An Act Regarding Eligibility under the Municipal Investment Trust Fund
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1554
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: BROMLEY, DAGGETT, ROTUNDO, YOUNGBLOOD, DUPLESSIE, KOFFMAN, SUSLOVIC, TOBIN
Amends: 30-A MRSA §5953-D, 30-A MRSA §6006-D

Legislative Document 
No. 1554 
S.P.523 
In Senate, April 10, 2003 
An Act Regarding Eligibility under the Municipal Investment Trust 
Fund 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator BROMLEY of Cumberland. (GOVERNOR'S BILL) 
Cosponsored by Senators: President DAGGETT of Kennebec, ROTUNDO of Androscoggin, 
YOUNGBLOOD of Penobscot, Representatives: DUPLESSIE of Westbrook, KOFFMAN of 
Bar Harbor, Mll..LS of Cornville, SUSLOVIC of Portland, TOBIN of Windham. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 30·A MRSA §5953.D, sub·§I·A, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 
776, §13, is amended to read: 
I-A. Application for downtown ilDproveaent grants and loans. 
In addition to the other forms of financial assistance available 
under 
section 
6006-D, 
an eligible municipality or 
group 
of 
municipalities may apply for a downtown improvement grant or loan 
from the fund, the proceeds of which must be used to acquire, 
design, 
plan, 
construct, 
enlarge, 
repair or protect downtown 
improvements. 
The bank, in conjunction with the Department of Economic and 
Community 
Development, 
may 
prescribe 
an application 
form 
or 
procedure for an eligible municipality or group of municipalities 
to apply for 
a grant or a 
loan under this subsection. 
The 
application 
must 
include 
all 
information 
necessary 
for 
the 
purpose of implementing this section and section 6006-D. 
Sec. 2. 30·A MRSA §5953·D, sub.§3, ,1JD and E, as repealed and 
replaced by PL 2001, c. 667, Pt. A, §49, are amended to read: 
D. 
In the case of a 
PQalie-5eE¥iee-JB~~a5~EQe~QEe grant or 
loan, the Department of Economic and Community Development 
affirms that the applicant has met the conditions of this 
paragraph. 
(1) 
A municipality is eligible to receive a grant or a 
loan, or a combination of both, if that municipality 
has adopted a growth management program certified under 
section 4347-A 
that 
includes 
a 
capital 
improvement 
program composed of the following elements: 
(a) 
An assessment of all public facilities and 
services, such as, but not limited to, roads and 
other transportation facilities, sewers, schools, 
parks and open space, fire and police: 
(b) 
An 
annually reviewed 5-year plan for the 
replacement 
and 
expansion 
of 
existing 
public 
facilities 
or 
the 
construction 
of 
such 
new 
facilities as are required to meet expected growth 
and economic development. 
The plan must include 
projections of when 
and where 
those facilities 
will be required: and 
(c) 
An assessment of the anticipated costs for 
replacement, expansion or construction of public 
facilities, an identification of revenue sources 
Page l-LR2077(l) 
available to meet these costs and recommendations 
for meeting costs required to implement the plan. 
(2) 
A municipality is eligible to receive a loan if 
that municipality: 
(a) 
Has 
adopted 
a 
comprehensive plan that is 
determined 
by 
the 
Executive 
Department, 
State 
Planning Office 
to 
be 
consistent with section 
4326, subsections 1 to 4. 
(3) 
A municipality is eligible to receive a grant or a 
loan if that municipality is a service center community. 
Subject to the limitations of this 
municipalities 
that 
each 
meet 
subparagraph 
(1) 
a~L (2) 
or 
(3) 
assistance under this section; and 
subsection, 
or 
the 
requirements 
may 
jointly apply 
more 
of 
for 
E. 
In the case of a downtown improvement grant or loan, the 
Department of Economic 
and 
Community Development affirms 
that 
the 
applicant 
has 
met 
the 
conditions 
of 
this 
paragraph. 
A municipality is eligible to receive a downtown 
improvement grant or loan if that municipality has: 
(1) 
Shown 
broad-based 
support 
for 
downtown 
revitalization; 
(2) Established a comprehensive downtown revitalization 
work plan, including a definition and a 
map of the 
affected area; 
(3) Developed measurable goals and objectives; 
(4) Demonstrated an historic preservation ethic; 
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assaeia~ea-eammi~~eesT 
t8}-~~~-a&-~~~~~~-p~a§~am-~~--s~aEE 
aRa-Va±\iR~ee~ST 
(9) Developed the capacity to report on the progress of 
the downtown program; and 
(10) Established the ability and willingness to support 
integrated marketing efforts for retailers, services, 
activities and events. 
Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §5953-D, sub-§4-A, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 
776, §13, is amended to read: 
4-A. Criteria; conditions for downtown improvement qrants or 
loans. 
The Department of Economic and Community Development, in 
conjunction with the bank, shall develop criteria and conditions 
for the award of downtown improvement grants or loans to eligible 
municipalities after consultation with the state agencies listed 
in subsection 5 and subject to the requirements of this section. 
The department shall establish a preference for municipalities 
that are regional service centers or urban compact municipalities 
or have adopted a comprehensive plan consistent with section 4326. 
Sec. 4. 30-A MRSA §6006-D, sub-§2, 1r1JB and C, as corrected by 
RR 1993, c. 2, §3l, are amended to read: 
B. 
To guarantee or insure, directly or 
payment of notes or bonds issued or to 
municipality for the purpose of financing 
of 
any capital improvement described in 
subsection 1 or I-A; 
indirectly, the 
be issued by a 
the construction 
section 5953-0, 
C. 
To guarantee or insure, directly or indirectly, funds 
established by municipalities for the purpose of financing 
construction of any capital improvement described in section 
5953-0, subsection 1 or I-A; 
SUMMARY 
This bill makes 
service center communities eligible for 
grants or loans under the Municipal Investment Trust Fund. 
It 
also 
adds 
that 
grants 
or 
loans 
may 
be 
used 
for 
downtown 
improvement projects and removes some of the program requirements 
for eligibility for a downtown improvement program.