The following changes will take place effective June 2, 2020. To continue providing municipal services while also protecting members of our community and town employees by limiting contact and reducing the threat of exposure to COVID-19. These plans are subject to change.
The Town Office will reopen to the public on June 2, 2020 with normal business hours under the following guidelines in accordance with the State of Maine CDC and OSHA safety recommendations:
Only two individuals will be allowed in the customer service area at one time to help maintain recommended social distancing unless more people are required to complete a transaction, or the individuals are related to each other. Please continue to use online services whenever possible, as this will cut down on potential wait time. When arriving at the Town Office call (207) 655-4742 x124 and you will be given direction on how to proceed based upon services requested. Signage will be installed to help provide instruction regarding our new office procedures.
All patrons and staff will be required to wear face masks when in public service areas and when interacting with the public. Staff temperatures will be taken and recorded before work daily. Any staff member with elevated temperature or exhibiting any level of illness will not be permitted to work. Each workstation will be equipped with hand sanitizer for patrons to use as desired and clean/dirty pen buckets. A temporary protective barrier has been added to both counters in the front lobby and the Code Enforcement Assistant window for the safety of both our patrons and staff. A temporary additional service window will be installed in the front vestibule to provide an additional workstation and allow for minimal entry into the building.
Regularly touched Town Office surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected three times daily. This will include, but is not limited to, door handles, hand sanitizer dispensers, pens, faucet handles, phones, workstations and counter surfaces. No public restrooms will be available at this time.
Many services related to the Code Enforcement and/or Assessing Offices can be answered over the phone and via email. If in-person service is required, it will be done by appointment only by calling the office in advance, in order to limit unnecessary traffic in the building.
All forms of payment will continue to be accepted, however credit cards, ACH and checks are the preferred methods. Regularly replaced disposable gloves will be used for all transactions.
All residents are encouraged to follow self-watch guidelines, seek medical care when necessary and stay at home if possible as the State of Maine is still under a Medical State of Emergency.
The public is encouraged to get information and updates via the town’s electronic sign, website, Facebook, and the RoadRunner newsletter.
All Town owned public places such as Raymond Beach and Veterans Memorial Park are open, with the exception of Tassel Top Park. We are asking that patrons practice proper social distancing by remaining 6 feet from others. Please do not use any playground equipment or sit at picnic tables as they are not being sanitized after each use and pose a risk of spreading COVID-19. For more information regarding each park and beach area please view the Raymond Recreation Park Use Policy.
This plan will be updated as needed. We appreciate your continued cooperation.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Help or add to phone tree list to check on Raymond families and individuals who may need help or who are at high-risk.
Looking to Help Others in Need?: Raymond Community Assistance Fund - Money donated to the Community Assistance Fund is used for residents to help with fuel, utilities and basic needs. To contribute please send a check made out to Raymond Community Assistance to 401 Webbs Mills Rd, Raymond ME 04071.
Raymond Food Pantry - Located at the Lakes Region Bapist Church, 1273 Roosevelt Trail, Raymond ME 04071. The food pantry is open the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 4pm - 6pm.
Community Development Block Grant:The Town of Raymond will be submitting a grant on the behalf of the Raymond small business community to assist with financial hardships brought on by the Coronavirus.
Cumberland County is accepting applications from local towns for the designated funds set aside for businesses as part of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Town of Raymond will act as the administrator of the grant by submitting one grant for the town and distributing funds and necessary documentation if the grant is awarded. For more information click HERE. Please email the completed application, which can be found HERE and supporting documents to: Covid19@raymondmaine.org or mail to Town of Raymond 401 Webbs Mill Road, Raymond, ME 04071. Application is due by May 1, 2020.
Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available through your local health authority. Most people who become infected experience mild illness and recover, but it can be more severe for others. Take care of your health and protect others by doing the following:
Wash your hands frequently- Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Maintain social distancing - Maintain at least 3 feet distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth - Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Practice respiratory hygiene - Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately and wash your hands.
If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. If you travel in public to get medical care wear a mask and avoid touching things to protect others from exposure to the virus.
Don't travel to area with known outbreaks.
These tips will help you and your family stay protected not only by the COVID-19 virus but also the flu and other diseases.
If you are in need of a fabric face mask, please contact the Raymond Health Officer (contact information below). Raymond has a generous citizen that has offered to make and donate masks to other Raymond residents.
Raymond Health Officer:
Cathy Gosselin, Deputy Chief
Raymond Fire Rescue Department
cathy.gosselin@raymondmaine.org or COVID19@raymondmaine.org - 207-655-1187
The Town of Raymond is seeking applications for part time attendants at Tassel Top Park. Duties include but are not limited to entrance fee collections, snack shack, and grounds patrol. Successful applicants must have reliable transportation. Applications will be accepted until position is filled. Submit completed applications to the Raymond Town Office, Attn: Rita Theriault, Human Resource Officer. Applications are available HERE or by calling the Raymond Town Office at (207) 655-4742 x124.
The Town of Raymond is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The Town of Raymond staff, along with some dedicated volunteers, will be using a phone tree list and making phones calls to check in on our families that might need help during this national health emergency due to the Coronavirus or COVID-19.
If you know of some elderly residents or a resident that might benefit from assistance - encourage them to call to get added to the phone tree.
Residents of Raymond who want to be added to the phone tree or need help securing food or medications can call the Town Hall at 655-4742 ext. 124 or Cathy Gosselin, Town of Raymond Health Officer at 756-2374 or cathy.gosselin@raymondmaine.org, or email Covid19@raymondmaine.org.
The Town of Raymond opened the gates to Tassel Top earlier this year in hopes that we could bring joy to our citizens by granting access to the walking trails and shore of Sebago Lake. We felt giving people more opportunity to engage in the outdoors during the Stay at Home Order was vitally important to your health and well-being. Now that the weather is warming and summer is upon us, we must prepare Tassel Top to open for the season. Unfortunately, this means we need to close the gates.
The park will need to be compliant and following all guidelines for reopening set by the State of Maine. Staff needs to start the hard work of preparing the space, in addition to implementing the added regulations and restrictions which are still being determined. Currently, we do not have a set date for reopening.
We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause and ask for your continued patience as we get Tassel Top Park ready for your enjoyment during the summer months. We hope to see you there soon!
Mission Broadband has offered a quick survey to collect data on some of the impacts of this current COVID-19 is having on all aspects of our broadband network. They put together a survey to try to capture the end users perspective that might help guide efforts to improve broadband across the state.The survey focuses on a few key items during this crisis, the influx of at home usages from families staying at home. It’s designed to highlight the gaps in coverage, inadequate coverage and social-economic factors.
Effective March 31, 2020, Governor Janet Mills signed an Executive Order extending the April
1, 2020 application deadline for certain property tax exemptions. The Executive Order was
signed pursuant to the civil emergency proclamation, signed by the Governor on March 15,
2020.
Ordinarily, applications for certain property tax exemptions would be submitted by April 1 to be
effective for a municipality’s property tax commitment. Now, the Executive Order extends the
April 1, 2020 deadline to either the commitment date of the municipality or 30 days after the
termination of the declared emergency, whichever occurs first. The extended application
deadline includes the following property tax exemptions: Property of Institutions and
Organizations (36 M.R.S. § 652); Estates of Veterans (36 M.R.S. § 653(1)(G)); Solar and Wind
Energy Equipment (36 M.R.S. §§ 655(1)(U) and 656(1)(K)); Exemption of Homesteads (36
M.R.S. § 684(1)); and Exemption of Business Equipment (“BETE”) (36 M.R.S. § 693(1)).
The Executive Order remains in effect until amended or rescinded. If you have any questions
about the extended deadline, please contact your municipal assessor or the Property Tax Division
of Maine Revenue Services at (207) 624-5600.
For the health and safety of our library patrons and staff, and in an effort to support the state and nationwide effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19, the Raymond Village Library will be closing until further notice.
Our wi-fi will remain available from the library parking area 24/7, and no password is required to access the Internet. All library patrons will also continue to have access to our e-books and e-audiobooks through the CloudLibrary. If you need assistance or have questions about the CloudLibrary, please contact us through the email or phone number listed below.
We ask that patrons either return library materials through the book drop located on the side entrance of the library, or hold onto library materials until the library reopens. RVL does not charge overdue fines, so patrons can hold onto the books and other materials if they choose to do so. As Portland Public Library is also closed, we are unable to process any new inter-library loan requests at this time.
All scheduled library classes and programs for children and adults will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date.
During this closure, the library will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to ensure a safe environment for our patrons when the library reopens and services and programs resume.
We apologize for any inconvenience this decision may cause and appreciate your understanding of the need for this temporary measure. We hope this closure will be brief and we can return to providing full library services to the community as soon as possible.
If you have any questions regarding the closure, please either email to rvldirector@gmail.com or leave a message at the library at 207-655-4743. We will be checking messages daily.
The Town of Raymond has been working with Standish, Windham, and Gray to explore the possibility of bringing broadband internet service to this region.
The Opportunity Alliance has meaningful volunteer opportunities available for adults 55 and older in Southern Maine. Foster Grandparents are placed in schools and child development centers to support school readiness and academic achievement of children. Senior Companions make independence a reality for isolated elders by visiting clients in their homes and providing transportation assistance for doctor’s appointments and/or grocery shopping.
Volunteers who commit to a minimum of 15 hours/week and meet generous income guidelines, receive a tax-free stipend, mileage and meal reimbursement. All volunteers receive ongoing training, recognition, and supervision.
We are also accepting referrals for individuals interested in having a Senior Companion provide socialization and local transportation.
To learn more about becoming a volunteer or client, please call 207-773-0202 or toll-free at 1-800-698-4959.
Any residents that are having trouble this time of year with the effects of the extreme cold, whether it be frozen/burst pipes, reduced or no access to heating fuel are encouraged to use 211 Maine as a resource. 211 is a free, confidential information and referral service that connects people of all ages across Maine to local services and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can call, text, email or search their website.
They are available to discuss options, programs and services that can help with heating and utility assistance. Along with financial assistance, health care, mental health, domestic violence and addiction treatment.
Approved at Town Meeting, the Town of Raymond is planning to extend the current sidewalk on Route 302 along Main Street to the intersection of Route 121 (Meadow Road).
The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce has put together a program highlighting the Lakes Region area. To view the segment about Raymond you can click HERE. The show will begin airing this month on some local networks and run through to June. To view the entire show you can click HERE which covers other towns in the area in additon to Raymond.
Just a reminder to all citizens to make sure your mailbox and/or house has proper identification so that emergency services can locate your home in the event of an emergency.
The Public Safety Building located at 1443 Roosevelt Trail offers FREE mailbox numbers to those who need them.
Remember: They Can't Help You, If They Can't Find You.
Raymond Village Library
Come see all that the Library has to offer from Children's Story Times, booksales, wireless internet, access to ebooks and MORE!
Volunteer Opportunities
View some of the openings that we have on government boards and learn other ways that you can help your local community!
