MAP Executive Board Meeting
Friday, October 6, 2006
10:30 AM
Locations: Downeast (TBD), Yarmouth (Hugh’s Office) and Augusta (SPO)
Agenda
I. Review Minutes
II. Presidents Report
III. Treasurers’ report - None
IV. Newsletter Update – No Report
V. NNECAPA Meeting Recap
a. NNECAPA Grant
VI. Membership/Web page
VII. Other Issues
VIII. Next meeting
Attending: Stacy Benjamin, Hugh Coxe, Noel Musson, Jim Fisher, Helen, Beth Della Valle, Jane Freeman, Carl Eppich
Regrets: Rebeccah, Maureen, Tom, Linda, Anne Krieg
Action Items
Minutes – Tabled until the next meeting. Jim will send them out.
President’s Report
- Attended NNECAPA, but missed some of the social events
- Sessions were pretty good
- Really need a VP
o Beth will think about it
o Carl will think about it
- Attended MMA – spent most of the time at the CES booth
o Nick Melvadonis is the new MMA President
o We need to be a little more interactive with the Executive Committee
o Issues: Shorebird, wading waterfowl, Vernal Pool, TABOR
- MAP still needs a Display Booth – Beth will pursue this
Treasurers Report
- No report
- Jim noted that membership renewals are coming in.
- Noel will ask Fred to send out a report
Newsletter
- Next deadline October 25th
- Theme – Planning in the Outback
- Frank O’Hara has promised an article on Plum Creek/Housing
- Beth will approach Aga about an article on LURC Process
- LURC Review of project proposals
- Terry Dewan – wind power
- IF&W DEP Regulations – Pierce Atwood – Brian Ravack, Ted Koffman
- NNECAPA, GrowSmart
NNECAPA Recap
Board attending: Hugh, Carl, Linda, Stacy
Other MAP Members: Rob, Deb Fossum, Cathy Fuller …
There was an informal gathering of Maine Planners, but no structured discussion.
Double session on performance zoning was cancelled.
Presentation on Making Places Happen – Project for Public Places
MAP now has $2,000 from NNECAPA that must be spent this year.
- Donna Larson – has an idea for a workshop
- Maine Rural Partners - Harness the wealth – Strong, ME or Washington County – model towns initiative
- Washington County – Applying for a regional challenge grant for $15k to help fund this project.
- Need to have some solid proposals – professional workshops
o Jim – trying to organize a scenic preservation workshop
o Noel will send a rfp for ideas to the list serve
Next NNECAPA meeting will be in Portland in November
- National Conference Theme Historic Planning and Mapping
- Prof. John Bauman at USM
- Theo Holtwijk is also involved
Other Business
Stacy – vetting ideas with the MAP Board
1) Sunset Provision on Consistency Findings
- should a plan expire after 10 years?
- should consistency expire after 10 years? 15 years?
Encourages towns to update their plans
Increases opportunity for legal challenges
2) Self certification of comprehensive plans
- SPO 10 year process of moving planning oversight out of the SPO
- Service Centers with full time planners
- Should planner be AICP
- What other qualifications would we want for the planner?
- Interim step – toward findings of consistency with regional plans.
- Would this put undue pressure on the local planner to capitulate to local politics
- Support local autonomy
- Hold an appeals process for findings of inconsistency
- Might require a legal analysis by the towns
- What sections of the plan would need the most state oversight?
o Regional coordination
o Future land use – affecting sprawl, external economies
- Rules for reviewing projects?
Brookings Report
Comments
Beth - Forces are lining up pro and con
Some education recommendations will be controversial – student teacher ratio
Lodging taxes – recommend increasing these taxes
Recommend reading Laurie LaChance’s supporting article.
How can MMA be involved in this process
Adding a $20 fee for deed transfer to fund – finance preservation programs.
Report did not follow through with strong recommendations on regionalization of local government. Instead, recommended another commission take on this issue.
Local reaction to consolidating
Meeting adjourned 12:13 PM