Maine Association of Planners Board

January 6, 2006

Minutes

 

Attending: Noel Musson, Jim Fisher, Linda Johns, Stacy Benjamin, Jane Lafleur, Fred Marshall, Doug Webster, Rich Roedner, Hugh Coxe, Maureen O’Meara, Beth DellaValle

 

Matt Nazar- observer

 

Review of December Minutes

 

Moved and seconded

Revisions:

Legislature – New Intern – not and intern, a Coastal Fellow yet to be chosen in April

Remove “is” in a proposal is to fund

 

Approved as amended

 

Presidents Report – Noel Musson

Baby is doing very well, full hair, sleeping all night

Does anybody have suggestions for organizing the meetings?

t       Include starting time to the agenda

t       Send the agenda to the list serve

t       Fix web page to indicate time and place of meetings, agenda, etc.

 

Vice President’s Report – Rich Roedner

t       Had a press call about the moratoria in Phippsburg

t       Did not quote Rich in the end

t       Topsham has numerous planning committees – as such Rich is not going to be able to serve on the board as of next June

 

Treasurer’s Report – Fred Marshall

Handouts only available in Augusta

Final outcome of the NNECAPA MAP Meeting

t       Profit $2,785.22 for MAP

t       Assets $27,150

t       Cash Flow July 1, 2004 – MAP is basically breaking even over the past 18 months

t       For FY 2006 – doing OK, additional membership fees are coming in now that will push us into the positive

t       No money has been moved to CD’s – Funds are in Bank North

 

Treasurer’s Report moved and approved without dissent.

 

Newsletter – Maureen O’Meara

t       November MAP Newsletter is going out in the next couple of weeks

t       Maureen asked whether someone else will take over the newsletter

t       Will work with Rebecca to create a newsletter Schedule – Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

t       Next newsletter will be pushed back a little.

 

NNECAPA Grant

t       David Versel started the process going with an announcement about grants

t       The $1,000 grant is available to MAP as our project or a project that MAP endorses

t       Maine Growth Management Report

o       SPO has a one month extension for the report – now due March 1st

o       Bad weather hampered participation in yesterday’s meeting

o       Summit produced a lot of ideas, but not the details for their implementation

§         Have a basic set of recommendations – outline –

§         Matt can share draft findings and one page concepts sheet

o       Long-term – stronger regional, functional effort – Regional Plans, Regional Implementation, State has oversight over regions.

o       Short-term – transitional issues, political discussions

§         How should the report be formatted? Very likely to be brief, with emphasis on the top three recommendations.  Detailed information will be published as appendices.

§         How do we create stronger regional governance?

§         Modify what SPO reviews – less emphasis on inventory, retain consideration of policy and strategies

§         Structure role of other state agencies to new paradigm

o       Gateway 1 is a prototype, but not easily replicated due to cost

 

t       Decisions

o       Is this a MAP only grant or open to other organizations?

 

t       Proposals

o       Maureen – can we use the $1,000 to update the MAP directory?

§  Jane – Friends of Midcoast Maine could do this work depending on printing costs

§  Matt – the directory lists according to name and to organization.

§  Jim – suggest considering sponsors to help pay costs

o       Beth – MAP take some action to further conversation about Growth Management

o       Jim – Spring planners workshop – professional development

 

t       Motion – to apply $1,000 toward the directory (Jane, Maureen) – Passed with one abstention.  Noel will prepare the grant proposal.  Maureen will add a paragraph to the newsletter describing the project (what is to be done, who should be in the directory).  Jim will post it to the website.

 

Envision Maine Day – From GrowSmart Maine

t       Invites MAP to help participate in Envision Maine day

t       Augusta Hall of Flags 8:00 AM – 12:00 on Tuesday March 21st

t       MAP can have a table, but need to staff the table

t       Cost - $25

 

Comments – MAP should be there, cost is reasonable

Motion – Jane Second - Rich

Passed

Noel will send in the registration form

 

GrowSmart meeting on January 17th to explore collaborations

–        Rich Roedner cannot attend and is asking whether another board member can attend

–        Hot issues – building rehabilitation codes

–        Is anyone else able to go?  Jane will be there.  Noel may attend.

 

Membership – Matt Nazar

–        We have around 25 new/renew members bringing the total up to about 75, still less than past years.

–        Matt will send out renewal notices to others.

–        How do we recruit new members?  How do we reach people who have not renewed in several years?

–        Email and postal contacts

–        Suggestions – membership forms, etc. should be made available at envision Maine, might want to convert the document to PDF

–        Website – might want to offer the PDF membership form online

–        Noel offered to give up the membership secretary position

 

Web – no news

 

Annual Meeting

–        Nominating committee for board members – Beth, Stacy, Rich

o       Incentives – help to pay for attendance at NNECAPA or APA

o       Beth moves that MAP offer up to $2,000 to attend an annual meeting

o       Motion withdrawn

o       Beth moves that MAP include a line of up to $2,000 in the next budget for the President to attend a national conference.

o       Noel – incentive to attend the NNECAPA or other regional conference should be considered. 

o       Rich – suggest that we revise the proposal to say that we pay for the President to attend NNECAPA – stay at the conference hotel, registration and travel not to exceed $750.  Amendment seconded

o       Vote passed with one abstention.

–        Planning Committee – Jim (chair), Stacy

o       Tasks – Location, Topic,

o       Jim will send an announcement to the list serve

–        Awards Committee – Looking to the Midcoast to work on this – Rich Roedner will contact possible members.

 

Announcements

Tom Marcotte – is on the board and moving to SPO?  Is there any conflict having two SPO members on the

Beth – asked whether MAP has someone to be involved in the Schools Committee – Noel will follow up on this.

 

Legislation

 

t       LD 1802 – Sen. Edmunds – Changing definition of a subdivision.  – Allowing communities with definitions prior to 2002 to continue to consider two-lots as a subdivision (Pownal) – monitor this to see if it is killed.  Generally better not to have multiple definitions of subdivisions.

t       LD 1535 – Rate of growth ordinances – is carried over from last year

 

Noel has asked Matt to send and email to the board with bills.

 

Next Meeting – February 3rd 10:30 AM at three sites

 

Meeting Adjourned at 12:21 PM