Potholes & Politics: Local Maine Issues from A to Z - Stormwater 101 with Maine Stormwater Rangers

Stormwater 101 with Maine Stormwater Rangers

Explicit content warning

12/13/23 • 43 min

Potholes & Politics: Local Maine Issues from A to Z

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Why should you care about stormwater? What is a MS4 regulated community? Why do people pick up their dog poo and put it in a bag only to dump it on the trail or in the storm drain? What is a harbor trout?
In this episode, Rebecca Squared & Amanda the new kid talk with Stormwater Super Heros - Giants of municipal water protection activities; South Portland's Stormwater Coordinator Fred Dillon and Portland's Stormwater Coordinator Doug Roncarati and their state level partner Maine Department of Environmental Protection Stormwater Engineer Cody Obropta to tackle these questions and a whole lot more!
This episode is part 1 of a two part series. Fred, Doug and Cody share how they became stormwater rangers, what it's important and a small bit of the challenges communities in Maine face with old infrastructure and dense development.
"Urbanized and developed municipalities and other large public entities require Clean Water Act permits to send stormwater to nearby water bodies due to an increased likelihood of stormwater pollutants."
"Stormwater is precipitation that does not soak into the ground. Runoff accumulates in large quantities as it flows off of rooftops, driveways, roads and other impervious surfaces, picking up soil and polluting chemicals in its wake. It then flows into a storm drain, through an underground network of pipes, where it discharges into local rivers and streams, untreated."
Think Blue Maine
https://thinkbluemaine.org/
Map of urban impaired streams: https://maine.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7f8f40a744ad49f3a6cccc7f1330872a

Non-Point Source Training Center - https://www.maine.gov/dep/training/npstrc-schedule.html

Rutgers Green Infrastructure Champions Program - https://rutgers.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nuaE-xe4T8e080uhQ-l6vg

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Non-Point Source Training Center - https://www.maine.gov/dep/training/npstrc-schedule.html

Rutgers Green Infrastructure Champions Program - https://rutgers.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nuaE-xe4T8e080uhQ-l6vg

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Measuring Municipal Mill Rates 101 - Shining the Light on Maine's Tax Assessors

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The sensationalized headlines around heated municipal meetings targeting municipal tax assessment changes, and property reevaluation haven't offered much in the way of educating the public around the root causes of Mill Rate and property tax bill increases.
So Potholes & Politics is taking a deeper dive. Trust us...this is 58 minutes you won't want to miss. (Hint: It ain't because of those "greedy" volunteer municipal select boards and councils.)
This episode is the first installment of many that could be renamed a new series called: "Why did my property taxes go up?" with Kerry Leichtman, Camden and Rockport's Tax Assessor."Mill" is derived from the Latin word "millesimum", meaning thousandth. As used in property tax, 1 mill is equal to $1 in property tax levied per $1,000 of a property's assessed value.
Kerry explains what is happening with municipal tax assessment, why reevaluations are necessary, and how your tax bill is tied to the massive influx of property hungry and cash flush buyers.
Bonus: There is at least one really bad "Dad Joke" in this episode!

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First Legislative Update of 2024 - 2nd Session, February 1

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Much delayed first legislative breakdown of the second session has dropped. This week we only go over what has happened for the First week of February though staff has been underwater with carryover initiatives during the entire month of January.
We very much hope the Legislature will adjourn mid-April as planned but until then, the proposed legislation is painful thus far. To that end we encourage you to subscribe to the Legislative Bulletin and pay attention to calls for action. The initiatives discussed this week are:
General Assistance bills LD 1664 (not the amended fiscal note) & LD 1732 (also not the amended version) both sponsored by Rep. Michele Meyer of Eliot.

Under Taxation: Rep. Tiffany Stout of Harrington's bill to create a local option fee LD 1893.
Under Criminal Justice and Public Safety, LD 2094, sponsored by Pres. Troy Jackson of Aroostook, LD 2109, sponsored by Rep. Jeffrey Timberlake of Androscoggin
Under Housing, LD 337, sponsored by Rep. Cheryl Golek of Harpswell, LD 2138 sponsored by Rep. Colleen Madigan of Waterville, LD 2136, sponsored by Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio of Sanford.
Franchise Agreements and Cable Utility Legislation LD 1967, sponsored by Rep. Melanie Sachs of Freeport.
And last but not chronically least...Cannabis Legislation LD 1952 sponsored by Rep. David Boyer of Poland, LD 1914 sponsored by Sen. Donna Bailey of York