RUMFORD – The River Valley Growth Council is trying to get a request for $3.3 million to be included in the state’s economic development bond question.

The statewide referendum for the economic bond issue, expected to total $7 million as it is, will take place in November.

Economic Developer Scott Christiansen said the $3.3 million, if approved, would help finance the next step in the biorefinery project for further research on potential uses for chemicals and oil that come from wood products in a process known as fractionation.

Christiansen and several council members plan to meet with Gov. John Baldacci and his chief of staff on Jan. 16.

If the request gets on the ballot, and voters approve, the $3.3 million would be used to leverage another $3.3 million from the federal government to renovate the fourth floor of the now-under-construction River Valley Technology Center.

It would also be used to buy equipment and to operate the research site that would be owned and operated by the technology center with research provided by the University of Maine.

“I’m trying to put together a bipartisan committee that will make it clear why this should be a bond issue and what would happen if it isn’t,” Christiansen told the council board Wednesday night.

He said the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development bond issue will address some of the state’s needs in forest biomass and aquaculture.

“No one in the state is further ahead than us (in biomass matters),” said Christiansen.

Meanwhile, the council’s application for a $4.4 million federal energy grant that would finance a biorefinery in a River Valley town will be completed and submitted by the end of the month.

Because the council, spearheaded by Christiansen, is involved with several potentially major projects simultaneously, the board’s Finance Committee suggested that a so-called “key-man policy” be taken out to protect the council’s investment in Christiansen.

Action to fund the policy, which would be valued at $500,000 payable to the council should Christiansen die, was tabled until it is determined if the policy could be collected by the council since it is a non-profit, and if the policy would pay if Christiansen became disabled.

“We’re talking about financial protection,” said RVGC President Joseph Derouche.

The Finance Committee will report back to the council at a later meeting.

In other matters, the board approved inserting a RVGC quarterly newsletter in the Sun Journal that would reach 15,000 households in the the River Valley, Oxford Hills and Franklin County areas. The marketing step was taken to raise awareness of the projects the council is involved in.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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