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An Act To Ensure That All Toll and Intermodal Transportation Facilities and Roadway Lighting within the Maine Turnpike Corridor Are Consistent with Maine's Quality of Place Goals
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 23 MRSA §1966, sub-§2,  as amended by PL 1997, c. 743, §1, is further amended to read:
 
2. Contracts for construction or reconstruction.   All contracts and agreements relating to the construction or reconstruction of the turnpike and the construction or reconstruction of connecting tunnels and bridges, overpasses, underpasses, interchanges and toll facilities must be approved by the Department of Transportation and the turnpike and connecting tunnels and bridges, overpasses, underpasses, interchanges and barriers must be constructed or reconstructed under the supervision of the department. All contracts and agreements relating to the construction or reconstruction of toll facilities and intermodal transportation facilities within the turnpike corridor must be certified by the Executive Department, State Planning Office as meeting quality of place goals as established by the State Planning Office by rule. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
Contractors and subcontractors on all authority construction and reconstruction projects must be equal opportunity employers and, in connection with contracts in excess of $250,000, also pursue in good faith affirmative action programs designed to remedy underrepresentation of minorities, women and persons with disabilities. The authority may by rule provide for the enforcement of this requirement. To the extent practical, the authority may use program and technical information developed by and available through the Department of Transportation to carry out this subsection.
 
All authority construction and reconstruction projects are governed by the prevailing wage provisions in Title 26, chapter 15.
Sec. 2. 23 MRSA §1966, sub-§2-A  is enacted to read:
 
2-A.  Roadway lighting.     All permanent outdoor luminaires, as defined in Title 5, section 1769, subsection 1, paragraph K, installed or replaced by the authority must be certified by the Executive Department, State Planning Office as meeting quality of place goals as established by the State Planning Office by rule. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 3. Quality of place strategies. The Executive Department, State Planning Office shall adopt rules under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 23, section 1966, subsection 2 that establish quality of place standards consistent with the guidelines established by the Maine Quality of Place Council established by Executive Order 13 FY 08/09, issued on June 6, 2008.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides that all contracts and agreements relating to the construction or reconstruction of toll facilities and intermodal transportation facilities and to the replacement or installation of permanent outdoor luminaires within the Maine Turnpike corridor must be certified by the Executive Department, State Planning Office as meeting quality of place goals as established by the State Planning Office by rule.