In what could be her final inauguration speech, Westbrook Mayor Colleen Hilton said Monday a lot can be done in what remains of her third term.
“I have another year, and a lot can happen in a year,” she said during an interview Wednesday.
The next mayoral election in the city is November 2016, and Hilton, 59, said she has not yet decided whether she’ll run for a fourth term. Instead, she said, she’s focusing on the present. She said she wants to keep city employees on their toes.
In Westbrook, that means continuing discussion on development, and a constant focus on the downtown. Hilton said it also means continuing to weather uncertain budgetary times.
Hilton, also the CEO of VNA Home Health & Hospice, works double duty in two demanding jobs. She also serves on the board of directors of Mercy Hospital. She comes from a large family that is deeply entrenched in the Westbrook community.
City Administrator Jerre Bryant, who has worked under Hilton all six years, said Wednesday that Hilton set the bar high for herself upon coming in as mayor, and has maintained that level while having more responsibility at VNA.
“She set a high standard for herself as far as her involvement in a wide array of community events,” he said. “I am simply amazed that she has continued to maintain that level of commitment. I’m a little in awe of her.”
Alan Casavant, the mayor of Biddeford, shares a spot with Hilton on the Mayors’ Coalition, a group of Maine mayors who advocate for local municipalities. He also sees similarities between the two cities, both pulling away from their reputations as struggling mill towns. He said Wednesday that everyone on the coalition respects Hilton’s views on local issues.
“I have the utmost respect for her,” he said. “She’s very knowledgeable, always does her homework, and comfortable in her style. I’m always amazed with the things she accomplishes given the time she has.”
Hilton said in her speech Monday that “thoughtful planning” by her administration has kept Westbrook’s finances in check during state budget crises. During the past three years, she said, Westbrook has absorbed a $550,000 reduction in state revenue sharing, but has still managed to reduce or keep a flat property tax rate.
Hilton said that leading up to the consolidated public services and fleet maintenance project, the city reduced its outstanding debt by $35 million. The city recently approved $10 million in bonds to pay for the new public services facility, which is already under way on Saco Street.
The property tax rate increased for the first time in her tenure this year, which, she said, was a direct result of the school department losing about $1 million in state aid to education.
However, the most visible changes occurring in Westbrook are large construction projects, many of which are tied to the business-friendly atmosphere in the city, according to Hilton.
She said the city has worked on its “responsiveness” following comments in the past that city departments moved too slowly. She said developers now see their projects on Planning Board agendas more quickly.
“In the first quarter of this fiscal year, building permit revenue surpassed projections by $180,000,” she said during her speech Monday. “This is a reflection of how the market is seeing opportunity in Westbrook.”
During Hilton’s current term, the city has emphasized customer service – something that she also mentioned during her speech Monday. There have been a number of examples of businesses relocating or opening in Westbrook, including small businesses such as Rosen’s Full Belly Deli and Black Dinah Chocolatiers. Upon opening earlier this year, Arren Rosen, deli owner, complimented the city on its business-friendly attitude.
However, the city has struggled with redefining its downtown, a goal that has been elusive for some time. Setbacks have included the long-vacant Maine Rubber lot on Main Street and the exodus of Disability RMS from One Riverfront Plaza last month.
During her address, Hilton said a “deal is imminent” on the Maine Rubber property, a prominent piece of land at 942 Main St. The business closed in the 1990s, but the building wasn’t razed until 2013.
The city’s first craft beer brewery just began operations at an adjacent site last week.
Nearby, traffic will soon be flowing over the new Bridge Street bridge downtown, which, when complete, will also feature a focus on pedestrians. When asked Wednesday if it could finally be a turnaround for the downtown, Hilton said, “I certainly hope it is. We’re working all the time, and we know what we need downtown, and that’s critical mass.”
With the impending upgrades to the immediate area, she said, which includes the establishment of fish passage at Saccarappa Falls, it is becoming a more desirable place for business to look at.
One of the reasons Hilton ran for a third term in 2013, she said, was to continue working on the fish passage project.
“I was hoping the dam removal would be done,” she said. “I want to see that project through. We can use that extraordinary asset for the community.”
She said seeing people kayaking and swimming in the river is a good sign.
There is also plenty of development elsewhere. Not far from downtown, a 183-unit residential subdivision is also popping up on Spring Street, perhaps the most prominent example of development in the city.
She also commented on the recent announcement of the Dirigo Plaza retail center, which will be developed on the current Pike Industries parcel off Main Street, at the gateway to the city.
Hilton said the Westbrook Environmental Improvement Corp., which is funded through the city’s tax increment financing districts, has paid for a branding campaign that is under way now. Commercials are airing on WGME-13 that depict Westbrook as a burgeoning city, ready for development, with rents cheaper than neighboring Portland.
“It’s bringing the many positive attributes of this community to the attention of people all throughout Maine,” she said, adding that she has already received texts and comments from people outside Westbrook about the commercials.
The city also hired an additional code enforcement employee in 2015, which has led to a tougher look at problem properties in the city.
As part of her address Monday, Hilton announced her appointments for city department heads, with no changes.
“No drum rolls are necessary,” she said, referring to when she was first elected in 2009. During her first inauguration, she shook up the status quo in the city when she did not reappoint six city employees, including the fire chief. It’s been six years since then.
Hilton, a Democrat, beat Republican incumbent Bruce Chuluda in 2009, and bested Chuluda again in 2011. She then beat James Tranchemontagne and Ernest Porell in 2013. Her first two terms were two years, while, owing to city charter changes, her current term is three years.
During the inaugural ceremony Monday, members of the Westbrook City Council and School Committee were sworn in. New additions to city politics include Ward 3 City Councilor Anna Turcotte and Ward 1 School Committee member Steven Berry. Some 50 people attended the ceremony.
Westbrook Mayor Colleen Hilton speaks to the crowd at the city’s inauguration ceremony Monday night at the Westbrook High School auditorium. Hilton said she would continue to provide “positive leadership” and collaboration during the last year of her term. Staff photo by Andrew RiceSend questions/comments to the editors.
