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An Act To Change the Status of the Road System at the Loring Development Authority
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §13080-F, sub-§4,  as enacted by PL 1993, c. 474, §1, is amended to read:
 
4. Highway maintenance.   The authority may maintain, repair, plow and control public ways as a municipality under Title 23, Part 3 and the authority may enter into service contracts as a municipality with the Department of Transportation and may participate as a municipality in the Rural Road Initiative under Title 23, chapter 19, subchapter 6. The authority shall consult and coordinate with the appropriate primary impact community in appointing a road commissioner.
Sec. 2. 23 MRSA §1803-B, sub-§1,  as amended by PL 2001, c. 565, Pt. K, §1, is further amended to read:
 
1. Distribution and use of funds.   Funds from the Urban-Rural Initiative Program must be distributed to each eligible municipality, county or Indian reservation under the Rural Road Initiative and the Urban Compact Initiative. For the purpose of this section, the Loring Development Authority under Title 5, section 13080-F is considered a municipality.
 
A. Rural Road Initiative funds must be distributed as follows.
 
(1) Funds are distributed at a rate of $600 per year per lane mile for all rural state aid minor collector roads and all public roads maintained by a municipality located outside urban compact areas as defined in section 754, except that funds are distributed at a rate of $300 per year per lane mile for all seasonal public roads.
 
(2) Effective July 1, 2000, funds must be used for capital improvements as defined by this chapter, or for capital improvements to state aid minor collector roads as described in subsection 5. In municipalities, counties and Indian reservations in which there are no rural state aid minor collector roads, funds may also be used for winter highway maintenance, acquisition of highway maintenance equipment or the construction of highway maintenance buildings if the governing legislative body affirmatively votes that its town ways and local bridges are in sufficiently good condition so as to not require significant repair or improvement for at least 10 years.
 
B. Urban Compact Initiative funds must be distributed as follows.
 
(1) Funds are distributed at a rate of $2,500 per year per lane mile for summer maintenance performed by municipalities on state and state aid highways in compact areas as defined in section 754. For each lane mile beyond the 2nd lane on a highway with more than 2 lanes, funds are reimbursed at a rate of $1,250 per lane mile for summer maintenance in compact areas. Funds are distributed at a rate of $1,700 per year per lane mile for winter maintenance performed by municipalities on state highways in compact areas as defined in sections 754 and 1001 regardless of the number of lanes.
 
(2) Funds must be used only for the maintenance or improvement of public roads.
 
C. The Urban-Rural Initiative Program payment defined as the combined Urban Compact Initiative and Rural Road Initiative annual payment to any municipality, county, or Indian reservation may not be less than the fiscal year 1999 Local Road Assistance Program payment.
 
D. Beginning July 1, 2001, the annual funding dedicated for the Urban-Rural Initiative Program must bear the same percentage relationship to the sum of the General Fund and Highway Fund allocation to the department for highway purposes as was provided during fiscal year 2000-01. On July 1, 2001 and every July 1st thereafter, the commissioner shall administratively adjust the base funding and the reimbursement rates per lane mile proportionately according to revenue available.
Sec. 3. 23 MRSA §1806,  as enacted by PL 1981, c. 492, Pt. C, §26, is amended to read:
§ 1806. State service contracts
The department may enter into service contracts with municipalities to perform at cost maintenance, reconstruction or construction functions on local service roads. To the extent state manpower and equipment permits, the department shall encourage municipalities to coordinate their work on local service roads with the department. For the purpose of this section, the Loring Development Authority under Title 5, section 13080-F is considered a municipality.
 
SUMMARY
This bill allows the Loring Development Authority to enter into service contracts and to participate in the Rural Road Initiative with the Department of Transportation.