WATERVILLE — Waterville Main Street is working to optimize its performance in the community while continuing to help revitalize downtown and present popular events including the Parade of Lights, Kringleville, Downtown Waterville Farmers Market and other activities.

“We’re trying to make sure we are the most efficient organization that we can be and that we’re satisfying our mission,” said Charlie Giguere, president of Waterville Main Street’s board of directors.

Giguere made those comments before the organization’s presentation Tuesday night to the City Council, updating city officials on its progress.

Buffy Higgins, vice chairwoman of the Main Street board, told the council that the organization has been busy since receiving funding from the city. A comprehensive assessment of the organization is being done by Ken Young, an expert on Main Street groups, and he is helping to develop a strategic plan, she said.

“We have done a great deal of collaboration with Waterville Creates! and also the chamber,” Higgins said. She was referring to the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce.

Waterville Main Street had received $40,000 a year in funding from the city but received only $30,000 in the 2016-17 municipal budget. The council this year considered eliminating funding for Main Street altogethe; but after long discussions between the council and Main Street, councilors decided to fund it but asked that the organization work to improve its efficiency, garner more members and report to the council quarterly on its progress.

Giguere said earlier Tuesday that Main Street is working closely with Colby and Thomas colleges, MaineGeneral Health, Inland Hospital, Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, Waterville Creates! and the city on a variety of efforts.

Main Street hired, on a contract basis, Tracy O’Clair, of TOCmedia, to coordinate the planning and execution of the Parade of Lights and Kringleville, according to Giguere.

Jennifer Olsen, former executive director of the Waterville Main Street, resigned late last year; and after that, office manager June L’Heureux continued to staff the office and serve as interim executive director, according to Giguere. L’Heureux retired from her position this fall and the chamber is taking phone calls for Waterville Main Street while the organization is evaluating itself and making improvements, Giguere said. Main Street board members also are filling in to take care of office needs.

Main Street also hired Young on a contract basis to help assess the organization and recommend ways to be more efficient.

“He has a great history with Main Street programs in the state,” Giguere said. “He was head of the Maine Downtown Centers. He’s retired, so we contracted with him to come and evaluate our performance versus our mission statement. We have Tracy executing the details of program events we have coming and we have Ken simultaneously interviewing board members and key players in the city. He has a great understanding of what Maine downtown organizations’ priorities should be and how they should interact with the community.”

As part of the assessment, Main Street will determine whether to hire an executive director or a program director. Giguere said the decision will be announced to the council no later than mid-January.

Main Street had a very successful fundraising event this fall for Kringleville, and more merchants than ever before participated and donated items for the auction, according to Giguere and Higgins.

“We’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished so far,” Higgins told councilors.

She said Giguere worked with Colby officials to help establish a new location for the farmers market — Castonguay Square.

The Main Street board will take part in training sessions with other Main Street boards of directors. Giguere said the organization also is preparing to send out its annual appeal letters after Thanksgiving.

Colby officials asked Waterville Main Street to spearhead an effort to provide free wireless Internet downtown on Main Street, according to Giguere.

“They want us to be guardians of the network,” he said.

Meanwhile, he and Higgins welcomed City Councilor Dana Bushee, D-Ward 6, to Main Street’s board.

In other matters Tuesday, Councilor Sydney Mayhew, R-Ward 4, recommended the council next year pledge to decrease the tax rate by 0.26 percent, or $75,000 a year, for the next three years as a way to show the state it is working to decrease the tax rate. Mayhew claimed the city failed to receive Business Friendly Community status from the state Department of Economic and Community Development because of its high tax rate at the time — $27.80. The tax rate has since been reduced to $22.80.

Resident Rien Heidt reported the Green Street skateboard park is in such disrepair that it is unusable and people are trying to raise money to improve it. Heidt said it would be a shame to have a first-class downtown as a result of revitalization but have the closest park to downtown be a third-rate park.

The council approved an amendment to the zoning ordinance so Maine State Credit Union at 81 Grove St. can expand. Councilors also approved lease extensions to Black Bear Aviation and Airlink, both located at the city-owned Robert LaFleur Municipal Airport, so they may have more office space in the main hangar. Mayor Nick Isgro proclaimed Nov. 26 Small Business Saturday.

Ward 4 resident Bill Boucher stood to thank Isgro, councilors and City Manager Michael Roy for all the work they do and they time they put into city business. Boucher said he has been paying taxes to the city for 44 years and he does not always attend council meetings; but when he does, he finds them “informative, entertaining and a little disturbing.” He noted that councilors put in time to serve on committees and do other work.

“God bless you for being a little nuts, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” Boucher said.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17