Resolve, To Establish the Task Force To Facilitate the Development of Unoccupied Mills
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1675
Committee Amendment CA_A_S412 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A "to S.P. 574, L.D. 1675, "Resolve, To Establish 
the Task Force To Facilitate the Development of Unoccupied Mills" 
Amend the resolve by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, To Establish a Response Team To Facilitate the Redevelopment of 
Unoccupied Mills and Other Unoccupied Buildings' 
Amend the resolve by striking out everything after the title and before the sUlmnary 
and inserting the following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, this legislation establishes a coordinated response team to help 
municipalities to redevelop unoccupied mills and other large unoccupied buildings and to 
help improve their local economies; and 
Whereas, the response team must begin its work immediately in order to provide 
support to those municipalities in need of assistance to improve their local economies and 
to have sufficient time to prepare its report for submission to the next legislative session; 
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 
Sec. 1. 
Coordinate and establish a response team to facilitate 
redevelopment of unoccupied mills. Resolved: That, beginning June 15,2012, the 
Department of Economic and Community Development shall establish and coordinate a 
response team to facilitate the redevelopment of unoccupied mills and other large 
unoccupied buildings. 
The Department of Environmental Protection, the Finance 
Authority of Maine and the Maine State Housing Authority shall participate in the 
response team, and the Department of Economic and Community Development shall 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~s 
~O 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 574, L.D. 1675 
invite the participation in the response team of a representative of a commercial real 
estate developer, a representative from an economic development district, a local 
economic development representative and a private sector representative knowledgeable 
in the mill redevelopment process. The response team shall facilitate the Department of 
Economic and Community Development's efforts to redevelop unoccupied mills, other 
large unoccupied buildings and former schools that are now unoccupied. The response 
team shall provide assistance upon request to a municipality that is actively working to 
implement a redevelopment business plan for an unoccupied building and that has 
identified within the business plan possible financing resources and marketing plans for 
the redevelopment of the unoccupied site. The response team may assist by visiting the 
unoccupied site and engaging in discussions with local officials regarding the availability 
of federal, state and local financing resources for municipalities seeking to redevelop 
such sites as well as identifying and removing whenever possible any regulatory obstacles 
to the redevelopment of the site; and be it further 
Sec. 2. Report. Resolved: That, no later than February 1,2013, the Department 
of Economic and COlmnunity Development shall provide a report to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor, commerce, research and 
economic development matters, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and the Governor on the coordinated 
response efforts under section 1. 
The Department of Economic and Community 
Development shall submit with the report any recommendations for changes that may be 
required in statute or local ordinances to remove obstacles to the redevelopment of the 
sites under section 1. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over labor, commerce, research and economic development matters is authorized to 
report out a bill implementing the recommendations to the First Regular Session of the 
126th Legislature. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited m the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, 
Commerce, Research and Economic Development. This amendment strikes and replaces 
the resolve and requires the Department of Economic and Community Development to 
establish and coordinate a response team to facilitate the redevelopment of unoccupied 
mills and other large unoccupied buildings. 
The Department of Environmental 
Protection, the Finance Authority of Maine and the Maine State Housing Authority must 
participate in the response teams, and the Department of Economic and Community 
Development must invite the participation in the response team of a representative of a 
commercial real estate developer, a representative from an economic development 
district, a local economic development representative and a private sector representative 
knowledgeable in the mill redevelopment process. It provides that the response team 
must facilitate the Department of Economic and Community Development's efforts to 
redevelop unoccupied mills, other large unoccupied buildings and former schools that are 
now unoccupied. It requires the response team to provide assistance upon request to any 
municipality that is 
actively working to implement an unoccupied building 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 574, L.D. 1675 
redevelopment business plan for an unoccupied building and that has identified within the 
business plan possible financing resources and marketing plans for the redevelopment of 
the unoccupied site. 
It directs the Department of Economic and Community Development to provide a 
report by February 1, 2013 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over labor, commerce, research and economic development matters, the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and 
financial affairs and the Governor on the coordinated response efforts. It authorizes the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor, commerce, 
research and economic development matters to report out a bill regarding the response 
team's recommendations to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE HL<..!L IKt.U 
(~ee attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 02/28112 
~ac:.. 
LD 1675 
LR 2647(02) 
Resolve, To Establish a Response Team To Facilitate the Redevelopment of Unoccupied Mills and 
Other Unoccupied Buildings 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" A" S - 4. '2. 
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Additional costs to the Department of Economic and Community Development to establish and coordinate the 
required response team and to submit the required report can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
The Maine State Housing Authority and the Finance Authority of Maine can absorb the additional costs associated 
with serving on the response team and providing the required assistance upon request. 
LR2647(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1