MAINE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES
Friday, August 19, 2005
The Maine Community Development Association held a general membership meeting in conjunction with DECD’s Community Development Appreciation Day at the American Legion in Augusta on Friday, August 19, 2005 at approximately 9:15 a.m. Present were:
Michael Baran Daniel LaPointe
Paul Bernier Tony Levesque
James Brown Rodney Lynch
Cyndy Carney Joella McBreairty
Peter Duncombe Raymond Mersereau
Mathew Eddy Al Smith
Isaac Wagner
James Gulnac John Bannen (Replacing Leo Trudel)
I. TREASURER’S REPORT:
In Ron Harriman’s absence, Tony Levesque gave the Treasurer’s Report as follows:
Income This Month: $ 1.90 Year-To-Date Income: $2,219.00
Expenses This Month $209.85 Year-To-Date
Expense:$ 4,514.00
Net (207.95) $(2,295.00)
Fund Balance as of 06/30/05: $8,567.00
II. UPDATE ON CDBG:
ü Mathew Eddy provided an update on the CDBG Program. All four delegations have thanked MCDA for submitting the white papers.
ü The MCDA Steering Committee put together a position paper regarding the 2006 CDBG program and presented it to DECD. MCDA has received written comments from Orman Whitcomb, Program Manager.
ü MCDA will be hosting two seminars during the MMA Convention in October.
1) Joint Meeting with Maine Association of Planners/Maine Town and City Managers. The topic of discussion is concerning the BRAC process. Speakers include; John Carter, Patricia Harrington, and Brian Hamel.
2) Regional Economic and Community Development. Speakers include; Jack Cashman (Tentative); Bob Thompson, Alain Ouellette.
Additionally, during Wednesday’s luncheon, Jack Shultz will speak on Boomtown, USA.
ü Matt provided a brief update regarding the Brunswick Base. The residents of the community want the base to remain open; however, they are preparing for the worst case scenario, which is realignment. Realignment means that the base would be shut down not only creating the loss of approximately 3,000 employees, but also, Brunswick would be unable to redevelop the base.
ü For Brunswick, Matt explained that the proposed base closure/realignment has meant that the community has not had any commercial proposals over the past three months. For Sanford residents, the threat of the base closure in Kittery has not had a similar effect according to Jim Gulnac. There are two states involved in the Kittery base and there is a planned reuse of the facility. While the impact on employees would be dramatic, the long-term effect may not be as big a factor as Brunswick. Tony Levesque stated that since the closure of Loring in the 1970’s, the DFAS center opened a facility at the site now employing about 350 people with very good paying jobs. The closure of DFAS would have a devastating impact in the area.
ü Matt attended the Brownfields Conference. He informed the audience that by September 30, if any community has not spent their Brownfields money, it will be taken away.
III. NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Tony Levesque reported that the Nominating Committee made up of Al Smith, Peter Lyford and himself have filled the positions for the slate of officers for the upcoming year and are prepared to submit the nominations at the annual meeting.
IV. ANNUAL COSCDA MEETING: The COSCDA annual meeting will be held September 18-22, 2005 in Cleveland, Ohio. Tony Levesque moved to expend the necessary monies to allow an MCDA representative to attend this annual meeting; seconded by Peter Lyford. The vote was unanimously in favor. Al Smith expressed an interest in attending.
Respectfully submitted by,
Joella R. McBreairty
Secretary