By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — A large portion of the Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) Board of Director’s meeting on Oct. 14 was spent discussing good news for Aroostook County, from addressing how local governments can save money to discussing the impact recently established BalanceBPO and TxVia companies in Presque Isle are having on the local economy.
A presentation made on LEAN Implementation for Government outlined ways that community leaders can reduce their municipal costs — a good thing for tax payers during a time when any cost savings can go a long way in reducing mil rates; the LEAN Implementation for Government project focuses on identifying and eliminating waste at the local government level.
Director of NMDC Bob Clark informed board members of the new BalanceBPO and TxVia companies that have taken root in Presque Isle, drawn to the area by the county’s work ethic, loyalty, government support and technology. The companies were described as being in the field of knowledge processing and provide career opportunities — not just jobs — that have decent benefit packages.
“We’re very pleased to have them in the area,” Clark said.
While the future of the project was unbeknownst to board members at the time, NMDC Director of Planning and Transportation Denis Berube presented an update on the proposed rail abandonment by Maine, Montreal and Atlantic Railway. At the time of the presentation, Berube informed board members the status of the abandonment, including the mention of a task-force teleconference on Oct. 15 regarding the issue; an Oct. 15 press release from the offices of Sens. Collins and Snow and Rep. Michaud announced $10,546,436 to the Maine Department of Transportation to repair and improve the MMA line in Aroostook and northern Penobscot counties. Yesterday morning, the deal was finally struck for Maine to own the rail line.
Members of the board granted authorization to NMDC staff to apply for an Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Assessment Grant in the amount of $400,000, which would provide funding for the continuing work done under the watchful eyes of NMDC for the identification and clean up of brownfields and allocate funding to identify and improve hazardous waste sites.
According to Berube, brownfield assessment and the resultant clean up had very stringent specifications a site needed in order to be eligible for funding; requirements to obtain funding for hazardous waste sites are less stringent and applicable to far more environmentally tainted properties. NMDC has been orchestrating this program for a few years now, and has been successful at returning the sites to working condition.
“We’ve gotten good feedback from the EPA on this program regarding sites that have been cleaned up,” Berube informed the board members.
The next meeting of the NMDC Board of Directors was scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 11 but board members agreed not to hold their meeting on Veterans Day; the board will gather again in early December instead.
