Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Legislation effective August 9, 2024 (PL 2023, c. 679) redefined the term “caregiver retail store” under the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis law. As a result more caregiver operations may now be classified as cannabis caregiver "retail stores" for state registrations and renewals. It has recently been suggested to some municipalities that they may have an obligation under current law to “opt in” to allow medical cannabis retail stores to operate in their...
Friday, April 4, 2025
MMA Legal Services has recently become aware that some members have experienced difficulties when filing some of our sample forms for recording in County Registries of Deeds. We have issued a brief update on Registry document recording requirements and some suggestions that may be helpful.
Please see the Legal Update: MMA Legal Forms & Registry Margin Requirements for more information (member login required).
Thursday, March 20, 2025
MMA Legal Services has recently issued a new edition of the Code Enforcement Officers Manual. The January 2025 revised edition is a substantial overhaul of the 2002 edition of the Manual and has been many years in the making. In addition to updating the materials to reflect legislative changes and court decisions affecting CEOs, this edition has been reformatted to better assist CEOs in administering their duties, such as by organizing the statutory authority of CEOs by area of...
Friday, February 28, 2025
Recently, some state and local law enforcement agencies in Maine have received an invitation from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enter into an agreement to collaborate with ICE on its immigration enforcement efforts. MMA Legal Services has developed guidance for our members on this invitation and the program involved, commonly referred to as the 287(g) Program.
View the guidance (login required)
Monday, January 13, 2025
The State Treasurer has established 7.5% as the maximum interest rate that municipalities may charge for delinquent property taxes committed during calendar year 2025. Note that interest does not actually accrue on unpaid taxes unless a municipality’s legislative body (town meeting or town/city council) establishes the rate of interest and the date or dates after which interest will accrue. This must be done annually at a meeting at which the municipal legislative body votes to raise a...
Friday, January 10, 2025
In collaboration with MMA Legal Services and MMA Human Resources, the Maine Department of Labor recently published a new Maine Paid Family & Medical Leave Act Frequently Ask Questions document focused on addressing the issues being raised by town and city leaders. The answers to your pressing questions can be reviewed here.
MDOL has also established a PFML Hotline for Employers, Self-Employed Individuals and Tribal Governments. You can contact PFML staff with questions about...
Monday, November 25, 2024
MMA Legal Services is updating municipal employers on a federal court decision that has struck down recent U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regulations that had increased minimum salary requirements for employees covered by certain overtime exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
For more information on the Court's ruling and its impact on municipal employers, click here.
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
MMA Legal Services wants to remind municipal officials that the deadline for grantees to “obligate” unspent American Rescue Plan Act State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (“ARPA” funds) is fast approaching.
ARPA grant funds must be “obligated” by December 31, 2024, and most must be expended by December 31, 2026 (except for projects under the Surface Transportation projects and Title I eligible use categories, for which funds must be expended...
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
The 2024 MMA Model GA Ordinance and all the Appendices containing the 2024 GA Maximums are now available on the MMA Legal Services GA Manual webpage. (See the drop down menus “Ordinance Maximums” and “Municipal GA Ordinance.”)
By October 1st of each year, the municipal officers (selectboard or council) are required to adopt the new appendices containing the yearly general assistance (GA) maximum levels of assistance. A public hearing is...
Friday, August 9, 2024
MMA Legal Services has recently issued a new Supplement No. 5 to the 2016 revised edition of the Guide to Municipal Liens. This supplement includes updated tax lien forms that have been revised to comply with legislation that takes effect August 9, 2024. These updated forms include changes to the information contained in the 30-Day Demand Notice and the Notice of Impending Foreclosure – forms that are required as part of the tax lien mortgage foreclosure process under 36...