Potholes & Politics: Local Maine Issues from A to Z

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In this episode, Rebecca Squared & Amanda the new kid continue the coversation with Stormwater Super Heros - Giants of municipal water protection activities; South Portland's Stormwater Coordinator Fred Dillon and Portland's Stormwater Coordinator Doug Roncarati and their state level partner Maine Department of Environmental Protection Stormwater Engineer Cody Obropta to tackle issues around development pressures. 

Does regulation make development harder or does regulation and planning make development cheaper on the community in the long run? Get the one the ground facts from the front lines and learn about the theory of low impact development versus use of green infrastructure and why those buzzwords are coming to an ordinance near you soon. 

Ever wondered about the intricate dance between stormwater law and water quality standards? Using the Long Creek Watershed as our case study, we delve into the stringent mandates of MS4 permits and the herculean efforts required to restore urban impaired stream habitats. Our discussion extends to the significance of maintaining viable aquatic ecosystems and a closer look at the progressively stricter requirements every five years. You'll gain insights into the benefits of educating service contractors, the impact of clearer statewide standards, and the promising potential of green infrastructure projects.

Lastly, explore the innovative ways Portland’s stormwater utility credit program incentivizes redevelopment while addressing pollutant-specific approaches for stormwater management. We highlight how these strategies benefit developers and the broader implications of climate change on future MS4 communities. Tune in to hear about Maine’s unique phosphorus control strategies in lake watersheds and the persistent challenges posed by historical land use and climate change. Wrapping up, we stress the importance of expert consultation and community involvement, all while celebrating the camaraderie and shared humor of those dedicated to tackling these complex environmental issues.

"Urbanized and developed municipalities and other large public entities require Clean Water Act permits to send stormwater to nearby water bodies due to an increased likelihood of stormwater pollutants."
 
 "Stormwater is precipitation that does not soak into the ground. Runoff accumulates in large quantities as it flows off of rooftops, driveways, roads and other impervious surfaces, picking up soil and polluting chemicals in its wake. It then flows into a storm drain, through an underground network of pipes, where it discharges into local rivers and streams, untreated."
 
 Think Blue Maine
 https://thinkbluemaine.org/

Map of urban impaired streams: https://maine.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7f8f40a744ad49f3a6cccc7f1330872a 

Non-Point Source Training Center -

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In a surprise move, the legislature came into session today and upended the Governor’s supplemental budget request. After spending the weekend consulting with municipal officials in their home communities, the tone changed drastically. 

Rebecca Squared (Lambo & Grahambo) breakdown what is municipally relevant in Augusta as the Legislature returns and is full of Easter Chocolate chipping away at the Governor's Supplemental budget request in meaningful ways. 

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Much delayed first legislative breakdown of the second session has dropped. This week we only go over what has happened for the First week of February though staff has been underwater with carryover initiatives during the entire month of January.

We very much hope the Legislature will adjourn mid-April as planned but until then, the proposed legislation is painful thus far. To that end we encourage you to subscribe to the Legislative Bulletin and pay attention to calls for action. The initiatives discussed this week are:

General Assistance  bills LD 1664   (not the amended fiscal note) &  LD 1732   (also not the amended version) both sponsored by Rep. Michele Meyer of Eliot. 

Under Taxation: Rep. Tiffany Stout of Harrington's bill to create a local option fee LD 1893.
Under Criminal Justice and Public Safety, LD 2094, sponsored by Pres. Troy Jackson of Aroostook,  LD 2109, sponsored by Rep. Jeffrey Timberlake of Androscoggin

Under Housing, LD 337, sponsored by Rep. Cheryl Golek of Harpswell, LD 2138 sponsored by Rep. Colleen Madigan of Waterville, LD 2136, sponsored by Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio of Sanford.

Franchise Agreements and Cable Utility Legislation LD 1967, sponsored by Rep. Melanie Sachs of Freeport.

And last but not chronically least...Cannabis Legislation LD 1952 sponsored by Rep. David Boyer of Poland, LD 1914 sponsored by Sen. Donna Bailey of York

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Why should you care about stormwater? What is a MS4 regulated community? Why do people pick up their dog poo and put it in a bag only to dump it on the trail or in the storm drain? What is a harbor trout? 

In this episode, Rebecca Squared & Amanda the new kid talk with Stormwater Super Heros - Giants of municipal water protection activities; South Portland's Stormwater Coordinator Fred Dillon and Portland's Stormwater Coordinator Doug Roncarati and their state level partner Maine Department of Environmental Protection Stormwater Engineer Cody Obropta to tackle these questions and a whole lot more!

This episode is part 1 of a two part series. Fred, Doug and Cody share how they became stormwater rangers, what it's important and a small bit of the challenges communities in Maine face with old infrastructure and dense development. 

"Urbanized and developed municipalities and other large public entities require Clean Water Act permits to send stormwater to nearby water bodies due to an increased likelihood of stormwater pollutants."

"Stormwater is precipitation that does not soak into the ground. Runoff accumulates in large quantities as it flows off of rooftops, driveways, roads and other impervious surfaces, picking up soil and polluting chemicals in its wake. It then flows into a storm drain, through an underground network of pipes, where it discharges into local rivers and streams, untreated."

Think Blue Maine
https://thinkbluemaine.org/

Map of urban impaired streams: https://maine.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7f8f40a744ad49f3a6cccc7f1330872a 

Non-Point Source Training Center - https://www.maine.gov/dep/training/npstrc-schedule.html  

Rutgers Green Infrastructure Champions Program - https://rutgers.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nuaE-xe4T8e080uhQ-l6vg    

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The sensationalized headlines around heated municipal meetings targeting municipal tax assessment changes, and property reevaluation haven't offered much in the way of educating the public around the root causes of Mill Rate  and property tax bill increases.

So Potholes & Politics is taking a deeper dive. Trust us...this is 58 minutes you won't want to miss. (Hint: It ain't because of those "greedy" volunteer municipal select boards and councils.)

This episode is the first installment of many that could be renamed a new series called: "Why did my property taxes go up?" with Kerry Leichtman, Camden and Rockport's Tax Assessor.

"Mill" is derived from the Latin word "millesimum", meaning thousandth. As used in property tax, 1 mill is equal to $1 in property tax levied per $1,000 of a property's assessed value.

Kerry explains what is happening with municipal tax assessment, why reevaluations are necessary, and how your tax bill is tied to the massive influx of property hungry and cash flush buyers. 

Bonus: There is at least one really bad "Dad Joke" in this episode!

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This week we are highlighting one of the conversations from MMA's 87th Annual Convention held at the Augusta Civic Center, October 4 & 5, 2023.

This year's convention theme was "Lead, Motivate, Communicate" and featured dynamic speakers like Leila Brammer, Director of Outreach and Instructional Development of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse, University of Chicago on "Civic Leadership and the Imperative of Effective Communication" and Yellow Light Breen, President & CEO, Maine Development Foundation on "Leading for Economic Innovation and Prosperity", and an uplifting reminder of why we serve local government and how to not despair in these unprecedented times with a presentation from Ron Holifield, Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Government Resources and former City Manager, "It’s Not About Me, It’s Not About Now".

An elections update session was one of many offered and provided by Julie Flynn, Deputy Secretary of State, Maine Secretary of State.  In this episode we chat with Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows about security issues facing Maine's town and city clerks this election season on the convention floor. 

The audio quality is not the best, and for this we apologize but the message is still important and one we think is worth a listen. 

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While it seems like we may have been on vacation, the intersession work has been in full swing and Legislative Committees including Judiciary and Housing are back at it next week!

This episode we dive into the Maine Law Enforcement Accreditation Program managed by Dirigo Safety and speak with one chief in the tail end of the accreditation process; Jason Warlick of Damariscotta Police Department on the benefits of being a certified MLEAP agency.

After talking about the process, we touch on what it is like to be Chief in a tiny (population wise) town in Maine with major big city issues, and one of the largest most popular community festivals in the nation: Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta.

For more information about the MLEAP program, reach out to Shawn O'Leary at [email protected] and to apply for the Law Enforcement Grant program through MMA email [email protected]. As always you can email the show at [email protected]. Don't forget to rate us and subscribe and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @memun_advocacy. 

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Last year, LD 290, An Act To Stabilize Property Taxes for Individuals 65 Years of Age or Older Who Own a Homestead for at Least 10 Years,  was enacted with little discussion and a host of very expensive unintended consequences.

This year, the law was amended to address those consequences and bring property tax relief where it was most needed. However, it will now be up to municipal officials to address the fall out of public misunderstandings as one law sunsets and two more programs expand.

In this episode, we talk with leading municipal policy architect and boss extraordinaire, Kate Dufour, Director of Advocacy and Communications at MMA who explains: "How we got here, from there" on property tax relief programs. 

The Advocacy team briefly chats about the woes of this past session and hope for the future and Lambo talks about where in Maine she is off to next. 

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Rebecca Squared took a break from Augusta last week and spent some time talking with local government leaders in Aroostook County. The week before they hit the National League of Cities Staff Convention in Boston.

What are the  unique challenges of the northern communities, what makes them special, and what do Augusta policy makers need to understand about the 5 hours of Maine north of  the Augusta Bubble?

In this episode we introduce you to our newest colleague, and former Georgetown Town Administrator, Amanda Campbell. We also chat with St. Agatha Town Manager Michelle Bernier, Frenchville Town Manager, David Cyr and Aroostook County Administrator, Ryan Pelletier.

Note: As a special treat, we drop in a very local tidbit for loyal listeners. See if you can find it! The episode picture will make sense when you do!