 01/12/2018 01/17/2018 02/08/2018 03/09/2018 04/08/2018 04/30/2018 05/13/2018 05/21/2018 06/13/2018 07/04/2018

Lillian I. Purington Dale A. Hafford Patricia Cushman Gary W. Durgin Randall Plummer

84 58 65 74 64

07/13/2018 07/21/2018 08/08/2018 08/13/2018 09/05/2018 11/18/2018 11/23/2018 12/17/2018 12/19/2018 12/20/2018 12/21/2018 12/31/2018

Kenneth O. Perkins Sr. 78

Shane E. Larkin

45

Brenda M. Manchester 79

Nellie N. Roberts

84 61

Lucie Bisson

Cora Belle Robichaud 79

Chroy Warner

36

Congratulations to our newly married residents of 2018…

Kendra Allard & Matthew Mitchell Elizabeth Leighton & James Nichols Jennifer Tilton & William Beevers Bernadette Colon & Terry Burrell Tyler Sturtevant & Katie Love Stephanie Jones & Seth Toothaker Julie Connors & Matthew Campo Desiree Johnson & Earl Seams Liping Miao & Christopher Kimball Bobby Thibodeau & April Hosler Edward Durgin & Dianne Hale Nicole Roy & John Ellison

09/22 09/29 10/06 10/13 10/20 10/20 10/20 11/01 11/04 11/05 12/01 12/15

John McInnes Jr & Naomi Roszak 01/18 Thomas Rodriguez & Melissa Whittier 02/17 Adam Doherty & Tyanna Nadeau 02/22 Paul Saucier & Chelsea Richardson 03/02 Laurice Seams & Elwood Yeaton Sr. 03/03 Robert Bryant Sr & Martha Perham 03/17 Allison Hodgkin & Thomas Marston 05/19 Ryan Bouchard & Sierra Hackett 06/30 Amy Michaud & Richard Greene 07/04 Valerie Stover & Eric Foley 07/21 Taylor Morgan & Nathaniel Sturgis 07/25 Stephanie Provencher & Scott Clifford 08/16 Laurie Dudley & Brian Plourde 08/18 Paul Tessier & Karen Sullivan-Thorne 08/25 Camille Dionne & Matthew Veinott 09/15

Congratulations also to our 28 families who welcomed a little bundle of joy in 2018.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19

Registered Voters by Party

889

860

867

856

832

0 200 400 600 800 1000

565

544

537

531

520

563

590

541

581

516

Unenrolled

Green Independent Republican Democrat

106

93

95

92

92

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Green Independent

Republican Democrat

Unenrolled

Election Turn-out

1278

2018

498

742

2017

183

1585

2016

106

298

2015

153

1338

2014

262

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

November June

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