Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Sarko City Council meeting for Monday, May 11th, 2026, at 630 p.m.

Would like to make note of all counselors present this evening with the inclusion of administrator Pellet here with us.

Thank you, everyone.

Okay, moving on to item number four, that is general tonight, and we do have one proclamation, and that is for Arbor Week.

The City of SACO is pleased to announce that we have been designated as a Tree City USA for the 16th year in a row.

And this is by the Arbor Day Foundation.

This recognition demonstrates the commitment that the SACO Park and Rec department must ensure that SACO's urban landscape remains rich with a variety of tree species and that our they are vibrant, healthy, and safe.

SACO is celebrating Arbor Week this week, with the excellent time to spotlight the work and our the work of our parks team and their dedication to keeping trees a vital part of SACO's community landscape.

The Tree City USA program has been greening up cities and towns across America since seven since 1976.

It is a nationwide movement that provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees.

Sarco joins a select number of cities and towns in the state of Maine that share this recognition.

I will now read the official Arbor Week proclamation.

Whereas in 1872, Jay Sterling Morton proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agriculture that a special day be set aside for the planting of trees.

And whereas this holiday called Arbor Day was first observed with the planting of more than one million trees in Nebraska.

And in 1978, the state of Maine first celebrated Arbor Week during the third full week of May.

And whereas trees can reduce the erosion of our precious topsoil by wind and water, cut heating and cooling cost, moderate the temperature, clean the air, produce life-giving oxygen, and provide habitat for the habitat for wildlife.

And whereas trees are a renewable resource giving us paper, wood for our homes, fuel for our fires, and beautifying our community.

Excuse me.

And whereas trees, wherever they are planted, are a source of joy and spiritual renewal.

So now therefore I, Jody McPhail, mayor of the City of Sacco, do hear Bribal claim May 17th through May 23rd, 2026 as SACO celebration of Arbor Week.

In the City of Sacco, I urge all citizens to celebrate Arbor Week and to support efforts to protect our trees and the woodlands.

And further, I urge all citizens to plant trees to gladden the heart and promote the well-being of this for this and future generations.

Thank you.

Okay, moving on to item number five, that is committee correspondence to council.

Are there any committee members wishing to speak?

Okay, moving on to item number seven, that is the approval of the minutes for May 4th, 2026.

Is there a motion to approve the minutes?

I did, thank you.

I'm sorry.

Moving on to item six, that is public comment this evening.

And we do have two members signed up first.

We will get those through, and then we will open it to any other members of the public.

You will have three minutes to approach the podium and speak to council.

And first up, we have Phil Hatch.

Thank you, Mary McPhail, City Council and City Administrator.

I'm Phil Hatch, 19 Evergreen Drive in Sacco.

I want to thank the City Council for your productive discussion last week on making difficult decisions regarding the supported entities.

Your efforts to reduce taxpayers' dollars spent on charitable giving are commendable.

We have made some progress in this area, but to many taxpayers, it still may not be enough.

Some funding for non-quasi municipal supported entities remains and could be further reduced or eliminated if you wish.

Perhaps you will consider doing so tonight or make policies for the future.

I also want to thank city staff, particularly the finance department for their budget efforts.

We only need to look across the river to see the problems a poorly managed municipal finance department can create.

I'm sorry, budget processes.

She has been the glue behind the scenes, keeping everything together.

Three years ago, she graciously came out of retirement to share her knowledge and experience with the Finance Department staff to help them become better at their respective jobs.

They are very lucky to have access to her.

She has uh tweak tweaked the budget process and the reports it produces to better align them with generally accepted accounting principles.

She has made a tremendous contribution to the City of Sarko.

So, Judy, I would like to publicly thank you for what you have done, and hopefully you will continue to do so.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, moving on to our next signed up speaker, that is Don Pylon.

Uh Don Pylon 16 Glenn Haven Circle.

Last week, when I was listening to or last meeting you had, I was listening to it in my comfortable lazy boy chair.

And um I I learned uh or heard something that troubled me, and that's why I'm here tonight.

Um the school board has a um created a nonprofit within the uh within their organization, and I'm wondering uh if a city unit can create a nonprofit within the municipality.

So the school board has already created ask.

It's called ask for Sacco Kids Foundation.

And the mission statement is I'll try to read this quickly.