FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted Tuesday to hold informational meetings and a public hearing on an amended development program, part of the tax increment financing agreement with TransCanada Maine Wind Development.

The informational sessions are held to provide an overview of the program, as well as to secure feedback from the community on what projects and categories to list in the amended development program.

The first informational meeting will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, in the Superior Court room at the Franklin County Courthouse.

This will be followed by a second meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6 in the Carrabassett Valley-Eustis area. The location will be announced.

A public hearing will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Franklin County Courthouse.

Consultant John Cleveland, president of Community Dynamics Corp. of Auburn, reviewed the listing of programs and uses proposed for funds garnered from the TIF agreement with commissioners on Tuesday. 

He has worked with commissioners on an amendment to the TIF to expand the development program and geographic area of the district.

Last year, he advised commissioners they could amend the TIF to include more categories allowed under state law and expand the district. They could also lengthen the TIF to 30 years and structure the amendment to get the maximum benefit for the county.

The proposed development program includes investments in items such as capital costs for scenic byways, telecommunications infrastructure, emergency communication equipment and public safety/fire protection equipment.

The list also includes investments related to economic development, such as tourism, nature-based tourism and GPS plotting and mapping of trails. Costs associated with recreational trails and environmental improvements, such as mitigation of milfoil or invasive species, are on the list.

Annual dues for service for economic development organizations, including but not limited to Greater Franklin Development Council, are included. There are also funds listed for a revolving loan fund and grant program, Cleveland said.

The wording, “including but not limited to,” were added in several categories to provide more flexibility for investing funds in programs, Cleveland said.

If the categories of programs or the above wording is not listed in the table, the funds cannot be used for another purpose, he said. State law authorizes a list of things officials can do but if it is not in the TIF, it cannot be done under the TIF, he said.

The county entered into a tax-increment financing agreement in 2008, targeting specific areas of the unorganized territory that comprise the 44-turbine Kibby Mountain Wind Power Power Project in Kibby and Skinner townships in northern Franklin County.

The initial TIF agreement allows 75 percent of new taxes to be retained by the county over 20 years, with county commissioners reimbursing the company 60 percent of those new taxes annually for 20 years.

There is about $2.7 million in the TIF fund, according to county officials.

Commissioners voted Tuesday to move $70,000 from the Public Safety and Fire Prevention category of the development program to fund already-approved trail improvements. The account has $171,000.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net

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