An Act To Permit the Expansion of Municipal Membership of the Greater Portland Transit District

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  the Greater Portland Transit District initiated a pilot project to provide express bus service between the City of Portland and the Town of Brunswick, called "Metro Breez," in coordination with participating municipalities located along the Metro Breez route; and

Whereas,  as a result of Metro Breez's strong ridership performance, support among riders and businesses, the long-term potential to help relieve Interstate 295 congestion and the opportunity to help drive sustainable community and economic development, the district desires to transition Metro Breez from its pilot phase to a permanent regional transit service; and

Whereas,  the participating municipalities support the continuation of Metro Breez as a permanent service and desire to join the board of directors of the district in order to participate in the development of the district's annual budget and establish the local contributions of the district's member municipalities to fund Metro Breez as a permanent service; and

Whereas,  in accordance with the district's budget process as set forth in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 3516, the board of directors of the district must initiate the budget process by preparing and submitting to the municipal officers of its member municipalities an estimated budget by November 1st of each year and must finalize its budget by March 1st of the subsequent year; and

Whereas,  Title 30-A, section 3504 provides that the district may expand its membership to include other municipalities located wholly or partially within the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, but not all of the participating municipalities are located wholly or partially within the system; and

Whereas,  this legislation allows municipalities that are contiguous to the system to join the board of directors of the district; and

Whereas,  this legislation must take effect as soon as possible to help ensure these municipalities may timely participate in the district's budget process; and

Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §3504, sub-§3,  as amended by PL 2009, c. 18, §2, is further amended to read:

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.

summary

This bill authorizes the board of directors of the Greater Portland Transit District to accept applications for membership from municipalities that are contiguous to, as well as those located wholly or partially within, the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System.