Opinion ID: 1974568
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: I-C Administration of the Maine Statute.

Text: After the enactment of the Maine statute, the commission began notifying signowners that certain signs did not conform to the standards in the Maine law, by stamping the word nonconforming on each of the permits issued. A commission staff member notified all signowners by letter, on December 15, 1969, that certain signs no longer conformed to the federal law, that signowners would be notified when the commission had established an amortization period for each sign, and that the maximum amortization period would be five years. After issuing the first set of permits under the Maine statute and, by stamping each permit, identifying those nonconforming signs subject to removal under the Maine law, the commission held a public hearing on June 3, 1970 to seek input from signowners on formulating proper criteria under § 2719(7) for fixing individualized amortization periods. Defendant National Advertising Company appeared and offered its views. At its next meeting on June 17, 1970, the commission formally adopted criteria for the determination of appropriate individualized amortization periods. Subsequently, however, a decision was made to abandon individualized amortization periods and to allow, instead, all signs the maximum five year period for amortization. This decision was made by the departmental staff, who assumed that the commission itself was regularly informed. Apart from the initial adoption of the individualized amortization period criteria, the commission as a body took no formal action. After, in May 1971, the first federal funds were earmarked by the federal government for payment of just compensation under § 131(g), the commission notified signowners that acquisition of those signs eligible for federal compensation would be by purchase or condemnation. Additionally, a commission staff member sent defendant a letter expressing intent to amortize the signs at issue in this case. Again, the letter indicated that if federal funds became available before the time period for amortization expired (sometime in 1974), signowners would be paid. This was the first notice to signowners identifying specifically which nonconforming signs would be amortized rather than acquired by eminent domain. Neither the commission acting in its formal capacity nor defendant indicated any objection, during the five year period, to the amortization program that was being implemented by commission staff.