An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Riverfront Community Development
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0457
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: DESCHAMBAULT, WARREN, LIBBY, LUCHINI, VITELLI

Legislative Document
No. 457
S.P. 135
In Senate, January 29, 2019
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Riverfront 
Community Development
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator DESCHAMBAULT of York.
Cosponsored by Representative WARREN of Hallowell and
Senators: LIBBY of Androscoggin, LUCHINI of Hancock, VITELLI of Sagadahoc.
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:
Sec. 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 $25,000,000 for the purposes described in section 6 of this Act.  
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. 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. 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 Act.  Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the project 
in this Act lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of 
general obligation bonds.
Sec. 4.  Interest and debt retirement.  The Treasurer of State shall pay interest 
due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Act and all sums coming due for payment 
of bonds at maturity.
Sec. 5.  Use of bonds.  Bond proceeds may be used for grants for investment in 
economic revitalization, environmental enhancement and community betterment projects 
along the clean and healthy rivers of the State in a fashion that preserves and enhances 
economic activity, environmental protection and quality of life for the people of the State, 
except that use of the proceeds is subject to the following conditions and requirements.
1.  Any municipality abutting a river and any nonprofit corporation organized in 
whole or in part for the purpose of waterfront economic development, environmental 
enhancement and community development in the State may apply to the Department of 
Economic and Community Development for funding from this grant program.
2.  For a municipality-sponsored or nonprofit corporation-sponsored 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 river corridors situated either in downtown, developed riverfront locations or 
between and connecting 2 or more such locations;
B.  The rehabilitation of degraded or dilapidated shorelines in downtown riverfront 
locations in a manner designed to encourage subsequent private development on or 
near those shorelines; or
C.  The restoration of native fisheries and riverine ecosystems.
3.  Proposed projects must demonstrate support from a broad range of public and 
private entities and the local community.
4.  Eligible applications must include a commitment of $2 in matching funds from 
other public or private sources for every one dollar in grant funding.
5.  Grant funding may not be used to subsidize or support activities that are otherwise 
required of a party under applicable municipal, state or federal laws, including 
environmental and other health and safety laws, any license or permit condition or 
requirement or any mandated mitigation or remediation activity.
Sec. 6.  Disbursement of bond proceeds from General Fund bond issue.  
The proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized under this Act 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 to invest in economic revitalization, environmental enhancement and 
community betterment projects along the clean and healthy rivers of the State in a 
fashion that preserves and enhances economic activity, environmental protection and 
quality of life for the people of the State.
Sec. 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 Act.
Sec. 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. 9.  Bonds authorized but not issued.  Any bonds authorized but not issued 
within 5 years of ratification of this Act 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.
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY 
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
Total
$25,000,000
Sec. 10.  Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of 
question; effective date.  This Act 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 Act by voting on the following question:
"Do you favor a $25,000,000 bond issue to fund a grant program 
administered by the Department of Economic and Community 
Development to invest in economic, environmental and community 
development projects along rivers in Maine and to be matched by at least 
$50,000,000 in private and public 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 Act, the 
Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Act 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 Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum.
SUMMARY
The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $25,000,000, will be used to 
fund a grant program to invest in projects along the State's rivers that contribute to 
economic, environmental and community development and revitalization, promote 
economic activity, protect the environment and enhance quality of life for Maine people.