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“Ward 7 Councilor Brad Cote spoke from a very different perspective and even sounded a bit frustrated with some of his peers while stating, “If we can't support a 90 day moratorium… then how on god's green earth are we going to tackle affordable housing”. January 20, 2026, At this evening’s Biddeford City Council Meeting, councilors voted 6 to 3 against instituting a 90 Day Moratorium on Mobile Home Lot Fee Increases in the city of Biddeford… and City hall was packed with con

📰BIDDEFORD | Mayor moves to limit UNE Development January 15, 2026, According to reports and a memo sent to city council, newely elected Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain is proposing a "temporary moratorium" on development projects at the University of New England. Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain Reports also indicate that LaFountain is looking to nominate the University’s president (James Hebert) to serve on the City’s newly established ad hoc Institutional Zone Review commi

📰BIDDEFORD | Sparrow brings musical alchemy to Biddeford and beyond January 13, 2026, What do you get when you combine a cello, banjo, harp, piano, guitar, and some passionate voices? The members of Sparrow call it “chamber folk” and they're eager to share their original take on modern and traditional folk music. Saco resident Bob Wiegers is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of Sparrow. Ever since moving back to Maine in 2024, Wiegers has been tryi

January 11, 2026, on November 15, 2025 the Biddeford + Saco Chamber of Commerce + Industry hired Alex MacPhail, a resident of Saco, to be their new executive director (ED)... and in case you're new here.. Alex is known in the Biddeford Saco area and has been active in the community for years with deep local connections across the business sector. Alex MacPhail speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Bounce Pickle + Play MacPhail’s first “official day” as the new ED was Novem

“In all likelihood we are looking at another 5% to 6% [tax] increase”. - Marc Lessard, City Councilor At-Large At-Large Councilor Marc Lessard (Biddeford) January 9, 2026, City Councilor At-Large Marc Lessard was first elected to the Biddeford City Council in 1993 and has since been reelected for 11 terms. With his family having lived in Biddeford for 6 generations, it’s safe to say that he has deep roots in the community. Throughout Councilor Lessard’s tenure on the City Cou

📰BIDDEFORD | Councilors Praise Police Chief for Partnering with City of Saco | Council Approves Contract “We miss too many opportunities to work with our neighbors from Saco… I offer praise to you and your team for working with them.” Jacob Pierson, Ward 6 Councilor January 6, 2026, At tonight's city council meeting, Biddeford Police Chief JoAnne Fisk asked City Councilors to approve a contract between the City of Saco and City of Biddeford pertaining to the purchase of new

"My catchphrase is "God always provides" and he really does. I just can't thank you enough…" -Don Bisson, President & Manager Biddeford Food Pantry January 6, 2025, A picture can say a thousand words…. Or seven thousand three hundred and fifty! Well folks, we did it! You've not only helped us hit our goal, you've helped us smash it OUT OF THE PARK! Today, Don Bisson, President & Manager of the Biddeford Food Pantry, was absolutely overjoyed as we presented him a check for the

January 6, 2026, In a press release sent to the Biddeford Buzz, York County Commissioner Justin Chenette has announced he will seek a second four-year term in the 2026 election for District 3 (Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Hollis, and Buxton). Justin Chenette (submitted photo) Chenette is the first millennial and first openly LGBTQ+ individual ever elected to the commission and was selected by his fellow commissioners to serve a term as vice chair. “Since taking office, county gov

December 29, 2025, Multiple agencies have issued statements this morning urging residents to exercise extreme caution when driving. Due to the rain, snow and cold temperatures, there is a large amount of "black ice" throughout the state. According to the Maine State Police, the Turnpike (I-95) from New Hampshire line (Mile 0) to the end of the Maine Turnpike at Mile 109 have been reduced to 45 MPH due to freezing rain. PLEASE NOTE - Oversized loads are prohibited. In addition

December 19, 2025, The City of Biddeford will receive sealed bids for the Alfred Street Sewer Separation Phase 3 Project until 2:00 p.m. prevailing local time on January 22nd, 2026 at the Biddeford City Hall, 205 Main Street, 3rd floor – Engineering Dept., Biddeford, Maine 04005. Bid documents shall be in clearly marked sealed envelopes titled Alfred Street Sewer Separation Phase 3 Project. All bids will be opened and read aloud at the Biddeford City Hall at 2:00 pm on Janu

Please note, some local sources are incorrectly referring to this committee - THIS IS A INSTITUTIONAL ZONE REVIEW COMMITTEE, NOT A "UNE REVIEW COMMITTEE". December 18, 2025, On Tuesday, the City Council authorized the creation of an ad hoc Institutional Zone Review Committee. This committee was formed for the purpose of reviewing all Institutional Zone provisions of the Biddeford Zoning Ordinance, including but not limited to the Institutional Zone and the Institutional Maste

December 17, 2025, Biddeford wastewater customers can now expect to receive their wastewater bills reliably and predictably from Maine Water. Recently, the city transitioned to leveraging Maine Water's billing and customer service expertise to stabilize the administrative processes for sewer billing. The city contracted Maine Water Company to handle all billing, collection and customer service inquiries for the city’s wastewater operations. The complex changeover required mig

December 4, 2025, The Saco School Department and City of Saco marked a historic milestone today as families, city officials, students, educators, and construction partners gathered for the official groundbreaking of its transformative new PreK–5 school campus, representing the long-awaited transformation of the district’s elementary learning environments. (L-R) Saco School Department Assistant Superintendent Meg Parkhurst, City of Saco’s City Council member Jeffrey Onnen, Cou

📰BIDDEFORD | UNE Responds to City’s Litigation December, 4, 2025, The following message was recieved from the University of New England regarding the City of Biddeford’s litigation pertaining to the UNE Pier. "The University of New England is aware of the City's litigation against the Saco River Corridor Commission. UNE respectfully disagrees with the City's position. As the Saco River Corridor Commission confirmed after seeking counsel from their lawyer at the Maine Attorne

📰BIDDEFORD | City of Biddeford Files Court Challenge for UNE Pier Approval BIDDEFORD, Maine (December 4, 2025) — The City of Biddeford has filed a Complaint for Review of Final Agency Action in Maine Superior Court seeking a judicial determination that the Saco River Corridor Commission's (SRCC) 2024 approval of a new pier at the University of New England (UNE) is unlawful and invalid. The filing asserts that the SRCC did not apply a binding 2001 permit condition requiring a

November 25, 2025, This morning, city hall personnel confirmed that Brian Phinney, Biddeford's Chief Operating Officer (COO), has formally announced his intended retirement from public service effective January 15, 2026. "Brian has been a huge help to me since I joined the City a few months ago, said City Manager Truc Dever." Dever went on to say, "I appreciate all that he has done for the City of Biddeford and for this community. I wish him all the best in retirement." In a

November 21, 2025, This past Sunday November 16th was the 2025 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. It’s an annual international day to remember those who have been killed on our roads and streets in the past year. The Bicycle Coalition of Maine has publicly stated that so far in 2025 Maine has seen 209 crashes involving pedestrians resulting in 40 serious injuries and 19 fatalities. Our state has also seen 198 crashes involving bicyclists resulting in 29 seriou

-Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening, Bounce Pickle + Play and Match Point Kitchen- “It's amazing, I'll tell you what. Strange twist of fate, literally 30 years ago, I managed the bookland that was next door to here. So to see the plaza go down and come back as it has, is just remarkable." Alex MacPhail, Executive Director, Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce + Industry November 20, 2025, This evening, the Biddeford + Saco Chamber of Commerce + Industry Board of Directors, Executiv

📰BIDDEFORD | New Executive Director | Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce 🎊 CONGRATULATIONS ALEX MCPHAIL! November 15, 2025, The Biddeford + Saco Chamber of Commerce + Industry has hired Alex MacPhail (resident of Saco) to be their new executive director. Alex MacPhail MacPhail will start as executive director on Monday, Nov. 17, according to a press release from the chamber’s board of directors. In the role as executive drector, MacPhail will be responsible for member engag

Have you ever had someone come up to you and question you about something, and rather than answer the question, you think, “who are you to even be asking me this?”...  Well, in the most anecdotal fashion, that’s exactly what happened at tonight’s UNE Pier appeal hearing; according to the Zoning Board of Appeals and city procedure, the individuals who filed the appeal, can not legally be recognized (qualified) as appellants, therefore, the appeal was denied. November 13, 2025,