2022.01.07-Falmouth Focus, Volume 4, Issue 1
Please note: This newsletter will be sent to subscribers of both The Falmouth Focus newsletter and Town News & Announcements. Please excuse cross postings. To change your subscription settings, visit E-Alerts.
General Information
- Town of Falmouth Hours of Operations and Status of Services
- Online and Remote Services
- A Guide to Participating in Virtual Town Council Meetings
Table of Contents |
Please note, currently the Table of Contents links feature is not supported by all email clients or browsers.
- News & Issues
- Ongoing Initiatives
- Events
- Take Note
- Falmouth Public Schools
- Town Council, Board & Committee Meetings
- Stay Informed
News & Issues |
Focus on Pine Grove Preserve
To address safety concerns and improve the health of Pine Grove Preserve, located off Route 88, the Town will implement a forestry management plan in 2022 that includes a substantial harvest of dead and dying pine trees on this property. This new series of articles will focus on the history of the preserve, challenges presented by this property, the management plan developed to address these issues, and what work residents can expect to see in the coming months. Below is the first installment.
History of Pine Grove Preserve
In 1924, George Woodward gave what is now Pine Grove Preserve to the Town of Falmouth to be preserved forever as a park and forest. The preserve occupies what was once farmland. Like the majority of current forests in southern Maine, pine trees gradually took root in these open fields, growing into a new forest. Today, Pine Grove Preserve is a 27-acre, mature pine forest, managed by the Town of Falmouth’s Open Space Division. The property features several connecting trails and three war memorials.
Over the last twenty-five years the decline in health of the pines in Pine Grove Preserve has become increasingly evident. The Patriots Day Storm on April 16, 2007 devastated large areas of pines in the preserve. Additional storms in 2013 and 2017 also felled many trees. In 2013, the Town contracted with a harvester to prune large pines within 20 feet of the formal trails. Since then, the preserve has been managed by removing downed trees and branches that are blocking trails and/or are immediate hazards. In 2020, Falmouth’s Land Management and Acquisitions Committee (LMAC) worked with staff to update the property management plan for Pine Grove Preserve. The committee and staff conducted a field day to work on the trails, including closing several unsanctioned trails. During this visit it was observed that the condition of the forest stand was deteriorating at an alarming rate. LMAC met with Falmouth’s forester Paul Larrivee on site and contracted with Lucas Tree and a Maine Regional Forester for independent evaluations of the property. All three foresters drew similar conclusions. Safety concerns and the health of the preserve needed to be addressed.
The next installment of this "Focus on Pine Grove Preserve" series will explore the current challenges presented by this property. Can’t wait for the next article? Read the whole series here.
Short-Term Rental Registration Now Open
Pursuant to Falmouth's Short-term Rental Ordinance, effective January 1, 2022, no person shall advertise, operate, or rent a short-term rental in the Town of Falmouth without first registering the short-term rental with the Town. Short-term rental is defined as the advertising, offering for rent, use, control, management, or operation of a dwelling unit in whole or in part, for dwelling, sleeping, or lodging purposes for a period of less than thirty consecutive days, for compensation, directly or indirectly.
The ordinance requires that owners renew their short-term rental registrations annually on or before January 1. As the ordinance and registration program are new, the deadline to register a short-term rental unit(s), for initial registrations in 2022 only, has been extended to February 18, 2022.
Town staff are happy to assist you with the registration process. Please email str@falmouthme.org or call Julie Baxter at (207) 699-5335 if you have questions or need additional information.
To register, please visit: https://secure.hostcompliance.com/falmouth-me/permit-registration/welcome
New Year, Old Stuff: Sustainable Recycling Resources
Happy 2022! With the start of a new year, many people like to clean and dispose of old items that you don’t use anymore. To help with this annual tradition, the Recycling and Energy Advisory Committee suggest the following steps and resources to more sustainably complete that need to purge:
Step 1: Reuse and Repurpose: Even if you don’t have a use for something anymore, someone else might! Take items that are still in good, working condition to a local donation site, or you may even be able to sell lightly used items to local resale shops.
Step 2: Recycle: Can’t be reused? Use ecomaine’s Recyclopedia to see what can and can’t be recycled.
Step 3: Waste: The last step is the landfill. For things that don’t go in your typical yellow bag, the Transfer Station accepts certain types of household hazardous waste, paint products, and large items. Items that are not on these lists can typically be brought to Riverside Recycling.
Ongoing Initiatives |
Vision & Values Community Survey #2
Final opportunity to weigh in and share your views about Falmouth's future
Have you taken the final Vision & Values Commnity Survey? Join over 400 of your neighbors and weigh in with your views for Falmouth's Future. Find the survey here.
What to Expect: This survey has 19 questions broken into 4 sections and will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.
- PROFILE QUESTIONS: This section asks 8 profile questions to verify your residency and to allow us to sort respondents according to various cohort groups (age, neighborhood, etc.).
- KEY THEMES: This section asks 7 questions related to key themes that have emerged from the visioning process and are important to the future of the town. These questions ask you to rank your response on a 1 to 10 continuum explained in the question.
- SCENARIO MATRIX: This section asks 3 optional questions related to the scenario matrix framework developed at the Think-Tank. The future scenarios framework brings together the key themes explored in the previous section and looks at how they may combine to shape the future of Falmouth. Please note it is highly recommended that you watch the instructional video and review the Think-Tank report if you choose to complete this section.
- COMMENTS: This section provides one final opportunity for you to provide any additional comments you may have.
How to Prepare: We encourage you to do the following prior to taking the survey to ensure you get the most value from it:
- View a short video from Future iQ CEO David Beurle providing an overview and instructions on how to take the survey. Watch the video here.
- Review the Think Tank report posted to the portal to understand more detail about the possible scenarios presented on the matrix. Find the Think Tank report here.
Take the Survey: The survey and accompanying back ground information can be found on the Vision & Values portal at: https://lab2.future-iq.com/town-of-falmouth-vision-and-values-project/community-surveys/community-survey-2/. You may also request a hard copy survey by calling 207-699-5335 or by picking up a copy at Town Hall or the Mason-Motz Activity Center. The survey will remain open through January.
A representative from Through These Doors collects donated items to this year's Giving Tree from Officer Amanda Hogg.
Falmouth Police Department's Giving Tree
Falmouth Police Department is pleased to announce another impressive year of community giving for the “Giving Tree.” All donated gift cards and items will help support woman and children displaced by domestic violence. Approximately, $1500 was raised with donations, gift cards and household items to assist their living needs. Many thanks to Officer Amanda Hogg for coordinating these events, and the incredible generosity of the citizens of Falmouth.
Events |
Falmouth Community Programs Winter/Spring Registration Open
Falmouth Community Programs Winter/Spring Brochure is now available and registrations are open! To see the brochure, visit: https://en.calameo.com/read/000438265bc6157e44c8e. Or pick up a hard copy at Town Hall or the Mason-Motz Activity Center while supplies last.
Take Note |
Library Announces New Temporary Hours
Holiday Closure
2022 Transfer Station & Parking Stickers Available
It's time to purchase your 2022 Transfer Station & Parking sticker to access the Transfer Station and to park at Town Landing. Stickers are $5.00 annually and can be purchased at either Town Hall or the Public Works Office on Woods Road. The color of the sticker changes each year. Stickers are valid for the calendar year from January 1 through December 31, 2022. T
Remember, disposal of certain materials and large items at the Transfer Station require disposal tickets, which are also $5.00 each. These tickets are available at Town Hall, Public Works, Shaw's, Hannaford, Town Landing Market, and Waldo's. Tickets are NOT available for sale at the Transfer Station. Most materials will cost 1 or 2 tickets ($5.00 or $10.00). You can find a listing of accepted items and rates at: https://www.falmouthme.org/transfer-station/pages/transfer-station-procedures-and-rates
Falmouth Public Schools |
Highlight: Superintendent Search
From the School Board
With the start of the new year, the time has come for us to embark on a search for a permanent superintendent. We are grateful that Gretchen McNulty stepped so seamlessly into the role of interim superintendent for the 2021-22 school year. Without her deep knowledge of our people, goals, and educational programs, we would not have been able to make such progress this year. The permanent superintendent will be charged with many tasks, but chief among them is to maintain and build on our current successes while considering how to make our future goals a reality.
In Maine, state law defines the hiring of a superintendent as one of the core responsibilities of local school boards and a decision reserved exclusively for that board. To achieve that aim, the School Board has prepared a community survey to solicit opinions on the essential qualities and characteristics of a superintendent of the Falmouth Schools. This survey (click link here) will help us to develop a profile of our desired leader. We will also host an open community discussion of these ideas on January 11, 2022 from 6-7pm in the FHS Theater. An online discussion will take place on January 12, 2022 from 6-7pm.
Our search committee will represent multiple stakeholder groups. If you have interest in participating in this important process, please submit an email of interest to me (whitney.bruce@falmouthschools.org) by January 12, 2022. Participation will require multiple meetings with daytime and evening flexibility; it is critical that search committee members fully participate in the entire process during February and March.
When the School Board has narrowed the application pool to the most qualified candidates, a series of public forums and meetings will be scheduled to meet the candidates and provide feedback. The School Board will carefully review this feedback, among other data points, in hopes of naming a permanent superintendent in late March. We value the input from all stakeholders in this process.
Falmouth takes great pride in its schools and we intend to identify the person most suited to lead us forward into the future.
Sincerely, Whitney Bruce, Chair, Falmouth School Board
Focus: Student Research
High School 9th grader Madison Martel is conducting research about the physical, mental, and behavioral consequences of K-12 sports. She is looking to gain insights from Falmouth residents and if you would like to share your thoughts, please click here to access the survey. All contributions are greatly appreciated.
Upcoming: School Board Meetings
School Board Workshop and Business Meeting - Monday, January 10th @ 7:00 in the FES cafeteria
The agenda is posted 5 days prior to the meeting on the falmouthschools.org website.
The School Board will host an open community discussion to discuss Superintendent Search on January 11, 2022 from 6-7pm in the FHS Theater. An online discussion will take place on January 12, 2022 from 6-7pm.
For more information on Falmouth Public Schools, visit: www.falmouthschools.org
Town Council, Board & Committee Meetings |
Town Council Virtual Meeting, Monday, January 10, 7:00pm
The Town Council will meet on Monday, January 10 at 7:00pm. The Falmouth Town Council will conduct a virtual meeting via Zoom as authorized by Section 28, Policy Eight of the Town Council Rules and 1 MRSA §403-B. The agenda and zoom link can be found here. The Zoom application will allow attendees to connect and participate remotely via computer or phone. The public may also watch (no participation option) the meeting on Channel 2 or on the Town website streaming channel. Check out our Guide to Participating in Virtual Public Meetings. If you have questions, please call (207) 699-5329.
Planning Board
The following items were considered at the Planning Board meeting on January 4. An agenda can be found here.
- Amendments to Article II-19 of the Code of Ordinances related to permitting processes for the establishment of outdoor eating areas. RECOMMENDED WITH CHANGES
- Other Business - Adoption of findings of fact and conclusions of law for a March 3, 2021 decision by the Board for the following: Mountain Road – West Falmouth Development II, LLC – Request for Second Amendment to Homestead Farms Subdivision to amend building envelopes abutting Open Space. Map-lot U42-015, Zoned VMU, RT100CO. TABLED
Please note: Planning Board agendas for upcoming meetings may not always be complete at the time of this newsletter's publication. Within the agendas, when possible, links will be provided to direct users to any additional information available on projects at the time of publication, including building elevations, plans, and images when available. Information on planning board projects and activities, including agendas and minutes, can be found at: https://www.falmouthme.org/planning-board. For additional information or questions, contact Dawn Emerson at 207-781-5326 or demerson@falmouthme.org
Board of Zoning Appeals
The Board of Zoning Appeals considered the following items at its December 28 meeting. An agenda can be found here.
- 37 Casco Terrace – Joe Waltman representing Garth Conner – Request for Conditional Use Approval under Section 19-86 to raise existing deck one story to allow for living space below. TABLED FOR SITE WALK
For more information please visit: https://www.falmouthme.org/board-of-zoning-appeals
Stay Informed with the Town of Falmouth Website and E-Alerts
There are many Town committees and boards that meet on a regular basis. The events calendar on the Town of Falmouth website homepage lists upcoming board, committee, and Town Council meetings. We send E-Alerts when Town Council, Planning Board, and Board of Zoning Appeals meeting agendas and minutes are posted to the website. Subscribe via E-Alerts to those that most interest you. Agendas and Minutes for these meetings are also posted online and can be accessed from the home page. Town Council, Planning Board, and School Board meetings are live-streamed on Falmouth Community TV Channel 1301 (Former Channel 2). Recordings of these meetings are also available for viewing online. Board of Zoning Appeals Meetings are not broadcast live but can be viewed online within 24 hours after the meeting. E-Alerts allows you to subscribe to specific e-mail lists about Town-related issues that interest you. The Falmouth Focus, this bi-weekly newsletter, is another way to stay in the loop. Subscribe via E-Alerts. Please let us know what kind of information you would like to see included in your town newsletter.
Town of Falmouth, 271 Falmouth Road, Falmouth, ME 04105 207-781-5253
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