Staff Writer
Back in February, Rep. Bernard Ayotte (R-Caswell) created a bill aimed at promoting business creation and development in the St. John Valley area. “An Act to Establish the St. John Valley Regional Planning Commission,” or LD 771 proposed to create an entirely new entity — the St. John Valley Regional Planning Commission — that would facilitate or aid a potential business owner’s efforts in establishing their business or industry and promote economic development in the northern Aroostook region.
The bill went to the committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development; on June 2, Ayotte received a letter from the committee.
“At the public hearing on the bill, the committee heard testimony from proponents of the bill about the significant need for more attention to be given to the St. John Valley in the area of effective regional community planning and economic development,” the letter read. “Proponents of the bill also emphasized the importance of establishing a regional planning commission for the area that would address the specific needs of the region, encourage job creation and help create wealth in the community.”
The committee also “strongly encourages the communities within the St. John Valley to move forward to establish a regional planning commission as soon as possible and respectfully requests to be informed of their progress to create such a commission during the next legislative session.”
The bill has been carried over to the next session, but an exploratory meeting regarding the proposed SJVRPC will be held on Friday, Aug. 5 in Van Buren.
The Northern Maine Development Commission in Caribou currently handles economic for all of Aroostook County, with offices in Fort Kent and Houlton; NMDC also provides management and support for other promotional entities like Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development (LEAD), Aroostook Partnership for Progress (APP), Aroostook County Tourism and Aroostook Municipal Association (AMA), to list a few.
According to Ayotte, the proposed SJVRPC would encourage economic activity in northern Maine by highlighting strengths unique to the St. John Valley.
“[The St. John Valley] has different strengths and culture that needs to be listened to and developed,” he explained.
Ayotte did mention that NMDC is doing a great job, but is geared more toward the “hub” of Aroostook in the Caribou-Presque Isle area.
Limestone, New Sweden, Stockholm, Caswell, Cyr Plantation and Van Buren are among the communities that would be represented on the SJVRPC, as explained in the bill.
The exploratory meeting takes place at 2 p.m. in the town council room of the Municipal Building in Van Buren.
