Joining Jenn Boenig for this episode are Glen Holmes, the director of Business and Community Development with the City of Auburn, and Zakk Maher, the deputy director of Business and Community Development.

The Auburn Resource Center is located at 121 Mill Street and is home to the Business & Community Development department along with several community partners. Glen and Zakk hope this collaborative model will be used in other municipalities across the state. 

Interested in learning more about the space available for community partners? Contact the Business & Community Development team.

The community partners available at the Auburn Resource Center are: 

• The Drop-In Center (immediate respite, food and clothing access, and resource navigation)
• YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston Food Pantry (addressing food insecurity)
• Recovery Connections of Maine (peer-based addiction recovery services)
• Maine Reentry Network (reentry support for justice-involved individuals)
• Spurwink (behavioral health services)
• Preble Street (housing stability and rapid rehousing programs)
• Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services or MEIRS (cultural and housing navigation support)
• Better Life Partners (mental health and substance use treatment)
• Immigrant Resource Center of Maine  (housing stabilization and navigation)

Joining Jenn Boenig in this episode are Jay Brenchick, Auburn’s Economic Development Director; Jim Fay, President of Maine MEP which is the state’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership; and John Lewis, Executive Director of “MAME” - the Manufacturers Association of Maine.

October is Manufacturing Month in Maine, and this statewide effort raises awareness about the state’s manufacturing sector. The City of Auburn has led the way on this initiative, partnering with the Manufacturers Association of Maine and Maine MEP to hold events at manufacturing sites in Auburn and across the state.

To learn more and register for those events, visit the MAME website.   

Joining Jenn Boenig in the studio for this episode are David Hediger, the City of Auburn’s Director of Planning; Lauren Caffe, the City of Auburn’s Long-Range Planner; and John Cleveland, chairman of the Comprehensive Plan Committee. 

The Comprehensive Plan committee has been hard at work, engaging the residents and general community, and will have a draft vision statement in October. 

You can learn more about the committee, its meeting schedule, as well as provide input, on the Comprehensive Plan website. 

You can also reach out to David, Lauren and John through email. 

dhediger@auburnmaine.gov 

lcaffe@auburnmaine.gov

jcleveland@auburnmaine.gov 

Joining Jenn Boenig in this episode are Haley Warden and Misty Edgecomb, co-chairs of the Auburn Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. 

Learn more about the board's work and some big, bold ideas for possible recreational opportunities.

You can learn more about the board, the meeting schedule and agendas. 

You can also visit the recreation department and find more about the programs and services offered as well as visit the recreation's online registration portal.    

Joining Jenn Boenig for this episode are David Hediger, the City of Auburn's Director of Planning; Lauren Caffe, the City of Auburn's Long-Range Planner; and John Cleveland, the chairman of the Comprehensive Plan Committee. 

The City of Auburn is updating its comprehensive plan and the group will share more about why that's important and how people can get involved in the process. 

The group also introduces a new segment, "What Would You Do as Mayor for the Day?" 

To learn more about the comprehensive plan, visit the city's website. You can also email David Hediger at dhediger@auburnmaine.gov or Lauren Caffe at lcaffe@auburnmaine.gov 

Joining host Jenn Boenig in this episode are Chris Piercey, Director of Nutrition Services for the Auburn School Department and Matt Manson, owner of Blackie's Farm Fresh Produce. 

They're talking food and the innovative initiative bringing together the Auburn, Lewiston, and Lisbon school districts with local farms. 

You can learn more about Blackie's and the school-based food hub online. 

Joining Jenn Boenig in this episode are Scott Holland, Auburn Public Works Director; Adam Stevens, Auburn Public Works Deputy Director; and Sarah King, an environmental engineer with Woodard & Curran. 

Woodard & Curran is an environmental consulting firm that supports the City with our municipal stormwater permit compliance. 

You can find additional resources about stormwater on our website. 

You can also sign up for text alerts notifying you of winter parking bans and storm cancellations through our website. 

Joining Jenn Boenig for this episode are the city council student representatives, Anaya Egge and Mubarik Abdulahi.

Anaya is a senior at ELHS and joined the council in May 2024. Her term expires on June 30, 2025.

Mubarik is a junior at ELHS and joined the council in September 2024. His term expires on June 30, 2026.

The student representatives share information with the council on school activities as well as participate in council meeting discussions.

To get more information about the council meetings, agendas and minutes, you can visit our website.  You can also watch council meetings live on our YouTube channel. 

Joining host Jenn Boenig in this episode are Liz Allen, guest cohost and the City of Auburn's Communications & Community Engagement Director, along with Auburn Police Chief Jason Moen and Sergeant Nick Gagnon, head of Auburn Police Department's new ProActive Community Enforcement (PACE) unit.

Chief Moen and Sgt. Gagnon explain how this unit, along with entire police department, strike a balance between community policing and enforcement.

You can find the SunJournal article referenced by Chief Moen on the paper's website. 

You can learn more about the APD by visiting the city's website or following the department's social media page. 

Joining Jenn Boenig are guest cohost Emma Burns in the city's Finance Department as well as Karen Scammon, Auburn's Assessor and Joe St. Peter, Auburn's Deputy Assessor.

Karen and Joe explain why Auburn will start a revaluation of all city properties and how that process works. They also address some frequently asked questions about the process and share information about some of the state's tax relief programs.

Learn more about the assessing department by visiting the city's website. 

September is National Voter Registration Month and with a Presidential Election coming up on Tuesday, November 5, this episode of Absolutely Auburn focuses on voting and elections in Maine.

Joining Jenn and her guest cohost Holli Olivier, is Emily Carrington, Auburn's City Clerk and Registrar of Voters, and she talks about getting registered to vote, making a plan for voting on Election Day as well as details about the voting process at polling places and in the city clerk's office.

If you're an Auburn resident and not sure where your polling place is located, you can visit the city's website to learn where you will go to vote. You can also visit the Maine Voter Information Lookup Service. 

Auburn also has an Elections and Voting Hub which provides additional information.

On November 5, all polling places are open 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

For additional information, you can visit the State of Maine's website regarding Elections and Voting. 

On this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn welcomes her first guest cohost, Jenna-Rae Brown, and Auburn Police Officer Timothy Robinson with his K9 partner Brick.

Officer Robinson talks about working and training with a K9 partner and how much he enjoys being Brick's "dad." 

Auburn Police Department has had K9 officers since 2007. To learn more about our K9 officers, visit the city's website. You can also find videos and photos of K9 Brick in action on the Auburn Police Department's Facebook page. 

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby chat with Auburn's Fire Chief Bob Chase and Deputy Fire Chief Matt Fifield. Tune in to hear the details behind AFD's operations, the varying kinds of situations they have to prepare for, what it takes to become a firefighter in Auburn, and what they love about working in this city. 

For the 20th episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby sit down with Auburn's new Assistant City Manager, Denis D’Auteuil! Denis was appointed assistant city manager on Monday, July 15, several years after he first served as assistant city manager and acting city manager in 2016. Tune in to learn more about Denis and his passions for the city of Auburn! 

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby sit down with Kelsey Earle, Auburn’s Finance Director, and Rita Beaudry, Grant Manager for the City of Auburn. Kelsey and Rita give the details on how the city budget comes together each year, how they work with departments to manage finances, and how federal and state grants affect city operations. Tune in to learn more!

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby sit down with Dave Griswold and Jane Costlow, both members of Auburn's Sustainability and Natural Resource Management Board. Jane and Dave share their experiences on the board, what Auburn is focused on in terms of sustainability and agriculture, and how YOU can get involved in an upcoming Arbor Week campaign. 

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby sit down with Mike Broadbent, Superintendent of the Auburn Water & Sewer District, and Erica Kidd, Watershed Manager for the Auburn Water & Sewer District. Erica and Mike answer frequently asked questions, like why we can’t swim in Lake Auburn, and Mike shares a story about the strangest thing he’s seen in the sewer. Plus, hear about the upcoming “Get Out the Lead” campaign and why the Water District needs your help gathering data!

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby sit down with Deputy Director of Business and Community Development, Zakk Maher, to discuss the many programs his department facilitates and the many partner organizations they work with across L/A. The Community Development department recently completed their annual resident survey, and Zakk shares some of the findings and how his team uses that info to better serve Auburn residents.

Spring is in the air, and that means spring building projects. In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby chat with Deputy Planning & Permitting Director John Blais and Code Enforcement Officer and Building Inspector Kris Beaudoin. John and Kris explain the importance of zoning and land ordinances, dive into different permits for all types of properties and projects, and share some advice for those "weekend warriors" looking to tackle their next project.

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby chat with Auburn's At-Large Councilors, Belinda Gerry and Adam Platz, about why they choose to serve Auburn and what they love about the city. This episode concludes our four part series on Auburn's mayor and city council. 

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby chat with Ward 4 Councilor Ben Weisner and Ward 5 Councilor Leroy Walker to talk all things city hall, what motivated them to run for council, and why they love the city of Auburn. 

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby sit down with Ward 2 Councilor Timothy Cowan and Ward 3 Councilor Stephen Milks to chat about their experiences as city council members, their day jobs, their priorities for the city, and more.

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby sit down with Auburn's new Mayor Jeffrey Harmon as well as Ward 1 Councilor Rick Whiting. They discuss all things city government, including how you can get more involved, where to contact your elected officials, and why local politics are so important. Tune in to learn more!

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby sit down with Haley Warden, Director of Engagement and Brandon Dyer, Children’s Manager at the Auburn Public Library to discuss everything that makes the APL so great. Tune in to learn about the library's amazing Media Lab, the furry friends of the library, hear all about the excellent programming, and more! 

In this episode of Absolutely Auburn, Jenn and Abby sit down with Auburn Public Works' Shawn Marston, Operations Manager, and Noel Skelton, Highway Supervisor and City Arborist. They chat all things winter operations, including details on Auburn's massive plowing and salting operation, the Sand Buckets for Seniors program, holiday decorations, and more. Tune in to learn about the "science of salt" and how Public Works tackles Maine's biggest & baddest season.