An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1842
Committee Amendment CA_A_H879 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1363, L.D. 1842, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Charter of the Bingham Water District" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Amend the Charter of the Bingham Water District and To Direct That 
Certain Issues Be Studied' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
emergency clause and inserting the following: 
'PART A 
Sec. A-l. P&SL 1911, c. 13, §6, 2nd ~ is repealed and the following enacted in 
its place: 
Each member is entitled to compensation as recommended by the trustees and 
approved by a majority vote of the municipal officers of the Town of Bingham and 
Concord Township. Certification of the vote must be recorded with the Secretary of State 
and recorded in the bylaws. 
Sec. A-2. P&SL 1911, c. 13, §6, last ~ is amended to read: 
The said water district, at any legal meeting thereof called for the purpose, may adopt 
such by laws bylaws and provisions, not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of 
this state State and of the United States, as they may deem determine expedient and 
necessary for the good government and regulation of the municipal affairs of said the 
water district, in whieh ease, sueh by lavis. The bylaws and provisions se adopted shall 
apply to said the water district as fully, te for all intents and purposes, as the other 
provisions of this act, subject to alterations and additions only by a two thirds simple 
majority vote of the legal voters of said the water district present and voting at a legal 
meeting thereof called for the purpose. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 1363, L.D. 1842 
PARTB 
Sec. B-1. 
Public Utilities Commission to examine certain issues. The 
Public Utilities Commission shall convene a stakeholder group to examine financial 
issues related to the loss of customers by water utilities and the effect the loss has on the 
utilities' ability to pay for infrastructure as well as the effects on remaining customers. 
The commission shall invite participation from a broad range of interested entities. The 
stakeholder group shall examine whether there are appropriate means by which 
contributions to system costs may be collected from customers who discontinue service 
or from property owners whose property has been served or may be served by the system 
and if so how the collection may be done in a manner that is just and reasonable. The 
group may also examine readiness-to-service charges and requirements to take service or 
other mechanisms and shall seek to develop appropriate models for addressing issues 
created by the loss of customers by water utilities. The commission shall report the 
findings and recommendations of the stakeholder group, together with the commission's 
analysis of those findings and recommendations, and any proposals of the stakeholder 
group for changes to law to implement its recommendations to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy, utilities and technology 
matters by February 15,2013. The committee may report out a bill on the subject matter 
of the report to the First Regular Session ofthe 126th Legislature.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment removes a provision of the bill that authorizes the board of trustees 
of the Bingham Water District to adopt a resolution that provides that the minimum 
charge for water service continues to apply to property that is voluntarily disconnected 
from the system. 
This amendment directs the Public Utilities Commission to convene a stakeholder 
group to examine issues relating to the loss of customers by water utilities and the effect 
this has on the utilities' ability to pay for infrastructure and the effect on remaining 
customers. The commission is directed to invite participation from a broad range of 
interested entities. 
The stakeholder group is directed to examine whether there are 
appropriate means by which contributions to system costs may be collected from 
customers who discontinue service or from property owners whose property has been 
served or may be served by the system and if so how the collection might be done in a 
manner that is just and reasonable. 
The commission must report the findings and 
recommendations of the stakeholder group, together with any proposals for changes to 
law to implement the recommendations, to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over energy, utilities and technology matters by February 
15, 2013. The committee is authorized to report out a bill on the subject to the First 
Regular Session of the 126th Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE REQVIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
· 
, 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 04/02/12 frac. 
LD 1842 
LR 2779(02) 
An Act To Amend the Charter of the Bingham Water District 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment nAn C H 
~ g 7~ 
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
The bill amends the charter of the Bingham Wter District to change the procedure by which the board of trustees 
receives compensation and changes the vote to amend the bylaws to require only a simple majority. The Public 
Utilities Commission (PUC) is required to convene a stakeholder group to examine issues relating to the loss of 
customers by water utilities, including the effects this has on utilities' ability to pay for infrastructure as well as the 
impact on remaining customers. The PUC must report the findings of the stakeholder group to the Legislature by 
February 15,2013. These provisions result in a minor increase in costs to the PUC which can be absorbed within 
existing budgeted resources. 
LR2779(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1