TOWN OF SURRY, ME

The Downeast Wood Bank is available to assist Surry residents who are experiencing a heating crisis this winter.  If you are unable to adequately heat your home for any reason, the Wood Bank can provide up to 1/3 cord of seasoned firewood per family.  An appointment can be made for pickup by contacting Tom at 667-4392 or Ken at 374-2061.  

The Downeast Wood Bank also provides firewood for Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Penobscot, and Sedgwick families.  The Wood Bank is all volunteers and we are in need of individuals to help cut, split, and stack.  We take tree length donations of hardwood if residents have any to donate.  Call one of the above numbers if you have wood to donate or want to be part of our team.

Surry is well on its way to having reliable, state-of-the-art, high-speed fiber optic internet service available to every household and business that wants it. The Surry Broadband Committee’s focus over the past year has been to ensure that those residents of our Town, who currently have poor or no effective internet service, can have access to a modern fiber optic broadband network.

Here's the good news! In addition to the fiber network build out by Premium Choice Broadband happening throughout the Toddy Pond area, we are about to partner with Fidium Fiber to cover the rest of Surry. The build out of the remaining parts of the Town is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2023.   Stay tuned for more information.

How is this possible? Through you - by responding to our Community and School Surveys and the random speed test surveys, through the work of the Broadband Committee in addressing your needs, and with support from the Select Board, we are accomplishing great things. Congratulations and thank you!

Recent History:

The Surry Broadband Committee, with support from the Select Board, issued a request for proposals from internet service providers to install fiber-optic internet service to the more than 550 households that have poor internet service or no service at all. Fidium Fiber has been selected as our partner to build out fiber optic service to portions of Surry not already covered by Premium Choice. They offer advanced technology and an ability to make it affordable to all residents. (Both Premium Choice and Fidium Fiber are participants in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) that provides a monthly $30 discount for internet services to eligible residents.)

Under this arrangement, Fidium Fiber will shoulder nearly 90% of the cost of the total project, with the remaining 10% to be provided by a local match.  The Surry Broadband Committee met with the Hancock County Commissioners in November to request $140,000 (80% of the local share needed) from the American Rescue Plan (ARPA). Thank you to the Commissioners for saying yes to our request!  The remaining 20% ($35,000 of the funds needed) had been set aside by the Select Board to use for time-sensitive projects, and these funds were approved by the voters at the last Town meeting. That makes up the full local match needed.  Importantly, the entire project is being funded without needing to invest a single dollar of local taxpayer money.

In summary:

Surry will soon have high-speed fiber internet (“broadband”) service available throughout the entire Town.

Fidium Fiber will serve the areas surrounding the principal roadways of Surry Road/Blue Hill Road, North Bend Road, Patten Pond Road, Morgan Bay Road, including all the tributary roads and lanes not covered by Premium Choice. You can sign up for Fidium Fiber by going to https://www.fidiumfiber.com/contact-us

Premium Choice has been offering high-speed fiber optic internet on Newbury Neck and has been building along the Toddy Pond Road and all its tributaries. (Premium Choice had grants to do this work before all state/federal funds for broadband services had to be funneled through a partnership with local governments and an internet service provider.)

 A recent update from Premium Choice stated, “The fiber is complete and we have started running drops to a large list of subscribers that have contacted us. The main feed is scheduled to be turned on 11/29, at which time the subscribers that have been installed will be live.”  Happy Thanksgiving!  If you live in the area served by Premium Choice and wish to learn about what they have to offer, please contact customerservice@premiumchoicebroadband.com  or call 207-735-2611.  

For those of our townspeople that have coaxial cable internet service by Charter/Spectrum, you can continue receiving service from this company or sign up with Fidium once the build out is complete.

Stay tuned for more updates from the Surry Broadband Committee!

Reminder: Deadline to turn in the form is December 1st, 2022!!!
This new law requires a municipality to maintain the property tax on the homestead of a permanent resident who is at least 65 years of age at the amount billed in the year prior to an application for stabilization. The amount by which the property tax assessed exceeds the stabilized amount must be paid to the municipality by the State. If an eligible individual moves to a different municipality, the stabilized property tax amount continues at the new location. An applicant for stabilization must be a permanent resident of the State and must have owned a homestead for at least 10 years. An application for stabilization must be made each year to continue eligibility.

Read the wording of the law here:  http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0126&item=1&snum=130

This law WILL NOT change the amount that you owe on the tax bill you will receive in late July from our office.
Application and information can be found here: Tax Stabilization Application