Absolutely Auburn!

The City of Auburn is moving to a fully automated curbside collection program on July 13, 2026 for solid waste and recycling.  Joining Jenn Boenig in the studio to talk about the changes are Denis D'Auteuil,  Assistant City Manager; Scott Holland, Director of Public Works; and Talya Webster, Operations Supervisor at Casella.  There are also three informational meetings where residents can ask...

Joining Jenn Boenig in the studio is Katie Boss, the city's grants and special projects manager.  Katie shares the city has more than 30 active grants totaling over $17.5 million and she'll discuss three large projects that are in the works. All three projects share a common theme- water! 

Joining Jenn Boenig in the studio for this episode of Absolutely Auburn are Lauren Caffe, the City of Auburn’s long-range planner and John Cleveland, chairman of the Comprehensive Plan Committee.  The comprehensive plan will guide the city’s growth, development and investment over the next ten years. Caffe and Cleveland share an update on where the committee is in this process as well as some upco...

Joining Jenn Boenig on this episode is Brennan Edwards, a student representative on Auburn’s City Council. Brennan is a junior at Edward Little High School and as one of the two student representatives on the council, he shares information on school activities as well as participates in council meeting discussions.  Learn more about Brennan, his love of politics, and thoughts on how to get more yo...

Joining Jenn Boenig in the studio are Auburn’s newest city councilors: Ward 1 Councilor Rachel Randall, Ward 3 Councilor Mathieu Duvall, and Ward 4 Councilor Kelly Butler. Learn more about why they ran for city council and some of their favorite things about Auburn.  You can find contact information, meeting minutes and agendas for the council on the city's website.  

Joining Jenn Boenig in the studio are Phil Crowell, Auburn’s City Manager and Rita Beaudry, the director of the Auburn PAL Center. In September, the incredible new PAL Center opened at 24 Chestnut Street. Learn more about this new space and how the center plays a vital role in our community.  The Auburn PAL Center is a registered nonprofit organization and if you're interested in volunteering...

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 collabor...

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...

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 lea...

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 serv...

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. ...

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 o...

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 websit...

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 activitie...

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, strik...

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 th...

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 a...

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&...

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...

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...

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 ad...