2020.12.04--Falmouth Focus, Volume 2, Issue 26

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

Town Services, Offices, & Facilities

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

Take the Vision & Values Project Survey!

Almost 600 residents have taken our initial Vision & Values Survey and the number of respondents increases daily! Have you taken the survey? Do you value accommodating aging in-place? Continued support for quality school education? Preserving rural areas and rural feel? These are just a few of the topics covered in this first survey. Let us know YOUR vision for Falmouth's future! Take the survey at: https://www.research.net/r/FalmouthVisionValuesSurveyNo1. The survey will remain open until December 31, 2020. We want to hear from as many residents as possible so please join in and share with friends, family, and neighbors!

Join us as a Community Connector!

Looking for more ways to get involved in the Vision & Values Project? It is important to have broad community engagement in the visioning process. To do that, we are looking for Community Connectors to help spread the word and engage friends, family, and neighbors in taking part. The role of a Community Connector is to:

• Stay informed and up-to-date about the Vision & Values Project. Don't worry, we will send you helpful information to keep you informed.
• Contact (call, email, or connect with) at least 15 people you know. Talk about the project to residents in your neighborhood, clubs, social organizations, family, and friends. Encourage them to get involved by taking part in surveys, focus groups, think tanks, and other opportunities to provide feedback during this months-long process.
• Share updates and links about the project through your social networks and social media pages.
• Help those less digitally savvy. Due to the pandemic, a lot of our efforts to engage residents will take place virtually--through surveys and virtual meetings. You can assist your neighbors by printing out hard copies of surveys to complete, helping them access digital meetings, and keeping them updated as the project progresses.

To learn more and sign up to become a Community Connector, visit: https://lab2.future-iq.com/town-of-falmouth-vision-and-values-project/community-connnectors/.  To learn more about the Vision & Values Project visit the project portal at: https://lab2.future-iq.com/town-of-falmouth-vision-and-values-project/

Town Hall Open By Appointment Only, December 3-11

Due to COVID-related staff shortages, Falmouth Town Hall is now open by appointment only through at least Friday, December 11. We will continue to monitor staffing and post updates regarding reopening via E-Alerts and social media. To receive E-Alert updates subscribe to News & Announcements at: www.falmouthme.org/subscribe.

Residents are encouraged to take advantage of the many services that can be conducted virtually. Click here for information on remote and online services. To schedule an appointment, call 207-781-5253. 

Transfer Station to Close During Snow Events During Pandemic

Due to the pandemic, additional staffing is required at the Transfer Station to meet health and safety protocols. These additional staff members are also charged with snow removal. As a result, during some snow events, it will be necessary to close the Transfer Station so that the required personnel can operate snow plows. On these occasions, when closure is warranted, the public will be alerted through News & Announcements E-Alerts, social media, and the Town website. Every effort will be made to provide advance notice of these closures. The severity, duration, and geographic scope of a snow event will determine when and how long Transfer Station closure is necessary. The Town recommends that residents consult the Town website or call 781-3919 during snow events to determine if the Transfer Station is open. Residents are also encouraged to subscribe to News & Announcements E-Alerts for updates at www.falmouthme.org/subscribe.

Thank You!

The Clerk’s Office would like to extend a sincere thank you to all the Falmouth residents who volunteered to serve as election workers. We are grateful for all our election workers. We had so many offers of assistance that we were forced to turn away several individuals who sincerely wanted to help. We thank all of these community members for stepping up in a year of record turnout under extremely difficult circumstances. It was heart-warming to see the outpouring of community support. We hope many will consider joining us for future elections!

Town-Wide Revaluation to Move Forward

As noted in previous issues of The Falmouth Focus, the Town of Falmouth has been planning to conduct a town-wide property revaluation. Because property values fluctuate with market conditions, it is necessary to conduct revaluations to ensure an equitable distribution of the tax burden. During a revaluation, all real property in the Town is reviewed and assessments are adjusted to their fair market value. Falmouth’s last revaluation occurred in 2009.

In January 2020, the Town of Falmouth hired Vision Government Solutions to assist in conducting this revaluation under the supervision of Cumberland County Regional Assessing, which provides real and personal property assessing services to the Town. Data collection and inspections were set to begin in April 2020. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the property revaluation project was temporarily suspended.

Town staff are now working with Vision Government Solutions and Cumberland County Assessing to ensure a safe and thorough revaluation can occur beginning in January 2021. The revaluation will conclude by the end of summer 2022. The results of the revaluation will be applied to November 2022 tax bills.

With health and safety their top priority, Vision Government Solutions is developing a more detailed timeline which will include two phases for data collection. The first phase, which will take place throughout 2021, will involve only exterior home assessments. The second phase, involving interior assessments, will not begin until summer 2021 and continue well into 2022.

An update on the revaluation will be provided at the December 7 Town Council meeting. We will continue to provide updates in the Focus regarding the process, the role of homeowners, and what residents can expect in the coming year.

34th Annual VIRTUAL Community Tree Lighting

Falmouth Community Programs invites you to its 34th Annual VIRTUAL Community Tree Lighting, 5:00pm, Friday, December 4.

Santa’s playing it safe and going virtual this year! Watch Falmouth’s Tree Lighting on Falmouth Community TV Channel 2 at 5pm or online at: falmouthme.org/cable-tv-fct-channel-ch-2-1301 or Falmouth’ YouTube page at 5pm.

Children are invited to drop their letters to Santa at the Mason-Motz Activity Center where they can also pick up a treat bag with traditional reindeer food, a holiday craft kit, and European Bakery cookies to decorate at home!

Note: This event has been pre-recorded. Due to the pandemic, there will be no live event at Village Park this year. 

Very Merry Giving, November 18-December 31, 2020

The Town of Falmouth encourages all residents to take part in Very Merry Giving this holiday season. Falmouth is full of great businesses, shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues who need our support now more than ever. Very Merry Giving encourages you to give back to your community while giving gifts to your loved ones.

Many Falmouth businesses offer safe shopping alternatives such as curbside pickup, delivery services, virtual shopping, and personal shopping appointments. The CDC provides extensive guidelines for shopping at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/essential-goods-services.html. The merchants below have joined us by offering special incentives, deals, events, and offers to make your holiday shopping easier and more merry. These offers are good November 18-December 31 unless otherwise noted. Shop local, eat local, enjoy local. Learn more at www.verymerryfalmouth.com. 

SHOP LOCAL

• Ace Hardware Falmouth--20% off all regularly priced Celebrations LED holiday light sets, Dec. 1-24, Free assembly and delivery on all grills $399 & up, Dec. 1-24
• Ann Tracy Fine Art & Photography--10% of all sales will be donated to the Falmouth Food Pantry
• Book Review*--Virtual shopping, free local delivery, and curbside pick up
• Centerpoint Martial Arts*--Three Month On-Line or In Person Karate Classes, $10 donated to the Falmouth Food Pantry for every membership sold
• Cumberland County Federal Credit Union--Holiday Loan Specials! Take advantage of our great rates to get the cash you need.
• Falmouth Congregational Church—Featuring virtual and in-person Christmas programming throughout the holiday season including Holly Days Curbside Pickup Wreath Sale, Christmas Angels to provide gifts for families in need, car caroling, and canned food drive.
• Foreside Antiques*--Collecting monetary and grocery store gift card donations to benefit the Falmouth Food Pantry
• Half Moon Home Décor & Design Studio*--BOGO 25% off all candles, 3rd Annual Open House: “Home for the Holidays,” Nov. 21, 10am-4pm, offering all of our holiday home décor and gift items with complementary hot chocolate and pre-packaged treats following all COVID-19 guidelines and parameters.
• Lamey Wellehan Shoes--Safe shopping for the warmest and coziest winter boots or slippers for your entire family
• Michele Shems, DMD--Complimentary consultations--in person or virtual; $100 donation to Falmouth Food Pantry through our Winner Winner Family Dinner Sweepstakes
• Mint Salon Block--Free Hair Perfume with any purchase over $75, Kerasilk Gift Box for $59 (Value $77), Kerasilk Luxury Soap $15 or free with purchase of $60. Curbside pick up available. Call first and pay with credit card by phone.
• Moss Galleries*--10% off Custom Picture Framing, 5% of art sales will be donated to the Falmouth Food Pantry 
• Pet Quarters--$10 off all extra large bags of dog and cat food November 19-22
• Pine Tree Dental Care--Full set of diagnostic X-rays at no charge when you schedule a comprehensive new patient appointment
• Primp Salon--15% off all retail products from November 18-December 31
• Rainbow Toys--Phone orders, curbside pickup, and personal shopping appointments (call ahead to schedule one)
• Red Barn Wellness--Complimentary oxygen hydration therapy ($40 value) with a purchase of a micropeel or microderm treatment for the month of December; Gift cards available; Curbside pick- up available for products
• Scan to Health--Free bio-energetic assessment
• Simply Home--25% off Gifts & Accessories
• Southern Maine Hearing--$1000 OFF a Pair of Hearing Aids purchased through private pay; 5% of Hearing Aid Sales will be donated to the Falmouth Food Pantry. November 18-December 31
• South Paw Signs--$100 off all services
• St. Mary Sparkles*--10% off to the first 10 customers each week, open Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-12
• Town Landing Market--Holiday meal pre-order sides & desserts, award winning clam chowder, holiday gift basket assembly, 15% off any gift basket over $100, complimentary gift wrapping, 15% off cases of wine, curbside pick-up, complimentary delivery within 2 mile radius (24 hour notice required), $1 of every transaction in December will go to the Falmouth Food Pantry

EAT LOCAL

• Bueno Loco Restaurante--10% of proceeds on all dessert purchases during December will go to the Falmouth Food Pantry
• Foreside Tavern--Try Table30 our new meal subscription/delivery service to Falmouth—Two meals once a week for you to cook or warm up yourselves. For every party that braves the cold (enjoying the heaters) on the patio throughout the winter, $1 will be donated to the Falmouth Food Pantry.
• Ricetta's*--Buy $40 in Gift Cards get $10 FREE
• Rivalries*--Enjoy a Very Merry cocktail and we’ll give $2 for every one sold to the Falmouth Food Pantry
• Rosemont Market & Bakery--Curbside pickup, home delivery, pre-order meal items for your holiday feast, wine specials, fresh baked goods
• Town Landing Market--Holiday meal pre-order sides & desserts, award winning clam chowder, holiday gift basket assembly, 15% off any gift basket over $100, complimentary gift wrapping, 15% off cases of wine, curbside pick-up, complimentary delivery within 2 mile radius (24 hour notice required), $1 of every transaction in December will go to the Falmouth Food Pantry

ENJOY LOCAL

• Footlights Theater*--Michael J. Tobin brings his award-winning Ebenezer Scrooge to life in the holiday classic "A Christmas Carol", live on stage, December 1-23
• Maine State Ballet--Complimentary video performance of The Nutcracker: Behind the Mask, on demand November 27-December 12

GIVE LOCAL

• Re/Max Shoreline*--Collecting monetary and grocery store gift card donations to benefit the Falmouth Food Pantry
• Join OceanView at Falmouth, Rivalries, Scan to Health, Foreside Antiques, and Book Review in support of the Falmouth Food Pantry. Mail donations to Falmouth Food Pantry, 279 Middle Road, Falmouth, ME 04105 or donate online via PayPal.

The above locations marked with an asterisk (*) are also drop off places for monetary donations & grocery store gift cards to benefit the Falmouth Food Pantry. No donations of food accepted at this time.

Visit www.verymerryfalmouth.com to learn more!

Seasonal Parking Ban Now In Effect 

Falmouth’s seasonal overnight parking ban is now in effect until April 15, 2021. Parking is prohibited on all town-maintained roads between midnight and 6:00am. Parking bans will be implemented at other times as needed for snow removal. Click here for more info.

Dog Licenses Expire December 31

Dog licenses are now available for 2021. All current dog licenses expire December 31, 2020. According to Maine State Law, any dog over age 6 months must be licensed by January 1.

Cost: Neutered/Spayed Dog - $6.00; Unaltered Male or Female - $11.00

Two Ways To Register!

In person: Registration is available at the Clerk’s Office at Falmouth Town Hall currently by appointment only. You must present the following at the time of registration: a current Maine rabies certificate and a neutering certificate if the dog has been altered. Call 781-5253 to make an appointment.

Online: Register online with the State of Maine. On-line registrations require a credit card, a rabies certificate, your veterinarian’s information, a license/tag number (if a renewal), and a spay or neuter certificate (if your dog has been altered). The online dog licensing service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

ecomaine to Conduct Drive-By Survey

Beep Beep! It’s ecomaine! Our valued waste management partners, ecomaine, will be conducting a drive-by survey to see how residents are utilizing their curbside recycling bins. To complete the survey, ecomaine will be counting bins from their car and will not be getting out of their vehicle or sorting through your waste. So, if you see them driving their branded ecomaine electric vehicles through your neighborhood give them a wave hello as they pass by.

Town Council Virtual Meeting, Monday, December 7, 7:00pm

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

Note:  The December 7 meeting of the Town Council will be the only regular meeting held in the month of December. The Public Forum, usually held at the second meeting of each month, will be held at this meeting.

At the Most Recent Town Council Meeting…

The Town Council held a meeting on November 23 at 7:00pm via Zoom.

The Council approved the minutes of the October 14, 2020 Town Council Special Meeting.

The Council approved the appointment and re-appointment of several individuals to Town boards and committees. 

There was a Public Hearing on ordinance amendments to Section 19-40 of the Code of Ordinances relative to the keeping of animals in the RD and HL zoning districts. The order was scheduled for January 11.

The Council approved an ordinance amendment to establish a new Chapter II-22 of the Code of Ordinances relative to creating a procedure for considering requests for ordinance amendments.

The Council approved an order to adopt submittal requirements for ordinance amendment requests made under Chapter II-22 of the Code of Ordinances.

The Council approved an order to amend the Land Use Permit Fee Schedule to incorporate fees associated with requests for ordinance amendments under Chapter II-22 of the Code of Ordinances.

The Council approved an ordinance to adopt the maximum levels of income and expenses for the General Assistance program, Chapter 6, Article 6, Section 6.68, Appendices A-H of the Falmouth Code of Ordinances. 

The Council entered Executive Session pursuant to the Laws of Maine to consult with the Town Attorney regarding legal rights and responsibilities, pursuant to 1 M.R.S.A. § 405 (6) (E). The Council did not return.

View past Town Council meetings here. 

Planning Board

The Planning Board acted upon the following applications at its December 1 meeting: 

• Ralph Sama – Alpine Drive & Sylvan Drive – Request for Subdivision Amendment for easement amendments--APPROVED W/CONDITIONS
• Sea View Homeowners Association – Seaside Way Conservation Area – Request for 4th Subdivision Amendment for clarification of easement rights--APPROVED W/CONDITIONS
• Paddock Way LLC – Paddock Way Subdivision – Request for Subdivision Amendment to add easements identified during the street acceptance process--APPROVED W/CONDITIONS
• West Falmouth Development II, LLC – 4 Mountain Road – Request for First Subdivision Amendment for relocation of the sanitary sewer main--APPROVED W/CONDITIONS
• Clapboard Island Holdings, LLC – Clapboard Island – Request for Shoreland Zone Approval for a proposed boat ramp--APPROVED W/CONDITIONS
• Timothy & Christine Nolan – 133 Hurricane Road – Request for Private Way Approval for 2 new lots.--APPROVED W/CONDITIONS

For more information please visit: https://www.falmouthme.org/planning-board

Board of Zoning Appeals 

The Board of Zoning Appeals considered the following applications at its November 24, 2020 meeting.

• 9 Blackstrap Road – William J. Condon - Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-85 to replace two accessory buildings with a single accessory building. Previously tabled. Denied to entertain the appeal on the basis of being improperly presented.
• 5 Raymond Road – Donald & Mary McCrann – Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-77/19-84 for removal and reconstruction of a garage/family room addition.  Approved
• 0 Carmichael Avenue – Paul Crowley – Request for Variance under Section 19-120 to reduce setbacks on 3 lots. Variance denied.
• 323 Pride Farm Road – Daniel Doody & Kevin Browne representing Tim Landry – Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-77 to create a small overhang. Approved

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

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

There are many Town committees and boards that meet on a regular basis. The events calendar on the Town of Falmouth website homepage lists upcoming board, committee, and Town Council meetings. We send E-Alerts when Town Council, Planning Board, and Board of Zoning Appeals meeting agendas and minutes are posted to the website. Subscribe via E-Alerts to those that most interest you. Agendas and Minutes for these meetings are also posted online. Town Council, Planning Board, and School Board meetings are live-streamed on Falmouth Community TV Channel 1301 (Former Channel 2). Recordings of these meetings are also available for viewing online. Board of Zoning Appeals Meetings are not broadcast live but can be viewed online within 24 hours after the meeting. E-Alerts allows you to subscribe to specific e-mail lists about Town-related issues that interest you. Over 70% of respondents to our Communications Methods Survey found E-Alerts to be an effective means of getting info about Town activities. The Falmouth Focus, this bi-weekly newsletter, is another way to stay in the loop. Subscribe via E-Alerts. Please let us know what kind of information you would like to see included in your town newsletter.