Maine Association of Planners
Annual Meeting
Friday, June 01, 2007
Minutes

Called to Order at 8:46 AM

Welcome from President Noel Musson

Thanks to our Sponsors

Friends of Midcoast
CES Engineering
Pierce Atwood
Spatial Alternatives

Treasure’s Report – Fred Marshal

Accounts have been keeping pretty level
Membership renewals have been good
We exceeded our budget, but have provided services to members

Balance of about $20,000
Have sponsored some workshops this year.
NNECAPA grant provided one time support for MAP.

Budget for next fiscal year kept nearly constant.
Board opted to keep registration fees low.

Newsletter line
Maureen suggested that MAP consider increasing allocation
Jim Fisher moves that the stipend be increase to $1,600 for the student stipend.

• Seconded
• Motion passed unanimously.
• The total newsletter budget will be increased by $600

Acceptance of the budget.

• Stacy Benjamin moved,
• Anne Krieg seconded
• Passed unanimously

Election of board of directors
Moved by Matt Nazar
Board voted into office unanimously

Discussion of Quorum for Board Meetings – Maureen OMeara

• Want to address the problem of aborted meetings due to lack of quorum
• Suggest that we consider reducing the quorum requirement to 1/3 of the board.
• Cannot vote on this today as we did not publish notice 30 days in advance
• Rich Roedner agreed that attaining a quorum – supports the reduced quorum
• Jim Fisher spoke in favor
• Matt Nazar spoke in favor
• Questions were raised about how often this has been an issue and whether we can increase teleconferencing to remedy low turn out
• Decision – post an announcement of a vote in the newsletter – vote to be held at a MAP business meeting at the autumn NNECAPA conference

Legislative Policy – Noel Musson

What is MAP to do about legislation? 

• Provide information to members?
• Take a stand on issues?

Maureen noted that all MAP members have the right to serve on a legislation committee.
This year not enough people were involved to take on any legislation. 
We would need at least four or five people to constitute a committee.

Rich asked whether the committee can function when other MAP members disagree with the committee’s decision.

Beth DellaValle recalled that VP’s have often chaired legislative committees.  MAP has operated without a VP this year.  When bill titles are announced, people have come together to decide whether to deal with a particular set of issues.  Beth will serve as the MAP VP and is willing to organize a committee. 

Volunteers to serve on the committee

• Stacy Benjamin
• Matt Nazar
• Helen Edmunds
• Hugh Coxe
• Rich Roedner
• Maureen O’Meara

Next year will be the short session, so only carry-over and emergency legislation will be considered.

Workshops and Meetings

MMA – October – Will be shorter this year.

• How many planners attend MMA? About 4 indicated that they would attend
• Jim Upham – years ago MAP encouraged planning board members to attend MMA
• Should MAP do this again? Not much support for this
• Maureen – might hold a session on how to train your planning board members – session geared to train professional planners in how to train their volunteer planning boards.
• Anne Krieg – Planning 101 for people how attend MMA that don’t have planners in their towns.
• Networking – we need to talk with MMA and others for their input.

MCTMA (town managers) also has a – might collaborate with MAP

GrowSmart Maine – October 16?

NNECAPA / Society of Planning History – October 25 – 28 ($250)

• MAP will have a business meeting

Volunteers to Help

• Beth DellaValle – call to create a committee on workshops
• Jeremy Gabrielson
• Anne Krieg

Other Business

Maureen – call for a meeting in September 7th at 12:00 at Chases Restaurant in Belfast

• Contact board members to let people know
• Free lunch for those that attend

Jim – Announced that we have 122 members, but 92 need to renew now.

Beth DellaValle thanked Noel Musson for three years at the helm.

PRESENTATIONS

Karin Tilberg, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Gov. Baldacci

Will talk about several legislative interests of the Governor (See handout)

• Strong bi-partisan support for the bond package

• This Spring $113 million: Finding for transportation, trails, infrastructure
• This Fall $18 million: Education, Research, Economic Development
• Next June $30 million: Infrastructure

• Executive Order for Management of Public Lands

• Working on mediating property ownership, protection, recreational use
• Hiking
• Snowmobiles
• ATV
• Organizing a group to discuss trails
• First meeting next week
• Information will be posted to the (governor’s?) web site

• Executive order for Sustainable Prosperity and Quality of Place Council

• Follows Brooking’s Report recommendations
• Council has met twice – is chartered to meet for one year
• Sorting through needs and ideas

• Executive Order on Wind Power

• Following debates on various projects
• The current process is somewhat chaotic
• Need to protect communities from noise, and landscape vistas
• Need renewable energy
• Need to look for appropriate technology and ways for the communities to benefit
• Project in Mars Hill – giving us some experience
• Example Reddington Mountain and Black Nubble – staff recommended acceptance of a project, but overruled by LURC.  A scaled-back proposal has been submitted. 
• Proposal for Freedom
• Proposal for Steston
• Proposal for Kitty Mountain (SP?)
• Others are coming along

LURC – Comprehensive Plan

• Land use plan is needed to address changing ownership and uses of the northern forests
• Development proposals from investor groups have purchased timberland

Land for Maine’s Future

• Expect to see focus on
• Rivers
• Coastal lands
• Forest Lands
• Recreation
• Farmland

Encouraging green certification of paper companies

Biofuels – Carbon Sequestration for forests

REG-GHG – Regional Green House Gas Initiative
1 lb of carbon from driving – 1 mile?
Legislature – house passed GHG initiative 130 to 7, pending vote in senate
Includes a number of energy conservation measures

Questions
Maureen – just had a lot of the urban growth area placed in a protected watershed. This will make it more difficult for Cape Elizabeth to follow their plan.  This contradicts other state policies.
Sue Inches – Deputy Director of the State Planning Office
Synopsis of Six Smart Growth Bills – See summary hand out

LD 1803 – Growth Management Act Update- Comprehensive Planning Rule

• Public meetings last fall – suggested changes
• Separates inconsistency findings and voiding of plans. 
• Sunset – finding of consistency is good for 12 years.  Encourage plan updates.

LD 677 – Act to implement building codes - PASSED

• Current codes are in statutes, but have not been implemented in most municipalities
• This bill streamlines the process
• Originated in the CPAC – a good place for MAP to be involved

LD1810 – requiring economic impact analysis for large developments

• This bill is controversial – opposed by MMA and developers
• Strong grass routes support

LD652 – Tax Credit for downtown development / historic preservation???

• Raises cap
• Increases types of projects that are eligible
• Passed by the taxation committee – unanimous ought to pass
• Has a fiscal note that may end it

LD1872 – 3% increase in the lodging tax for land conservation, downtown preservation, public access

• Defeated in committee

LD1848 – Government Efficiency Commission to identify savings in state government and reinvest savings in research and development.  Included a surcharge on registry of deeds.

• Likely to be held over to the short session – for further deliberation

Questions
Fate of some other bills – didn’t catch the name
CPAC is an experiment.  Is this the basis for a policy committee?
Yes.  CPAC has recently renewed their standing for another eight years.
They may be looking at affordable housing next session.

Jane for Karin – wonders if there are adequate champions for the smart-growth bills?
Karin – the speaker and senate president were lead sponsors of the bills. 

• The response from the lodging industry was strongly negative
• Need to plan at least two years for proposals like this.  May have rushed this one forward.

Building Codes

• Is the intent to require these codes for all towns in Maine?
• Sue – the bill was written to be voluntary
• Want to make it easy and attractive and see if towns will pick it up
• Looking at policies in other states for ways to expand implementation
• ICC Codes continually change

Economic impact analysis

• SPO did not take a position
• Provided technical analysis
• Governor is likely to sign a bill if it passes through the legislature
• Towns might have an opt out provision if they have local policies

Beth – there was not much in it to look at regional impacts 

• SPO offered language to look at regional impacts, but some of this was not incorporated.

Break

Noel – reminded audience about our sponsors
Thanks to the Topsham Library for Hosting this Event
Awards will be given at Lunch
After lunch there will two optional walks

Rich Baker – DEP – See handout

DEP Webpage – www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docstand/szpage.htm

• Has sample guidelines
• Guidelines are changing
• Clarify language for development in the shore land
• Changes over 50% of value –
• Waterfowl Wading Habitat – identify additional areas for resource protection
• GIS Data area available
• Stream protection – if approved as 75 feet, can remain so
• Ten acre rule – still applies
• Visual inspections – often help to clarify and correct classifications
• Table of land uses – now allow governmental and institutional uses in residential areas
• Home occupations – now allowed in resource protection
• General Development District service by sewer and water – may approve higher residential densities.
• New General Development Districts – will require 75 foot setback (existing allow 25)
• Unstable coastal bluffs – (on the website) – new principle structures will have to be 75 feet from top of bluff
• Retaining Walls – sample language for low walls
• Floodplain Management –
• Exception for one accessory building (80 ft sq)
• No septic holding tanks
• Point system for costal buffers
• Requires saplings, trees, vegetation under 3 feet
• Timber Harvesting
• Apply to LURC if a lot of towns adopt them
• Choice 1: adopt as written
• Choice 2: Repeal provisions- let DOC administer
• Choice 3: Adopt different standards, no DOC assistance

Assistance –

• Erik Hitchcock 764-0477 Presque Isle
• Jennifer Cayer 941-4116 Bangor
• Rich Baker 287-7730 Augusta
• Mike Morse 822-6328 Portland

Questions

What do you do about people who break the rules and pay the penalty as a cost of getting what they want?
Supposed to pay the fine and correct the problem.  Some towns are seeking some more substantial $25,000 fines for violations.

Any discussion about relaxing steam protection zones?
Need to look at the pattern of development near the stream.  In a downtown area, if there is development is not within 75 feet of a stream, should keep it that way. If there is already development closer, then might allow more.

Gateway 1 Integrating Transportation, Land Use and Environment – Kathy Fuller

Land use – Transportation Cycle
Extended – Sprawl to the quiet countryside

Bedtime story
Road widening – sprawl – traffic – road widening

Transportation must comply with
NEPA –

• Environment includes social, economic, natural, cultural, man made
• Context sensitive decisions

STPA

• Context sensitive solutions

Gateway 1

• Multidisciplinary
• Multimodal – corridor
• Multi-municipal
• Multi-jurisdictional
• Resolving tensions between mobility corridor, Main Street and county road
• Creating a Policy Plan
• Guide MaineDOT
• Incorporated in mid-coast towns
• Decision making process
• Phase 1 – Identify issues, sign initial MOU
• Phase 2 – Build Scenarios, Inventory and Analysis – three scenarios
• Like visioning, but grounded in data
  
  Trend analysis – possible futures – scenarios
  
  Values/Attitudes – Desired future –
  
• Analysis for Scenarios – visit www.gateway1.org
• Mapped assets – historical, natural, transportation, etc.
• Tools for change
• Manage traffic
• Enhance infrastructure
• Design the corridor
• Change Land Use Plans, Policies and Regulations
• Reform Governance of Land Use and Transportation
• TDRs, site planning and design, zoning, tax base sharing, scenic easements, development standards, scenic turnouts
• Ways to make private decisions supportive of public goals

• Public Involvement
• Road Show
• Information kiosk

• Phase 2B – Reach Solutions, prepare final plan
• Selecting tools
• Agreements for implementation
• Work with decision makers
•  
• Monitoring plan

Questions

Funding?

• Looks promising if the federal funds come through

Role of county government?

• Towns on Route 1 have come around to a more regional vision from an initial position of saying they were fine, but neighbor towns were not cooperating.
• Towns are showing more signs of working together.

Towns think that they’re involvement is the only way they will be eligible for future funding.

• MaineDOT is in fiscal crisis – need far exceeds resources
• LD1180 – suggests that MaineDOT funds project including land use policies in towns that protect mobility as supportive criteria

Does the new bill widen the disconnect between towns and state?

• Need for committee members to inform a community response panel or elected officials
• Seeking support from regional planning commissions
• Ongoing need to communicate and seek public involvement
• Registered organizations / advocacy groups – also need to be engaged.  They can receive periodic updates and can add items to the agenda.
• Jane – steering committee needs to play a role in engaging the public

Jim Upham – This has been a fascinating process and I have enjoyed going to the meetings

Joan – MaineDOT is proving funding for corridor planning through the RPCs

How are you fitting in storm water considerations?

• Storm water may be one of the measures for effectiveness

Announcement
Beth DellaValle

• working on environmental indicators for coastal development

Awards Jamie Oman Saltmarsh

There was no nomination for Professional Planner of the Year – indication that a lot of planners working in isolation.

Student Planner of the Year – Nominated by Charlie Colgan

Mollie Casto –

• Completing her Masters Degree
• Will be working with the City of Portland
• Leader among students
• Student representative in faculty meetings
• Matt Nazar – She was outstanding in Augusta

Citizen Planner of the Year – Steve White

• A Commissioner with LURC for 20 years
• Worked on sound land use planning
• Chair of Mahusuc Land Trust (Bethel)
• Active in planning in Newry
• Founder of Friends of the Androscoggin

Project of the Year

Sebago Technics and City of Saco nominate Park North Development
Proposed mixed use development
Elliot Chamberland led this initiative???
Encompasses entire planning process
Includes housing, recreational trails, etc.

Plan of the Year

Nominated by Maureen O’Meara
Cape Elizabeth Comprehensive Plan and Planning Department

Presentation a plaque of Appreciation for service to the Maine Association of Planners

Announcements

• Speech by Evan Richert – Finding natives and newcomers – finding common ground
• Lots of leftovers – take some with you.

Mobile Workshop: Educational Walk along the Cathance River led by the                                                               Cathance River Educational Alliance.  Tour includes planning information on                                                          waterfront easements and other planning tools.