Art commission chair joins Biddeford City Council

Biddeford Swears In New City Councilor While Tackling Opioid Recovery and Beach Resilience

Biddeford, Maine – In a unanimous vote at the Tuesday night council meeting, the city welcomed Jessica Muise as the new Ward 4 councilor, filling the seat vacated by Dylan Doughty’s July resignation after he moved out of the ward. Muise, who has chaired Biddeford’s Public Art Commission since taking office in 2021, will serve until the current term ends in December 2027.

“We’re lucky to have her,” Councilor Abigail Woods told the council through a statement read by Councilor David Kurtz. “Jessica has done an exceptional job as the chair of the Public Art Commission and will be a thoughtful and dedicated city councilor.” Woods added that Ward 4 would benefit from Muise’s experience and dedication.

Muise, a native of Waltham, Massachusetts, earned her degree from New York University in 2009 before moving to Biddeford, where she has been active in civic life for the past five years.

Opioid Settlement Fund: A Continuing Lifeline

The council also reviewed the city’s ongoing use of its share of the national opioid settlement fund. In an effort to keep funds flowing to those in need, the city approved a $100,000 allocation for the 2026‑27 fiscal year to support substance‑abuse treatment. Since the city began drawing from the settlement fund earlier this year, it has disbursed roughly $206,000 over two years to equip the fire department with narcotics safes and cover recovery and treatment expenses.

General Assistance Administrator Jake Hammer explained how the money has helped residents: “Folks needed funding to get into treatment for opioid addiction. People needed recovery residence rent.” Hammer also noted that the fund has aided 74 residents, most of them Biddeford locals, since the start of 2026.

Co‑founder and director of AccessDirect Recovery Network, Ryan Paige, underscored the fund’s impact on his organization, saying, “Any sticking point that we can remove for people who are in that really small window where they’re ready to get help is very important, and it quite often saves lives.” Paige, who is in recovery himself, has been a vocal advocate for establishing a dedicated recovery center in the city. “To have one place where people could go to set meetings up, that would continue to strengthen the recovery community here in Biddeford,” he said.

Hammer added that while the settlement fund has helped many jump‑start treatment, the community now needs a “social setting for folks who are in recovery” – a physical location where individuals can gather, attend group sessions, and access ongoing support.

Beach Resilience: Dune System and Accessibility

The council also approved a memorandum of understanding that will allow the city to contract engineering services for a dune system and handicap‑access improvements at Biddeford Pool and Middle Beach. The project, a direct response to the January 2024 winter storms that eroded the shoreline, is estimated to cost $296,000, of which Biddeford will pay up to $73,920. The University of New England has pledged $29,663 to help cover the expense.

Roby Fecteau, director of Code Enforcement and Emergency Management, emphasized the project’s importance: “The dunes are a vital piece of infrastructure that is important to sustain.” UNE assistant professor Will Kochtitzky echoed this sentiment, noting the urgency of preparation: “We know the water level records broken in 2024 will not last long. It’s just a matter of time before we see the next record‑breaking storm event. We need to be ready for it.”

The partnership with UNE comes at a time when the university’s proposed pier on the Saco River has strained relations between the institution and the city. Despite the broader debate, Kochtitzky said the dune project was an easy win for both sides, as it directly addresses the immediate threat posed by future storms.

Looking Ahead

With a new councilor, a steady stream of opioid settlement funds, and a concrete plan to protect the city’s beaches, Biddeford is tackling multiple challenges at once. As the city moves forward, residents can expect continued support for addiction recovery and a more resilient shoreline for generations to come.