Happy summer from your newest Scarborough town councilor. There is a wide variety of work in front of the council, but right now, let’s focus on summer in Scarborough. It took a while to arrive, but it is certainly worth the wait.

Summer allows for rest and relaxation and there is no better place to do that than Scarborough. From concerts, sports and Summerfest to beaches, marshes and trails, this town is better than most when it comes to taking advantage of the warmer months. It is also the perfect time to reflect on how fortunate we are to live here. While the facilities and natural resources are outstanding, it is the people that make it special.

Friendly workers at our stores, drivers who stop to let a car out of the parking lot, helpful public safety teams and neighbors who look out for each other are examples of how we all contribute to the fabric of our community.

So why the heartfelt sentiments?

I want to suggest that Scarborough benefits as a whole when our community pulls together and gets involved. Your voice matters in this town. In the short time since my election, I have seen four policy decisions impacted by the citizens contributing their voices to the process:

● Changes to the animal control ordinance were put off to allow for input from all
stakeholders.

● An effort to create a short term rental ordinance will be reconsidered in the future because people thought the suggested version was too restrictive and burdensome for property owners.

● An apartment project was not approved because people were concerned with the location; and with growth in general.

● The school construction solution was put forward by a citizen committee based on ideas from both the committee and from the general public.

All of these outcomes happened in the past two months. What do they have in common?

There was significant feedback from informed and dedicated people who emailed the council and attended public meetings to provide their opinions, ideas and solutions. It was rewarding to watch this input inform the decision making of the councilors. The public truly made a difference.

So as you sit on the beach, or kayak through the marsh, please take a minute to celebrate our wonderful town and contemplate all the ways we can work together to achieve positive outcomes for Scarborough. Enjoy your summer! I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to serve on the council. Please feel free to contact me.

Larry Cain is a Scarborough Town Council member. He can be reached at lcain@scarboroughmaine.org. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Scarborough Town Council.