Sec. 1. Validation and authorization. Notwithstanding any provision of the Maine Revised Statutes to the contrary, the school construction referendum conducted by the City of Calais on June 24, 2003 and the proceedings related to that referendum are validated and made effective. The Calais School District is authorized to expend up to $9,383,367 for the Calais High School and Calais Elementary School construction and renovation project and to issue bonds or notes that have been approved by the State Board of Education for purposes of calculating state school construction subsidies in an amount not to exceed $7,726,994, to issue local only bonds or notes for the project without state subsidy in an amount not to exceed $40,000 and to issue bonds or notes or other evidences of indebtedness for the project in an amount not to exceed $1,616,373 for zero-interest loans from the State's School Revolving Renovation Fund.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill validates a referendum vote on the Calais High School and Calais Elementary School construction and renovation project conducted on June 24, 2003 and authorizes the Calais School District to issue bonds, notes and other evidences of indebtedness in connection with that project. The bill is needed to resolve a legal technicality that could prevent the issuance of additional bonds for the project in that the warrant for the 2nd referendum vote on the project was posted 6 days before the referendum rather than 7 days before the referendum vote as required by the Maine Revised Statutes.