An Act To Permit the Expansion of Municipal Membership of the Greater Portland Transit District (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 2009
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: GIDEON, CARSON, DAUGHTRY, TUCKER, BREEN
Amends: 30-A MRSA §3504

Legislative Document
No. 2009
H.P. 1430
House of Representatives, January 14, 2020
An Act To Permit the Expansion of Municipal Membership of the 
Greater Portland Transit District
(AFTER DEADLINE)
(EMERGENCY)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205.
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Speaker GIDEON of Freeport.
Cosponsored by Senator CARSON of Cumberland and
Representatives: DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, McCREIGHT of Harpswell, McLEAN of 
Gorham, TUCKER of Brunswick, Senator: BREEN of Cumberland.
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 Greater Portland Transit District initiated a pilot project to provide 
express bus service between the City of Portland and the Town of Brunswick, called 
"Metro Breez," in coordination with participating municipalities located along the Metro 
Breez route; and 
Whereas, as a result of Metro Breez's strong ridership performance, support among 
riders and businesses, the long-term potential to help relieve Interstate 295 congestion 
and the opportunity to help drive sustainable community and economic development, the 
district desires to transition Metro Breez from its pilot phase to a permanent regional 
transit service; and
Whereas, the participating municipalities support the continuation of Metro Breez 
as a permanent service and desire to join the board of directors of the district in order to 
participate in the development of the district's annual budget and establish the local 
contributions of the district's member municipalities to fund Metro Breez as a permanent 
service; and
Whereas, in accordance with the district's budget process as set forth in the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 3516, the board of directors of the district must 
initiate the budget process by preparing and submitting to the municipal officers of its 
member municipalities an estimated budget by November 1st of each year and must 
finalize its budget by March 1st of the subsequent year; and
Whereas, Title 30-A, section 3504 provides that the district may expand its 
membership to include other municipalities located wholly or partially within the 
Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, but not all of the participating 
municipalities are located wholly or partially within the system; and
Whereas, this legislation allows municipalities that are contiguous to the system to 
join the board of directors of the district; and
Whereas, this legislation must take effect as soon as possible to help ensure these 
municipalities may timely participate in the district's budget process; 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 §3504, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2009, c. 18, §2, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Greater Portland Transit District.  The board of directors of the Greater 
Portland Transit District, composed of the City of Portland, the City of Westbrook and 
the Town of Falmouth, consists of 5 directors appointed from the City of Portland, 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 District may receive and accept applications for 
membership from other municipalities located wholly or partially within, or contiguous 
to, 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 member municipalities may, by ordinance, provide 
that their appointees serve at the will of the appointing power or for terms that are shorter 
than those established in subsection 2.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the board of directors of the Greater Portland Transit District to 
accept applications for membership from municipalities that are contiguous to, as well as 
those located wholly or partially within, the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation 
System.