Whereas, these offices have most often been located in the traditional downtown areas of service center communities; and

Whereas, there is a growing tendency for public agencies to shift locations of their offices away from downtown areas to commercial strips and away from service centers to suburban communities; and

Whereas, these relocations of public agency offices may have a devastating impact on the economic and social vitality of a downtown area or a service center community; and

Whereas, the Legislature has determined that these service center communities not only are essential to the economic health of the State but also can play important roles in the efficient delivery of state, local and regional services; now, therefore, be it

Sec. 1. Task force created. Resolved: That, because community service centers in Maine are vital to job creation and the delivery of critical services, the State Office Building Location Task Force, referred to in this resolve as the "task force," is created to assess the impact of state office buildings in downtown service centers within regional service center communities and to recommend ways to ensure continued location of state office buildings within both those service communities and their traditional downtown service centers; and be it further

Sec. 2. Membership. Resolved: That the task force consists of the following 7 members:

1. Two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate;

2. Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House; and

3. A representative of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, appointed by the Governor; and

4. A representative from a Federal Government department or agency, appointed jointly by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House; and be it further