Town and county officials crammed into the Lincoln County Commissioner’s meeting Tuesday voiced their support for Lincoln County Economic Development Office (LCEDO) and the organization’s proposal to become a Regional Planning Commission.
Mary Ellen Barnes, the new Executive Director for LCEDO, and county planner Bob Faunce said the switch to a commission would allow for county voting rights and streamline the negotiation of grants and other programs with the state. The economic development office members want the current funding mechanism of receiving county tax dollars to stay the same.
Officials from towns such as Damariscotta and Dresden joined commissioners in voicing their support of the non-profit that has worked to provide economic development resources for county towns for years. The conversation at the Feb. 2 meeting indicated an agreement among those present that the objectives of the Midcoast Council of Governments (MCOG) steer away from the goals and interests of Lincoln County.
Last July, Sagadahoc County members of the Mid Coast Economic Development District (MCEDD) asked for the federal designation to be changed to an MCOG form of governance.
The difficulty for Lincoln County, Faunce told commissioners, was the “provocative step” MCOG took last summer in declaring Lincoln County as their territory and that state agencies want to work with a council of governments (COG) format. Faunce said LCEDO has two options in front of them in order to establish themselves with the state for the benefit of the county: form either a COG or a Regional Planning Commission (RPC).
Faunce said matters are further complicated, as MCOG has offered services to Lincoln County towns at reduced rates. One of the major differences between LCEDO and MCOG is the funding mechanism the organizations use. A COG charges participating towns annual dues based on population, whereas LCEDO receives county funding generated from tax dollars.
Faunce said they would like more input from towns as to what services the organization could provide. He and Barnes suggest town officials become members of an economic development committee, further investing communities in the process and ensuring towns will have a voice in the allocation of funds for economic development projects. In fact, one of the requirements for LCEDO to become an RPC is to have at least two representatives on their board from each county town. Faunce and Barnes said the people who usually serve on such a committee are already on a town board, such as board of selectmen or planning board.
“We have an excellent advisory committee,” Barnes said, adding the formation of the committee would involve more people from the communities LCEDO serves.
Damariscotta Town Manager Greg Zinser spoke in favor of LCEDO’s switch to an RPC and said it would further unify the county.
“I think it would be a good move for the county to move in that direction,” he said.
Damariscotta Board of Selectmen chair Dick Mclean said the MCEDD board, on which he served as a member, has not been working so much on economic development and has been dysfunctional. He said he was concerned Lincoln County would not receive much of the funds MCOG receives for regional economic development projects.
County Commissioner Sheridan Bond added there is a move afoot at the state level to ensure government entities not skim off funding allocated to town projects. The conversation indicated LCEDO forming an RPC would further streamline communication with the state.
Bond said he and other county officials have held meetings with Knox County officials to discuss possible collaboration on economic development projects. He said Lincoln County has interests more in line with the interests of those in Knox than many of the towns to the south.
“I think we are headed in the right direction,” Bond said, referring to LCEDO’s proposal.
Commissioner Chairman Lyne Orne said the district she represents needs to be more involved. She said the involvement of town selectmen and planning board members as representatives involved in economic development is a good idea. Don Means, a long time member on the LCEDO board, reflected Orne’s support for the transition, as did others at the meeting.
Gordon Davis of Alna said the two organizations (LCEDO and MCOG) represent a different psychological approach to economic development.
“They’re more urban,” Davis said of the towns south of Lincoln County. “We are all small, rural towns.”
He said he could see the development of a unified plan for two different areas of the same region would be difficult.
Faunce said he and Barnes plan to visit towns in Lincoln County. In response to a question from Bond about the name “commission”, Faunce said LCEDO members and others would consider the possibilities as the dialog continues. They hope commissioners will sign the letter of proposal.
Though they expressed their approval at the meeting, commissioners Bond and Orne said they wanted more time to review LCEDO’s letter of intent. In the meantime, Barnes and others will continue their work on the letter as they work on the organization’s budget.
