Chapter 39
S.P. 640 - L.D. 1796
PART F
Sec. F-1. 5 MRSA c. 383, sub-c. 3, art. 2-C is enacted to read:
ARTICLE 2-C
Riverfront Community Development Program
1. Program established; administration.
The Riverfront Community Development Program, referred to in this section as "the program," is established within the department to assist and encourage communities along the State's rivers to revitalize their riverfronts in an environmentally sustainable manner and to promote river-oriented community development and enhancement projects. The department shall administer the program in conjunction with the Municipal Investment Trust Fund established under the Maine Municipal Bond Bank to provide funding for the rehabilitation, revitalization and enhancement of riverfront communities and river ecosystems in the State.
2. Review panel.
The Riverfront Community Development Review Panel, referred to in this section as "the panel," is established to evaluate proposals and determine funding under the program. The panel consists of: A. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development;
B. The Commissioner of Conservation;
C. The Director of the State Planning Office within the Executive Department; and
D. Four members of the public, one with expertise in economic and community development, one with expertise in environmental conservation, one with expertise in tourism and ecotourism development and promotion and one with expertise in park and trail design and development. Two of these members are appointed by the President of the Senate and 2 by the Speaker of the House.
3. Review process.
The panel shall review proposals for funding under the program in accordance with this subsection. A. The panel shall establish the deadline by which proposals must be postmarked and received.
B. Department staff shall undertake the initial review and preliminary scoring of proposals.
C. A subcommittee appointed by the panel to score proposals shall review and determine the final score for the proposals.
D. A subcommittee appointed by the panel to nominate finalists shall review all of the proposals, identify issues for full review and discussion by the panel and recommend project finalists to the full panel for detailed review and consideration.
E. The panel shall review all the proposals submitted, select the finalists and allocate funding.
In reviewing proposals, the panel shall use the scoring system established in subsection 5.
4. Applicant requirements.
An applicant for funding under this section must: A. Have the sponsorship of a state agency. An applicant must contact the appropriate sponsoring state agency well in advance of submitting an application; and
B. Demonstrate the capacity to undertake the project with a reasonable prospect of bringing it to a successful conclusion. In assessing an applicant's ability to meet the requirements of this paragraph, the panel may consider all relevant factors, including but not limited to the applicant's level of debt; fund-raising ability; past economic and community development activities; grants from federal, state or local sources; previous environmental conservation, restoration or enhancement activity; organizational history; scope of economic or environmental vision; and evidence of success in previous efforts.
5. Scoring system.
The department and the panel shall develop a scoring system for use by the panel in evaluating proposals under this section. The scoring system must be designed to identify those projects that are most aligned with the State's riverfront community development and river restoration and enhancement priorities. The scoring system must assign points according to the relative value or the following criteria associated with the proposal: A. The economic significance of the proposed project to the immediate vicinity and to the State as a whole;
B. The level of compatibility with clean and healthy river ecosystems;
C. The value of the proposed project with respect to downtown revitalization;
D. The value of the proposed project with respect to environmental protection and ecological restoration;
E. The value of the proposed project with respect to recreational uses;
F. The degree of community support for the proposed investment; and
G. The extent to which the proposed project involves partnerships and meets multiple criteria for benefits.
6. Additional criteria.
In addition to evaluating the proposals using the scoring system established in subsection 5, the panel shall consider the following criteria in reviewing a proposal: A. The level to which a proposal supports the open space or recreation objectives, or both, of a local comprehensive plan;
B. The extent to which a project is consistent with an adopted comprehensive plan that meets the standards of the laws governing growth management pursuant to Title 30-A, chapter 187;
C. The current and anticipated demand for use and diversity of uses of the site;
D. The local and regional community planning and support for river protection, enhancement and restoration; and
E. Any additional benefits that contribute to scenic landscape values, including the character of the town or region in which the project is situated, the rehabilitation or renovation of riverfront mill and other buildings and the ability to secure public access for conservation, recreation, wildlife and education uses.
7. Rules.
The department may adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted to implement this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. F-2. Contingent effective date. This Part takes effect only if the General Fund bond issue proposed in Part E is approved by the voters of this State.