Winning candidates to be sworn into office following municipal election

By Ed Pierce

The voters have spoken and three new Windham Town Councilors and two members of the RSU 14 Board of Directors representing Windham will be sworn in prior to the next meeting for both entities this month.

Winning candidates in Tuesday's election are from left top
row, Maggie Terry (Windham Town Council North District),
Doug Fortier (Windham Town Council South District),
Katie Cook (Windham Town Council At-Large), bottom
row from left are Christina Small (RSU 14 Board of
Directors) and Matthew Irving (RSU 14 Board of
Directors).  COURTESY PHOTOS
  

For the Windham Town Council, three incumbent councilors, including Jarrod Maxfield (North District), Nick Kalogerakis (South District) and John Henry (At-Large) chose not to seek re-election to those positions.

Voters elected three new councilors to serve three-year non-partisan terms on the town council during Tuesday’s municipal election.

In the North District, Margaret “Maggie” Terry will succeed Maxfield, picking up 3,221 votes to defeat Deborah Devou, who had 2,621 votes.

Terry is the business owner of Legal Label Inc. and Seahorse Alley LLC. During her campaign, she said she was seeking a town council position to address Windham’s increasing property tax burden and the challenges posed by rapid growth.

“I am particularly concerned about the impact of new state housing mandates on our infrastructure and community character,” Terry said. “My goal is to promote responsible development, preserve Windham’s heritage, and pursue alternative revenue strategies that reduce reliance on property taxes while maintaining essential services.”

For the South District, Doug Fortier received 3,736 votes to defeat Michael Russin, who had 1,826 votes.

Fortier owns a Christmas tree farm and had served for 20 years as Public Works Director for the Town of Windham before retiring in 2023. He says he grew up and has lived in Windham since 1970.

“I feel working for the town has given me insight of how the town works and what its needs are and help move it forward,” he said.

In the race for the At-Large council seat, Cook’s 2,273 votes earned the position, topping former town councilor Clayton Haskell’s 2,234 votes and Joseph Campbell’s 1,575 votes.

Cook is an Information Technology and Litigation Support Manager. She said she was running for town council because she believes Windham deserves leadership that listens, plans wisely, and protects taxpayers.

“I’m not here to play politics, I’m here to serve,” she said. “I want to make sure every decision made at Town Hall reflects the values and priorities of the people who live here. That means clear communication, smart budgeting, and a commitment to keeping Windham a place we’re proud to call home.”

In a five-candidate race with the top two vote tallies earning seats for three-year terms on the RSU 14 Board of Directors, incumbent Christina Small and first-time candidate Matthew Irving will be sworn in later this month.

Currently serving as RSU 14 Board Chair, Small picked up 2,888 votes, while Irving received 2,483 votes. Adam Zajac was third with 2,327 votes, while Megan Potter had 1,644 votes and Destiny Johnson received 1,629 votes.

Small has served on the RSU 14 Board of Directors for five years. She is a stay-at-home mother who says she sought re-election because she cares deeply about this community and public education.

“My goal has only ever been to support the staff and students of RSU 14,” Small said.

Irving is a former classroom counselor and community mental health worker who is now a stay-at-home father. He said he was running because he wants the best future possible for area children.

“I am a graduate of public schools and a first-generation public university graduate, so I can vouch for the value of public education,” he said. “Our kids need relevant skills and confidence in their ability to think critically in a tumultuous world. Our board needs people who engage respectfully with our community and contribute with well-researched ideas, which I will do.”

Voters in Windham and Raymond were among state residents casting ballots in Tuesday’s election to decide the fate of two statewide referendum questions.

Referendum Question 1 asked voters “Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?”

The question failed statewide, with 256,326 no votes to 144,925 yes votes, or a margin of 63.9 percent to 36.1 percent. In Windham, 4,321 no votes were cast, on Question 1, while 2,558 voted yes. In Raymond, 1,185 no votes were received to 800 yes votes on Question 1.

Referendum Question 2 asked “Do you want to allow courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having dangerous weapons if law enforcement, family, or household members show that the person poses a significant danger of causing physical injury to themselves or others?”

The question was approved statewide, with 252,687 yes votes to 147,022 no votes, or a margin of 63.2 percent to 36.8 percent. In Windham, 4,403 yes votes were tallied for Question 2 to 2,465 no votes. In Raymond, 1,189 yes votes were recorded, while 793 voted no. <        

Windham Town Council approves hire of new Public Works Director with Fortier retirement

By Ed Pierce

A familiar face will be returning to serve the Town of Windham as Jon Earle has been hired as the town’s new Public Works Director, succeeding Doug Fortier, who is retiring in early November.

Jon Earle, left, has been hired by the Town of Windham as
its new Public Works Director. He will succeed Doug Fortier,
right, who is retiring in early November after 31 years
with the department. COURTESY PHOTOS 

Earle emerged as the leading candidate for the job from a field of seven candidates with an interview process held to identify a candidate with the background, skills and experience that would be a good match for the position. The Public Works Director has primary responsibility for the organization, operation, and overall performance of the town’s Public Works Department. Duties include oversight for the department and administration of the departmental budget and the supervision of all department employees.

“Jon worked for the town for a little over two years as Town Engineer,” said Phyllis Moss, the town’s Human Resources Director in a memo to the council. “During that time, I had the opportunity to spend time with Jon and I feel confident he will be successful in the role of Public Works Director. My interaction with him demonstrated that he has the real passion for public works and is a clear communicator, ethical, analytical, and has excellent interpersonal skills. The position of Director of Public Works can be challenging, but I believe he has the background, skills, experience, and personal attributes needed for the position. We would be privileged to have him as part of our team.”

He graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and has completed graduate coursework at the University of Southern Maine in Public Administration. Earle currently serves as the Supervisor of Engineering Services for the Maine Water Company and is responsible for capital project delivery and oversight in 12 public water systems serving more than 32,000 customers across the state. Earle also obtained a graduate certificate in Public Management from the Muskie School of Public Service.

His work history includes more than 22 years of progressively responsible public and private sector experience, including nine years in management roles. During his professional career, Earle has been responsible for budget management, personnel hiring and development, in both union and non-union environments. He is also a member his local planning board and is currently a board member of the Maine Society of Professional Engineers.

Earle will be responsible for Highway Maintenance, which includes winter plowing as well as maintaining all town roads, ditches, shoulders, drainage and other infrastructures; vehicle maintenance, which includes maintenance of all equipment from excavators and backhoes down to chain saws and hand compactors, as well as the police and town office vehicles; and Buildings & Grounds, which includes care of over 20 town cemeteries, nine municipal buildings, and two intersections. His duties will include budgeting, seeking grant money for roads, working on capital equipment replacement plans, getting bids for anything from equipment purchase to buying winter sand and salt. Another part of his job is hiring when there are vacancies.

Fortier has served as Windham’s Public Works Director for the past 20 years and has been a member of the town’s Public Works Department for 31 years overall. He was first hired in 1992 as a member of the grounds crew but was almost immediately moved into a truck driver position. In 1999, he was promoted to Equipment Operator where he gained valuable supervisory experience. In 2001, Fortier was promoted to the role of Deputy Public Works Director and then appointed as the town’s Director of Public Works in May 2004.

Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts said Fortier will be missed and what he’s done through the years to help the town is remarkable.

Tibbetts said that Fortier oversaw the construction of the $9.3-million Shared Maintenance Facility which was completed in the fall of 2019 under budget; worked with Gorrill Palmer on the design and bidding and construction for all phases of the Brand Road reconstruction and the Hillcrest Drainage project renewing 28 infiltration bed­ style catch basins; worked with Gorrill Palmer on the design to reconstruct the Route 302 shoulders to create the center turn lane north of the Anglers Road intersection for 7,200 feet and assisted in securing a contractor for the $1.5 million dollar project; secured an additional $50,000 from the Maine Department of Transportation to help with the expense on the Route 302 turn lane; worked with Gorrill Palmer on the design for reconstruction and pedestrian enhancements for Depot Street; and worked with the town engineer in securing a Maine DOT MPI grant of up to $625,000 for the Route 302 North smart signal and intersection improvements, among many projects he has been involved with.

“These accomplishments only touch the surface,” Tibbetts said. “Doug has taken an active role in union negotiations, interviewed, and hired candidates for positions throughout Public Works, provided learning opportunities and encouragement to employees, and let's not forget Merry Christmas Trees, his business located here in Windham. Speaking for the entire town, I would like to thank Doug publicly for his years of dedication and wish him a very merry retirement.” <

Public Works crews ready to tackle snowstorms this winter

Town of Windham snowplows stand ready to begin clearing 
streets as winter nears in the Sebago Lakes region. Both
Windham and Raymond Department of Public Works directors
say crews, equipment and supplies are prepared for when winter
storms strike the area this winter. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 
 

By Ed Pierce

Winter is nearing and both Public Works Departments in Windham and Raymond say they are ready to clear away snow when storms strike in the Lakes Region.    

Members of the Windham Public Works Department plow about about 120 total miles of roadways every winter and the department’s ongoing priority during the winter months is to keep Windham roads clear and safe with residents able to commute on town streets without incident.

According to Doug Fortier, Windham Public Works Director, Windham typically deploys 17 drivers to plow town streets during snowstorms, but depending upon weather conditions, other department staff members may be drafted to help out if needed.

“For us it’s all hands on deck during storms,” Fortier said. “You could see custodians or other all town workers shoveling or clearing parking lots.”

Fortier said that the department has ordered two new trucks to assist with plowing operations but may not see those new vehicles until next summer.

"They have been ordered but we haven’t seen them yet,” he said. “We use salt and sand and do what we have to do to keep the roads clear.”

Windham snow removal vehicles are equipped with two-way radio communications to direct plow drivers to address problem intersections and roadways as quickly as possible.

Salting roadways in the early stages of a storm keeps the snow from bonding to the pavement and makes for easier removal.  

To create cleaner plowing, Windham may use a little less salt on road surfaces than other towns. It’s estimated that during a typical snowstorm, Windham DPW uses about 60 to 120 tons of salt on town streets.

Salt is purchased and replenished during the summer and off-season months and has been readily available for stockpiling this year.

The most important thing that our residents can do to help us in the snow removal process is to be patient, Fortier said.

Raymond Public Works Director Nathan White said his crew of nine full-time and part-time staff members stands ready for whenever storms hit the town.

“We’ve been ready for some time now,” White said. “We always shut down for the week of Thanksgiving but before we did, we decided to run through everything once again and have everything down just in case.”

He said all Raymond snowplow drivers have reviewed their assigned routes and all snow removal trucks have been prepared for plowing.

White says that Raymond’s Department of Public Works crews maintain about 56 miles of town roads and like their counterparts in Windham, they use salt during snowstorms.

“Our stockpile was purchased using state DOT bidding and actually the price for salt dropped slightly from a year ago,” White said. “It wasn’t a big decrease, but it did go down some and every little bit helps.”

White said a sandpile has been replenished near Raymond Public Works for residents who need sand for their residential driveway.

The sand can be found in a small wooden shed on the right side of the Public Works lot and residents are limited to no more than a couple of 5-gallon pails of sand at a time. The sandpile is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday but closes during storms because of snowplow traffic.

For this winter season, Raymond has two trucks which will be pressed into snowplow service and White said that the town uses a fleet of up to seven vehicles in total for plowing during snowstorms.

As far as what residents can do to assist during winter storms, White said Raymond crews are experienced and know how to clear roads safely and efficiently.

“We work around our residents, it’s just snow,” he said. “We’re prepared for anything, and this year is no different.” <