It looks like 2026 will be the year that the expansion of Smith Cemetery will finally happen after members of the Windham Town Council voted unanimously to award a bid for the project during a meeting on Tuesday evening.
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Councilors also voted to decommission the Smith Cemetery Advisory Committee, which was first established in 2020 and expresses gratitude and appreciation on behalf of the town and its residents for the work of the committee and its members in seeing the project’s planning.
The expansion project will add a large adjacent parcel of land to Smith Cemetery at 513 Gray Road and create space for 298 new family plots and 800 single burials on a 23.95-acre site adjoining the existing cemetery.
Councilor David Nadeau, who has been a member of the Smith Cemetery Advisory Committee since it was originally formed, said he was happy to see the project move forward.
“We finally get the cemetery done,” Nadeau said.
During the council meeting on Tuesday, councilors also decommissioned the Branding and Wayfinding Signage Committee and the Energy Advisory Committees and voted to formally accept the public turnaround easement for Brown Cove Road, a street identified by the Town as a Designated Private Way. Burns told the council that residents of that road meet all necessary requirements and criteria set forth by the state for the purpose of the town’s continued winter maintenance services and he recommended its designation as a private way in Windham.
Councilors voted unanimously to authorize the town manager to endorse an application to the Land For Maine’s Future Stewardship Fund in the amount of $25,000, to establish a fund dedicated to the stewardship and management of the East Windham Conservation Area. The fund requires the town to pledge an additional $25,000 as a match for the award and Burns said the $25,000 application was previously approved by town voters in the Fiscal Year 2023 bond.
Town Council Chair Mark Morrison discussed a council proclamation honoring the memory of the late Windham Fire Rescue Deputy Chief John Kooistra. Morrison said the proclamation thanked Kooistra for his seven years of service to the Windham Fire Rescue Department and his expertise as a paramedic, firefighter, and educator, and the time he dedicated to ensuring compassionate and quality emergency medical care for local citizens and his providing of skill‑proficient training and education for fire department members.
Morrison said that the council presented the proclamation during Kooistra’s memorial service on Saturday Jan. 10 at Windham High School and it was well received by his family.
Windham Town Clerk Anthony Blasi updated the council about the status of dog licenses for 2026 and said that about 50 percent of dog licenses have been completed by town residents so far. Blasi said late fees to obtain dog licenses will apply after Feb.1.
Presumpscot Regional Land Trust Executive Director Will Sedlack and members of his staff briefed the council about work being done at the East Windham Conservation Area. The land trust is in partnership with the town for the recreational site.
Sedlack said he believes a new committee should be formed and charged with creating a three-year plan for future development of the East Windham Conservation Area.
“It isn’t every town that has a resource like this,” Sedlack said.
Burns agreed with Sedlack and said a committee should be formed to oversee a master plan for the East Windham Conservation Area’s future development and protection of natural resources and wildlife there.
Windham Parks and Recreation Director Linda Brooks told the council that a universal access trail is still under construction at the site at this time.
Before adjourning the meeting, councilors received a briefing about Windham’s Property Tax Relief Programs by Windham Town Assessor Josh Houde.
He said that the Maine Legislature established a Property Tax Relief Task Force that met six times from September through December 2025.
“Their final report will be released towards the end of 2026, but they have already issued some recommendations and highlighted relief measures that are currently in place,” Houde said. “One of the measures currently in place is the Property Tax Fairness Credit (PTFC). This credit provides targeted relief based on income and is a valuable resource for Windham residents.”
Houde said the state spends even more money on this targeted relief program than it does on the Homestead Exemption.
He cited Property Tax Relief Task Force data for Fiscal Year 2025, saying Maine spent $85 million on the Homestead Exemption and $110 million on the Property Tax Fairness Credit.
“Whereas the Homestead exemption has no income cap, the PTFC considers both income and property tax when determining eligibility and benefits,” Houde said. “Under this program, all Maine residents pay their property taxes up to 4 percent of their income. If a resident’s property tax exceeds 4 percent of their income, the PTFC may kick in to reimburse them for a portion of it, provided they meet the eligibility requirements. The income cap, beyond which one does not qualify, varies by tax filing status.”
This credit can reimburse up to $1,000 for general residents, and up to $2,000 for seniors age 65 or older, Houde said.
He said that the potential relief for residents is substantial with $2,000 off of a $5,000 tax bill, for instance, is 40 percent,
“One of the key challenges, however, is that many residents don’t associate this credit to their property taxes since they receive it as a reimbursement when they file their income taxes,” Houde said. “The Task Force is considering ways to make that connection more direct.” <
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