Municipal Bulletin Board
(from the October 2008 Maine Townsman)

CITIZEN ED PILOT PROJECT

For the past year, a working group of the MMA Executive Committee has been developing a citizen education program about Maine local government. The working group recommended and the MMA Executive Committee adopted the following goal for MMA’s Citizen Education Program Initiative: “To enhance citizens’ understanding of, participation in, and appreciation for, local government.”

MMA has worked with the Swardlick Marketing Group of Portland to create an eye-catching logo and some templates for a “communications toolkit” to help educate and inform citizens about local government and opportunities to become active in it. MMA will work directly with several communities to customize, develop and pilot test programs using the “toolkit.” The pilot test experiences of the participating communities will be used to create a program to be made available to all MMA members in 2010.

Criteria for participation in the pilot project include:

• A commitment to working with MMA staff over a one-year period to develop and implement the program in your community.

• The ability to plan and organize a community-wide kick-off event.

• Willingness to articulate clear and measurable objectives for the program.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Michael Starn, mstarn@memun.org, 1-800-452-8786 ext. 2221 or Janice Tevanian, jtevanian@memun.org, 1-800-452-8786 ext. 2299

The final selection of “pilot” communities will ensure a mix of forms of government, population sizes, location and program objectives.

MMA Endorses Question 3

On Tuesday, November 4 th, Maine’s voters will be formally presented with three statewide ballot questions. Voting on these matters is already taking place, of course, through the absentee ballot voting process.

Question 3 is a proposed bond issue of $3.4 million that would provide $1.7 million for the drinking water revolving loan fund and $1.7 million for a wastewater treatment facility revolving loan fund. If the bond issue is approved by the voters, the combined state funding is expected to leverage $17 million in federal and other funds, or about $8.5 million in leveraged funds for each program.

At its meeting in early October, MMA’s Executive Committee voted to support Question 3. The reasons are obvious. There is a very strong need for infrastructure improvements in wastewater and drinking water systems throughout Maine for reasons of environmental protection. Indeed, if Maine is unwilling to finance these important environmental protection projects, the state will actually be leaving money from the federal government “on the table” that would otherwise help pay for compliance with the underlying federal environmental mandates.

The Executive Committee took no position on Question 1 and Question 2. Question 1 is a “peoples veto” that seeks to repeal the Dirigo health insurance funding package enacted last spring by the Legislature. Question 2 is a citizen initiative that would authorize the construction of a casino in Oxford County.

By its vote, MMA’s Executive Committee is respectfully asking municipal officials across the state to advocate at the local level for passage of Question 3 during this election season.

Incoming MMA President

Galen Larrabee, selectmen in the Town of Knox, was sworn in as the incoming president of the Maine Municipal Association on October 8 at the annual banquet of the 2008 MMA Convention held in Augusta. Larrabee begins his term of office as MMA President in January, 2009.

Ethel Kelley Award

Mary Frances Bartlett, welfare director in Augusta was the recipient of MMA’s prestigious Ethel Kelley Memorial Award, presented to her during the MMA Annual Banquet on October 8.  The award recognizes dedication to the cause of good local government including such attributes as selfless concern for people, demonstrated capability, efficiency and willingness to hold an organization together, as well as conscientious service and longevity.

Mary Frances Bartlett has a long municipal career that began in the Town of Dixfield in 1954. She became welfare director in Augusta in 1984 and continues to serve in that position.

Annual Report Competition

For over 50 years, Maine Municipal Association has conducted an annual “Municipal Report Competition”. Winners of the 2008 Municipal Report Competition, by population category and in the order placement — Supreme, Superior and Excellence, were as follows:

Pop. and Municipality

0-499

Carrabassett Valley

Mapleton/Castle Hill/Chapman

Burlington

500-999

Embden

Eagle Lake

Jackman

1,000-2,499

Castine

Phippsburg

Ogunquit

2,500-4,999

Rockport

Vassalboro

Belgrade

5,000 and over

Waldoboro

Falmouth

South Portland

The judges for this year’s competition included Linda Lord of the Maine State Library, Jim Damicis with PolicyOne Research, and Lucie Hannigan of Bangor Savings Bank.

CITIWIRE.NET

The Citistates Group has launched a weekly free email distribution of articles on the major changes in states, cities and regions now impacting American life. The email distribution includes articles by Neal Peirce, who recently spoke at the MMA Convention. You can sign up for this online email service by going to www.citiwire.net/subscribe/