Potholes & Politics: Local Maine Issues from A to Z

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Episode 4 - How We Get There From Here: Step 1
Join us as we “drive” around the topic of Maine’s road. In the course of three interviews, Episode 4 travels from the Town of Jackman, through Augusta to chat with MDOT, all the way south to Town of Gray.

In Jackman we explore the local reality of maintaining a network of roads. The conversation covers state-local partnerships, the budget crunch for public works departments, and a local hero who came to the rescue to save drivers from a 163-mile detour.

In Augusta we meet with MDOT to hear about the Community Services Division, road inventories and classifications, local road assistance program (LRAP), local road plans and the fallacy of “worst first.”

Finally, we stop in Gray to dissect the pesky issue of private roads its intersection with the environmental responsibilities of local governments. This episode will be part of ongoing dives into road related issues so...stay tuned!

Episode Breakdown

03:50 – Town of Jackman, Public Works Director Doug Worster and Town Manager Cheryl Nadeau

21:00 – Peter Coughlan, Director of MDOT Community Services Division and Planning Board member in the Town of Randolph

47:25 – Nate Rudy, Town Manager of Gray

1:07:45 – Municipal Good News: “Celebrate” MMA’s upcoming convention
Corrections and Clarifications
49:55 - The budget for plowing private roads in Gray was originally estimated at $300K per year, however that cost is actually closer to $150K per year.

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Well, the 1st Session was meant to end June 15, but we are in the 1st Special Session that won't end....at least amicably so it seems. Here is where we are this week...and soon we will be in your communities too!
LD 1857- Resolve, to Establish a Public Safety Health and Wellness Grant Pilot Program, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Copeland of Saco. Reconsidered, House amendment “A” provided the Department of Public Safety with 10% of the $2 million grant for the administration of the program. The amendment was adopted and engrossed by both House and Senate. This bill was advanced on behalf of MMA’s Legislative Policy Committee (LPC). (See “Silver Linings” in Legislative Bulletin 05-26-2023)

LD 1664 -An Act to Increase Reimbursement Under the General Assistance Program, Sen. Marianne Moore of Washington Co. The House amendment “A” removed the emergency preamble and fixing the appropriation accordingly was adopted and engrossed by both House and Senate. This bill was advanced on behalf of MMA’s LPC. (See “GA Funding & Study on The Horizon” in Legislative Bulletin 05-26-2023)

LD 1493 – An Act to Increase Affordable Housing by Expanding Tax Increment Financing, sponsored by Rep. Raegan LaRochelle, of Augusta, will come from Taxation Committee with a divided report. The majority report is “Ought to Pass as Amended.” This bill was advanced on behalf of MMA’s LPC. (See “Pine Trees, Chickadees, Workforce Affordable Housing” in Legislative Bulletin June 2, 2023)
LD 101 - An Act to Return to the Former Owner Any Excess Funds Remaining After the Sale of Foreclosed Property, sponsored by Rep. Chad Perkins of Dover-Foxcroft, will come from Taxation Committee “Ought to Pass as Amended.” (See “Tax Acquired Property Update” in Legislative Bulletin 6-09-2023)

LD 130 -An Act to Eliminate Senior Citizen Property Tax Stabilization and Expand the Homestead Property Tax Exemption, sponsored by Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford Co., will come from Taxation Committee with two “Ought to Pass as Amended” reports. MMA supports the majority report. (See Clarification-Property Tax Stabilization Act in this Legislative Bulletin 6-09-2023 or 06-02-2023)
The Appropriations Committee will have made decisions on all funding issues including the supplemental/Part II budget (LD 258) and all items sitting on the “table” waiting for funding. Staff encourage you to engage with your legislators when opportunity allows and make phone calls

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Join us for MMA’s first podcast episode! This episode summarizes the themes and purpose of the podcast and introduces its hosts Rebecca Graham and Neal Goldberg. Email the show hosts with your ideas at at [email protected] .

Corrections and Clarifications
6.55: While the MMA office does have two levels, with many wonderful people working on both floors, Peter and Alicia work “down the hall” rather than “downstairs.”
15:35: MMA’s Legislative Policy Committee is comprised of 70 voting members, two members from each of the 35 State Senate Districts.

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This week we are highlighting one of the conversations from MMA's 87th Annual Convention held at the Augusta Civic Center, October 4 & 5, 2023.
This year's convention theme was "Lead, Motivate, Communicate" and featured dynamic speakers like Leila Brammer, Director of Outreach and Instructional Development of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse, University of Chicago on "Civic Leadership and the Imperative of Effective Communication" and Yellow Light Breen, President & CEO, Maine Development Foundation on "Leading for Economic Innovation and Prosperity", and an uplifting reminder of why we serve local government and how to not despair in these unprecedented times with a presentation from Ron Holifield, Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Government Resources and former City Manager, "It’s Not About Me, It’s Not About Now". An elections update session was one of many offered and provided by Julie Flynn, Deputy Secretary of State, Maine Secretary of State. In this episode we chat with Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows about security issues facing Maine's town and city clerks this election season on the convention floor.
The audio quality is not the best, and for this we apologize but the message is still important and one we think is worth a listen.

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Our necessary hiatus from our weekly podcast has been afforded a brief reprieve. Advocacy staff have been drinking from a firehouse of legislation and hearings on platform bills that have been waiting since cloture for printing and assignment to committee hearings.
For the first time, MMA has needed to hold a May LPC meeting as bills are still cranking out with significant municipal impact, assigned short turn around public hearing dates and even shorter work session dates. This is the time of year when good public policy dies because of lack of time to dig in and understand or worse....bad public policy not well thought through passes without review. In the coming weeks, we'll be calling on municipal officials to weigh in with their voices directly to members of the legislature to help inform them of impacts, request adequately funding measures, and make corrections. We really need you now!
This week we break down what has happened on a couple of MMA's platform bills and how you can help their fate. This week we break down:

LD 1857 - An Act to Create the Public Safety Health and Wellness Reimbursement Fund to Benefit Public Safety Workers and Volunteers, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Copeland of Saco, was unanimously supported out of committee but in a form that requires and appropriations battle instead of on going funding.
LD 1493 - An Act to Increase Affordable Housing by Expanding Tax Increment Financing, sponsored by Rep. Raegan LaRochelle of Augusta, was amended to avoid a fiscal note, but still provides an incredibly powerful tool for communities to advance their housing goals with local policy, but received a divided report out of Taxation.
LD 130 - An Act to Eliminate Senior Citizen Property Tax Stabilization and Expand the Homestead Property Tax Exemption, Sen. Richard Bennett of Oxford County, also received a divided report in Taxation. While both versions advance sensible policy changes to the hastily enacted senior property tax freeze legislation LD 280 passed last year, the majority report removes the significant hardship placed on municipal tax collectors, assessors and communities.
LD 1223 - An Act to Clarify Cost Allocations and Insurance in the Joint Use of Public Utility Equipment, sponsored by Sen. Nicole Grohoski from Hancock County, attempted to address a corporate imbalance for municipal pole attachment projects, to advance broadband connections via use of utility poles that exist in publicly owned way "rent" free. The final version was amended with agreement from the major players and afforded a sunset date setting the stage for a future legislative battle.
Finally, in the good news category, we announce the winners of the first annual Douglas M. Eugley Memorial Scholarship for Public Service!
Congratulation to Zachary White, of Skowhegan, Carolyne Sauda, of Bangor. Mary-Hollie Whitmore, of Milford, who we wish well in their college endeavors and hope to see in a future LPC Committee!