Saco City Council Meeting - October 27, 2025: Emergency Moratorium on Mobile Home Park Rent Increases Adopted
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Saco City Council Meeting - October 27, 2025
This meeting of the Saco City Council was called to order at 6:30 PM by Councilor Hatch, with Mayor McVail arriving later. All councilors were present. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and two recognitions: the Extra Mile proclamation for Misty and the Spirit of America Foundation Award for Carmen Dame Garonski. The council then heard extensive public testimony from residents of the Blue Haven mobile home park about drastic lot rent increases, followed by the adoption of an emergency moratorium on such increases. Other actions included approval of minutes, a consent item for a city planner appointment, acknowledgment of a grievance committee recommendation, an informational presentation from Maine Water Company, and an administrative update.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the minutes from October 6, 2025, passed unanimously (6-0).
- Confirmation of the interim city administrator's appointment of the city planner passed unanimously (6-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kelly Archer (185 Bradley Street) urged the council to act on citizen grievances, citing repeated violations of laws by staff and trustees, and asked for transparency and enforcement of charter rules. She also requested creative help for neighbors in an emergency situation.
- Lisa DeRoches (Blue Haven resident) stated that lot rents have risen from $200–300/month to over $500, with further increases planned, making housing unaffordable. She noted that some homeowners pay less in taxes than the proposed lot rent.
- Lynn Johnson (Blue Haven resident) described the park as a small community with no amenities in return for rising rents. She expressed concern that rent increases of $100 in one month and more in December would force residents out.
- Barbara Scorski (2 Meserve Circle, Blue Haven, 15-year resident) explained she is on fixed disability income. Her rent increased $35 earlier in the year and now an additional $145, totaling nearly $200 extra per month. She cited unsafe trees, lack of services, and poor water pressure, and argued the park is not providing value.
- Sarah Belanger (31C Pheasant Road) thanked the council for listening and noted she spent $9,000 on a new water heater and furnace, making rent increases even harder. She defended park maintenance staff as hardworking but constrained by ownership.
- Barb Thomas (Mezer Circle, Blue Haven, disabled veteran, 13–14 years resident) described the community as affordable and safe, but said drastic rent increases with no end in sight are making retirement impossible for those on Social Security or disability. She asked the council to pass a moratorium to allow time for mediation and an emergency moratorium.
- Reverend Robert Henry (24 Pheasant Road) highlighted the irony of retiring and immediately receiving a rent increase. He urged the council to consider that just because an increase is possible does not make it prudent, and asked for compassion for those on fixed incomes, especially disabled veterans.
- Natalie Henry (24 Pheasant Road) noted she and her husband are retired and living on Social Security alone. She said the water is not drinkable and she spends money on bottled water. She pleaded for compassion and assistance.
Discussion Items
- Emergency Moratorium on Mobile Home Park Lot Rent Increases (Action Item A): Councilor Johnston read the full emergency ordinance, which declared an emergency affecting life, health, and property due to rapid lot rent increases in mobile home parks. The ordinance prohibited any lot rent increases from the date of adoption (October 27, 2025) until its expiration on December 26, 2025, subject to enforcement and civil penalties. During discussion, Councilor Hatch thanked residents for their testimony. Councilor Berman raised concerns about the timeline, as the state model ordinance is due December 31, 2025, and the emergency moratorium expires December 26. The city administrator confirmed the moratorium could be renewed on December 15, and a longer-term ordinance could follow. Councilor Johnston noted the unique situation where mobile home owners own their homes but not the land, making them captive to rent increases, and stated the city has only one zone for mobile home parks. Councilor Edwards expressed support but also noted the need to address issues with the park owners and consider broader solutions. The moratorium passed unanimously (6–0).
- Follow-up from Saco Citizens Grievance Review Committee (Action Item B): Councilor Hatch moved to acknowledge receipt of the code of ethics/conduct form and declare recommendation #3 of the final report complete. The recommendation directed the city administrator to enhance public instruction about the ethics violation reporting mechanism through municipal communication channels semi-annually. The city administrator confirmed the communications plan, including inclusion in the newsletter and training for boards. An internal SOP for handling submissions is being developed. The motion passed unanimously (6–0).
- Maine Water Company Unified Rate Schedule (New Business): Mark Venoi, president of Maine Water Company, presented a proposed unification of rate structures across Maine divisions. The change is not a revenue increase but adjusts fixed versus volumetric charges, with a slight decrease for residential customers in Saco. Larger meter sizes will see changes in fixed charges to create a more linear relationship. Fire charges remain the same. The company encouraged affected customers to contact them. No council questions were asked.
Key Outcomes
- Adopted an emergency moratorium on mobile home park lot rent increases, effective immediately through December 26, 2025 (6–0 vote). The moratorium prohibits any lot rent increase during that period.
- Acknowledged completion of recommendation #3 from the Citizens Grievance Review Committee regarding the code of ethics/conduct form (6–0 vote).
- Approved minutes of October 6, 2025, and confirmed the appointment of the city planner (both 6–0).
- Heard from Maine Water Company; no action taken.
- Received administrative updates: curbside leaf collection begins November 10, 2025; wastewater team received state and national awards; Kyle Mundorf hired as assistant city engineer.
- Entered executive session at 7:34 PM and exited with no report; meeting adjourned thereafter.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I'll call the meeting of October twenty-seventh, twenty twenty-five to order at six thirty PM. Um let the record reflect that all council counselors are present. Um Madam Mayor McVail will be joining us later this evening. Um, interim city admin, Emily Cole Prescott is also present. Please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. Uh under general this evening, we have two opportunities to to recognize outstanding service. The first item is the extra mile proclamation. Whereas SOCO is a community which acknowledges that a special vibrancy exists within the entire community when it's individual citizens collectively go the extra mile in personal effort, volunteerism, and service. And whereas SACO is a community which encourages its citizens to maximize their personal contribution to the community by giving of themselves wholeheartedly and with total effort, commitment, and conviction to the individual ambitions, family, friends, and community. And whereas SACO is a community which chooses to shine a light on and celebrate individuals and exhort organizations within its community who go the extra mile in order to make a difference and lift up fellow members of the community, and whereas Saco acknowledges the mission of Extra Mile America to create five hundred and fifty extra mile cities in America and is proud to support Extra Mile Day on November first, twenty twenty-five. Signed this twenty-seventh day of October, twenty twenty-five by the mayor of the city of Saco, Maine, Jody L. McVail. From helping with her husband's business, taking care of her family, or fundraising for events, Misty always gives a hundred percent and goes the extra mile. On behalf of the city of Sacco, the Harbor Fest Committee and the Camp Ellis community, thank you for your kindness, hard work, and dedication in all that you do for our city and our community. Thank you again. And then welcome. And whereas on Mondays and Thursdays, Carmen can almost always be found donating her time in the parish hall with the most Holy Trinity Church, Paul. And whereas, in addition to the time Carmen spends each week unloading donated food and working with volunteers, Carmen also spends additional time attending meetings, planning menus, writing grant applications, and updating the organization's website and social media. And whereas Carmen never seeks attention for herself but deserves recognition for all the work she invests in the community and on behalf of its residents. Now therefore, again, on behalf of Jody L. McVale, Mayor of Sacco, and on behalf of the City Council, hereby resolve with sincere gratitude and appreciation that Carmen Dame Garonski is recognized for her commitment to the community with the 2025 Socco Spirit of America Foundation Award, signed this day, the twenty-seventh of October, twenty twenty five by the mayor of the City of Socco, Jodi L. McVail. I'd additionally like to thank Dorothy Schluub. Sorry if I pronounced that wrong. The Monday coordinator and Christine Perolt, which is the Monday and Thursday co-coordinator. You can all clap now. One more, one, two, three. Perfect. Thank you all. All right, uh, we'll move on to item four, which is well, I take that back. Item five, which is committee correspondence to council. Is there any correspondence from counselors? All right, we'll move on to item six, which is the public comment session. Um, do we have the sign up list? I'll get the sign up list. So we'll we'll begin with the sign-up list. And then if anybody else would like to speak, we will move on to those numbers. Please uh when you come up to the podium, cite your name and address for the record and try to keep it uh a three-minute time limit. So the first person on the list is Kelly Archer. Hello everyone, Kelly Archer, 185 Bradley Street. Thank you for taking council agenda action on citizens' grievances tonight, the SACO Code of Ethics conduct complaint form and the executive sessions, contract zones and Lucia uh Kimball Health Trust Validity. Citizens look forward to transparent and open council deliberations and a detailed written reports for the official record. Counselors, your constituents deserve your courage to right the wrongs of staff. Think about it. For years the common denominator for all our grievances is that staff and daring trustees ignored circumvented or andor violated local, state, and federal laws, thereby creating cr critically severe risk and liability to the citizens of SACO. I understand your need to protect w risk management, political pressures and minimizing po publicity. However, in the executive session going forward, do not be complicit to anything but following the law, no gray areas. Be mindful of any attempt to minimize the severity of daring trustees selling land outside of council and charter rules, or by their non-compliance of administrators' requests for documents during a council ad hoc committee investigation.
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