Update2: Regional Development Authority
The Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission (SMRPC) has posted more information about LD 2003, Southern York County Regional Development Authority on their web site, including upcoming meeting schedules. They have also have a link to the minutes of the Regional Efficiency Grant Working Group meetings. These minutes include meetings beginning in January 2007 through January 2008 and cover the genesis of LD 2003.
Tags: eliot, regional dev authority, south berwick
February 6th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
I’ve spent some time reading just the last two sets of “Regional Efficiency Grant Workshop Group” meeting minutes (Dec. 2007 and Jan. 2008). The minutes of December 12, 2007 posted there, include this:
(pg.1) Craig Nelson, Doyle & Nelson prepared a follow up power point presentation from the June 20, 2007 meeting to introduce the development of a regional Authority, use of an Interlocal
agreement and the Charter Legislation.
(pg.3) Mr. Nelson described the process in which tax payers could dissolve the Authority which could occur only after there was no existing debt. Mr. Nelson noted that it would be beneficial for each town to present worst-case scenarios to tax payers in order for them to make informed decisions/votes.
I wonder who will give us those “worst-case scenarios” and when.
If I understand it correctly, once under the authority, citizens would not have a ballot vote, but a “town meeting” style of voting. If you can’t make it to the regional meeting, you can’t vote. And once a town joins the authority, it seems that citizens have no say over the bonds that will be taken out or the property purchased.