An Act To Change the Status of the Road System at the Loring Development Authority
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0878
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: AYOTTE, JACKSON, BROWNE, CEBRA, EDGECOMB, JOY, MARTIN, SUTHERLAND, THERIAULT, THOMAS
Amends: 5 MRSA §130

Legislative Document 
H.P.609 
House of Representatives, March 5,2009 
An Act To Change the Status of the Road System at the Loring 
Development Authority 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative AYOTTE of Caswell. 
Cosponsored by Senator JACKSON of Aroostookand 
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frJ.1l/II£~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND , 
Clerk 
Representatives: BROWNE of Vassalboro, CEBRA of Naples, EDGECOMB of Caribou, JOY 
of Crystal, MARTIN of Eagle Lake, SUTHERLAND of Chapman, THERIAULT of 
Madawaska, THOMAS of Ripley. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People ofthe State of Maine as follows: 
Sec; 1. 5 MRSA §130'SO-F, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 474, §1, IS 
amended to read: 
4. Highway maintenance. The authority may maintain, repair, plow and control 
public ways as a municipality under Title 23, Part 3 and the authority may enter into 
service contracts as a municipality with the Department of Transportation and may 
participate as a municipality in the Rural Road Initiative under Title 23, chapter 19, 
subchapter 6. The authority shall consult and coordinate with the appropriate primary 
impact community in appomting a road commissioner. 
Sec. 2. 23 MRSA §IS03-B, sub-§I, as amended by PL 2001, c. 565, Pt. K, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
1. Distribution and use of funds. Funds from the Urban-Rural Initiative Program 
must be distributed to each eligible municipality, county or Indian reservation under the 
Rural Road Initiative and the Urban Com.pactInitiative. For the purpose of this section, 
the Loring Development Authority under Title 5, section 13080-F is considered a 
municipality .. 
A. Rural Road Initiative funds must be distributed as follows. 
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(1) Funds are distributed at a rate of $600 per year per lane mile for aU rural state 
aid minor collector roads and all public roads maintamed by a municipality 
located outside urban compact areas as defmed in section 754, except that fu.n.ds 
are distributed at a rate of $300 per year per lane mile for all seasonal public 
roads. 
(2) Effective July 1, 2000, funds must be used for capital improveme~ts as ' 
defmed by this chapter, or for capital improvements to state aid minor collector 
roads as described in subsection 5. 
In municipalities, counties qnd Indian 
reservations in which there are no rural state aid minor collector roads, funds may 
also be used for winter l..ighway maintenance, acquisition of highway 
maintenance equipment or the construction of highway maintenance buildings if 
the governing legislative body affIrmatively votes that its town ways and local 
bridges are in sufficiently good condition so as to not require significant repair or 
improvement for at least 10 years. 
B. Urban Compact Initiative funds must be distributed as follows. 
(1) Funds are distributed at a rate of $2,500 per year per lane mile for summer 
maintenance performed by municipalities on state and state aid highways in 
compact areas as defmed in section 754. For each lane mile beyond the 2nd lane 
on a highway with more than 2 lanes, funds are reimbursed at a rate of $1 ,250 per 
lane mile for summer maintenance in compact areas. Funds are distributed at a 
rate of $1,700 per year per lane mile for winter maintenance performed by 
municipalities on state highways in compact areas as defmed in sections 754 and 
1001 regardless of the llutnber of lanes. 
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(2) Funds must be used only for the maintenance or improvement of public 
roads. 
C. The Urban-Rural Initiative Program payment defmed as the combined Urban 
Compact Initiative and Rural Road Initiative annual payment to any municipality, 
county, or Indian reservation may not be less than the fiscal year 1999 Local Road ' 
Assistance Program payment. 
D. 
Beginning July 1, 2001, the annual funding dedicated for the Urban-Rural 
Initiative Program must bear the same percentage relationship to the sum of the 
General Fund and Highway Fund allocation to the department for highway purposes 
, as was provided during fiscal year 2000-0l. On July 1, 2001 and every July 1st 
thereafter, the cornrillssioner shall administratively adjust the base funding and the 
reimbursement rates per lane mile proportionately according to revenue available. 
Sec. 3. 23 MRS A §1806, as eriacted by PL 1981, c. 492, Pt. C, §26, is amended to 
read: 
§1806. State service contracts 
The department may enter into service contracts with municipalities to perform at 
cost maintenance, reconstruction or construction functions on local service roads. To the 
extent state manpower and equipment permits, the department shall encourage 
municipalities to coordinate their work on local service roads with the department. For 
the purpose of this section, the Loring Development AuthOrity under Title 5, section 
l3080-F is considered a municipality. 
SUMMARY 
, This bill allows the Loring Development Authority to enter into service contracts and 
to participate in the Rural Road Initiative with the Department of Transportation. ,