Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Annual

2019-2020

Report

Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

For the Year

January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019

Including Financial Report for the fiscal year

July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Annual Report Dedication Spirit of America Award

6 7 8 9

Demographics Tax Information Hours of Operation

10

➢ Town Office ➢ Transfer Station ➢ Library ➢ Water Department

Meeting Schedules General Information

11 12

➢ Governance ➢ Budget Adoption ➢ Fiscal Year ➢ Tax Payments ➢ Vehicle Registrations ➢ Permits Elected Municipal Officials

13

Appointed Committees Elected State Officials

14-15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

➢ Letter from Governor Janet Mills ➢ Letter from Senator Susan Collins ➢ Letter from Senator Ned Claxton ➢ Letter from Senator Angus King ➢ Letter from Congressman Jared Golden

➢ Letter from Representative Kathleen Dillingham

Report of the Town Manager

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Municipal Department Reports ➢ Town Clerk

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

➢ Vital Statistics ➢ Animal Control ➢ Fire Department ➢ Rescue Department

➢ Code Enforcement and Planning

➢ General Assistance

➢ Library

➢ Police Department

➢ Public Works

➢ Water Department ➢ Transfer Station ➢ Santa For Kids ➢ Recreation Committee

➢ Community Day

Payments to Municipal Officials /Employees

39-40

Municipal Revenues Received

41 42

Municipal Budget Summary FY 2020-21

Municipal Audit

43-45

Regional School Unit 16

46 47 48 49 50

Elm Street School

Whittier Middle School

Poland Regional High School

Adult Education

Unpaid Property Taxes

51-55

➢ Personal Property ➢ Property Liens ➢ Property Taxes-2020 (First Half year unpaid)

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Annual Report Dedication

Rain Tarantino was not born and raised in Mechanic Falls like most others that have been honored before her, however there was no doubt to anyone that this great town was her home and exactly where she wanted to be when she finally went to sleep for the last time. Rain was a devoted early childhood educator for much of her life. She loved kids - seeing them rise to challenges, exceed expectations, and providing them with a safe environment to learn and grow. As Director of the Mechanic Falls Before & After Program, she had her dream job - teaching in creative ways with her best, and maybe only friend, Amanda Bosse. Over the years, Rain also found a passion

for the Scouting movement by leading and volunteering in both Girl and Boy Scout Programs while avoiding the politics for which she had no appetite. To her, everything should be about the kids. Rain was a dedicated mother, first and foremost. She treasured her children and embraced every moment with them. From stinky diapers and runny noses to missing teeth and snakes caught in the yard, she really loved it all when it came to her son Thomas and daughter Dani Tarantino. Unfortunately, she was with her loving husband Jeff for far too long, over 20 years of love and annoyance, which helped groom her distinct lack of patience and strong opinion to tell it like it is. If you didn’t know her, chances were that your child did. She couldn’t walk down the halls of Elm St. School without hugs and hellos from kids at all grade levels. Outsiders no doubt would assume she was just another teacher and the teachers knew it was just Rain. She didn’t like the spotlight but she loved to see our Town shine for all the right reasons making sure to participate in parades, fundraisers and of course the Mechanic Falls Community Days held each summer. Being involved where she could, all the while not showing how much of a toll it took on her in the last few years. She refused to allow a disease to define who she was or what she could do. Faithfully with her iced coffee in hand, she showed there is always a little bit more each of us can do every day. As all good mom’s know life is for living, children are for loving, keep your hands to yourself and just be nice to people.

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Spirit of America Award

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. This year the town council chose to recognize two individuals who have worked collaboratively for years to the benefit of this community and specifically youth sports. Jay Bryant & Justin Starbird have dedicated their time and energies to the Recreation Committee, assuring the youth of Mechanic Falls

have the opportunities to participate in sports both individual and team related to helping attain life lessons on fair play, being graceful at winning and losing, and realizing the value of ones role in team efforts. Jay Bryant has volunteered and served on many of the town committees over the years. His passion for giving back however, has been made most evident with his impact on our community's youth sports programs. As his children (and all of their friends) grew up, Jay was always an eager volunteer and willing participant to jump in where ever his expertise was asked for. He will be the first to say that he is one of many that have made it happen. However, without his vision, leadership, and passion many of these projects would have never gotten started. Justin Starbird has served on the Mechanic Falls Recreation Committee since 2013 serving in a myriad of ways. Some of his contributions include hosting evening events for adults at the American Legion, a Harvest Festival for families to enjoy, and the Ken Grant 3-on-3 tournament in honor of Ken Grant. Justin’s vision, passion and energy has led to program growth, operational efficiency and community inclusion. Justin is also a passionate coach for his daughters, willing referee, and coordinator of program meetings.

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Demographics

MECHANIC FALLS ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY STATE OF MAINE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

INCORPORATED MARCH 22, 1893

POPULATION BY CENSUS

1980 1990 2000 2010

2,589 2,919 3,138 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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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

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 2019/20 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 2019/20

$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 $178,400,000 $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 $156,176,157

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 2019/20

$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 $3,088,033

Municipal Valuation

Tax Rate/$1000

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 2019/20*

$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 $20.95

*Note 2019-2020 Taxes were 95% Certified Ratio

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Hours of Operation

Town Office

Monday and Tuesday……... 8:00am-5:00pm Wednesday ………………... 8:00am-4:00pm Thursday…………………... 8:30am-5:30pm Friday……………………... 7:30am-11:30am

Transfer Station

Wednesday………………. 12:00pm-4:00pm Thursday……….……………12:00pm-6:00pm (Thursdays Summer Only May-Sept) Saturday……………………. 8:00am-4:00pm Sunday……………………… 8:00am–1:00pm

Library

Monday & Wednesday ......... 9:00am–5:30pm Tuesday & Thursday ............. 3:00pm-7:00pm Saturday ................................ 9:00am–2:00pm

Water Department

Monday – Friday ................7:30am– 4:00pm

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Meeting Schedules

Board of Appeals…………………………………………………… As Needed Budget Committee………………………… As Needed in February Thru April Charter Commission………………………………………………… As Needed Development Commission…………………...7:00pm Second Monday, Monthly Fire & Rescue………………………………...7:00pm Second Monday, Monthly Historical Society.………………………….7:00pm Third Wednesday, Monthly Library Trustees……………………………...7:00pm First Wednesday, Monthly Planning Board………………………………... 6:00pm Third Monday, Monthly Recreation Committee………………………6:00pm Second Thursday, Monthly Sanitary District Trustees……………………...7:00pm Fourth Monday, Monthly Town Council…………………………………... 6:30pm First Monday, Monthly

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

General Information

Governance :

By charter adopted in 1992, amended in 2019; five elected Councilors and an appointed Town Manager

Budget Adoption :

Referendum Voting 2 nd 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. 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 the proper permit prior to engaging in an activity is subject to fines and/or prosecution.

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Elected Municipal Officials

Town Council

Term Expires

Cathy Fifield, Chair

2020 2020 2022 2021 2020

Kieth Bennett, Vice Chair

John Emery II

Nicholas Konstantoulakis

Tarsha Downing

*Wayne Hackett served June 2018- November 2019

RSU #16 School Board Members

Mary Martin Scott Lessard Travis Ritchie

2022 2021 2021 2020 2020

Lou Goulet

Chelsea Clavet

Sanitary District Trustees

Scott Penney Wayne Hackett John Emery Michael Baird Gary Purington

2020 2021 2021 2022 2022

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Appointed Boards/Committees

Planning Board

Term Expires

Lou Goulet, Chair

2022 2020 2022 2021 2020 2022 2021

Walter Goss, Vice Chair

Louis Annance Paula Bolduc Paula Stotts Forrest Martin

Jeremy Klar

Board of Appeals

Term Expires

Jillian Pelletier Aaron Ouellette Martha Wiseman

2021 2022 2022 2020 2020

Vacant Vacant

Library Trustees

Term Expires

Melinda Straight, Chair

2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022

Georgia Randall, Vice Chair

Jenn Durant, Secretary Janice Earle, Treasurer

Elizabeth Yates

Ann Hobart

Historical Society

Term Expires

James Craig

2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2020

Eriks Petersons Nancy Petersons Pamela French William French Patricia Marquis

Vacant

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Budget Committee

Term Expires

Louis Annance

2021 2022 2020 2022 2021 2020 2020

Lou Goulet

Peter Ford Sr. Thomas Walton Brian Ahlquist

Vacant Vacant

Recreation Committee

Term Expires

Justin Starbird, Chair

2022 2020 2020 2021 2021 2020 2022 2021 2020 2021

Jay Bryant

Robyn Coleman

Craig Smith

Derek Campbell Jessica Cummings

Wayne Usher Mike Hodgson

Jill Starbird Ryan Cook

Development Commission

Term Expires

Michael Baird, President Stuart Davis, Treasurer

2020 2021 2022 2020 2020

Brenda Coleman

Tim Dean

Vacant

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Elected State Officials

Susan Collins, US Senator 413 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-2523

Angus King, US Senator 133 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-5344

Ned Claxton, Maine Senator (District 20 ) 3 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333 (207) 287-1515

Jared Golden Congress (2 nd District) 1223 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202)225-6306

Janet T. Mills, Maine Governor 1 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333 (207) 287-3531

Kathleen R.J. Dillingha m Representative District (72)

2 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333 (207)287-1400

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Elected State Officials

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Dear Friends,

As 2019 ends and 2020 begins, I am pleased to report that Congress made progress on a number of issues important to Maine families despite the polarization in our country. In a major win for surviving military and retiree spouses to whom we are deeply indebted, I was proud to co-lead the repeal of what is often referred to as the “Military Widow’s Tax,” an unfair off set of survivor benefits that has prevented as many as 67,000 surviving spouses — including more than 260 from Maine — from receiving the full benefits they deserve. The high cost of health care and prescription drugs continues to be a top issue for families and seniors. To provide continued relief for more lower- and middle-income individuals, I led the charge to extend for another two years the medical expense tax deduction that I included in the 2017 tax law. Without this extension, nearly 20,000 Mainers and millions of Americans with high medical expenses, including many with preexisting conditions, would have faced an increased tax burden. In other good news, the CREATES Act I cosponsored became law. It will prevent pharmaceutical companies from blocking access to a sufficient supply of brand-name drugs needed for the studies that allow less expensive alternatives to enter the marketplace. Improving people’s health and wel lbeing remains my priority. On a per capita basis, Maine has the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the country. In August, I held a Senate hearing at the University of Maine’s Tick Lab on this growing public healt h crisis. A comprehensive public health strategy to combat this epidemic is needed, and the new law I authored will do just that. In addition, I helped champion another $2.6 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health, our nation’s premiere biomedical research institution, includin g significant boosts for Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes research. Last year, NIH funded more than $111 million for research at 14 Maine institutions. Significant federal funding was approved for work at Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Funding appropriated by Congress will pay for three new destroyers, make a down payment on an additional ship, and finance infrastructure improvements at PNSY. As Chairman of the Transportation and Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, I have led efforts to improve our nation’s crumbli ng infrastructure and ensure that Mai ne’s housing needs are addressed. For Maine’s roads, br idges, airports, and seaports, tens of millions in federal funding will help make urgently needed upgrades and improve safety. Funding will also support housing assistance to low-income families and seniors and aid communities in reducing homelessness among our youth. The Community Development Block Grant program will assist numerous towns and cities in our State. The Aging Committee I chair has continued its focus on financial security for our seniors. A new law I authored will make it easier for small businesses to offer retirement plans to their employees. Our Aging Committee’s Fraud Hotline fielded more than 1,200 calls this year. Congress passed a new law to crack down on robocallers who are often the perpetrators of these scams. And a new law I aut hored will expand the IRS’ Identity Protection PIN program nationwide to prevent identity theft tax refund fraud. At the end of 2019, I cast my 7,262nd consecutive vote. In the New Year, I will keep working to deliver bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing Maine and the nation. 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 2020 be a good year for you, your family, your community, and our state. To help prepare the graduates of Maine Maritime Academy, I secured $300 million for a new training ship, which will ensure rigorous instruction for MMA students for decades to come.

Sincerely,

Susan M. Collins, United States Senator

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Senator Ned Claxton 3 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0003 (207)287-1515

129th Legislature Senate of Maine Senate District 20

Dear Friends and Residents of Mechanic Falls,

It is a true honor to represent you in the Maine Senate. When I was elected, I wanted to put party politics aside and make meaningful change for the people of Maine. As I reflect on my first year as your State Senator, I’m proud of what we were able to accomplish in Augusta. The tone was set from the start by Senate President Troy Jackson, who broke tradition and chose to seat Republicans and Democrats side-by-side in the Senate Chamber, instead of being divided by a partisan aisle. This small but significant gesture kick-started the process of finding common ground to solve the issues that affect everyday Mainers. My seatmate, Marianne Moore, a Republican from Calais, became one of my closest friends in the State House. Through our discussions, my perspective and understanding of certain issues grew, and our friendship only helped to further break down partisan divides. Together, Democrats and Republicans passed a bipartisan budget which provides $130 million in property tax relief, $111 million in funding for K-12 education, and works to restore revenue sharing to municipalities, all without raising taxes. We unanimously passed a package of four bills to lower the cost of prescription medication, one of the biggest challenges Mainers are facing today. We also worked to increase access to high-quality, affordable health care, and prevented insurance companies from discriminating against Mainers with preexisting conditions. Although we don’t always agree on all the issues, I have made it a priority to keep my ears open and to have civil, thoughtful discussions with all my colleagues regardless of party. I have also prioritized making myself available to all of my constituents. I regularly hold office hours in the community, and my phone line is always open. If you’d like to share an idea, opinion, or just want to make your voice heard, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I can be reached by phone at (207) 287-1515, or by email at Ned.Claxton@legislature.maine.gov. I am able to do my best work in Augusta when folks like you share your thoughts with me regularly.

Sincerely,

Ned Claxton State Senator

Fax: (207) 287-1585 * TTY (207) 287-1583 * Message Service 1-800-423-6900 * Website: legislature.maine.gov/senate

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Dear Friends,

I hope this letter finds you well. It is an immense honor to serve as your representative in Congress. I take very seriously the responsibility that has been placed on me, and I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of what I’ve been working on in my first year in Congress. At the beginning of this term, the House passed H.R. 1, a comprehensive package of reforms I cosponsored to get big money out of politics and fight corruption in Washington. And in December, I helped pass H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act , which would limit out-of-pocket prescription drug costs paid by seniors, fund the expansion of Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing, and lower prescription drug prices for thousands of Mainers. Additionally, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I worked to ensure our annual defense authorization bill supports America’s national security and Maine’s shipyard workers, National Guardsmen, manufacturers, and universities. On top of working on this legislation, I have also been advocating for our district directly to administrative agencies. I have been fighting for Maine lobstermen to urge the president to intervene in proposed regulations by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that would hurt our lobster industry. I pressed government agencies to ground their regulations in sound science and data when crafting new regulations on Maine’s lobstermen. I also persuaded the Army Corps of Engineers to hold a public hearing in Maine about the proposed Central Maine Power NECEC transmission line, which gave hundreds of people the opportunity to voice their opinions about the project. Some of the most important work of members of Congress is rooted in on-the-ground constituent services. We have three offices in the district -- in Caribou, Bangor, and Lewiston -- and my staff work tirelessly to help Mainers solve problems they may face with federal government agencies. I urge you to stop by to talk to us in person and let us know how we can better serve you and your communities. My favorite part of the job is coming home to the district and hearing about what matters to you. This year, I brought a hearing of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure to Maine to find ways to expand access to rural broadband. I’ve also held open town halls and coffee hours throughout the district to hear directly from Mainers veterans, as well as roundtables to find more ways to help small businesses in Maine grow and create jobs.

As always, please continue to reach out to me and my staff if you’d like to voice an opinion, let us know about a local event, or seek any assistance with federal agencies.

Respectfully,

Jared Golden

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Town Manager

“The Town Manager shall see that all laws, provisions of this Charter and acts of the Council, and all acts of those within his or her supervision ar e faithfully executed.” -Mechanic Falls Charter Article 3 Section 2(F) The above covenant has been the cornerstone of my actions since 2018, when I took my oath to uphold the Maine Constitution and the Mechanic Falls Charter. Unfortunately, early in 2019 my adherence to that oath became cumbersome for a small coalition of residents and officials who had grown accustomed to shirking basic municipal procedures and working around staff and residents to advance their own priorities. Still, I was shocked as the events of the summer unfolded and watched from exile how the ripple effect of this event created an environment of mistrust, suspicion and misunderstandings within the community and amongst the staff who work so diligently to support the town and its residents. Putting the pieces back together has been a tenuous journey. My focus has been to replace key staff and rebuild needed trust and dialogue between the Council, myself, and the community at large. As we begin to get back to business, I want to take the opportunity to once again encourage greater community oversight and resident input into the direction we intend to take as a community. This is essential to a participatory democracy and for the ability of our community to heal and grow. We need to encourage larger voter turnout, we need engagement and enthusiasm for committee work, and we need diligence, critical thinking, and a willingness to solve our towns problems together. We continue to seek volunteers who want to build a stronger, more resilient community by stepping up to lead essential community committees. We wish for our residents to increasingly support local candidates, help get them elected, and continue to help them be better leaders once they are sworn in. Only 190 residents cast ballots to fill positions on the Town Council at our June 2019 elections. The highest number of votes cast for any individual was only 93 votes. In this small, but densely populated town with an overall population of 3,031 there are 2,045 registered voters. That means only 3% of the population (or 4.5% of registered voters) weighed in. Similarly, many local leaders in Maine towns are routinely elected with less than 3% support from the population they will represent. Though this may be democratic, can it be called participatory? Ironically, as we see an insurgence of online political quarterbacking and calling out of political misdeeds at all levels of government, we are seeing a painful downturn in constructive community volunteerism. “Get the vote out” camp aigns for national elections do little if anything to stimulate and motivate voters for municipal elections or highly influential committee appointments. Coincidentally we’re lacking plurality of opinions, beliefs and philosophies in those taking interest in running for local office, filling vacancies on influential town committees and boards. I wanted to close with a quote from Charles Handy, an Irish philosopher who believes “citizenship is the chance to make a difference to the place where you belong. ” So, I implore you: i f you want a local government that reflects your beliefs and addresses your needs, we need you to be involved. 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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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Town Clerk

2019 was very busy in the Town Clerk’s Office with many changes. I have learned a lot in the last year, and continue to learn every day. I want to thank Lisa Prevost for helping and guiding me when I became Town Clerk and all of the Election Clerks for making elections run so smoothly with my endless questions. I look forward to serving the Residents/Tax Payers of Mechanic Falls. Feel free to check out the Towns website www.mechanicfalls/govoffice.com for upcoming events or announcements. or call the office @ 207-345-2871 anytime if you have questions.

Julie Ward Town Clerk

Interesting Information for 2019 from the Town Clerks Office:

Voting

Vital Statistics

2040 Active Voters 583 Republicans

28 Births 36 Deaths

506 Democrats 104Independent 847 Unenrolled

31 Marriages

Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

Animal Welfare

161 Hunting and Fishing Licenses

378 Dog Licenses 72 Unaltered Dogs

104 Boat Registrations 114 ATV Registrations

306 Spayed or Neutered Dogs

92 Snowmobile Registrations

5 Kennel Licenses

Motor Vehicle Registrations

3193 Processed in Person

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Vital Statistics Our condolences to the family and friends of our 2019 departed

Jeffrey A Alanskas

54 11/25/2019 Geneva M Hackett

93 09/23/2019

Charles W Bailey

84 07/03/2019 Douglas A Hellen

88 11/19/2019

Edgar W Batsford

71 08/01/2019 Richard C Hodge

56 05/20/2019

Daniel Paul Bogdanyi

64 07/28/2019 Gaston E LaFlamme Jr

68 05/10/2019

Charles J Bouchles

73 06/25/2019 Carolyn Lukeski

68 08/20/2019

Jacqueline Bunker

89 01/04/2019 Robbie Allen Maheux

48 01/20/2019

Rachel A Colon

64 08/25/2019 Joanne Craig Matthews

88 04/16/2019

Donald L Copp

83 07/14/2019 Leonard Albert Michaud 84 06/09/2019

Nancy J Cote

86 06/30/2019 Sandra Gail Millett

71 03/03/2019

Iris Iver Dudley

69 07/23/2019 Winona Polland

83 11/23/2019

Shirley Ann Flaherty

76 04/10/2019 Mary Ellen Ritchie

75 03/07/2019

Billy Jack Gagnon

44 08/17/2019 Joel Alan Sanborn Sr

61 11/04/2019

Donald G Gamache Sr

79 11/17/2019 Guy Lester Seger

61 03/12/2019

Brenda J Greenough

72 10/21/2019 Joni Irene Smith

55 04/27/2019

Congratulations to our newly married residents of 2019

David Hazelton & Stephanie Bowie

9/7/19 Jeremy Davis & Rhonda Bevard

8/17/19

Jonnie Ray Brown & Savanna York

9/07/19 Garrett Hayes & Courtney Rogers

10/13/19

Patrick Irish & Faith Duquette

9/21/19 Michael O’ Malley & Vallery Cross

9/28/19

Mark Nguyen & Elizabeth Larkin

9/27/19 Jason Grant & Carrie Leavitt

10/11/19

Timothy Bright & Kimberly Preble

10/19/19 Xavier Lowndes & Mallory Munsell

12/7/19

Richards Bardes & Karalee Foster

12/7/19 Matthew Mitchell & Elizabeth Gelzer 11/21/19

Anthony Baker & Stacey Smith

3/14/19 Joseph Strout & Heather Kullson

11/25/19

Wayde Boston & Brenda Boston

3/23/19 Roger Pepin & Cindy Stone

4/24/19

William Bray & Karen Swan

5/16/19 Joseph Bowie & Elizabeth Wiley

5/25/19

Donald Gagne & Tina Starr

7/20/19 Daniel Langevin & Amy Kohtala

6/15/19

Derick Fogg & Savannah Albert

6/21/19 Taylor Wood & Lindsay Rowe

6/29/19

Scott Jenkins & Amy Robinson

7/20/19 Michael Clark & Linda Marston

7/13/19

Paul Wells & Adelen Maquerang

9/28/19 Nicholas Couchman & JoHanna Shaw

9/14/19

Congratulations to 28 residents who welcomed a little of bundle of joy in 2019!

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Animal Control

For over 26 years Robert Larrabee has been our Animal Control Officer. He has had a very busy year this year. State Law requires the licensing of all dogs, as you can imagine, this also creates the requirement for someone to enforce these laws. He generally visits the Town on a daily basis to check in, answer domestic animal complaints, and enforce dog licensing requirements.

Total # of complaints: 243

➢

21 Cat Complaints

➢

4 Animal Bites

➢

12 Animal Trespass

➢

15 Dog pick-ups

RABIES IS FATAL – PLEASE VACCINATE YOUR PETS!

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.

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Fire Department

Town Report Fire/Rescue 2020-2021

Hello hope you all enjoyed the winter if not spring is here and warm weather arrives which means Town budget season is here and the Fire/Rescue budget hopefully reflects the needs of the community we kept is as flat as possible the increases in any lines are due to either more young people responding and items for maintenance that have gone up or need to be done soon to be able to respond when an emergencies happens. The dept is in good shape personnel way we have had some new members join and are interested in learning and helping out just like always we have problems during the day with all working that’s why we have good mutual aid with our neighboring towns. Included in the budget is E.M.A. (emergency management FEMA) and Dispatch budget which are there for they are close working part of the fire service. EMA has recently received a small radio grant which helps out and the dispatch budget is set by Andy Co. on population and calls they do a good job with how busy it can be now a days. I hope that you take the time and go over the budget and hopefully support us, and I want to know that we will be there for you all when called upon.

Fred C. Sturtevant III Fire Chief MFFD

Photo credit the Sun Journal and Staff Photographer Daryn Slover

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Rescue

Poland Fire Rescue continues to provide transport service from 6 am to 6pm. United Ambulance Service is our transporting service from 6pm to 6am. We currently have 8 licensed members. We are always looking for new members. If you have any interest please contact the Fire Department of the Town office.

Situation Provider Primary Impression (eSituation.11)

Number of Runs

Percent of Total Runs

Situation Provider Primary Impression (eSituation.11)

Number of Runs

Percent of Total Runs

Cardiac - Arrest (I46.9)

4

11.11%

Adult - No findings or Complaints (Z00.00)

3

8.33%

2

5.56%

Medical - Weakness (R53.1)

2

5.56%

Trauma - Concussion without loss of consciousness (S06.0X0)

2

5.56%

Behavioral - Psychiatric Episode (R45.89)

1

2.78%

Cardiac - Chest pain (R07.9)

1

2.78%

Injury - Elbow (S59.90)

1

2.78%

Injury - Face (S09.93)

1

2.78%

Injury - Foot (S99.92)

1

2.78%

Injury - Head (S09.90)

1

2.78%

Injury - Neck (S19.9)

1

2.78%

Medical - Altered mental status (R41.82)

1

2.78%

Medical - Death (R99)

1

2.78%

Medical - Hypoglycemia - without coma (E13.64)

1

2.78%

Medical - Influenza or Influenza Like Illness (J11)

1

2.78%

Medical - Syncope (R55)

1

2.78%

Neuro - Stroke/CVA (I63.9)

1

2.78%

Not Applicable

1

2.78%

Pain - Abdominal (R10.84)

1

2.78%

Pain - Back (M54.9)

1

2.78%

Pain - Hip, Right (M25.551)

1

2.78%

Pain - Lower Leg, Right (M79.661)

1

2.78%

Pain - Shoulder, Left (M25.512)

1

2.78%

Resp - Dyspnea (R06.0)

1

2.78%

Resp - Pneumonia (J18.9)

1

2.78%

Respiratory - Disorder General (J98.9)

1

2.78%

Trauma - Multiple injuries (T07)

1

2.78%

Total: 36

Total: 100.00%

Thank you for your support and donations. Please make sure you house number is clearly visible to make it easier for us to locate you.

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Code Enforcement

The Town of Mechanic falls has had a modest growth for the year 2019. Many new homes and businesses. I would like to encourage all tax payers to contact the Code Enforcement Office for any new construction, as well as new business adventures.

As 911 addressing office please be sure to # (number) your home and business marked clearly within 50 feet of the

road with minimum of 4in reflective numbers for the safety of all.

Building Permits New Homes

6 9 6 3 5 5

Mobile Homes Renovations

Additions

Garages & Barns

Commercial Building Accessory Structure/Shed

15

Demos

2

Plumbing Permits

Internal External

17

9

Electrical Permits

Single Family

23

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

General Assistance

GENERAL ASSISTANCE NOTICE

The Municipality of Mechanic Falls administers a General Assistance Program for the support of the poor.

Pursuant to Title 22 MRSA 4304, the Municipal Officers have adopted an ordinance establishing that program. A copy of this ordinance is available for inspection at the Mechanic Falls Town Office. Also available for inspection, is a copy of the State’s General Assistance Statutes, as copies of the State law are made available to the municipality by the Maine Department of Human Services.

PERSONS WISHING TO APPLY FOR GENERAL ASSISTANCE MAY DO SO AT THE MECHANIC FALLS TOWN CLERK’S OFFICE:

Apply any time during Normal Business Hours Monday & Tuesday 8am-5pm Wednesday 8am-4pm Thursday 8:30am-5:30pm Friday 7:30am-11:30am (EMERGENCY cases considered by application )

In an EMERGENCY , after regular business hours, applicants may call REBECCA ANDREWS 207-615-8256

The municipality’s General Assistance Administrator must issue a written decision regarding eligibility to all applicants within twenty-four (24) hours of receiving application. The toll-free number to call the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), with questions regarding the General Assistance Program, is: 1-800-442-6003 ALL GENERAL ASSISTANCE APPLICANTS MUST BRING ALL PAY STUBS, RECEIPTS SHOWING USE OF INCOME, ANY UTILITY BILLS AND LANDLORD INFORMATION IF GENERAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUESTED FOR SUCH.

This notice is posted pursuant to Title 22 MRSA 4303-4305

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Library The Mechanic Falls Library has seen some changes on our Library Board. Melinda Straight resigned as our Chairman. She has been a dedicated participant in all aspects of the library since she was a teen, and was head of the board for 5 years. Melinda was always willing to go the extra mile for the library and designed our “Stuart Little” float in the Mechanic falls Community Day Parade. We will miss her energy! Elizabeth Yates is now heading our association. We have three additional new members of the board: Ann Hobart, Patricia Dyer and Laura Vincent. We are looking forward to a busy year.

Monday Morning is story time. We meet at 9:30am to read 2 books and then do an age appropriate craft. It is a lively group. Story time is a good time for children to learn listening skills and a chance for parents to talk while the stories are read. All are welcome. Our Summing Reading Program was “A Universe of Stories”. Monday was project day. We were able to learn a lot about Space and Planets. The Seadogs again donated a ticket to each participant and Gifford’s Ice Cream donated a free kid’s cone. Callen Wentworth (age 4) had 139

books read to her and was top participant again this summer. Ezekiel Cleary (age 2) had 88 books read to him, he was second. Phaedra Cleary was top reader in her age group reading 43 books. I was very pleased with all of the participation. Our program is “Imagine Your Story” this Summer. Stop in at the library in June to get the details. With the participation of our patrons and our association, we had a very successful pie sale this year. All the pies sold out, along with homemade cranberry sauce. Look for our pie sale the Wednesday before Thanksgiving again this year. Our book sale was help in the gymnasium at the Town Office. We had a lot of books donated! We didn’t sell as many as we hoped to. I was accepted into the year-long “Academy for Small/Rural Library Directors” through the Main State Library. Twenty librarians meet five times in Augusta and attend further classes in our area to receive a Certificate of Academy Completion and Advanced Library Certification from the Voluntary Public Library Certification Program. I am learning quite a bit about Library Science. The Mechanic Falls Library had 4,082 patron visitors in 2018. We had 3,599 adult fiction and non-fiction books circulate, 464 inter-library loans requested and filled and 113 electronic books downloaded from the cloud library. Our Adult and Children’s programs had a total of 337 people attending this year. We checked out 446 DVD\s and 3,216 young adult and children’s books. The library has three computers and one lap top for public use. They were used a total of 641 times. A total of 1141 reference questions were asked and answered. By applying the information above to the Library Use Calculator from the Maine State Library, our services to the Town of Mechanic Falls has an estimated value of $163,788.50. A Mechanic Falls Library Card is available for free to residents with proof of their address. We offer a free inter-library loan system through the Maine State Library for books available in the State. We are also part of the cloud library for audio and electronic books. New books come in monthly. Stop by, get a card and see what we are all about.

Nancy Petersons, Mechanic Falls Public Library Director

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Police Department

The Mechanic Falls Police Department was extremely busy in the year that was 2019. We handled 3590 calls for service. That was up approximately 400 calls from 2018. We had 194 arrests and covered 114 traffic crashes. Your Police Officers handled 1386 traffic violations in the town. Only 271 of those traffic stops resulted in a citation being issued. Officers have been very lenient and have exercised judgement in determining whether to issue a summons or a warning in these matters. Generally speaking, we have a record of warnings and people are more than likely to get ticketed if stopped a second time for the same offense or repeated general disregard for the traffic laws. I want to take the time to WARN citizens about scams with an emphasis on PHONE SCAMS. There are many bad people out there in the world who are looking to pray on trusting and caring people. Often times these scams are directed at the elderly population. At this time a few of the most popular scams are the callers(scammers) calling and stating that they are from the IRS, Social Security Administration, FBI, … They will tell you that you are some-how involved or connected to all sorts of crimes or non- payments etc. They will tell you that you need to wire them money or purchase gift cards, debit cards or some other form of payment or they will come to your house and arrest you. I can assure you that agencies are not going to call you and make those threats over the phone. If you are to be arrested sending money will not get you out of it. Furthermore, we will be knocking on your door and identifying ourselves as law enforcement. These criminals work in teams. They will have another agent or supervisor call and talk to you to further the scam. They will even give you a number to call in to them and they will answer with a greeting like they are from the agency that they told you they were from. DO NOT FALL FOR THIS. We have citizens who have lost thousands and thousands of dollars. Some of them it has been their life savings. Another popular scam is to call usually but not always in the middle of the night and say that they are your grandchild. Usually they have some knowledge and will identify by name. They will say that they are in trouble and need money to keep from going to or to get out of jail or to pay for an emergency medical situation. They will ask you not to tell their parents. They may even beg you and sound as if they are crying. DO NOT SEND the money without checking first. I know this first hand as my mom received this call and wisely called me to check. Before I could get back to her, they had called back and fortunately my son was standing in her living room visiting. She probably would have paid had she not heard me speaking of this before. She was scared for my son. These people play on emotions. If you ever get one of these calls please check with the Mechanic Falls Police Department before giving your personal information or sending them any money. We are often aware of current scams and can help put your mind at ease. I assisted a citizen recently and was able to stop them from making a huge mistake. They had already given out personal information but checked with me before going further. After 3 calls to the false Social Security Administration the subjects blocked my number. The majority of these scams originate in a foreign country. They are good at what they do and make millions of dollars every year. Please do not give them your money or information. The last one I want to enlighten you about is the contest that you have won. They tell you that you have won hundreds of thousands of dollars or maybe even millions. Then they say that you have to pay a certain amount of money for various reasons in order for them to give you your big payout. When you have won a contest/drawing you do not have to pay to collect. As I have said contact your local police department and ask us about the particular situation. Crimes against people were up by 2 percent over 2018 but the crimes against property was down by 25 percent. I believe that the drop in crime can be attributed to a greater presence of the officers in the community. Being more visible can deter people from stealing or damaging other people’s property. Our newest officer on the department resigned and left the law enforcement field to pursue another career opportunity. At the writing of this address we have a candidate that has completed the majority of the hiring requirements and we hope to be able to introduce a new Patrol Officer in the very near future. I want to close with my usual comment. This is your town and we need you to help us keep it safe. Report suspicious behavior. Lock your doors and put your property away. Do not make yourself an easy victim of crime. Thank you for your support!!

Jeffrey Goss, Chief of Police

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Town of Mechanic Falls Annual Report 2019-2020

Public Works

The Mechanic Falls Public Works Department is pretty much a do whatever it takes on whatever the job is to get it done the right way the first time hopefully. We help the Water, Sewer, Fire and Police Depts. whenever they need help. We also do a lot of maintenance chores at the town office when asked to do so. All of the different departments try to work together and that sure makes things easier in a small town.

The crew I have at Public Works are a reliable hard-working bunch of local guys that enjoy their job and do their best to keep the roads safe in the winter and the town clean and pretty in the summer. This crew does whatever it can in house when it comes to maintenance or repairs to try to keep costs down because maintaining a bunch of equipment is quite an expensive ordeal and things break when your working equipment.

Last winter was not a block buster winter, we got about 85 inches of snow and were on the road around 55 times throughout the winter and I might have missed a few. There are a lot of late nights, weekends, holidays that we have to be there, that is just part of the job and our crew does an outstanding job taking care of the roads and always are there when I call. We do plenty of things throughout the year to keep us busy, it is a vicious circle but never doing the same thing, every season has its own things that need to be taken care and we stay very busy taking care of things. I am blessed to have the crew that I do, Chris leads the way with Andy and John right behind him and I can’t thank them enough for all their hard work, it is greatly appreciated, and a big thank you goes out to our snowblower guy Josh, he does a great job on those sidewalks in the winter and in the summer on our grass around town. We are always around if you have problem just give the garage a call and I will get back to as soon as possible. Thank you for all the support that has been given to myself and my crews over the years, it is a pleasure working for this town.

Scott Penney, Public Works Director

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