MAP Executive Board Meeting
Friday, May 4, 2007 10:30 AM
Locations: Augusta (SPO), Yarmouth, Ellsworth (HCPC)
Minutes

Attending:
Greater Boston: Maureen, Carl, Rebecca and Hugh
Augusta: Stacy and Helen
Ellsworth: Jim, Noel, Beth, Ann and Linda

Review Minutes (minutes can be found on the web page)

Suggestions:
Beth and Noel put together slate of proposed board members.
Minutes adopted as amended.

Beth moves that the board accept board decisions from the last meeting.  Passed without dissent.

Action: Noel and Maureen are working on a bylaw revision for discussion at the meeting.  Amendments require 30 day notice to the full membership.

President’s Report

Not a lot to report-

• Jim, Linda, Stacy and Noel attended an STPA meeting in Augusta. Met with Richert, Hooper, Morris and HNTB as bidders for the contract to write a municipal handbook for STPA.

Beth – asks that local road planning – include information in the handbook about connectivity in local roads – removing some local traffic from the arterials, etc..

Treasurers’ Report

• Noel read Fred’s email message
• Discussion of Proposed Budget
• Revenues – Jim noted that annual meeting registration is likely to produce about $750 rather than the projected $2,500
• Treasurer’s Report accepted

Legislative Discussion

LD 1810 – Informed growth act

• Noel: May be too late for the board to take a position on this legislation.
• Can the board provide information to the memberships.
• Stacy – invited Sue Inches to discuss the bill
• Requires town to conduct an economic impact assessment of big box development
• MMA did not take a position, suggesting that towns could do this
• State has environmental and transportation impact requirements
• Jim: There are current development plans in Ellsworth that have serious impacts on surrounding communities. This bill would not address these inter-municipal effects.  Need to work on a methodology.
• Beth: This bill doesn’t really address the regional problems.  The bill would raise the conscience of towns to think about the impacts.  This is a legitimate area of concern.  The development review stage is very late to be asking these questions. 
  Beth will be satisfied if this bill is tabled with a committee nominated to study the concept until next year.
  There will not be time to do a study.
• Maureen: suppose you do the study and find that there will be an impact, then what?  Sue – if there are “undue adverse impacts” if the negative effects outweigh the positive impacts and … can be a basis for denial.  Should these be impacts on municipalities or on competing businesses.
• Helen – the uniform statewide approach is not the way to go right now.  Towns should have the ability to do this voluntarily.
• Noel: How do consultants get onto the list?  How do towns chose among consultants.  Some consultants may be biased one way or the other.   
• Sue: SPO has urged the authors of the bill to include more on methodology.  Sue thinks that a study might be a good outcome. The sponsor does not want this bill to become a study.  Don’t know how this will play-out.
• Helen: There will be a work session on this bill Monday, May 7th at 1:00 PM.
• Anne and Linda: Towns need to decide what they consider to be “good” and “bad” from a local and a regional perspective.
• ACTION: MAP can consider sponsoring a fall workshop on this issue?  Perhaps at MMA? Should this be a topic of discussion at the MAP Annual Meeting. Needs to be short.  Could be a topic for MMA.
• ACTION: SPO will send a simple notice about the meeting to Noel who will send it out to the list.

Other legislation?

• Beth – there are some bills related to the Brookings Report
• Bond money for R&D
• Special Select Committee
• ACTION: Beth will provide information to the list serve

MAP Annual Meeting

Catering – some difficulty getting in touch with the caterer. Will keep trying.

Other Events

Criteria Rule Hearing May 16th at the Arboretum

Newsletter Update

Gone to press,
Action: Jim sends address labels to Maureen and Chris

1. Membership/Web

Time for renewals
Website is doing fine

2. Other

3. Next meeting

Next MAP Board will meet in Chases on Main Street in Belfast or some convenient place on September 7th at 12:00 Noon