Presque Isle garners ‘Business-Friendly’ title
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — The Star City has acquired a new bragging right, following its recent designation as a “Business-Friendly Community.”
City Manager Jim Bennett advised councilors during their May City Council meeting that he’d received word Presque Isle had finally earned the recognition — a title city officials began pursuing earlier last year.
“I was informally notified by state government that we’ve qualified for Business Friendly certification,” Bennett told councilors, noting he was awaiting the receipt of official documentation to that end.
The program was created to encourage municipalities to adopt more business-friendly ways of promoting economic growth through streamlining procedures and improving the way communities address business needs.
Presque Isle was one of several communities who sought the recognition last year but failed to meet specifications for the designation.
“Among the positives, the review committee noted Presque Isle’s 2012 Strategic Plan. The site design review process is clear and timely and the revolving loan fund is a good tool to have locally,” said Doug Ray, development program manager/legislative liaison for the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, in a Star-Herald interview last fall.
Ray said the city’s application lacked sufficient detail to earn the designation.
“The review committee felt the application was without detail in many key areas such as capacity, utilization of programs with specific examples of the permitting process and project the city supported,” said Ray.
On May 21, the MDECD officially announced Presque Isle as the latest municipality to be certified a “Business-Friendly Community.”
To be certified as a BFC, multiple areas of criteria are considered, including customer service, business involvement and collaboration, input from the public, and licensing and permitting.
“I applaud every effort taken by Presque Isle to make doing business there easier and more efficient for job creators,” said Gov. Paul R. LePage. “And I hope this certification will remind the city to ask itself, ‘Will this action or initiative we’re about to undertake make Presque Isle more business-friendly?’ This is the kind of proactive approach Maine needs to attract and retain businesses.”
A team of public and private economic development experts reviews each application to determine eligibility in the program. Presque Isle first applied for certification in 2012 and was successful with its reapplication this year. Some business-friendly initiatives the review committee highlighted included:
• The city’s steps to stabilize and reduce its tax rate;
• Its authorization of the planning committee to guide and encourage community and economic development;
• Presque Isle recognition that “time is money” through its Site Design Review Process; and
• The city’s focus on revitalizing its downtown through the “get Down to Business in Downtown Presque Isle” initiative.
“Through the efforts of the governor and, more importantly, the continued hard work and dedication by our communities on behalf of businesses to grow and thrive, Maine continues to rise in the ranks of top states for business,” said DECD Commissioner George Gervais. “We ask that every community continue to work to improve their business climate, and to reach out to the DECD for any reason. Our programs and initiatives are here to help.”
Since the LePage administration launched the program in March of 2012, a total of 20 Maine communities have received the business-friendly status. Communities named business-friendly are presented with a certificate, two Maine DOT road signs and become a key part of Maine’s business attraction strategy.
To date, Presque Isle is the only Aroostook County community to earn the honor. Richmond was the only other town to be so recognized in the latest selection round.
Municipalities who made the first-round selection process include: Augusta, Bath, Brewer, Biddeford, Bucksport, Guilford, Lincoln, Saco and Sanford. Second-round designations include: Auburn, Cumberland, Lewiston, Pittsfield and Westbrook. Third-round honorees include: Ellsworth, Fairfield, Kennebunk and Topsham.
The deadline for applications for the next round is Sept. 6. For more information about this program and how you can become a Certified Business-Friendly Community, call Andrea K. Smith at 624-9813, tty: 1-800-437-1220; or by e-mail at bizfriendly.DECD@maine.gov.
