An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Support Waterfront Development
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0254
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: HASKELL, SAUCIER, BREEN, GERZOFSKY, KATZ, LIBBY, VOLK, GATTINE, HOBBINS, PARRY
Amends: 5 MRSA §13083-U

Legislative Document 
No. 254 
S.P. 92 
In Senate, February 3, 2015 
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Support 
Waterfront Development 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator HASKELL of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative SAUCIER of Presque Isle and 
Senators: BREEN of Cumberland, GERZOFSKY of Cumberland, KATZ of Kennebec, LIBBY 
of Androscoggin, VOLK of Cumberland, Representatives: GATTINE of Westbrook, 
HOBBINS of Saco, PARRY of Arundel. 
Preamble.  Two thirds of both Houses of the Legislature deeming it necessary in 
accordance with the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 14 to authorize the 
issuance of bonds on behalf of the State of Maine to provide funds as described in this 
Act, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
PART A 
Sec. A-1.  Authorization of bonds.  The Treasurer of State is authorized, under 
the direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an 
amount not exceeding $10,000,000 for the purposes described in section 5 of this Part.  
The bonds are a pledge of the full faith and credit of the State.  The bonds may not run for 
a period longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the bonds. 
Sec. A-2.  Records of bonds issued; Treasurer of State.  The Treasurer of 
State shall ensure that an account of each bond is kept showing the number of the bond, 
the name of the successful bidder to whom sold, the amount received for the bond, the 
date of sale and the date when payable. 
Sec. A-3.  Sale; how negotiated; proceeds appropriated.  The Treasurer of 
State may negotiate the sale of the bonds by direction of the Governor, but no bond may 
be loaned, pledged or hypothecated on behalf of the State.  The proceeds of the sale of the 
bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of State 
upon warrants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set 
forth in this Part.  Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the project 
in this Part lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of 
general obligation bonds. 
Sec. A-4.  Interest and debt retirement.  The Treasurer of State shall pay 
interest due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Part and all sums coming due for 
payment of bonds at maturity. 
Sec. A-5.  Disbursement of bond proceeds from General Fund bond issue.  
The proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized under this Part must be expended as 
designated in the following schedule under the direction and supervision of the agencies 
and entities set forth in this section. 
Provides funds for the creation of a grant program to invest in economic 
revitalization, environmental enhancement and community betterment projects along 
the waterfronts of the State in a fashion that preserves and enhances economic 
activity, environmental protection and the quality of life for residents of the State. 
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY 
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF 
Waterfront Community Development 
Program 
Sec. A-6.  Use of bonds.  Bond proceeds may be used for a program to award 
grants for investment in economic revitalization, environmental enhancement and 
community betterment projects along waterfronts of the State in a fashion that preserves 
and enhances economic activity, environmental protection and the quality of life for 
residents of the State, except that use of the proceeds is subject to the following 
conditions and requirements. 
1.  Any municipality with either ocean or river waterfront and any nonprofit 
corporation organized in whole or in part for the purposes of economic, environmental 
and community development of waterfront in the State may apply to the Department of 
Economic and Community Development for funding from this grant program. 
2.  For a project to be eligible to receive grant funding, the project must have as its 
purpose: 
A.  The development or restoration of public parks, walkways and other public spaces 
along waterfront corridors situated either in downtown or developed waterfront 
locations or between and connecting 2 or more such locations; 
B.  Rehabilitation of degraded or dilapidated shorelines in downtown waterfront 
locations in a manner designed to encourage subsequent private development on or 
near those shorelines; or 
C.  The restoration of native fisheries and aquatic ecosystems. 
3.  A proposed project must demonstrate support from a broad range of public and 
private entities and the local community. 
4.  Eligible applications must include a commitment of one dollar in matching funds 
from other public or private sources for every dollar in bond funds. 
Sec. A-7.  Contingent upon ratification of bond issue.  Sections 1 to 6 do not 
become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set 
forth in this Part. 
Sec. A-8.  Appropriation balances at year-end.  At the end of each fiscal year, 
all unencumbered appropriation balances representing state money carry forward.  Bond 
proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the 
bonds lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of general 
obligation bonds. 
Sec. A-9.  Bonds authorized but not issued.  Any bonds authorized but not 
issued within 5 years of ratification of this Part are deauthorized and may not be issued, 
except that the Legislature may, within 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, 
extend the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds for an additional amount of 
time not to exceed 5 years. 
Total 
$10,000,000
Sec. A-10.  Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of 
question; effective date.  This Part must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at 
a statewide election held in the month of November following passage of this Act.  The 
municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns 
and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, 
to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Part by voting on the following question: 
"Do you favor a $10,000,000 bond issue to fund a grant program 
administered by the Department of Economic and Community 
Development to invest in economic development, environmental 
protection and community development projects along waterfronts in 
Maine and to be matched by public or private funds?" 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question 
and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square 
below the word "Yes" or "No."  The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and 
declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of 
State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature.  The Governor shall 
review the returns.  If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Part, the 
Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Part becomes effective 30 days 
after the date of the proclamation. 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Part necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum. 
PART B 
Sec. B-1.  5 MRSA §13083-U is enacted to read: 
§13083-U.  Waterfront Community Development Program 
1.  Program established; administration.  The Waterfront Community 
Development Program, referred to in this section as "the program," is established within 
the department to assist and encourage communities along the State's ocean and river 
waterfronts to revitalize their waterfronts in an environmentally sustainable manner and 
to promote waterfront-oriented community development and enhancement projects 
through the award of grants.  The department shall administer the program directly 
through the Municipal Investment Trust Fund, established in Title 30-A, section 6006-D, 
to provide funding for the rehabilitation, revitalization and enhancement of waterfront 
communities and ocean and river ecosystems in the State. 
2.  Review panel.  The department shall organize a review panel to make 
recommendations for the operation of the program, including without limitation 
evaluating grant applications and determining funding under the program.  The panel 
consists of the commissioner, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry and the Director of the Governor's Office of Policy and Management within the 
Executive Department and 4 members of the public with expertise in the areas of 
economic and community development, environmental conservation, tourism and 
ecotourism development and promotion and park and trail design and development. 
3.  Selection criteria.  The department shall develop selection criteria with which to 
evaluate applications for grants under the program for investment in projects in 
waterfront communities.  The selection criteria must include, without limitation: 
A.  The economic significance of the proposed project to the immediate vicinity and 
to the State as a whole; 
B.  The level of compatibility of the proposed project with clean and healthy aquatic 
ecosystems; 
C.  The value of the proposed project with respect to downtown revitalization; 
D.  The value of the proposed project with respect to environmental protection and 
ecological restoration; 
E.  The value of the proposed project with respect to recreational uses; 
F.  The degree of community support for the proposed project; and 
G.  The extent to which the proposed project involves partnerships and meets 
multiple criteria for benefits. 
4.  Rules.  The department may adopt rules to implement this section.  Rules adopted 
pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. B-2.  Maine Revised Statutes headnote amended; revision clause.  In 
the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 383, subchapter 3, article 2-C, in the article 
headnote, the words "riverfront community development program" are amended to read 
"riverfront and waterfront community development programs" and the Revisor of Statutes 
shall implement this revision when updating, publishing or republishing the statutes. 
Sec. B-3.  Contingent upon ratification of bond issue.  This Part does not 
become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set 
forth in Part A of this Act. 
SUMMARY 
The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $10,000,000, will be used to 
fund a grant program to invest in projects that contribute to economic activity, 
environmental protection and community development along the State's waterfronts.  It 
also enacts a grant program for waterfront development, which is modeled after the 
Riverfront Community Development Program.