Chapter X: Public Facilities & Services
I. INVENTORY
A. PUBLIC SERVICES
The principal services available in the town are summarized in the paragraphs below. Note that some are furnished by the Town, some are semi-public, and some are provided independently. Where furnished by the Town, the cost, if known, is shown as listed in the Town's 1993 Annual Report.
1. Education ($4,194,163)
Kennebunkport school children, along with those of Kennebunk and Arundel, are educated by School Administrative District 71, which is an agency set up by the State. Although three residents of the Town serve as Directors of the District, and meetings are open to the public, the Town has little or no formal control over the actions of the District.
During the 1995-96 school year, 509 students from Kennebunkport were being educated by S.A.D. 71. By grade level, they were distributed as follows:
Special Education 1
Kindergarten 46
Grades 1-6 225
Grades 7 & 8 78
Grades 9-12 145
Cousens, Park Street, Sea Road Schools 14
Almost all children in Kindergarten through Grade 6 attended the Consolidated School; Grades 7 and 8 attended the Middle School; Grades 9 through 12 attended Kennebunk High School. Of the schools mentioned, only the Consolidated School is located in Kennebunkport.
The education provided by S.A.D. 71 is recognized to be of good quality. In the past, S.A.D. 71 has been recognized by the Federal Department of Education for maintaining Schools of Excellence. The Stanford Achievement Test results indicate that S.A.D. 71 students score well above the national averages. The Maine Educational Assessment tests, given in grades 4, 8, and 11, placed district students at a level much higher than the state average.
The District's drop-out rate is less than one percent, substantially less than the York County average. Close to 2/3 of graduating seniors go on to attend post-secondary schooling.
The District also offers adult education programs, with both a general equivalency program and other classes offered. There are usually 10 to 12 graduates of the class receiving their high school diplomas through the adult education program each year.
The District is currently improving its libraries, computer resources, and curricula to assist students to be better prepared to face the increasing technology of the 21st century.
The School Administrative District recently engaged an independent consultant to review the suitability of its facilities for present and projected requirements. The consultant's report forecasted increasing overcrowding of classrooms system-wide. The report also noted various building code deficiencies in some of the older school buildings. SAD administrators are currently reviewing the consultant's recommendations, which include renovations to existing buildings, as well as construction of a new classroom building. At the same time, the District is attempting to quantify, over a time frame of about ten years, the availability of state funding for new school construction.
The aspect of this educational program which most concerns the townspeople of Kennebunkport is not its quality, but its cost. The overwhelming source of complaint is the basis on which operating costs are divided between the communities which support the District.
At the time when S.A.D. 71 was organized in 1969, representatives of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport agreed that the total operating costs of the District would be apportioned between the two towns on the basis of a formula in which 70% of the weighting would be based on State Valuation of taxable property, and 30% on number of students enrolled. To see how this agreement works in practice, let:
When the formula is applied, the percentage of total cost charged to Kennebunkport is 39.6%. With operating cost for S.A.D. 71 averaging $10.59 million for 1993, charges to Kennebunkport for that year amounted to $4.19 million.
On the basis of cost per student, Kennebunkport paid $8,756, whereas Kennebunk paid $4,470. The Town of Arundel is not a participant in S.A.D. 71, but students from Arundel attend S.A.D. 71 schools as "tuition students," for which Arundel is charged approximately $4,800 per student. By way of comparison, Thornton Academy in Saco charges about $4,700 per year for day students, and Berwick Academy in South Berwick from $8,400 to $9,850 depending upon grade level.
For each of the last 10 years, funding for S.A.D. 71 has consumed between 50% and 60% of the Town's total tax revenues. In the 1993-94 school year, the cost per Kennebunkport student was 96% more than was paid by Kennebunk for students taking the identical curriculum. While many residents feel that the present apportionment of cost is fair, many others, not surprisingly, feel that this inequity is unjust, and should be corrected. Some believe that, if the State Funding Formula cannot be overridden, the Town should withdraw from S.A.D. 71 and make its own provisions for the education of its children.
As of this writing, this issue is understood to be under review by the Town Budget Board.
2. Public Safety ($1,133,868)
a. Police Services. All members of the Kennebunkport Police Force are employees of the Town. There are 11 full-time, year-round police officers and six additional seasonal full-time officers. The summer influx of people and the attendant problems of traffic control in Dock Square, along Ocean Avenue, and at Goose Rocks Beach create the need for the seasonal officers. In 1994, the Department tried a bicycle patrol in selected sections of the town for the first time. For several years, there has been at least one foot patrolman in Dock Square. On busy days, such as holidays, there are several.
Police Department vehicles as of early 1996 were as listed in Table X-1.
Table X-1. Kennebunkport Police Vehicles
Number of Model
Vehicles Year Description Condition
1 1996 Chevrolet Lumina sedan Excellent
2 1995 Chevrolet Caprice sedan Good
2 1994 Chevrolet Caprice sedan Good *
1 1988 Chevrolet Caprice sedan Good
*These vehicles are scheduled for replacement.
The MDOT annual average daily count of traffic entering Dock Square emphasizes what everyone knows: there has been a considerable increase from 7,300 cars daily in 1987 to 10,010 in 1992. Counts were also done on the outlying roads in 1981 and 1987, particularly Route 9 and North Street leading to the Log Cabin Road. These two roads are classified as collector roads. Route 9 at the Biddeford boundary saw 1,510 cars daily in 1981 and 2,390 cars in 1987. North Street registered 2,720 cars at Locke Street in 1981 and 3,670 cars in 1987. The congestion in Dock Square produced the most accidents in town. The next most likely spot was the outer Mills Road (Route 9) in broad daylight under dry conditions. The reason given was driver
inattention.
Table X-2. Kennebunkport Police Department Activities, 1989-1993
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Fatalities 0 0 1 0 0
Personal Injury 14 10 10 7 11
Property Damage (over $500) 74 66 92 88 83
Total Accidents 127 115 123 118 118
Motor Vehicle/Criminal Arrests 1,570 1.260 909 575 668
Warning Cards Issued 2,096 1,723 1,797 1,610 1,866
Motor Vehicle Defect Cards 1,163 579 538 525 536
Parking Tickets 3,667 3,850 1,918 1,969 1,666
Assaults Reported 21 25 19
Burglaries Reported 14 18 27 15 7
Larceny Reported 119 127 149 99 99
Assistance to Other Agencies 630 601 540 664 638
Building Checks 10,629 11.785 10,724 12,967 16,839
Alarms 319 273 291 287 384
Total Complaints 2,745 2,211 2,510 2,878 2,949
Total Patrol Miles 201,313 213,526 198,779 160,683 196,517
Gallons of Gasoline Used 14,987 17.282 16,017 14,484 14,300
Table X-2 contains a summary of the Police Department's activities for the past several years. From the table, one can see that overall total police activity has remained relatively constant. There is little fluctuation in the number of motor vehicle accidents. The number of arrests, however, for both motor vehicle violations and criminal activity has dropped dramatically since 1988. The Department traveled 20,000 patrol miles less in 1992 than 1988.
The department's criminal investigations have been increasing steadily during the past five years. Table X-3 gives the total number of criminal complaints and the number and percent cleared. The term "cleared" means that a suspect was arrested, restitution was made to the victim or the investigation determined the complaint was unfounded. During the past four years, the department has been able to clear an average of 61% of the complaints.
Table X-3. Police Department Criminal Investigations
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
Total Number of Cases 169 210 223 241 236
Number of Cases Cleared 108 128 123 158 150
Percent Cleared 64% 61% 55% 66% 64%
Beginning in 1995, the Kennebunkport Police Department is shifting its emphasis from traditional policing that focuses on solving crime to a preventative approach involving communities. This is a national trend growing out of the successful pilot project called "Crime Watch", which was started in the 1980's by a utility company. The organization, training, and familiar signs were provided by private funds to towns serviced by that utility.
Community policing concentrates on working closely with neighborhoods, listening to their concerns, and solving problems before trouble erupts. The program is more flexible than traditional policing with emphasis on local accountability. The same officer stays with the neighborhood and is available for consultations on a daily basis. Residents are encouraged to talk about problems such as stop signs, troublesome kids, littering, etc. Often surveys asking questions like "How safe do you feel?" or "How effective are the police here?" are helpful.
Police academies and technical schools are now carrying training courses geared to this approach. The Kennebunkport Police plan to start with cul-de-sac neighborhoods and gradually cover the town. Local community groups already formed are very helpful in setting up this type of liaison. Like preventative medicine, this approach can create a healthier society, a healthier way of life.
Another community program is JUMP START, a new pilot project offered to non-violent juvenile offenders as an alternative to a court appearance. Volunteer mentors are screened and assigned to one juvenile for a eight-week course on decision making. Various people trained to work with young people conduct these classes at the Kennebunk Police Station. The final class involves other members of the community to supply a larger support system to the graduates. Mentors are encouraged to stay in touch with their young friends after the course. Response has been good from parents, students, and mentors. There is currently a need for more men as mentors.
Following the results of a school-conducted survey in spring 1994, the drug abuse program known as DART has been very active. There have been several evenings of discussion between teachers, parents, and young people on social problems facing students in our fast-moving society.
b. Fire Protection. The Town is served by four independent volunteer fire companies, supervised by a full-time Fire Protection Administrator who is an employee of the Town. There are about 100 active firefighters in the four companies. The Village and Wildes District Fire companies occupy fire houses belonging to the town; the Cape Porpoise and Goose Rocks companies own their own buildings.
The Wildes District Fire Company completed a major expansion of the fire station in 1989. Goose Rocks Beach Fire Company completed a new facility on Route 9 in 1991. Cape Porpoise Fire Company has recently expanded its facilities on the second floor.
The fire companies normally endeavor to raise funds privately to cover their operating expenses. The operating expenses of the Village Fire Company are covered by income from the Clifford Seavey Fund.
Vehicles are purchased privately by the individual fire companies and are financed by the Kittredge Trust Funds. The Kittredge Trust Funds are trusts left to the Kennebunkport fire departments for the purpose of buying fire trucks and other capital equipment. The Trust income earned by each is divided between the four companies in accordance with the provisions of the trust. Each company accumulates Trust income until it can afford, and needs, a new truck. Because of these Trusts, the town has not had to purchase a new truck since 1981.
The town's fire companies, thanks to the Trusts, are very well equipped. Table X_5, at the end of this chapter, lists the major equipment housed in each company. It can be noted that almost every truck carries a pump of considerable size. The companies consider that essential to provide protection to buildings situated far from hydrants.
In recent years, a major goal of the fire companies has been to improve the quality of protection in lightly settled areas not served by the water piping of the K.K.&W. water system. This is being done by installing 36 "dry hydrants" as indicated on Map X-2. A dry hydrant carries no water under pressure, but is connected by permanent piping to a well, a pond, or to salt water. In an emergency, a fire truck connects a suction hose to the hydrant and then uses the pressure from its own pump to force water to the scene of the fire. This program has resulted in better insurance ratings for the entire town.
In 1968, an extensive Fire Lane project was undertaken (see Map X-3). These lanes are mostly on private property and are to be used for fire fighting only, but many of them have since become private rights of way to homes built since that date. In 1994, yellow numbered posts were erected to identify them for fire fighters.
The fire companies are presently cooperating in the development of a fire protection plan for the next 20 years. Problems to be considered include an expected increase in the amount of property to be protected, growing traffic which congests commercial areas during the tourist season, escalating costs of fire equipment, and the trend toward higher age and income of the population, both factors which lead to diminished interest in volunteer firefighting. The companies hope to overcome these problems through more vigorous recruitment and training, more versatile equipment, and better communications.
c. Emergency Services. The Town rescue facilities are currently maintained by the private volunteer Kennebunkport Emergency Medical Services (KEMS). The service was established in 1979 and consists of an all-volunteer group of 28 members. KEMS is governed by a 12 member Board of Directors, all of whom are Kennebunkport residents. The size of the organization does not fluctuate during the year, allowing a five or six person crew to be available on each shift.
KEMS is completely funded through its annual membership drive and private donations. No financial support is required from the town's tax revenues.
KEMS maintains one new ambulance which is located at the Cape Porpoise Fire Company. During the past three years, the service has responded to an average of 205 calls per year, with little change between the three years. With increasing training skills and insurance costs, it appears that a trend toward town financial help and full-time, town-employed EMT's is possible within the next five to ten years.
d. Communication Service. The Town's Communications Service is presently operated as an adjunct to the Police in their facility on Crow Hill, but it supports all of the three services described above. The service accepts emergency telephone calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and maintains radio contact with all public safety facilities and vehicles. It is understood that during the summer months, message traffic is approaching a level where two communications operators may be needed.
During the next year, experiments will be made with the use of the cables of Cable TV of the Kennebunks to provide a voice communications network independent of both the telephone system and FM radio channels, both of which can become very crowded.
3. Highways ($543,288)
The Highway Department maintains nearly 50 miles of roads within the town, as well as related culverts and sidewalks. The Department is also committed to upgrading the stone seawalls which border Ocean Avenue along Cape Arundel.
Sidewalks are a subject which has been so controversial over the years that the Town has an official Sidewalk Committee to make recommendations about them. "We are interested," the Committee writes, "in keeping our existing sidewalks in good repair, and building new sidewalks only where necessary." While several sidewalk repair projects have been completed in recent years, members of this committee have noted need for further upgrading in the Dock Square area.
While snow removal is a big factor which tends to make highway expenses uncontrollable, the Highway Department has remained commendably cost-conscious. Private ways are no longer plowed at town expense. The Landon Road Book numbers and gives the history of every public and private way in town. This is invaluable for settling disputes and locating easements. The Fire Administrator is continually updating the book as new rights of way are added. Over the last 15 years, the Highway account has increased less rapidly than any other major component of the Town budget. A listing of Highway Department equipment can be found in Table X-6.
4. Health & Sanitation ($410,451)
Several loosely-related items fall under this heading.
a. Health Care. Three physicians, all Doctors of Osteopathy, maintain offices in Kennebunkport; two are located in Cape Porpoise and one on River Road. There are no M.D.'s with offices in Kennebunkport. (The Town's Health Officer is an M.D., but his office is in Biddeford.) Nevertheless, this is not as inconvenient as it might appear, since a large number of physicians have offices nearby in Kennebunk and Biddeford. The nearest hospital is Southern Maine Medical Center, a modern well-equipped facility located in Biddeford. Various health clinics and doctors' offices are located in Kennebunk, Biddeford, and Wells.
The Kennebunkport Health Council and General Assistance Office is located at the Municipal Offices on Elm Street. A nurse is available for various tests such as blood pressure and blood sugar, treatments and consultations, and conducts a variety of health clinics. Home care visits can be provided by the Council, which also maintains a food pantry. The Health Council Physician is a D. O. who has an office in Kennebunkport.
b. Solid Waste Disposal and Recycling. Acting under pressure from State regulatory authorities, the Town has closed its former dump. A ground water monitoring program is being conducted at the closed dump site per State Department of Environmental Protection regulations. All demolition debris, grass, leaves, brush and household appliances must be taken to Kennebunk's Sea Road facility. Disposal fees vary for the different types of materials. Dumpsters for corrugated cardboard recycling are located at Bradbury s Market and the Municipal Parking lot.
The Town currently has no legal disposal site whatsoever for stumps and rubble. An option to join a York County regional association could be investigated.
To provide for the disposal of solid waste, the Town has a 17-year contract with Maine Energy Recovery Company (MERC) in Biddeford, which incinerates it. The Town's volume of waste is currently estimated at 2,350 tons per year. Tonnage amounts can be adjusted with MERC, for rate purposes, every five years. The Town pays for a curbside pick-up system for solid waste collection.
The Town has also instituted a recycling program, in conjunction with Kennebunk and Arundel. Curbside pick-up is used to recycle tin cans, clear glass, plastic, and paper, all of which will be sorted by the Town's contracted trash removal service. Other recyclable items may be taken to the Center for recycling in Kennebunk.
c. Storm Water Management. Storm water is collected via numerous small systems, located primarily in densely developed areas such as Dock Square, along Ocean Avenue, Cape Porpoise Square, and areas along Goose Rocks Beach. Run-off is collected and discharged directly into the Kennebunk River, tidal marshes, or the Atlantic Ocean.
5. Sewer System
In recent years, the Town's Sanitary Sewer System has been considerably expanded. With the extension of the system to Goose Rocks Beach and the corresponding increase in the capacity of the treatment plant, over half of the buildings in town are now served. Map X-1 shows the streets through which the sewer system now runs.
The peak load which this system is required to handle is determined primarily by the town's tourist trade, with the volume treated on a summer weekend being more than ten times as much as on a corresponding weekend in mid-winter. Through 1991, when the tourist trade was growing, it appeared that the Town's peak sewage load might soon outgrow the capacity even of the newly expanded plant. In response, the Selectmen imposed a limitation on new connections to the sewer system, which remains in place to this day. Because there has been little demand for new housing or commercial construction since 1991, however, the limitation has produced very little discomfort. On the other hand, should the tourist business recover and expand further, as it may well do, the
pressure to build new housing and commercial structures will reappear, and the sewer system is likely to become a constraining factor in the town's growth.
Recognizing that an increase in plant capacity is almost inevitable, the Sewer Department, at this writing, has requested a proposal from a consulting engineer to appraise the existing treatment facility and to provide specifications and a cost estimate for an appropriate plant addition.
a. Subsurface Disposal. Refer to Chapter IV, Town Goal 2 (also Chapter~V, I, A, Soils)
6. Water Supply
About one-third of the residents of Kennebunkport derive their water supplies from private individual wells. As noted in Chapter IV, supplies of ground water seem satisfactory, at present, in both quality and quantity.
The remainder of the town obtains its water from the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Wells Water District, which was established in 1921 by an Act of the Maine State Legislature. Map X-2 shows the streets along which KK&WWD water is available.
The KK&WWD receives its water primarily from Branch brook, which flows through parts of Kennebunk, Wells, and Sanford. KK&WWD on its own initiative pursues protection of Branch Brook from development and from pollution. Filtration and pumping facilities are located in Kennebunk. KK&WWD is also tied into the Saco River to provide additional water during peak summer demand periods. Fortunately, the district's primary storage tank is located on Crow Hill in Cape Porpoise, providing an abundant, centrally located water source for Kennebunkport.
One area of town currently served by private individual wells is experiencing sea water contamination. This is an area of approximately two miles along Ocean Avenue, east of Walker's Point, which is not served by KK&WWD. The KK&WWD has approximately 800 feet of water main extension proposed to serve recent pending housing developments at one end of this area. The remaining 1 1/2 miles needed probably will not be built because of the high cost of installing supply piping through land which is mostly composed of solid ledge.
(Water quality is discussed in Chapter IV: Water Resources.)
7. Electric Utility
All of Kennebunkport is supplied by the Central Maine Power Company, which generates the power and handles distribution to individual residences. Frequency of power outages and response to emergencies are probably normal for utilities serving small communities in this latitude. Power rates are high compared to most of the rest of the United States.
The CMP 100-foot wide powerline that runs along the northwest Town line into the center of town is kept free of foliage by periodic spraying. There is no aerial spraying. The work is done from backpacks containing organic compounds (Garlon #4 and Krenite) diluted in water to 3% and 5%, respectively. They break down in the soil and are non-toxic to humans. The operation is licensed by the State and any landowner preferring to treat their own foliage may request a non-spray agreement with CMP.
8. Public Transportation
Kennebunkport has very limited public transportation. During the tourist season, a couple of pseudo-trolleys take visitors on a sightseeing tour, stopping at the principal hotels and motels as they do so. However, neither the routing nor the rates are appropriate for utilitarian trips by those who do not have automobiles. Another bus operator, the “Sea-Bird Shuttle”, takes passengers at $1/ride over a route which covers downtown Kennebunkport, the Lower Village, and Kennebunk Beach. A seasonal bus service could do much to alleviate traffic and parking challenges that currently exist.
In this respect, Kennebunkport has reason to envy some of the surrounding communities. There is a Saco-Biddeford-Old Orchard shuttle bus. Wells has been instrumental in implementing a summer bus service between Kennebunk and Kittery. This service stops in Kennebunk Lower Village. With the possible return of rail passenger service, such a bus service and others to be implemented might move visitors from the Amtrak station in Wells to Kennebunkport.
9. General Government ($444,779)
This budget category covers a number of routine but absolutely essential functions which are carried on within the Town Hall. Among them are Code Enforcement, Tax Assessment and Collection, Bookkeeping, Maintenance of Records, and General Management of the Town.
B. PUBLIC FACILITIES
Many of the town's public facilities have already been mentioned in connection with the organizations which use them. In some cases, however, the facilities themselves deserve further comment.
1. Municipal Offices
For several years, the belief has been widely held that the Town's offices need to be improved and expanded. Not only is the building obviously crowded, but there is no open area large enough to accommodate a meeting of as many as ten people. On three separate occasions, proposals to enlarge or replace the Town Hall have been put before the voters and, each time, these have met with defeat. In the most recent instance, many sensed that the voters were amenable to the notion of an improved Town Hall, but were put off by the fact that the Selectmen could not agree upon the best way to meet that objective.
An improved Town Hall continues to stand high on the town's "shopping list," and it seems certain that sooner or later a proposal to meet this need will gain the approval of the voters. When this will happen and what form the proposal will take, however, remain shrouded in mystery.
2. Police/Communications Facility
As of April 1, 1996, the Police Department/Communications will be located in a new building on Town-owned property near the intersection of Old Cape Road and Route 9. This centrally located facility will provide the Department with much needed space for adequate and safe working conditions.
3. Highway Department
The facilities of the Highway Department are located off Beachwood Avenue, adjoining the former Town Dump. They include a relatively new Town Garage and fuel storage tanks. A storage shed for salt and sand was added recently. The facilities appear satisfactory for the operations conducted there.
4. Piers
The Town operates two piers for the use of fishermen, which have been described in Chapter III.
5. Shopping Area
Although there are commercial areas in Goose Rocks Beach and Cape Porpoise, most shopping activity in Kennebunkport is concentrated in the area of Dock Square and the Kennebunk Riverfront. Hence, the appearance of the Dock Square neighborhood is of concern to all. For many visitors, it is their first look at the town. Most of the merchants make every effort to keep their buildings in good repair. The holiday decorations for Christmas Prelude are outstanding. In the summer, the Seacoast Garden Club maintains the lovely flowers at the Civil War Memorial. On Memorial Day, we can all be proud of our town as we meet there.
But the appearance of Dock Square is not all that it might be. The local merchants observe that the Town has allowed the sidewalks and curbs to deteriorate here, while using parking lot revenues, which might have been used to repair them, for other purposes.
Several years ago, the Lighting Committee installed attractive street lights in Dock Square, but the project was never completed. The north side of the Square leading to the bridge has no lights; neither does the parking lot.
Traffic in the Dock Square area, both pedestrian and vehicular, is a recurring source of concern and irritation. As the law requires, pedestrians are given the right of way, with the result that they meander oblivious in all directions, with little or no regard for the painted crosswalks. Meanwhile auto traffic, obliged to cross the Kennebunk River here on the only bridge within a mile, suffers long delays. Drivers, with little to do but sit and ponder, wonder if there may be a more efficient way to move people and cars through this bottleneck. Actually, the Town Police Department has considered several alternative routing schemes for Dock Square, but these require State approval because the principal road through Dock Square is State Route 9.
So far, no cooperation from the State has been obtained.
6. Parking Facilities
Like most towns which were laid out in the horse-and-buggy era, Kennebunkport has a severe shortage of parking space. While the Town's Land Use Ordinance is structured to prevent new commercial enterprises outside Dock Square from making this problem worse, parking remains very difficult during the tourist season. The Dock Square Zone is exempt from this parking requirement as there is no space to add parking. The Town's only municipal parking lot is that adjoining the Kennebunk River, just north of Dock Square.
A related problem concerns the parking lot at St. Martha's Church on North Street. Through agreement with the Town, it can be used at most times to supplement municipal parking. The parking lot at the Consolidated School is also available during the summer vacation period. When these lots first came into public use, the Town used fees collected at the Municipal Parking Lot to fund a shuttle bus which ran between St. Martha's, the school, and Dock Square. In 1992, the shuttle bus was discontinued because the Town Meeting ceased to provide funding for it. The outlying parking lots remain in use, but for those who are old or infirm, the walk to Dock Square is a long one.
7. Shade Trees
The town's exceptional shade trees, as mentioned previously in Chapter V, receive the attention of a Shade Tree Committee. Their activities center around the Town s still numerous elm trees. An aggressive program of immunization, replacement plantings, and pruning are the main components of the Shade Tree Committee s work. The Committee receives its funding from the Town.
8. Cemeteries
The Town of Kennebunkport does not own any cemeteries, but within the town there are at least 70 burial grounds of various sizes which belong to churches or individual families. Town activity is confined to contributing to the maintenance of gravesites of veterans buried in the Arundel Cemetery on North Street. Many of the cemeteries are of considerable historical interest, however, as mentioned in Chapter II of this report.
9. Rest Rooms
Despite the obvious need for rest rooms in a town which swarms with tourists, the voters of Kennebunkport have found it challenging to agree upon a means to provide them. For many years, there were no public rest rooms of any kind in the town. Recently, limited facilities have been made available in leased property near Dock Square. These facilities are funded jointly by the local business association, the Town, and private contributions. A discussion of rest room facilities in beach areas in discussed in Chapter III.
10. Signs/Maps
The Town is working to make it easier for a first-time visitor to find his way around. Signs indicating street names are being installed but are not yet completed in all areas. A street map on a grid is now available from the Kennebunk-Kennebunkport Chamber of Commerce on Route 35, however, it does not show the northern section of town.
C. RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TOWN OF KENNEBUNK
It would be negligent to review the services and facilities of the Town without mentioning the benefits which the Town receives from the close relationship which has been developed with the Town of Kennebunk. Through this relationship, Kennebunkport shares the use of several services which it would find difficult to maintain entirely on its own. Examples of shared services include:
Recycling Facility
Recreational Programs and Facilities
Youth Affairs Officer
Kennebunk River Committee
Public Safety
II. ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS
This review indicates that the Town facilities and services are adequate in all cases, and, in most instances, quite satisfactory. Nevertheless, as would be expected when considering such a wide range of items, there are some cases where improvement would be very desirable.
In the opinion of this Committee, the Town's most important requirements are as follows:
A. A detailed study of means to reduce the cost charged to Kennebunkport for educating our school children. There are three alternative courses of action which could be explored:
1. Apply for a change in the formula through which the costs of operating S.A.D. 71 are divided. Such a procedure is governed by State law.
2. Send Kennebunkport students to S.A.D. 71 as "tuition students." Presumably the cost per student could be negotiated. In so doing, however, the Town would lose all control over the policies and administration of the School District.
3. Withdraw completely from S.A.D. 71 and make our own educational arrangements. Needless to say, there are a large number of state educational requirements which would have to be met.
B. A municipal building of satisfactory size.
C. A plan covering means to increase the capacity of the Town's sewage treatment facility so that such a project may be included in the Town's advanced financial planning.
In addition to the foregoing, we would draw attention to several other significant opportunities for improvement which are listed as Implementation Strategies in the section which follows.
III. IMPLEMENTATION
STATE GOAL:
TO PLAN FOR, FINANCE, AND DEVELOP AN EFFICIENT SYSTEM OF PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES TO ACCOMMODATE THE ANTICIPATED GROWTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
TOWN GOAL 1: MAINTAIN PRESENT LEVEL OF PUBLIC SERVICES; IMPROVE SERVICES WHERE NECESSARY TO MEET PRESENT OR FUTURE NEEDS.
Strategy 1: Examine how the cost of educating school children in Kennebunkport can be made more equitable on a per student basis with those of Kennebunk and other nearby communities without sacrificing quality of education.
Responsible Party: A Study Committee chosen by the Selectmen
Recommended Time Frame: Upon acceptance of Plan
Strategy 2: Determine the best method, as well as the estimated cost, to make a substantial increase in the capacity of the Kennebunkport Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Responsible Party: A Study Committee chosen by the Selectmen, Sewer Department
Recommended Time Frame: Upon acceptance of Plan
Strategy 3: Experiment with alternative traffic patterns in the vicinity of Dock Square.
Responsible Party: Police Chief
Recommended Time Frame: Ongoing
Strategy 4: Encourage private operators to provide shuttle bus service in the tourist season between Dock Square, the St. Martha's Church parking lot, and, when necessary, the Consolidated School parking lot.
Responsible Party: Selectmen, Chief of Police, Kennebunkport Business Association, Chamber of Commerce
Recommended Time Frame: Ongoing
Strategy 5: Provide better signs and map displays in places where they will be useful to visitors.
Responsible Party: Sign Committee, Kennebunkport Business Association, Chamber of Commerce
Recommended Time Frame: Ongoing
Strategy 6: Improve sidewalks and lighting in the Dock Square area.
Responsible Party: Selectmen, Town Manager, Lighting Committee, Kennebunkport Business Association, Chamber of Commerce, State Department of Transportation
Recommended Time Frame: Ongoing
TOWN GOAL 2: PROVIDE TOWN EMPLOYEES WITH GOOD FACILITIES FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR WORK.
Strategy 1: Enlarge or replace the present Municipal Building to provide satisfactory working conditions for the employees who work there.
Responsible Party: A new Building Committee chosen by the Selectmen
Recommended Time Frame: Ongoing
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