An Act Regarding Court Facilities in York County
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0357
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: WOODSOME, MASTRACCIO, DESCHAMBAULT, FOLEY, HARRINGTON, O'NEIL
Amends: 4 MRSA §1610-L

Legislative Document
No. 357
S.P. 97
In Senate, January 24, 2019
An Act Regarding Court Facilities in York County
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator WOODSOME of York.
Cosponsored by Representative MASTRACCIO of Sanford and
Senators: DESCHAMBAULT of York, FOLEY of York, Representatives: HARRINGTON of 
Sanford, O'NEIL of Saco.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  4 MRSA §1610-L is enacted to read:
§1610-L.  Additional securities; judicial branch and York County
Notwithstanding any limitation on the amount of securities that may be issued 
pursuant to section 1606, subsection 2, the authority may issue additional securities from 
time to time in an aggregate amount not to exceed $6,000,000 outstanding at any one 
time for the purposes of paying the costs associated with the planning, purchasing, 
financing, acquiring, constructing, furnishing and equipping new facilities and projects 
relating to the judicial branch in York County for the exclusive use of York County to 
accommodate the office of the district attorney.
Sec. 2.  Construction to accommodate office of York County district 
attorney.  The judicial branch shall hold in reserve a portion of the property on which 
the new courthouse in Biddeford is to be built to be used for the construction of a 
building and adequate parking to accommodate the office of the York County district 
attorney.  The judicial branch and York County shall work together to acquire the 
services of an architect and construction manager for the project, the costs of which must 
be included as a cost of the Biddeford courthouse design and construction project.
Sec. 3.  Construction of York County facilities.  The judicial branch, working 
with York County, shall construct the building that is to accommodate the office of the 
York County district attorney in Biddeford pursuant to section 1 using the funding 
provided by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 4, section 1610-L, and York County shall 
pay the debt service in lieu of paying rent.  The building systems, including but not 
limited to, heating, ventilation, electrical, water and sewerage systems, must be separate 
from those of the courthouse, and York County is responsible for costs associated with 
the operation and maintenance of the building that accommodates the office of the York 
County district attorney.
Sec. 4.  Lease; purchase.  The judicial branch shall lease the land on which the 
building that accommodates the office of the York County district attorney is built 
pursuant to section 1 to York County for $1 until the debt service on the bonds issued 
under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 4, section 1610-L is fully paid, at which time the 
judicial branch shall transfer the land and building to York County for consideration of 
$1.
Sec. 5.  Ownership of courthouses.  The State shall transfer, without 
consideration, the ownership of the 3 district courthouses in York County to be vacated 
when the courts are consolidated into one building in Biddeford to York County for 
exclusive use by York County.
SUMMARY
This bill resolves logistical issues created by the construction of a consolidated 
courthouse for York County in Biddeford.  Earlier legislation that authorized construction 
of the courthouse did not factor in adequate space for the office of the district attorney, a 
required component of the judicial process.  This bill provides for the construction of a 
building of sufficient size to accommodate the office of the district attorney to be 
connected to the new courthouse.  This bill authorizes the issuance of up to $6,000,000 in 
Maine Government Facilities Authority securities to construct the building, but the 
planning and design, a joint project by the judicial branch and York County, will be 
covered by the existing funding of the courthouse.
The goal of this bill is to make the new building as cost-neutral to the parties as 
possible.  York County will pay the debt service on the bonds and pay annual rent for the 
land of $1 until the debt service is fully paid, at which time the State will transfer the land 
and building to York County for $1.  In addition, the 3 district court buildings vacated 
when the new consolidated courthouse opens must be transferred at no cost to York 
County for its exclusive use.