An Act To Include the Town of Falmouth as a Member of the Greater Portland lransit District
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0452
Committee: TranspOliation
Sponsors: NELSON, ALFOND, COHEN, DRISCOLL, HINCK, LOVEJOY, PEOPLES, STUCKEY, BRANNIGAN, DAVIS
Amends: 30-A MRSA §3501, 30-A MRSA §3504

!ilKS'!' lli:GULAR SJ£SSION-2009 
Legislative Document 
No. 452 
H.P.340 
House of Representatives, February 10, 2009 
An Act To Include the Town of Falmouth as a Member of the 
Greater Portland lransit District 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on TranspOliation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative NELSON of Falmouth. 
Cosponsored by Senator ALFOND of Cumberland and 
77/d~ 111· mt2£~0?{ 
MILLICENT M_ MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: COHEN ofPOliland, DRISCOLL of Westbrook, HINCK of Portland, 
LOVEJOY of Portland, PEOPLES of Westbrook, STUCKEY of Portland, Senators: 
BRANNIGAN of Cumberland, DAVIS of Cumberland. 
PrinteJ nn n:cydcJ puper 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 3504, subsection 3 
provides that the Greater Portland Transit District is comprised of the City of Portland 
and the City of Westbrook and further provides that its board of directors consists of 5 
directors appointed from the City of Portland and 3 directors appointed from the City of 
Westbrook; and 
8-- --Whereas, the Town of Falmouth has applied for membership in the Greater Portland 
Transit District and the board of directors of the Greater Portland Transit District has 
voted to accept its application for membership; and 
Whereas, the Town of Falmouth cannot become a member of the Greater Portland 
Transit District until Title 30-A, section 3504, subsection 3 has been amended to reflect 
the change in membership; and 
Whereas, the board of directors of the Greater Portland Transit District has 
detennined that it would be advantageous to the district and the people it serves if the 
board of directors could receive and accept applications for membership to the Greater 
Portland Transit District from other municipalities located wholly or partially within the 
Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, whether or not contiguous with the 
other members of the Greater Portland Transit District; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §3501, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3. 
Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System. 
"Portland Area 
Comprehensive Transportation System" means the federally designated planning 
organization for the Portland region established to improve the coordination of 
transportation planning and investment decisions by state, municipal and public 
transportation organizations. 
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §3504, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and 
Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is 
further amended to read: 
3. 
Greater Portland Transit District. The board of directors of the Greater 
Portland Transit District, presently comprised composed of the Gities City of Portland 
aOO, the City of Westbrook and the Town of Falmouth, shall consist consists of 5 
directors appointed from the City of Portland aOO.1 3 directors appointed from the City of 
Westbrook and 2 directors appointed from the Town of Falmouth. Notwithstanding the 
other provisions of this chapter, the board of directors of the Greater Portland Transit 
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District may receive and accept applications for membership from other municipalities 
located wholly or partially within the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation 
System whether or not they are contiguous to other members of the Greater Portland 
Transit District and may determine the number of directors to be appointed from those 
municipalities to the board of directors of the Greater Portland Transit District on any 
basis that is mutually agreed upon by the municipality applying for membership and the 
board of directors of the Greater Portland Transit District. The Cities of Portland and 
'.Vestbrook member municipalities may, by ordinance, provide that their appointees serve 
at the will of the appointing power or for terms wl:Jk;h that are shorter than those 
establishedin subsection 2,. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill includes the Town of Falmouth as a member of the Greater Portland Transit 
District. 
The bill authorizes other municipalities located wholly or partially in the 
Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System to apply and be accepted for 
membership in the Greater Portland Transit District. 
The bill also authorizes the 
representation of those municipalities on the board of directors of the Greater Portland 
Transit District to be determined by mutual agreement between the municipality and the 
board of directors of the Greater Portland Transit District. The bill also defines "Portland 
Area Comprehensive Transportation System."